"My heavens, brother, that calligraphy of yours is still in my living room. No, no, I must return it to you. It's too valuable..."
Lu Xiaodie was completely startled. She never imagined that the calligraphy imbued with sword intent she had asked Wan Yunting for back at her small tavern would be so valuable.
"So that calligraphy was given to her."
Pang Yuan and Ma Zhendong finally learned that Wan Yunting had gifted the calligraphy to Lu Xiaodie.
"It wasn't a gift, I borrowed it."
Lu Xiaodie sat back down and quickly corrected everyone. She recalled that she had indeed said she was borrowing it.
"Sister Lu, no need for pleasantries. Please keep that calligraphy. Perhaps you can study it and create your own sword techniques." Wan Yunting, however, didn't mind at all. He had given the calligraphy to Lu Xiaodie at the tavern, and it was meant as a gift; there was no reason to take it back.
"No, I must return that calligraphy to you."
Lu Xiaodie shook her head. That piece was worth fifty million, and it might even be hyped to a hundred million in a few days. Even with her thick skin, she wasn't that shameless.
"Alright, alright, as you wish..."
Seeing her firm resolve to return it, Wan Yunting couldn't do anything about it. If worse came to worst, he could always write another piece for her in his study later...
"By the way, Xiao Wan, how did your trip to the Wuliang Daoist Temple go? Why did it take so long?"
Old Pang then changed the subject. Everyone else also looked at him curiously while eating. Wan Yunting then briefly recounted some of the events that happened at the Wuliang Daoist Temple.
"What? You're the Abbot now?"
When everyone finally heard Wan Yunting say he was the current Abbot of the Wuliang Daoist Temple, they were dumbfounded. Second Brother said anxiously, "Brother San, why did you become a Taoist priest? Won't you be unable to get married in the future?"
Wang Chulin's delicate face also froze. Could it be that Brother San was having issues with Fang Yanxi because of this?
Wan Yunting shook his head and smiled, "Our disciples at the Wuliang Daoist Temple are allowed to marry and have children."
"Oh, that's better then."
Pang Yuan and Ma Zhendong nodded upon hearing this...
The dinner lasted until past nine o'clock. Finally, Wan Yunting, Ma Zhendong, and Old Pang found an excuse to go to the rooftop terrace of the villa. The three of them smoked cigarettes. Old Pang asked, "While you were away, Fang Tai and Chen Guangyang didn't cause any trouble in Hua Du City!"
Wan Yunting leaned against the railing and asked, "What's happening in the capital? Have you investigated their connection to that Ouyang Liqun?"
Old Pang exhaled smoke and shook his head, "According to news from the capital, Ouyang Liqun, who returned from the United States, has been very quiet lately. However, his Ouyang family has been in quite a stir over the position of patriarch."
Ma Zhendong said, "It's the dispute between the two sons of the current Ouyang patriarch, right?"
"Yes."
Old Pang nodded and then asked, "Yunting, what's the current situation with Jiang Wenhao in the United States? Have you investigated him?"
Wan Yunting replied, "Something happened at the Wuliang Daoist Temple and my phone was broken, so I couldn't contact anyone. But Jiang Wenhao did contact me later. He went to Europe to handle some business during that time, but he called me after returning to the States. I expect he should find out something in a day or two..."
As soon as he finished speaking, his phone rang. Wan Yunting took it out and saw it was a WeChat video call from Jiang Wenhao. Upon connecting, he saw Jiang Wenhao sitting on a sofa, likely at home. "Teacher, huh, Director Ma, you're here too..."
"Wenhao..."
Ma Zhendong smiled and waved at the camera. Jiang Wenhao also waved happily. Wan Yunting directly asked, "How is it? Have you investigated anything over there?"
"Yes, we have some news!"
Getting to the point, Jiang Wenhao's expression turned serious. He said, "I've had people investigating the forces in the United States during this time and discovered that apart from the local drug lords, there's a very mysterious drug trafficking group!"
"Go on..."
Wan Yunting, Old Pang, and Ma Zhendong became animated, staring at Jiang Wenhao on the phone screen. He said, "This mysterious drug trafficking group is called the 'Qunlong Group'!"
"Qunlong Group?"
Hearing the name, Wan Yunting and Old Pang exchanged glances. Jiang Wenhao nodded and said, "Yes, this Qunlong drug trafficking group has only become active in the last few years. According to information, their headquarters are in Mexico, and their drugs are smuggled into the United States from there."
"But this Qunlong drug trafficking group is very mysterious in their operations and their methods are extremely tough and ruthless. Many established forces in the United States have suffered losses at their hands. It's even said that last year's crackdown on an old drug trafficking organization by the US police was orchestrated by the Qunlong drug trafficking group to eliminate other drug trafficking forces, expand their drug market, and achieve a monopoly."
Hearing this, Old Pang frowned and said, "So, this Qunlong Group has a very significant influence in the United States, right?"
"That's right."
Jiang Wenhao nodded, his expression serious. "These forces in the United States are very chaotic, and the Qunlong Group's members are brutal in their actions. They basically monopolize nearly half of the market in the United States. Now, only three major drug trafficking groups remain, and the Qunlong Group is the strongest among the three. I went to great lengths to gather this information because the Qunlong Group operates very discreetly and rarely appears in public view. US police have also attempted to crack down on them multiple times, but they haven't been able to apprehend their leaders."
Wan Yunting asked, "Did you find out who the leader of this organization is?"
"Yes, the leader of the Qunlong Group responsible for the US market is named Belter, and he is from Mexico!" Jiang Wenhao said.
Ma Zhendong frowned and said, "So, is this organization related to Fang Tai and Chen Guangyang?"
Jiang Wenhao said, "It is rumored that Belter is just the nominal leader of the Qunlong drug trafficking group, but the one truly controlling the group behind the scenes is said to be a Chinese person!"
"Well, that makes sense!"
Old Pang clapped his hands excitedly. "It must be Fang Tai and his gang."
Wan Yunting nodded, his eyes narrowing. "But not Fang Tai and Chen Guangyang. After all, with their capabilities, I don't believe they could build such a powerful drug trafficking organization. Therefore, there must be someone else behind this!"
"Could it be Ouyang Liqun from the Ouyang family?" Ma Zhendong suggested.
Old Pang shook his head. "It's hard to say. We don't know much about this Ouyang Liqun, and they all studied abroad. We don't know what they did overseas."
"So, we need to investigate Ouyang Liqun!" Wan Yunting turned to Old Pang and said.
Pang Yuan nodded. "I'll ask my friends in the capital again to investigate and see if we can find out anything about Ouyang Liqun's activities abroad."
Wan Yunting nodded and asked Jiang Wenhao, "Anything else?"
"That's all."
Jiang Wenhao shook his head. "However, according to the investigation, this Qunlong Group is related to Fang Tai and Chen Guangyang that you mentioned, but I need to investigate further to confirm!"
"Alright, then continue your investigation. Let me know if you find anything." Wan Yunting nodded.
Jiang Wenhao nodded, then changed the subject and chatted with Wan Yunting for a while before ending the video call. Wan Yunting and Old Pang lit another cigarette and said, "Once we confirm that Fang Tai and Chen Guangyang are involved in drug trafficking abroad, we'll have to go there to collect evidence!"
Wan Yunting nodded. "I'll go over then."
Ma Zhendong and Pang Yuan nodded. "Now, only your identity can allow you to go to the United States."
"Don't worry, with Jiang Wenhao in the United States, I won't have any problems going there," Wan Yunting said to them with a smile.
Ma Zhendong and Pang Yuan nodded. After finishing their cigarettes, the three of them went downstairs. Ma Jianguo then asked Wan Yunting to write calligraphy...
Meanwhile, on the outskirts of Beijing, at the foot of a small mountain in Miyun, there was a private courtyard. The architectural style was that of a Chinese courtyard, while the interior was modern, equipped with various entertainment facilities...
At the same time, a group of bodyguards dressed in suits and wearing thick coats stood at the main entrance of the courtyard, as well as in various corners inside. The entire sprawling estate was equipped with surveillance cameras and guarded by specialized bodyguards.
It was snowing in Beijing, and the temperature was minus seventeen degrees Celsius. Inside a reception room of the courtyard, on the basement level, the scene was entirely different. The luxurious decoration and exquisite chandeliers cascaded from the first floor to the lower level...
On the stage below, a group of beautiful women in sexy, graceful attire danced with fiery passion. Seated on the sofas were several young men, including Fang Tai and Chen Guangyang!
At this moment, Ouyang Liqun, dressed in a white shirt with the top two buttons undone, revealing his chest, comfortable casual pants, and wearing slippers, descended the stairs. His disheveled hair framed a handsome face with sharp eyebrows and piercing eyes. Looking at the decadent scene below, a slight smile played on his lips, exuding an aura of wickedness.
"Young Master Qun has arrived..."
Instantly, Fang Tai, Chen Guangyang, and the other young masters present rose to their feet. A dozen women also stood respectfully in a line and shouted in unison, "Young Master Qun..."
"Mm, continue."
Ouyang Liqun slowly approached, his voice languid. The women on stage continued their dance...
"Come, Young Master Qun, sit down quickly..."
Fang Tai and Chen Guangyang immediately vacated the central seats. The other young masters rushed to pour wine and hand it over. Ouyang Liqun slowly sat down, crossing his legs and gazing at the group of hot and sexy women dancing before him. He asked, "I heard Wan Yunting returned to Hua Du City and even won a title as a calligraphy master in Shaoxing City?"