Feng Jun returned to Zhengyang on the twenty-eighth day of the first lunar month, having spent a full twenty-two days in Dengzhou.
The transaction was already completed, he had paid for the explosives on the spot with gold.
Since he didnât have enough gold on hand, he deliberately stayed in the mobile phone dimension for a few days, using five generators as collateral to borrow a thousand taels of gold from the Tian Family, with the agreement that it would be returned once the ten thousand taels of gold from the Yongyi Dukeâs Princely Heir were received.
Largely because he stayed in Dengzhou for such a long time, accumulating a certain amount of good karma, the entire transaction process went off without a hitch, and when the shipowner woke up one morning to find several hundred tons of goods missing from his ship, he didnât show any reaction out of the ordinary.
The explanation given by Feng Jun was no different from a blatant lie; he told the shipowner, âI threw all the cargo into the sea.â
The shipowner definitely wouldnât believe it, not to mention anything else, several hundred tons of goods thrown into the sea overnight, do you have that kind of physical strength?
But what did that have to do with him?
After all, with no cargo on the ship, the shipownerâs risk was minimized, and honestly, he wished this wretch had thrown the goods into the sea.
During these twenty-two days, Zhang Caixin visited Dengzhou. The distance between Dengzhou and Zhengyang isnât that far, less than a thousand kilometers, just seven or eight hours on the expressway, or even six if you arenât afraid of speeding.
Feng Jun didnât see her because he was in a great deal of trouble, and moreover, those who traveled the waterways were not so easily provoked. Sister Hong had clout in Zhengyang, but in Dengzhou, she was not sufficient, and he didnât want to drag her into trouble.
Feng Jun arrived back in Zhengyang basically by evening and since the matter was finally settled, he made a reservation at the nursing homeâs hotel to treat everyone to a meal and drinks on his way back.
After arriving at Peach Blossom Valley, he left Gazi in the villaâWeâre out drinking, keep an eye on the place.
In these twenty or so days, Gazi had been very much shocked too. Although he was just helping out with odds and ends, he got a real sense of just how wealthy Feng Jun had become.
Not joining the banquet? No big deal, he had been living it up every day in Dengzhou, changing all his clothes, getting a new mobile phone, and even getting a fresh haircut.
Being able to house-sit for Feng Jun was the greatest trust his childhood friend had placed in him. Heâd heard there were quite a few nice things in the house.
He took a shower in the villa to wash off the smell of the sea, and emerged energized, staring blankly at the clothes rack in the yard.
To tell the truth, Lu Xiaoning didnât like crows, in fact, he didnât like any birdsâexcept aquatic ones.
Because most birds that fly over land particularly stink.
For instance, people say that having swallows nest in your home means family prosperity, but Lu Xiaoning would never allow swallows to nest in his houseâthatâs just too smelly.
He didnât understand why Feng would want such a thing in his yard, but it didnât matter. Since Elder Feng wanted it, he supported it.
The daylight was already long now, at half-past six, and it wasnât fully dark yet. Everyone had left the villa, leaving him alone, staring blankly at the crowâs nest.
The crow had returned to the nest too but wasnât resting inside it, instead, it stood there, tilting its head to look at him.
A gust of wind blew by, and Gazi felt a chill. Zhengyang was several hundred kilometers north of Chaoyang, indeed the spring cold was biting.
As he and the bird were locked in a staring contest, the doorbell rang.
Lu Xiaoning looked up to see a very beautiful girl pressing the doorbell.
He swore he had never seen such a beautiful girl before. Yao Jing, Er Pangâs secret crushâalready considered the beauty of Chaoyang, also known as the âFairy,â and currently an anchor for the county television station, was rumored to be moving to the city station soon.
But this Fairy paled in comparison to this girl.
The key was the girlâs air⦠truly aloof and proud, like a fairy from the heavens.
Lu Xiaoning paused before speaking up, âWho are you looking for?â
Because he was a bit rushed, his pronunciation carried a Chaoyang accent, sounding a bit like âAre you looking for trouble?â
The girl hesitated before inquiring, âDoes Feng Jun⦠Master Feng, live here?â
Lu Xiaoning nodded, âAh, yes⦠but heâs not in.â
âYou better open the door,â the girl spoke evenly, her tone leaving no room for refusal, âItâs not polite to keep a guest waiting outside the door.â
Lu Xiaoning saw the reason in her words but flatly refused, âWhether you count as a guest, Iâm not too clear on, I think itâs best you first give Feng Jun a call.â
The girl looked him up and down, asking coldly, âAre you ordering me around? Who do you think you are?â
However, before Gazi could respond, she offered a slight smile, âI understand now, youâre Gazi⦠right?â
Lu Xiaoningâs mind went blank for a moment, staring blankly for a while before he murmured lowly, âHave I become⦠that famous?â
âAlright, I know youâre Master Fengâs childhood friend,â the girl revealed a slight smile, âLetâs get acquainted, my name is Zhou Xiaotong, youâll soon be familiar with my presence⦠Now open the door.â
Lu Xiaoning paused again, âI thought you were Zhang Caixin⦠sorry, you should still give President Feng a call.â
During those days in Dengzhou, he and Feng Jun talked about everything, so he knew that Feng Jun was smitten with a beauty named Zhang Caixin, even to the point where it gnawed at him persistently.
His voice was low, but Zhou Xiaotong heard him, and she froze abruptly, âWhat did you just say⦠Zhang what Xin?â
âI mistook you for someone else,â Lu Xiaoning had already snapped out of his earlier amazement.
Now that he had regained his senses, he wouldnât take this girl too seriously anymore, âYour height is not right⦠make the call yourself.â
Your height is not right? Zhou Xiaotong felt like she was about to explode. She was exceedingly confident in her appearance, firmly believing that even without relying on her family background, she could still attract a host of elites to be her admirers.
The only thing she wasnât quite satisfied with was her height, at a mere 161.5 cm. There was nothing she could do; the current societal trend equated beauty with height, and it was a measurable standard that couldnât be brushed off with her simply declaring herself tall.
However, the more angry she felt, the more expressionless her face became, instead lifting her chin in pride and speaking assertively, âHave you ever thought about why I would know your name?â
It was then that Lu Xiaoning finally came back to his senses and couldnât help but ask, âWhy?â
âI have no interest in telling you,â Zhou Xiaotong answered straightforwardly, âunless you tell me who you were talking about just now.â
âSorry, I canât tell you that,â Lu Xiaoning really wanted to tell her the truth. In his twenty-something years of life, his encounters with beautiful women were pathetically few, but he understood very well that Feng Junâs matters were the priority.
So he spoke rather helplessly, âCan you please not make it difficult for me? Just contact President Feng directly.â
Zhou Xiaotong glanced at him, pondered for a moment, and then asked, âWhere is Feng Jun right now?â
Lu Xiaoning pursed his lips tightly and shook his head firmly.
Zhou Xiaotong was somewhat helpless, so she took out her mobile phone and began to dial. Her original plan was to catch Feng Jun by surprise at his home, but now that she was exposed, there was no point in pretending to be mysterious.
Feng Jun had just finished ordering dishes and was getting an update on the situation in Zhengyang, when an unknown call came in from a Beijing number. After a thought, he answered, âWho is this?â
âGood day, Master Feng,â came a light laugh from the other end of the line, âCan you guess who I am?â
âThat Beijing twang is so strong I can smell it from eight hundred miles away,â Feng Jun replied indifferently, âWho gave you my number?â
He didnât have much of a recollection of Zhou Xiaotongâs voice, but the accent with its prominent ârâ sounds was instantly recognizable.
âDo I need someone to give it to me?â Zhou Xiaotong spoke languidly, âJust look it up with the mobile company.â
Feng Jun gave a nonchalant âOh,â and since it wasnât a leak by someone else, he didnât dwell on it, âWhatâs the matter?â
Zhou Xiaotongâs voice remained unhurried, âIâm in Zhengyang, right at your doorstep. Gazi wonât let me in. Where are you?â
You actually know about Gazi? Feng Junâs brows furrowed slightly, but he quickly realizedâGazi must have told her himself, right?
Thinking he had found the answer, he casually responded, âIâm out for dinner and wonât be back until late. Find a place to stay, and we can talk tomorrow about whatever you need.â
But Zhou Xiaotong didnât agree, âWhere are you having dinner? Iâll come to you⦠Damn it, did you just hang up on me again?â
Feng Jun set down his phone, unwilling to indulge someone elseâs antics, âWhere were we?â
Before anyone could speak, his phone rang againâit was Zhou Xiaotong.
He hit âRejectâ and then directly added the number to the blacklistâwhat a nuisance!
The meal went on until late, almost ten oâclock, when the four of them staggered back home.
Just as they reached the villaâs gate, two bright headlights switched on nearby, and someone spoke with gritted teeth, âFeng Jun!â
âDonât bother me,â Feng Jun dismissed with a wave of his hand, slurring slightly, âThatâs enough for today, we can talk about anything tomorrow.â
Wang Haifeng also glanced in the direction of the headlights, speaking discontentedly, âIâm warning you, donât shine lights at people. Show some class!â
About a second later, the headlights turned off, and Zhou Xiaotongâs voice rose again, âThen, tomorrow morning at 8:30?â
âUp to you,â Feng Jun answered nonchalantly. He had dealt with this woman before and knew there was no need to be courteous, âEven if you sleep in your car, itâs your own business.â
âForget it, I might as well go to a club and get a SPA treatment,â Zhou Xiaotong responded lazily, âItâs been exhausting traveling all the way from Dengzhou today.â
If it were anyone else, the mention of âDengzhouâ would compel them to inquire further, but Feng Jun knew this woman all too well. Engaging with her was like attracting a sticky bur, and even someone with old-money heritage like Yuan Huapeng preferred to keep his distance.
So he entered the villa directly, no longer paying any attention to the car.
âHe truly is the destined male lead,â a soft sigh came from the car, followed by the headlights turning on and the car slowly moving away.