Chapter 78

Chapter 78

◎"What Are You Thinking?"◎

After reading the short message, Meng Qi couldn't settle his mind, unsure why Liang Wenkai was in such a hurry to find him. He wanted to call back as soon as possible, but the car wasn't gonna stop anytime soon...

Judging by the distance, the Jiang family's old mansion might not even be within the capital's city limits. If it was, it had to be in the most out-in-the-boonies suburb—the suburb of suburbs, the fighter jet of suburbs, the baddest-ass fighter jet of 'em all—had the guys in the car all nodding off.

Did the Jiang family not have to pee on road trips? In the blink of an eye, Meng Qi's thoughts wandered elsewhere. Out of curiosity, he snuck a peek at Jiang Baixi, who was sitting there all chill and composed. He figured maybe the Jiang family just had, like, super strong kidneys or something.

Jiang Baixi, leaning back with his eyes shut, caught Meng Qi's little move. Without opening his eyes, he tilted his head toward Meng Qi and asked casually, "What, wanna switch back?"

Whoa—talk about sharp instincts!

Meng Qi shot up straight and answered fast, "Who'd wanna do that? Not me."

"Then why aren't you sitting still? Got springs up your ass?"

Not springs, but weeds sprouting in his heart, Meng Qi muttered to himself. Not knowing how to explain, he just kept his trap shut.

Just then, Gangzi shot a look back in the rearview mirror and spoke up nervously to cover for Meng Qi, "It might be my fault. I probably freaked out Young Master Meng earlier."

Jiang Baixi let out a snort at that, lifting his lids to look at Gangzi. "It's got nothing to do with you. Just drive, man. Don't you know your Young Master Meng by now? Dude's got balls. Even if you drove the car up to the sky, he'd treat it like a chopper ride. Maybe he'd even want a second round."

"I wouldn't dare fly again. I'd lose my job," Gangzi joked, sounding nervous.

But Jiang Baixi took it seriously, quirking one corner of his mouth and putting on a sour face. "True. As a proud veteran, your performance today was a disgrace to the unit you served in. Your sharpness and reflexes have gone way downhill compared to before. What's up? Been slacking on training, or eating too much fancy food?"

Was this payback time?

Meng Qi had figured since nobody said anything or chewed Gangzi out when he got in the car, it was all water under the bridge. He looked up at Gangzi and saw the guy's scalp tighten in an instant, his tone dripping with remorse and self-blame. "I'm sorry, it was my fault. When we get back, I'll report to Butler Wang to take my punishment and start doing five klicks of weighted cross-country running tonight."

"Luckily nobody got hurt. Don't bother with the punishment—it'll just stir up the old folks and get us lectured for days. As for the five-klick run, it won't hurt to do it," Jiang Baixi made the call for Gangzi before asking Ren Suiyi for his two cents. "Brother Sui, does this work?"

Wasn't this overstepping his bounds?

Meng Qi frowned, then cut a sideways glance at Jiang Baixi and Ren Suiyi, who sat next to each other. He thought to himself that Jiang Baixi and Ren Suiyi must be pretty tight with each other to act first and ask later, even bossing around Ren Suiyi's guy.

What surprised him was that Ren Suiyi didn't look pissed at all, just nodding with an "Mm."

Their reaction made Meng Qi think of a phrase: "within his purview."

Hmph, annoying. Even after all this, he still kissed me! What a total jerk! I really wanna out him in front of the White Moonlight!

"Thank you, Young Master Jiang, for pleading for me. But since I can't escape punishment, I'll forfeit the next few months' wages as a lesson to myself," Gangzi said, picking another way to punish himself after thanking Jiang Baixi.

This guy really had a strong moral compass, Meng Qi thought, shifting his eyes back to Gangzi.

Jiang Baixi nudged the seat under Gangzi with his toe and teased him, "With your chump change, just keep it. Don't go eating the wind."

Gangzi scratched his head awkwardly and said, "It's thirty grand a month, Young Master Jiang. Half a year adds up to almost two hundred grand. That's a fortune for us regular folks, not chump change."

Meng Qi: ...

He'd underestimated Gangzi. Thirty grand a month—more than what Meng Kaize's two bodyguards made. Envy, envy.

"Eat well to work well. Keep your pay as usual. If you still feel guilty, add a set of push-ups tonight," Ren Suiyi chimed in, wrapping up Gangzi's self-flagellation session.

"Yes, Young Master Ren! Thank you, Young Master Jiang, thank you, Young Master Ren." Gangzi, grateful for the lighter punishment, tightened his grip on the steering wheel, looking like he was holding not just the wheel but the reins of his whole life.

If he could earn thirty grand a month, Meng Qi figured he'd take his job seriously too. But then he thought about the nightly five-klick run and a hundred push-ups, with no end in sight—he couldn't handle that. That money was meant for Gangzi. Meng Qi decided he wasn't envious anymore; he simply couldn't afford to be.

"Brother Wu, the two bodyguards I hired said they know you. You were their squad leader once—one's called Tian Ye, the other Mu Hai, recruits from 2013. Ring a bell?" Since everyone was awake, Meng Kaize perked up and turned to Gangzi.

Gangzi smiled first. "Those two rascals, of course I remember. They were all-star triple-model soldiers in their batch—real military talent." Then he asked with confusion, "But they had a bright future. When I left, Mu Hai was already deputy platoon leader in the recruit company, and Tian Ye was a squad leader. I thought they'd keep climbing. Why did they leave too?"

"They said they had to retire due to injuries, but they won't say what or how. When asked, they just say it's classified," Meng Kaize replied regretfully.

But Gangzi didn't seem regretful. Instead, he explained proudly to Meng Kaize on behalf of the two veterans, "We soldiers and ex-soldiers live by the motto 'strengthen ideology, tighten discipline.' It's right that they don't talk about it. Just know they were injured for the country—those scars are their medals of honor. They're principled people who don't regret what they've done and won't do things they'd regret. Not in the past, and not in the future. Second Young Master Meng, you can trust them completely."

"Hearing that, I feel like saluting you, Brother Wu."

"Hahaha, thank you, Second Young Master. I'll thank those two brats on your behalf for giving them a chance to make a living. If they mess up, just tell me, and I'll whip them into shape until you're satisfied."

Meng Kaize grinned proudly. "I'm already satisfied."

Listening to their cheerful exchange, Meng Qi's mind started working again. He couldn't help but ask Gangzi, "Do you keep secrets from your comrades too? For example—hypothetically—if a comrade asked about Brother Yiyi's situation, could you keep your mouth shut?"

"Of course. When Young Master Ren hired me, I signed a confidentiality agreement. Since I signed it, I have to keep my word. Even without the agreement, I know what to say and what not to say," Gangzi answered seriously.

"Oh, great." Earlier, he'd hesitated about hiring bodyguards like Meng Kaize. Even if they couldn't guarantee his safety, they could run errands or handle things he couldn't do himself.

With that thought, the foggy road ahead cleared up. Meng Qi felt his heart lighten, and a smile crept onto his face.

Suddenly, Ren Suiyi called out "Meng Qi" in a rare, anxious tone, startling him. He turned to look and blinked dazedly. "Huh? What's up?"

"What are you thinking?" Ren Suiyi asked, frowning.

"Nothing much. Just... hearing Gangzi talk, I couldn't help but imagine how fulfilling and exciting military life must be. I'm a little envious."

Meng Qi's answer didn't ease Ren Suiyi's doubts. He kept staring at Meng Qi, scrutinizing him from head to toe, trying to peek into his thoughts.

Meng Qi awkwardly looked away.

"You won't even go night running with Brother Wu, and practicing boxing feels like it's killing you. What's there to envy? Envying a five-klick run?" Jiang Baixi rolled his eyes at Meng Qi, deliberately undermining him.

Stuck for words, Meng Qi shot back, "None of your business," and turned to look out the window, refusing to speak to Jiang Baixi anymore.

It also gave him an excuse to avoid Ren Suiyi.

The car drove for another half hour before reaching the Jiang family's old mansion.

The style reminded him of the Ren family's old mansion.

Word had it that the Jiang mansion was originally a pure Chinese-style courtyard. During the era when Western-style villas became trendy, Ren Suiyi's great-grandfather helped remodel it on the original foundation, resulting in this blend of Chinese and Western styles—classic elegance with a touch of modern liveliness. It had a unique charm, much like Jiang Baixi himself.

Once inside, Meng Qi's eyes were overwhelmed again. Pretending to be indifferent, he followed Jiang Baixi and the others while sneaking glances, secretly observing the grand estate. His conclusion: Jiang Baixi's ancestors must have been filthy rich.

Jiang Baixi originally planned to take them to greet his parents, but a servant said the master and mistress had gone to an opera and wouldn't be back for four or five hours. Meng Qi silently cheered, "Yes! Perfect timing! Thank you, Book God, for loving me again."

Since the parents weren't home, Jiang Baixi didn't even go to the main house. He led them straight to the Jiang family's home theater—a massive, ultra-luxurious screening room! As soon as he entered, Meng Qi's jaw dropped. He kept calculating how much it must have cost to build, looking bigger than his high school cafeteria!

Jiang Baixi manually pushed Meng Qi's chin back up and proudly pointed at a wall-sized giant screen. "RealD 6FL-certified full-metal giant screen," then gestured to the seats, "subwoofer vibrating premium seats," and finally circled his finger in the air, "Dolby Atmos sound system. I invite you to experience it."

Meng Kaize bolted toward the so-called subwoofer vibrating seats like a wild pony, urging Jiang Baixi to play some rock music first. Jiang Baixi laughed heartily. "Careful, or your butt will split into eight pieces."

"Don't worry, Brother Baixi! My butt's tough!"

In the end, Meng Kaize didn't get his wish. Jiang Baixi wanted to preserve the mystery of his luxurious theater before the movie started. Five minutes later, someone delivered the film source, and amid everyone's eager anticipation—led by Meng Kaize—a horror movie slowly began to roll.

Meanwhile, Meng Qi was also ready to get some shut-eye.

But in reality, he couldn't fall asleep at all. Meng Kaize sat on his left, and Jiang Baixi on his right. He had chosen this spot himself, hoping to keep some distance from Ren Suiyi, but now he had to suffer the consequences. Meng Kaize and Jiang Baixi were screaming and hollering nonstop, with Meng Kaize diving into his arms in fear. Jiang Baixi was more reserved and didn't dive into his arms, but he squeezed Meng Qi's hand until it was nearly crushed...

Finally, at his wit's end, Meng Qi used the excuse of going to the bathroom to slip out for some fresh air. At the same time, he quietly called Liang Wenkai back, asking what was so urgent.

Liang Wenkai told him on the phone, "The buyer wants to take the car away today. He can handle the transfer procedures without you needing to be there, and the price he's offering is quite reasonable. I'm worried we might miss out on this chance, so I wanted to ask for your opinion quickly."

"I have no objections. Let him take it. The keys are on the shelf behind my door, and the room password is 150708. Go get them for him."

"With your word, I'm relieved. But Young Master Meng, he's offering 1.6 million, which is about 400,000 less than the new car price. Should I haggle with him further?"

1.6 million had already blown Meng Qi's mind—why would he haggle further!

He had originally thought this "second-hand car" could sell for at most 300,000 to 400,000. Now, it far exceeded his expectations, a total godsend. So he excitedly told Liang Wenkai, "No need to haggle. Just go with his offer of 1.6 million. I'll send you my card number later. I can't be there right now, so make sure he transfers the money."

Liang Wenkai agreed and hung up.

Meng Qi jumped up and down in excitement, thinking, with this 1.6 million, what couldn't he do? Perfect! Couldn't be better!

But his joy was short-lived. Just as he was over the moon with happiness, a strange female voice suddenly came from behind him. It softly called out "Meng Qi" at first, then asked with concern if he was in some kind of trouble and urgently needed money.

With a wildly pounding heart, he slowly turned around. Then he saw that, at some point, a gorgeous woman had appeared behind him—with sparkling eyes, a bright smile, and a killer figure—looking at him with a worried expression.

Meng Qi was dumbfounded, wondering who this person was.