Chapter 81

When Zhao Zhu held Zhu Wanqi's hand and walked out of Hangzhou Airport, Fan Pian had been waiting for a long time.

Upon meeting, Fan Pian hugged Zhao Zhu. Although the two had some minor conflicts in the mission world, Fan Pian had given Zhao Zhu a parachute pack at the beginning, and Zhao Zhu had given Fan Pian an injection to help him complete the last task. This could be considered a good start and end. As for the part where Zhao Zhu deliberately led the mutants towards Fan Pian, anyone would have done the same, so they didn't particularly hold it against each other. At least at this moment, their relationship was still quite good, much better than with others in the group. Moreover, as long as there was no conflict of interest, they could still trust each other to some extent.

This was what was known as networking. Sometimes, the connections within the group were even more useful than those in real society, because as long as someone was a veteran and still alive, they possessed terrifying power and influence. Due to each person's different enhancements, they had truly become experts in their respective fields.

"Hello, sister-in-law." After greeting Zhao Zhu, Fan Pian greeted Zhu Wanqi.

Since this was Zhao Zhu's first time bringing her to meet his friends, Zhu Wanqi was a bit shy about the "sister-in-law" title. Her face turned red, and she seemed a bit uneasy.

Seeing this, Fan Pian understood that this woman was probably not in a serious relationship with Zhao Zhu. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been so naive.

After getting into the car, Fan Pian drove to his teahouse in the West Lake area. The three of them chatted casually in the car, and soon they arrived at their destination. Zhao Zhu and Fan Pian got out of the car first.

"Quite interesting, opening a teahouse here." Zhao Zhu looked at the ancient and elegant building in front of him. Indeed, with the West Lake and the pagoda nearby, it was a very pleasant place to enjoy tea.

"Ha ha, I made some money from making drugs in the past, so I bought a teahouse to launder the money. Actually, the area around the West Lake is quite俗气 (vulgar), and not very interesting. Come on, the first and second floors are for business, and the third floor is for VIP accommodation, all personally decorated by me. I guarantee you'll be satisfied."

By the time the two were talking, Zhu Wanqi had just gotten out of the car, so she didn't hear the part about making drugs and laundering money. At this point, Zhao Zhu and Zhu Wanqi followed Fan Pian up to the third floor. When they opened the room, the interior decoration was indeed unique, as if they had stepped into an ancient woman's boudoir. Fan Pian had indeed put a lot of thought into it.

"A bit too feminine, isn't it?" Zhao Zhu teased, "Would a man be able to get used to staying here without a female companion?"

"Even a man would be fine, staying here waiting for Lady White to visit at night." Fan Pian replied with a teasing tone.

"Brother Zhu, this room is really beautiful." Zhu Wanqi said, holding Zhao Zhu's arm.

"Um, if you like it, that's good. Go take a shower first. It's not early, so get ready to rest. I still have some things to talk about with him. Wait for me to come back tonight." Zhao Zhu touched Zhu Wanqi's cheek.

"Okay, come back early." Zhu Wanqi obediently went into the room.

"Shall we go down for tea, or take a walk by the West Lake?" Fan Pian asked.

"Let's take a walk by the West Lake. I've been sitting on the plane and want to stretch my legs."

...

Hangzhou, even in the scorching summer, always brought a touch of coolness. There weren't many people out for a night tour of the West Lake, but it wasn't empty either. Most of them were couples, and it was very rare to see two men walking together like Zhao Zhu and Fan Pian. Of course, it wasn't impossible, as the era was becoming more open.

"Some things are better appreciated from a distance. I remember when I was a student and came to Hangzhou for the first time, I visited the Leifeng Pagoda and almost got a stomachache from holding it in." Zhao Zhu said with a smile.

"Ha ha, that's right. The Leifeng Pagoda is just a pile of ruins now, just a heap of broken bricks. The Leifeng Pagoda we see now is a modern building made of steel and concrete, with elevators inside. If it weren't for the continuous playing of 'A Thousand Years of Waiting' in the scenic area, it wouldn't have any of the original Leifeng Pagoda's charm."

"Actually, it's easy to understand why Lady White couldn't escape from under the Leifeng Pagoda. The reason is simple: the Leifeng Pagoda is made of steel and concrete, so Lady White couldn't break out."

"Ha ha ha ha... That's right, that's right."

The two men laughed heartily by the West Lake at night. As they laughed, Fan Pian took a wooden box out of his pocket and handed it to Zhao Zhu.

"These are magic cards. Take a look and see if they suit you."

The wooden box was very exquisite, and the box itself could be considered a work of art. When Zhao Zhu opened the box, his expression changed. Inside was a stack of cards, emitting a spiritual force that moved him. At that moment, Zhao Zhu felt his spirit was like a magnet, and the cards were resonating with him.

"This thing seems to need to be bonded with its owner," Fan Pian reminded him.

"Oh, do I need to drip blood?"

"No, not that. You just need to hold the cards in your palm and leave your spiritual imprint on them. It should be quick and simple. I can't afford to give you something that requires a blood bond."

Zhao Zhu nodded, held the cards in his palm, and began to focus his spiritual energy. At that moment, he felt a connection with the cards. The cards actively communicated and bonded with his spirit. The process was simple, like a long-time bachelor and a long-widowed beauty coming together naturally.

With a thought, a string of cards flew up and circled around Zhao Zhu, shimmering with a mysterious light. This seemed to be a defensive mode, and the cards were actively forming this pattern.

Then, Zhao Zhu pointed at a willow tree by the West Lake. One card stopped and returned immediately. After a few seconds, the distant willow tree split into two.

"Much more convenient and powerful than a gun, and it consumes much less spiritual and mental energy." Zhao Zhu was very satisfied. "This gift is quite heavy."

"Even heavier than my life."

Since Fan Pian said that, Zhao Zhu didn't hesitate and put the cards in his pocket.

"Alright, you should go back and spend some time with your beautiful wife." Fan Pian smiled mischievously. "I'll show you around the West Lake properly tomorrow."

"Um, it's not early, let's go back."

Back at the teahouse on the third floor, Zhao Zhu used the room card to open the door. Then, he stopped. He saw that the person sitting by the bed was not his girlfriend Zhu Wanqi, but a long-haired woman in a plain cheongsam. She was sitting sideways on the bed, her figure graceful, but her face was not very clear, as if there was a layer of mist blocking it.

If it weren't for the jade hairpin on her head, Zhao Zhu would have thought it was a ghost from the West Lake. Of course, it was a ghost.

Perhaps the jade hairpin had already merged with him and become a tattoo, or perhaps it had warned him several times in dangerous situations. In any case, he was no longer as frightened as the first time he saw the jade hairpin manifest, and he seemed... quite calm.

Seeing the woman sitting there, not looking at him, Zhao Zhu didn't trouble himself and went directly to the bathroom to take a shower. The bathroom was also uniquely decorated, with the bathtub designed like a wooden tub, surrounded by various petals, and paintings of court ladies on the walls. If a single man stayed here, the teahouse would likely arrange some special services, but since Zhao Zhu was with a female companion, it wasn't necessary.

As he sat in the wooden tub, from the misty steam, Zhao Zhu saw a graceful figure. It was the cheongsam woman who had been sitting by the bed. She didn't open the door but appeared in the bathroom.

The woman slowly took off her cheongsam and walked behind Zhao Zhu. Zhao Zhu didn't move or panic. Then, he felt a cold hand on his shoulder, starting to massage him.

Comfortable... really comfortable. This massage wasn't on his body but on his soul. Zhao Zhu felt his soul being deeply relaxed and stretched.