244: Chapter 244 Everyone is waiting for a warrior

Chapter 244: Everyone Is Waiting for a Warrior

Jiangdong CBD, Jinlu Group Building.

The glass curtain wall on the exterior gleamed in the sunlight, highlighting the unique majesty of this commercial landmark.

Inside the building, within the CEO's office on the top floor,

Lu Yongquan wore a crisp suit, standing tall and straight by the window.

His hands were casually shoved into his pants pockets, overlooking the city under the setting sun.

The streets beneath his feet had already entered the evening rush hour, with vehicles surging endlessly like a tide.

His gaze was cold and stern, his brows furrowing slightly from time to time, revealing the heavy solemnity in his heart.

Suddenly, a crisp "ding" rang out in the quiet air.

A sharp electronic sound entered his ears.

Lu Yongquan immediately glanced sideways with alertness, turning his head to look.

Behind him, the display shelf filled with precious porcelain bottles and antiques, usually used for decoration, slowly split apart from the middle, revealing a hidden secret door.

As the crack of the door gradually opened, wisps of ghostly green light seeped out, adding a touch of mystery to this luxurious office.

Immediately afterward, four figures wearing black robes filed out from it.

The leading old man had a lean figure, his black robes hanging loosely on him, yet twisting bizarrely with the wind as if they possessed life.

The three people following closely behind had synchronized figures and movements, as if guided by invisible threads.

Their faces were completely hidden within their hoods, their black robes swaying slightly as they walked, without making a single footstep.

Their entire bodies exuded a chilling aura of dead silence, seeming like ghosts from another dimension.

"Second Uncle."

Lu Yongquan's gaze narrowed slightly before he quickly regained his composure, stepping forward to greet them with a tone carrying a hint of concern:

"You really didn't need to risk yourself personally. I've already arranged enough manpower over at the manor, and the plan is rigorous and thorough, ensuring nothing goes wrong..."

The leading black-robed old man raised his head, revealing a face weathered by the trials of time.

This person was none other than Lu Shihua, the Second Elder of the Lu Family who had been in seclusion for years and was little known to outsiders.

He gazed deeply at Lu Yongquan, his voice carrying a hint of hoarseness:

"Yongquan, you must remember, what foolproof things are there in this world? Plans can never keep up with changes, and there will always be unexpected variables that you cannot imagine."

"But..."

Lu Yongquan spoke somewhat eagerly.

As soon as he uttered two words, he was interrupted by a wave of Lu Shihua's hand.

"I saw the photos you sent last time. Several of those people are lamas from the Black Sect, and the one standing behind them is an old rival of mine."

Lu Shihua narrowed his eyes slightly, a cold glint faintly flashing in the depths of his pupils.

"Back then, he and I fought to the death. I didn't expect that after so many years, he would also find an opportunity to come and disrupt things. Therefore, this time, I must personally oversee the scene to ensure our Family doesn't capsize in a gutter."

Lu Yongquan's brows were tightly knitted, his eyes still revealing reluctance:

"Then let me go instead. I have already fully mastered all the secret techniques you taught me."

As he spoke, his gaze swept past Lu Shihua to the other three black-robed figures whose faces were concealed by hoods.

Then, he said in an even more resolute tone:

"Second Uncle, I know the predicament the Family is facing better than anyone. Every day I endure torture and train hard precisely so that one day I can shoulder the heavy burden, rather than hiding behind you and just being a spectator."

Hearing this, a flash of gratification crossed Lu Shihua's eyes:

"Yongquan, having this heart of yours is enough."

Immediately afterward, his tone shifted, and his expression turned solemn.

"But right now, your father is gravely ill. You are the eldest son of the Lu Family, tied to the safety of the entire clan. If any further mistakes happen, the entire Lu Family will really fall into chaos."

Seeming to recall several other good-for-nothing younger generation relatives, Lu Shihua's eyes were filled with helplessness and regret as he let out a soft sigh.

As he spoke, he took a step forward, heavily placing both hands on Lu Yongquan's shoulders, staring intently at the most outstanding member among the younger generation of the Lu Family.

"We are currently walking on the crest of a storm. A single misstep means total defeat. We must consider our actions comprehensively; with an extra shred of caution, there is an extra layer of guarantee for the Family's grand enterprise."

"Only if you live well and control the overall situation can you stabilize the crumbling mansion of the Lu Family. This is your responsibility and also where the Family's hope lies, do you understand?"

Listening to his Second Uncle's entrustment laden with high expectations, Lu Yongquan pressed his lips tightly together and remained silent for a moment.

He recalled the recent exclusion and suppression suffered by the Lu Family, being encircled and attacked in both political and business circles by that group of upstarts like hungry wolves pouncing on food.

As for his brothers, they were either addicted to amusement or of mediocre Aptitude, none of whom could be counted on at all.

As a dignified millennia-old clan, they were now finding every step difficult, almost reduced to a second-tier Family and almost forgotten in a corner.

The root cause lay in the continuous decline of the Family's Legacy Secret Realm, leading to the withering of elite members and a lack of descendants, failing to recover the prosperity and glory of the past.

The two stood shoulder to shoulder, looking at the bustling city scene outside the window.

The afterglow of the setting sun penetrated through the glass, casting a hazy orange hue and dragging their figures into long, slanted shadows.

"The space of the Legacy Secret Realm has shrunk again these past few days. If our Lu Family doesn't make a desperate struggle, I'm afraid we won't last much longer."

Lu Shihua's voice was low, brimming with a thick sense of reluctance:

"Since heaven has bestowed upon us an opportunity to reverse the situation, we must never let it go."

"Tonight's operation is not only for your father, but even more for the glory of the Family for the next several hundreds of years. Success or failure hangs on this single move; when necessary, we must not hesitate to pay any price!"

As he spoke, Lu Shihua turned his head, gazing at his nephew with a torch-like gaze.

"Second Uncle, I understand!"

Lu Yongquan immediately puffed out his chest and replied resolutely:

"I will stay at the headquarters, monitor the movements of various factions at any time, provide necessary intelligence support, coordinate resources from all sides, ensure internal stability within the Family, and never let you have any worries behind. Just go all out, and leave the Family's rear guard to me!"

Hearing this, Lu Shihua nodded in satisfaction:

"Good, with these words from you, I am relieved. This time, our Lu Family will definitely break out of our predicament and recreate our past glory!"

...

Nightfall quietly descended, deepening like a surging tide.

The mist in the mountains also seemed to have life, rising wispy and thread-like from the ground.

At first it was just a few thin wisps, but in the blink of an eye, they intertwined and tangled with each other, becoming thick.

These mists lingered and shuttled between the trees, blurring the outlines of the tree trunks and making the originally tall and straight pines and cypresses look dim and hazy.

Right in this ocean of mist, a manor stood like an isolated island amidst the darkness.

The iron gate was tightly closed, carved with bizarre patterns on top, resembling some kind of ancient totem.

Surrounded by high walls, various infrared sensing devices and surveillance cameras were orderly distributed.

It was like pairs of vigilant eyes, constantly monitoring the movements around them.

In the inner area, two high-power xenon lamps were hung high, sweeping beams across the forest.

Illuminated by the lights, the surrounding mist formed two huge white balls of light, making it impossible for people to see the true scene inside the manor.

Many fully armed guards holding firearms and wearing masks appeared and disappeared from time to time.

They walked with neat and steady strides, constantly patrolling every corner of the manor.

It was as if some priceless treasure was treasured here, hence why such strict protective measures were needed.

Deep within the dense forest, it was exceptionally quiet.

Pairs of eyes flickered faintly in the darkness, staring at the brightly lit, luxurious manor not far away.

Like beasts peering at their prey, they lay dormant in silence.

Occasionally, the call of a Night Owl pierced through the night sky.

The shrill sound echoed in the mountain forest, lingering for a long time and adding a few parts of a gloomy and terrifying atmosphere.

Time passed minute by minute.

The night grew increasingly deep, and the mist was so thick that it seemed as though it would completely swallow people up.

"Damn it!"

A bald fellow hiding behind the bushes finally couldn't hold it in any longer, lowering his voice and cursing.

He wore a ghost-like mask on his face, making his appearance unclear, and his tone was full of impatience:

"It's almost ten o'clock, why are they all acting like turtles hiding their heads, not moving a single bit?"

Beside him shrank a smaller bald teenager, also wearing a mask, muttering in his mouth:

"Fortunately it's not summer, otherwise we'd definitely be bitten all over the head by mosquitoes."

As he spoke, he uneasily scratched his neck with his hand, as if bugs were crawling into his collar.

From that slightly tender voice, it could be heard that it should be Xiao Bei.

Around them were a group of people dressed in black, with shaved heads and wearing ferocious masks on their faces.

They were none other than Black Wolf, Lord Bao, A-Er, A-San, and Fang Cheng.

They skillfully used trees or earthen slopes for cover, dodging the searchlight beams that swept over from time to time, their figures blending into the surrounding darkness.

If one didn't look closely, it would be hard to discover any traces of their presence.

Lord Bao chuckled and said in a low voice:

"Stop complaining, those guys are all waiting for someone else to be the vanguard."

Hearing this, everyone felt a deep sense of shared resonance.

After several probing attacks during the previous period, everyone had learned to be smart.

No one was a reckless hothead lacking a screw loose, so why should they foolishly run off to act as cannon fodder, charge into battle, and make wedding clothes for others?

The story of the snipe and the clam fighting each other while the fisherman benefits is something even elementary school students are familiar with.

How could people like them, who struggled in the Jianghu, fail to understand the principle behind it?

This deadlock right now, to put it bluntly, was a test of patience, comparing who could outlast whom.

Black Wolf subsequently spoke in a deep voice, pacifying the emotions of the team members:

"Wait, I don't believe those people can all hold back. At worst, we'll just wait until tomorrow morning when the people from the auction arrive, and everyone can split up and go their separate ways."

The crowd whispered among themselves for a few moments, feeling both anxious and helpless, and could only quietly wait for changes to happen.

Fang Cheng's eyes were bright, gazing motionlessly toward the manor while calculating various countermeasures in his mind.

An incomparably rich curry smell uninvitedly drilled into his nostrils.

That emanated from A-San, who was hiding nearby.

He muttered incantations in his mouth, acting as if he were praying, and from time to time raised his hand to touch his newly shaved bald head.

Obviously, he still couldn't quite adapt to this abrupt bald hairstyle, exuding an awkward vibe all over.

Fang Cheng glanced at him, furrowing his brows slightly, and moved a bit to the side.

There was no help for it; the curry smell was simply too pungent.

Furthermore, his own nose was inherently very sensitive; if he couldn't help sneezing out, his trace would be exposed.

After settling his mind slightly, Fang Cheng continued to cast his gaze toward the manor.

He took a deep breath, concentrated his energy, and turned on the Eagle Eye Vision special effect to the maximum.

Even with layers of mist and darkness blocking the way, along with the obstruction of dazzling searchlights, all the scenes inside the manor were still completely in view.

Fang Cheng carefully observed the number of guards and the patrol patterns, analyzing and capturing defensive loopholes that could be utilized.

Previously, everyone went together to the barbershop in town to get a "hairstyle makeover".

Then they drove the van to the edge of a nearby village, and after dark, sneaked into Miwu Mountain.

Originally, they were prepared to use the cover of night, wait for the right moment to sneak into the manor, and seize the target treasure.

Of course.

This so-called "opportunity" referred to waiting for other teams to engage in gunfire with the guards, and then they would take advantage of the chaos to slip in, muddy the waters, and add a few points of winning odds to the operation.

However, the situation seemingly did not develop in the direction they had anticipated.

The crowd had lurked until now without waiting for the gunfire they anticipated to ring out.

The surroundings remained as dead silent as ever.

It was as if in this foggy forest, aside from the few people in their team, there were actually no other "visitors" existing at all.

However, Fang Cheng could clearly perceive the unusual movements occurring around them.

Within a distance of several hundred meters to his left and right directions, at least two other teams were hidden, and he could even hear faint human speech and breathing sounds.

Fang Cheng furrowed his brows slightly, plotting secretly in his mind.

Since those fellows all belonged to turtles, hiding in the dark, nobody was willing to stick their head out first.

Perhaps he could slip over to the wall first, throw a big firecracker, and create a huge commotion.

Let those guys who were sitting tight think something was happening, and after luring the snake out of its hole, he would rely on extraordinary speed to flee the scene, leaving them to fire and engage in battle.

If there was no conflict, they would manufacture conflict; wouldn't the deadlock be broken this way?

After thinking about it, Fang Cheng shook his head slightly, temporarily suppressing this adventurous idea.

It was better to wait and see a bit longer; perhaps a turning point would arrive immediately.

Being impatient could never get you hot tofu; steady and solid progress was the upper strategy.

Speaking of which, among all the people harboring the same purpose and coveting the golden bumpa bottle, he was the one who could outlast others the most and saw things the most open-mindedly.

Time flowed slowly in the darkness, as if every second was stretched several times longer.

The dense mist was like a giant net, silently spreading across the mountain forest.

Wispy and thread-like, intertwining and tangling with each other, it brought bursts of dampness, allowing one's skin to truly feel that stickiness and chill.

Everything around was enveloped by this mist, and visibility was decreasing increasingly.

This Miwu Mountain truly lived up to its reputation; if an ordinary person rashly broke in, I'm afraid they would lose their direction in less than a moment.

The teammates' figures, which were originally close at hand, flickered vaguely in the haziness, adding a few more parts of tension and unease.

Only the lights in the manor stayed brightly lit all night, pricking people's eyes with pain.

It was as if it were proclaiming its majesty and inviolability to the outside world, and also as if it were provoking all ill-intentioned visitors.

Not only Fang Cheng and Black Wolf's team, but other teams hiding their tracks were all waiting for that opportunity that didn't know when it would appear, waiting for some "warrior" to show up.

Everyone was clear that acting rashly would only expose themselves and become the target of public criticism.

Therefore, they could only suppress the impulse in their hearts, suffering through this damp and cold mist and long dark night.

I don't know how long had passed, perhaps when someone was almost about to doze off,

suddenly, a voice abruptly intercepted the ears of everyone hidden in the woods.

"Friends, good evening, pardon the interruption."