The Lin family, including Lin Shiren and the old Mrs. Lin, left in disgrace. The next day, the old Mrs. Lin moved into a villa at Mangshan No. 1.
With the Lin Group's bankruptcy, Lin Shiren's family had all their villas auctioned off to pay debts, forcing them to move into an apartment building.
The old Mrs. Lin found a room on the third floor of Mangshan No. 1, not living with Lin Wei.
In the evening, after Lin Xuan returned home, Long Xiao inquired about the operating status of Xuan Xiao Company.
Xuan Xiao Group was developing very rapidly, already becoming an enterprise on par with Cheng Donghai. Drug sales were expanding nationwide, the first batch of electric vehicles sold out, and orders were backed up for five months.
After listening to Lin Xuan's introduction, Long Xiao asked, "Is the funding sufficient?"
Lin Xuan hesitated for a moment and said, "It's almost enough. It's very easy to get loans from the bank now."
Long Xiao took out a bank card and placed it on the coffee table, saying, "There should be about nine billion nine hundred million left. Take it and use it for now."
"Why so much?" Lin Xuan asked in surprise.
Long Xiao chuckled and said, "Doesn't your husband know how to read feng shui? He made this from reading feng shui in the capital for a few days."
"Honestly, how can reading feng shui earn so much?" Lin Xuan didn't believe Long Xiao at all.
Long Xiao feigned being caught in a lie and said, "I also have a few prescriptions, and I refined some elixirs and sold them. The money is in there. Also, the money I earned from reading feng shui for others before is in there too."
"Is this all your money?" Lin Xuan asked.
Long Xiao nodded and said, "More or less. I only have some pocket money left now."
"Alright, then I'll take it," Lin Xuan said with a smile.
Returning to her room, Long Xiao took out four human skin masks and examined them. He set aside the one resembling an old man and, wearing the other three, took photos.
The next morning, Long Xiao called Zhou Zhizhong and asked him to help him get three identity cards.
Although Zhou Zhizhong knew that processing so many identity cards for Long Xiao was illegal, he still did as Long Xiao instructed.
The three identity cards were processed in a day. Besides the name Ouyang Tuo, Long Xiao fabricated two more names: Zhao Tianjiu and Hu Lei.
Ouyang Tuo was a middle-aged man, similar to Zhao Tianjiu, in his early forties. Hu Lei's face was younger, so he was made to be twenty-four years old.
With the three identity cards, Long Xiao used them to purchase three old apartment buildings furnished with furniture. He wanted to commit to the act thoroughly, to avoid any future need to change identities when encountering opponents.
Long Xiao was busy all day. As he was preparing to find a place to eat in the evening, he received a call from Zheng Dongyang.
He informed Long Xiao that the Martial Alliance competition would begin in three days, with the preliminary rounds for the Huadong region held in Donghai. He asked if Long Xiao would participate himself or find a master.
Long Xiao took out an identity card and looked at it, saying, "President Zheng, I've found someone for you, named Hu Lei. He will appear on the competition stage on time."
"Good, when registering, I'll register Hu Lei, Chen Meijia, and Zhao Meng."
After Long Xiao finished the call, Xiao Ming smiled and said, "Brother Long, aren't you bullying people by participating in the Martial Alliance competition?"
Long Xiao looked at Xiao Ming and said, "Why would you think that? There are many young masters in the Martial Alliance. How is my participation considered bullying?"
Xiao Ming sighed and put on a knowing air, saying, "No matter how strong a young person is, they'll be beaten when they fight you. I truly pity them."
Three days passed quickly, and the day of the competition arrived.
The competition was held in a private estate on Dongping Mountain, owned by a friend of a vice-president of the Martial Alliance headquarters.
The Martial Alliance had a total of four vice-presidents. Each year, Huaxia was divided into four regions for preliminary rounds, with each vice-president presiding over one region's preliminaries.
Zheng Dongyang, along with Chen Meijia, Zhao Meng, and a few disciples, arrived early at the estate entrance, waiting for Hu Lei.
Long Xiao put on the Hu Lei human skin mask, changed into a high-end suit, and drove to the estate entrance with Xiao Ming.
Chen Meijia saw Xiao Ming and hurried over, asking, "Xiao Ming, why isn't Brother Long here?"
Xiao Ming glanced at Long Xiao and said, "Brother Long has something to do and can't make it. He asked Brother Hu to help out."
Chen Meijia smiled at Long Xiao and said, "Hello, Brother Hu."
Long Xiao also smiled faintly and said, "You must be the beautiful Chen Meijia that Brother Long mentioned."
Chen Meijia nodded, her face slightly flushed, and asked, "Yes, it's me. Did Brother Long say that?"
Long Xiao nodded and said, "He did. But that guy has no taste; he calls any woman beautiful."
Chen Meijia's expression immediately soured. "Brother Hu, am I not beautiful?"
Long Xiao smiled and said, "You can be considered beautiful."
Long Xiao got out of the car and walked directly to Zheng Dongyang, cupping his hands and saying, "Senior Zheng, Long Xiao asked me to help you fight a few matches. I'll just win; you can handle the arrangements as you see fit."
Zheng Dongyang sized up Long Xiao from head to toe. He couldn't discern anything special about Long Xiao in this guise.
"Can you guarantee you'll win every match?" Zheng Dongyang asked.
"It should be no problem. I've never lost a fight since I was young."
"This is a martial artist's combat competition, not a street fight."
"Heh, it's pretty much the same. I imagine there aren't too many restrictions for Martial Alliance fighters when they fight."
Zheng Dongyang nodded and said, "There aren't too many restrictions, but the Martial Alliance has a constant stream of talented young fighters. Winning every match isn't an easy feat."
In Zheng Dongyang's eyes, this Hu Lei seemed rather arrogant and overconfident, lacking the approachable demeanor that Long Xiao usually projected.
Everyone followed Zheng Dongyang into the estate. The ring was outdoors, with simple stands set up below. Long Xiao and his group were assigned seats in the southwest stands.
In the central stands sat several stern-looking elders, who were vice-presidents and presidents from nearby provinces.
Due to his chronic illness, Zheng Dongyang's recovery was unknown to others in the Martial Alliance, so they all assumed he wouldn't participate in this year's competition.
Around eight o'clock, everyone was seated in the stands. The host went up to the ring and read out the competition rules.
The rules were the same every year, so it was just a formality. Then, the drawing of lots and grouping began.
The three of them, Long Xiao, Chen Meijia, and Zhao Meng, went down to the ring to draw lots. Long Xiao drew the eighth match, scheduled for the afternoon.
Chen Meijia's match was the third. As soon as the first two participants entered the ring, she went to the changing room to get ready.
Long Xiao found these kinds of fights tedious, and Xiao Ming did too. Long Xiao closed his eyes to rest, while Xiao Ming took out snacks to eat.
Soon, the first two matches concluded, and it was Chen Meijia's turn.
Since she started helping at Xinglin Caotang every day, Chen Meijia's arrogance had subsided considerably, and she had become more humble.
Upon entering the ring, she first clasped her hands in a bow to her opponent, exhibiting a polite demeanor.
Her opponent was the senior disciple of the Martial Alliance from a neighboring province. He was stout and burly, with an arrogant air.
"Junior Sister Chen, I concede."
Before the referee could even say "start," the opponent launched an offensive with a side kick towards Chen Meijia.
Chen Meijia was no longer impetuous. She fought steadily and soon gained the upper hand. Half an hour later, she knocked her opponent off the stage with a punch.