Human reliability can only be seen in the most extreme environments.
Of course, even if reliable at that moment, it doesn't necessarily mean they will always be reliable.
After all, human nature seeks profit. How many people can resist the temptation of profit or the loss of vested interests?
Fan Meng was like this.
She dared not face death, which was understandable.
But Qi Yu, a weak woman, could face the threat of death directly, and chose not to run when she could, which was worthy of respect.
Who says women are inferior to men?
Lin Ying would be the first to disagree.
"You… you're all bleeding. Wait for me to bandage you." A blush appeared on Qi Yu's pale, pretty face. Seeing Lin Ying's hand was ripped open and Li Zhonglou's fist was bleeding, she hurried over.
Without hesitation, she tore her clothes into strips and bandaged the two of them.
Li Zhonglou remained silent, watching her careful and meticulous movements, and a hint of admiration rose in his eyes.
This girl was different.
Although she had fallen to the point of working in a nightclub, judging by her courage, demeanor, and knowledge, her future was limitless.
Moreover, it was clear that her senior sister was quite interested in Qi Yu.
After the bandaging was done, Lin Ying looked at the bow on her hand back and forth, quite satisfied.
She raised her eyebrows at Qi Yu and asked, "Girl, how about becoming my disciple?"
"I want to take on a disciple, and you are very good!"
Qi Yu was stunned by the sudden offer and stood there blankly.
"Why are you still considering? Just accept," Li Zhonglou urged gently, seeing her bewildered expression.
Qi Yu was not a foolish girl after all. After a moment of shock, she reacted and immediately knelt down to Lin Ying: "Qi Yu greets Master!"
She had personally witnessed Lin Ying's heroic and decisive stance, fighting four opponents without falling behind, and saw her unwavering integrity when facing Chen Rong.
Who wouldn't admire such a woman?
The reason she stayed at the scene, regardless of her own life or death, was partly due to Lin Ying's influence.
So, this is how a woman can live so vibrantly.
Even if she couldn't control life, she could control her own death.
Today, her worldview had undergone a huge transformation and breakthrough.
"Call me Sister Ying from now on. We don't need to make our master-disciple relationship public," Lin Ying gently helped her up and instructed with a wink.
As if fearing the title of 'Master' would make her sound old.
"Congratulations, Senior Sister, on taking in a good disciple," Li Zhonglou flattered her.
As soon as he finished speaking, he felt a wave of dizziness, accompanied by an unprecedented spinning sensation, causing him to lose his balance and nearly fall to the ground.
Fortunately, Lin Ying caught him and led him to a chair to rest.
His vision went completely black for a full five seconds before gradually starting to recover.
"Brother Li, are you alright?" Qi Yu asked, worried, thinking he had been injured.
Lin Ying's brow was furrowed, seemingly preoccupied.
Li Zhonglou saw this, shook his head, and asked, "Senior Sister, I think I'm just exhausted."
"It's not exhaustion," Lin Ying sighed softly. "You've experienced qi deviation."
"What?" Li Zhonglou found it hard to believe his ears.
Qi deviation was something he'd often heard about in martial arts novels or movies. How could it be coming from his senior sister?
Although he had felt dizzy for a while, he didn't feel any other discomfort.
There was no qi flowing backward or madness, so how could it be called qi deviation?
"The qi deviation I'm talking about is different from your understanding," Lin Ying explained, seeing Li Zhonglou's confusion. "Since ancient times, practicing martial arts has emphasized a calm mind."
"However, anger can temporarily increase strength, like in those Japanese anime where characters go berserk."
"But the side effects are significant, and it will cause your qi circulation to be disordered for a long time."
"Although you broke through to Qidong by chance, it was due to your anger and your concern for me."
"The dizziness just now was caused by the disordered qi affecting your nerves."
These words left not only Qi Yu bewildered but also Li Zhonglou quite perplexed.
He tested the waters, "So, you mean I can't use my qi anymore? That's fine. I rarely get into fights, and situations like today are not common."
Having qi or not was irrelevant, especially since he didn't know how to control it anyway.
He hadn't had it before, and today he wouldn't have broken through if it wasn't to save his senior sister.
It was a blessing in disguise, and demanding more would only lead to trouble.
"No, you won't be able to fight anyone for at least a month," Lin Ying shattered Li Zhonglou's hopes. "Do you think qi is independent? It's actually energy produced within your body. Any strenuous movement or emotional excitement will cause dizziness and fainting..."
"This is going to be a big problem."
Hearing this, Li Zhonglou's heart skipped a beat.
Normally, it wouldn't be a big deal, but he was on a mission now.
Staying at the headquarters of the smuggling criminal organization Xingzhi Group every day, he might encounter trouble, like encountering someone like Lü Dong. Physical strength was indispensable.
Yet, his senior sister said he couldn't even fight.
This...
However, with his senior sister in the company, he wasn't completely without recourse.
Li Zhonglou's state of mind was extraordinary. After a momentary sinking feeling, he quickly resolved it.
This place was not suitable for the three of them to chat. The waiters, emboldened, had started clearing the scene.
So, he called out, "Let's go, Senior Sister. We're drawing too much attention here."
Qi Yu considered for a few seconds and then resolutely followed the two of them.
As the three of them pulled open the glass door, the lobby manager's voice called out from behind them: "Don't leave!"
"Is there something?" Li Zhonglou asked, turning back.
"Many valuable items in the lobby were damaged by you, and the rosewood large conference table is cracked. You have to pay for it, or I will take legal action." The lobby manager put on a righteous demeanor.
He had personally seen the police take away those thugs but left these three behind.
This meant these three were law-abiding citizens.
Law-abiding citizens were the easiest to bully because they wouldn't do anything too outrageous.
If not them, then who would pay for the losses?
Should he go after Young Master Fan, whose jaw was broken, or Boss Chen?
He didn't have the guts to even think about it.
"Ask Fan Meng. She's your member," Li Zhonglou said with a chuckle.
How interesting. She had been hiding outside like a scared turtle, and in her own territory, she didn't even dare to call the police.
She had turned a blind eye to Fan Liang and Chen Rong's violence.
And now she was running to demand compensation from them.
I'll pay your grandmother!
Even a clay Buddha has three parts of anger, let alone Li Zhonglou, whose temper was never good in the first place.
With that, he turned to leave.
Unexpectedly, the lobby manager rushed in front of them, blocking the door with his body and threatening, "If you don't pay, you definitely won't leave today."
"Get lost!" Li Zhonglou was too lazy to argue with him any further. His mood was already bad.
He glared, and the killing intent in his heart surged from his eyes. His face was expressionless, exuding an imposing aura without anger.
In an instant, the lobby manager's legs trembled, and his scalp tingled.
That gaze...
Cold and emotionless, like iron and stone.
It instilled a deep fear in his heart, as if if he dared to block them again, his fate would be the same as those taken away earlier.
Although it was just a guess, he didn't have the audacity to test it.
Therefore, he dared not utter another word and shrunk back to the side, letting the three of them leave.
Only when they were about to get into the car did he shout loudly to save face, "Qi Yu, don't come to work anymore. Don't let me see you again."
Qi Yu got into the car without looking back and sighed softly.
Her newly acquired job was gone again.
Thinking of this, she couldn't help but look at Li Zhonglou. This elder brother seemed to have a special destiny with her; whenever she saw him, her job would be ruined.
"You don't care about this job, do you?" Li Zhonglou, who was being made to sit in the back seat by Lin Ying due to the risk of fainting at any moment, asked, his eyelids twitching as he felt Qi Yu's gaze.
Qi Yu nodded silently.
Without a job, she wouldn't earn money. Without money, she couldn't help her father repay his debts, and he would be severely punished.
How could she not care?
"Come to our company. You're good at Chinese painting," Li Zhonglou asked after a moment of thought, his eyes flashing with shrewdness. "Are you good at restoration or copying?"
"I'm not good at restoration, but I can copy," Qi Yu replied truthfully.
Listening to their conversation, a hint of understanding appeared in Lin Ying's beautiful eyes.
"Then come with me tomorrow. I'll book a hotel room for you tonight first," Li Zhonglou said calmly. "As for remuneration, besides the normal salary the company provides, I will advance you one million yuan."
The moment he mentioned the job to Qi Yu, an idea struck him.
Xingzhi Group was involved in the trafficking of cultural relics.
There were countless calligraphy and painting works, some of which were even national treasures.
If these treasures were to be lost to foreign countries, finding them again would be as difficult as ascending to heaven.
Now, his senior sister was an appraiser, and Wu Tao was under his control and couldn't cause any trouble.
If Qi Yu were also brought in as an appraiser, perhaps they could subtly swap some genuine pieces for copies.
Qi Yu's basic skills were solid, with only a slight deficiency in artistic conception. She should be very suitable for copying.
However, working in Xingzhi Group meant facing danger at any moment.
This one million yuan, regardless of whether it could alleviate Qi Yu's immediate needs, was a small token of appreciation from him as her junior uncle.
Hearing this, Qi Yu's beautiful eyes shone with incredulous joy.
Before even starting the job, Li Zhonglou was offering her a large sum of one million yuan.
This...
How long would she have to work, how many paintings would she have to paint to earn so much?
Although this money was far from enough to repay her father's debts, it was enough to make her deeply grateful.
It showed that her personal value was recognized, which was undoubtedly the greatest encouragement to her.
"Thank... thank you, Junior Uncle..." Qi Yu said, suppressing her excitement.
"From now on, call me Vice President Li at the company. Remember not to let anyone know about our relationship," Li Zhonglou instructed.
"Junior brother, your calculations are quite clever. But aren't you afraid of raising suspicion when doing such things so openly under their noses?" Lin Ying asked with a smile, having understood Li Zhonglou's intentions.
"I want them to be unable to figure me out. What undercover agents dare not do, I will do it all!" Li Zhonglou replied confidently.
Now, no one in the entire Xingzhi Group would suspect him of being an undercover agent.
But it wouldn't be easy to truly infiltrate the core organization.
He had to gain authority, otherwise, he wouldn't be able to get past Kong Mo.
Cultivating his own power was the most direct method, and it was also to attract the attention of the former vice president, making him unable to resist approaching him.