Chapter 477: Threats
There was no fear on Tang Xiu's face after Liu Changxi said that. He looked rather unperturbed and calm, and replied without being salty nor limpid, "I really don't know what you're talking about, Secretary Liu. But what I'm sure of is that you are threatening me."
"You can think of it as me threatening you," said Liu Changxi seriously.
After being silent for a short while, Tang Xiu suddenly let out a smile and said, "You know, I am someone who is very timid, and the thing I fear the most is coming across trouble; however, my strongest point is that I'm never afraid of facing threats. You may be someone from the Ministry of State Security, but I'm afraid you'll have to think about the consequences of making trouble for me without any ground. Hehehe… the House of Tang may be weaker than we were in the past, yet a lean camel is still bigger than a horse. You should also understand this fact."
"You…" Liu Changxi's expression changed, and there was an indignant look in his eyes. He was always the one threatening others in the past, but it was Tang Xiu who threatened him now.
The most important fact was that Tang Xiu's threat was pretty much undeniable, and very effective. Though he was someone from the Ministry of State Security, he could see much clearer than anyone else about the political aspects. Once the Tang Family were to exert their forces, the trouble he could get into would probably be big, even his position and job would be on the stake.
He stayed silent for two minutes before finally letting out a bitter smile, "I just found that I can't see through you, Tang Xiu. If I didn't know that you are only in your 20s, I would have thought that you were an experienced old fox. Anyhow, I apologize. I hope that you can see the difficulties I'm facing. I simply can't sleep and eat peacefully if I can't investigate this matter thoroughly."
"What I can tell you is that there is not even the slightest relationship between me and those mysterious people," said Tang Xiu calmly. "As for the extremists, their bodies have vanished. Shortly put, the issues with those extremists have come to an end."
"What?"
Liu Changxi abruptly got up, a look of disbelief in his eyes. He was able to reach his position due to his intelligence and astuteness. From what Tang Xiu said, he could tell what had happened to the remaining extremists.
"Secretary Liu, I already told you what I must say and the things I shouldn't say. If you still feel indebted to me due to the matter that happened tonight, I hope the matter with the extremists will end here and now. I, Tang Xiu, always play fair and square, and you have my guarantee that I will not do anything harmful to my own country. Hence, it's best not to bother me later, so I won't have to bother you too," said Tang Xiu.
Liu Changxi's mouth twitched, causing him want to open Tang Xiu's mind to find out the bottom of the matter, as well as wanting to clearly figure out the origins of those mysterious people.
However, he dared not do so!
Suddenly, he said, "Then, I don't have anything else to say. However, I do want you to reconsider joining our security department. I sincerely hope that you can join us earlier if possible, and do something for the country."
"I told you very clearly before that I wouldn't consider joining any department before I graduated from college, didn't I?" Tang Xiu waved his hand and answered.
With a forced smile, Liu Changxi replied, "Don't tell me that you don't know that the greater the ability, the bigger the responsibility one must shoulder, Tang Xiu? Your special ability is exactly what we need!"
"Secretary Liu, I believe that the world has infinite marvels and wonders in it. There are many people with strange abilities in China as long as your security department is seriously looking for them. There are many like me, and it's not a few in number. Besides, I want to have a peaceful and serene life while studying. We can discuss it again in the future," answered Tang Xiu.
Looking at Tang Xiu with a deep gaze, Liu Changxi then got up from the sofa and said, "Since you have already expressed your point, I won't force you anymore. Anyhow, our security department will continue to search for the rest of the extremists. I hope you can tell me all you know one day."
"All right!" Tang Xiu followed up and replied.
Afterward, Tang Xiu sent them off. When he returned to the living room, he found that Li Laoshan also had left with his people. He left a message for Tang Xiu saying that he would have lunch with him tomorrow.
"Tang Xiu, let's have a chat," said Zhang Xinya softly, under the gaze of everyone's eyes.
Tang Xiu nodded, and looked at the five children, Tang Xiaojin and the rest, who were with Zhang Xinya, saying, "All of you go sleep; it's late. I will wake you up at four o'clock tomorrow morning."
"All right!"
The five children obediently complied. Though they only met Zhang Xinya through half of the dinner time and liked her gentle and kind manner, they still listened to Tang Xiu's order and returned to their rooms to sleep.
"Tang Eldest Bro, what about us…" said Yue Kai.
While pointing at the direction of the rooms occupied by Tang Xiaojin and the rest, Tang Xiu shook his head and said, "You can't stay here, buddy."
"Alright. We'll spend the night at the hotel," Yue Kai forced a smile. "Besides, the reason we came here tonight was to see you whether something had happened to you, to begin with."
"If anything, I'm going to the campus tomorrow," said Tang Xiu with a calm smile.
"All right, then we'll go first. See you tomorrow, buddy," Yue Kai nodded.
Suddenly, Mu Wanying stepped forward. She looked at Tang Xiu and shot a glance at Zhang Xinya. There was a thoughtful look flashing in her eyes, as she said, "Tang Xiu, it's not quite convenient for us girls to stay in a hotel. There are many other rooms in your place, it wouldn't be a problem for us to stay here, would it?"
"You girls can stay in the other two rooms. It's not your first time staying here, so you can pick whichever room you like. Xinya and I will go to the study room to talk about some matters first," said Tang Xiu.
A minute later, Tang Xiu and Zhang Xinya came to the study room. Tang Xiu's behaviour was completely different after he sat. While looking at the awkward and dazed expression on Zhang Xinya's face, Tang Xiu took out a cigarette, lit it up and took a puff. Then, he said with a smile, "Say, big star, you told me that you wanted to have a chat with me. That should be an excuse, right? Looking at your dazed expression, it doesn't feel like you want to chat with me. It's clear that you just made an excuse because you wanted to be alone with me. Say… you didn't fall in love with me or something, right?"
Zhang Xinya came back to her senses. Upon hearing that, she replied between laughter and tears, "That was quite narcissistic of you, Tang Xiu. Though I do admire you a bit, it's still a bit early to fall in love, you know! It's just that I was thinking about some issues."
"What?" Asked Tang Xiu with a smile.
A smile appeared on the corner of Zhang Xinya's mouth, as she asked, "Do you think I'm beautiful, or is it Mu Wanying more beautiful?"
"Since you ask, I will definitely say that you are beautiful. If the person asking me was Mu Wanying, I will definitely say that she's beautiful as well. If both of you are present together, I will, of course, say that you all are beautiful women!"
Zhang Xinya shot coquettish, charming white eyes at Tang Xiu, and snappily said, "You guys are all the same, indeed. Hypocrites, and never have any truth whatsoever in your words."
"My, my… it's not like I don't want to have a pleasant chat, no?" Tang Xiu couldn't help but chuckle to himself. "Women are quite petty. It's unlikely for me to offend a beauty, either."
Having said that, Tang Xiu was suddenly stunned. He touched his own mouth without him realizing, and looked a bit surprised. He just realized that his empathy and emotional quotient seemed to be getting higher, or better. It was because that idea of saying those words just now wouldn't have crossed his mind, definitely.
Could it be…
…Was it because he got influenced by Yue Kai and Hu Qingsong due to spending so much time together?
As for Zhang Xinya, she no longer mentioned about this topic, and instead asked, "What exactly did you tonight, Tang Xiu? Secretary Liu were always very secretive and only replied with few words every time I asked him questions. Those extremists are way too frightening, did they all get punished or something?"
"Yeah, all of them have been properly punished," answered Tang Xiu.
With a complex expression on her face, Zhang Xinya hesitated for a moment before asking, "Tang Xiu, can you comply with my request?"
"Say it!" Tang Xiu shrugged his shoulder and said with a smile.
"The present era's society is governed under the law. I may not know the differences between your world and the world I live in are, but I want to persuade you to not arbitrarily kill anyone. You're a very strong individual yourself, and there are also some men of yours who are similarly very good, too. Yet, you are much inferior compared to the big machines possessed by this country. I'm afraid… I'm afraid that one day, you would be…"
"I understand what you mean. I do," Tang Xiu lightly smiled. "But I can honestly tell you that those who I have killed were all people who deserved to die. For example, the incident this time. There were quite a lot of people who died by my men's hands, but the both sides were executioners, and had their hands stained by blood. If it weren't for my men, perhaps your concert would have become a hell on Earth; at least tens of thousands of people would have been killed. Tons of tourists would also have been killed at the airport. Anyways, let's go back to those people I killed when I was in Hong Kong. The reason I killed them was because most of them had taken human lives, and tons of people had been harmed by them. I would kill an evil person if I can save many good people. Now tell me, do you think I should kill them or not?"
"But… isn't there the police?" Asked Zhang Xinya.
"Yes, there's indeed the police. However, why were those people still living so well before I killed them? They had done all kinds of evil, shouldn't they deserve to get punished?" Probed Tang Xiu.
"This…" Zhang Xinya was speechless.
Tang Xiu smoked his cigarette and smilingly said, "Xinya, relax! Your good intentions and kindness, I can feel them. I know by heart and I live with a code of never harming good people. Not only that, I will also do my best to help them. But for evil people who are not disclosed by any news whatsoever, I will kill them. But once there's a possibility of disclosing news about them, I will naturally think of other methods, such as adding fuel to the flame so that the law can sanction justice on them!"
Zhang Xinya breathed a sigh of relief. A smile appeared on her flawless face, as she nodded and said, "You know very well what's inside your heart. I also realize that you have helped me many times, and you are also an important person just like Lulu in my heart. Hence, I really treasure you."
Tang Xiu nodded with a smile, and then suddenly asked, "Why is Ouyang Lulu so quiet tonight? Given her disposition, she should be here, right?"
Chapter 478: Night Talk
"Lulu called me before the concert started," said Zhang Xinya with a chuckle. "She said that there was an urgent matter she needed to deal with, so she couldn't come to my concert. However, she promised to come see me after the concert. She also knows that I would be coming to your place, and would hurry back here."
"She came to Shanghai without explaining her purpose, and god knows what she's preparing in secret. Do you know what she's doing?" Asked Tang Xiu.
"I dunno. She just said that I'll surely be surprised a few days later," said Zhang Xinya as she shook her head.
"Ah, let's forget it, then," said Tang Xiu with a smile. "Since she likes to act mysteriously, just let her be. Anyways, the night is still young, and we already talked about the things you wanted to talk about. What are you gonna do? Spend the night here, or leave with your manager?"
"Well, though the concert is over, we still need to finalize the agreement with our partners, so I won't be staying here tonight. But, since Li Laoshan has booked you for lunch tomorrow, so let us have dinner together tomorrow night!"
"Well, I just realized that there have been a lot of special dinners recently. All right, then! If nothing unforeseen happens tomorrow night, we'll dine at the Everlasting Feast Hall!"
As they came to the first floor, Tang Xiu was surprised to find that aside from Zhang Xinya's manager, there was also Mu Wanying, who had not yet rested, and was instead sitting quietly while the two were reading fashion magazines. After seeing Zhang Xinya out, he then returned to the living room, looked at Mu Wanying and curiously asked, "Why are you not asleep yet?"
"I'm not sleepy," said Mu Wanying with a faint smile.
Tang Xiu took a seat across from her and smilingly said, "Are you hungry? Do you want me to take you out to have a bite?"
"Haven't you already eaten before?" Asked Mu Wanying back, surprised.
"I only got a few bites and drank two glasses of wine before you arrived. Then, you know what happened after. I simply haven't eaten till now!" Tang Xiu forced a smile and answered.
"Alright, let's go out and have a meal at the night market!" Mu Wanying smiled lightly. "There's a night market nearby. The barbecue there is quite good, and I wanna have a beer tonight since I haven't drank for a long time."
"Was Zhang Xinya's concert fun? I'll ask Zhang Xinya to sing in a KTV with us to give you a separate concert if we have time later," said Tang Xiu with a smile.
Mu Wanying shook her head, "On the contrary. Not only did I not enjoy it, it was a bit boring, to be honest. The reason why I want a drink is that I want to borrow the liquor to drown my worries."
"Worries?" Tang Xiu curiously asked. "People say that the young never know what worry taste like. Why would you worry about something when you are still this young?"
"Let's just go! Let's chat while strolling in the night market," said Mu Wanying.
Ten minutes later, Tang Xiu and Mu Wanying came to a nearby night market street. Though it already late, the street was still brightly lit and lively. Many men and women sat in open-air barbecue stalls on both sides of the road, merrily eating and drinking amidst chattering and laughter.
However, their arrival still garnered many people's attention, and most of their attention was centered on Mu Wanying.
"Boss, give me twenty skewers of mutton, and roast them some more…" Mu Wanying greeted the owner of the stall, and then pulled Tang Xiu to a table in a remote corner.
With a strange expression, Tang Xiu asked, "You seem familiar with this place. Do you often visit this place?"
"I came here a few times already with my dorm sisters," Mu Wanying shook her head. "It's my first time coming here this late, though."
Tang Xiu smiled and ordered more. He then opened the two bottles of beer sent by the owner of the barbecue stall. After pouring two glasses, he smiled and said, "All right, can you say what you're worried about now?"
"There are two things I'm worried about," said Mu Wanying.
"What are they, exactly?" Asked Tang Xiu curiously.
"Firstly, is to marry a man. Secondly, is to enter the business world," answered Mu Wanying.
Tang Xiu looked at her with a strange expression; he was shocked. "Wanying, you are the first beauty in Beijing, and is also the first campus flower of Shanghai University. How could you be worrying about marrying? Are you joking with me? You only have to flick your fingers and a long line of men would line up for you."
Mu Wanying looked at Tang Xiu with a very deep gaze. She lifted her glass and drank the beer inside. After dropping the glass, she said, "There has only been one man who made feel good so far, yet he has various beautiful women around him; one of them makes me feel pressure."
"Who is this man?" Asked Tang Xiu, surprised.
Yet, after he finished saying that, he suddenly realized something, and immediately forced a smile inwardly.
To avoid looking awkward, he hurriedly shifted the subject, and smilingly said, "It's not that urgent to look for a man, right? You're still young, and there is still plenty of time to meet a lot of good men as well. Speaking about business, aren't you doing a business yourself?"
Mu Wanying was able to sense Tang Xiu's thoughts, and secretly sighed inside. Since Tang Xiu didn't want to talk about it, she no longer continued on the topic, and replied, "Yeah! I had a small businesses since I was in high school. Though the income is not bad and I've been able to support myself, I was on the verge of bankruptcy when I met you in Tianjin City. I have also invested in other businesses during summer vacation, and like everything else that is very difficult in the beginning, this business is similarly the same."
"What business is it?" Asked Tang Xiu.
"It's an apparel business," answered Mu Wanying.
"I don't know much about the clothing business," Tang Xiu nodded and said with a forced smile. "I'm afraid I can't help you much with it. Nevertheless, if you are short on funds, you can tell me, though. I may not have much money in hands right now, but it should be no problem helping you with this issue."
"Though I'm facing bankruptcy, it's not like I don't have enough funds to invest," Mu Wanying shook her head. "It's just that someone has been giving me too much pressure. If I don't desperately make money, the chasm between me and him will get bigger and bigger. It's a situation that I very much hate to face."
"Who is it?" Asked Tang Xiu.
"It's you!" Answered Mu Wanying.
Tang Xiu stared blankly, stunned. He couldn't help laughing, "Don't compare yourself with me There are some issues with the origins of a lot of the money I got. Of course, they are not illegally obtained. It's just like the horses that got fat after being fed grasses at night; someone would never become rich due to undeserved fortune. I have a lot of sources from whence my fortune comes."
A smile outlined on the corner of Mu Wanying's mouth. She chuckled and said, "So, can I ride and earn a fortune with you?"
"Actually, I never really wanted it, either," Tang Xiu waved his hand. "It's just because a few gifted them to me, so I had no reason to refuse it. Anyways, we are all honest and sincere people, so I have always been thinking about how to make money safely and smoothly."
"Since you don't want to, then forget about it. Anyway, care to answer one my next question?" Mu Wanying said, and asked with a smile.
"Please!" Replied Tang Xiu with a smile.
"I know that your accomplishment in calligraphy and painting have reached the point where you have reached the apex. I also know what you've accomplished in the musical field also far exceed maestros. I once heard you say that you're skillful in the lyre, chess, calligraphy, and painting; as well as equally great in verses, ditties, odes, and songs. Are you as good as you're in the zither, calligraphy and painting?"
Tang Xiu confidently said, "Though knowledge is infinite and there will always be someone better, I'm confident that I will never meet my match."
Mu Wanying's eyes lit up, as she asked with a smile, "What else are you skilled with aside from these?"
"I have many of them; other skills, I mean," Tang Xiu chuckled. "You will naturally know them as time passes. Anyhow, let's have another glass, the roasted skewer should be served. Let's moisten our throat first."
"Pfft… Hehehe," Mu Wanying couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Afterward, the duo ate the barbecue and chatted about various topics, drinking beer from time to time. More than an hour later, the duo had drunk six bottles of beer and had eaten all the barbecue. However, several interludes took place during this time, as a lot of men who got drunk approached Mu Wanying and were sent off by Tang Xiu.
In the way back, admiration grew inside Tang Xiu's heart toward Mu Wanying. This girl drank three bottles of beer like it was nothing, even her beautiful face didn't turn pale or flushed. Only a reek of liquor came out of her mouth as she spoke once in a while.
***
The next day Tang Xiu got up at 4 AM and waked Tang Xiaojin and the others. He instructed them to work out in the courtyard to find out the martial arts they had practiced before.
"Your foundation is good. It seems that the Elderly who had adopted you has trained you very well. Today I will teach you a set of body tempering techniques. It's a very simple body tempering technique which only has a total of three moves and 27 forms. All the five of you are forbidden to teach it to anyone else in secret, and you must practice these three moves every morning and evening. Look at it carefully."
Tang Xiu imparted the five children a very ordinary body tempering technique from the Immortal World. Due to them studying it very slowly, Tang Xiu drilled more than ten times, and seriously pointed out their errors for nearly two hours. When the twilight dawn from the East horizon appeared, they finally mastered the tempering technique completely.
"Wanying, are you done stealing my teaching? If you don't want to continue sleeping, wake up the other three. Wait for me to buy breakfast, and then we'll have breakfast and go to campus afterward," Tang Xiu called out to the window of the bedroom on the second floor.
Before the window on the second floor, Mu Wanying's beautiful face was blushed. Due to her light sleep, she got awakened by Tang Xiu and Tang Xiaojun's voices. She then put on her clothes and leaned in the window, as she saw Tang Xiu teaching Tang Xiaojin's group. She just watched them amusedly at first, but the more she looked, the more she couldn't bear but want to learn it, too.
In fact, she had already memorized the three moves and twenty-seven forms Tang Xiu had imparted them an hour ago, and then began to quietly practice them in front of the window.
"Wait for me! I'll wake them up, and then go with you," Mu Wanying answered with a blushing face, and immediately disappeared from the window.
****
Breakfast was quite rich since Tang Xiu and Mu Wanying bought quite a lot. Tang Xiu even bought some freshly-cooked beef gruel since Tang Xiaojin's group of five was still growing.
After having breakfast, he told Tang Xiaojin and the four others to stay at home. After telling them that he would come back and take them to buy clothes, books, and daily necessities after attending his classes, he then rushed to campus with Mu Wanying's group of four. Because he abandoned his Range Rover car on a road not far from the airport yesterday, and due to not wanting garner attention, he then caught a taxi after leaving the villa complex and directly headed to campus.