"It's so good, it's so good, I haven't felt so good in many years." Four bodyguards were about to run towards Zheng Yubai, and four were about to help Xu Heixing. But he pounded his fists on the ground and laughed. Hearing the fullness in his voice, it was known that he was not injured and was in a very happy mood.
Zheng Yubai smiled and got up, took a long, deep breath and said, "After the martial arts conference, boss, you are the best master I have ever met."
"What? Is there anyone more powerful than me in the martial arts conference?" Xu Heixing said unconvinced.
Zheng Yubai thought for a moment and said, "The strength of Chen Chuan of Mantis Fist, Wang Bao of Bajiquan, Huang Shiyu of Shadowless Kick and Sun Haitong of Xingyiquan should not be underestimated. If it is a real fight, within fifty moves, you are close to their level."
"What about after fifty moves?" Xu Heixing asked.
"After fifty moves, I still can't see through you. In terms of physical strength, you are not as good as Huang Shiyu and Sun Haitong, but you have more experience. In terms of skills, you are slightly inferior to Chen Chuan and Wang Bao, but you are stronger in strength. So it is really difficult for me to judge." Zheng Yubai said seriously.
"Then if you and I continue to fight, who will win and who will lose?" Xu Heixing asked again.
"With another twenty moves, I am confident that I can win." Zheng Yubai said confidently.
Xu Heixing nodded: "You are very modest. In my opinion, I won't be able to withstand another ten moves." As he said that, he jumped up and laughed.
"It's a great day today. I'll treat you all. Let's go have dinner." Xu Heixing waved his hand, a heroic look revealed between his brows, worthy of being a big shot who controls tens of thousands of gangsters.
Zheng Yubai had just eaten the porridge cooked by Susu, but he had also consumed a lot of energy in the fight with Xu Heixing. As he came to the restaurant of the Palace Hotel and ate something, he listened to him talk about all sorts of things.
The two men talked about martial arts anecdotes in an endless stream, which made Cao Ji and the two bodyguards who followed him feel drowsy, but they were still very interested.
"In today's martial arts world, who do you think can be the number one master?" Xu Heixing suddenly thought of a topic and asked Zheng Yubai.
Zheng Yubai groaned for a moment and said, "Sun Yunqing, the head of Xingyiquan, is a master of boxing and has reached the pinnacle of strength."
Xu Heixing shook his head and said, "Sun Yunqing is a good martial artist, but unfortunately he is petty and has a bad character, so it's better not to mention him."
"Hmm... Luo Hengyang, the head of Baguazhang, inherited the true teachings of Chengshi Baguazhang. He is an upright person and can be considered a master." Zheng Yubai thought for a moment and said.
Xu Heixing tapped the table lightly with his fingers and smiled, "Luo Hengyang is a good person, but unfortunately he has a weak character and is not suitable to be the leader of a sect. Otherwise, he would have made Baguazhang famous long ago and would not have been suppressed by Sun Yunqing."
"If that's the case, then old man Yang Huting of Tai Chi should be considered the number one master. He is still strong and has superb boxing skills, and he pioneered a new generation of boxing." Zheng Yubai thought about it carefully. Among the three major internal martial arts schools, Yang Huting actually has the highest status, and his martial arts are naturally impeccable.
Unexpectedly, Xu Heixing still shook his head and said, "Yang Huting is indeed a master of martial arts, but it's a pity that he is already old."
"Then I really don't know." Zheng Yubai racked his brains, and the names of countless masters of Bajiquan, Mantis Boxing, Hung Gar, etc. flashed through his mind, but after thinking about it, he felt that no one could surpass the three masters of these internal martial arts.
"In today's martial arts world, there is no leader, and no one is willing to submit to anyone else. It's pure nonsense to want to discuss who is the best master." Xu Heixing laughed, "But if you ask me to discuss who will be the best master in three to five years, I know."
"Who is it?" Zheng Yubai asked curiously. Since ancient times, there has been no first in literature and no second in martial arts. Although he is not a competitive person, he is still very interested when he hears Xu Heixing say this.
Xu Heixing pointed his finger and said, "It's you. You are the champion of this martial arts conference. You are young, have outstanding qualifications, good character, and high martial arts skills. Who else can be the number one master in the martial arts world in the future but you!"
As soon as these words came out, Cao Ji and the two bodyguards were all shocked. Zheng Yubai was even more stunned by Xu Heixing's decisive words. He didn't expect that the number one master would come to him.
"I am still young, how can I deserve such praise." Zheng Yubai waved his hand. Although martial artists like to compete with each other, is it really fun to be the best? When Li Cunyi was the director of the Chinese Martial Arts Museum, Shang Yunxiang was overwhelmed by the people who came to challenge him after he became famous. He couldn't even take a nap, let alone live a normal life.
Besides, there are always mountains beyond mountains and heavens beyond heavens. Only those who do not know how high the heavens are will think that they have already reached the top. To learn martial arts, one must have the mentality of looking at the mountain from this mountain to that mountain. Only in this way can one make continuous progress. One must live and learn until old age and never stop, otherwise one will soon be eliminated by the younger generation.
In a word, Zheng Yubai definitely didn't think Xu Heixing's praise was a good thing. Since he won the championship of the martial arts conference, many people have challenged him to a duel. It is said that the letters almost filled up Yang Feiyun's desk, and he received at least thirty or forty phone calls every day. Fortunately, Zheng Yubai had already made arrangements and hid himself. Otherwise, with so many people challenging him, he wouldn't be able to cope with it even if he had forty-eight hours a day. If Xu Heixing's words were to spread today, with his status as a gangster, the number of people who came to hear the news would probably be several times more, and he would be really burdened by his false reputation.
Xu Heixing seemed to understand Zheng Yubai's thoughts, and smiled and said, "Forget it, let's not talk about this. You are the manager of the safe apartment now, and it's not good to be too prominent. But I still have to say that I am very optimistic about you."
"Thank you, boss." Zheng Yubai was afraid that he would say something exaggerated again, so he quickly took over the conversation.
"Okay, we've finished talking about private matters. This time I called you here to discuss a business matter with you." After Xu Heixing had eaten and drunk his fill, he lit a cigar, took a deep breath, and kept the smoke in his mouth, savoring the rich aroma. After a long time, he slowly exhaled.
Zheng Yubai waited until he finished smoking his cigarette before asking, "What's the matter?"
"I want to promote you." Xu Heixing was very straightforward. "With your ability, being the manager of a mere E-level safe apartment is really unfair to you. I have another safe apartment in Jinghai, which is D-level, and I want you to manage it."
Before Zheng Yubai could react, Caoji, who was sitting next to him, kicked him under the table. Seeing his excited look, this was obviously a good thing.
"My ability is limited, I'm afraid I can't manage it well." Zheng Yubai scratched his head. In fact, he just wanted to find an ordinary job that could support himself and live an honest life. Working in Black Star Company was just a beautiful mistake. If he agreed, wouldn't he be a gangster for the rest of his life
"You are the God of Gamblers and the champion of the martial arts conference. If your abilities are still limited, then there may be no capable people in this world. Don't think that I know nothing. I have seen Yao Qian's downfall. You are a courageous boy with many ideas. I admire you very much." Xu Heixing took another puff of cigarette, inhaled and exhaled slowly, and commented on Zheng Yubai.
With Xu Heixing's current status and position, there are very few people who can receive such praise from him. Just based on today's words, Zheng Yubai has established his position in the underworld, and he will be looked up to wherever he goes.
But Zheng Yubai was not flattered, and even a little uncomfortable. He did not intend to stay in the underworld forever. In his mind, sooner or later, he would find a legitimate job and live an ordinary life like everyone else, working from nine to five.
"What? Don't you want to be promoted?" Xu Heixing saw Zheng Yubai's hesitation and asked easily, as if he was 100% sure that he could convince Zheng Yubai.
"Not really." Zheng Yubai weighed his words in his mind. After all, it was very rude to say in front of a gangster that he didn't want to be a gangster.
"If you are worried about your identity, then you are worrying too much." Xu Heixing laughed, as if he saw through Zheng Yubai. "Security apartments above level D are very legitimate institutions and have no connection with the underworld. I promise that you will have a legitimate identity and job. The only difference is that this job is not only well paid, but also has great status and power."
Cao Ji almost kicked Zheng Yubai's legs to pieces. Seeing his red face, if Zheng Yubai didn't agree immediately, he would probably be eaten alive by him after leaving the house.
Every word of Xu Heixing's words hit Zheng Yubai's heart. He hesitated and said, "If that's the case, I can give it a try."
"Very good." Xu Heixing nodded: "You are a very honest young man, and I like you more and more. You can hand over the work of the E-class apartment and start working at the D-class apartment tomorrow. Xiao Wang will tell you all the necessary precautions." The Xiao Wang he was referring to was a very young bodyguard in black next to him.
After saying this, Xu Heixing stood up and said, "Okay, I have finished my official business. I hope you won't let me down. Tomorrow at noon, I will hold a press conference to announce your appointment."
Watching Xu Heixing turn around and leave, Zheng Yubai thought to himself that this man was truly a generous and magnanimous man. No wonder he could accomplish such a shocking career—if being in the underworld could be considered a career...
"Brother, you are going to be rich this time." As soon as Xu Heixing's figure disappeared, Cao Ji jumped up and locked his arms around Zheng Yubai's neck, as if he wanted to strangle him to death.
“Ahem…be gentle.” Zheng Yubai almost rolled his eyes because of being strangled by him, and finally managed to shake him off.
"D-class apartment? I've been working in the company for ten years and I'm still just an administrator in an E-class apartment. But you've been promoted so quickly and you seem to be enjoying the promotion." Cao Ji said sourly.
"Is there a big difference?" In Zheng Yubai's opinion, whether it is an E-class apartment or a D-class apartment, aren't they all administrators? At most, the salary can be increased a little, which doesn't seem to be worth making such a fuss about.
"You are such a blockhead, you really don't understand anything." Cao Ji said angrily and amusedly, "Let me explain it to you first, so that you don't make a fool of yourself when Xiao Wang takes you there. That would not only embarrass you, but also embarrass everyone in the E-class apartment."
Zheng Yubai scratched his head, thinking that if Caoji hadn't helped him, he would have made a lot of jokes. Thinking of this, he humbly said, "Then Brother Caoji, tell me about it."
Cao Ji excitedly told Zheng Yubai what he knew about the D-class apartments. In fact, he had mentioned these things more or less before, but he had not paid much attention to them.
Among the safe apartments managed by Black Star Company, the E-level safe apartment that Zheng Yubai currently manages can be regarded as the bottom of the pyramid. Above this, in alphabetical order, there are of course four higher levels: A, B, C, and D. Zheng Yubai still remembers that on his first day at the safe apartment, Qiao Weilun once told him that Bin Laden lived in a secret A-level apartment.
Although these five levels of security apartments all have a common name, their nature and content are completely different. The E-level security apartments have a lower alert level and accommodate guests who have committed relatively common crimes. Things like embezzlement of public funds, murder and arson, and avoiding debts and enemies are nothing in the eyes of Black Star Company, so they are all arranged in E-level apartments. Although the security is not bad, it is not the most important business after all, and it is difficult to be watertight.
"So exaggerated?" Zheng Yubai originally thought that all the guests in the E-class apartment were important people, but after hearing what Cao Ji said, he realized that they were just the lowest-level customers.
"Of course. Do you know what a Class D apartment looks like?" Cao Ji said mysteriously.
"I don't know." Zheng Yubai shook his head.
Caoji spread his hands and said, "I don't know either. The D-level apartment is kept very secret. No one except the insiders knows where it is or what it looks like. But what is certain is that there are often some high-level guests there."
"High-level guests, for example?" Zheng Yubai swallowed and became curious about the existence of Class D apartments.
Caoji looked around and lowered his voice and said, "You know that celebrity who committed suicide some time ago, right?"
"I know." Zheng Yubai nodded repeatedly. Although he didn't read much entertainment news, he couldn't help but have Yu Luo as a little megaphone, shouting a few words of the latest news every day during dinner. A few days ago, a male star committed suicide. It was said that he lost his phone that contained nude photos of a female star he had had a relationship with. As a result, someone posted the photos on the Internet, causing an uproar.
Because the nude photo incident involved many high-ranking figures, he was hunted down and forced by his connections, and had no choice but to jump into the water and commit suicide. When the body was salvaged, it was already swollen. This incident caused a sensation in the entertainment industry and occupied the front page headlines for a month.
"Actually, that person is not dead." Caoji said mysteriously, "It is said that he is hiding in a Class D apartment in Jinghai now."
"Really?" Zheng Yubai was surprised. "Who was the dead person?"
"He's just a scapegoat who was bought with money. As long as you have money and connections, this kind of thing is easy." Cao Ji said, "The company has made at least this much money from this deal." As he spoke, he stretched out a palm, spread out his five fingers, and turned it towards Zheng Yubai.
"Ten million?" Zheng Yubai was dumbfounded.
Caoji rolled his eyes at Zheng Yubai and said, "You thought you were in an E-class apartment. Let me tell you, it's one hundred million."
"So much?" Zheng Yubai felt that his imagination was too limited. A mere small star had as much as 100 million. Is it so easy to make money in the entertainment industry
"Hehe, of course he didn't pay for this money. This matter involves many people, and it is also the company's own business. Once it is accomplished in the future, the profit will be more than this amount." Cao Ji said proudly.
Zheng Yubai nodded, not quite understanding: "So, D-class apartments are indeed more profitable than E-class ones."
"It's more than just making money. It's much better in every aspect. You have to know that E-class apartments are ultimately managed by brothers from the company, and people from the underworld can never show up. But starting from D-class, the administrators are all well-known figures in society. Do you know so-and-so?" Caoji mentioned a name that was familiar to everyone in Jinghai.
Zheng Yubai nodded repeatedly: "Isn't he the general manager of Black Dragon Company? I saw him attending a charity dinner a few days ago and spent two million to buy a painting."
"Hehe, you don't know this. The identity of the general manager of Black Dragon Company is only in name only. In fact, anyone who sits in this position is the manager of the D-level apartment. He has now been transferred by the boss to manage other businesses." Caoji said with a little envy, "You kid will become rich sooner or later when you go back to the D-level apartment."
Only then did Zheng Yubai realize that Xu Heixing's promise was not groundless. It seemed that the step from E-level to D-level was indeed the first step on the road to success.
"Since it's a good thing, let's just let it take its course." Zheng Yubai didn't feel happy after listening to Cao Ji's nonsense.
"Never mind, you're going to the D-class apartment tomorrow, so don't forget about your brothers. I'll treat you tonight, let's go eat seafood first, and then have some fun in the Valley of Ecstasy." Cao Ji said with a smile.
"Forget it, forget it!" Zheng Yubai felt a little scared when he heard about the Valley of Ecstasy. He met Susu there last time and he is still racking his brains over how not to hurt her feelings. If he goes there again this time, who knows what other peach blossom disasters might arise.
After finally declining Cao Ji's enthusiastic invitation, Zheng Yubai was about to go home to tell Xu Jin the good news when his cell phone rang at an inopportune time. He glanced at the number and saw that it was Zhang Daosheng, who hadn't contacted him for a while.
"Yubai, how have you been recently?" Zhang Daosheng's voice was still calm, always giving people a very comfortable feeling.
"Fortunately, I have made some progress, but I have some doubts. I was just thinking of finding a time to consult you." After the life-and-death gamble, Zheng Yubai had gained some experience in the use of the four-eyed double pupil, but there were still some obstacles that he could not overcome. He had wanted to have a good chat with Zhang Daosheng these days, but he did not expect that he would call first.
"How about you come over today, we can have a chat and I'll ask you for something." Zhang Daosheng said.
Zhang Daosheng and his friends from the Superhuman Association helped Zheng Yubai a lot. Not only did they give him a lot of inspiration in controlling and using superpowers, they also changed their appearances to help him deceive Yao Qian and destroyed his business empire. Now that Zhang Daosheng had something to ask of him, Zheng Yubai certainly couldn't refuse. He immediately got on a bus to the suburbs and headed straight for the Superhuman Association's somewhat gloomy building.
When he arrived outside the building of the Superman Association, Zheng Yubai saw Zhang Daosheng and a bald man chatting in the yard. Seeing Zheng Yubai coming, Zhang Daosheng waved and smiled from a distance: "You came very quickly."
Zheng Yubai went over to greet Zhang Daosheng, and then he saw that the man standing next to him was actually a monk. The monk was not very old, only about 17 or 18 years old, and there were several pimples on his face. He had crooked eyebrows and eyes, and an inverted pear-shaped head. He was simply the ugliest person Zheng Yubai had ever seen in his life. Coupled with the incense scar on his head and the gray monk's robe, it was really hard to think of any words to describe his appearance.
"Yubai, let me introduce you. This is the young master Wuneng from Shaolin Temple." Zhang Daosheng introduced the man to Zheng Yubai.
"Incompetent?" Zheng Yubai thought that this monk must have offended the abbot. He was ugly to begin with, and was given such an unlucky name. But when he saw him walking over with a joking face and his hands clasped together, Zheng Yubai understood. Even though he was not a person who judged people by appearance, he felt that there was nothing likable about this Wu Neng Master.
"This is Zheng Yubai whom I mentioned to you." Zhang Daosheng said to Wu Neng again.
Wu Neng grinned, revealing two rabbit teeth that were bigger than the alien Ronaldo on the football field, and said, "I've heard a lot about you. I'm Wu Neng, and I'm honored to meet you."
"I dare not." Zheng Yubai hurriedly returned the greeting, wondering in his heart. Why was Zhang Daosheng with this little monk? Could it be that this monk was also a hidden alien
"Come on, let's talk inside." Zhang Daosheng led the two people into the building and came to the reception room.
"Why can't I see Bianjian and the others?" Zheng Yubai walked along and felt that the building was empty, without a single person in sight, so he couldn't help but ask curiously.
"They are all busy with their own things." Zhang Daosheng smiled, "You don't know, since they helped you with that thing last time, they have saved some private money. Now they are all very busy and don't come to the association often."
Zheng Yubai scratched his head: "So that's how it is. I wonder if this will delay the normal operation of the association?"
"How could that be? This is just a loose organization and everyone has their own life. I hope that each of them can live a happier life and not worry about being different from ordinary people." Zhang Daosheng sighed.
Zheng Yubai knew what he meant. Superpowers might seem like a cool thing to others, but the people involved often don't think so. In some cases, these abilities not only fail to help their lives, but can bring them trouble.
Zhang Daosheng quickly changed the topic and asked a few questions about his recent situation. Then he changed the subject and said, "Yu Bai, I have something I hope you can help me with."
"Please speak." Zheng Yubai said hurriedly.
"This young Master Wu Neng is a disciple of an old friend of mine. He came to Jinghai this time to study Buddhism, but got into some trouble. I think you have a wide network of contacts in Jinghai, and I wonder if you can help solve the problem." Zhang Daosheng said.
Zheng Yubai was stunned and glanced at Wu Neng. He saw that he was drinking tea as if no one was around, as if what Zhang Daosheng was talking about had nothing to do with him.
"As long as I can help, I will do my best." Although Zheng Yubai didn't like Wu Neng very much, he still agreed for Zhang Daosheng's sake.
"Great. Thank you for your help." Zhang Daosheng was overjoyed.
"But what exactly is the trouble?" Zheng Yubai asked after taking charge of the matter.
"..." Zhang Daosheng seemed a little embarrassed to speak, but heard Wu Neng beside him say: "It's no big deal. It's just a free meal and a few security guards were injured."
Zheng Yubai stared at Wu Neng blankly, wondering if this person was really a monk. If he was not the disciple of Zhang Daosheng's friend, he would definitely think that this person was a liar from nowhere.
"This... Which restaurant did he eat a free meal at and how many people were injured?" Zheng Yubai thought to himself that he should ask clearly. Since he had promised Zhang Daosheng, he had to settle the matter anyway. At worst, he could ask Brother Caoji to come forward. Although Jinghai is big, the name of Caoji of Black Star Company is still very effective.
"It's just that Rich Man Nightclub." Wu Neng said nonchalantly.
Rich Man Nightclub... Zheng Yubai looked at Wu Neng in surprise: "Could it be that the person mentioned in the news is you?" (To be continued)