Chapter Twenty-Two: A Careless Loss of Jingzhou

Chen Jiong had never encountered an old man like this before and dared not act presumptuously. "Old master," he said, "Nie Yunyang has run into some trouble, and he would like to ask for your help."

"It has been nearly a year; how is Yunyang doing?" the old man asked.

His piercing gaze, within the dim bamboo hut, was soul-stirring. Chen Jiong felt his scalp tingle, and he replied tremblingly, "Old master, Nie Yunyang is currently in Chongqing, and his life may be in danger."

"Remember this number. Go find him and tell him it is my will that he go to Chongqing."

As he spoke, the old man took out paper and pen, jotted down a string of digits, and handed them to Chen Jiong.

"You may leave now. When you see Yunyang, remember to tell him to come back and visit his master when he has time."

With those words, the old man closed his eyes and entered a state of meditation.

Chen Jiong bowed in respect, then slowly backed out of the bamboo hut. Once outside the courtyard, he turned and ran as fast as he could.

After leaving Mount Longhu, Chen Jiong decisively dialed the number on the paper. An exceedingly courteous voice answered from the other end: "Oh, are you a friend of Brother Zhao? The private room is already prepared. If you have arrived downstairs, I will send someone to pick you up."

"I am sorry, I do not know any Brother Zhao," Chen Jiong said.

"So you are not a friend of Brother Zhao? Then who are you looking for?"

"Your old master sent me to find you," Chen Jiong said.

Upon hearing this, the person on the other end went silent, not uttering a sound for a full half-minute.

"May I ask where you are? Are you in Nanchang? Where should I go to meet you?" Chen Jiong asked.

The person on the other end remained silent for five minutes before finally speaking: "316 Rongmen Road, Donghu District. Can you find it?"

The voice was no longer as warm as before; it had turned somewhat cold.

"I will drive over immediately."

Chen Jiong hung up the phone. This fellow was actually a man of the scene. The Chief Mansion was one of the most high-end nightclubs in Nanchang; even those who had never been there had heard of it.

Nanchang at night was at its most enchanting. The sky resembled a vast ink-wash painting, dotted with brilliant stars that were dazzling to behold.

Tan Weibo, having just turned forty, was the head of security at the Chief Mansion. He had been there for seven or eight years. He was an easygoing man, and everyone, from ordinary staff to the nightclub hostesses, addressed him as Brother Tan.

It was said that he possessed extraordinary fighting skills and had once saved the life of the big boss. The boss had repeatedly tried to promote him, but he had declined every time, which was why no one in the Chief Mansion dared to offend him.

Tan Weibo was not a hulking, brawny man. He stood only 1.7 meters tall, with a sturdy, well-defined physique and a sharp, rugged face that looked as though it had been carved by a knife and axe.

However, he was exceptionally kind to those around him and could chat with anyone. Yet, if anyone dared to cause trouble in the nightclub, he would give them a sound beating and throw them out onto the street.

Most importantly, the big boss held Tan Weibo in high regard, and even the managers would bow and scrape when they saw him.

Thus, the female employees and hostesses all viewed Tan Weibo as a golden prize; whoever could climb this high branch would have a limitless future.

But Tan Weibo was a man of principle. He maintained a safe distance from the hostesses and had never been the subject of any romantic gossip.

"Brother Tan, you look even more handsome tonight than you did yesterday!"

As Tan Weibo passed the bar, a hostess who had just finished seeing off a guest batted her eyes and said.

Tan Weibo stepped forward, patted her on the hip, and said with a smile, "Fangfang, when is your Mr. Liu coming to support us?"

"He already called me; he will be here in half an hour. Brother Liu says he wants to invite you to dinner when he has time," the beauty called Fangfang said coquettishly.

Tan Weibo laughed heartily and said, "Good, I am free every day."

As he walked along, everyone—from common staff to hostesses—greeted Tan Weibo or exchanged a few jokes with him.

At the entrance of the Chief Mansion, Chen Jiong parked his Land Rover Defender by the roadside. He did not go in, simply standing at the door to smoke. Several security guards kept a close watch on him, fearing he might cause trouble.

After Tan Weibo emerged, the guards crowded around him. He pulled a pack of Jinsheng cigarettes from his pocket and distributed them among his brothers.

The guards dispersed, and Tan Weibo soon noticed Chen Jiong. A strange look flashed in his eyes, as if he were looking at a wild beast.

He walked over and asked, "Are you the Chen Jiong who called me this afternoon?"

"That is right. I drove for two hours to get here from Mount Longhu," Chen Jiong said.

He had already learned on the phone that this man was named Tan Weibo. Though still young, there were already several strands of white hair on his forehead.

Tan Weibo’s expression remained calm as he asked, "Have you seen my old master?"

"I have," Chen Jiong replied.

He had expected the descendant of that reclusive master to be an incredible figure. Upon arriving and seeing that he was just a security guard watching the door for others, he felt a sudden sense of contempt.

Tan Weibo lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, exhaled a ring of smoke, and asked, "What is it you want with me?"

"Your old master said to have you come with me to Chongqing," Chen Jiong said, puffing out his chest with an authoritative tone.

Tan Weibo flicked the ash from his cigarette and asked, "What are we going to Chongqing for?"

"Nie Yunyang has run into trouble in Chongqing and needs us to help him," Chen Jiong said.

"Nie Yunyang? The disciple of that senior?"

Tan Weibo’s pupils constricted. After a moment of silence, he remembered that even his own old master had to be respectful in the presence of that senior.

However, for the old master to ask him now to go to Chongqing to help a wet-behind-the-ears kid was hard for him to accept. Moreover, he felt unwilling to abandon the career he had built up in Nanchang.

"Hey, are you going or not?" Chen Jiong urged impatiently.

Tan Weibo frowned, having picked up on the disdain in the other man’s tone. He let out a cold snort and asked, "You seem to look down on me?"

Chen Jiong’s expression shifted, but he did not respond.

Tan Weibo tossed his cigarette butt away and continued, "Looking at the calluses on your hands, how many years were you a scout?"

"Whether I was a soldier or not, does that have anything to do with you?" Chen Jiong retorted.

"I know that you people who come out of the military tend to have some bad habits, like looking down on others."

As soon as he finished speaking, Tan Weibo struck first. His right palm went straight for Chen Jiong’s throat, intending to win with a single blow.

However, Chen Jiong was no pushover. His years as a special forces soldier allowed his body to instinctively dodge the attack.

The corner of Tan Weibo’s mouth curled up. He stepped forward, clenched his fingers into a fist, and slammed it toward Chen Jiong’s face.

Chen Jiong recovered from his initial panic, bent his arm to block, and then, without hesitation, countered with a swift whip kick aimed directly at Tan Weibo’s abdomen.

The two men, who had been chatting just moments before, were suddenly fighting. The security guards at the Chief Mansion were horrified and rushed to surround them.

No matter what, Tan Weibo was a man highly valued by the big boss; if something happened to him, they would be in serious trouble.

Yet, they could not get close. Neither of the combatants was an ordinary person. Tan Weibo’s movements were extremely agile; it was rumored that when a dozen assassins had once tried to hack the big boss to pieces, Tan Weibo had knocked them all down with one punch each.

Now, seeing a stranger capable of fighting Tan Weibo to a standstill, everyone was incredibly shocked.

Tan Weibo had only been testing him at first, but once he realized Chen Jiong’s strength, he stopped holding back and began to take him seriously.

When Chen Jiong’s whip kick came flying, Tan Weibo stepped back rapidly, grabbed Chen Jiong’s ankle, and then kicked him hard in the shin of his left leg.

The kick was heavy and powerful. Chen Jiong trembled in pain and almost fell to the ground. Taking advantage of Chen Jiong’s loss of balance, Tan Weibo grabbed him by the collar, lifted him up, and threw him, causing him to slam heavily into a van.

Only then did Chen Jiong realize that he had underestimated this man; he had been beaten quite badly.

After regaining his senses, Chen Jiong felt a bit foolish. He had dared to look down on the descendant of that reclusive master?

After Chen Jiong was thrown, a group of security guards prepared to rush in to deal with him, but Tan Weibo waved them off, and they dispersed.

Tan Weibo walked over and extended a hand to pull Chen Jiong up. Chen Jiong did not refuse, accepting the olive branch with genuine respect, though he felt a bit embarrassed to have been handled so easily shortly after leaving the military.

"When are we going to Chongqing?" Tan Weibo asked.

Chen Jiong brushed the dust off himself and said, "Send me your ID card in a bit. I will buy the plane tickets, and we will meet at Changbei Airport at noon tomorrow."

"Fine. Tomorrow at noon. See you there."

Tan Weibo dropped those words and turned back toward the Chief Mansion.

"Damn it, I was careless this time!"

Chen Jiong rubbed his aching left shin, feeling depressed as he stood alone in the wind.

He knew very well that Tan Weibo had used, at most, fifty percent of his strength.