Chapter 199: The action can begin

Meanwhile, on the other side, at the west end of Biyou Village, Zhuge Qing arrived at Fu Rong's residence. He stood at the doorway and began to talk incessantly about his feelings of love at first sight for Fu Rong, expressing his admiration with great emotion.

She wished she could immediately kick this uninvited guest out, but Zhuge Qing, acting like a thick-skinned person, sat down on a nearby stool of his own accord.

"Eh?" Zhuge Qing's gaze fixed on the dough on the table. "You can make noodles too?"

"That's right!" Fu Rong put her hands on her hips, her tone carrying a hint of pride.

"Then make me a bowl of noodles," Zhuge Qing seized the opportunity to suggest.

Fu Rong sneered: "Sure, five hundred a bowl." She deliberately raised the price, thinking this would be enough to send this guy packing.

However, to her surprise, Zhuge Qing didn't say a word and pulled money directly from his pocket. "Alright, then one bowl it is." A triumphant smile hung on his face.

Fu Rong looked at the cash in front of her, momentarily speechless. She hadn't expected this person to actually be willing to spend so much money on a bowl of noodles.

"Mobile transfer, no cash accepted," Fu Rong said, looking at the bills in Zhuge Qing's hand.

Zhuge Qing rested his chin on his hand with a slightly cunning smile: "If you want my contact information, just say so."

Upon hearing this, Fu Rong was speechless. This person really was pushing his luck, but since the money had already arrived, she could only fulfill her promise. Soon, a steaming bowl of noodles was placed in front of Zhuge Qing.

"Really delicious," Zhuge Qing took a bite and praised sincerely.

Fu Rong gave a cold snort: "Hypocritical man, I suppose you're like this with every woman? Just saying a few sweet words to try and please people."

"Absolutely not!" Zhuge Qing immediately put down his chopsticks, his expression serious. "I can swear to the heavens that in this life, I have only ever been like this with you."

Fu Rong looked at his sincere eyes and didn't know how to react for a moment. This person who had suddenly intruded into her life seemed different from the frivolous playboy she had imagined.

Time passed unknowingly until evening. Night fell over Biyou Village, and Zhang Chulan found Wang Ye, who was out for a walk. Under the moonlight, the two men's shadows stretched long on the ground.

"Who was the person you fought with today?" Zhang Chulan asked straight to the point.

Wang Ye's expression was calm, his attitude firm: "I told you, it was a problem with my own cultivation."

Seeing him still so insistent, Zhang Chulan stopped pressing the topic. He turned to ask: "Have you joined Biyou Village?"

"No," Wang Ye's reply was equally brief.

"Then what about Zhuge Qing? Did he join?" Zhang Chulan continued to press.

Wang Ye shook his head: "I don't know about that; you can go ask him yourself."

Zhang Chulan looked at Wang Ye's expression and understood that he wouldn't get anything out of this topic, so he changed the subject again.

"Have you considered joining our ranks as a Temporary Worker?" Zhang Chulan asked tentatively.

Wang Ye's answer was very direct: "Didn't I say it before? The Company's business has nothing to do with me."

"Then what about Zhuge Qing?" Zhang Chulan's tone carried a hint of deeper meaning. "Aren't you worried that Ma Xianhong has some conspiracy against him?"

This sentence made Wang Ye fall into deep thought. The night breeze blew, lifting the hem of his clothes. He had indeed not considered this problem; Zhuge Qing's feelings for Fu Rong could potentially be exploited by Ma Xianhong, which was indeed a fear.

After a long while, Wang Ye finally spoke: "What you said is not without reason." He paused. "Fine, I will intervene when necessary, but that does not mean I am joining you."

Zhang Chulan nodded, a faint, imperceptible smile appearing on his face. This was what he wanted to confirm—at a critical moment, Wang Ye could stand on their side. For the upcoming action plan, this promise was enough.

What Zhang Chulan and Wang Ye did not know was that on a hill not far from them, Lin Xuan, Xiao Bai, and Xiao Qing were quietly watching them. Although the night was deep, their similar silhouettes could still be clearly seen.

"Benefactor, guess what they are discussing?" Xiao Qing asked curiously.

Xiao Bai shook her head elegantly. "It's too far to hear any sound. But it looks like they are trying to recruit that little Daoist, right?"

Xiao Qing took a bite of the sweet potato in her hand and immediately frowned: "The sweet potatoes here aren't good either." She looked into the distance, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. "I'm really looking forward to the performance that follows; I wonder what kind of exciting scene it will be."

"No rush, no rush," Lin Xuan smiled indifferently, his gaze carrying a hint of deep meaning. "The good show is about to begin."

The moonlight spilled onto the three of them, stretching their shadows long. After this calm night, Biyou Village was about to face a storm. But for Lin Xuan and the others, the good show about to unfold was perhaps one of the purposes of their trip.

"Have you seen the Divine Machine Hundred Refinements?" Zhang Chulan suddenly asked. "What kind of Strange Skill is it?" His tone was filled with intense curiosity.

Wang Ye pondered for a moment and shook his head: "It's hard to describe. I can only say it is a magical thing, something I have never seen before." He stretched his back. "If you want to know, go find out yourself; I believe you will find an opportunity soon." After saying this, he turned and left, his figure gradually disappearing into the night.

Zhang Chulan did not stay where he was either. When he returned to his residence, Wang Zhenqiu, Xiao Zizai, Lao Meng, and Feng Baobao had already been waiting for a long time.

"Where did you go just now?" Wang Zhenqiu asked.

"Walking around the village to see if I could discover any new situations," Zhang Chulan sat down, his expression grave. "The action can begin."

Wang Zhenqiu nodded, a trace of gravity flashing in his eyes. After these days of preparation, they were finally going to take action against Biyou Village; no one knew what kind of chain reaction this operation would trigger.

"The first step of the action is to go see Ma Xianhong," Zhang Chulan looked around at the Temporary Workers in the room. "Is anyone willing to go with me?"

However, the others' reactions were very cold. Wang Zhenqiu hinted: "I have no interest in this Ma Xianhong, and besides, I'm not good at interpersonal interactions, so I can't be bothered to go."

Zhang Chulan turned his gaze toward Xiao Zizai and the others, but the latter's expressions were all indifferent, as if they didn't want to pay any attention.

Zhang Chulan turned helplessly to Feng Baobao: "Then let the two of us go."

The next morning, as the morning light just spilled onto the roofs of Biyou Village, Zhang Chulan brought Feng Baobao to Ma Xianhong's residence.

Regarding their visit, Ma Xianhong seemed not surprised at all, welcoming them into the house with a gentle smile hanging on his face.

"You two, are you getting used to living in the village?"

Ma Xianhong picked up a cup of strong tea and took a light sip; from him, Zhang Chulan felt a kind of coldness deep in his bones.

Beside him, Feng Baobao imitated Ma Xianhong's movements and began to drink tea in a proper manner.