Chapter 302 It is obvious that what the young master said is correct

Lu Chengwen was taken aback for a moment and thought to himself, "Is this guy nuts?"

"I'm here berating myself, saying I'm... well, you know, and then you chime in with 'Me too'? Really?"

"Who actively seeks out situations like this? Yeah, you're definitely something else!"

Just as Lu Chengwen was about to hurl some insults, he noticed Hua Xue's expression—her brows were tightly furrowed, and her hands were already in a combat stance.

Lu Chengwen's heart skipped a beat!

"Xue? Could it be that this idiot is a martial artist? And a strong one at that?"

Suppressing his impulse to start cursing, Lu Chengwen adjusted his tone and said flatly,

"Sir…"

The man nodded, "Your subordinate, King of Bandit Suppression, greets the Young Master!"

Lu Chengwen thought to himself, "Great. Just great. This couldn't be better."

Then, recalling his recent encounter with Luo Shiyin and deducing that Long Aotian was also at this market, Lu Chengwen began to piece things together.

Looking at the white rose in the man's hand, Lu Chengwen said, "You're pretty sharp."

The Bandit Suppression King smiled slightly, "Seeing so many people here with white roses, I was a bit confused. But I asked the event organizers, and they told me all the white roses were sponsored by the Young Master. So, I followed the trail here."

Lu Chengwen thought to himself,

"No matter what, I absolutely can't let him meet Long Aotian!"

"If this guy can make Hua Xue so tense and serious, he must be extraordinarily powerful."

"And Long Aotian and his followers are nearby. I need to get this guy out of here first."

Lu Chengwen said, "Xue, take him to the car first. I have some things to take care of."

As he spoke, he shot a glance at Hua Xue.

Hua Xue understood his intentions immediately and, having heard Lu Chengwen's inner calculations, played along flawlessly. She escorted the Bandit Suppression King out.

Once they were gone, Lu Chengwen patted his chest, feeling relieved.

Then, he walked into the market, searching for any trace of Long Aotian.

Sure enough, he found the sneaky figure of Long Aotian lingering near a spice vendor's stall.

Lu Chengwen blended into the crowd, quietly approaching him.

Long Aotian, unaware that his junior brother was hiding behind a nearby pillar, gritted his teeth and thought he should give it another shot.

Someone passed by Long Aotian and glanced at him. Long Aotian deliberately leaned closer and whispered, "Am I an idiot?"

The person looked at Long Aotian, then quickly walked away.

Long Aotian felt incredibly frustrated. Looking at the bustling crowd around him, he was absolutely livid.

Lu Chengwen started to catch on.

He covered part of his face, stepping halfway out of the corner.

Long Aotian noticed Lu Chengwen's figure and, judging by his stance, assumed he was a martial artist.

He approached cautiously and whispered, "Brother, am I an idiot?"

Lu Chengwen held back his laughter and lifted his head. "Senior Brother?"

Long Aotian was startled, feeling utterly embarrassed. "Oh, hey, Chengwen… Uh… What brings you to a place like this?"

Lu Chengwen smiled, "Oh, nothing much. Just wandering around, grounding myself a bit. Big Brother, you… haha, what's going on with you?"

Long Aotian was beyond exasperated. "Oh, uh, nothing, really. Just, you know… hanging out… for fun…"

Lu Chengwen chuckled. "Big Brother, something's clearly on your mind!"

Long Aotian froze for a moment before forcing a smile. It was an awkward situation.

"Sigh, Junior Brother, I'll be honest with you. I'm here to meet up with a partner for a collaboration. But the rendezvous code… it's so damn ridiculous. I just…"

Lu Chengwen picked up a megaphone from the spice stall. "Big Brother, there are so many people here. If you approach them one by one, you'll be at it forever."

He handed the megaphone to Long Aotian. "Use this. Shout the code a few times, and your partner will come to you."

Long Aotian stared at the megaphone.

He looked at the megaphone, then at Lu Chengwen, then back at the megaphone.

"This… wouldn't this be… too high-profile?"

Lu Chengwen replied, "Your rendezvous code is known only to you and your partner. What's so high-profile about that?"

Long Aotian nodded, "I…"

Lu Chengwen patted him on the shoulder. "Senior Brother, I've got work to do at the company, so I'll leave you to it. Catch up later, yeah?"

As he turned to leave, Lu Chengwen could barely contain his laughter.

"And you call yourself the protagonist! Pah!"

Long Aotian stood amidst the crowd, holding the megaphone. He turned it on, adjusted the volume, and said into it, "I am…"

Everyone turned to look at him.

Long Aotian's face flushed red. He couldn't bring himself to say it.

He psyched himself up. "Come on, come on! You've got to overcome yourself. Believe in yourself!"

"I am…"

Long Aotian still couldn't get the words out.

The people around him started shouting:

"Are you nuts?"

"What the hell are you trying to say?"

"Just spit it out already!"

Meanwhile, Lu Chengwen, sitting in the car, burst into laughter as he watched the scene unfold.

The car started moving.

The Bandit Suppression King handed Lu Chengwen a bank card. "Young Master, here are the funds I brought for you."

Lu Chengwen accepted the card and passed it to Hua Xue.

"Tell me about yourself in detail."

The Bandit Suppression King smiled slightly. "I am the Bandit Suppression King. I have officially severed ties with my previous organization. From today on, I am your subordinate."

Lu Chengwen nodded. "Very well."

"But there are three things about me that I need to make clear to you."

"Oh?" Lu Chengwen smirked. "This is getting interesting. I like people with character. Only those with real skills can have character. Speak."

The Bandit Suppression King looked confident. "First, I won't constantly bow or kowtow. I'm not a servant or a lackey—I'm a retainer. I'll follow orders, not arbitrary commands. I can't always stick by your side, flattering you. However, the moment you have a task for me, I'll give it my all and execute it without hesitation."

Lu Chengwen nodded. "I've got plenty of flatterers and hangers-on. I don't lack those types. No problem with that."

"Second, if you confirm to take me under your wing, I request never to part ways! I once swore to serve only one master in this life. Now that I've left the organization, if I join you, I'll pledge my loyalty to you alone, without questioning east or west."

"No one else can give me orders, not even your close relatives. I will only follow your commands. As for the others, I will neither give them face nor obey them."

Lu Chengwen nodded. "Fair enough. Efficient and straightforward—I like that."

The Bandit King breathed a sigh of relief, clearly loosening his psychological guard.

"And the last condition... it's a bit..."

"Just say it."

"Yes." The Bandit King said, "When I was with the organization, my fixed monthly salary was 100,000 HuaXia coins. I got allowances for missions and bonuses upon completion. Here, I'd like my salary raised by 50%, which means 150,000 a month."

Before Lu Chengwen could respond, he quickly added, "I know it's rude for a newcomer to make such demands, but that's my style—putting everything on the table up front."

"Moreover, I guarantee my abilities are absolutely worth the price."

Lu Chengwen smiled.

He just stared at him.

The Bandit King started feeling a little insecure under his gaze and awkwardly said, "If the young master doesn't trust me, you can give me a task first. Check my efficiency, and we can revisit the salary afterward. But there's one thing—I only accept cash, no transfers."

Lu Chengwen burst out laughing. "You're such a petty man."

The Bandit King's heart sank, thinking the deal was about to fall apart.

Unexpectedly, Lu Chengwen said, "What's the point of just 50%? I'll double it—200,000 a month salary. Plus, I'll get you a car. Tell me which neighborhood you like, and I'll gift you a house there."

"Also, you'll have free access to all hotels under the Xiangyun Group. Stay as long as you want; put it on my tab. Someone will settle the bill for you regularly."

Lu Chengwen looked at him. "Any other requests? Spit them out all at once."

The Bandit King was overjoyed.

Lu Chengwen could tell he was excited.

Not only could he escape the oppressive rule of the organization and gain a relatively freer work environment, but he also got double the pay and a huge fortune!

This... was simply too good to be true!

But he tried to control his emotions. "The young master truly embodies generosity and grandeur. From now on, I'll follow only you, through fire and water, without hesitation, facing dangers without complaint. Even if I have to endure a thousand cuts and—"

"Alright, alright. You're here to make money for me, not to get yourself cut into pieces."

"Yes, yes. The young master is indeed a remarkable figure of this generation."

Lu Chengwen said, "Hand over your phone. Xue Ning, give him a new one."

Then he turned to the Bandit King. "From now on, your contacts will only need one number—mine. Remember, if you follow me, I'll ensure you live a life ten times, no, a hundred times better than in the organization. But if you betray me..."

"Don't worry, young master! I'll take my own life before that happens!"

"Good man." Lu Chengwen extended his hand toward Hua Xue Ning, who pouted and pulled out a wad of US dollars.

"Another stack."

"This is the last one!"

Lu Chengwen chuckled. "I know, just hand it over."

Hua Xue Ning hesitated but pulled out another stack of dollars.

Lu Chengwen handed the money to the Bandit King. "Take this as spending cash. It's a welcome gift, not part of your salary."

"Young master, this... this is too much!"

"I think it's too little," Lu Chengwen said. "My men never live in poverty."

Lu Chengwen lowered the car's private window and instructed Zhao Gang, "Zhao Gang, accompany the Bandit King this afternoon. Help him pick out a car and then take him to choose a house. Once he's made his choice, ask Jiang Shihan to transfer the funds."

"Yes, Boss Lu. Don't worry; leave it to me."

The Bandit King was over the moon. "Young master, you are truly my reborn parent, a second father. From now on, I, the Bandit King, will follow Boss Lu to the ends of the earth... Wait, Boss Lu? Huh?"

Lu Chengwen looked at him with a smile. "Is there a problem?"

The Bandit King glanced at the two wads of cash in his hands, then at Hua Xue Ning, who was glaring at him like a hawk. Finally, he looked at Lu Chengwen's half-smiling expression.

His eyes darted around. "No problem!"

Lu Chengwen said, "Get out. Go back to the market. There's a guy there shouting nonsense with a loudspeaker—go beat him up. Remember, hit him and run. He has backup nearby, so don't let them catch you."

"Oh, what does he look like?"

"He... looks like an idiot. It's pretty obvious."

"Got it."

Lu Chengwen said, "This is your first task. It's also a test. Do it well, and you'll immediately receive 5 million as a relocation allowance. If not, you can go back to wherever you came from. Don't waste everyone's time."

The Bandit King looked at the dollars in his hands again. "Young master, wait here. I'll be right back!"

The Bandit King got out of the car. Hua Xue Ning tilted her head and asked thoughtfully, "Master, did you send him to beat up Tian'er?"

Lu Chengwen smiled. "Tian'er had it coming."

Hua Xue Ning sighed. "Poor Tian'er."

Lu Chengwen said, "Zhao Gang, go back him up. Xue Ning and I will take a stroll."

"Yes, Boss Lu."

The Bandit King returned to the farmers' market, worried he wouldn't find the target.

But then he saw a man standing on a cement platform, holding a loudspeaker. He seemed to be gathering his courage to make an important speech, already surrounded by a crowd.

The Bandit King smirked. "The young master was right. He's obvious."