Chapter 710 Changbai Mountain Ten Thousand Saints Sect
Wu Tianxi clicked his tongue in amazement and made teasing remarks, but Jiang Bai couldn't laugh.
Nalan Zongde was stationed in the north, and for twenty years he watched the changing times without ever leaving Shengjing.
He didn't slap Wu Tianxi back then, nor did he compete with Li Qingdi.
Now that Jiang Bai has left Shengjing, it's really not good news for him.
Jiang Bai had a feeling that a storm was brewing, and a chill ran down his spine.
"Where did you go after leaving Shengjing?"
Jiang Bai couldn't help but ask.
He really wanted to hold it in and wait for Wu Tianxi to tell him, but in the end he couldn't hold it in.
Changbai Mountain!
Wu Tianxi remained silent for a moment before speaking, his words carrying a hint of seriousness.
"Changbai Mountain? What are we going there for?"
Jiang Bai originally thought that when Lao Nalan came out, he would definitely come to deal with him directly, but what does it mean to go to Changbai Mountain now?
What was there prompted him to leave Shengjing and head straight there.
"I heard from the Dongfang family that old Nalan's roots are in Changbai Mountain."
"What enabled those old-timers and their descendants to rise to prominence today? It was none other than those reclusive figures in Changbai Mountain. Apart from the Nalan family, all the masters from the Manchu aristocratic families went into seclusion in Changbai Mountain after the Republic of China was established, and were protected by the Wansheng Sect of Changbai Tianchi."
"When Old Nalan went to Changbai Mountain, he naturally invited them to come out and oversee things. Could he have gone on a trip?"
Wu Tianxi, who dominated Hebei and was able to rival Li Qingdi, relied on the support of the Dongfang Family, the Taishan Sect, and the heroes of Hebei. The Dongfang Family was one of his main forces, and compared to his relationship with the Human Group, the Dongfang Family was closer to Wu Tianxi.
It's not surprising that he learned some information from the Dongfang family.
Of course, this does not mean that the Dongfang family is Wu Tianxi's backer or that Wu Tianxi is their pawn.
In fact, the relationship between the Dongfang family and Wu Tianxi is more of a cooperation. To some extent, Wu Tianxi even subtly suppresses the Dongfang family.
Jiang Bai didn't know the specific reasons, but he did know that there was a force behind Wu Tianxi that enabled him to suppress the Dongfang family and the heroes of Hebei. Everything was under Wu Tianxi's control.
Of course, being able to suppress doesn't mean having complete control. Wu Tianxi couldn't completely control the Dongfang family either; otherwise, the four great families wouldn't be united against Jiang Bai.
Jiang Bai knew all of this, but he just didn't say it out loud.
"The Ten Thousand Saints Sect?" Jiang Bai frowned when he first heard the name.
Because he had never heard of this sect.
That's why he frowned.
Jiang Bai believed he had a thorough understanding of the power distribution within the country and the major sects and families, but he had never heard of the "Ten Thousand Saints Sect".
However, judging from the solemnity revealed in Wu Tianxi's words, it can be seen that even if the forces behind Wu Tianxi were combined, they would not dare to underestimate the Wansheng Sect.
Jiang Bai guessed that there should be records of this "Wansheng Sect" in the secret archives of Lingjiu Palace in the Great Snow Mountain, but he left in a hurry and it was too far away, so he didn't have the opportunity to look it up. Otherwise, Jiang Bai would have been able to learn something about it.
"The Ten Thousand Saints Sect is a powerful sect that dominates hundreds of mountains. It is full of experts. Back then, the rise of the Manchu Qing Dynasty was inseparable from their support. Their exact origins are unclear. The Dongfang Family knows nothing about them, but the records of the Taishan Sect contain some information."
"It is said that the Wansheng Sect originated after Qin Shi Huang destroyed Wu. It has dominated the area outside the Great Wall for thousands of years and has never fallen. Changbai Mountain's status as a sacred mountain outside the Great Wall is inseparable from the Wansheng Sect."
"However, they are very low-key and have never traveled outside. They have not had much interaction with the Chinese aristocratic families and sects. They have only had a few clashes in history, and we know nothing about the specifics."
"Back then, I wanted to travel to the Northeast, but Old Nalan caused me to suffer heavy losses. The Ten Thousand Saints Sect was involved in this. In short, they were very difficult to deal with."
"Li Qingdi should know the situation there better than I do. After all, I haven't directly clashed with them. My fight with Old Nalan was mostly kept within a certain range, but Li Qingdi has actually clashed with the Wansheng Sect and suffered losses and hardships. He should know more about it."
Upon hearing Jiang Bai's question, Wu Tianxi immediately offered his answers.
There was nothing to hide; she even told Jiang Bai directly about the losses she had suffered in the past.
"Li Qingdi?" Jiang Bai was taken aback.
He then said noncommittally, "You, Wu Tianxi, suddenly called me and said so much, and even asked me to ask Li Qingdi. Could it be that you have some thoughts about Old Nalan?"
"Hehe, well... it's up to you."
Wu Tianxi chuckled and didn't deny it, and Jiang Bai knew what he meant.
So it turns out that the real reason he called me was because he saw that I had fallen out with Old Nalan. It was just a pretext; he wanted to join forces with me, and even wanted me to bring Li Qingdi along so that we could devour Old Nalan together.
With Jiang Bai, Wu Tianxi, and Li Qingdi joining forces, how could Cheng Tiangang be left out?
Even if the four of them were together, no matter how powerful Old Nalan was, they would probably be swallowed up.
"If the enemy doesn't move, I won't move either. I've also been busy lately and don't have time to mess around with old Nalan. As long as he knows what's good for him and doesn't provoke me, I won't bother with him."
After thinking for a moment, Jiang Bai gave this answer, neither explicitly refusing nor eagerly joining forces with Li Qingdi and Wu Tianxi to target Nalan Zongde.
He had only recently acquired Eagle Enterprises, and now if he were to take action against Old Nalan, even if he defeated him, he wouldn't gain any benefit and wouldn't have the resources to swallow Old Nalan whole.
Even if several families team up to divide the meat, he won't be able to eat much, and it's very likely to cause indigestion.
Jiang Bai was unwilling to do a deal where he took the lead while others ate the meat – a bad trade.
Besides, the fact that Old Nalan left Shengjing for Changbai Mountain might not be aimed at him. Jiang Bai didn't want to launch a preemptive strike and fight to the death with Wu Tianxi just because of a few words from him.
He wasn't lying. He's busy right now. He had already made arrangements with Old Man Lieyang in South Africa to help those guys from the Ancient Warrior Alliance. He's about to leave Tiandu, and it wouldn't be wise to go against Old Nalan now.
Besides this, he also has an assassin guild to deal with.
Therefore, Jiang Bai decided to put the matter aside. As long as Old Nalan didn't make the first move, he wouldn't take the initiative.
Moreover, even if the other party were to make a move, someone as shrewd as Lao Nalan should understand that while he couldn't swallow him whole, it would be incredibly difficult for the other party to swallow him as well. Just based on his relationship with Wu Tianxi and Cheng Tiangang, he wouldn't be able to find a way to attack him.
Besides, Jiang Bai himself is not someone to be trifled with.
Even if we were to take action, it would only be to save face and cause him some damage, but we wouldn't seriously injure him, harm the people around him, or escalate the conflict to the point of no return.
If that's the case, why should Jiang Bai strike first and become someone else's vanguard for no reason?
Chapter 711 The Street Vendor Prince
Wu Tianxi understood Jiang Bai's meaning after hearing his words, chuckled, and remained silent.
After a few more casual words, he left with a very江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry) statement: "You've already said it, so let's leave it for now. You're my brother, and if you just say the word, I'll definitely not hesitate to work with you to take care of Old Nalan right away."
Jiang Bai was speechless at this.
After hanging up the phone, looking at Lin Wanru's worried face, he smiled awkwardly: "He's a lunatic, don't bother with him, he always thinks he's some kind of gangster boss."
"Is there some trouble?" Lin Wanru couldn't help but ask.
"It's nothing. I went to Harbin a few days ago and had a little unpleasant encounter with an old man there. Now the old man has run away from home. And... I got a call here saying that the old man's family is not too happy about it and asked if I wanted to make some preparations so he could help me."
"Actually, what is there to prepare? My buddy is a bit overly anxious. I always feel like he has paranoia. He's over eighty years old, what can he possibly do to me?"
Jiang Bai smiled slightly and gave Lin Wanru this explanation.
I wonder what Wu Tianxi will think after hearing this.
Clearly, this was not within Jiang Bai's considerations.
Lin Wanru nodded blankly, seemingly lost in thought.
Afterwards, Jiang Bai took Lin Wanru for a stroll on the street and bought her two sets of clothes.
The price wasn't too expensive; the two sets of clothes, from the inside out, cost just over a thousand yuan.
It wasn't that Jiang Bai didn't want to buy something nice, or that he was reluctant to spend the money; it was just that Lin Wanru was unwilling. In her eyes, over a thousand yuan was already quite a lot, and the clothes were quite pretty.
Looking at the new clothes Lin Wanru was trying on, Jiang Bai couldn't help but sigh. Clothes aren't necessarily better the more expensive they are; it all depends on the person. Lin Wanru looks good in anything.
If you have the physique of a pig, even if you wear gold and silver and have a bank vault on your body, you won't look good.
After shopping and having dinner, Jiang Bai took Lin Wanru to find a movie to watch. Recently, "God of Gamblers," which he had previously entrusted to Empire Pictures, was released and caused a sensation.
It's incredibly popular right now, bringing Jiang Bai a lot of prestige points, and even boosting business in Portugal.
Although he wrote it himself and had read it in his previous life, Jiang Bai was still happy to take Lin Wanru to appreciate it.
Of course... this was also the result of Lin Wanru's strong request.
Near the school, at a movie theater, Jiang Bai was about to buy tickets with Lin Wanru when he suddenly felt a little confused. He saw several familiar figures at a roadside stall not far away.
Xia Yiyi and Zhu Xinxin, two girls, had set up a street stall there at some point, selling high-quality counterfeit trendy clothes.
Business seemed to be doing well, as the two young and beautiful girls actively hawked their wares, attracting many customers.
If that were all, it wouldn't have been enough to confuse Jiang Bai. These two girls, especially Zhu Xinxin, love to do this kind of thing. This isn't the first time Jiang Bai has caught her out to work.
But the fact that she was with Xia Yiyi, whom she didn't get along with, made Jiang Bai a little curious.
That's not all; the people next to him were the real reason Jiang Bai was dumbfounded.
At this very moment, Meng Huangchao, with his blond hair and nonchalant attitude, was shouting while wearing a shirt draped over his shoulders: "Come and see! Come and see! The latest high-quality replica fashion, fifty yuan a piece! Come and see! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"
"Damn it."
A row of black lines immediately appeared on Jiang Bai's forehead.
How did Meng Huangchao get involved with these two girls?
Although it seems that when the Meng Dynasty came before, they recognized each other as brothers and sisters.
But damn it, didn't they lose contact after that?
Why are you all setting up street stalls together now?
They even started yelling?
Judging from the looks of it, it's been going on for a while now?
Jiang Bai wasn't jealous or anything. He still trusted Xia Yiyi and Zhu Xinxin. Meng Huangchao wasn't a very good person, but he wouldn't try anything with him. Jiang Bai knew that.
Because Meng Huangchao knew he couldn't afford to offend him.
Besides, even though he's a bastard, he still has some principles.
But... is it appropriate for a prince like you, known as the number one playboy in the capital, to be setting up a street stall?
If Lingquan finds out about this, won't they think I, Jiang Bai, have been abusing Meng Huangchao?
You said you were coming to rely on me, so I'm letting you set up a street stall?
And they're still so invested?
Just as Jiang Bai was still in a daze, Meng Huangchao had already spotted him and waved to him from afar, calling out, "Jiang Bai, I'm here!!"
Jiang Bai's lips twitched slightly as he walked over, and Xia Yiyi and Zhu Xinxin immediately spotted him.
Unlike Xia Yiyi, who enthusiastically approached and called out "Teacher" in a sweet, coquettish voice, Zhu Xinxin subconsciously shrank back.
Jiang Bai had strictly forbidden her from showing her face in public again.
Unlike Xia Yiyi, Zhu Xinxin always saw herself as Jiang Bai's lover, so she naturally felt that Jiang Bai's words were like imperial edicts. Since she had already been told what to do, she was naturally afraid when she secretly ran away and was caught by Jiang Bai.
He timidly lowered his head, too afraid to step forward.
"What's going on here?" Jiang Bai couldn't help but ask, not minding that Lin Wanru was still there. He led her over and asked Meng Huangchao first.
"What are you doing? Didn't you see clearly? We're setting up a street stall! Haha, Jiang Bai, do you know how much we've made?"
Upon hearing Jiang Bai's words, Meng Huangchao responded excitedly.
Before Jiang Bai could speak, she continued, "Six thousand! We earned six thousand in just half a month. If the three of us split it, I'll get two thousand! Haha, this is the first money I've ever earned on my own."
"Uh..." Jiang Bai's lips twitched, unsure how to respond.
Damn it, you Meng Huangchao used to spend more than 100,000 or 200,000 in one night, right? Now you've earned 2,000, what's there to be so happy about?
Unfortunately, Jiang Bai clearly couldn't understand Meng Huangchao's thoughts. Ignoring Jiang Bai's twitching lips, Meng Huangchao laughed and said, "Let me tell you, I've already discussed it with the two of them. We won't touch this money. Once we've saved enough, we'll open a store nearby. Business will definitely be good. In a few months, we'll open a branch, and then find someone to take out a loan to invest. I'm going to sell my counterfeit goods all over the world!"
"By then, I'll be a billionaire, no, a billionaire! Then let's see who dares to call me, Meng Huangchao, a spendthrift."
Jiang Bai remained silent in the face of this lofty ideal.
It did not interrupt Meng Huangchao's dream.
Building a fortune of billions from a street stall is a dream that seems unattainable for most people, but it might be possible for Young Master Meng to achieve it.
It's not that he's particularly capable or a business genius; the key is that he has a powerful background, so getting bank loans in no time, and billions of dollars wouldn't be a problem.
Chapter 712 Death Without a Message
It seems no one would dare to offend Meng Huangchao. As for whether it can be done, that's another matter. Anyway... he'll definitely be able to get a loan to help him develop. If it succeeds, great; if not, it'll just be a bad debt. Who would actually ask for money to pay it back?
You probably can't find someone like that in the country right now.
"Okay, take your time. I'm going to see a movie with my cousin!"
Jiang Bai responded helplessly. Seeing Meng Huangchao so excited, he couldn't bear to interrupt his dream. Anyway, Young Master Meng had the means, so he could just treat the wasted time as a game.
"Cousin? Wow, bro, you're amazing! How many is this now?"
It was only then that Meng Huangchao noticed Lin Wanru. He looked her up and down, gave Jiang Bai a thumbs up, and said with envy, glancing behind him as he spoke, then looking at Xia Yiyi and Zhu Xinxin.
At this moment, Xia Yiyi was looking at Jiang Bai pitifully, while Zhu Xinxin had her head down. She had no interest in Lin Wanru beside Jiang Bai right now; her position had always been clear: that of a lover.
She didn't care who was around Jiang Bai or not; all she cared about now was whether she would be punished after being caught by Jiang Bai today.
On the contrary, Xia Yiyi gave Jiang Bai a pitiful look before rushing straight at Lin Wanru with hostility.
Fortunately, they didn't say anything, otherwise Jiang Bai wouldn't know what to say.
Sensing something was amiss, Lin Wanru looked Xia Yiyi up and down, remaining silent and simply observing.
The atmosphere became somewhat tense for a moment.
"Ahem, it's about time, let's go inside."
Finally, Jiang Bai coughed twice, and using the excuse that time was running out, he pulled Lin Wanru to leave.
"Teacher, would you like to stay at my house tonight? It's been so long since I've stayed at my house." But just as he turned around, Xia Yiyi's sweet voice came from behind, causing Jiang Bai to stumble and almost fall.
Meng Huangchao gave an awkward smile and remained silent, his eyes darting around.
Zhu Xinxin, on the other hand, jumped up in a flash, covered Xia Yiyi's mouth, and kept muttering, "What nonsense are you talking about?"
"Stay?" Lin Wanru was not deaf, and she had already realized what was happening. She narrowed her eyes and looked at Xia Yiyi, a murderous intent flashing in her eyes.
"She's crazy, she's talking nonsense, don't listen to her!" Zhu Xinxin, who had covered Xia Yiyi's mouth, quickly explained to Lin Wanru.
As a skilled and professional mistress, Zhu Xinxin felt it was necessary to help Jiang Bai silence Xia Yiyi in front of his girlfriend, so she acted without hesitation.
"Cousin, what's going on?" Lin Wanru asked noncommittally, her tone unfriendly.
Jiang Yuqing had already given her enough trouble. Last time, she ignored Jiang Bai for a long time, but in the end, she couldn't help herself and established a relationship with Jiang Bai. So she didn't pursue the matter. Although it was still a thorn in her side, Lin Wanru kept reminding herself.
Don't interfere with Jiang Bai before marriage; it's not too late to talk about it after marriage.
Before this, pretend you know nothing and give Jiang Bai ample time to make a choice.
However, this does not mean that Lin Wanru allowed Jiang Bai to act recklessly outside, especially when the object of his affections was a teenage girl.
Although Lin Wanru is not actually that old, she is just over twenty.
"This..." Jiang Bai was a little embarrassed and didn't know how to explain.
"Auntie, I'm Xia Yiyi, the teacher's student. I love him! I want to compete with you! No, you're too old. Please leave the teacher."
After breaking free from Zhu Xinxin's grasp, Xia Yiyi shouted.
As Jiang Bai's forehead darkened, Lin Wanru's expression turned unfriendly, especially after Xia Yiyi called her "Auntie".
"You little brat!"
Xia Yiyi thought Lin Wanru would lose her temper or at least turn and leave, but to everyone's surprise, Lin Wanru, who was gloomy just a moment ago, showed a bright smile the next second, pulled Jiang Bai and turned to leave, leaving Xia Yiyi with a disdainful look.
This infuriated Xia Yiyi, who was furious but helpless.
"That wretched old woman, I'm not finished with her!"
After turning away, I could still faintly hear Xia Yiyi's furious voice behind me.
"Stop talking, stop talking! That's the teacher's official girlfriend. We're just lovers at most. You can't say things like that, or the teacher will be unhappy!"
This is Zhu Xinxin.
Does this girl just speak without thinking?
What does this mean?
Are they trying to screw Jiang Bai over?
"It's only seven or eight steps away. Aren't you trying to trick me by saying that?" Jiang Bai thought to himself, staggering as his lips twitched.
Lin Wanru naturally heard these words, but she didn't say anything. She tightened her grip on Jiang Bai's arm and walked in with him, ignoring the people behind them.
Once inside the movie theater, she let go of Jiang Bai's arm, looked him up and down, and asked, "Cousin, do you like that kind of thing?"
"Uh…" Jiang Bai was speechless.
I wanted to explain, but I was surprised to find that I didn't know how to explain it.
"They're so young, and you still went after them. I thought you were only interested in women like Jiang Yuqing. Do you have other women?" Lin Wanru asked, frowning.
Jiang Bai's heart pounded, unsure how to respond. He wasn't so arrogant as to wave his hand dismissively and shamelessly spout nonsense like, "No matter how many women I have, I love you all the same."
If Jiang Bai were to say this out loud, no matter how powerful he is, knowing Lin Wanru, his childhood sweetheart and cousin, he would definitely slap her across the face without hesitation and cut all ties with her from then on.
But what does Lin Wanru mean by saying this now?
Jiang Bai was a little unsure.
"I didn't lay a hand on them. They're just my students. I was substituting for a friend at No. 56 Middle School a while ago, you know? They were all students in my class, young girls… you know what I mean."
Jiang Bai mumbled something, making up an excuse, but refused to admit that he had any relationship with the two girls.
In fact, Jiang Bai had absolutely no dealings with them; he hadn't touched a single hair on his head.
It's just a little ambiguous, but of course, I can't say that out loud.
"Actually, I know I can't control you... As long as you have me in your heart, that's enough. Before we get married, I won't say anything about this to you again." Shaking her head, seeing that Jiang Bai was feeling guilty, Lin Wanru said this.
Whether it was true or not, Jiang Bai felt a sweet warmth in his heart.
Of course, he didn't forget to retort again: "It's really nothing!"
"These two girls are quite pretty, but they're a bit too young. That kind of age can be troublesome. You need to be careful. If their families find you, you'll be in big trouble." Lin Wanru ignored Jiang Bai, chuckled, and said very seriously.
Jiang Bai remained silent in response, refusing to utter a sound even in the face of death.
Chapter 713 Young Master Meng has been arrested
Jiang Bai didn't respond, and Lin Wanru didn't say anything more either. After a while, she returned to normal and watched the movie with Jiang Bai.
During this time, she did not stop Jiang Bai from taking advantage of her, but instead cooperated with him very much, and even seemed to be taking the initiative. It is unknown whether she was provoked.
You should know that Lin Wan had always strongly opposed Jiang Bai's underhanded tactics against her, although... she had never succeeded in objecting. It was extremely rare for her to seem to have actively allowed Jiang Bai to take action this time.
While Jiang Bai felt he had gained an advantage, he also had mixed feelings, as he hadn't even had a chance to properly enjoy a great movie.
Two hours later, I walked out of the movie theater. As soon as I came out, I was surprised to find that Xia Yiyi had called me several times.
This made Jiang Bai very curious. What did this little girl mean?
Preparing to cause trouble?
Or what?
"What's wrong? Did that little girl call you?" Lin Wanru couldn't help but ask when she saw Jiang Bai take out his phone, glance at it, and put it back in his pocket.
"This... is." Jiang Bai thought for a moment and decided not to lie. He should try to do as few lies as possible, so that they could be used to his advantage in critical moments.
If you lie all the time, about everything big and small, your credibility will be very low, and when you really need something, no one will believe you.
"Let's go back and see what the little girl is doing. Girls this young are most prone to impulsiveness. We don't want anything to happen to her," Lin Wanru replied understandingly.
The reason she was so understanding and acted so gently and generously was because she had thought about this issue many times before and decided to give Jiang Bai some freedom.
More importantly, Xia Yiyi was good-looking, and Lin Wanru didn't consider this little girl a competitor at all, but just a child.
If it were Jiang Yuqing, she definitely wouldn't be so generous.
Even if someone were to suggest that Jiang Bai go back to the past, they wouldn't say it so calmly.
"Teacher, you're finally back! Something's happened... Xia Yiyi and Brother Meng have been arrested!"
The call had barely connected when it was Zhu Xinxin's anxious voice, not Xia Yiyi's, that spoke.
"What? Say it again? Who got arrested?"
Jiang Bai was stunned for a moment, somewhat unable to believe his ears, and couldn't help but confirm again who had ordered the arrest.
Meng Huangchao?
Did I hear that right? Who has the guts to try and capture Young Master Meng? Are they tired of living or have they never wanted to die?
"Xia Yiyi and Brother Meng have been arrested! I didn't do anything just now, but they told me to come out and pay the fine, so I ran away. I called you several times, but you didn't answer."
Zhu Xinxin spoke again, her voice filled with anxiety and trembling with the urgency of a sob.
"Where are you?" Jiang Bai asked hurriedly.
I don't know the details, but from what I heard, Xia Yiyi and Meng Huangchao got into a fight.
It makes sense when you think about it. Meng Huangchao is a hothead, and Xia Yiyi isn't much better; she's a hot-tempered delinquent. It's only natural that the two of them would get into fights together.
As for Zhu Xinxin, she's a good girl... who do you expect her to beat up?
"I'm at the movie theater entrance. I just walked around outside, about to go up and find you," Zhu Xinxin quickly replied.
"Wait there."
Jiang Bai gave a brief explanation, then led Lin Wanru downstairs. As soon as they went down, they saw Zhu Xinxin standing there, looking nervous and with slightly red eyes.
The white dress swayed in the wind, looking exceptionally beautiful. Paired with a long ponytail, she was so delicate and charming that one couldn't help but want to protect this poor flower.
"What happened? Tell me about it," Jiang Bai asked, leaning closer.
Lin Wanru, overflowing with maternal love, embraced the pitiful Zhu Xinxin in her arms.
Compared to the hot-tempered and fiery Xia Yiyi, Zhu Xinxin is undoubtedly the more likable type. Her pitiful appearance now makes people feel even more sorry for her, and Lin Wanru is overflowing with maternal love.
They completely disregarded what the dim-witted girl had said about lovers and such.
Perhaps, what Lin Wanru was thinking was just a joke told by a clueless young girl.
"Just now, we were setting up our stall when two hooligans harassed me. Yiyi went up and hit them, and Brother Meng joined in. The two of them beat them up, but then, just a few minutes later, the police came and took them away."
"I heard, I heard that one of the people who was beaten was the bureau chief's son."
Simple and clear, without any beating around the bush, Zhu Xinxin made the crux of the matter clear.
If it were Emperor Meng, he would definitely nag about it for a while.
"A policeman? The station chief's son? Which branch is he from?" Jiang Bai frowned upon hearing this.
I'm not worried about the Meng Dynasty.
The key is Xia Yiyi, a young girl. If she gets into trouble after going in, she'll easily suffer.
As for Young Master Meng, as long as he isn't beaten to death, he can handle it himself. On the contrary, those who attacked him should pray that they won't get hurt.
When Meng Huangchao loses his temper, it's something most people can't handle.
"I don't know which branch, but I heard it was the Linjiang Road Police Station. They said they would only release someone if they paid at least 30,000 yuan, and they told me to find a way to get their families to raise the money."
Zhu Xinxin responded blankly to these words. She really couldn't explain which branch office to talk about. There were more than a dozen branch offices in Tianya, and their jurisdictions were intertwined. It was really hard for ordinary people to tell them apart, especially for a well-behaved girl like Zhu Xinxin. She had never dealt with these people before, so how could she know them clearly?
"Linjiang Road?"
Jiang Bai frowned upon hearing about this place. Linjiang Road should belong to the Huanbei District Branch, which is quite far from here. This area is under the jurisdiction of the Shangdong District, which is the Tao family's territory, and it intersects with the Mingzhu District.
It's not their place to manage this, is it?
Besides, it's just a police station.
Arresting people across districts?
They even arrested Meng Huangchao?
Thirty thousand per person, they really have a big mouth.
And didn't Zhu Xinxin also say that Xia Yiyi and Meng Huangchao beat up the director's son?
Judging from his appearance, he should be the son of the director of the Linjiang Road Police Station.
If you beat up the younger one, will the older one retaliate?
If that's the case, it won't just be about money.
Xia Yiyi was a little better off, after all, she was just a little girl, and even if the other party was a beast, they wouldn't do anything to her.
However, things will get complicated once Young Master Meng goes inside.
He'll probably get a beating.
"Let's go take a look." Jiang Bai nodded immediately upon hearing this, then pulled Zhu Xinxin and Lin Wanru together, hailed a taxi, and headed to Linjiang Road Police Station.
Actually, he intended for Lin Wanru to go back first, since it was getting late and she had classes the next day. The school dormitory would also be locked if it got too late.
Chapter 714 Grandson, do you know who your grandfather is now?
However, Lin Wanru refused the suggestion and insisted on going with him, so Jiang Bai did not force her.
The three got into the car. Because Jiang Bai had given them two large red bills, the driver drove very fast. In just twenty minutes, they arrived at the Linjiang Road Police Station.
Upon arriving at the gate, Jiang Bai, along with Zhu Xinxin and Lin Wanru, inquired with the gatekeeper and found Xia Yiyi and Meng Huangchao. Unfortunately, although the police officer on duty admitted to arresting the two, he refused to allow Jiang Bai and the others to meet them.
He said impatiently, "Captain Lin and Chief Zhou are waiting upstairs. So, you're that kid's friend, did you bring the money?"
"I'm curious, what did my friend do that made you arrest him? And why such a large fine?"
An ordinary person might have thought it was better to avoid trouble and just pay up to avoid further trouble, but Jiang Bai is different. He has a very serious temper and can't stand others bullying those around him.
When she arrived, Zhu Xinxin had already made it clear that it was the son of that director who harassed her first, and Meng Huangchao couldn't stand it and took action.
Jiang Bai didn't think there was anything wrong with Meng Huangchao taking action. If he were there, he would have done the same and beaten that kid so badly he couldn't take care of himself.
Now that they've arrested someone and want to impose fines, Jiang Bai naturally wouldn't agree, and stood there speaking righteously.
The tone was already slightly accusatory.
"Who are you?" Jiang Bai's sudden question made the police officer on duty feel uneasy. He looked at Jiang Bai, subconsciously sized him up, and couldn't help but ask in a low voice.
They were also worried that Jiang Bai's aggressive demeanor suggested he might be someone with powerful connections.
"You don't need to know who I am. I'm just asking you, what's the basis for this fine? Why did you arrest my friend? I have people here who can testify that he assaulted someone; it was a purely heroic act. That guy who claims to be the director's son harassed my student first, and then my friend couldn't stand it anymore and took action!"
"Street hooliganism should have been arrested and executed years ago! Why didn't you arrest him, but instead arrested my friend? And imposed an unreasonable fine? Is it because they are your director's sons that you take sides and listen to their side?"
"Deliberate retaliation?"
Jiang Bai ignored the other party's question and spoke again, his tone aggressive, as if he were some kind of high-ranking leader.
Actually, he's not really like that; it's just that sometimes his words carry more weight than those of certain leaders.
"How we do things is our business! Let me tell you the truth, the kid we arrested was just as arrogant as you, but he's behaved now. Hmph, doesn't he know who he is to dare to hit Director Zhou's son?"
"To tell you the truth, it's just retaliation against you, so what!"
"A fine of 30,000 yuan per person. If it's even a penny less, they're not leaving!"
"In addition, the medical expenses, lost wages, and compensation for mental distress for Director Zhou's son total 100,000 yuan. You need to write an IOU and a settlement agreement and get it done for him in a bit! Raise the money within three days, or we'll arrest you again!"
Just as Jiang Bai was speaking aggressively, a middle-aged man came down from upstairs. Hearing Jiang Bai's outburst, he became furious and pointed at Jiang Bai, shouting aggressively, completely disregarding Jiang Bai.
These petty leaders think they're something special, bossing people around all day, bullying the good and kind, and are utterly lawless!
These are the most difficult people to deal with normally.
Otherwise, there wouldn't be the saying "It's easier to see the King of Hell than to deal with his underlings," which has been passed down since ancient times.
There was no doubt that the person in front of him was a troublesome brat.
"So, you're saying you're being unreasonable?" Jiang Bai replied, frowning, clearly displeased.
Originally, he planned to question these people and bring Meng Huangchao out. If there was no major problem, he would handle it discreetly. He was too lazy to bother with these insignificant people.
However, it seems that it is no longer possible.
"Reason? Let me tell you, don't talk to me about reason or law here! I'm telling you, here in Zhou Suo, reason is law, law is law, and you can make a scene all you want, it won't do you any good!"
Upon hearing this, the other party sneered and shouted at Jiang Bai with considerable disdain.
"Captain Lin, this man seems unusual." At this moment, a police officer approached the middle-aged man and whispered.
The sound wasn't loud; it should have been audible to only two people, but Jiang Bai's hearing was so good that he heard it clearly.
Lin was taken aback by these words. He looked Jiang Bai up and down and then smiled disdainfully. How extraordinary could such a young man be?
At most, he's just a rich kid with a little money.
But what good is having a lot of money?
In a place like Tiandu, even if you're worth hundreds of millions, a mere section chief can ruin you. Money is never as good as power.
This matter involves Director Zhou. Who is Director Zhou? He's about to become the deputy director of the district bureau. He has a powerful background, and his brother-in-law is a powerful figure in the government.
How could a merchant with a little money afford to offend Zhou Suo?
Therefore, Team Leader Lin seemed somewhat dismissive.
I even had a feeling that 30,000 was a bit too little.
"Can I pay by card?" Jiang Bai asked in a deep voice.
He decided to leave this matter alone and let Meng Huangchao cause trouble for them.
As for himself, he just watched the show; he wouldn't care even if the King of Heaven himself pleaded for him.
The swift and decisive action surprised Captain Lin and the surrounding police officers. Just moments ago, Jiang Bai was shouting arrogantly, so why is he backing down now?
Team Leader Lin was filled with regret; he hadn't asked for enough this time, damn it!
However, since the words had already been spoken, it was difficult to change them, so with a dark face, he had someone bring over a card reader and asked Jiang Bai to swipe it. Then he took out a mediation agreement, which Jiang Bai signed.
Everything went smoothly, and Meng Huangchao and Xia Yiyi were brought out. Xia Yiyi's face was gloomy and she looked very upset. When she saw Jiang Bai, she looked aggrieved and her eyes were slightly red.
As for the Meng Dynasty, its fate was far more tragic.
Not only were his clothes torn to shreds and his body filthy, but his face was also covered in bruises, indicating that he had been severely punished, and scars could be faintly seen on his body.
When he was brought out in handcuffs, he was still cursing and shouting, "You just wait, I'm not going to let this go."
Unfortunately for Meng, his attempt to show off backfired. A policeman behind him didn't hold back and slapped him on the back of the head, saying disdainfully, "You dare threaten us? If your friend hadn't paid up so quickly, I would have made you pay!"
When he came out, a young man in his early twenties with dyed purple hair was standing upstairs, laughing loudly, and shouted at Meng Huangchao: "Grandson, now you know who your grandpa is, right?"
Chapter 715 Young Master Meng's Uncles
He then whistled at Zhu Xinxin, saying, "Little sister, I'll come to your place again next time!"
He then glanced at Jiang Bai, Lin Wanru, and Xia Yiyi beside him, and couldn't help but swallow hard. He muttered under his breath, "Damn it, all the good cabbages are being given to pigs. These two lads are really lucky with women. What are they!"
Jiang Bai remained silent in response.
Meng Huangchao, who had been brought out, shouted as soon as he saw Jiang Bai, "Jiang Bai, make a call! Make a call, I'm going to kill these bastards!"
Ignoring him, Jiang Bai waited until the handcuffs were removed, then tossed the phone to him and said, "Call him yourself, do whatever you want, I don't care!"
Meng Huangchao was stunned for a moment, then understood Jiang Bai's meaning: he wanted him to make a big fuss.
He was certain that Jiang Bai hadn't revealed his identity to these bastards, or even contacted anyone, because Jiang Bai was also angry and simply dumped the matter on him, leaving it to him to handle.
Meng Huangchao understood immediately, and chuckled, his expression somewhat sinister. This made several people nearby, who were already indignant because of his cursing, feel uneasy for no reason.
He watched as Meng Huangchao took the phone and began dialing a number.
A moment later, the call connected, and Meng Huangchao shouted, "Uncle Yan! I've been beaten up! These policemen have falsely accused me of robbery and drug trafficking, and they've tortured me to extract a confession. They're lawless under your jurisdiction. Treating me like this is not only bullying me, but also tarnishing your reputation! You have to stand up for me!"
Uncle Yan?
Those present were confused, but Jiang Bai's lips twitched.
Knowing that Meng Huangchao wouldn't let this go, and would definitely make a phone call to find someone, they didn't expect to directly expose the matter to this person.
Damn... that's a bit too much.
The man surnamed Yan is from the police system. Jiang Bai could easily guess who it was that Meng Huangchao called "uncle" and complained about. He was none other than Cheng Laohu's current boss, the top police officer in the central government.
According to Jiang Bai, this man was once the platoon leader of Meng Lao's guards, and later rose through the ranks to his current position.
Holding power, they commanded respect and awe.
Unexpectedly, Meng Huangchao directly reported it to him.
"What happened?"
The top police officer didn't listen to Meng Huangchao's nonsense, but responded in a serious tone: "You wronged Meng Huangchao? And you even tortured him to extract a confession?"
Drug trafficking and robbery are both serious crimes.
He naturally didn't believe that Meng Huangchao, that spoiled brat, would do such disgraceful things; he was definitely being framed. However, he remained skeptical about the matter.
"It's true, everything I'm telling you is true. I'm at the police station on Linjiang Road in Tiandu right now. They beat me up. If Jiang Bai hadn't intervened and gotten me out, I would be dead inside by now. I'll take some pictures and send them to you so you can see!"
Meng Huangchao hurriedly called out, and without waiting for a reply, he took a picture and sent it to the other party.
After a moment, the other party said in a deep voice, "I understand about this. I will talk to them! It's utterly lawless!"
Although Minister Yan didn't really like Meng Huangchao, because the guy was always causing trouble, he was, after all, Meng Lao's only son. Now he had been beaten and tortured to extract a confession.
He can't ignore this!
Ultimately, Meng Huangchao is family to him, so how could he let Meng Huangchao be bullied?
Upon hearing this, Meng Huangchao repeatedly agreed and finally hung up the phone.
The people around him were completely bewildered. They weren't Jiang Bai, and they didn't know this guy named Xing Yan at all.
Having never even heard of him, Captain Lin considered himself intimately familiar with all the high-ranking police officials in Tiandu. There were several people with the surname Yan, but none of them were in the city bureau's decision-making ranks. He subconsciously felt that Meng Huangchao had somehow found some kind of swindler in some obscure corner to bluff his group.
Little did they know, they were already facing imminent disaster.
After hanging up the phone, Meng Huangchao still felt unsatisfied. When had he, Young Master Meng, ever been treated like this, beaten up?
He got beaten up by a few nobody!
His mother even tortured him to extract a confession, beat him severely, and tried to extort money from him.
And people even pointed their fingers at him and cursed at him?
This was a treatment he had never received in over twenty years.
How can we calm him down?
So he took out his phone again and called Brother Tiandu. He immediately greeted him as Uncle Wang and reenacted the situation exactly as it was.
The man immediately became indignant and furious, assuring Meng Huangchao that he would definitely bring these people to justice before hanging up the phone.
After finishing these tasks, Meng Huangchao paused, thought for a moment, and then dialed a number, saying, "Where's my grandfather? Please call him... I..."
Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Bai snatched the phone away and told the person on the other end, "It's alright, he's drunk, no need to trouble Old Meng."
Are you kidding me? You'd wake the old man up in the middle of the night for something so trivial?
Although Young Master Meng did something good and worthwhile this time, and was genuinely bullied, it wouldn't hurt to tell the old man. However, things have already gotten big enough, and it's not worth bothering the old man any further.
Tell him what to do.
Does that mean that if your Meng Dynasty gets beaten up once, even the top leaders in the central government will know?
More importantly, when Grandpa Meng found out, Jiang Bai's continued instigation was somewhat inappropriate, so Jiang Bai stopped him from doing so.
After hanging up the phone, Meng Huangchao glared at him fiercely, gave an embarrassed smile, scratched his head awkwardly, but didn't dare to say another word.
"Finished performing? If you're done, get out of here! If you keep yelling, I'll arrest you again. Get out of here!"
As Captain Lin watched Meng Huangchao make a few phone calls, he wasn't alarmed at all. Instead, he sneered and said something like this.
In his view, Meng Huangchao was simply trying to save face and was putting on an act, so he didn't take him seriously. He had never even heard of Uncle Wang or Uncle Yan.
"Hey, I've already made the call, you fucking dare to lay a hand on me again! You bastards, you just wait, I'm going to kill you all today! You were one of those who started it earlier, weren't you? None of you are getting away today!"
After making the call, Meng Huangchao, brimming with confidence, angrily addressed Team Leader Lin in front of him.
He then shouted at Zhou Suo and his son upstairs: "You two bastards upstairs, you dog father and son, you just wait, if I don't skin you alive, I'm not Meng Huangchao!"
"You son of a bitch, don't you even know who I am? How dare you bully my sister and ask to be beaten up?! You wait, I'll wipe you out!"
"Arrest him!"
Upon hearing this, Zhou Suo stepped forward and angrily pointed at Meng Huangchao, shouting.
I've already decided to change my mind, arrest this mad dog in his eyes, teach him a lesson, and show him how to behave in the future!
Chapter 716 Director Zhou Fainted
As soon as he said that, the people next to him rushed over and quickly pinned Meng Huangchao to the ground again, handcuffing him. The team leader, Lin, even kicked Meng Huangchao twice while shouting, "Let's see you be arrogant! I'll show you how arrogant you are!"
Jiang Bai remained silent and made no move from beginning to end. He simply lit a cigarette and stood there watching. Meng Huangchao did not resist either, and his appearance became increasingly ferocious.
Meanwhile, Director Zhou, along with his timid son, had come down to Meng Huangchao's side, intending to teach this arrogant brat a lesson.
Just then, Director Zhou's phone rang.
"Zhou Shiyun! Where are you! You bastard, have you arrested someone?!"
The phone had barely rung when a voice roared in!
Judging from his appearance, he was very angry, which made Director Zhou's expression change, becoming somewhat gloomy. However, he did not retort, but said in a deep voice, "Director Huang, I don't know what you're talking about!"
"You son of a bitch, did you kidnap a young man named Meng Huangchao?! You release him right now! Hurry up! Or I'll kill you first!"
Upon hearing this, Director Huang launched into another tirade, behaving unlike a leader at all, standing there roaring angrily.
Over the phone, I could hear cars speeding by and sirens blaring nearby. He sounded quite anxious and was probably on the road.
"I did arrest someone here, but we were just enforcing the law. He broke the law, so I arrested him. I don't understand what you mean, Director Huang? Are you planning to protect this criminal?"
Upon hearing this, Zhou frowned immediately, and then spoke righteously.
Director Huang is the branch director, and he hasn't been there long, so his authority isn't yet firmly established. Director Zhou, on the other hand, is a veteran and will soon become the deputy director. He and Director Huang have never gotten along.
He was naturally indignant at the other party's words, and initially didn't take it seriously. But after hearing Director Huang's words, he decided to make this case airtight, otherwise it would be difficult to explain when Director Huang arrived.
If the evidence is conclusive, what difference does it make if Director Huang comes?
He also has powerful backers, so he's just as helpless and trying to find fault with him.
Keep dreaming!
"Don't give me that crap. I told you to release them, didn't you hear me? This isn't just my order, it's the director's order too! Director Xia's order!"
"Director Xia and I are on our way to you. Release him immediately and apologize to Mr. Meng! If Mr. Meng is not satisfied, I'll skin you alive!"
Upon hearing this, Director Huang immediately flew into a rage. He didn't bother arguing with Director Zhou, nor did he resort to any underhanded tactics. This wasn't the time for such schemes; if Meng Huangchao were to get into any more trouble, he would be completely finished.
Director Xia?
Director Zhou was stunned, and his whole body trembled. He naturally knew who Director Xia was. He was the top dog in the city bureau. Who else could it be but him?
This made Director Zhou feel parched and his scalp tingled. How could this matter have alarmed even the high and mighty Director Xia?
How...how is this possible?
That kid made two phone calls just now, but I didn't see him talk to Director Xia. Could it be that his two uncles really have that much influence, that they actually alarmed the director?
"Zhou Shiyun, you're really something! You actually dared to arrest Young Master Meng and torture him to extract a confession? Do you even know who he is? This matter has already alarmed Minister Yan. He called Director Xia in the middle of the night and criticized Director Xia harshly, expressing his extreme dissatisfaction with the work of Tiandu."
"I've already spoken to Director Xia. If he can't handle this well, Minister Yan will have to seriously consider whether he's capable of doing his current job!"
"You're really something, aren't you? You got Minister Yan to criticize Director Xia, and you almost put his position in jeopardy."
"Not only that, but just now, Secretary Wang, the top dog in Tiandu, also commented on and criticized our police system! If this matter is not handled properly, even Director Xia will be held responsible, and I will lose my job along with you!"
"Let me tell you, you don't have much time left. Director Xia and other government leaders are on their way here. Secretary Wang isn't here, but Vice Mayor Ye has come in person. If you still can't resolve this by the time we get here, then you can just wait!"
After saying that, he ignored Director Zhou and hung up the phone.
Because the sound was so loud, everyone around heard it clearly, and their expressions became increasingly grim.
It would be strange if the people present at this moment didn't realize that they had offended a very important person they couldn't afford to offend, and had directly caused a major incident.
Thinking of Meng Huangchao's name, and the two people he called "uncle," everyone around felt a chill run down their spines. Then, recalling the scene of him calling his grandfather and being stopped by Jiang Bai, they felt even more chilled.
"Now that things have come to this, I'm not afraid to tell you: my grandfather's surname is Meng, and he's currently recuperating in Lingquan!"
Meng Huangchao revealed a ferocious smile and uttered a chilling statement that nearly made everyone present faint.
Xia Yiyi, Zhu Xinxin, and Lin Wanru naturally didn't understand. They hadn't studied this, and Meng Huangchao hadn't directly mentioned Old Meng's well-known name.
They only said it vaguely, but everyone present, except for them, was a shrewd person who loved to study these kinds of things.
It was only natural that Meng knew his fate; a single phone call mobilized those two people to come forward, and it was also revealed which one was the one who was living in retirement in Lingquan.
Knowing this, he was terrified. Team Leader Lin's body went limp and he knelt on the ground, while Director Zhou immediately fainted. Fortunately, his subordinates reacted quickly and helped him up, splashing water on him and pinching his philtrum.
Director Zhou finally woke up.
The first thing he did upon waking was shout, "Quick...hurry up, open it for Young Master Meng, hurry up!"
If Meng Huangchao were an ordinary person, he would never do this. Even if the higher-ups found out, he wouldn't be afraid.
If Meng Huangchao only had some connections and alarmed the higher-ups, at this point, given Director Zhou's shrewdness, he would probably find a few charges to pin on Meng Huangchao and make this an ironclad case.
Even if the higher-ups investigate and are dissatisfied, they can't do anything about it. They might even have to compromise with him and suppress the matter, so naturally no one will pursue such a trivial matter as torture and forced confessions.
But Meng Huangchao is different. He is no ordinary person. He is Old Master Meng's grandson!
The most powerful young master actually beat someone up?
If we were to pin charges on him again, not only would he not believe it, but even the higher-ups wouldn't believe it. Even if they did, it would probably just fizzle out without any consultation. The central government would have to give face to Old Meng, let alone someone who hadn't committed a crime.
Did he forcefully put it on someone else?
At that point, not only will local authorities be furious, but the central government will be furious as well.
Chapter 717 It Never Ends
To wrongly accuse the grandson of a meritorious official, the descendant of a leader, through torture and forced confession/framing, if this gets out, no one will protect him, and he can't be protected. At that point, it won't be as simple as just losing his official hat.
How you look at this matter? At best, he'll lose his job and get a severe beating.
If the other party goes all out to mess with him, then he'll be in trouble.
Director Zhou, have you ever heard that when those powerful young masters in the capital lose their temper, they can be terrifying to gods and ghosts, and there are countless cases of them taking lives?
Although he is an official, such things rarely happen to officials under normal circumstances, but... it also depends on what level of official he is. In front of Meng Laosunzi, what difference is there between him and a stray dog on the street?
If someone wanted to take him down, wouldn't it be a piece of cake? Does he really think he's that much better than ordinary people?
That's why Director Zhou was completely dumbfounded. He fainted after hearing the news, and when he regained consciousness, he was trembling and unable to utter a single word.
Following Director Zhou's order, the others naturally dared not disobey. They walked shakily to Meng Huangchao's side, whose face was ashen, and tried to unlock his handcuffs.
I thought Young Master Meng would definitely not agree. He made such a big fuss that he directly alarmed the central government. How could this matter be left unresolved?
They'll definitely have to wear handcuffs and wait for their own people to come and check.
Now, open it for people?
It's not that simple.
Everyone present felt that Young Master Meng would definitely not allow it to be opened. This was a familiar plot point, and they had seen it many times on TV and in novels. In this situation, Young Master Meng would definitely just sit and wait for his men to arrive.
Having alarmed so many people, we'll definitely have to wait for reinforcements to arrive before we unlock the handcuffs, preserve the evidence, and then give those people a good beating, making this matter a huge scandal.
After all, the higher-ups have been alerted, so there's no reason to back down now.
So these people had no hope. The guys who were cursing Meng Huangchao just now swallowed hard, walked over, and stretched out their slightly trembling fingers, wanting to help Meng Huangchao unlock the handcuffs.
They were prepared to be slapped far away or kicked away.
They await the onslaught of storms.
Surprisingly, Young Master Meng... actually cooperated!
Despite his cursing and sullen face, Young Master Meng surprisingly cooperated by extending his hands and allowing the other party to unlock the handcuffs.
This gave the group a sliver of joy, making them feel that there was hope for the project.
Since the young master was willing to let them remove their handcuffs, it means that he did not intend to make this a public spectacle, nor did he want to cause a major uproar.
If that's the case, doesn't that mean they still have a chance?
Is there still a chance to avoid having to shed this skin?
Is there still a chance to avoid imprisonment?
Thinking of this, the group of people, who had been in despair, gradually regained their light, no longer as gloomy as before.
Of course, this matter... definitely needs to be vented by Young Master Meng. A scolding is inevitable, and a beating is also unavoidable.
Otherwise, how can they calm down?
This is Old Master Meng's own grandson!
These two phone calls were enough to blow things up completely; what a powerful and influential person!
You beat people like this, tortured them to extract confessions, wronged innocent people, insulted them wantonly, and extorted money from them.
Which one of them isn't a matter of life and death?
Even ordinary people would find it impossible not to investigate.
Besides, it's Young Master Meng, isn't it?
Should we ask them not to pursue the matter?
Is that possible?
It's obvious to anyone with a brain that this is absolutely impossible.
Once the handcuffs were removed, Meng Huangchao, who was standing there, cracked his knuckles and slapped the guy who had just slapped him on the back of the head and was cursing, leaving him dazed and disoriented.
The slap was extremely forceful, leaving the cheek swollen and blood seeping from the corner of the mouth.
Without hesitation, he picked up the police baton next to him and gave each of the people around him a blow.
He stood there and roared viciously, "Kneel down for me!"
No one knows who he said this to, but after he said it, a whole bunch of people crawled out of the station and knelt down.
Those who hadn't been involved in the incident looked at each other in bewilderment, trembling with fear, and silently retreated to a spot.
The group of people who participated in beating and detaining Meng Huangchao, torturing him, and extorting money from him, led by Zhou Suo and assisted by Lin Dui, including Zhou Suo's seemingly carefree son, all knelt down on the ground with a "thud".
"Damn it, you guys have guts. In all my years, I've only been to the police station a few times, but this is the first time I've been tortured and framed. And you bastards dare to extort money from me?"
"Hit me? If you don't die today, I'm not Meng Huangchao!"
Meng Huangchao roared fiercely, and swung his stick several times as he spoke.
After hitting a few people nearby, he ignored them and went straight for the mastermind, Zhou Suo, and his son. As for Captain Lin, after he was hit twice with a stick and his head was bleeding, Meng Huangchao ignored him.
He walked straight to Zhou Suo's side and started hitting the father and son with a stick, making the eyelids of the people around them twitch.
That's real hard rubber! People who haven't tried it don't know how tough it is. You'll only know how tough it is once you try it. A normal person would definitely not be able to withstand two hits from it. It's much tougher than a steel rod.
Meng Huangchao's strikes were relentless and his staff skills were superb. After dozens of blows, the father and son were completely knocked to the ground. Although they were not unconscious, their screams were hoarse and weak.
He was beaten half to death, and it looked like he would die if the beating continued.
But no one dared to stop Meng Huangchao. They stood there trembling, silent as cicadas in winter, letting the wronged Young Master Meng vent his anger.
And who among them would dare to utter a single word of dissent?
Isn't that just asking for trouble for yourself?
Having attracted Young Master Meng's attention, could they have a good outcome?
Even those who were usually dissatisfied with Zhou now showed expressions of satisfaction, wishing that Young Master Meng would impulsively beat the father and son to death on the spot.
"That's about it." Unfortunately, Jiang Bai stepped forward at this moment and stopped Meng Huangchao.
Actually, whether he pulls or not doesn't matter much. How much strength could Meng Huangchao, with his small frame, possibly have?
He was already exhausted, and Jiang Bai was giving him a way out. Moreover, even without this way out, he would have taken the opportunity to do so himself.
He's not stupid; beating up these bastards is no problem for him. But since they are public officials, if he kills them, then even if he's in the right, he'll be in the wrong.
Even if it is eventually resolved, it will inevitably cause enormous trouble.
So after Jiang Bai stopped him, he nodded silently and said nothing more.
He only said one sentence: "Don't think this is over. Anyone who laid a finger on me today will not get away with this. I'm not done with you! You still dare to bully me? Damn it!"
Chapter 718 It's definitely not simple
Half an hour later, the police and city government officials arrived.
In addition to the branch bureau chief, there was also a high-ranking official from the municipal bureau, and a close confidant of the top official from the government.
After entering the Linjiang Road Police Station, the group was initially taken aback, but then fell silent.
Ignoring the group of guys who had been taught a lesson by Meng Huangchao, he went directly to Meng Huangchao, offering gentle comfort and then stating that he would deal with the matter seriously.
Jiang Bai didn't concern himself with how to handle the situation. He took the girls and left, leaving it to Meng Huangchao. He believed that Meng Huangchao wouldn't let the matter rest. However, Jiang Bai didn't care about their mess and left.
After leaving the house, Jiang Bai found a place to have a late-night snack. Then, he arranged for someone to send Xia Yiyi and Zhu Xinxin away, while he himself took Lin Wanru back to her dormitory.
The next day, life went on as usual.
Jiang Bai spends his days attending classes, wandering around, and playing games at home. He has become a reclusive homebody, and his favorite thing to do is to go out and find a place to play games and read books.
They seem to be living a leisurely and carefree life.
Others watched with envy, but he paid no attention to anything else.
The Assassin Alliance fell silent and did not cause Jiang Bai any trouble after he returned to Tiandu.
Old Nalan went to Changbai Mountain, but it has been a month now and there has been no news of him. Nobody knows what he went there to do.
When they left, they stirred up a storm, causing endless turmoil and shaking the entire nation.
But all that talk and no action, after all that fuss, there's been no news at all. Jiang Bai himself is starting to wonder if Old Nalan went into Changbai Mountain to find a backer to deal with him, or if it was just a bluff all along.
Jiang Bai was quite curious about this.
Besides that, there's the matter of the Lingjiu Palace in the Great Snow Mountain. After Jiang Bai became the master, the first thing he did was to arrange for people to go there, install satellite phones, and incorporate some modern elements into the Lingjiu Palace to strengthen communication.
He also plans to build a road there. It doesn't need to be too wide or luxurious; it just needs to be passable. This can be considered a good deed he, the master of the Great Snow Mountain Lingjiu Palace, is doing for the palace and its reclusive subjects.
However, it takes time for them to go from planning to implementation and then to completion.
After all, the Lingjiu Palace in the Great Snow Mountain is located in such a remote environment that it would be extremely difficult to create a road out of thin air, and the manpower, material resources and financial resources required would be incalculable.
However, Jiang Bai could afford this expense; it wasn't something he had to pay all at once, so there was nothing to worry about.
The project will take several years from planning to completion, and the withdrawal of some funds will have almost no impact on Jiang Bai.
However, Jiang Bai's leisurely days soon came to an end.
A private plane bound for South Africa landed directly at Tiandu Airport. Jiang Bai was picked up and put on the plane. Old Man Lieyang was waiting there with a smile. When he saw Jiang Bai, he greeted him warmly.
The two of them left Tiandu and headed straight for Mount Kilimanjaro.
Harry and his companions from the African Ancient Warriors Alliance were already waiting there.
Harry showed great sincerity. After reaching an agreement with Jiang Bai, the goods were delivered early on. The gold and diamonds were secretly transferred to Imperial Enterprises via cruise ship and are now stored in a bank vault in China.
As for the oil field, Harry had settled everything within a week of meeting with Jiang Bai. Imperial Enterprises has now signed a contract with the site, and preliminary preparations are complete.
Construction should begin within the next month or two, but it will take some time before it produces any output or generates any benefits; at the very least, that will be next year.
Regardless, everything went smoothly, and Jiang Bai was in a good mood. Since the other party was so sincere, Jiang Bai couldn't possibly back out.
More importantly, Jiang Bai is no longer the same person he used to be.
After taking a tour of the Lingjiu Palace in the Great Snow Mountain, Jiang Bai's strength advanced by leaps and bounds, reaching the level of a mid-level Martial King and becoming an ancient martial artist, even more powerful than Yang Wudi.
Now, Jiang Bai could easily defeat his former self with a single move, demonstrating his formidable strength.
To put it dramatically, it is said that it can move mountains and still calm the ocean.
Its power is unparalleled!
Naturally, his confidence was much stronger than before, and he was even more confident about the trip to the Holy Mountain Temple that Harry and his friends had invited him to.
"Old man, tell me, what exactly is in this temple on Mount Kilimanjaro that has made Harry and his African ancient warrior alliance so interested?"
Sitting on the plane, playing chess with Lao Lieyang, Jiang Bai asked slowly.
I don't know where this plane came from, but it's definitely not Old Lieyang's. The environment is nice, and the only two passengers are Jiang Bai and Lieyang. There is no one else, so Jiang Bai naturally doesn't hold back when he speaks.
Originally, according to Jiang Bai's wishes, he should have been traveling in his own "Imperial Fortress." Now, his private crew is ready, consisting of two pilots with more than ten years of experience, a seasoned captain, and a crew of tall, beautiful women.
Jiang Bai had never seen it before; he had only heard Xiao Tian mention it. He hadn't been out much lately, so he hadn't had a chance to use it.
Since it's so hard to find a long-haul flight, I naturally want to use my own plane; otherwise, why spend so much money?
However, Lieyang refused the offer. In his words, this trip was extremely dangerous, and there was no point in bringing so many crew members. If something happened and they damaged Jiang Bai's large aircraft, it would be a huge loss.
Hearing what he said, Jiang Bai thought it made sense, so he didn't insist and asked Harry to arrange a plane to pick them up.
That's how this situation came about.
"This... I don't know. They didn't just hire the two of us this time. Just in case, they hired a lot of experts. As far as I know, they used some means to invite an SSS-level ability user from Country A. I don't even know who it is. Anyway, it cost them a lot."
"In addition, I also asked Yang Wudi to find an old guy from the Ximen family among the aristocratic families to help. I heard that the Ancient Warrior Alliance also paid a considerable price to give the Ximen family the green light in a certain African country."
"However, although we don't know what's inside... inviting so many people must mean it's not a simple matter."
Chapter 719 The Price Has Changed
"Country A?" Jiang Bai was taken aback.
If he remembers correctly, the African Ancient Warriors Alliance should be leaning towards China, right?
How come we're now involved with Country A again?
Admittedly, when talking about people with superpowers, one cannot ignore Country A.
Of the twelve publicly known SSS-level superhumans in the world, eight are in Country A—no… it's seven!
One of them was killed by Jiang Bai.
They alone account for two-thirds of the nation's power, making it virtually impossible to bypass them if one wants to enlist the help of superhumans.
Of course, there must be hidden superhumans in China. According to Jiang Bai's knowledge, there are two openly known superhumans in China: Rou Shui and Lie Yang.
However, Jiang Bai did not believe that the God Group, which was capable of competing with the Human Group, had such limited resources.
There must be other people involved.
However, it hasn't been taken out, or rather, it can't be taken out for the time being.
But that's not a reason for them to ask country A for help, is it?
It's important to understand that while the two countries aren't enemies, they're not exactly on friendly terms either.
Also, since they brought people from Country A over, why did Lieyang agree to help him find more people?
Relatively speaking, Jiang Bai didn't care about that old guy from the Ximen family.
This is perfectly reasonable.
With Lieyang helping to find the person and the other party willing to pay a price, and with Yang Wudi's influence, it wouldn't be difficult to find a hidden martial arts master from a secret family.
Although... the Ximen family is not one of the twenty-seven families within the scope of the Human Group.
Their years of covert operations do not mean that Yang Wudi has no contact with them, nor do they mean that they will not make a deal with Yang Wudi or give him face.
Their arrival was not surprising at all.
"Hehe, don't be so sensitive. Really, even I, an old man, am not this sensitive. Why are you in such a hurry? I know about this."
"They are eager to increase their manpower this time. To be on the safe side, the more experts the better. As for the temple on Mount Kilimanjaro, we don't know what's inside, but it's definitely very important to them."
"They communicated with me several times, and as a result, I found two people: you, an old guy from the Ximen family, and me…"
"It's fraught with danger inside. They hope to add a few more superhumans to fill the gap. But I don't have any. We don't have enough manpower. So they found one in Country A. But this one has no political background. Unlike Apson and the others, he's a free man from the grassroots."
"You know that godforsaken place, Country A. They'll do anything for money, even SSS-level superhumans. So after the African Ancient Warrior Alliance paid some price, that old guy agreed."
"They communicated with me about this beforehand, so I knew about it and there's no need to be so nervous."
"Moreover, the other party's abilities are strange, which will be of some help to our trip to the temple. Anyway, it's Harry and the others who paid for it, so we don't need to worry about anything. The more people they hire, the safer we will be."
Jiang Baike did not agree with Lieyang's theory.
What does it mean that the more people you have, the safer you are?
Damn, the Ancient Warrior Alliance has five SSS-level warriors, one of whom has recovered from his injuries after so long. They have five high-end combatants, and they've also invited Lieyang, Jiang Bai, and the old guy from the Ximen family, making a total of eight.
We're not even sure about this yet, and we still need to hire someone?
They've hired another superpowered expert from country A...
That makes nine!
Nine high-end combatants?
What are they trying to do?
The fact that they invited so many people, and even after having eight experts, they still weren't satisfied and invited this person as well, can only mean one thing.
That is, they lack confidence.
Jiang Bai didn't know what was inside, Lie Yang didn't know, and nobody knew.
However, one thing is certain: it must be extremely dangerous.
Otherwise, how could these people be anything but this?
Jiang Bai gestured with his lip and said in a deep voice, "You're thinking too simply. I think this trip to Kilimanjaro is not so simple. Don't treat it like a vacation. Be careful and stay by my side. I've made some progress in my strength recently. If I stand with you, we can look out for each other!"
Jiang Bai's words, meant to look out for each other, were actually a way of telling Lie Yang that his grandfather's power had increased and he was no longer the same as before. He said that once Lie Yang went inside, he should stay by Lie Yang's side and that he would protect him and ensure his safety.
Lieyang naturally understood the implication in Jiang Bai's words; the old man was a shrewd and cunning man.
Jiang Bai explained it so clearly, how could he not understand?
Then his eyes lit up, he glanced at Jiang Bai, and asked in surprise, "You've broken through? A peerless master?"
"Pretty much. I should be able to go toe-to-toe with Yang Wudi now."
Jiang Bai responded with a half-smile, without boasting about how powerful he was or how he could easily defeat Yang Wudi.
What's the point of saying all this?
Just give Lieyang a general overview so he has a general idea.
As for specific strengths, who doesn't have some trump cards up their sleeve?
Jiang Bai didn't need to be so clear about who he was when introducing himself, did he?
"How old are you!"
Lieyang's eyes were wide open as he stared at Jiang Bai, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets.
He wasn't one of those ignorant teenagers. Although he was an ability user, he was a shrewd old man who had lived for so long and had seen it all.
Having dealt with the world of ancient martial arts for quite some time, I understand its intricacies even better than Jiang Bai.
That's why he understood even more what a peerless master represented.
There had never been a peerless master in the entire Chinese land before, but then came Yang Wudi, who was simply able to suppress the universe.
Just thinking about Nangong Xinghuo, who was sealed in an ice coffin more than a hundred years ago, makes Lieyang's scalp tingle.
He was overwhelming so many people at the time, it was a complete sweep. If Yang Wudi hadn't suddenly appeared, he would have been killed right there.
But how long has it been?
In just a few months... Jiang Bai broke through and entered that level?
That's way too fast, isn't it?
How old is Jiang Bai?
If Lieyang remembers correctly, this guy is only twenty-four, right? Hmm, I heard he just had his birthday not long ago…
This is outrageous! How are other people supposed to live?
"Hehe, you broke through without even realizing it. Just keep this to yourself and don't tell anyone else."
Jiang Bai completely understood Lie Yang's feelings and knew what he meant, so Jiang Bai smiled awkwardly.
"How can that be? Everyone knows about this, and we can't keep it from Harry and his friends. You've broken through, how can the price be the same as before?"
Upon hearing this, Lieyang's expression changed immediately, and he exclaimed that he disagreed with Jiang Bai's idea.