After a while, Xu Zhengyang grinned, waved his hand to summon Wang Yonggan's ghost, then held the Soul-Beating Whip in his right hand and, without saying a word, began to smash it repeatedly, muttering, "Thank you, thank you! Thank you so much! Damn it! I'll take you to try the poison in the overflowing Sanzu River later! Let's see if you dare to disobey after becoming a ghost messenger! Damn it!"
Yes, just as you expected.
Xu Zhengyang has been promoted again—to become the current City God of Fuhe City!
That year, Xu Zhengyang had just turned twenty-two.
—The Judge of Volume Three (End)
Volume Four, City God Chapter 149: The Capital, Here I Come Again
A white Audi A4 drove leisurely along the West Fourth Ring Road in Beijing. Vehicles kept passing by and speeding away.
The towering buildings lining both sides of the road, along with various signs and advertisements, still exude a strong festive atmosphere. However, the slightly congested traffic and hurried pedestrians on the side streets quickly make one forget the atmosphere of the Lantern Festival that has just passed. This is the reality of a modern metropolis, where most people don't have time to fully enjoy the joy of the festival before it's over, and they have to rush back into their busy and passionate lives.
Xu Zhengyang sat quietly in the passenger seat, looking out the window.
Even on my third visit to Beijing, I couldn't help but feel a slight, indescribable sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, mixed feelings). This place was different from Fuhe City, and worlds apart from Shuanghe Village. In Shuanghe Village, one could constantly feel the tranquil, comfortable, and leisurely atmosphere; while in Beijing, the overwhelming feeling was one of oppression and stifling, yet paradoxically, it also brought out a sense of dynamism and passion. Here, most people were like marathon runners, constantly under pressure, fueled by motivation, sprinting towards the seemingly endless finish line, striving to catch up with those ahead. There was no time to look back.
No wonder many people who live in the city for a long time like to take a trip to the countryside during their rare free time.
The feeling is definitely different.
Xu Zhengyang curled his lip. When did he become so sentimental about life? What kind of cultured person is he!
Looking at Chen Chaojiang in the driver's seat next to him, his expression remained cold and stern, his narrow eyes revealing not a trace of warmth or malice. Xu Zhengyang thought to himself, this guy probably wouldn't change his face or eyes even if you threw him onto a battlefield filled with smoke and gunfire.
On the way there, Chen Chaojiang did not ask Xu Zhengyang to drive for him for a while, nor did he ask about the route.
It was as if he knew this road very well, without feeling any sense of unfamiliarity, and without being afraid of taking the wrong turn.
Even after arriving in Beijing and entering the Fourth Ring Road, Chen Chaojiang only slightly slowed down, occasionally glancing at the road signs outside the window with his icy eyes, but didn't say a word. Xu Zhengyang had to admire Chen Chaojiang for this; after learning he was driving to Beijing, he bought a national city atlas and, relying on the limited theoretical knowledge he'd learned in driving school, managed to roughly figure out the route.
I remember once chatting with Dong Yuebu at driving school, and he said that someone who could navigate a major city using a map and get straight to their destination without taking any detours either had an incredibly easy location to find, or he was a former reconnaissance soldier. Hmm, there's another reason... good luck.
It's safe to say that even Xu Zhengyang, who had been there twice before, couldn't guarantee he could drive to the south gate of Tsinghua University just by following the road signs. So while he occasionally frowned and muttered to himself, hesitating about which exit to take and which road to take, Chen Chaojiang seemed not to hear him and continued driving.
Chen Chaojiang did it, and he even drove the car to the entrance of Zhengqiying Community.
"How did you know?" Xu Zhengyang asked, slightly surprised.
"The map is the new version; it's on it."
"Oh...I admire you, I admire you." Xu Zhengyang said seriously, but in his heart he was thinking that this guy was really a monster.
Clearly, Chen Chaojiang had never been a reconnaissance soldier, nor did he get there by luck.
"Huh? We're here?" Xu Rouyue, who had been dozing off while leaning against the car window in the back seat, woke up, rubbed her eyes, looked outside the car, and hurriedly took out her phone to call Ouyang Ying.
"Yingying, I've arrived. See you in a bit." Xu Rouyue looked excited, clearly missing her friend dearly after not seeing her for some time.
There were few pedestrians and vehicles in the residential area. The roads were wide, and the low trees on both sides, with their leaves fallen, were covered with clumps of snow like cotton balls. The lawn was also covered with patches of snow, a mix of white and green.
As Xu Rouyue said, Chen Chaojiang drove the car to the front of the eighteen-story building and stopped.
The three of them had just gotten out of the car and hadn't even had a chance to grab their things when Ouyang Ying came running excitedly out of the building with her bag in hand. She ran up to Xu Rouyue, hugged her tightly, and exclaimed, "Darling, you're finally here! I've missed you so much..."
"Yingying, I miss you too." Xu Rouyue's voice wasn't as exaggerated as Ouyang Ying's, but her face was full of happy smiles.
Xu Zhengyang was speechless, scratched his head and looked to the side.
Chen Chaojiang stared up at the eighteen-story building with a cold expression, lost in thought.
"Brother Zhengyang, Brother Chaojiang, hello!" Ouyang Ying released Xu Rouyue and greeted them, feeling slightly embarrassed by her earlier behavior, and cutely stuck out her tongue.
Xu Zhengyang smiled and said, "You haven't eaten yet, have you? Since you've come downstairs, don't go up, go eat first."
"Great! I've been waiting for you guys, I'm starving!" Ouyang Ying said with a grin, glancing at the white Audi A4. "Brother Zhengyang, you're amazing, you bought a car so quickly... and it's quite beautiful!"
"It's nothing special, please excuse my poor presentation," Xu Zhengyang waved his hand and said, "Let's go."
Ouyang Ying didn't stand on ceremony and cheerfully pulled Xu Rouyue's hand to get into the car together, saying, "The New Year is so boring. I stay at home every day, and now I'm too lazy to even drive. It's perfect to ride in your car."
Chen Chaojiang was still driving, and Xu Zhengyang was sitting in the passenger seat.
As the car drove out of the residential area, Xu Zhengyang asked, "We're not familiar with Beijing. Can you tell me what you'd like to eat?"
"Everyday Fishing Port, eat seafood!"
"Okay." Xu Zhengyang nodded with a smile.
Ouyang Ying then took Xu Rouyue's arm and said sweetly, "Rouyue, your brother is so nice, let me have him, okay..."
"Yingying." Xu Rouyue glanced at her brother, her face slightly flushed, but she was indescribably happy.
Tian Tian Fishing Port is located on North Second Street in Zhongguancun, not far from Zhengqiying Residential Area.
Upon arriving at Tian Tian Fishing Port, the four of them didn't bother asking for a private room. Ouyang Ying pulled Xu Rouyue straight to the restaurant on the first floor, chose a four-person table, and sat down by the window.
While ordering, Xu Zhengyang's phone rang. He took it out and saw it was Zhan Xiaohui calling. He smiled and gestured for the three of them to order whatever they wanted. He then picked up his phone and answered without any hesitation.
"Hello, this is Xu Zhengyang."
"My lord, have you arrived in the capital?"
"Yes, I just arrived."
"Where are you? I'll come pick you up..."
"No need, I'm eating. Is something urgent?"
"Oh, no, please eat first," Zhan Xiaohui quickly said.
"Okay, send me the company's detailed address via text message. I'll go over and take a look after I finish eating."
Okay. Alright.
After hanging up, Xu Zhengyang smiled and said, "Chaojiang and I have never eaten these things before, so we can't tell the difference between good and bad. Yingying, you and Rouyue can decide what you want to eat."
"Okay, okay, then I won't be polite, hehe." Ouyang Ying smiled as she flipped through the menu to order. Xu Rouyue simply sat next to her, looking down at the menu with her, without saying anything, but secretly feeling very happy.
The waiter standing next to him looked at Xu Zhengyang with some surprise. He thought to himself that this young man looked very young, and his appearance and clothes were ordinary. He also seemed to have never seen the world. But how come there was such a convincing air about him in his tone?
Knowing that Xu Zhengyang had things to do after the meal, Ouyang Ying didn't order a ton of abalone, shark fin, and sea cucumber. Instead, she ordered a few simple and easy-to-make dishes, then chuckled and said that was enough, and they could take the leftovers home. Xu Zhengyang also didn't act like a nouveau riche when he first came to Beijing, picking out the most expensive items from the menu. Times had changed, and his mindset was different.
Xu Zhengyang figured Zhan Xiaohui's call wasn't urgent; she probably knew he was coming to Beijing today and was just letting him know. When they spoke on the phone yesterday, Zhan Xiaohui had already arrived at the Beijing branch office ahead of them. So Xu Zhengyang didn't think much of it. He simply ate his food, smiling and occasionally chatting with Ouyang Ying, mostly listening to the two girls recount the interesting things they'd experienced during the past month apart.
Just as he was finishing his meal, Xu Zhengyang's phone rang again. He took it out and saw that it was Li Chengzong calling.
Xu Zhengyang connects to the passage:
"Brother Li, this is Zhengyang."
"Have we arrived in the capital?"
"Um."
When will you be back?
"Not necessarily, I have some things to do in the capital."
"Oh, I'm accompanying Miss to the capital tomorrow; she might want to see you."
Xu Zhengyang paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Okay, I'll contact you by phone later."
After hanging up, Xu Zhengyang didn't think much of it. Li Chengzong knew he was in the capital, which meant he must have gone to Li Bingjie's house. Before the Lantern Festival, on the tenth and twelfth of the lunar month, Li Bingjie had gone to his house, but contrary to expectations, she wasn't forcibly taken away by her father and prevented from seeing Xu Zhengyang.
"Brother Zhengyang, your logistics company has a branch in Beijing now?" Ouyang Ying asked with a smile.
"Yes, I haven't been there yet. I'll go check it out this afternoon," Xu Zhengyang said with a smile and a nod.
Ouyang Ying said with a grin, "Then shall I go and take a look too?"
"You're welcome anytime, haha." Xu Zhengyang said with a smile, "But it will have to wait a few days. The company just opened recently, and there are still some things to take care of here."
"It's a deal," Ouyang Ying said, blinking her eyes.
"Of course." Xu Zhengyang nodded with a smile. Little did he know that Ouyang Ying was genuinely trying to help Xu Zhengyang's newly opened logistics company.
After paying the bill, the four of them walked out of Tiantian Fishing Port together. Chen Chaojiang was still in the driver's seat. Xu Zhengyang waited until the two girls got into the car before walking to the right side and opening the passenger door. Just as he was about to get in, he caught a glimpse of a somewhat familiar person walking out of Tiantian Fishing Port. It was none other than Tang Jing, the Jade Hand of the Capital, with two men in black suits on either side of him.
The three men were walking in an awkward manner. Tang Jing was slightly ahead, while one of the two men on either side of him had his arm around his, and said with a smile, "After drinking so much, your wife will complain about us when we get back."
Tang Jing's face flushed slightly, and he seemed a little nervous. When he saw Xu Zhengyang, he paused for a moment, then blinked rapidly a few times before quickly turning his head away under the shoving of the person next to him. The person next to him gave Xu Zhengyang a cold glance, ignored him, and quickened his pace, pulling Tang Jing into a black Buick sedan.
Volume Four, Chapter 150: The Jade Hand and the Smiling Buddha of the Capital
As the man in the suit who was holding Tang Jing's arm looked in Xu Zhengyang's direction, Xu Zhengyang's gaze remained calm. He had already turned his attention away the moment the man noticed him, and bent down to get into the passenger seat.
After getting into the car, Xu Zhengyang hesitated for a moment, but ultimately didn't have the heart to ask Ouyang Ying and Xu Rouyue to get out and take a taxi back. He glanced at Chen Chaojiang, who seemingly casually turned his head to look at him and nodded. Although there was no trace of warmth in Chen Chaojiang's narrow eyes, Xu Zhengyang knew that Chen Chaojiang had also noticed Tang Jing and sensed that something was wrong.
So, Xu Zhengyang smiled slightly at Chen Chaojiang and nodded gently.
Chen Chaojiang started the car, paused for a moment, and then reversed the car at a slower speed than usual, as if he were a novice driver and afraid of scratching other cars while reversing.
Just as they had finished parking and were standing still, the black Buick sedan drove past them unhurriedly.
The white Audi A4 didn't wait any longer, following the black Buick sedan less than two meters behind as it left the parking lane and turned onto Zhongguancun Second Street, heading north.
Xu Zhengyang breathed a sigh of relief, hoping that the other party's driving route would pass by the entrance of Zhenglanqi Community.
Coincidences always happen in a series. Just like when I arrived in Beijing, I ran into Tang Jing while having a meal at Tiantian Fishing Port. When the black Buick sedan reached Chengfu Road, it turned left. At this time, Chen Chaojiang deliberately slowed down his car and had already separated from the Buick sedan by 20 or 30 meters. Two cars overtook the Audi and squeezed between the two cars.
As Xu Zhengyang secretly marveled at his good luck, he casually glanced at Chen Chaojiang and once again praised Chen Chaojiang in his heart.
The black Buick sedan in front wasn't driving fast, and there was nothing unusual about it. Occasionally, a car would honk its horn arrogantly and overtake it from the side, and the Buick would generously move aside slightly.
However, neither Xu Zhengyang nor Chen Chaojiang were fools. From the look Tang Jing gave them before getting into the car, they could tell that he had been forced to follow the two men into the sedan. Therefore, Xu Zhengyang and Chen Chaojiang had to follow the Buick sedan.
Putting aside Xu Zhengyang's current status, he would naturally help the victim in the event of a potential kidnapping or abduction. Just considering Tang Jing, he has a responsibility to help, because Tang Jing and Master Gu are good friends, and since the opening of Gu Xiangxuan, Tang Jing has done a lot of publicity in the antique industry.
Chen Chaojiang didn't care much about other people's business, but he knew what Xu Zhengyang was thinking, so he chose to follow without any hesitation.
As the Audi A4 approached Zhengqiying residential area, it slightly accelerated to close the distance with the Buick sedan. However, it then casually pulled up to the entrance of the residential area and drove a short distance in from the main road. After the car came to a stop, Chen Chaojiang turned his head and looked out the window at the black Buick sedan driving further and further away.
"Rouyue, Yingying, I won't take you inside. I'm in a bit of a rush and have appointments with people," Xu Zhengyang said, turning his head slightly apologetically.
Xu Rouyue was slightly surprised, but Ouyang Ying said with a smile, "It's okay, I was just thinking of buying some things. Rouyue, come on, let's go to Jiajia Supermarket." As she spoke, Ouyang Ying got out of the car and pulled Xu Rouyue, who was about to ask her brother if something had happened, out of the car.
Xu Zhengyang waved to them through the window, then turned and said, "Let's go."
Chen Chaojiang remained silent, turned the car around, and drove onto the main road of Chengfu Road.
Traffic was heavy on Chengfu Road, and the black Buick sedan was no longer in sight. Xu Zhengyang frowned and said, "Forget it, let's call the police."
"No need, I can keep up," Chen Chaojiang said coldly.
Accelerating. The white Audi A4 weaved through the dense traffic, and Xu Zhengyang silently chose to believe Chen Chaojiang.