CHAPTER 595: CHAPTER 365: CONFRONTATION!_2

He looked at Chen Ping with a face full of mockery and spoke, "Big brother, you’re not scared, are you?"

Ho!

With his face flushing red, Chen Ping abruptly stood up.

He tore off his uniform and then stripped off the white shirt underneath, exposing his muscular body to the two men. He beat his chest and roared, "Count the number of scars on here... You count, count them yourself..."

"Scared? If I were scared of death, I wouldn’t have become a soldier, nor would I have joined the Personal Guard... The General has blocked bullets for you, but I’ve blocked bullets for the General..."

"Here, and here... These wounds were all for protecting the General... Even the doctors said that my survival was all down to luck..."

"I disagree, it’s because I don’t want you to do something foolish, I don’t want you to go and get killed, I don’t want you to endanger the General... Am I scared? If it were possible, I’d willingly take the General’s place at the Monitoring Bureau to be punished..."

"Big brother, don’t be angry, Wang Chao is just like that, always speaking his mind without a filter," Zhang Jinhai quickly intervened when he saw Chen Ping was furious, like a wounded lion.

"I’ve made up my mind," Wang Chao said with a gloomy expression, "I don’t care whether you’re in or not, but I’m going to stand up for the General. Otherwise, they’ll really kill him off behind our backs."

Having said that, Wang Chao stood up and left.

After a moment of silence, Zhang Jinhai turned to Chen Ping and proposed, "We have to make some noise, let those high and mighty people know that we from the Flame-Bathed Legion won’t stand for them messing with our General..."

"Have you decided too?"

"Yeah," Zhang Jinhai nodded, "The General has been good to us, I can’t stay silent when he’s in trouble... If I did that, I wouldn’t be worthy of serving as the deputy head of the Personal Guard."

"Old Zhang, are you trying to prod me?"

"Big brother, we respect you, that’s why we came to discuss this with you..."

Zhang Jinhai looked earnestly at Chen Ping and said, "We’ve heard the rumors too, regardless of whether they’re true or false..."

"Just like Wang Chao said, we’ve got to make a stand, let those people know we from the Flame-Bathed Legion won’t stand for it, wouldn’t you agree?"

...

Chen Ping’s thoughts were in turmoil.

He felt that some people, some situations, were getting out of control.

------

Snap!

Tang Fei entered the room and, seeing Qin Jianyi sitting there with his head held high and chest puffed out, he asked with a smile, "What would you like to drink? We have decent coffee at the Monitoring Bureau, you know."

"Oh, is this special treatment for prisoners? Your approach doesn’t quite match the Monitoring Bureau’s reputation that I’ve heard of," Qin Jianyi remarked in a good mood, bantering.

"The attitude we adopt depends on the person we’re dealing with. We inspectors also handle cases flexibly," Tang Fei replied cheerfully: "Tea or coffee?"

"Then, coffee it is, I’ll see for myself just how good the coffee from the Monitoring Bureau really is," Qin Jianyi answered.

"A coffee," Tang Fei ordered.

"Yes, director," the secretary Tan Yu responded and turned to leave.

Tang Fei pulled up a chair to sit across from Qin Jianyi, looked at the bandaged wound on his chest, and asked, "Are you alright?"

"I’m fine. And thanks for your men pulling their punches," Qin Jianyi glanced at the wound and said.

"It’s a friendly match, after all. We’re not supposed to kill each other, right?"

"I envy you for having a good master," Qin Jianyi expressed his feelings, "The first time we crossed swords, I was eighty percent sure I could beat you. The second time, I had a sixty percent confidence."

"Who would have thought... after two bouts, I lost twice. Now, I don’t have the courage to draw my sword in front of you anymore."

"Don’t feel too bad. When I first arrived at New Star, I heard about your great reputation... March Seven Stars, how spectacularly dazzling?"

"You were already recognized as a genius by everyone, as long as you continue to work hard and diligently, you could also become a disciple under the Great Grandmaster, just like me..."

"???"

Qin Jianyi stared at Tang Fei with wide eyes, Do you even realize what you’re saying to me?

Is this how you comfort people?

What? Having a Great Grandmaster as a master makes you great, huh?

I acknowledge that having a Great Grandmaster as a master is indeed tremendous.

But is it something I can achieve just through hard work?

I’ve tried, I just haven’t succeeded...

Over the years, the Great Grandmaster has only taken two disciples, one is Shen Xinglan, and the other is yourself.

He took Shen Xinglan and we could understand, but he took you...

I didn’t understand before, but now I do.

Tan Yu came in with a tray, not only bringing Qin Jianyi a coffee but also brewing a cup of West Lake Dragon Well tea for Tang Fei.

Qin Jianyi held the coffee and took a sip, looking at Tang Fei and asked, "Do you like drinking tea?"

"When I first got here, I liked drinking cola—I thought, how could there be such a delicious beverage?" Tang Fei said with a smile, "After drinking cola for over a year, I started to like drinking tea again."

"Because cola was too sweet and cloying?"

"No." Tang Fei shook his head and said, "I’m afraid that if I drink too much cola, I’ll forget my past life."

"Why do you have to remember it?"

"Back then, living was a cautious affair; a moment’s neglect... and you could be eaten by a Mutant Beast or a predator."

"It’s different now."

"Yeah, it’s different now," Tang Fei nodded and said softly, "But here is even more dangerous."

Complacency leads to vulnerability.

The path Tang Fei is walking now is the most difficult and the most dangerous.

So, he has to be even more cautious and careful than before.

Every day, every step must be deliberated and weighed repeatedly.

Sometimes, even if it means sacrificing something, it’s worth it.

Good reputation and noble character.

If he had them.

"..."

Qin Jianyi looked at Tang Fei and said, "This is your territory; speaking here should be absolutely safe. You brought me here...what exactly do you want to talk to me about?"

"About your safety." Tang Fei looked at Qin Jianyi and said aloud, "You should feel it, shouldn’t you? That you are in a very dangerous situation right now?"

Qin Jianyi, clutching his coffee cup, seemed a bit dazed; after a long time, he finally said, "That line sounds very familiar. If I’m not mistaken, didn’t I say that to you at the Luoxia Lake?"

"Yes, but only the identity of the speaker has changed since then. Before Luoxia Lake, I was in greater danger. Now, you’re in greater danger."

Qin Jianyi raised his eyebrows and looked at Tang Fei, asking, "Are you going to kill me?"

"I killed Yu Huoshui... that’s what everyone outside is saying. So, killing you wouldn’t surprise anyone, would it?"

"Others might not be surprised, but I would be."

"Why?"

"Because you don’t kill for the sake of killing," Qin Jianyi said aloud, "and also, from what I know about you...you’re not the type to pledge loyalty to anyone...even if it’s to the Royal Family..."

"You understand me well?"

"Better than you think I do."

Tang Fei shrugged and said, "It seems I still don’t know enough about you."

"So, what exactly do you want to talk to me about?" Qin Jianyi asked aloud, "I am sitting right in front of you now. Show me your cards, and perhaps, I’ll consider them seriously."

Tang Fei narrowed his eyes and smiled, saying in praise, "You are very smart, smarter than I had imagined."

"You know, I’ve never been short of praise from others from a young age."

"I’m here to accompany you to see a play. A grand play."

"Does it have something to do with me?"

"You’re the lead. The male lead."

"Is my role that significant?"

"You deserve it," Tang Fei nodded.

Just then, the confidential secretary Tan Yu burst through the door, saying in a rushed voice, "Director, something’s happened. The Flame-Bathed Legion has surrounded our Monitoring Bureau..."

"They are confronting our security personnel, they’ve brought weapons, and could open fire at any moment..."

Qin Jianyi’s face turned ashen, and his composure was gone.