Chapter 25: Liu the Fat Man Brings Gifts from Afar
After settling in Erlong and the others, Zhang Ze and Wang Chao returned to their hotel.
“What were you whispering with him about just now?” As soon as they entered the room, Wang Chao pressed for answers.
“Do you really think Erlong and his crew alone could stir up any trouble?” Zhang Ze replied.
“Heh~” Wang Chao was even more puzzled by Zhang Ze’s words. “I just don’t get it, why do you always want to meddle in their affairs?”
Already sprawled on the bed, Zhang Ze heard Wang Chao’s question and sat up, his expression serious. “Maybe I’m not so different from them myself.”
Wang Chao fell silent, and Zhang Ze continued, “I don’t think their dozen or so people can cause much of a stir.”
“Then why are you getting involved?”
“With me, that’s enough,” Zhang Ze answered as if it were obvious, ignoring Wang Chao’s frustration.
“Here, take these. Don’t worry about wasting them—use them to strengthen yourself as quickly as you can.” As he spoke, Zhang Ze handed Wang Chao three first-grade Body-strengthening Pills.
He then settled down himself and began a night of cultivation.
…
The next morning.
After a whole night’s effort, Zhang Ze’s cultivation had improved dramatically. Glancing at the system panel, he couldn’t help but smile foolishly:
Wealth: 880,000
Cell Strength: 189S
Cell Spirit: 32
Skills: Shield (11%), Probe
Meridians: Two (90%)
In just one night, Zhang Ze had refined another lower limb meridian, bringing his overall cell strength up to 189S. Yet, he found himself helpless: the cell spirit he’d regained over the past two days had dropped to its lowest point after a night of cultivation.
“It seems the system doesn’t support continuous meridian refinement at this stage,” he mused, slowly opening his eyes.
“You’re really something else,” Wang Chao muttered as Zhang Ze awoke. “You spent the whole night refining your meridians without a single break…”
“That’s what makes a genius, a prodigy!” Zhang Ze retorted smugly, and the two headed toward the hotel restaurant.
Erlong and his group weren’t martial artists, and they didn’t want to attract attention, so they weren’t staying in the same hotel as Zhang Ze and Wang Chao.
…
“Now spill it—what advice did you give them?” Wang Chao thought back to how Zhang Ze once stormed the Bureau of Investigation all by himself, and felt uneasy. “He wouldn’t drag Erlong’s group off to make a scene at City Hall, would he?”
“Hehe~” Seeing Zhang Ze’s goofy grin, Wang Chao felt a chill run down his back.
…
“Brother Wang, why aren’t your cultivation results obvious after a whole night?” Zhang Ze could see Wang Chao’s cell strength through the system.
“I took a Body-strengthening Pill, cultivated for a couple of hours, and my cell strength increased a bit. How’s that not a result?” Wang Chao retorted. “You think everyone can refine meridians all night like you?”
“Come on, you’re hiding some secret, aren’t you?”
“Does being handsome count?”
“Get lost!”
…
Chatting as they ate breakfast, the two then headed to the hotel where Erlong and his group were staying.
“Are you ready?”
“Just take us there—we’ll handle things ourselves when the time comes,” Erlong said with some embarrassment, not wanting Zhang Ze and Wang Chao to get dragged into the mess.
“Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.”
Listening to Zhang Ze and Erlong’s exchange, Wang Chao still had no clue what they were planning.
…
The Pill Company was located in the city center of Heyue, but Zhang Ze and the others drove straight toward Shushan District.
“You’re not actually taking them to the Lin Family estate, are you?” After half an hour on the road, Wang Chao could guess their destination.
“Hehe~” Zhang Ze’s demeanor made Wang Chao anxious and helpless.
“Well, do your thing then,” Wang Chao sighed.
…
When the group finally arrived near the Lin Family estate, even Erlong’s breath grew heavy.
After years of controlling Anqing Province’s Pill Company, the Lin Family had cultivated many martial artists. Though they were still some distance from the estate, everyone felt the tension.
“Ze, your father finally caught up,” came a voice.
“Damn—” Wang Chao exclaimed. “You two came as well?”
Seeing Liu Fatty and Huang Ming, Wang Chao was surprised. Without waiting for a reply, he smacked Liu Fatty on the back of the head.
“Fatty, what’s that you’re carrying? It smells awful!”
“Hehe~” Fatty laughed awkwardly. “First time visiting the Lin Family—I brought a gift.”
“Stinky tofu!”
“Stinky tofu!” Fatty repeated, tightening the black plastic bag in his hand.
…
“Hello?” Zhang Ze made five or six calls, repeating the same message: “I’ve given you the news—whether you make tomorrow’s headlines depends on your speed.”
Only after finishing did he return to the group.
Smirking, he asked Fatty, “Did you bring the gift I asked for?”
“All ready,” Fatty replied. “Ze, next time there’s such a good thing, remember to call me!”
Seeing Fatty’s cheeky grin, Zhang Ze kicked him in the backside. “Keep your eyes open—or I’ll report you myself!”
“Alright, everyone, let’s move!”
Nodding to Erlong, Zhang Ze, Wang Chao, and Huang Ming each got into a car. Erlong, Fatty, and the others walked toward the Lin Family estate.
“Beep beep—”
With the sound of car horns, five or six vans sped toward the estate.
…
“What are you doing here?” The guards outside the Lin Family estate barked at Erlong and his group.
Coincidentally, Lin Dong, who’d returned home yesterday, was in the courtyard at that moment.
After being slapped twice by his own sister, Lin Dong had hoped for some comfort at home, but his father lectured him for over an hour. Depressed, he went outside for a walk, only to hear the guards shouting.
He strode forward and saw Erlong and the others.
Though Erlong’s group looked grim, did they realize where they were? This was the Lin Family estate!
The two guards at his side were top second-grade martial artists, and there were plenty of mid-grade martial artists in the estate behind him.
“Are you Lin Dong?” Erlong stepped forward, his face dark, and shouted.
Seeing the mood, the guards grew angry. “Just a bunch of first-grade martial artists—think you can overturn the sky here?”
“Disperse!”
“Do you know where you are?”
“If you don’t want to get beaten, get lost!”
But Erlong and his group came prepared—they weren’t afraid of two second-grade martial artists. Staring straight at Lin Dong, they shouted angrily:
“Did you cause the fire that killed the Chen Family in Chen Village?”
“Did you order the attack that crippled Chen Fugui and others?”
Chen Fugui, the so-called Chen Blindman, was the one they referred to.
“Is it true you, Lin Dong, raised pill prices and called all freelance martial artists worthless?”
At some point, a dozen reporters had surrounded them.
Seeing this, Lin Dong was first shocked, then furious.
Where was he? This was the Lin Family estate!
The residence of Lin Wanli, the largest shareholder of the Anqing Province Pill Company!
Thinking of this, Lin Dong’s temper flared. He opened his mouth to order the guards to act.
But as he did, a sly Fatty in the crowd locked onto him.
The black plastic bag arced through the air and landed right on Lin Dong’s forehead…