"K.O.!"
Xiao Bao held his head high, proudly proclaiming his victory. His expression seemed to say, "See? When I'm angry, I can unleash my strongest power. You've never beaten me. If you want to win, you have to coax me."
"Xiao Bao, you've improved so much! You never used to win, but now you've actually won. You're really great," Lin Fan said happily.
Xiao Bao hung his head, dejected. That wasn't it at all. He had always been letting Lin Fan win. His true skill was actually very impressive.
Now, being told he had merely improved made him angry.
"How about letting me have a turn?" Master Yongxin asked. He wasn't interested in games, but he believed playing together could strengthen their friendship.
Lin Fan smiled. "Sure."
Master Yongxin sat down and looked at Xiao Bao. "Little friend, let this old monk play a game with you."
"No fun, I won't play with you." Xiao Bao got up, refusing to play with Master Yongxin, who he felt was stealing his friend. Old Zhang, however, happily took Xiao Bao's place, eager to play with the master.
Xiao Bao's dislike for Master Yongxin was obvious, clinging to Lin Fan's side.
"Where can I find you in the future?" he asked. He couldn't find Lin Fan at Qingshan or at the special department. Their encounters seemed to depend entirely on luck.
"You can come find us at our workplace," Lin Fan said.
Xiao Bao had expected this answer. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. He had an idea. He tugged at Lin Fan's arm. "Let's go buy you a cell phone! That way, it'll be easy for me to find you."
"Will it really be that convenient?" Lin Fan asked.
Xiao Bao nodded vigorously. "Yes, yes, definitely! I can call you whenever I want."
The bodyguards, reading their comics, were filled with envy. Young Master Xiao Bao was far too kind to these two mentally ill patients. It made them envious. If they were mentally ill, would Young Master Xiao Bao treat them so well?
Honestly, this was the first time they envied mentally ill people.
Xiao Bao pulled Lin Fan towards the exit, leaving Old Zhang and Master Yongxin to their game. The demonic rooster naturally followed, memorizing Xiao Bao's appearance. Anyone who could befriend this foolish human must be important.
Wasn't a spy's job to notice things others overlooked?
It considered itself an excellent spy.
It could even boastfully tell its demonic brethren, "I, the demonic rooster, sprayed urine on a powerful figure at the special department headquarters and left unscathed! Just ask yourselves, who among you can do the same?"
It wouldn't admit it had been scared witless. It had simply, under perfectly normal circumstances, used its urine to wake the other party. Pure dominance.
"Old Zhang, Xiao Bao and I are going shopping," Lin Fan called back.
Old Zhang immediately jumped up and followed. "Wait for me, I'm coming too!"
Master Yongxin, now skillfully operating the game, watched them leave, then got up to follow. He knew the little boy was wary of him. After a moment of thought, he realized that to improve their relationship, he'd have to get along with the boy.
He smiled at the thought.
It was just a child. How hard could it be to win him over? It would be a piece of cake.
"Goodbye, sirs!"
The humble arcade owner saw them off, all the way to the door, watching until they disappeared down the street. Only then did he turn back, a bright smile on his face.
What a wonderful day. Such a bountiful harvest.
He loved it when this young, rich fellow came to play his arcade games. He'd also figured out that the bald old man was probably really poor.
At the cell phone store, a female clerk paled when she saw the group of bodyguards enter. Her mind flashed to movie scenes where a big boss, dining out, would send his men to wait outside after noticing a pretty waitress, and then…
She couldn't bear to think about it. How embarrassing!
Then, seeing the three adults and one child, her face went even whiter.
Could it be…?
"Two phones, the most expensive, the best," Xiao Bao declared, standing on a chair provided by a bodyguard, hands in his pockets.
The son of the richest man exuded an aura of dominance. His presence and the casual way he spent money were beyond the reach of ordinary people.
Of course, if she had the money, she could be just as domineering.
The clerk realized she was overthinking things. She hurriedly retrieved two phones from the display case. "These are the latest models, the best phones in our store. They just came out, so the price is a bit… high."
Xiao Bao beckoned.
A bodyguard pulled out a card. "Swipe it. And get two SIM cards, each with 100,000 in credit."
The clerk was stunned, as if she'd seen a ghost. Honestly, she'd never encountered such extravagance.
Buying two phones wasn't the shocking part. It was the phone credit.
"Hurry up, our young master has other things to do," the bodyguard said.
These ordinary people… Such a simple transaction had shocked them so much. If they knew about the young master's other dealings, the age gap would probably cease to be an issue.
"Yes, yes, please wait a moment."
Having encountered a big client, the clerk didn't dare hesitate. She expertly processed the transaction and soon handed two new phones to Xiao Bao. "It's all done," she said with a smile.
Xiao Bao entered his number into one of the phones, dialed it, listened to the ringtone, then hung up.
"Do you like it?" He handed the phones to Lin Fan and Old Zhang.
Lin Fan smiled. "I like it."
Old Zhang beamed. "I like it too! But I have a watch. When I'm rich, I'll buy you each a watch."
Happiness was so simple.
"Ah! My watch is gone!" Old Zhang rolled up his sleeve to show off his watch, only to find his wrist bare. His voice was tinged with a whine. "Lin Fan, my watch is gone!"
The watch had disappeared during his bath.
But to Old Zhang, it was a real watch, definitely not fake.
Lin Fan scratched his head. He'd left his paintbrush in the dormitory. If he had it, he could paint a new watch for Old Zhang. Seeing how upset Old Zhang was, he put an arm around his shoulder to comfort him.
"Don't worry, you must have left it in the dormitory. We'll find it when we go back."
"Really?" Old Zhang asked.
Lin Fan smiled. "Really."
Xiao Bao jumped down from the chair. The bodyguards immediately extended their hands, ready to become a cushion if he fell.
"Lin Fan, Old Zhang, let's go buy watches! I'll get you the best ones," Xiao Bao said, pulling them along.
He was most afraid of losing his two best friends, especially to the bald old man.
Master Yongxin smiled. "Little friend, could you get one for this old monk too? I can teach you martial arts."
Martial arts were his best offering.
And he'd thought it through carefully.
To get closer to the child, he had to show him something interesting, like breaking bricks with his bare hands. Children were usually fascinated by such things.
Xiao Bao glanced at Master Yongxin.
Who are you?
Do you have no shame?
Do you think my money grows on trees?
Even if it did, I wouldn't spend it on you. I'd spend it on my best friends.
Master Yongxin's casual joke was met with a disdainful look from Xiao Bao. What was even more unacceptable to Master Yongxin was that the surrounding bodyguards were giving him the same look.
And the clerk? Don't even ask.
Her look clearly said: Such an old man, taking advantage of a child. Shameless.
Xiao Bao had money, lots of money. Besides money, he only had his two best friends. So, the watch store they went to was in the most luxurious mall in Yanhai City.
Don't ask about the price. He didn't care about money. Talking about money when buying things for his friends was an insult to the purest friendship.
When the bodyguards saw this, they felt another pang of jealousy.
Honestly, they were so envious.
They saw Young Master Xiao Bao every day and spent so much time with him, so why didn't they get this kind of treatment?
They were green with envy, like they'd eaten a truckload of lemons.
"Do you like it?" Xiao Bao asked.
Lin Fan looked at Old Zhang. "Xiao Bao is asking if you like it."
Old Zhang shook the watch on his wrist, his face alight with excitement and joy. "I like it! It's so beautiful, so high-quality. It feels cool and has a nice weight to it. I love it!"
"Xiao Bao, you're so kind."
Xiao Bao raised his head and grinned. "We're friends. Buying things for you makes me happy."
It was Lin Fan's first time wearing a watch. It felt strange, but overall, it was pretty good.
The bodyguard went to pay, and when he saw the bill, his jaw dropped.
Two watches, over twenty million!
Holy crap!
That was more than he could probably earn in a lifetime.
Unless Young Master Xiao Bao was feeling generous with his bonuses, then maybe.
These were the best watches in the store, the crown jewels.
Xiao Bao's habit was not to buy the best, but the most expensive.
You could call Xiao Bao a fool.
He did like to throw money around.
But getting this fool to buy you something expensive was next to impossible.
Master Yongxin followed the whole time, deeply feeling the malice of the wealthy.
Truly rich.
Truly domineering.
Master Yongxin tried several times to connect with Xiao Bao, hoping to get to know him, but he was ignored.
He wasn't one to flaunt his status.
But in this situation, he didn't mind showing off a bit. So, he "accidentally" dropped his ID card in front of Xiao Bao. Xiao Bao simply stepped on it, leaving a clear footprint, and continued chatting and laughing with Lin Fan about where to go play and where to find good food.
This deeply wounded Master Yongxin's pride.
I've never met a little brat like you in my entire life.
Night fell.
Back at the special department…
"Goodbye, Xiao Bao."
Lin Fan waved goodbye to Xiao Bao. Xiao Bao had driven them back. They had initially offered to take him home, but he insisted on bringing them back first, so they agreed.
"Remember to answer the phone!" Xiao Bao called out, waving.
"Okay."
The luxurious black cars drove away.
Old Zhang sighed. "Xiao Bao is such a good person."
Lin Fan nodded in agreement. "He is."
Master Yongxin hadn't returned with them. He'd left earlier, afraid of being seen by certain people at the department. That would be very troublesome for him.
Back at his residence, Master Yongxin sighed. Today's progress had been minimal, all thanks to that brat. Every time he got close, the boy would pull Lin Fan away, preventing any interaction. Whenever he approached, Xiao Bao would drag Lin Fan further ahead, refusing to give him a chance.
He took out his phone.
There were messages in the group chat.
[Yanhai City Four Heavenly Kings.]
That was their group name.
They were discussing the day's events. Heng Jianqiu had been taken to the hospital. His injuries weren't serious, just a few broken bones. He needed to stay in the hospital for a while with a cast.
Master Yongxin didn't casually chat in the group.
He needed to keep a low profile.
But as the conversation shifted, he felt he couldn't stay silent.
[Don't you think that kid's strength is excessive? I want to ask him how he cultivates.]
[I agree. I really want to know.]
[Maybe we should try to get closer to him. We might find out.]
Seeing these messages, Master Yongxin couldn't tolerate it any longer.
If they started sucking up to the kid, his own competition would increase.
Master Yongxin pondered for a moment, then sent a message directly.
[What are you all thinking? You are all top experts of the older generation, yet you're shamelessly trying to learn cultivation methods from a junior. If this gets out, you'll be the laughingstock of everyone.]
[Wow, Yongxin, you finally showed up. Where have you been all day?]
[Never mind what I'm doing. This matter is truly disgraceful. If any of you want to learn from a junior, I'll make sure to spread the word.]
[Hmm... why do I feel like you're a little too excited about this?]
Master Yongxin online was not flustered at all. These words couldn't affect him in the slightest. He knew these old fellows; they were all people who cared about their reputation.
If this really got out, they would definitely lose face.
This was precisely the effect he wanted.
[I was cultivating, and when I saw your comments, I was simply disdainful of your behavior. Alright, time to recite the Diamond Sutra.]
They didn't know that Master Yongxin had already started brown-nosing Lin Fan.
Thinking about Yongxin's words, they felt he had a point.
Moreover, they also believed that Yongxin was absolutely capable of doing such a thing. If their old rivals found out they were learning cultivation from a junior, they couldn't imagine the rumors that would spread.
Just thinking about it was terrifying.
Huatian Hospital.
VIP ward.
A single room, like a simple two-bedroom, one-living room suite, fully furnished and equipped.
Heng Jianqiu lay in the hospital bed, his right leg in a cast and suspended in the air. He stared blankly at the ceiling, and no one knew what he was thinking, but it definitely wasn't anything good.
The one-eyed man had just arrived at the hospital. He was busy during the day and could only visit at night.
"How is it? Is the ward comfortable? This is the best ward in the hospital. I'm somewhat acquainted with the director here, so everything is the best available." The one-eyed man handed a peeled apple to Heng Jianqiu.
He didn't mention anything about what happened during the day.
By now, the meaning was clear: it was all an accident, don't take it to heart.
"Yes, it's really quite nice. What was that realm above level nine called again?" Heng Jianqiu asked.
The one-eyed man laughed, "Are you silly? That's the Town Guardian level."
"Right. So tell me, I'm a Town Guardian level expert, and now I'm lying in the hospital. Tell me, why? Who was that guy?" Heng Jianqiu couldn't accept this reality.
If he had been beaten up by an evil creature, he wouldn't have any complaints. The power of evil creatures was obvious, undeniable. But the key now was that it was such a young man. One punch, and the force spread throughout his entire body. If the one-eyed man hadn't caught him and helped him dissipate some of the force, would it have just been a broken leg?
He might have been paralyzed by that kid.
The two mental patients were the last people the one-eyed man wanted to talk about.
It wasn't that he was afraid of their conditions being known, but rather that he was afraid of people knowing they were mental patients, easy to fool. As long as you were patient and had some connections, it was easy to sway them.
Like, did he have a deep relationship with the mental patients?
No.
He had only met them a few times, been scammed by them a few times, then talked to Hao Ren, signed a contract, gave them some money, and recruited them.
If he encountered those who were serious,
They might really be poached.
"Haha, I wondered what you were going to ask. So it's about him. I'm not afraid to tell you, he's a powerful expert I invited from the deep mountains. Don't underestimate him just because he's young. He has a lot of cultivation talent." The one-eyed man said.
Heng Jianqiu smiled bitterly: "Underestimate? I'm lying in the hospital now. Do you think I would underestimate them?"
The one-eyed man patted Heng Jianqiu's shoulder and said, "Don't worry, we'll take full responsibility for your situation. Medical expenses, rehabilitation expenses, everything will be covered. We definitely won't let you bear the burden yourself."
"Do I look like someone who's afraid of medical expenses?" Heng Jianqiu was still thinking about how he was knocked down with one punch. He clearly used his palm to block, so why was it his leg that was broken?
This question had puzzled him for a long time.
The one-eyed man comforted Heng Jianqiu, feeling helpless inside. The man was from headquarters. He originally thought it would be better to send him back sooner, but now it seemed he couldn't go back and would definitely have to recuperate here.
Then,
Heng Jianqiu said discontentedly, "Don't change the subject. Where did all these experts come from in the deep mountains? Honestly, who is he? You also know that headquarters is currently exploring a sinkhole, but they've encountered some trouble. The evil creatures there are generally quite powerful. If there were strong experts to help, you know, there would be significant progress."
It went without saying that he knew Heng Jianqiu would bring this up.
He was at ease with the mental patients in Yanhai City, but if they went to headquarters, the situation would be different. And the most important reason he didn't want to let them go was...
The Demon God had appeared here.
It would attract many evil creatures. If he hadn't known how strong the young man was, then it wouldn't have mattered. But now that he knew, there was no way he would let him go. He had to keep him in Yanhai City. If any powerful creatures appeared, he could help.
"Hehe!" The one-eyed man chuckled without answering.
Just then,
Heng Jianqiu's phone rang.
"I'll step out, you can talk freely." The one-eyed man said.
Heng Jianqiu said, "No, it's fine. I'm open and aboveboard, not as cautious as you."
Then he answered the phone.
Time passed minute by minute.
His expression gradually grew serious. He hung up the phone.
He looked at the one-eyed man, pondered for a moment, and said, "There's some bad news, do you want to hear it?"
"What do you mean?" the one-eyed man asked. If it concerned Yanhai City, he would definitely know; someone would have called him immediately.
"Headquarters just called. They discovered a group of evil creatures migrating from a sinkhole towards Yanhai City. They might arrive in a few days. There are quite a few of them, and there's a high possibility of powerful evil creatures among them."
"Just as expected, the city where the Demon God appears will attract evil creatures. But even after all this research, we still haven't figured out why the city where the Demon God appears attracts evil creatures."
Heng Jianqiu told the one-eyed man the news.
Upon hearing this, the one-eyed man's expression turned serious. He immediately called the monitoring department. They were responsible for monitoring the migration of evil creatures. If they were really coming to Yanhai City, it would be a troublesome matter.
This was something no one wanted to see.
The cockroach demon incident was indeed due to the evil creature's carelessness. If all the evil creatures from the main base attacked, the damage and losses Yanhai City would suffer would be difficult to estimate.
"Now there are two paths before you: one is to announce the news and let the citizens temporarily leave Yanhai City, and the other is to abandon Yanhai City and merge into other cities, carrying out a large-scale migration."
"You know, the cities where the Demon God has appeared will continuously attract evil creatures. In the current situation, it's very, very difficult to stop the invasion of evil creatures."
Heng Jianqiu's words were all suggestions.
If he were to choose,
He would definitely choose to evacuate everyone.
Cities where the Demon God had appeared before were destroyed, and the surrounding cities had all suffered from the intrusion of some evil creatures, gradually returning to peace. But now, Yanhai City hadn't been destroyed, so it was unknown how much it would have to endure.
The one-eyed man said, "I'll go back first. You rest well."
Special Department Monitoring Room.
When the one-eyed man arrived at the department, he was led by the department head to a screen. Jin He Li accompanied them.
At this moment, a large black spot was slowly moving on the screen.
A lot of data appeared alongside the monitoring.
It was mostly energy fluctuations from level two and three evil creatures.
This meant there were hidden evil creatures that couldn't be detected, using level two and three energy readings to deceive humans.
"We just detected it. Indeed, a large group of evil creatures is migrating. If they don't change direction, they'll probably reach Yanhai City in a week."
The head of the monitoring room was a middle-aged man.
His name was Tang Wensheng.
He was once a mid-level manager in the headquarters monitoring department, but later settled in Yanhai City because his wife was from there.
"Jin He Li, I require you to estimate tonight how much damage this army of evil creatures can inflict on Yanhai City. I need the most accurate data possible." The one-eyed man said.
"Yes." Jin He Li adjusted her glasses, her expression grave.
Then she left. She now needed to go to the technical department and apply to launch a reconnaissance drone to check the situation with the evil creatures.