145. Good morning, Master.

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Wang Fugui had already received word that the operation had failed, so Chai Wuyan’s tirade came as no surprise.

Wang Fugui had sent twenty men. Five or six of them had been injured, and according to their accounts, all of them had been beaten by Lin Qi.

Lin Qi had no bodyguards, but he was formidable enough on his own. He could send a man flying with a single kick, disarm someone barehanded, and become even more fearsome once he had a knife in hand. No one had been able to stop him.

Lin Qi was still alive—and had escaped.

Wang Fugui had encountered only a handful of men that fierce in his life.

But there were a few.

He immediately said, “Boss Chai, please calm down. I’ll arrange for more men. I guarantee we’ll take him out…”

“Take your damn guarantee and shove it! Why don’t you go die first?” Chai Wuyan continued to curse him viciously.

Wang Fugui still found it baffling. The operation had failed, yes—but was that really enough to make him this furious?

Only after asking a few more questions did he learn that Chai Wuyan had been slashed seven or eight times.

Wang Fugui nearly vomited blood himself. He cursed the useless fools under his breath, then made a solemn pledge. “Boss Chai, don’t worry. Once I make the arrangements, I’ll definitely eliminate Lin Qi!”

“If you fail again, you’d better refund my money!” Chai Wuyan snarled before hanging up.

Wang Fugui remained silent for a long while, sorting through the people he knew in his mind.

Lin Qi was so formidable that he needed someone even more formidable.

Just as he was thinking this, his phone suddenly rang.

The caller ID displayed two words: Third Son.

Wang Fugui’s expression turned grave.

Third Son was the red-haired man among the two men he had previously sent to Bamboo Creek Gardens to assassinate Lin Qi.

In Wang Fugui’s estimation, the two men had already “sacrificed” themselves.

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How could Lin Qi, being that ruthless, have let either of them live?

Then who was calling him now?

Wang Fugui judged that it was eighty percent likely to be Lin Qi, trying to track him down.

So instead of answering, Wang Fugui shut off his phone.

The reason Wang Fugui had been able to establish himself in Huai River City for so many years and become a notorious underworld kingpin was that he truly had some skill.

And this time, his judgment was correct. The call had indeed been made by Lin Qi, using Red Hair’s phone.

Lin Qi had been attacked without warning at a street food stall. With the identities of friend and foe still unclear, he naturally suspected Wang Fugui.

He was deeply puzzled. He had only been in Huai River City for a few days—how had he offended this man?

He decided to investigate thoroughly, and first asked Secretary Hu to help him locate Wang Fugui.

Ordinarily, Wang Fugui was something of a celebrity in Huai River City, and tracking him down should not have been difficult. But the man was exceptionally cunning. Upon hearing that the assassination had failed, he feared being implicated and immediately went into hiding in the countryside, leaving behind only one phone for outside contact.

Secretary Hu found nothing. Lin Qi therefore returned home and interrogated the two hotheaded young men still tied up in his garage.

It turned out that the pair occupied the lowest rung imaginable. They were merely inexperienced underlings who had been used as pawns, and they had no idea where Wang Fugui was. They did, however, have his phone number.

When Lin Qi called, Wang Fugui not only refused to answer but switched off the phone as well.

“You little bastard. We’ll take our time playing this game,” Lin Qi said, tossing the phone aside.

He then called the police, and a special task force came to take the two men away.

Attempted murder was not a minor offense.

As for Wang Fugui, the mastermind behind it all, Lin Qi did not expect the police to catch him. He intended to match wits with the man himself.

Early the next morning, Lin Qi went into the courtyard as usual to practice his martial arts.

At the edge of the bamboo grove outside the courtyard, a young woman was waiting.

Through the courtyard wall, she smiled at Lin Qi. “Good morning, Master!”

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Lin Qi remembered that her name was Bai Jianqiu. He had promised the day before to teach her martial arts, so he nodded and opened the gate to let her in.

“You don’t have to call me Master. I’m only teaching you a couple of moves—something you can use if you ever run into bad people.” With that, Lin Qi walked to the center of the courtyard.

“All right.” Bai Jianqiu followed him.

Anyone who could live in Bamboo Creek Gardens was either rich or powerful. Yet neither of them asked about the other’s identity. Since they had met through martial arts, there was no need.

In front of Bai Jianqiu, Lin Qi performed the complete set of Tiger Subduing Fist once, then told her to imitate him.

It was obvious at a glance that Bai Jianqiu exercised regularly. Her figure was well proportioned, and her hands and feet were quick. Before long, she had copied the routine, following his movements with reasonable accuracy. It looked convincing enough, but there was no real force behind it.

“Some of your movements aren’t quite right.”

As he spoke, Lin Qi picked up a branch from the ground and used it to prod Bai Jianqiu’s arms and legs.

“Every punch and kick in Tiger Subduing Fist has a fixed form. You have to strike exactly where you intend to strike. Even the slightest deviation will rob the movement of its power.” Lin Qi corrected her posture and movements like a stubborn old master who refused to compromise.

Before they knew it, an hour had passed, and Bai Jianqiu was drenched in sweat.

Even simply bringing her movements into proper form had exhausted her.

Still, despite her fatigue, her spirits remained high. Clearly, she was a girl with considerable perseverance.

“I’m going to work.” Lin Qi lowered the branch. “If you can handle it, come back tomorrow.”

“All right. See you tomorrow.” Bai Jianqiu panted heavily as she left, sweat pouring down her face.

Lin Qi also drove to work. He had another mountain of official business to deal with that day.

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