In the evening, Lin Xiaotian and Tun Xiaotian returned to the villa and saw Gu Hao wearing a rather strange set of clothes.
"Young master, what kind of outfit is this? It looks so bizarre."
"This? It's a security guard uniform. How do I look? Full of spirit, right?"
Gu Hao spun around in front of the two and asked.
Lin Xiaotian and Tun Xiaotian looked him up and down and said, "Not very good. It really doesn't suit you, young master."
"Suit me or not, clothes are just meant to cover the body. There's no high or low to them."
"A security guard uniform?" Lin Xiaotian asked. "What kind of army is that?"
"An army? Heh, no. It's just for guarding the gates, a security team that maintains company safety."
"Oh, so it's gate-keeping!" Tun Xiaotian chuckled. "Who are you planning to guard the gates for, young master?"
Lin Xiaotian suddenly understood. "Young master, are you planning to guard the gates for Tiangu Group?"
"Smart."
"But if you do this, won't the old matriarch and the princess recognize you?"
"It's been eighteen years. I don't know if Mother and Elder Sister will still be able to recognize me."
"Then, young master, will you still be able to recognize the old matriarch and the princess?"
"Yes, as soon as I see them, I'll know."
"Then, young master, if you're going to guard gates, what are we going to do? Are we going with you to guard gates?"
"No need. The Palace Master of the Zhongzhou branch of Tianlong Hall will be here shortly. As the left and right protectors of Tianlong Hall, you two will stay at Tianlong Hall for the time being."
"Young master, if we go to Tianlong Hall, who is going to protect you?" Tun Xiaotian asked anxiously.
"Do I even need protection?"
Lin Xiaotian gave Tun Xiaotian a knock on the head. "In this world today, who could possibly be a match for the young master?"
"Oh, right, right, right. Hehehe."
The housekeeper walked in and said, "Young master, there's a man named Hu Yong outside who wishes to see you."
"Oh, let him in."
The housekeeper went out and escorted Hu Yong inside.
Hu Yong bowed to Gu Hao. "Greetings, Palace Master."
"At ease." Gu Hao gave Hu Yong a supportive lift. "These two are Lin Xiaotian and Tun Xiaotian. From now on, they will be stationed with you at the Zhongzhou Tianlong Hall."
Hu Yong hurriedly bowed to Lin Xiaotian and Tun Xiaotian as well. "Subordinate greets the Left and Right Protectors."
"No need for formalities. From now on, we'll be giving Palace Master Hu plenty of trouble."
"Not at all, not at all! Having the Left and Right Protectors stationed at the Zhongzhou Tianlong Hall is our greatest honor. I hope the two protectors will offer us much guidance."
"Haha, Palace Master Hu, there's no need for such politeness between us. From now on, we serve the young master together. We're all brothers."
"Yes, yes, yes..."
The next day, Gu Hao arrived at the Tiangu Group office building right on time.
The newly hired security guards were full of vigor and neatly lined up, and their captain, Feng Menglan, turned out to be a woman.
She was giving a speech and assigning tasks.
A security guard standing next to Gu Hao whispered to him, "This Captain Feng is exceptionally talented. I hear she is a disciple of Xiaomei, the chairman's personal bodyguard, and she already possesses the cultivation base of the Golden Core Realm."
Gu Hao had already seen through Feng Menglan's cultivation realm.
A martial artist in the Golden Core Realm could already be considered a powerhouse in the Hong Realm.
According to the martial arts classification of the Hong Realm, cultivation realms are divided into 13 levels: Body Tempering Realm, Qi Condensation Realm, Heart Tempering Realm, Fusion Realm, Foundation Establishment Realm, Golden Core Realm, Nascent Soul Realm, Divisional Spirit Realm, Void Piercing Realm, Great Vehicle Realm, Human King Realm, Human Sovereign Realm, and Great Emperor Realm.
Currently, the highest cultivation realm in the Hong Realm was the Great Vehicle Realm, while the Human King Realm, Human Sovereign Realm, and Great Emperor Realm had not been successfully reached by anyone for a million years, gradually becoming legendary realms.
Listening to Feng Menglan speak and watching her, Gu Hao felt that this twenty-year-old girl, whose cultivation had reached the Golden Core Realm, was truly a cultivation genius.
After the meeting ended, Gu Hao was assigned to the main entrance, responsible for the security of Tiangu Group.
Gu Hao and three other security guards went to the main entrance of Tiangu Group, beginning his first day of security work.
For several days running, the security work proceeded quite normally.
People entered and left Tiangu Group in an orderly fashion, and everyone was very well-behaved.
On this day, a convoy of vehicles stopped in the plaza in front of the main entrance.
More than a dozen people got out of the cars. Escorting a young man of about twenty-seven or twenty-eight, they walked up the steps and came to the front entrance.
A security guard stepped forward and saluted. "Excuse me, who are you looking for?"
"We're looking for Gu Lingyu and Gu Yan."
"You're looking for our chairman and young lady? Do you have an appointment?"
"An appointment? No. Do we need an appointment to see them?"
"I'm sorry, but that is our company's rule."
"Get lost, you bastard! Do you know who this young master is?"
"No idea."
"Open your dog eyes and take a good look! This young master is Gu Lin, the third young master of the Gu Clan. Is our third young master someone you can just block?"
A servant of the Gu Clan sharply scolded the guard.
Upon hearing that he was the third young master of the Gu Clan, the guard was momentarily stunned. Sons of these Hong Realm noble families were not to be trifled with.
The captain of the security squad stepped forward and said, "I'm sorry, our chairman and young lady have gone to the capital and are not at the company. Please wait for them to return and make an appointment before coming to see them."
"Not at the company?" The Gu Clan servant turned his gaze to Wan Wen, the security squad captain, and demanded, "Who are you?"
"I am Wan Wen, captain of the first security squad."
"Such a big attitude for a tiny security squad captain! It seems this Tiangu Group of yours really is extraordinary."
"I wouldn't dare. We're just doing things by the book, so please don't make things difficult for us."
"Make things difficult for you? Today I am making things difficult for you, so what? Does a tiny Tiangu Group like yours really think it can compare with the number one great family of our Hong Realm? Truly a mayfly trying to shake a tree."
Feng Menglan saw the situation outside the front entrance from the surveillance monitor.
She turned and headed straight to the front entrance.
Seeing Feng Menglan arrive, Wan Wen respectfully said, "Captain, you're here."
"Who are they?"
"They're people from the Gu Clan, and that young man is the third young master of the Gu Clan."
"People from the Gu Clan? What are people from the Gu Clan doing here? It seems we have no dealings with them."
Seeing that Feng Menglan was exceptionally pretty, the Gu Clan servant gave a lewd smile and said, "So the security captain of Tiangu Group is a pretty girl. Not bad, not bad."
Wan Wen snapped, "Audacious! Is our captain someone a lowly servant like you can ever hope to touch?"
"What? I might not be, but our young master is an absolute heavyweight in the Hong Realm. Whoever he takes a fancy to had better obediently serve him..."
Before the servant could finish speaking, Feng Menglan slapped him hard across the face.
"How dare you hit me?"
"What do you think you are? Get lost."
"Hahaha," Gu Lin laughed. "Tiangu Group really lives up to its reputation. Even a little security captain is this domineering. I'm impressed, truly impressed. No wonder that stinky bitch Gu Yan dared to snatch my business."
"Who did you say snatched your business?"
A car stopped at the bottom of the steps. Xiaomei opened the door, and a tall woman, as graceful as a Heaven Immortal, stepped out of the vehicle.
"The young lady is back."
Feng Menglan hurriedly ran down the steps.
Gu Hao stood among the other security guards. The moment he caught sight of Gu Yan, he recognized her instantly. His heart surged with emotion, and he almost rushed down the steps to embrace his Elder Sister.
Yet, he managed to hold back, a sweet smile blooming on his face.
Accompanied by Xiaomei and Feng Menglan, Gu Yan walked up and reached the entrance steps.
She turned around and looked at Gu Lin. "You must be Gu Lin, the third young master of the Gu Clan?"
"That's right. And you are Gu Yan, the daughter of Gu Lingyu?"
"Precisely. I am Gu Yan. Neither Tiangu Group, nor my mother, nor I have any relation whatsoever with the Gu Family. What are you doing here at our Tiangu Group?"
"What am I doing? Gu Yan, don't play dumb when you know very well."
"What would I know? Tiangu Group and your Gu Clan mind our own business and never cross paths."
"Gu Yan, surely you aren't so noble that you forget things easily! The medicinal pill project that our Gu Family Group was cooperating with Guxuan Palace was snatched away by a vixen like you, causing our Gu Family Group to lose one billion yuan in upfront investments. How should we settle this score?"
"Oh? Your cooperation with Guxuan Palace is your own affair; what does it have to do with us? Besides, the reason you lost one billion yuan is because you were incompetent yourselves. You altered the medicinal formula without authorization, causing product defects and injuring countless cultivators. Wasn't it entirely correct for Guxuan Palace to terminate their cooperation with you? Furthermore, our cooperation with Guxuan Palace isn't for manufacturing medicinal pills; we produce medical drugs. That doesn't seem to overlap with yours in any way, does it?"
"You... sharp-tongued wretch! Gu Yan, your Tiangu Group opposes us at every turn, and what's even more hateful is that you even snatched away our cooperating suppliers. Do you think we can just let this matter rest?"
"What? Are you planning to make a move against our Tiangu Group?"
"Gu Yan, my coming here today is twofold. First, I demand that Tiangu Group compensate our Gu Family Group for the loss of one billion yuan. Second, you, Tiangu Group, Gu Lingyu, and yourself must all offer a kowtow and an apology to our Gu Family Group and the Gu Clan. Otherwise..."
"Otherwise what?"
Gu Yan gave a slight smile. "Gu Lin, if your Gu Family Group and the Gu Clan expect us to compensate you for your losses and apologize, keep dreaming. Relying on your status as the premier noble family, your Gu Family Group has defrauded and extorted suppliers and delayed payments for goods. Aren't you fully aware of your own actions? As suppliers, they have the absolute right to choose which companies to cooperate with. Is that wrong? Is that illegal? Furthermore, as I've already said, the one billion yuan your Gu Family lost has nothing whatsoever to do with Tiangu Group. What? You still want to pin your own losses on someone else? That is truly a joke. If your Gu Family doesn't feel ashamed of yourselves, go ahead and sue us at the Chamber of Commerce and the City Lord's Mansion."
Gu Yan's words left Gu Lin completely speechless, his face turning the color of a bruised purple eggplant.
"Fine, Gu Yan! You just wait..."
"What? Are you threatening me? Gu Lin, you'd better look out for yourself. Show them out."