Found a Master

A black business van bearing license plates from both Hong Kong and the mainland drove into the Yangcheng Branch of Yanhuang Awakening.

Several agents were already waiting at the entrance when the vehicle came to a stop.

As Wang Xincheng got out, he first looked up at the building.

Back then, the Yanhuang Awakening branch had not been located here, and there had not been nearly so many high-rises surrounding it.

He wondered what these people were like now.

The man at the front stepped forward. He wore a bucket hat and had a tall, upright build. There was a crispness between his brows, the kind honed by years of handling cases.

It was Liu Zheng.

“Mr. Wang, thank you for making the trip.”

Wang Xincheng did not put on airs. He raised a hand and shook Liu Zheng’s.

“Captain Liu, I presume? I’m Wang Xincheng.”

Liu Zheng nodded. “We really are troubling you by asking you to come all this way, but the matter at Liling Plaza still requires your assistance.”

“No trouble at all. In the past, I took people’s money to solve their problems. Now, I’m here to settle old karma and earn some merit.”

Behind Wang Xincheng, Wang Leyao stood quietly. She was dressed in a neat, professional outfit. Her gaze paused at the branch entrance for only half a second before she looked away.

Wang Keting was far less composed.

He craned his neck, looking around in every direction.

“Wow, Yangcheng has changed quite a bit.”

Wang Leyao glanced at him. “The last time you came here was in 2000.”

“It couldn’t have changed that much.” Wang Keting muttered, “I remember there weren’t nearly so many high-rises around here back then.”

“That’s why you’ve never been put in charge of the family business.”

Wang Keting was momentarily silenced. He gave an awkward laugh and did not dare argue.

Liu Zheng saw all this but said nothing.

He had already gone through the Wang family’s files. Wang Xincheng handled feng shui, Wang Leyao managed the family’s affairs, and Wang Keting was a second-generation heir who was ninety percent useless.

After the brief exchange of pleasantries, Liu Zheng led the three of them into the building.

The elevator carried them steadily upward.

Wang Xincheng did not ask unnecessary questions. He only glanced at the floor directory posted inside the elevator.

The branches of Yanhuang Awakening had never been ordinary government offices.

Many floors were not open to the public, and many doors had no names on them at all.

Anyone familiar with the organization would understand at a glance that this was no place for casual tea and conversation.

When they stepped out of the elevator, several agents spotted Liu Zheng and immediately moved aside.

Inside the office, Director Dongfang was reading through some documents.

They were additional materials Lin Mo had sent over concerning the spies from Neon.

Deciding whom to release and whom to arrest required caution.

Of course, they could simply arrest everyone. But even if they did, Neon would continue sending more people into Huaxia.

At that moment, someone knocked on the door.

“Director Dongfang, Mr. Wang has arrived.”

Director Dongfang closed the file. “Send them in.”

The door opened.

Liu Zheng led the three members of the Wang family inside.

The moment Wang Xincheng saw Director Dongfang, his steps faltered for half a beat.

He was far too young.

This was not the polite sort of “young and promising.” He was genuinely young.

Wang Xincheng had met plenty of so-called prodigies. He had also met people who had risen through the ranks on the strength of their family background and resumes.

But the position of director of Yanhuang Awakening’s Yangcheng Branch was not one anyone could simply occupy.

Although Wang Xincheng specialized in feng shui and geomancy, he also knew a thing or two about physiognomy.

The Director Dongfang standing before him possessed deep fortune and abundant blessings. He had been born into a wealthy and powerful family, and one could say that his life had been largely free of hardship.

But fortune and blessings revealed through one’s features were never a hundred percent accurate. A person’s fate could change. Certain things they did could alter their appearance, and the information reflected in their features might change along with it.

Wang Keting could not help taking another couple of looks. If only “young enough to be a director” could be written across someone’s face.

Wang Leyao, however, quickly composed herself. She merely recalculated Director Dongfang’s age and identity in her mind.

Liu Zheng immediately saw what the three of them were thinking and hurriedly explained, “Director Dongfang is one of the outstanding members of Yanhuang Awakening’s new generation. He was personally appointed by the director of the headquarters.”

Wang Xincheng reacted quickly and cupped his hands.

“Director Dongfang, I’ve long heard of you. Today, I’ve finally seen with my own eyes what people mean by ‘heroes emerge in youth.’ I haven’t been in contact with Yanhuang Awakening for many years. How is Director Lü’s health?”

Old hands were experts at saying whatever needed to be said. A simple “I’ve long heard of you” was enough to put people at ease.

As for the Director Lü he mentioned, that was the predecessor of former Yangcheng Branch Director Dong Lingjun.

Director Dongfang rose to greet him.

“Director Lü retired a long time ago. He’s living in Tianjing now, enjoying a quiet life. I visited him a few days ago. He was growing vegetables in his courtyard and had moved all the flowerpots belonging to the retired cadre next door.”

Wang Xincheng’s expression relaxed somewhat.

“That’s wonderful to hear. Director Lü has always been blessed with good fortune. He’s a fine man.”

The atmosphere in the office eased slightly.

Director Dongfang smiled and gestured for everyone to sit.

An assistant brought in tea and then left.

Before the tea had even been touched, Wang Xincheng got straight to the point.

“I won’t beat around the bush. How does Director Dongfang intend to deal with the land beneath Liling Plaza?”

The question fell into the room, followed by several seconds of silence.

Liu Zheng sat to one side, with a stack of emergency evacuation plans beside him.

After all, no one could take the Dragon Fang Land lightly.

Director Dongfang did not answer immediately.

He took a sip of tea and spoke in an even tone.

“Mr. Wang, there’s no need to worry too much. The main reason we asked you to come was simply to inspect the situation at Liling Plaza, make some records, and put a few defensive measures in place.”

Hearing this, Wang Xincheng could not help frowning slightly.

“Is that all?”

“Director Dongfang, the baleful energy of the Dragon Fang Land is no ordinary evil influence. If that place gets out of control, it won’t be just one building or one street that suffers. Let me put it bluntly: the whole of Yangcheng could be dragged into the disaster.”

His tone was not heavy, but every word struck home.

Wang Xincheng had another concern as well.

This Director Dongfang had been transferred from Tianjing. He held a high position, and he was young.

A young man’s drive could be a good thing, but in their line of work, the most dangerous mistake was to confuse drive with ability.

He had seen too many newly appointed officials eager to establish their authority.

But using Liling Plaza to make a name for oneself was not like lighting a small fire. It was like setting a barbecue in the middle of a gas station.

If that was what Director Dongfang intended, things might become even more troublesome.

Director Dongfang understood what he was implying, but he did not rush to explain.

“Rest assured, Mr. Wang. Someone is handling this matter.”

Wang Xincheng looked at him. “Who?”

Director Dongfang was just about to answer when Liu Zheng spoke first.

“An expert.”

Wang Xincheng turned to look at Liu Zheng.

Liu Zheng suddenly seemed a little embarrassed.

“But we still need to prepare some contingency plans. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.”

It was clear that Captain Liu did not seem entirely confident.

Director Dongfang, on the other hand, looked as though he had everything firmly under control.

That was interesting.

The director was calm, while the captain was preparing for battle.

One acted as if the situation was completely under control; the other looked ready to clean up the mess at any moment.

When things were like this, the odds of something going wrong practically maxed out.

Wang Keting grew tired of listening. “If you’ve already found an expert, why did you summon my father all the way from Hong Kong? The old man’s getting on in years. Wasn’t it exhausting for him to travel and cross the border?”

“Shut up,” Wang Leyao said quietly.

Wang Keting was indignant. “Was I wrong?”

Wang Xincheng raised a hand, and Wang Keting immediately swallowed the rest of what he was about to say.

For all his usual lack of restraint, he still knew how to behave in front of his father.