With the help of Lin Manqing’s step-by-step guidance, Li Muchen finally learned how to use a ride-hailing app.
He dropped Lin Manqing off at the villa complex where the Lin Family resided. Although it was already night, Li Muchen noticed that the thin, cicada-wing-like black cloud still hovered over the estate; no matter how the wind swirled around it, it would not dissipate.
As they said goodbye, Li Muchen cautioned her, "Try not to stay at home lately. Go out more often."
Lin Manqing didn't know why he said that, but she simply nodded. She had never been fond of the life of a high-society young lady there, so she actually preferred staying at school.
Li Muchen watched as Lin Manqing entered the main gate, then turned back the way he came. He returned to the spot where the incident had occurred, pulled his small knife out of the tree trunk, and walked deep into the greenery where the assailants had fled.
The two men lay in the shrubs, unconscious. When Li Muchen had knocked them flying earlier, he had used a unique acupressure technique, carefully controlling his force so that paralysis would only set in after they had walked a certain distance. He tapped their bodies twice, releasing the pressure points in their upper torsos.
The two thugs watched in terror as Li Muchen scraped the small knife across their faces, slowly moving down to their chests, their abdomens, and finally, their crotches.
"Speak. Who sent you?" Li Muchen asked.
"No... nobody."
"Truly nobody?"
Li Muchen flicked his wrist, and with two quick *snips*, he left two large holes in their trousers.
"Oh, I missed," he said, looking disappointed. "Let’s try again."
He raised the knife as if to strike. Below, a puddle of yellow liquid had already formed, accompanied by a pungent smell of urine.
"Caitou! It was Caitou who told us to come! It has nothing to do with us, sir, please spare us..." the thugs stammered incoherently.
"Who is Caitou? Why did he have you follow her?"
"Caitou is Cai Weimin. He told us to follow the young lady and look for an opportunity to kidnap her. That’s all we know."
"When did you start following her?"
"Since she left the Blue Bridge Bar."
Li Muchen frowned.
"Where is Caitou?"
"He owns several nightclubs, but lately, he’s been spending all his time at the dogfighting arena. If we had succeeded in the kidnapping, that’s where we were supposed to take her."
"A dogfighting arena?"
"Yes, a place specifically for dog fights."
"Where is it?"
"In the south of the city, by the overpass outside the city limits. There’s an abandoned factory there."
Li Muchen asked a few more questions, but since he didn't uncover anything else of note, he sealed their mute points. Without releasing the acupressure on their lower bodies, and with their ability to speak removed, whether they would be discovered in these dense bushes was now a matter of fate. Even if someone saved them, without someone to release the pressure points, they would never be able to stand or speak again. Li Muchen was confident that in this mortal world, there were few who could undo his specialized technique.
***
It was late at night when Lin Manqing returned to the villa, and she was surprised to find that no one had gone to sleep yet. Her father was sitting on the sofa in the living room with a grave expression, while her mother sat nearby, looking troubled. Her younger brother, Lin Yun, was playing games on his phone. Even Steward Luo was present.
Sensing that the atmosphere was off, Lin Manqing asked, "Dad, Mom, what happened?"
"Manqing?" Yan Huimin looked surprised. "Why are you back? Didn't you say there was a school activity and you wouldn't be returning for the weekend?"
"Oh, the activity was canceled at the last minute," Lin Manqing replied.
"Then why didn't you call home to have the driver pick you up?" Yan Huimin scolded. "You were all by yourself—how dangerous!"
"I'm a grown woman; what kind of danger could there be?"
Lin Manqing said this, but her heart felt guilty. Recalling the events on the road, she felt a lingering fear, and her mind was filled with the image of Li Muchen and his words, which she couldn't seem to shake.
"Danger or not, you are not to do that again," Lin Qiusheng said sternly. "You are a daughter of the Lin Family. When you step out, you represent us. Do you think I enjoy assigning you drivers and bodyguards? There are countless eyes watching us out there. You came back so late—where were you?"
"I was just out with classmates."
"Which classmates?"
"Zhang Jie—you know her—and Zhang Yiping."
"Zhang Yiping? Is he the son of Yongqing Group’s chairman, Zhang Genmao?"
Hearing that she had been with Zhang Jie, Yan Huimin relaxed. "Alright, alright, our daughter isn't hanging out with just anyone. Stop cross-examining her and give her some freedom."
Lin Qiusheng snorted. "Do you think I don't know what Zhang Genmao's son is after? Trying to climb onto the Lin Family’s high branch? The Zhang family isn't worthy."
Yan Huimin rolled her eyes at her husband. "Even if the Zhang family isn't the best, they are still wealthy, and Yongqing Group has partnerships with us. If you ask me, I'd rather have Manqing marry Zhang Genmao's son than that hillbilly."
Lin Manqing caught the discrepancy. "Mom, what are you talking about? What hillbilly? What marriage?"
Lin Yun, who was still playing on his phone, piped up, "Sister, you have a fiancé, didn't you know?"
"What?" As soon as Lin Manqing heard the word 'fiancé,' for some reason, the first name that popped into her head was Li Muchen.
Lin Yun continued, "You have a fiancé. It was a betrothal arranged by Grandfather. The guy showed up today with the marriage contract."
Lin Manqing’s eyes widened. "Impossible! Lin Yun, what nonsense are you spewing?"
"Pfft, if you don't believe me, ask Mom. Mom sent him away, but then Grandfather found out. Grandfather was furious and called everyone in the family together—even the uncles came. Grandfather said if we don't find him and bring him back, he’ll kick Mom out of the family and send her back to Meicheng."
"Mom, is this true? What is going on?" Lin Manqing shouted.
Yan Huimin glanced at her husband, sighed, and said, "Manqing, I didn't mean to keep it from you. I thought it was just something your grandfather said in a drunken stupor eighteen years ago. So many years had passed, and it was never mentioned again. Who could have imagined he’d show up today?"
"Who is he?" Lin Manqing asked.
"I heard he's a Taoist," Lin Yun interrupted with a wicked grin. "Sister, marrying a Taoist might not be bad—maybe he can help me get some pills so I can live forever."
Lin Manqing glared at him. "Shut your mouth!"
Lin Yun stuck out his tongue and fell silent.
Lin Qiusheng asked, "Huimin, did you look into his family background? Father wouldn't have arranged a marriage for no reason."
Yan Huimin replied, "Of course I did. Since our father brought it up eighteen years ago, I looked into it. The man has no father or mother; he lived with his grandfather, and the two of them survived by picking through trash. Later, the old man passed away, and the kid vanished. I thought he was dead. Who would have thought that after more than a decade, he’d return?"
"No way, just a trash picker?" Lin Yun was deeply disappointed. "I thought he was the successor to some secret sect."
"Where has he been all these years?" Lin Qiusheng asked.
Yan Huimin shook her head. "I don't know. But looking at how he arrived today—in rags, wearing his hair in a bun, he really looks like a Taoist. He probably hasn't had an easy life. He must have calculated that our Manqing is of age and is hoping to change his fortune by becoming the Lin Family's son-in-law."
"I won't marry him! I don't care who he is—I won't marry!" Lin Manqing cried out. "What century is this? Arranged marriages? How feudal!"
"Sister, go tell Grandfather that."
"Fine, I will!" Lin Manqing turned to leave.
"Stand still!" Lin Qiusheng roared. "Your grandfather is over eighty and his health has been poor lately. You are not allowed to go and upset him. This matter is non-negotiable. If the man is gone, so be it, but if he is found, I will arrange your engagement banquet immediately."
"Dad!" Lin Manqing tried to protest.
Lin Qiusheng issued his order: "Enough. Go back to your room to rest. Steward Luo, see that the eldest miss is settled. From now on, apart from school, she is not allowed to go anywhere."
Helpless, Lin Manqing stomped her foot and went back to her room in a rage. Once inside, she lay on her bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Born into a prestigious family, beautiful, a straight-A student, she was the apple of her family's eye and the center of attention wherever she went. Yet, she didn't even have the freedom to fall in love.
A man she had never met had suddenly appeared with a marriage contract. One could only imagine what kind of person he was. And yet, her grandfather wanted her to marry him. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became, and the more she wanted to cry.
She took out her phone and scrolled through her contacts, looking for someone to vent to. But she realized she didn't have a single true friend to talk to about this. If she weren't the eldest daughter of the Lin Family, how many of these people would even consider her a friend?
Eventually, her gaze stopped on the name 'Li Muchen.'
She hesitated, then sent a message:
*'Are you asleep?'*
Li Muchen’s reply was:
*'Asleep.'*
Lin Manqing felt a wave of disappointment and was about to put her phone away when another message arrived:
*'Awake now.'*
She smiled and replied:
*'Sorry for waking you.'*
*'It's fine.'*
Lin Manqing thought for a long time before writing:
*'If someone forced you to marry a man you've never met, what would you do?'*
After a long while, she received Li Muchen’s reply:
*"I am a man, no one is forcing me to marry a man."*
Lin Manqing couldn't help but let out a soft laugh. Considering Li Muchen’s typing speed, it was rare for him to write such a long sentence.
*'My family wants me to marry someone I’ve never met. What do you think I should do?'*
She was just venting and didn't expect any useful advice, but Li Muchen replied quickly:
*'Marry him.'*
Lin Manqing fumed:
*'How can you say that (angry emoji)? I’ve never seen this person! What if he’s old, ugly, and mean?'*
Li Muchen replied: *'I’ll calculate it for you.'*
Lin Manqing asked curiously: *'You can tell fortunes?'*
After another long wait, Li Muchen’s reply finally came:
*'Your fiancé is as graceful as jade, dashing, talented, a dragon among men, a living immortal.'*
Lying on her bed, Lin Manqing finally couldn't help but burst into laughter. Her earlier unhappiness was wiped away.
***
Downstairs in the living room, once the children had left, Lin Qiusheng rubbed his temples. "Huimin, put more effort into this. Find him as soon as possible. Business has been difficult lately, and I have a meeting early tomorrow morning. I’m going to rest."
Yan Huimin nodded. Only she and Steward Luo Mingsha were left in the living room.
"Is it handled?"
"All handled."
Steward Luo did not know that the people he had sent had failed; he assumed they had already killed Li Muchen and, as instructed, had left Hecheng. Naturally, the two million yuan had found its way into his own pocket.
"Are you sure that boy won't return to Hecheng after taking the money?" Madam Lin remained worried.
"Don't worry, he won't appear again," Steward Luo said confidently.
"But, Madam, you..."
"It doesn't matter. The old man can't really banish me back to Meicheng," Madam Lin said with equal confidence. "Tomorrow, send everyone out to search—make a scene of it. Let the old man know we tried our best."
***
Li Muchen had just arrived in Hecheng and had nowhere to stay, so he spent the night at Ma Shan's place. It was a basement unit, about ten square meters, damp, stuffy, and filled with a musty odor.
"Brother Shan, aren't you doing pretty well at the bar? Why not live somewhere better?" Li Muchen asked.
Ma Shan said, "A man only needs a mouth to eat and a bed to sleep. Why live so well? The bar is fine; Sister Na has been good to me over the years, and I’ve never been short a cent in my wages. But I can't hold onto money. I have too many 'fair-weather' friends—a few meals and the money’s gone."
Li Muchen knew Ma Shan was a bit of a wanderer and thought such things didn't matter for a man, but his heart ached for Ding Xiang. She lived next door in an identical room, only with a small ventilation window, making it slightly drier. Because Ding Xiang was diligent, it was clean and even had a faint, pleasant scent. Li Muchen had only just learned that both of Ding Xiang’s parents had passed away. When they were little, they had all lived in the same courtyard; Ding Xiang’s parents had treated him and Ma Shan like their own children. It was hard to believe that in the blink of an eye, all three of them were now orphans.
"Do you have the money for Ding Xiang’s university tuition?" Li Muchen asked.
Ma Shan said, "I’ve saved ten thousand, and Ding Xiang earns a bit from her part-time jobs. It should be enough."
"Didn't you just say you couldn't save money?"
"Well, this is for Ding Xiang. I had originally hoped to save fifty thousand so she could study in peace without needing to work. Sigh, it's my fault—I can't control my spending. I should have chopped my hands off long ago!" Ma Shan cursed himself bitterly.
Li Muchen thought for a moment and asked, "How much does an apartment cost around here?"
"Depends on the size. Over ten thousand per square meter. Do the math yourself," Ma Shan said. "Why? You want to buy a house?"
Li Muchen said, "Yes. I want to buy a place where the three of us can live together and never be apart again."
Ma Shan scrambled up from the bed. "You have money?"
Li Muchen shook his head. "No."
Ma Shan laughed. "If you don't, then stop talking nonsense! Even if we share a room, we have to give Ding Xiang her own. That’s at least a two-bedroom, which would cost seven or eight hundred thousand. A three-bedroom would be over a million. Are you dreaming?"
Li Muchen then asked, "Is there any way to make money quickly?"
Ma Shan pondered. "If it's not illegal, then maybe stone gambling or underground fighting..." He suddenly looked at Li Muchen, his eyes lighting up. "That’s right! Your kung fu is so good, you’d definitely win at fighting."
"How much money can you make from fighting?"
"The places I know are small-scale; you could make a few tens of thousands per win. I’ve heard there are high-stakes arenas where you can make a hundred thousand, maybe hundreds of thousands in one go."
Li Muchen shook his head. A few tens of thousands wasn't worth exposing himself as a fighter.
"What is stone gambling?"
"It's betting on whether a raw stone contains jade. No one knows what's inside until it's cut. One snap of the blade, and if there's a flash of green, you’re rich. If you get a high-quality piece, you could earn millions or tens of millions from a single rock," Ma Shan explained.
Li Muchen thought this sounded promising. "Then let's go gamble on stones."
Ma Shan said, "You need capital for that. Where are we going to get it?"
Li Muchen replied, "Don't you have that ten thousand?"
"That’s for Ding Xiang’s university tuition!" Ma Shan roared. "Don't you get any crazy ideas."
"Don't worry. I learned about jade from my Master on the mountain. I never act without certainty; I won't let your money go to waste."
Ma Shan hesitated, but after a long while, he chose to trust his brother. "Fine, I’ll trust you once. At worst, I’ll eat salted vegetables every day and save the money back for Ding Xiang. I’ll go find out where they hold the stone gambling tomorrow."
Li Muchen nodded, then suddenly asked, "How about dogfighting?"
Ma Shan paused. "Dogfighting can definitely make fast money—it's gambling, after all. But the dogfighting arenas are shady. If you don't know anyone, you’ll get fleeced. Why ask about that?"
Li Muchen said, "There's a broken factory by the overpass south of the city. I heard it's a dogfighting arena. You know a lot of people; go find out about it."
Ma Shan didn't ask how Li Muchen had gotten this information. "Alright, I’ll look into it."
The two chatted about the details. As someone who had spent years on the streets, Ma Shan had some understanding of these industries. Through his introduction, Li Muchen gradually gained a clearer picture.
The next morning, Ding Xiang came over to wake them up. After breakfast, Ma Shan left to gather information and to pay a visit to the bar. Despite the commotion the day before and the injuries caused, even though Uncle Ming had likely smoothed things over, Ma Shan felt he still needed to provide an explanation to Zhou Na.
Ding Xiang dragged Li Muchen to the restaurant where she worked.
"Brother Muchen, I've already talked to our boss, and he’s agreed to let you help out at the restaurant."
Li Muchen was stunned. This girl was still thinking about finding him a job.
"Don't worry, our boss is a great person. He’s not fierce at all. Plus, I’m leaving for university soon, so the shop needs people," Ding Xiang chirped.
Seeing Ding Xiang's kindness, Li Muchen couldn't bear to refuse. Thinking he had nothing else to do, he decided it would serve as a good place to settle in. Once Ma Shan found a venue for stone gambling and they earned some money, he would consider his next move.
The boss of the restaurant, Boss Wang, was a portly man who always wore a smile, looking just like the Maitreya Buddha. Just as Ding Xiang had said, he was as kind and approachable as he appeared. The owner’s wife, Sister Mei, was a woman whose charms had matured with age; among ordinary people, she was definitely considered a beauty. Unlike Boss Wang, Sister Mei had a fiery personality; she was bold, open, and occasionally flirted with the customers. However, she was kind-hearted at her core. Other than being fierce toward her husband, she treated everyone else in the shop quite well.
Boss Wang usually worked in the back, while the boss’s wife sat at the front. When it wasn't busy, she would go out to get her nails done or have her hair styled, leaving Boss Wang to mind the front desk.
On his first day, Li Muchen followed Ding Xiang’s lead, clearing tables and doing simple tasks; it was quite relaxed. In the afternoon, the boss’s wife headed out to get her hair done and specifically called out to Li Muchen, "Little Li, want to come with Sister Mei? The stylist I go to is amazing—I'll have him make you look handsome, too."
As she spoke, she reached out and pinched Li Muchen’s cheek. Li Muchen felt his scalp crawl. "No, thank you, Boss’s Wife. I’m new here and there’s still a lot I need to learn."
"Alright then, you keep learning." She swayed her waist as she walked away. Li Muchen couldn't help but feel as though her waist might snap.
And thus, he began his first day as a waiter.
***
That day, the news that the Lin Family was looking for a Taoist with the surname Li quickly spread through the upper circles of Hecheng.