Guan Yu waved his hand and said, "Why would I read it all my life? Do you even have 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms'?"
I:"……"
Guan Yu stroked his beard and said, "I've heard a lot about it in the underworld, but I've never seen it. How did they portray me?"
"Luo Guanzhong is probably coming soon. When he arrives, you can talk to him in person."
Guan Yu stood up, stretched, and asked, "What shall we eat?"
I said hesitantly, "How about we have something simple to eat first today? I have something to do later."
Guan Yu replied nonchalantly, "Sure."
I thought about it and realized it wasn't a good idea—this is Guan Yu, after all! So I said, "Never mind, let them wait. Celebrating Guan Yu's arrival is a big deal." Besides, I didn't want to be embarrassed either.
Unexpectedly, this flattery backfired, and Guan Yu's face darkened as he said, "How can I break my promise? Just go."
I slapped my forehead hard: Why is Second Master respected? In terms of fighting, he can't beat Lü Bu, and in terms of strategy, he can't beat Zhuge Liang, but it's because of his loyalty and righteousness! Looks like I'm definitely going to have to eat this chaff today.
I bowed my head repeatedly, admitting my mistake: "Yes, yes, Second Master is right. Then we..." I slapped my forehead hard, almost wanting to kick myself: With Second Master around, who would dare to mess with me? If I were to leave Second Master alive and then go and act like a grandson, would I even be human? It would be blatant disrespect for Second Master! It would be an open challenge to the readers! It would be an outrageous betrayal of history, a betrayal of heroism, and a betrayal of the spirit of wish fulfillment!
"Second Master, why don't you come with me? It's just a banquet anyway."
Guan Yu didn't care where he was going or what he was doing, so he just nodded.
We chatted for a while, and I discovered that Guan Yu actually loved to talk to people. He seemed rather arrogant, but he had a warm heart...
During the conversation, I was probably gesturing a bit too much. I felt that even Zhuge Liang couldn't have been more capable, strategizing within the command tent and winning battles a thousand miles away, annihilating Lei Laosi with a mere laugh—I suddenly remembered something very important and hurriedly asked Guan Yu, "Second Master, do I look a lot like Zhao Yun, Zhao Zilong?" I told him, I always felt that I was Zhao Yun in my past life.
Guan Yu shook his head and said, "No, I think you look more like Pang Tong."
"A brilliant strategist?" Pang Tong could also be considered one of them, as were the Crouching Dragon and the Young Phoenix.
"Thief-like eyes!" Guan Yu said this and then ignored me.
Seeing that it was about time, I stood up and said, "Second Master, let's go."
Before leaving, I did some makeup on Guan Yu, put a hat on his head, and turned up his collar to cover his beard, otherwise his features would be too obvious.
The "Da Fugui" dance hall was located on a relatively quiet street. The facade was dilapidated, and the upper half of the character "Fu" (富, meaning wealth/prosperity) no longer lit, making it appear as "Da Tian Gui" (大田贵, meaning great wealth/expensiveness) in the night. However, the number of customers here was very consistent every day—mostly Lei Laosi's men. There was no prostitution, gambling, or drugs involved; it was essentially a place for gang gatherings.
I drove my second uncle at breakneck speed, because I was afraid he'd change his mind halfway there. Once we got there, things would be easier; if a fight broke out, I didn't believe he'd stand idly by. Thinking about this, I also felt a little scared. This time, I was really outmaneuvering Guan Yu! Unlike Xiang Yu, our relationship wasn't that close. What if he turned on me afterwards…
At the entrance of Da Fu Gui, I asked one of my henchmen, who looked like a background character, "Has Boss Lei arrived yet?"
The henchman glanced at me sideways and asked, "Who are you?"
"Boss Hao sent me..."
Before I could finish speaking, the henchman led the way, saying in a menacing voice, "Follow me!"
As soon as I entered, a dozen or so henchmen surrounded me, their eyes scanning me without any restraint. I thought they were going to search me, but nothing happened. I wasn't afraid of being searched anyway; I'd already thrown a brick by the door. Attending a banquet with Guan Yu (a legendary figure known for his martial prowess), it would be beneath me to be carrying a brick in a fight. It wasn't impossible that Guan Yu might get angry and take care of me first.
The guy in front of me led me to an open space and then stepped aside, saying, "According to the rules of the underworld, you must first pay homage to Lord Guan!"
What a surprise! Such ancient family rules are still preserved? I looked up at the clay statue of Guan Yu in front of me. It was a head taller than the real Guan Yu, stroking his beard with one hand and holding the Green Dragon Crescent Blade with the other. His eyebrows were like cicadas and his face was like a red date—just like the twin behind me.
Before I could react, the henchman shoved me hard on the back and yelled, "Hurry up! How dare you disrespect Second Master!"
Although he said that, I could tell from his expression that everyone around him was watching with a smug, gossipy look on their faces. I realized that this wasn't some kind of rule; it was a way of giving me a hard time!
I couldn't care less about anything else; this was a perfect opportunity to flatter him. With a solemn expression, I slowly approached Master Ni, bowed three times respectfully, and murmured in a voice just loud enough for the person behind me to hear, "Master Ni, today we're counting on you!"
Chapter Eleven: Pork and Chicken
In my interactions with my clients from ancient times, I always made the same mistake: treating them as fools, mentally challenged, or clueless idiots. I always assumed they were less intelligent than me simply because they lived in an era without cars, telephones, or internet access. This proved to be a very serious error. The overall technological level of an era has little to do with individual abilities. If Zhuge Liang had grown up in modern society, he would at least be an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences by my age; at the very least, he wouldn't have scored only 26 points in math. Therefore, while comparing historical figures to modern people is unscientific, when such a comparison actually occurred, I, as a representative of modern people, suffered a crushing defeat and gained no face whatsoever.
I had barely finished saying those words, which only served to cover up my true intentions, when I heard Guan Yu chuckle behind me. This meant he had seen through my scheme to use someone else to do my dirty work. The old man, a veteran of countless battles, was equally adept at negotiation. He could grasp the situation with a single glance. He probably already realized that the so-called banquet was a waste of time and resources, and if Second Master were to turn around and leave now, I would be completely lost.
But Second Master is Second Master. He didn't abandon me at the crucial moment. After giving a cold laugh, he waved to his clay statue as a greeting, and then silently followed behind me.
When Lei Laosi's men saw that we were completely obedient, they thought we had given in, and their expressions immediately relaxed. They chatted and joked among themselves while leading the way, not even glancing at us again, treating us like turtles in a barrel.
As I walked further in, I was taken aback. The huge venue was cluttered with tables and chairs, and about 50 burly men with menacing faces were sitting haphazardly. Laser lights were flashing on the stage, but no one was performing. It was clear that this place wasn't usually open for business, and today it seemed like they had made a special arrangement. These 50 men were like executioners, lying in ambush right under our noses.
I was starting to have second thoughts. This was the first time I'd ever seen anything like it. In the past, even if I had something to hide when we were talking business, I'd at least pretend to be polite on the surface. But today, they were just showing off and making a scene.
I glanced behind me and chuckled. It seemed Second Master was angry. Of course, what good would it do to scare Guan Yu? It seems the more unreasonable they are, the better it is for me. I'd love for them to put up signs at the door saying "Time Travelers and Dogs Not Allowed."
A few henchmen led me to an empty table and said, "Sit down and wait."
I stepped aside respectfully and whispered, "Second Master, please." Although nominally he was one of my underlings, could I really treat Guan Yu like a subordinate? While this might be acceptable in typical wish-fulfillment novels, this is factual literature, so it has to be serious!
To my surprise, the Second Master didn't seem to care. He shook his head slightly at me and said in a low voice, "Please sit down."
I had no choice but to sit down, only to find that the thugs around me were looking at me like I was an idiot. In the underworld, style is everything, and this was probably the first time they'd ever seen someone offer their "underlings" a seat.
The table was empty; not even a cup of tea had been served, and Lei Laosi was nowhere to be seen, leaving me and Second Master waiting for quite some time. After about fifteen minutes, a middle-aged thug, around forty years old, finally emerged from the back. He immediately began greeting everyone around him, appearing quite smug. He sat down casually in front of us and asked, "What do you need?"
He was asking a question he already knew the answer to, clearly trying to test my limits. He probably thought that after setting up such a big show, it was time to reap the rewards, and if I said I was done and just left, they would be happy.
But with our Second Master standing behind me, I had plenty of confidence. I cut to the chase and said, "I'm here to settle an old score. Our boss's surname is Hao, and didn't Boss Lei owe him 5 million?"
The old thug stretched out his hand: "Let me see the IOU."
I was stunned. My worst fears had come true. This old guy reneged on his debt without saying a word. It seems he's not as honest as Lao Hao said. This gangster is just like any other scoundrel.
Seeing that I didn't speak, the old thug withdrew his hand and said with a forced smile, "What am I supposed to do without an IOU? If I give you the money, I can't explain it to my boss, can I?"