"Oh? Who is it?"
He Xinyi's eyes flickered slightly as she asked.
Then, she saw the county chief, a portly middle-aged man, wave his hand: "Old Qi, hurry over here."
The middle-aged man called Old Qi walked over, greeting the two with a fawning smile.
"County Chief, Miss He, hello. I am Qi Delong, the owner of this establishment."
He Xinyi frowned slightly, looking at Qi Delong without understanding. She didn't know what the county chief's intention was in introducing this hotel owner to her.
Then she heard the county chief introduce: "Miss He, you're going out to sea, aren't you? I thought I'd introduce him to you as a guide."
He Xinyi's frown deepened. She sized up Qi Delong and directly questioned, "Can he do it?"
The county chief immediately said with a smile, "Miss He, don't let Old Qi's current physique and big belly fool you. Twenty years ago, he was the most skilled fisherman in this area. He knows this stretch of sea like the back of his hand; there's nowhere he's unfamiliar with!"
"Hehe, County Chief, you flatter me. How could I be as skilled as you say! Besides, I haven't been out to sea in over ten years..."
Qi Delong said a couple of modest words, then changed his tune, "However, Miss He is a distinguished guest of our county. If you need anything, I, Old Qi, will not hesitate to accompany you to the very end. Although I am old and my physique is not what it used to be, compared to those younger lads, I at least have the advantage of experience."
Hearing their words, He Xinyi's frown finally relaxed. She nodded and said, "Alright, then you can come with us."
Qi Delong asked again, "Miss He, which island do you wish to go to?"
"Ice Fire Island."
He Xinyi said directly.
"What?"
Qi Delong's expression changed drastically. "Miss He, you're going to Ice Fire Island?"
"Yes, why, Mr. Qi, do you know that place?" He Xinyi's face suddenly showed a hint of excitement.
"I know it. Which fisherman in our area doesn't know Ice Fire Island?"
Qi Delong said with a wry smile, "However, knowing it is one thing, but since my great-grandfather's generation, there has been an ancestral instruction: never to approach Ice Fire Island. It is said that the island is full of poisonous insects and miasma, and one might even lose their life."
"The most crucial thing is that there is a man-eating monster on that island!"
"Monster?"
As soon as she heard the word "monster," a burst of laughter came from behind He Xinyi.
It was Zheng Aoqiu's group. What era was it? Still monsters? This Mr. Qi was really joking!
The county chief frowned, glared fiercely at Qi Delong, and reprimanded, "Qi Sanpao, stop talking nonsense."
In his haste, the county chief even blurted out Qi Delong's nickname.
Miss He had specifically asked to go to Ice Fire Island, and he went and said there was a monster on the island. Wasn't this driving away Miss He, their benefactor?
No wonder the county chief was annoyed with him!
Qi Delong looked distressed, his face contorted. "County Chief, I'm not talking nonsense. I won't take this job. That place is too dangerous, I can't go..."
"Qi Sanpao, if you dare to talk nonsense again, do you believe I'll seal up your restaurant right now? Also, haven't you always wanted to contract that piece of land nearby to raise sea cucumbers? Judging by your attitude, I don't think you're sincere at all!"
With the county chief's mixture of threats and intimidation, Qi Delong immediately became scared.
"Don't do that, County Chief. Didn't we agree on everything... Fine, Old Qi will risk his life to accompany you. But I'm making it clear, I'll only take you to the location, I absolutely will not go ashore..."
The more he said this, the more annoyed the county chief became. He glared hatefully at Qi Delong: Qi Sanpao, Qi Sanpao, I think you won't be satisfied until you scare Miss He away!
"Qi Sanpao, are you going to keep this up? What do you mean by risking his life to accompany you? Think before you speak!"
Qi Delong was so scolded that he dared not speak.
The county chief looked at He Xinyi with an embarrassed expression and explained, "Miss He, don't listen to his nonsense. How can there be monsters in this world? Miss He, you've received a modern education, you certainly won't believe such superstitious talk, right?"
He Xinyi frowned and remained silent, but Master Lin, who was beside her, said faintly, "It seems Mr. Qi's description of the place is accurate. It's almost the same as the records in my sect's historical documents. Ice Fire Island is full of crises and dangers..."
The county chief's face turned ashen. He knew that this Master Lin was the master He Xinyi had invited. Since even the master said so, it seemed He Xinyi wouldn't go.
However, to his surprise, He Xinyi immediately made up her mind: "Knowing there are tigers in the mountains, I will still venture into the tiger's den. Everyone, prepare to depart!"
At He Xinyi's command, everyone immediately set off.
The county chief finally breathed a sigh of relief, but after everyone had left, he suddenly realized something.
"Hey? That's not right. Knowing that Ice Fire Island is dangerous, why does Miss He still want to go? Is she really going for an inspection?"
After realizing it, the county chief's face turned dark. It seemed his efforts were in vain again.
However, thinking that she was the eldest daughter of the He family, even if she didn't invest, befriending her would definitely be beneficial.
The group set off on a cruise ship. It was a luxurious medium-sized cruise ship that could carry two thousand passengers, equipped with a swimming pool, bar, library, and gym.
In addition, it even had a casino.
When they first boarded the cruise ship, Qi Delong was a little curious, not understanding why He Xinyi had procured such a large cruise ship.
But later, when he saw the group of heavily armed mercenaries, he understood. There must be hundreds, even thousands, of mercenaries on this ship.
He immediately became frightened. It seemed the rumors about the monster on the island were true, otherwise, why would Miss He bring so many heavily armed mercenaries?
Meanwhile, in a tea room, Chen Xiao and the others were sitting together. Sun Buxian couldn't help but ask, "Chen Xiao, something's not right. The county chief found them a guide, so why do they still need to bring us along?"
Chen Xiao smiled faintly and said slowly, "The one surnamed He never trusted us. She's taking us out to sea not just for us to lead the way, but her main purpose is to monitor us. After all, there's only one Ice Fire Island like that! This way, she can ascertain when we land on the island, and she can also keep track of our movements on the island."
At this point, everyone instantly understood.
So, that He Xinyi was worried that Chen Xiao and the others would land on the island before her and snatch the treasure!
It had to be said that this woman was like a shrewd schemer. Fortunately, they had a monstrous talent like Chen Xiao on their side, otherwise, they would have been sold and still helped count the money!