At this moment, inside the newly constructed "Xiongfeng Fitness Club" office building, in the general manager's office, Hu San and his crew were being interrogated by General Manager Xiong Feng.
Xiong Feng was savoring his Tieguanyin tea, listening intently to their report. Occasionally, he would glance at the speakers with a casual yet piercing gaze, his eyes emitting a cold, intimidating light.
After Xiong Feng felt he had a good grasp of the situation, he began to ask questions: "Did you get a good look at their faces?"
Hu San quickly replied, "They were all wearing masks—there was Pigsy, Sha Monk, and Tang Monk."
"And did they see your faces?"
"I bought masks too—Buddha, Jade Emperor, and Erlang Shen."
"The Jade Emperor couldn't beat Sha Monk, and Buddha was slapped by Leizhenzi until he spat blood. A well-crafted story, very creative," Xiong Feng remarked sarcastically.
Hu San and his group forced out bitter smiles.
"Hu San, I've treated you well, yet you're playing a role in someone else's script and then coming back to tell me the plot. You ungrateful traitors!"
The group's faces turned ashen, panic overtaking them.
Lu Saihu stammered, "Boss… how… how can you say that?"
Xiong Feng coldly replied, "You're the leader, yet you can't even speak clearly. How can you be expected to do things right?"
At this, Lu Saihu fell silent, not daring to utter another word.
"Relax, I'm just lightening the mood. I know you all worked hard. You're some of the top fighters in my company. I expect you to perform well in training and in upcoming major competitions. This time, I believe you were careless, fell into their trap, and were deceived—not your fault, but mine for not foreseeing it. It's my intelligence that's at fault, not yours."
Upon hearing this, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Xiong Feng handed out cigarettes to everyone and waved them off to the adjoining rest area.
Hu San and Lu Saihu noticed that Xiong Feng hadn't given them cigarettes. Sensing something was amiss, they stayed behind as the others left.
The two exchanged glances, then suddenly dropped to their knees, begging, "Please give us another chance, Boss! Don't cripple us; we'll even guard your door if you let us live!"
They both knew Xiong Feng was powerful enough to make them disappear with a staged accident. They were aware that Xiong Feng had several powerful shareholders to answer to, and they realized they might not survive this ordeal.
Seeing them kneeling, Xiong Feng's expression darkened, and he roared, "Do you even know what you did wrong?"
"Yes, we know… we know," they stammered, trembling.
"Know what, exactly?"
Xiong Feng's anger flared. "You picked a good time, in the dead of night, but you couldn't even win a fight! Why didn't you use machetes? Are your bones stronger than machetes? And why, in the end, did you forget to use the double-barreled shotgun? Even gods fear a quick getaway, and you didn't know that? Idiots!"
The two finally realized their mistake, trembling all over.
Lu Saihu tried to explain, "It was so dark in the middle of the night… what if we killed someone by accident?"
Xiong Feng's mustache bristled with anger. He stepped forward and slapped Lu Saihu hard across the face. "You idiot! We have gun licenses, and we were in the mountains, not the city. Hunting in the mountains is normal. What the hell were you afraid of? Do I have to tell you everything? Teach you everything?"
"Slap! Slap! Slap!" He rained blows down on Lu Saihu, striking him until blood poured from his seven orifices.
Lu Saihu didn't dare resist in the slightest. Hu San watched in horror as Lu Saihu flinched with every hit, silently hoping that this brutal display meant they still had a chance to survive.
Xiong Feng's hand finally stopped when it grew sore. He turned to see Hu San trembling, his hands still wrapped in bandages.
Realizing Xiong Feng hadn't hit him, Hu San grew desperate. Ignoring the wounds on his face, he began to slap himself furiously until blood appeared. He stopped only when Xiong Feng returned to his desk and sat in his swivel chair.
Hu San quickly stepped forward, pouring hot water into Xiong Feng's teacup and placing it into his hands.
Xiong Feng took out three cigarettes, tossing one to Hu San and another to Lu Saihu. Both men, relieved, watched as Hu San lit Xiong Feng's cigarette.
Xiong Feng took a deep drag, exhaling a cloud of smoke.
Wiping his teary eyes, he said dejectedly, "You know, our group's philosophy is that high-level managers must get raises every year. But we don't keep useless people. You two have been with me for many years, and I don't want to lose you. Hu San, you have a family to support, and Saihu… well, you're single with no attachments…"
Lu Saihu's eyes widened as he realized the implications of Xiong Feng's words.
Desperately, he pleaded, "Boss, you're like a father to me! Everything I have—luxury clothes, gourmet food, women—it's all thanks to you. Please, let me punish myself. You're like a father to me."
Xiong Feng, surprised at how fluently Lu Saihu spoke, remarked, "Funny how you're not stuttering anymore, speaking so clearly."
Lu Saihu, in that moment, had accepted his fate, feeling a sense of release.
Xiong Feng remained silent, looking between Hu San and Lu Saihu. The tension in the room was palpable.
Finally, Xiong Feng broke the silence, handing a stack of tissues to Lu Saihu to wipe the blood off his face. "Get up. Leave everything to me. Considering your loyalty, I'll give you a break. After all, I'm the majority shareholder."
With those final words, both men truly felt the weight lift off their shoulders.
Xiong Feng then instructed Hu San to brew two more cups of tea and told Lu Saihu to wash up in the restroom.
As they sat around the desk, Xiong Feng's mind raced. Luckily, they hadn't been recognized; otherwise, they'd be worthless to him.
After a brief silence, Xiong Feng shifted his gaze to a Buddha statue in the corner and said, "You know, I'm a devout Buddhist. A friend told me that the relic we're after is extraordinary—it glows in the dark and has special powers to ward off evil. If we could 'acquire' it, it would bring great fortune to Xiongfeng Fitness Club. This matter cannot end here. Think—what else can we do?"
Hearing this, the two men's hearts sank. Was this nightmare never going to end?
Lu Saihu, still shaken, couldn't think of anything.
Hu San, however, thought to himself: A single relic is worth millions, maybe even tens of millions. The whole idea of warding off evil is just nonsense. And with six relics, who wouldn't want to keep them for themselves?
Xiong Feng, deep in thought, muttered, "If real martial artists are involved, stealing those relics, then finding them would be like searching for a needle in a haystack."
Suddenly, Lu Saihu remembered something and hurriedly pulled a torn piece of paper from his pocket, handing it to Xiong Feng. "There's a signature at the bottom."
Xiong Feng looked at the paper, noting only three small handprints, and smirked cunningly, "Well, this confirms it. It's a mark used by martial artists."
Hu San, sensing something, blurted out, "It's not over yet, Boss. If you give me more time, I'll thoroughly investigate this 'Three Palms'."
"Investigate what?"
Xiong Feng, having had his fun, bluntly stated, "This whole thing is just a prank by that guy named Lei Tianlai!"
The two were left speechless, utterly confused as to how Xiong Feng was so sure and where he had gotten his information…