Chapter 201: Who Are You Actually Helping?

"Aren't you afraid I'll bring people to smash your furnace?" Zhang Chulan said suddenly, his tone carrying a hint of probing.

Ma Xianhong's expression turned cold in an instant, his voice laced with chill: "You can try." His gaze swept over Zhang Chulan, "My Upper Root Vessels aren't pushovers either."

"Just a joke, don't take it seriously." Zhang Chulan hurriedly waved his hands, revealing a relaxed smile, "Since I've seen the Cultivation Furnace, there's nothing else to do."

After saying this, he pulled Feng Baobao, who still wanted to gnaw on the furnace, and turned to leave. The backs of the two gradually disappeared at the attic entrance.

"You kid had better not stir up trouble." Ma Xianhong watched the direction they left in and whispered. Although his voice was soft, the warning implied within it was very clear.

The attic returned to silence, leaving only the Cultivation Furnace emitting a faint metallic luster, silently witnessing this conversation with its undercurrents.

On a country path, Zhang Chulan and Feng Baobao walked side by side.

"Zhang Chulan, that furnace just now was so hard, it made my teeth uncomfortable." Feng Baobao said while walking, seemingly still savoring the feeling of gnawing on the furnace.

Zhang Chulan shook his head helplessly: "Of course it's hard, what else would it be, soft?"

Just as they were talking, they encountered several villagers drinking by the side of the road. Feng Baobao's eyes lit up; remembering that Zhang Chulan had said to get closer to the villagers, she walked straight over.

"I want to drink too." Feng Baobao sat down with a thud.

Seeing it was a young girl, the villagers originally wanted to dissuade her, but they couldn't resist Feng Baobao's enthusiasm, cup after cup.

Seeing Feng Baobao could drink so well, the villagers immediately laughed: "Didn't expect you little lass to be so small, yet drink so heartily."

"Fine! Since you're so forthright, we uncles can't be any less so, bottoms up!"

Before they knew it, the villagers had all collapsed onto the table, drunk and unconscious. Yet Feng Baobao remained sitting straight, her expression as usual, as if what she had just drunk was plain water.

"Sister Bao'er, your alcohol tolerance is truly good." Zhang Chulan looked at the drunks all over the ground and couldn't help but sigh, "Perhaps you don't even know what being drunk is like."

Feng Baobao tilted her head to look at him, looking blank: "What is being drunk?"

"Nothing." Zhang Chulan was just about to take Feng Baobao away when his phone suddenly rang.

"Fourth Brother? What is it?" Zhang Chulan answered the phone and asked.

"How is the situation with the mission on your end?" Xu Si's voice came from the other end of the line.

"It's already prepared to start," Zhang Chulan replied, "it's tonight."

Xu Si took a puff of his cigarette on the other end of the line, and after a moment of silence, said: "I've sent you the notice just issued by the Board of Directors, take a look in a moment. Also," his tone became serious, "stay safe."

"Can I get a raise if I go back this time?" Zhang Chulan asked with a mischievous smile.

"It's unlikely." Xu Si thought for a moment, "But I can treat you to a massage parlor once." Before he finished speaking, he immediately changed his words, "Oh right, you kid have the Guardian Sand, forget it, forget it."

Hearing this, Zhang Chulan's composure shattered instantly:

"Fourth Brother! You can't play like that!"

Feng Baobao listened to the conversation between Zhang Chulan and Xu Si from the side, still looking blank, not understanding what a massage parlor was, but she knew that some big event was going to happen tonight.

After Zhang Chulan hung up the phone, he immediately opened the document sent by Xu Si. The moment he saw the red-headed document, his expression became grave.

The content of the document was very simple: This operation requires bringing the Zhuanghua people back to the Company, and simultaneously bringing back the Divine Machine Hundred Refinements as well as Ma Xianhong's Twelve Upper Root Vessels. If resistance is met, kill without mercy.

The last four words made Zhang Chulan's heart tighten violently. He took a deep breath, calmed his emotions, and then took Feng Baobao back to the Temporary Workers' residence.

"You've all received the news from the Board of Directors, right?" Zhang Chulan asked as soon as he entered the door.

Wang Zhenqiu and the others nodded one after another, the atmosphere in the room much heavier than usual.

"Then according to the plan, we start the operation tonight." Zhang Chulan said, deliberately not mentioning the fact that he had gone to see Ma Xianhong today and had also seen the Cultivation Furnace.

The Temporary Workers prepared themselves, and no one noticed the trace of complex emotion that flashed in Zhang Chulan's eyes. He knew very well that after tonight, Biyou Village would no longer be peaceful, and from now on, there would not even be the name Biyou Village.

However, Zhang Chulan did not care about these things; the only person he cared about was Ma Xianhong. If Ma Xianhong resisted the Company to the end, given Ma Xianhong's current strength, he would definitely lose everything, and that was the result he least wanted to see.

Thinking of this, a feeling of frustration at Ma Xianhong's failure to meet expectations actually welled up in Zhang Chulan's heart:

"Old Ma, oh Old Ma, why are you so thick-headed!"

By the small stream, Zhuge Qing and Fu Rong were squatting by the water catching fish. Zhuge Qing pretended to inadvertently take Fu Rong's hand, causing Fu Rong's cheeks to flush slightly, but she did not pull her hand back.

"Look, that fish is so fat." Zhuge Qing pointed at the water and said, taking the opportunity to lean in closer.

Through these days of getting along, Fu Rong's impression of Zhuge Qing had changed greatly. Although this man seemed a bit frivolous, he was much more sincere than her previous partners.

Just as the two were immersed in the sweet atmosphere, Wang Ye's voice suddenly sounded: "Borrowing your person for a moment."

Zhuge Qing looked at Fu Rong helplessly and followed Wang Ye to a large rock not far away.

"I have a premonition that Zhang Chulan and the others are going to act," Wang Ye went straight to the point, "What are your thoughts?"

Zhuge Qing leaned against the rock, looked at Fu Rong in the direction of the stream, and said softly: "What thoughts could I have?" His tone carried a hint of complexity.

"Are you planning to step in and help Ma Xianhong and the others resist Zhang Chulan and the others when the time comes?" Wang Ye looked straight into Zhuge Qing's eyes and asked.

"This... I don't know either." Zhuge Qing's answer seemed somewhat evasive.

"Have you gone stupid from falling in love, you guy?" Wang Ye said in exasperation, clearly very dissatisfied with this attitude of Zhuge Qing's.

Zhuge Qing scratched the back of his head and revealed a silly smile: "You really shouldn't say that, maybe I really am a bit stupid."

"You!" Wang Ye looked at Zhuge Qing with frustration at his failure to meet expectations, and after taking a deep breath, said, "Handle it yourself, don't do anything stupid on impulse. It is impossible for Ma Xianhong to resist the Company; you need to be aware of this."

Zhuge Qing nodded: "Understood."

Wang Ye took one last look at Zhuge Qing and turned to leave. He knew that saying anything more was useless; he could only hope that this friend of his who had fallen into love could maintain basic rationality and not let love cloud his judgment.

Watching Wang Ye's departing back, Zhuge Qing was lost in thought. To tell the truth, he didn't know what to do now either; after all, there was this relationship with Fu Rong...

Zhuge Qing came to Fu Rong's side. At this time, Fu Rong had already caught many fish, and she smiled and said to Zhuge Qing:

"Ah Qing, we have fish soup to drink tonight."