The Second Department Provincial City Chapter 31: Whitewashing is a difficult task

  Yi Tian Xing didn't expect Yuan Ye was still waiting outside, walked down the stairs and lightly knocked on the car window.

  Yuan Ye is actually a down-to-earth person. Although he has been involved in the underworld, he is naturally a ruthless and cunning individual. However, after being taken in by Old Master Gu from back then, he became devoted to him with all his heart, loyal and unwavering. To Yuan Ye, Yi Tian Xing was the mysterious and surname-less third young master of the Gu family; a young student who seemed ordinary at first glance yet somehow inspired inexplicable fear.

  He had been sitting in the driver's seat, lost in thought, when he suddenly saw Yi Tianxing standing by his car window, and couldn't help but jump in fright.

  "Uncle Yuan, why haven't you left yet?" Yi Tianxing asked calmly. Just as Yuan Ye was about to speak, he was stopped by Yi Tianxing and got into the car. The car drove to a secluded place before Yi Tianxing signaled him to continue.

  Yuan Ye looked at the young man's straight eyebrows and bright eyes, hesitated for a moment, then said: "There are still some things to ask Young Master."

  "Just call me Tian Xing then." Yi Tian Xing adjusted his patience accordingly.

  "Today, brothers have already booked a room at Jingu Holiday Village and are ready to entertain you, Young Master."

  Young master? Reception? Brothers? Resort?" Yi Tianxing heard a string of unfamiliar terms, but his mind began to expand outward, thinking that the so-called reception banquet must have some beautiful wine ladies and whatnot. His patience had reached its limit. At this point, he finally regretted making an appointment with the old fox. It seemed like he owed someone a favor back then, but now it looked like he was the one suffering - he didn't want to bear this somewhat annoying reputation. He was about to scold the middle-aged man in front of him, but seeing his respectful expression, he couldn't open his mouth. Thinking of this made him resent the old fox even more. When he went downstairs, he wore a wrinkled t-shirt and had to ask Yuan Ye for two dollars, then went to a small convenience store on the side of the road to make a call to Gao Yang County.

  ……

  ……

  The old man seemed to have anticipated that he would call back.

  "Is there anything you're not used to?"

  "I'm extremely unaccustomed to this." Yi Tianxing said with a heavier tone, his voice cold.

  The old man on the other end of the phone chuckled like a fox and said, "Even if you are a dragon's son, now you're just muddling along in the mundane world. These things must be experienced, they will temper your heart."

  "A sharp sword cannot be honed by itself, I am born to be." Yi Tianxing's hand holding the microphone tightened slightly. "You immediately tell your subordinates to keep a distance from me. The agreement we reached is that I borrow your name, and in the future if something happens, I won't take direct action to avoid exposure, but instead let them help me. But it didn't say that I must tolerate a big man driving a small sedan following me every day, not to mention even kindergarten students can see that this big man is suspicious."

  "Get used to it." The old man's tone slowed down, and he began to preach, "Yuan Ye is actually a loyal and honest person. Moreover, although the underworld has a bad reputation, its inner workings are quite complex. Having such a loyal and honest person by your side can also bring you some benefits."

  "What era is it now, do I still need a loyal servant?" Yi Tian's teeth were itching, and he couldn't wait to use his divine speed to rush back to Gaoyang County and slap this old fox's head with one palm. "Besides, what benefits can I get? I always feel like you've set me up somehow."

  "It's not just a matter of saying it, I really intended to hand over the provincial city business to you... or at least let you help me take care of it." The old master's voice suddenly became gloomy. "Don't think I'm joking around. My son died in '84, leaving two grandsons. The older one was actually quite clever, and if I handed over the provincial city business to him, I'd be at ease. Unfortunately, he's too clever for his own good, and after seeing through the depths of the province, he refused to budge from the city, no matter what. As for the younger one, he's got plenty of drive, but in society, you need to use your brain, not just your fists."

  Yi Tian Xing thought of the reckless guy who rushed into the study with a hunting rifle and smiled in agreement with the old fox's words, then asked: "But what does this have to do with me? I don't think that just because we've met twice, you can trust me enough."

  The old man thought for a moment, then decided to tell the truth: "I've made enough money. In fact, people who mix in this circle don't want to quit, but they have too many people's blood on their hands, too many lives lost, and no way out. I'm retiring to the county town now, while I'm still alive, other forces in the provincial city still fear me a little, my younger brothers under me can still eat a stable meal, but once I completely quit or die, my two grandsons won't take over or can't take over, what about these people under me? So I chose you, not to give you a big gift, but to ask for your help, to find a backing for the young men under me."

  Yi Tianxing lazily replied: "I am not a compassionate Bodhisattva, nor do I have a thousand hands. How can I possibly grant every request? Moreover, I don't have that kind of ability."

  The old master chuckled and said, "My second grandson is only good at wielding knives and guns, of course he's not up to the task. After all, he's still a mortal with a physical body, and if someone shoots him, he'll still die. But you're different, you're like a living Buddha, I don't believe those crude city guns can threaten you."

  Yitian Xing put the microphone to his ear, asked the shop owner for a bottle of water, and said while drinking: "Then I'm just one of your guns, what's in it for me?"

  "When making demands, don't be too naked." The old man's words really carried a hint of moral integrity, "Aren't you preparing to start a junk collection company? What's the benefit of that? If you agree to take over this business for me, I'll have my lawyer sign a contract with you tomorrow and transfer a few companies to your name to play around."

  Yitian smiled and then immediately frowned, saying: "But I don't think this cake has much attraction."

  The old man on the other side also frowned: "Is picking up trash really your hobby?"

  An old man and a young boy, separated by hundreds of kilometers of telephone lines, acted out a frowning drama.

  "It's not a hobby, it's a habit." Yi Tianxing corrected.

  "Bad living habits need to be changed." The old man corrected.

  "How can I see anything wrong?" Yi Tianxing said with a bad tone.

  "You're living in a dormitory now, do you want your roommates to smell your stench every day? Remember, the dorm is not your private den. Most importantly, why are you so eager to make money instead of focusing on studying and doing well in university?... Understand?

  Before he could respond, Old Master Gu continued with a serious tone, "That little girl's name is Lele, right? Although young people these days prioritize love above all else, it's still important to consider the opinions of your parents."

  Yi Tian Xing was slightly startled, and listened quietly, seemingly not detecting any threatening tone, before smiling faintly and responding: "Could it be that the Black Way is more capable of giving face to one's parents than the Broken Path?"

  The old man sighed and said: "The underworld can also be whitewashed. If you can do it well, isn't that a contribution to society?"

  "Eggs can't be pulled like that." Yi Tianxing sneered, "This heaven-defying great undertaking, I don't have the skills for it. Think about it, back then Wei Gongzi was such a high and mighty figure, but in the end he couldn't even whitewash the Tiandihui, let alone someone as insignificant as me."

  Although he said that, Yi Tianxing also had some doubts in his heart. If his subordinates could really have a few small companies to make money, it would definitely be much faster than forming a "Pan Provincial City Waste Picking Alliance", but on the one hand, he didn't quite trust the old fox, and on the other hand, he indeed had a natural aversion to doing unconventional business with the underworld.

  "Think again." The old man was silent for a while, then said, "Life is but a fleeting moment of several decades, and it passes in the blink of an eye. You're young, you should know better than I do how to enjoy life. This thing called life, what's being played isn't the heartbeats, but freedom, and freedom requires power as its guarantee. You have great abilities, I can't give you more power, all I can offer is a stage, let's just say it's a game."

  "The reason is still insufficient, you know I am a suspicious person." Yi Tianxing said calmly.

  "You're the only one. The reason I chose you, and not someone else, is that... in this world, I've only found one person with abilities like mine, and your abilities are far stronger than mine. Many years ago, I started this game relying on my own strength, so why can't you?"

  The two words "game" had some impact on Yitian Xing.

  He remained silent for a long time before responding: "If I agree with you, will you mind what I do?"

  The old man's tone was somewhat unable to conceal his surprise, "Of course not, you can turn the sky upside down, I don't care." He sneered: "Anyway, I'm in the county town, hundreds of kilometers away from your place, it's impossible to put the bill on my head."

  Yitianxing smiled and said, "Then don't interfere with how I play anymore. Don't cry in the future. But don't think I'll agree to you, I hate rascals. At most, when there's nothing going on, I'll go help you see if your family's wealth has been eyed by anyone."

  An old and young man laughed and scolded each other for a few more sentences, then Yi Tianhang said something about when to go to the Temple of Return, and they exchanged hypocritical greetings before hanging up the phone. Yi Tianhang habitually put the empty mineral water bottle into his pocket, planning to sell it later, but suddenly thought that from now on, he would have to start learning to play the role of a legal representative, this hobby of collecting scraps could only be done in his spare time.