The next morning, Wu Tianzhen, who was determined to head to Changbai Mountain, had not yet returned.
Xie Yuchen coldly hung up Wu Tianzhen's call, whose intentions were clearly not just to check in, and reviewed his documents before preparing to leave to meet a business partner.
This was just a routine business collaboration, and he hadn't intended to bring anyone along. However, as he opened the door, he heard a crisp metallic clink.
Turning around, he saw Zhang Qiling, who always seemed to refresh himself in various corners of the villa like a ghost, had tidied himself up at some point. He was now standing perfectly straight behind him, the incredibly sharp-looking knife strapped to his back.
Zhang Qiling was wearing a black jacket purchased from the smart computer, and with his expressionless face and the knife, he looked anything but a law-abiding citizen.
Xie Yuchen's perception of Zhang Qiling's skill in mysterious arts like casting spells had been completely shattered. He glanced at Zhang Qiling's serious demeanor and roughly understood that he wanted to go out with him.
This was somewhat unexpected for Xie Yuchen. In his opinion, Zhang Qiling was the type of person who could happily squat in a room until the end of time if given the chance.
"You're going out? Why?" Xie Yuchen asked, glancing at the time with a hint of confusion.
To his surprise, Zhang Qiling seemed even more confused than he was.
Zhang Qiling's tense posture relaxed slightly. With a bewildered expression, he met Xie Yuchen's gaze for a moment, then said word by word:
"Bodyguard."
"Wu Tianzhen said so."
Xie Yuchen: ...? xxs1
Xie Yuchen desperately wanted to call back and question Wu Tianzhen about what exactly he had instilled in this old friend. However, considering the family critique meeting that might be underway in the Wu family, he managed to close his smart computer just as he was about to dial.
...But he finally understood why Zhang Qiling, as a guest in this house, could always appear so calm, self-assured, and utterly arrogant. It turned out that when Wu Tianzhen brought him over, he had instilled the idea of being a bodyguard, making the clan leader believe he was exchanging his labor for equivalent value.
Thinking about it that way, it seemed he was the one profiting. After all, not many people in the world could bribe the Zhang family patriarch to act as a personal bodyguard with just a few meals.
Xie Yuchen: ...Should I be grateful? Wu Tianzhen, you better have a good reason.
It wasn't impossible to bring Zhang Qiling along, but Xie Yuchen disliked having his plans altered so casually.
"I don't need a bodyguard. You can stay here," he calmly refused Zhang Qiling, having already heard the sound of his assistant's car arriving at the door.
Upon hearing his refusal, Zhang Qiling's thoughts conflicted, and he clearly showed a hint of confusion.
Then, after a moment of thought, he suddenly had an epiphany.
"Are you going to the White Horse Club?"
Xie Yuchen's hand, which was opening the door, paused.
...Understanding Zhang Qiling's thought process wasn't difficult for a smart person like Xie Yuchen.
It was simply that he had previously said Zhang Qiling couldn't go to the White Horse Club, and now he had rejected Zhang Qiling's bodyguard application. Therefore, Zhang Qiling had crudely linked these two events and arrived at a suffocating conclusion.
Xie Yuchen instinctively wanted to deny it, but when he turned and saw Zhang Qiling's certain expression, he suddenly lost all desire to deny it.
"Yes," he flashed his signature smile, appearing exceptionally friendly, "going to the White Horse Club."
An hour later, Xie Yuchen's business partner sat in the VIP section of the White Horse Club with a look of utter bewilderment. Opposite him sat Xie Yuchen, exuding an air of nobility, with a strange young man in black standing behind him.
Behind the young man was a rod-like object, tightly wrapped in cloth, looking exceptionally suspicious.
Although Xie Yuchen and Zhang Qiling's appearances made them look like they were there to cause trouble at the White Horse Club, the service staff here were seasoned veterans. Despite a slight commotion, they approached with unflustered expressions.
The group was instantly surrounded, and the atmosphere became suffocating.
Of course, only the business partner felt suffocated.
After all, Xie Yuchen's aura was such that he didn't care who was around him. As for Zhang Qiling, everyone around them was a potential assassin aiming to kill Xie Yuchen at any moment.
Under this inexplicable pressure, the business negotiations concluded quickly, and the business partner made a swift exit.
Xie Yuchen remained seated, looking at the signed documents in his hand, and couldn't help but sigh.
...He had never been one to indulge his own dark humor and had always strictly restrained himself. But for some reason, since meeting Wu Tianzhen and his group, he seemed to be becoming increasingly absurd.
...He needed to get back on track quickly.
Xie Yuchen put away the documents and waved his hand, signaling Zhang Qiling to head back.
...If they didn't leave soon, he felt that Zhang Qiling might soon react and treat those wealthy women and strange middle-aged men who were trying to get his contact information as assassins and cut them down.
The current scene felt strangely amusing. Xie Yuchen pushed open the door.
But the moment he opened it and saw the vast expanse of white snow outside—
A cold glint flashed, and like a pursuing ghost, it instantly shot towards his face!
Xie Yuchen could already see the attacker's sharp eyes and ordinary clothing. His expression tensed, and he flicked his slightly wide sleeves. A slender, tough dragon-patterned rod, attached to his arm, was swung out with force!
He tapped his foot, his body retreating a step like a swimming dragon, and his rod moved upwards, precisely meeting the attacker's blade!
Xie Yuchen retreated to maximize the power of the dragon-patterned rod. But the instant he retreated, a dark shadow beside him moved forward instead of back!
Zhang Qiling, as if a machine had been activated, transformed from stillness to motion in a blink of an eye, unleashing astonishing power!
The immense force caused the air around him to subtly vibrate and emit a sonic boom as he charged forward. Seeing this, Xie Yuchen quickly retracted his dragon-patterned rod to avoid accidental injury, and he already heard the sound of the attacker spitting blood.
The attacker, struck by Zhang Qiling, emitted a faint cracking sound of shattered bones from his chest. However, even after hitting the ground, he remained silent, exuding a resolute determination to die.
His eyes, like those of a wolf, stared intently, but they were not fixed on Xie Yuchen.
His target was Zhang Qiling.
And behind the scattered clothing on his chest, a dark mark was already visible.
...These were remnants of the Zhang family's inner clan, scattered outside.