Beauty and the Bodyguard

“I’m a representative, a spokesperson pushed onto the stage.” Cihua said a little pridefully. “I’m sure you’ve a good idea of my position and name in Songshan. You should be able to figure out the extent of strength my boss holds.”

“I know how to boast too.” Lin Yi said. “Would you believe me if I told you that my shifu’s a world-class king of assassins?”

“……” Cihua, naturally, didn’t believe Lin Yi, rolling his eyes at him instead. “Alright, let’s not talk about that. Let’s talk about you. What exactly are you with Chu Mengyao for? Money, right? Well, as for the other stuff…… Heh, Chu Mengyao’s a very beautiful girl, true, but she’s just that- a girl. They’re not on the same level as women, who know all about pleasing men. You’ll be able to have any woman you want with money, isn’t that true?”

“Ha……” Lin Yi waited for Cihua to continue.

“Let’s talk about this cooperation.” Cihua continued. “You see, our boss has never lacked money! Work with us, and you’ll have more than that- women, power… everything, as long as the job’s done. You’ll have everything! Just like me.”

You think you’re really something, don’t you? Lin Yi wanted to laugh, but couldn’t- it was just too sad. What kind of man prides himself over being a pawn of someone else? Lin Yi hadn’t the interest and time to bother attacking pride like that.

“Cooperation how? You want me to go to your side? Or do you want me to play undercover for you?” Lin Yi asked.

“Both work, as long as you’re willing.” Cihua answered. “Your skills… I’ve heard they aren’t inferior to Li Yao’s?”

“Who’s Li Yao?” Lin Yi didn’t know the exquisite man’s name.

“The man whose arm you stopped earlier.” Cihua explained.

“Ah, maybe.” Li Yi answered, dodging the question.

“You’re pretty much one of a kind in Songshan, with ability like that. You come help me out and I’m sure my boss’ll pay a high price for your services.” Cihua said. “Of course, you can also continue as undercover beside Chu Mengyao, and enjoy your life of women and riches, and we’ll compensate you as well. You’ll only need to answer when the timing is right, and crucial.”

“The way you say it makes it seem so easy…… but it’s extremely difficult in practice.” Lin Yi said, rejecting it directly. “Firstly, I’m very satisfied with my life as it is, and I’ve no shortage of money with just the amount Chu Pengzhan’s paying me. I’m actually living a life of peaceful comfort as of now, and I’m not really interested in high-level undercover missions. So, sorry- I can’t take you up on that.”

“Mister Lin, I hope you think it over carefully before speaking.” Cihua said. “Do you think you have any other option, at this point?”

“Another threat?” Lin Yi asked as he raised his head to look at Cihua.

“You can see it that way.” Cihua said with as mile. “You can treat it as advice or a threat, it’s up to you.”

“Okay, I understand.” Lin Yi said, standing up. “Anything else? I’ll be going if we’re done here- I need to get home for bed soon.”

“So is that a yes or a no?” Cihua asked. “Or are you asking for time to think it over?”

“No need for that- it’s a no.” Lin Yi said. “I’ve made my position quite clear. We’ll meet again next time.”

“I hope you don’t regret your decision as you walk out that door.” Cihua said with a frown, not expecting Lin Yi to pass on the better offer. It seemed that he’d been mesmerized by Miss Chu- that ‘get home for bed’ must’ve been a hint on Lin Yi’s part.

Cihua’s mind was simply too full of dirty corruption.

“Hah……” Lin Yi pushed open the door, and was just about to leave when Cihua’s face distorted and changed.

He’d been full of confidence earlier, even telling Lin Yi to come meet him in person, even opening up and admitting that he was the man behind the bank robbery. It was all for the sake of getting Lin Yi onto his boat!!

To him, every person had their price, and as long as Cihua offered a rich enough profit, he was sure that Lin Yi would’ve abandoned Mengyao for his camp.

Yet Lin Yi never even bothered asking the price, rejecting it blatantly! Cihua wasn’t sure if he was underestimating or overestimating Lin Yi anymore.

Was he overestimating him for his needless loyalty, or underestimating him, thinking that he was only after the beauty?

“I see. Tread carefully, Mister Lin.” Cihua said, understanding that all room for bargaining had been closed- Lin Yi had made up his mind, and thus worthless to him.

“I will. You tread carefully too, Cihua Bro- don’t do anything unwise.” With that, Lin Yi walked out the office. He didn’t know the identity, but there was one basic thing he’d understood today: the man clashing with Chu Pengzhan was the man backing Li Cihua up.

The bank robbery, on the other hand, had been planned by Cihua… Yet there wasn’t a whole lot the police could do to him, from what Lin Yi had seen of the man’s confidence and fearlessness.

It meant that simply apprehending the robbers meant the end of the robbery case as a whole.

Lin Yi wasn’t one to follow proper procedure, but Cihua hadn’t touched on his bottom line yet. Chu Pengzhan had yet to respond to this, as well, and Lin Yi decided to let Cihua go this time around.

After all, it was no difficult thing to off Cihua- the man had said so himself, Lin Yi would be fine if he killed him without leaving evidence.

Li Yao and Jiaonang weren’t making any movements to stop him at the door, allowing Lin Yi to step through and leave. It seemed that these two wouldn’t act on their own accords without direct orders from Cihua.

Lin Yi got into Yushu’s yellow Beetle, and left the Solid Cloud bar.

Mengyao’s Audi S5 was gone, most likely sent back by one of Li Fu’s men.

“Fucking hell, counter-threatening me, is he?” Cihua waved his hand at the skinny man only after Lin Yi had left. “Zhang Long, get rid of this man with Li Yao. He’ll only be a thorn if he doesn’t join me.”

“Yes!” Zhang Long answered faintly, and left the room without saying anything else.

Zhang Long was the master Cihua had mentioned before, the peak late phase of the golden class his boss had assigned to him. He had an epic name, sharing the ‘Zhang Long’ with Zhang Long Zhao Hu from Seven Heroes and Five Gallants.

Zhang Long remained silent about it, but he thought that he was more than enough to handle Lin Yi alone. He was under direct orders from Cihua, however, and he had no intention of disobeying him.

Li Yao acted as the driver as he went on the move with Zhang Long- there wasn’t much he could do about that, since the man was stronger than him, after all.

They tailed Lin Yi’s Beetle directly as Lin Yi made his way home.