Chapter Thirty-Three: The Dog Bites Lü Dongbin

After Ma Wu executed that series of maneuvers with decisive flair and finally lost their pursuers, Ye Qing stared at him for a long time, her expression filled with astonishment. Only after a while did she say, “I thought you were just a rich fool with more money than sense.”

Ma Wu was taken aback, but then burst out laughing. “Ha! Even your insults are oddly original. But that was a pretty slick move back there, wasn’t it?”

He expected Ye Qing to shower him with praise for his driving skills, but instead, she shook her head. “It was average. Your instincts were good, but the risk was too high. If it were me, I’d have chosen another approach.”

Ma Wu could only shrug helplessly. “Alright, fair enough.”

The rest of the drive was uneventful, and soon Ma Wu brought Ye Qing to an abandoned factory on the eastern edge of the city. After parking, he assumed Ye Qing would meet someone here, but she made no move to leave the car. Instead, she fixed her gaze on Ma Wu, and after a silent moment, she suddenly drew a small, elegant silver pistol from her coat and aimed it at him.

“Ma Wu, you’ve made me want to kill you twice. The first time was at the hospital, when you wouldn’t stop pestering me. The second was at the bar, when you insulted me with your words.”

Ma Wu stared, first at the dark muzzle of the gun, then at her. After a moment, he smiled, reached for a can of beer beside him, cracked it open, and took a swig. “As for what happened at the bar, you can’t blame me. The situation called for it. I had to play the part of a reckless rich boy—that was the only way to make them drop their guard.”

Ye Qing shook her head. “But you insulted me all the same.”

Ma Wu looked exasperated. “I told you, it was just for show—the circumstances demanded it. Besides, it was just a few words. Is that really worth your ire? These days, plenty of women are far less bothered by talk than you are.”

Ye Qing let out a cold laugh. “But I care.”

“Alright, you care. I offended you with my words, so I deserve to die. But I saved you. I got you out of the bar and helped you lose your pursuers.”

Ye Qing’s gaze wavered, torn between conflicting emotions. Finally, she seemed to come to a decision. “Yes, you saved me. I won’t kill you. But you’ve made me want to kill you—twice. So you still have to die.”

A sudden anger flared in Ma Wu. He snapped, “Are you serious? What are you, a woman from the last century? Two words and you want me dead? I saved your life, but you still want to kill me over something I said?”

“You’re impossible!” he spat.

“Shut up!” Ye Qing cried out, her voice sharp. She paused, breathing heavily as if she’d never spoken to anyone in such a way before. After a moment, she regained her usual gentle, cold composure. “I won’t kill you, Ma Wu. You saved me—repaying kindness with vengeance would be wrong.”

“But you must stay far away from me. If I ever see you again, I can’t promise I won’t try to kill you.”

With that, Ye Qing put away her delicate pistol, stepped out of the car, and disappeared into the darkness of the night.

Ma Wu felt a knot in his chest—whether from her threats or for some other reason, he couldn’t say. After a long moment, he rolled down the window and shouted in her direction, “Don’t be so absolute! You can bet I’ll show up in front of you again, just to annoy you. And don’t think you’re the only one with a gun—next time, who knows who’ll come out on top!”

After shouting this, Ma Wu slumped in the driver’s seat, mood sinking into silence.

Ding. Ye Qing side quest, first stage complete.

Ding. Quest reward: twenty million Huaxia credits.

Ding. Second stage of Ye Qing’s side quest unlocked, but not yet available due to insufficient level.

Having finally completed this high-risk mission, Ma Wu felt his mood lighten a little. Earlier, at Eddie’s Bar, he’d also completed a task that had earned him one hundred million Goldfish credits by putting Lei Ming in his place.

Once he sent that reward to Lin Erke and converted it into Huaxia credits, he’d have a total of fifty million. That should be more than enough to secure the acquisition of Goldfish TV, given the platform’s current valuation.

Thinking of this, Ma Wu got out of his supercar, considered it for a moment, then simply abandoned the million-dollar vehicle in the deserted factory and started walking toward the city center. He didn’t want to leave any traces, and since money was no issue, he just left the car behind. He hailed a cab in a populated area and returned to Jingshan Apartments.

Back home, as soon as Ma Wu stepped inside, he saw Li Mida emerging from the bathroom wrapped in a towel. The skin she exposed was smooth and pale, her cheeks flushed by the steam—a strangely alluring sight.

Ma Wu smiled, took a few steps closer, and said, “Cutie, how about we…”

Li Mida blushed even more, burying her face in the towel. After a moment, she mumbled a soft reply.

After a night spent in beauty’s company, the next day arrived in a blink.

Today, Ma Wu had a very important date—an invitation from Lin Erke.

Previously, Lin Erke had invited Ma Wu to dinner at Baiwei Pavilion to thank him for his help. Of course, Ma Wu hoped it would be more than just a simple meal; he had his own plans.

Taking advantage of a quiet morning, Ma Wu went to the largest dealership in H City and bought their most expensive sedan on a whim. Afterward, he went on a shopping spree at a luxury mall, dressing himself to the nines.

Evening came. Just as Ma Wu was about to drive to Baiwei Pavilion, his phone rang—it was Lin Erke.

He answered in good spirits. “Hey, Erke, what’s up? Something wrong?”

There was a long silence on the other end. Finally, Lin Erke’s voice came, heavy with sadness. “Ma Wu, I’m sorry. Something’s come up tonight, and I can’t make it to dinner. Can we reschedule?”

Ma Wu was surprised, but didn’t take it to heart. He knew all too well that bailing was a woman’s prerogative. He laughed it off. “No problem. We’ll do it another time.”

After a long pause, Lin Erke sniffled on the line, murmured an “okay,” and hung up.

Hearing the dial tone, Ma Wu sensed something was wrong. Lin Erke sounded unusually downcast, and at the end, she’d clearly wanted to say something but held back.

Could it be that scumbag Liu Mang stirring up trouble again? Ma Wu felt uneasy.

After some thought, he decided to check on Lin Erke in person.

On their first date, Lin Erke had given Ma Wu her address, and when Li Mida had found Lin Erke, it was by looking through Ma Wu’s records.

Driving the new car he’d bought that day, Ma Wu headed straight for Lin Erke’s apartment.

When he arrived, he saw a black Range Rover parked outside.

As he climbed the stairs, he could already hear voices arguing above:

“Just leave. I’m not giving you a refund. This isn’t just about my own interests—it’s about the support of my audience.”

“Lin Erke, quit acting so noble. If you want the money, just say so. Do you know how much effort we put into promoting you? And now you want to walk away without taking any responsibility?”

“I haven’t breached any contract. I’ve paid the platform everything I owe. What have I done wrong?”

“Heh. You say that, but if you don’t give us a refund, our people might just be stationed here around the clock until you change your mind.”

Listening to the exchange as he ascended, Ma Wu soon reached the sixth floor, where he found Lin Erke standing there, eyes red and helpless, confronted by two men in black suits.

Ma Wu immediately understood what was going on. He glanced contemptuously at the two men and said coolly, “Goldfish TV, I presume?”

The man in charge eyed Ma Wu’s expensive attire warily. “And you are?”

Ma Wu smiled, looked over at Lin Erke in her pale blue dress and delicate makeup, and felt his anger blaze up.