The male voice on the phone chuckled, "Young Master Fujia, I’ve arrived. When will you, the big shot, be coming over?"
Qin Fujia remained expressionless, his voice cold, "In half an hour."
"Alright, I’ll wait for you here then."
Qin Fujia did not respond further and ended the call.
Half an hour later, the car arrived at a temple near the mountaintop. The incense smoke was thick, swirling around the temple as if protected by a halo of Buddha’s light.
The bodyguard who had accompanied Qin Fujia up the mountain immediately spotted another car in the parking lot. If he remembered correctly, it was Dong Zhenhong’s vehicle.
He turned to look at the back seat and respectfully asked, "Young Master Fujia, do you need any help?"
Qin Fujia glanced at the car and replied, "No need. You can go back."
"Yes, Young Master Fujia." The bodyguard accepted the order without further comment and left.
Qin Fujia got out of the car and walked steadily into the temple.
At the entrance, a monk with a broom greeted him with clasped hands, "Amitabha."
Qin Fujia stopped, returned the gesture with a slight bow, and then continued forward, stepping over the threshold and walking through the main hall toward the side reception room.
At the entrance of the reception room stood two menacing black-clad bodyguards.
Upon seeing Qin Fujia, the two bodyguards appraised him from head to toe. One of them said, "Young Master Fujia, Mr. Hong has been waiting for you for a long time."
Qin Fujia walked directly into the reception room, not giving them any attention or response.
Once inside, the two bodyguards immediately sneered.
"A mere monk, so arrogant."
"Don’t know why Mr. Hong insists on asking him for help. Wouldn’t it be quicker to just capture him?"
"Yeah, this monk, heh, I could take him down with one punch!"
Inside the reception room. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎
Dong Zhenhong, a fifty-five-year-old man, sat in the prominent position on a rosewood sofa, leisurely sipping his tea with apparent patience. However, his occasional glances at the door revealed his true feelings.
Dong Zhenhong had lived comfortably and freely in A City for many years, and no one dared to provoke him while he was in this position.
Yet recently, a reckless young man had set his sights on Dong Zhenhong’s territory and possessions.
Upon hearing the news, Dong Zhenhong immediately investigated this person’s background. The man was ruthless and highly ambitious, named Boyce. It was said that he was an orphan with no relatives, fighting his way up from nothing, overthrowing the previous leader, and taking the position himself.
A few years ago, this Boyce had only been active in H City and Ya Delta, never venturing into other areas, creating an illusion of adherence to rules.
When they lowered their guard, Boyce struck unexpectedly, swallowing Ya Delta and then extending his reach to A City.
Dong Zhenhong had been restless lately, fearing that he couldn’t handle Boyce through direct confrontation and was too embarrassed to show weakness to a young newcomer.
Someone had suggested a solution: Qin Fujia.
Qin Fujia, who had once made Dong Zhenhong tremble with fear years ago, was now living in seclusion on the mountain, leading a life of asceticism as a monk.
Dong Zhenhong knew he was nearing the end of his time and feared a bad outcome if the younger generation didn’t step up. So he personally came to this mountain temple to ask Qin Fujia for help.
He believed that if Qin Fujia agreed to help, no matter how many Boyces there were, they would not suffer any loss.
The previous night, it seemed that Boyce had taken action.
This news kept Dong Zhenhong awake all night, making him anxious to come to the temple early to wait for Qin Fujia.
Time passed slowly, and for the impatient and anxious Dong Zhenhong, it was torturous.
Just as Dong Zhenhong was considering sending someone to urge Qin Fujia, a figure finally appeared at the door.
Dong Zhenhong paused in his actions, looked up, and immediately, the wrinkles on his face deepened into a smile, "Young Master Fujia, you kept me waiting."
Qin Fujia stopped at the single sofa on Dong Zhenhong’s right and glanced at the time. Calmly, he said, "Our agreed time is 8:30 in the morning."
Dong Zhenhong, upon hearing this, instinctively looked at his watch. The time was exactly 8:30, and even the second hand had just reached that position.
Dong Zhenhong felt a surge of frustration. It seemed Qin Fujia was intentionally provoking him.
Realizing he still needed something from Qin Fujia, Dong Zhenhong suppressed his anger and forced a wider smile, "Young Master Fujia is truly punctual, neither a second early nor a minute late."
Qin Fujia remained silent, gently turning the prayer beads on his wrist.
Seeing that Qin Fujia wasn’t engaging in conversation, Dong Zhenhong squinted and then chuckled, "Let’s not waste time. We don’t need to be formal; let’s get straight to the point."
He poured a cup of tea, set it in front of Qin Fujia with a crisp clink.
"Young Master Fujia, you’ve had all night to think about it. So, have you made up your mind?"
Dong Zhenhong maintained his smile, but his eyes held a hint of menace, as if his satisfaction with Qin Fujia’s response would determine Qin Fujia’s fate.
"I can’t fulfill your request," Qin Fujia said, his expression unchanged. "You can find someone else."
"Hahaha—" Dong Zhenhong suddenly burst into a hearty laugh. It was a while before his laughter subsided.
He darkened his gaze and stared at Qin Fujia, "Young Master Fujia, what do you mean by that? It seems I didn’t quite catch your drift."
"I can’t fulfill your request," Qin Fujia repeated, his expression as impassive as before, meeting Dong Zhenhong’s gaze without flinching.
Qin Fujia continued, "If you want someone to help you fight against Boyce, my advice is to go directly to Boyce, show your sincerity, and maybe he will show you mercy and spare you."
His tone was calm, as if he were discussing the weather.
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