In society, it would not do one any good to have only money but no social connection; therefore, a social meeting with a VIP would definitely bring more advantages than disadvantages.
"Alright then, if there's nothing else, then you should make full use your time to increase your strength. If you manage to become a direct disciple of the master, then even I, as your fellow student, would be depending on you to teach me," He Tian said steadily. At that, Wang Feng's expression changed into a serious look.
He did reap huge benefits from his training in the art of Qi Gathering. Recently, he discovered that not only had he become much stronger than he used to, but also that he had grown taller by at least 5cm.
But he was still considered a normal man, not a true master.
Wang Feng had no idea what being a true master entailed. What he did know was that he was still far from attaining that level.
"I'll work hard on that. But Big Brother He, may I be so bold to ask you something? The old— I mean, who exactly is our master?"
Wang Feng had nearly used "old man" to refer to his master. But he thought better of it and used a different title; he had seen first hand just how powerful the old man was.
Having someone like the old man as a master would be akin to acquiring a powerful backing for himself. Wang Feng was no fool, so he knew how to say the right things during appropriate time.
"Don't bother asking things like that. You'll understand everything once you get here in a few days," He Tian said before hanging up.
Wang Feng laughed bitterly as he listened to the phone's busy tone. Now he was really beginning to wonder who that old man truly was.
He spent quite some time stewing over it, though he was still nowhere close to getting an answer. Before, Wang Feng was just an ordinary man; the chances of his encountering such a character back in those days were slim. In a way, it was normal for him to know nothing about the old man.
He Tian obviously knew who the old man was, though he was unwilling to divulge the information to Wang Feng.
Wang Feng sat cross-legged on his bed and resumed his training in the art of Qi Gathering. The next day, Wang Feng woke up early. He touched his face and found that the swelling there had subsided considerably. He believed his face would be fully healed after a day.
Also, he could use his X-ray vision again now that he had regained a bit of his spiritual energy.
After his two prior experience, Wang Feng dared not use his X-ray vision injudiciously. It was only by his luck that he survived these two times. He doubted he would be able to live to see another day if he overdid it again.
Breakfast, as usual, had already been served on the table. Bei Yunxue had always risen earlier than him, much to his shame.
Upstairs, footsteps could be heard; Bei Yunxue was coming downstairs. When she saw Wang Feng, her face immediately reddened like some kind of flaming nimbus. She seemed a little bit panicky.
It seemed like yesterday's incidence was affecting her still. Wang Feng had discovered those mortifying underwear of hers, and he had even acted so obscenely.
At the thought, Bei Yunxue felt the urge to turn around and head back into her room. She was too mortified.
"Sister Xue. Come down and have some breakfast." Seeing Bei Yunxue's behavior, Wang Feng kept a calm face. He did not continue teasing her.
He knew that teasing her would likely bring more loss than gain. It would be very troublesome indeed if the awkwardness reached a point where they could not even interact with each other in the future.
Bei Yunxue had been planning to go back to her bedroom. But when she saw the calmness on Wang Feng's face, she made her way downstairs, her face a bit uncertain.
"Sister Xue, are you alright?" Wang Feng asked with a look of concern. "Why is your face so red?"
A mild tremble shook Bei Yunxue's body at Wang Feng's remark. "I'm fine," Bei Yunxue mumbled inaudibly. She quickly averted her gaze.
"Then let's hurry up and finish our breakfast. After that, we'll drop by the jewelry shop," Wang Feng said. Wang Feng dug into his breakfast without looking at Bei Yunxue again.
Wang Feng seemed to have forgotten about yesterday's incident. Bei Yunxue felt slightly relieved at the knowledge. She joined Wang Feng and dug into her breakfast too.
Tang Airou did not come home last night. Officers like her were frequently assigned to various types of duties. It was normal for her to be absent from home for a few days.
That woman had given his face a beating while he was unconscious. Wang Feng had to pay her back for that no matter what.
Otherwise, he could not even imagine just how badly he would be bullied by her in the future.
In the jewelry store, all the gemstones that Wang Feng and Bei Yunxue had bought back last time were fully cut. Once again, they reaped a huge profit from those gemstones.
With this batch of jadeites, they now had all the stock they needed for the new branch. Plus, the address for the new store had already been confirmed. The new store would be located somewhere downtown in Zhu Hai City. The rent was shockingly high at 30 million per year.
That kind of money was beyond imaginable to most people. Then again, the place did cover a wide area. In fact, its expanse was at least a few times larger than the current branch, so the rent was considered reasonable.
The new store required renovations, so it would still be some time before it could be launched. While waiting for the launching of the new store, Wang Feng had become a bit idle.
When he returned to the villa, he did not move around much. Instead, he shut himself off in his room and trained hard in the art of Qi Gathering.
Time passed quickly. Two days later, the day of Wang Feng's appointment with He Tian arrived. Wang Feng got up early and washed up. Skipping breakfast, he left hurriedly to the Xin Yang Building.
Wang Feng had been here last time, so the building's security guard did not stop his entry. Inside the Xin Yang Building, Wang Feng rode the elevator up to the top floor.
Wang Feng saw He Tian's smiling face the moment he walked out of the elevator. "Brother Wang, I didn't expect to see you this early," He Tian greeted.
"How did you know that I've arrived," Wang Feng asked in surprise.
"Someone had notified me the moment you got here, of course. Come, let's not engage in small talk. I'll take you to see the master," He Tian said, leading the way. Wang Feng hurried after him.
This time, He Tian did not bring Wang Feng to that simple and old-fashioned room. Instead, Wang Feng was brought to a massive lounge.
The lounge had an area of up to a hundred square meters. More than anything else, it looked like a conference room.
In the lounge, Wang Feng noticed the scary old man, who was calmly enjoying his breakfast.
"Had your breakfast yet?" He Tian asked, nudging Wang Feng with his hand.
"No," Wang Feng said with a shake of his head. He left the villa so early that not even Bei Yunxue was up at the time. Naturally, he skipped breakfast.
"Good, then. Just you have your breakfast here," He Tian said. After that, he greeted the old man, "Master. I've brought him here."
"Well, since you're here, sit anywhere you like and make yourself at home," said the old man without even raising his head.
The old man's sanctimonious, holier-than-thou display pissed Wang Feng off a little. But Wang Feng was aware of how scary the man was, so he held his tongue and said nothing. Instead, Wang Feng sat down slowly.
After a short while, someone came in to serve breakfast, though Wang Feng was truly rendered speechless when he saw the stuff that had been placed before him. "Is this even edible?" He thought.
The bowl was filled entirely with some kind of black paste. Vaguely, he could even detect a burnt smell. Could it be that Xin Yang Building was lacking a chef?
"Brother He, what is this?" Wang Feng asked. He had lost all his appetite the moment he laid eyes on the contents of his bowl.
He Tian chuckled. He had already expected that Wang Feng would ask such a question. "You need to count your blessings. It's not even possible for a normal person to taste these things. These are special products of our internal department. Do you know what's in that bowl?"
"Err... Indeed, I'm clueless," Wang Feng said. "Who the devil would even know what this black shit is?" He mocked inwardly.
"Well, let me be frank with you, then. The bowl before you contains something that is worth at least ten thousand. The main ingredient is wild ginseng that is over ten years old. There are some rare herbs mixed in it too. It's capable of providing us with enough energy to speed up our training process," He Tian said. Wang Feng sucked in a breath at He Tian's explanation.
Just a bowl of this was worth ten thousand? "This is way too luxurious," he thought.
"Haha. Although it doesn't look delicious, its taste isn't really that bad. Just try it and you'll know what I mean." After that, He Tian spoke no more and silently ate the same black paste.
Wang Feng still felt a bit doubtful when he saw the way He Tian was indulging the food like it was the most appetizing thing in the world. Still, Wang Feng picked up his spoon.
He took a bite. The gross feeling that he had been anticipating did not come. Instead, the black paste produced some kind of strange aroma the moment it was in his mouth. It left a strong aftertaste as well.
It was like stinky tofu. Although it smelled terrible, its texture was pretty decent when consumed.
A breakfast that cost ten thousand. It was the first time Wang Feng had eaten something as luxurious as this. In his hunger, he finished everything in his bowl in no time.
Feeling comfortable, Wang Feng released a burp. It was then that he felt the heat building up in his body. It was like his body had turned into a furnace. Surprised by the discovery, Wang Feng's suspicious eyes fell upon He Tian.
"Don't look at me. Right now, you need to digest the energy using the art of Qi Gathering. It was the same for me when I ate it for the first time," He Tian said with a smile.
Wang Feng nodded. Sitting in his chair, Wang Feng closed his eyes and began training.
Around two hours later, Wang Feng opened his eyes and was immediately met with He Tian's look of utter shock. The old-man, on the other hand, was looking at him with suspicion.
Wang Feng felt a little disconcerted under the scrutiny of the two. Being stared at by two men like that gave him goosebumps.
"Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?" Wang Feng said, touching his face.
"Brother Wang, the rate at which you assimilated the energy into your body is way too fast," He Tian said, still with that shocked look on his face.
The first time He Tian ate the stuff, it took him nearly a day to use up all the energy it provided.
And yet now, Wang Feng had assimilated the energy in just two hours. That speed far surpassed his own.
Only a prodigy was capable of such a feat.
"Is it that fast?" Wang Feng was a little speechless. All he did was training like how he usually did. It was no different from his usual meditative training.
"Abnormally fast," He Tian said a bit helplessly, though his expression held a bit of envy.
He Tian knew he could never become the master's true disciple in this lifetime. His talent was limited, and he was already over 30 years old. The things that he could accomplish from now on would not be too great. But Wang Feng was different. Wang Feng was young, and obviously possessed far greater talent than he did.
If he got on Wang Feng's good side now, he would surely reap endless benefits later on.
Just then, the old man spoke, "Since you're done training, you should go change in the bathroom. After that, you'll accompany me to receive the guest." The old man wore a calm look on his face.
"I have to change?" Wang Feng's eyes went wide, and his face held a look of disbelief.
"Yes. This is our house rule. Please don't question it anymore," He Tian said and then pushed Wang Feng out.
Wang Feng emerged after a shower. He checked out his attire and was instantly hit by a wave of wry pathos. He could not decide whether to cry or to laugh at the sight of himself.
At He Tian's request, Wang Feng was now wearing an ancient robe. It was like he had travelled back in time or something. He looked like one of those scholars of antiquity who exuded a learned and refined air.
He Tian had also changed into a similar attire. But due to He Tian's dark complexion, the robe did not suit him at all. In fact, He Tian looked so ridiculous in the robe that Wang Feng was staring at him rather speechlessly.
In society, it would not do one any good to have only money but no social connection; therefore, a social meeting with a VIP would definitely bring more advantages than disadvantages.
"Alright then, if there's nothing else, then you should make full use your time to increase your strength. If you manage to become a direct disciple of the master, then even I, as your fellow student, would be depending on you to teach me," He Tian said steadily. At that, Wang Feng's expression changed into a serious look.
He did reap huge benefits from his training in the art of Qi Gathering. Recently, he discovered that not only had he become much stronger than he used to, but also that he had grown taller by at least 5cm.
But he was still considered a normal man, not a true master.
Wang Feng had no idea what being a true master entailed. What he did know was that he was still far from attaining that level.
"I'll work hard on that. But Big Brother He, may I be so bold to ask you something? The old— I mean, who exactly is our master?"
Wang Feng had nearly used "old man" to refer to his master. But he thought better of it and used a different title; he had seen first hand just how powerful the old man was.
Having someone like the old man as a master would be akin to acquiring a powerful backing for himself. Wang Feng was no fool, so he knew how to say the right things during appropriate time.
"Don't bother asking things like that. You'll understand everything once you get here in a few days," He Tian said before hanging up.
Wang Feng laughed bitterly as he listened to the phone's busy tone. Now he was really beginning to wonder who that old man truly was.
He spent quite some time stewing over it, though he was still nowhere close to getting an answer. Before, Wang Feng was just an ordinary man; the chances of his encountering such a character back in those days were slim. In a way, it was normal for him to know nothing about the old man.
He Tian obviously knew who the old man was, though he was unwilling to divulge the information to Wang Feng.
Wang Feng sat cross-legged on his bed and resumed his training in the art of Qi Gathering. The next day, Wang Feng woke up early. He touched his face and found that the swelling there had subsided considerably. He believed his face would be fully healed after a day.
Also, he could use his X-ray vision again now that he had regained a bit of his spiritual energy.
After his two prior experience, Wang Feng dared not use his X-ray vision injudiciously. It was only by his luck that he survived these two times. He doubted he would be able to live to see another day if he overdid it again.
Breakfast, as usual, had already been served on the table. Bei Yunxue had always risen earlier than him, much to his shame.
Upstairs, footsteps could be heard; Bei Yunxue was coming downstairs. When she saw Wang Feng, her face immediately reddened like some kind of flaming nimbus. She seemed a little bit panicky.
It seemed like yesterday's incidence was affecting her still. Wang Feng had discovered those mortifying underwear of hers, and he had even acted so obscenely.
At the thought, Bei Yunxue felt the urge to turn around and head back into her room. She was too mortified.
"Sister Xue. Come down and have some breakfast." Seeing Bei Yunxue's behavior, Wang Feng kept a calm face. He did not continue teasing her.
He knew that teasing her would likely bring more loss than gain. It would be very troublesome indeed if the awkwardness reached a point where they could not even interact with each other in the future.
Bei Yunxue had been planning to go back to her bedroom. But when she saw the calmness on Wang Feng's face, she made her way downstairs, her face a bit uncertain.
"Sister Xue, are you alright?" Wang Feng asked with a look of concern. "Why is your face so red?"
A mild tremble shook Bei Yunxue's body at Wang Feng's remark. "I'm fine," Bei Yunxue mumbled inaudibly. She quickly averted her gaze.
"Then let's hurry up and finish our breakfast. After that, we'll drop by the jewelry shop," Wang Feng said. Wang Feng dug into his breakfast without looking at Bei Yunxue again.
Wang Feng seemed to have forgotten about yesterday's incident. Bei Yunxue felt slightly relieved at the knowledge. She joined Wang Feng and dug into her breakfast too.
Tang Airou did not come home last night. Officers like her were frequently assigned to various types of duties. It was normal for her to be absent from home for a few days.
That woman had given his face a beating while he was unconscious. Wang Feng had to pay her back for that no matter what.
Otherwise, he could not even imagine just how badly he would be bullied by her in the future.
In the jewelry store, all the gemstones that Wang Feng and Bei Yunxue had bought back last time were fully cut. Once again, they reaped a huge profit from those gemstones.
With this batch of jadeites, they now had all the stock they needed for the new branch. Plus, the address for the new store had already been confirmed. The new store would be located somewhere downtown in Zhu Hai City. The rent was shockingly high at 30 million per year.
That kind of money was beyond imaginable to most people. Then again, the place did cover a wide area. In fact, its expanse was at least a few times larger than the current branch, so the rent was considered reasonable.
The new store required renovations, so it would still be some time before it could be launched. While waiting for the launching of the new store, Wang Feng had become a bit idle.
When he returned to the villa, he did not move around much. Instead, he shut himself off in his room and trained hard in the art of Qi Gathering.
Time passed quickly. Two days later, the day of Wang Feng's appointment with He Tian arrived. Wang Feng got up early and washed up. Skipping breakfast, he left hurriedly to the Xin Yang Building.
Wang Feng had been here last time, so the building's security guard did not stop his entry. Inside the Xin Yang Building, Wang Feng rode the elevator up to the top floor.
Wang Feng saw He Tian's smiling face the moment he walked out of the elevator. "Brother Wang, I didn't expect to see you this early," He Tian greeted.
"How did you know that I've arrived," Wang Feng asked in surprise.
"Someone had notified me the moment you got here, of course. Come, let's not engage in small talk. I'll take you to see the master," He Tian said, leading the way. Wang Feng hurried after him.
This time, He Tian did not bring Wang Feng to that simple and old-fashioned room. Instead, Wang Feng was brought to a massive lounge.
The lounge had an area of up to a hundred square meters. More than anything else, it looked like a conference room.
In the lounge, Wang Feng noticed the scary old man, who was calmly enjoying his breakfast.
"Had your breakfast yet?" He Tian asked, nudging Wang Feng with his hand.
"No," Wang Feng said with a shake of his head. He left the villa so early that not even Bei Yunxue was up at the time. Naturally, he skipped breakfast.
"Good, then. Just you have your breakfast here," He Tian said. After that, he greeted the old man, "Master. I've brought him here."
"Well, since you're here, sit anywhere you like and make yourself at home," said the old man without even raising his head.
The old man's sanctimonious, holier-than-thou display pissed Wang Feng off a little. But Wang Feng was aware of how scary the man was, so he held his tongue and said nothing. Instead, Wang Feng sat down slowly.
After a short while, someone came in to serve breakfast, though Wang Feng was truly rendered speechless when he saw the stuff that had been placed before him. "Is this even edible?" He thought.
The bowl was filled entirely with some kind of black paste. Vaguely, he could even detect a burnt smell. Could it be that Xin Yang Building was lacking a chef?
"Brother He, what is this?" Wang Feng asked. He had lost all his appetite the moment he laid eyes on the contents of his bowl.
He Tian chuckled. He had already expected that Wang Feng would ask such a question. "You need to count your blessings. It's not even possible for a normal person to taste these things. These are special products of our internal department. Do you know what's in that bowl?"
"Err... Indeed, I'm clueless," Wang Feng said. "Who the devil would even know what this black shit is?" He mocked inwardly.
"Well, let me be frank with you, then. The bowl before you contains something that is worth at least ten thousand. The main ingredient is wild ginseng that is over ten years old. There are some rare herbs mixed in it too. It's capable of providing us with enough energy to speed up our training process," He Tian said. Wang Feng sucked in a breath at He Tian's explanation.
Just a bowl of this was worth ten thousand? "This is way too luxurious," he thought.
"Haha. Although it doesn't look delicious, its taste isn't really that bad. Just try it and you'll know what I mean." After that, He Tian spoke no more and silently ate the same black paste.
Wang Feng still felt a bit doubtful when he saw the way He Tian was indulging the food like it was the most appetizing thing in the world. Still, Wang Feng picked up his spoon.
He took a bite. The gross feeling that he had been anticipating did not come. Instead, the black paste produced some kind of strange aroma the moment it was in his mouth. It left a strong aftertaste as well.
It was like stinky tofu. Although it smelled terrible, its texture was pretty decent when consumed.
A breakfast that cost ten thousand. It was the first time Wang Feng had eaten something as luxurious as this. In his hunger, he finished everything in his bowl in no time.
Feeling comfortable, Wang Feng released a burp. It was then that he felt the heat building up in his body. It was like his body had turned into a furnace. Surprised by the discovery, Wang Feng's suspicious eyes fell upon He Tian.
"Don't look at me. Right now, you need to digest the energy using the art of Qi Gathering. It was the same for me when I ate it for the first time," He Tian said with a smile.
Wang Feng nodded. Sitting in his chair, Wang Feng closed his eyes and began training.
Around two hours later, Wang Feng opened his eyes and was immediately met with He Tian's look of utter shock. The old-man, on the other hand, was looking at him with suspicion.
Wang Feng felt a little disconcerted under the scrutiny of the two. Being stared at by two men like that gave him goosebumps.
"Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?" Wang Feng said, touching his face.
"Brother Wang, the rate at which you assimilated the energy into your body is way too fast," He Tian said, still with that shocked look on his face.
The first time He Tian ate the stuff, it took him nearly a day to use up all the energy it provided.
And yet now, Wang Feng had assimilated the energy in just two hours. That speed far surpassed his own.
Only a prodigy was capable of such a feat.
"Is it that fast?" Wang Feng was a little speechless. All he did was training like how he usually did. It was no different from his usual meditative training.
"Abnormally fast," He Tian said a bit helplessly, though his expression held a bit of envy.
He Tian knew he could never become the master's true disciple in this lifetime. His talent was limited, and he was already over 30 years old. The things that he could accomplish from now on would not be too great. But Wang Feng was different. Wang Feng was young, and obviously possessed far greater talent than he did.
If he got on Wang Feng's good side now, he would surely reap endless benefits later on.
Just then, the old man spoke, "Since you're done training, you should go change in the bathroom. After that, you'll accompany me to receive the guest." The old man wore a calm look on his face.
"I have to change?" Wang Feng's eyes went wide, and his face held a look of disbelief.
"Yes. This is our house rule. Please don't question it anymore," He Tian said and then pushed Wang Feng out.
Wang Feng emerged after a shower. He checked out his attire and was instantly hit by a wave of wry pathos. He could not decide whether to cry or to laugh at the sight of himself.
At He Tian's request, Wang Feng was now wearing an ancient robe. It was like he had travelled back in time or something. He looked like one of those scholars of antiquity who exuded a learned and refined air.
He Tian had also changed into a similar attire. But due to He Tian's dark complexion, the robe did not suit him at all. In fact, He Tian looked so ridiculous in the robe that Wang Feng was staring at him rather speechlessly.
