Chapter 58 The City Slums

“Sister Xue, do you recall having any enemies among your family?” Wang Feng asked. Again, Wang Feng’s questions had caught Bei Yunxue completely off guard. Obviously, she had no idea what the question was about.

“It’s like this. Before the guy died, he told me that he’s taking orders from someone. It turns out that the true mastermind behind everything is someone from the Bei family,” Wang Feng said. A mild glint flashed in his eyes, startling Bei Yunxue so much that she leapt up from the couch.

“How can that be?” Bei Yunxue yelled out in surprise. Clearly, she was still unable to believe what she had just been told.

Wang Feng’s voice sounded beside Bei Yunxue’s ears. “Relax. That could just be a smoke screen thrown out by that guy, a red herring meant to throw us off. We can’t tell for sure whether it’s true yet. Now, I need you to think back carefully to the time you spent with your family. Do you remember anyone trying to target you? Or can you think of someone with the most compelling motive?”

“I don’t know,” Bei Yunxue said, hugging her head. After that, she sat down on the couch limply.

It was plain that what Wang Feng had just told her was a huge blow to her. Members of her own family were trying to target her. They even went to such lengths as to hire armed robbers to rob her. Who on earth was capable of such cruel acts?

Seeing the look of pain on her face, Wang Feng cocooned Bei Yunxue into a warm embrace. “Just let it go if you can’t think of anything. You don’t have to think too much about it. As long as I’m here, I won’t let anyone touch a single hair on your head,” he said with steely resolve.

“Wang Feng, do you think people would forgo familial relations for personal benefits?” Bei Yunxue voice sounded in his arms. She seemed to have thought of something.

Her question made Wang Feng hesitate ever so slightly. “Human desire is endless,” he said. “I do think that there are such cases, just to a varying extent.”

Wang Feng was right. For ordinary people, forgoing familial relations might just involve not seeing or contacting each other ever again. But the truly terrifying cases were the ones involving bloodshed and murder.

“I’ve always been a stickler for the rules in my family. I never once got on anyone’s bad side. There’s only one person I can think of who might want to target me. It’s the man you met last time, my second uncle,” Bei Yunxue said in a pained voice.

Like it or not, this was still her family. She was not willing to speak ill of someone in her own family.

“How so?”

“It’s like this. Back in the days before I went to university, someone tried to assassinate me once. I didn’t die, only sustained heavy injuries. My father suspected my second uncle of being the one behind it,” Bei Yunxue explained slowly.

After that, she went on and told him more about the things between her and her second uncle. Wang Feng did not interrupt her.

About ten minutes later, Bei Yunxue finished telling him everything. There was an exhausted look on her face by the time she was done. Even her eyes were slightly red.

The reason Bei Yunxue father had suspected her second uncle was because her second uncle had once tried to fight with her father over the title as the head of Bei family. In the end, Bei Yunxue’s father got the title while her second uncle was relegated to second in command.

Basically, her second uncle had a plausible motive. That, plus the fact he had a malicious disposition ever since Bei Yunxue’s birth, which was something that everyone knew.

The tradition of the Bei family dictated that any offspring of the head of Bei family had the right to inherit the family business. Although Bei Yunxue was a woman, she still had a right to the inheritance.

Also, Wang Feng had witnessed her second uncle’s brutality the last time Wang Feng had met him. The guy was arrogant enough to think that he owned the entire world.

Wang Feng would not believe it for a second if one were to tell him that a guy like that did not harbour feelings of revenge.

Based on what Bei Yunxue had told him, Wang Feng finally knew how she had gotten that scar on her lower belly; it was a scar left behind from that failed assassination attempt in the past.

historical

Although Bei Yunxue had survived and her wound had healed, the resulting side effects had accompanied her for years. Even now, the side effects still afflicted her.

The investigation into the assassination attempt had been dragged on without a satisfactory conclusion due to the lack of evidence.

“Sister Xue, don’t worry. As long as we’re in Zhu Hai City, and as long as you’re by my side, I will protect you. Anyone who wishes to harm you will have to step over my dead body to do so,” Wang Feng said, pulling Bei Yunxue into a tight hug.

From now on, the safety of this beautiful woman would be in his hands. He would not allow Sister Xue to suffer even a single iota of hurt.

Bei Yunxue’s body trembled in his arms. Obviously, she was crying. Wang Feng did not try to offer any words of comfort; he knew that this matter had touched a sore spot. She would probably feel better once she let it all out.

Not five minutes later, Bei Yunxue slowly stopped crying. She had fallen asleep in his arms instead.

Wang Feng carried her upstairs and then he placed a blanket over her. Stepping out of her room, Wang Feng pulled out his phone and dialled He Tian’s number.

The call connected shortly and he heard He Tian’s voice.

“Brother He, I need a favor from you,” Wang Feng said without beating around the bush.

“What is it?” Came He Tian’s voice. He sounded tired and had most probably been sleeping.

“It’s like this. I’m planning to do a bit of digging into the VP of Bei Enterprise. I need information about the guy, everything you can get your hands on. I was wondering if that’ll be a problem for you?”

“Oh, that. It’s just a small matter. Don’t worry, I’ll send it over to you tomorrow morning,” He Tian said before hanging up.

Phone in hand, Wang Feng turned around and glanced towards Bei Yunxue’s room. Wang Feng strode into the bathroom where he took a quick shower before returning to his own room.

He had truly witnessed He Tian’s strength today. That was also why Wang Feng was eager to improve his own strength too. Only with strength could he protect those whom he wished to protect.

Wang Feng spent the entire night training himself in the art of Qi Gathering. After a training session, Wang Feng would feel refreshed and completely recharged even if he did not sleep a single wink. In fact, a night of training would make him feel better compared to a good night’s sleep.

As a matter of fact, Wang Feng was even entertaining ideas of teaching the art of Qi Gathering to Bei Yunxue.

If she started her training, she would no doubt be able to protect herself in the future too.

In the living room, breakfast was already prepared courtesy of Bei Yunxue who had gone out early to buy them. It had already become a habit of hers to rise earlier than Wang Feng and then prepare breakfast for him.

Without washing up, Wang Feng came out of his bedroom and headed straight to the kitchen.

“Sister Xue, it’s best if you avoid going out alone to buy breakfast from now on. I’m worried you might run into trouble again,” Wang Feng said helplessly as he stared at a smiling Bei Yunxue.

“It’s going to be fine. It’s already become a habit of mine. Besides, haven’t you guys caught the culprit already? Nothing will happen,” Bei Yunxue said, shaking her head. “Go wash up, then we’ll start breakfast.”

“Alright then,” Wang Feng said. Seeing that he had failed to persuade Bei Yunxue, Wang Feng sighed inwardly and headed to the bathroom where he washed his face.

It seemed like he should not be waking up later than Bei Yunxue from now on. If anything happened to her, Wang Feng would regret it for the rest of his life.

“Sister Xue, I won’t be going with you to the shop today. I’m planning to pay my big brother a visit,” Wang Feng said during breakfast.

“Sure,” Bei Yunxue answered. She thought that Wang Feng must be going there to comfort Gu Ping again, so she did not comment much on it. After all, it was likely for a heartbroken person to feel down in the dumps. Having someone there to talk to might be a great help.

“Oh, right. There’s a good bottle of red wine in my room. Take it with you. Consider it my gift to your big brother,” Bei Yunxue said, surprising Wang Feng.

Obviously, Bei Yunxue had read things wrongly. It was true that Wang Feng was planning to see his big brother, though there would not be any comforting involved. Wang Feng had not seen Gu Ping for a quite a long time ever since the launching of the jewelry shop. He had no idea what Gu Ping had been up to these days.

Gu Ping had often taken care of Wang Feng back in university; he had helped clean up a lot of Wang Feng’s messes. Otherwise, it would be doubtful indeed that Wang Feng could even complete his university studies. Wang Feng felt a lot of gratitude to his big brother.

He had made up a random excuse a few days ago. He could not believe that Sister Xue still remembered it. At that, Wang Feng felt a bit ashamed.

In the end, Bei Yunxue and Wang Feng drove away from the villa. In his hand, Wang Feng held a delicate box which exuded a fragrant scent. From the looks of it, the box was constructed from sandalwood.

“Guess the rich really do know how to enjoy life,” Wang Feng thought wryly. “Even a box used to hold a bottle of wine requires such high standards.”

Bei Yunxue dropped Wang Feng off halfway. After getting out of the car, Wang Feng called Gu Ping’s phone.

The call connected. “Wang Feng, what’s up?” Came Gu Ping’s faint voice. He did not seem to be fully awake yet.

“Big Bro, wake up already. Tell me where your place is. I’ll come over,” Wang Feng said with a slightly puzzled look on his face. As far as he could remember, his big brother was usually very energetic. In fact, Gu Ping usually woke up earlier than Wang Feng himself.

“Probably because he’s been jobless this time around, that’s why he’s a bit down in the dumps,” Wang Feng thought.

“Come over then, I’m staying at...” Gu Ping ended the call after he had rattled off his address to Wang Feng.

Wang Feng stood on the roadside and hailed a cap. “Driver,” he said, “please take me to No. 20 Hong Zhu district.”

Wang Feng’s word surprised the cab driver so much that the guy turned around to stare at Wang Feng. “Hong Zhu district?” Asked the driver.

“Is there a problem?” Wang Feng asked back. The driver’s weird reaction had caused him to feel a bit strange too.

The driver’s eyes traveled down Wang Feng’s body as he appraised Wang Feng’s appearance. “Nothing, mister. It’s just that you don’t seem poor from the way you dress. How come you’re staying at Hong Zhu district?” The driver said slowly.

Wang Feng rolled his eyes. “Why, you mean only poor people can travel to Hong Zhu district?” This driver seemed rather keen on turning away potential business.

“It’s not like that. I’m saying that Hong Zhu District is a famous slum of Zhu Hai City. The place is dirty, unorganized, and chaotic, with frequent occurences of homicide cases. It’s best if you don’t go there, sir,” said the driver with a conflicted look on his face. Although he was a cab driver in the inner region of Zhu Hai City, he would still rather not travel to a place like Hong Zhu district.

A lot of buddies of his had run into trouble there. In that place, getting robbed in broad daylight was a common occurence. Heck, he even knew some people who had been cut up and hospitalized by gangsters from that area. Those people had yet to be discharged from the hospital even now.

That place was a lawless area. Not even the members of the Zhu Hai City’s police force would enter that place other than for emergency purposes.

When he heard that Wang Feng was travelling towards Hong Zhu district, the cab driver had tried to dissuade him. For one, the driver himself did not wish to go there. Also, he was giving Wang Feng a warning out of the kindness of his heart.

“Don’t worry about it and drive. I’ll take responsibility if anything happens,” Wang Feng said and then pulled out 200 bucks from his pocket. “This enough?”

Seeing that Wang Feng had so casually offered him 200 bucks, the driver did not bother arguing further. “Fine, then,” he said, starting the car.

They drove for about half and hour before the driver brought Wang Feng to this so-called Hong Zhu district. Before, Wang Feng had thought of Hong Zhu district as a place filled with skyscrapers. Now that he was here, he realized that the driver had indeed been right; rather than tall buildings, this place was occupied with decrepit houses which looked like they would collapse at any second. None of these houses were even safe to live in.

Even the streets were riddled with potholes. It was as if this place did not belong to Zhu Hai City at all.

The driver stopped the car, unwilling to go any further. “Mate, I can only go this far. You’ll have to enter on your own,” said the driver.

“Alright, then. You can go,” Wang Feng said, opening the door and getting down.

“Thanks,” the driver said before driving off. He did not want to linger in this God-forsaken place.

Countless of stares coming from all four directions were now fixated upon him. Right now, Wang Feng was dressed in designer clothes. It would only take one glance to tell that this was a wealthy man. That was why a lot of Hong Zhu district’s dwellers were following Wang Feng’s every move with their gazes.

Wang Feng could even feel the envy contained in their gazes.