Unintentionally, I acquired a Type 54 handgun, which gave me a burst of joy.
"Excellent! Stick with me, and you'll enjoy endless wealth and luxury," Ning Zong praised, patting my right arm, and began his usual brainwashing session.
Reluctantly, I smiled and listened, playing along.
"Ning Zong, what should we do with the bodies?" One of his men, armed with a gun, ran over and asked respectfully.
It turned out Ning Zong's men had already ambushed the area and had killed the mining boss's people. Ning Zong had bribed their soldiers to betray them, leading to their ultimate demise.
"Tang Tian, bury these pieces of trash here and spread the word that the big bosses should pool their money to buy the land," Ning Zong said casually, as if killing a few people was nothing.
"Move quickly and bury these bodies," Tang Tian, the leader, shouted, and his men immediately began burying the dead mining boss and his injured guards.
I followed Ning Zong out of the mine, noticing that the same soldiers I saw in the Golden Casino were there, smoking. Having a decent armed force in such a place definitely showed his wealth and power.
Liu Shiyi saw us emerge unharmed and quickly congratulated, "Congratulations, Ning Zong, on acquiring the mountain."
"Liu Shiyi, the person you recommended is really skilled. I didn't even see how he disarmed the enemy. Good job, you deserve a reward!" Ning Zong smiled, took off his Rolex, and handed it to me.
I hesitated, fearing he'd shoot me, "Ning Ge, this..."
"Take it! Don't be polite with me. You protected me well, and a watch is nothing. Stay loyal, and you'll have cars, women, money, and status!" Ning Zong insisted, making me accept the silver-gray watch.
"Thank you, Ning Ge. I'll keep working hard," I said, feigning happiness.
To be honest, I was somewhat happy—got a gun, a watch, and a new status symbol.
"Liu Shiyi, this is a talent worth cultivating. Without him, I would've been in danger," Ning Zong continued.
He was right. If I hadn't disarmed the guard, the ambush wouldn't have guaranteed Ning Zong's safety. They could've taken him hostage for money.
Liu Shiyi said, "Don't worry, Ning Zong. I'll train him well. But he has a boxing match arranged by Professor Ai Si for Mid-Autumn Festival."
"I didn't hear about that. The old fox didn't tell me," Ning Zong said, giving me a thoughtful look before whispering with Liu Shiyi.
"Your face has blood," Yanzi walked over and handed me a disinfectant wipe.
I took it and said, "Thanks, cousin."
She looked teary-eyed, "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Just killing some small fry," I smiled, pretending not to care.
Yanzi looked at me and said, "Tang Ping'an, you've changed. Your eyes were gentle when we first met. Now, there's a coldness and a killer's aura."
"Nothing stays the same in this world. It's not my choice," I laughed bitterly, looking at the blue sky, unsure of what to say.
Yanzi glanced around, ensuring no one was nearby, and whispered, "Liu Shiyi wants me to get close to Ning Zong..."
He's really sinister, using Yanzi as a pawn.
"What do you think?" I asked.
"I don't know. But if you agree, I'll do it," she said.
I couldn't decide for her, just like I couldn't avoid killing earlier. It was either him or me.
Seeing my silence, Yanzi seemed to resolve something and said firmly, "I know what to do. Stay safe here. No matter what, I'm always on your side."
"Thank you," I murmured, feeling a mix of emotions.
She smiled, kissed my cheek, and walked elegantly towards Ning Zong.
"Hey, quite the lucky guy, huh? Daring to flirt with Liu Shiyi's girl," Tang Tian approached, laughing.
"She's my cousin," I explained.
Tang Tian, friendly as ever, asked, "Oh, really? Sorry about that. Where are you from?"
"Hunan," I replied.
"Half a fellow countryman, I'm from Hubei," he said.
"Nice to meet you," I replied, unsure of what to say.
"I saw you in action. Have you trained?" Tang Tian handed me a cigarette.
"I've learned a bit. That tall guy was just slow to react. Ning Zong's aura helped too," I said, lighting the cigarette with his lighter. "Thanks."
"No problem. We're brothers now. Come to the Golden Casino sometime, we'll hang out. This place isn't fun," Tang Tian said, toying with his golden lighter.
I smiled, "I'm just a grunt. Today's my first day as Ning Zong's temporary bodyguard."
"What a waste of talent. I'll ask Ning Ge to bring you here to be my deputy. We'll make a great team," Tang Tian said enthusiastically.
"Thanks, but I have to stay here for now. Professor Ai Si wants me for a boxing match on Mid-Autumn Festival," I said, trying to gather information.
"A black market boxing match? That old fox is really pushing you into the fire pit," Tang Tian said.