Chapter Seven: Give Him a Break

Chen Fan’s sudden remark made Xia Xin’s heart skip a beat. A flicker of panic crossed her eyes as she thought to herself, “Could Chen Fan be pretending to be weak, and really able to bring out fifty million?” Impossible. If he truly had such wealth, he wouldn’t have agreed to marry into our family; he’s just bluffing.

“If you really can come up with the money, I have nothing more to say. If you want to sleep with me, so be it!” Xia Xin retorted sharply, refusing to be outdone.

Her answer made Chen Fan look at her with newfound respect. "Your attitude is admirable. I accept this agreement. However, you’ll need to give me two million upfront as a deposit, and after marriage, I want five thousand a month as pocket money.”

Hearing this, Xia Xin glared at Chen Fan, gritting her teeth in warning. “Don’t push your luck, Chen Fan. How can a grown man shamelessly ask a woman for pocket money?”

Chen Fan laughed. “You drew up this agreement to make me live off you and play along with your act, didn’t you? It’s reasonable for me to ask for pocket money. If you’re unwilling, you can explain everything to your grandfather right now. But I doubt the men he’ll introduce to you next will be as easygoing as me—willing to marry into your family and play along. When the time comes, they won’t leave you with a single shred.”

“You—how can you be so shameless?”

“Shameless? I’m just looking out for myself. Do you realize how much pressure comes with marrying you? Asking for five thousand is being polite; I was thinking ten thousand!”

“You… Fine. I agree to your two conditions. I hope you’ll keep your word!”

Hearing Xia Xin’s consent, Chen Fan was satisfied. He picked up the pen and signed his name on the agreement. “Don’t worry. Once you’ve paid, I’ll cooperate fully.”

Immediately, Xia Xin transferred two million and this month’s five thousand pocket money to Chen Fan, her face dark with displeasure.

“Take the money and buy yourself some decent clothes. Come to Meiting Group at five this afternoon. We’ll go home together to meet my parents and sister. From then on, you’ll share a room with me.”

“Alright, got it.” Xia Xin picked up the documents, casting a disdainful glance at Chen Fan. In her heart, she felt this man was completely different from before, and disappointment welled up within her.

She left the private room directly, while Chen Fan’s lips curled in a triumphant smile. “The more you look down on me, Xia Xin, the more interested I become. Life ahead will certainly be very entertaining.”

...

Shangjing, a certain manor.

Two middle-aged men were fishing by a pond when a man in a traditional suit approached, hesitating whether to report the latest news.

“It’s fine. Old Leng isn’t an outsider. Speak freely.”

With permission, the man reported, “Just now, the assistant of the King of the Underworld, Qilin, submitted a report stating that the King, having spent years traveling, is in poor health and wishes to retire to the countryside, never again meddling in military affairs.”

Crack.

The fishing rod snapped, half of it dropping straight into the pond.

Leng Tie noticed the host’s face darkening and immediately asked, “Do we know where the King of the Underworld is now?”

“The last sighting was on a high-speed train back to East City. Qilin himself returned to the Northwest camp. He’s among the few senior personnel whose movements we don’t monitor, so his whereabouts are currently unknown.”

After finishing, seeing no reaction from the host, Leng Tie waved the man away.

Once only the two remained, Leng Tie couldn’t help but ask, “What do you make of this report?”

“If that kid’s health is in trouble, then nobody in the world can be considered healthy. The reason for this report is simply that he has personal matters to attend to. The domestic and international situation is relatively stable now; it’s only right to let him take a break.”

This answer left Leng Tie puzzled and shocked. “Surely you’re not really planning to let him retire? There’s no need for me to stress his importance; at present, no one can replace his position in the Northwest camp.”

The host smiled faintly and nodded in agreement. “Of course I know. With him around, the Four Alliances dare not invade, and the major domestic crime syndicates behave themselves. Such a sharp blade is the most effective weapon for the country; how could we let him go so easily?”

“Then why let him take a break?” Leng Tie was confused.

The host tossed the remaining half of his fishing rod into the pond as well. “I plan to let him become the leader in his hometown for a while and let him rest. Meanwhile, you should focus on training new talent and aim to produce a few more like him.”

Hearing this task, Leng Tie could only smile wryly. “Old Zhu, aren’t you making things difficult for me?”

“Wasn’t this kid trained by you?” Zhu Qingfeng glanced at Leng Tie meaningfully and said earnestly, “If you could train one King of the Underworld, you can train several more.”

Leng Tie: “…”