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Wu Zhi was struck by Xu Maogong's palm, causing him to spit out blood. He accused Xu Maogong of trickery, to which Xu Maogong replied, "That's right, I am tricking you, but you chose to fall for it. Can you blame me? I've never seen someone so foolish; calling you a monkey's backside would be an insult to monkeys."
Wu Zhi had never been humiliated like this before, being told he was even worse than a monkey's backside. Anger surged through him, and he spat out more blood. Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, he pointed at Xu Maogong and shouted, "Old bastard! If you have the guts, fight me fair and square! Don't just rely on those underhanded tactics!"
"Alright! Then I'll fight you fair and square," Xu Maogong said as he swiftly drew a gun from his waist and aimed it at Wu Zhi's right knee. With a bang, he fired a shot. Wu Zhi fell to one knee with a thud, clutching his shattered knee in agony.
Everyone present was taken aback by Xu Maogong's sudden gunfire. Typically, after a martial arts match, there would be another round with weapons involved, as portrayed on television. The match would conclude once one side conceded defeat. However, this old man showed no sense of honor or fairness; not only did he resort to trickery during the match, but he also shot the already defeated opponent. Although they were all agents of the Mei Organization, agents had their own standards of conduct. At that moment, everyone thought: this guy is really unscrupulous!
Xu Maogong paid no mind to how others evaluated him; he never considered himself a heroic figure. Winning and controlling the situation were what mattered most at that moment. Besides, there were no attractive old ladies around to uphold his image as a righteous and charming figure. Like before, he grabbed Wu Zhi by the collar and dragged him over to Roxy, tossing him down and telling Roxy to keep an eye on him. The agents of the Mei Organization exchanged glances, unsure of what to do next. Both of their masters were now in someone else's hands; shooting was definitely out of the question. But if they didn't shoot, would they just wait for their opponents to pick them off one by one?
At that moment, Xin Yi spoke up: "Alright, I just need you officials to drop your weapons and run for your lives." However, the others did not believe Xin Yi's words. They thought it was too good to be true that they would be let go so easily. Were they waiting for them to drop their weapons before opening fire? So they continued to look at each other hesitantly.
"You don't believe I will let you go?" Xin Yi laughed when he saw them unmoving. "I don't need you; having these two is enough. Hurry up and drop your weapons and leave. The Guogan Military will be here soon; you won't have a chance to escape then." Only then did they slowly bend down and place their guns on the ground while keeping their eyes fixed on Xu Maogong. It turned out they didn't distrust Xin Yi; they simply didn't trust Xu Maogong.
Finally, a group of people dropped their weapons and fled in disarray. Just as they had taken a few steps, Xu Maogong shouted loudly enough to startle them: "Hey! You ungrateful scoundrels! Are you going to leave behind someone who has fallen from the stone pillar? Come back! Carry him away!" A few brave ones hurried back to lift their unconscious comrade and quickly ran off. The middle-aged woman who had been pretending to be married to Cao Borin glanced back at Cao Borin and Wu Zhi before finally noticing Xin Yi behind Cao Borin, a flash of malice crossing her eyes.
The group quickly disappeared from sight. At this point, Roxy asked, "What should we do now? Should we take them back to the hotel or kill them here?"
"Don't rush; if I'm not mistaken, someone will come soon for the handover," Xin Yi replied confidently.
Sure enough, within ten minutes or so, about ten inconspicuous men approached them. The leader, a thin black man, addressed Xin Yi: "Mr. Xin, we are here to take these two away."
"Oh? Who are you? You can't just take them because you say so," Xin Yi replied slowly while scanning the surroundings for the person who had been watching them through binoculars; if he guessed correctly, that person was the real leader of this group.
"Then... what are Mr. Xin's requirements?" the Thin Black Man asked.
"Let's not talk about requirements yet; you haven't answered my previous question," Xin Yi replied coldly.
"We are intelligence personnel under the Guokan Chieftain. Our superior sent us here to take over two agents. He instructed us that Mr. Xin can make any reasonable requests, and we will accommodate them," the Thin Black Man explained succinctly.
"Alright, then my condition is that I want to meet your superior," Xin Yi stated, confirming whether they were indeed under the Guokan Chieftain's command, and now that he had confirmation, it was time to proceed to the next step.
"I'm sorry," the Thin Black Man responded readily. "Our superior anticipated that you would make this request and has instructed us not to agree."
"Oh?" Xin Yi was puzzled. This person was indeed a bit strange; last time he saved his group without meeting them, and now he was using these two Mei Organization subordinates as leverage but still refused to meet him. What kind of person was he? Why was he unwilling to meet him? If he didn't agree to hand over these two hostages, then what? "Your superior seems quite imposing. Didn't you say I could make requests? How can you not even agree to such a small one? Why should I give you these two people?"
The Thin Black Man seemed to anticipate Xin Yi's response and quickly interjected, "Our superior also mentioned that while he cannot meet you, if Mr. Xin wishes to see Lord Toast, he can arrange that. How does this condition sound to Mr. Xin?"
Hearing this, Xin Yi felt both surprised and delighted. He was astonished that this so-called superior could see through his intentions and understand his purpose for capturing these two individuals. Aside from himself and Xu Maogong, even Topology and Roxy were not fully aware of it; yet this person had deduced it. It seemed he was no ordinary individual. He was pleased that he could arrange for him to meet Guokan's Chieftain. Xin Yi's initial desire to meet him was precisely to gain an introduction to Guokan's Lord Toast, and now it seemed that had been resolved in one step. Amidst his surprise, Xin Yi became even more convinced that this person was definitely an Old Friend of his, someone who understood his background very well. Based on this reasoning, it was likely Brother Three or someone from Xin Manor.
Since the objective had been achieved, Xin Yi said, "I agree to this condition; now you can take the people away." The Thin Black Man directed his companions to carry Cao Borin and Wu Zhi away, collecting the firearms left by those at the scene before hastily departing. As they left, the Thin Black Man told Xin Yi, "Our superior said for Mr. Xin to await good news; someone will come within three days to take you to see Lord Toast."
The next morning, the team led by the Thin Black Man arrived at Inya Hotel. They did not go upstairs but waited patiently in the lobby for Xin Yi and the others to come down. In fact, Xin Yi had already seen them from the window upstairs but deliberately delayed coming down for about an hour so they wouldn't think he was anxious. Finally, he slowly descended with the other three.
As soon as they reached the lobby, the Thin Black Man approached them and said, "Mr. Xin, on behalf of our superior, I am here today to take you to meet the person you wish to see; please follow me!"
"But we haven't had breakfast yet; could we eat something first?" Xin Yi said nonchalantly, not waiting for a response from the Thin Black Man as he led the other three out of the hotel towards a small alley next door. Guokan's food industry was quite developed; however, if one wanted authentic Guokan flavors, street stalls in such alleys were representative of local cuisine. Having traveled extensively over the years, Xin Yi knew this well and had taken the other three out to enjoy local delicacies over the past few days.
After spending over half an hour at a breakfast stall, they finally returned to the hotel. The Thin Black Man and his group were still patiently waiting in the lobby. Xin Yi approached them casually and said, "Sorry for keeping you waiting; we can leave now—let's not keep Lord Toast waiting." He then allowed Xu Maogong and the others some free time before following the Thin Black Man's group out of the hotel.
The residence of the Guogan Chieftain is located in the center of Guokan, characterized by a typical Baroque style of architecture. It appears to be a product from the 1920s or 1930s, as this architectural style was quite popular in Heavenly Pride and surrounding countries and regions during that time. Many buildings of this style still exist within the Heavenly Pride Nation, with typical representatives found in both the north and south. In front of the residence lies a large square, surrounded by white marble railings, with a massive fountain at its center. The fountain features a dazzling golden dragon as its centerpiece, while the pond below is surprisingly home to Eastern koi fish. Overall, the entire building and layout give an impression of disharmony; each element may be grand on its own, but together they create a sense of incongruity, much like a nouveau riche trying to disguise their wealth by dressing up as a scholar, resulting in a feeling of clumsiness.
After handing over his weapons to the guards at the entrance and passing through several checkpoints, Xin Yi finally approached the core part of the palace. Throughout his journey, Xin Yi noticed that although the exterior of the palace exuded an air of ostentation and incongruity, stepping inside completely dispelled that feeling. The layout of the palace is quite simple; aside from some essential furnishings, there are no decorative items whatsoever. Even the necessary furnishings prioritize simplicity and practicality, subtly conveying a sense of stability and grandeur. Xin Yi could not understand why there was such a stark contrast between the exterior and interior of the palace. The decorative style of a palace often closely relates to its owner's personality and methods. Xin Yi's careful observation aimed to glean insights into the Guogan Chieftain's character to devise suitable strategies for dealing with him. However, it seemed he had not derived any valuable information from the building's design and decor; if anything could be said, it would be that it reflected contradictions and inconsistencies.
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