Tomb Raider: I Am Hu Bayi's Cousin

Chapter 706 Trading
It is worth mentioning that Hu Ming's shirt was gone, his body was soaked by the rain, and his hair, which Yin Nanfeng had carefully styled, was now limp and lying on his head, with his messy bangs almost covering his eyes.

Inevitably, they even had some mud spots on them.

However, under the rainy night sky, the dragon and phoenix intertwined on their chests, emitting a faint glow, appeared strangely...

"Hmm, Uncle Ming, I think I understand why you attract so much attention from women."

Looking at Hu Ming's imposing upper body, combined with his almost perfect androgynous face, Wu Xie suddenly realized something.

In the past two years, the habit of judging people and things by their appearance has almost become mainstream.

Compared to the past, good-looking people and rich people are now almost on par, both being the kind of life winners that ordinary people aspire to.

"...Uncle, I don't know if it's just my imagination, but I feel like your face has become even more beautiful after all these years?"

The fat man frowned and asked in confusion.

I'd had this feeling before, but I didn't think much of it, since there are two ageless examples around me whose faces haven't changed at all.
"Leaving aside the blind man and his crippled state, I am different from the young man. Every inch of my body is slowly evolving towards perfection every day."

"Also, there's a word error. Please use 'handsome' to describe my near-perfect face!"

Hu Ming replied noncommittally, "It's nothing shameful, there's nothing wrong with admitting it."

"..."

Wu Xie and Fatty were speechless. Damn, they were already handsome, and now they've gotten even more handsome over time?!
Are you trying to kill ordinary people?
"...What do you mean by 'crippled goods'? If you can't speak properly, then don't. I'm just not as twisted as you or that guy. I don't even know what kind of mess our race is..."

"As you all know, my only surviving member of the clan was that Qi Yu from back then. Never mind, never mind what I said."

The blind man was somewhat indignant. Living for two centuries was something many people envied, but compared to these two freaks who lived forever, he seemed rather pathetic.

When Qi Yu was mentioned, the blind man paused, then promptly shut his mouth.

After all, Wu Xie is his junior apprentice, so it's never good to bring up unpleasant memories.

"Qi Yu. Never mind, so many years have passed. Although I've never been able to find out his whereabouts, he must be dead by now, right?"

Wu Xie smiled in relief, not taking it to heart.

"So you did search for Qi Yu later. He's not dead, you just can't find him right now."

"Moreover, Qi Yu was also one of the participants in the Thunder City incident back then."

Hu Ming smiled mysteriously.

Qi Yu?
They're still locked up in the deepest part of Warehouse Eleven!
For more than half a century, he has been like a wild beast, having long lost his mind, and is chained to the secret place of Warehouse Eleven.

A few days ago, when Hu Ming went to the Eleventh Warehouse, he didn't see Qi Yu, but he knew that Qi Yu was still there, for some qualified people from the Nine Gates to study.

Once the possibility of immortality is discovered, the desire for longevity is an ingrained human trait that no one can easily relinquish.

Qi Yu's current situation is most likely due to a secret collaboration between some people in the Nine Gates and those above him, where they share the spoils.

This is also why the higher-ups have remained so calm and haven't caused trouble for Hu Ming and his brother over the past ten years.

Before Qi Yu dies suddenly, and before he can still provide them with experimental data, Hu Ming and Xiao Ge will enjoy a long period of peace. Moreover, given Qi Yu's current condition, he should be fine for at least a century.

"Uncle Ming, do you know something?"

Instinctively, Wu Xie felt a sense of vigilance. This man, whose fate was intertwined with his own for the first half of his life, seemed to be involved in some other matters as well.

"Unless something unexpected happens, you will never see him until you die. Many people will not allow you, me, or anyone else to have any contact with Qi Yu."

Hu Ming chuckled mischievously. This kind of behavior—ambushing someone's interest but never revealing the wicked part—was indeed quite satisfying.

"You really do know something..."

Wu Xie sighed in exasperation. He could tell from Hu Ming's words that some people didn't want them to have contact with each other and were even hiding some information from them, but Hu Ming clearly knew everything!
"There's nothing we can do. Qi Yu, who's still alive, is now our talisman. Even though I know, and even though they probably know I know too, we're tacitly cooperating and pretending we know nothing."

"This is a dirty exchange of interests!"

"What does it matter to me whether he's in pain or miserable? He's only valuable when he's alive. If he's dead, he's worthless, and many people will be unhappy and have headaches."

As they walked and talked, the group was about to cross the village and arrive at the parking area.

"A trade of interests? So, Uncle Ming, what did you gain? I mean, besides the talismans you and Xiao Ge received."

Wu Xie wasn't stupid; he quickly guessed what was going on. He already knew about 80-90% of the secrets from back then, and the rest were trivial matters that were easy to deduce from the context.

"Turning a blind eye to many things and giving me the green light in many things is enough."

These two points are what Hu Ming gradually discovered over the years, and they are pretty much the bottom line for those people.

This does not include Hu Ming's professorship and his right to free entry and exit from the country.

After all, he's not just the Second Master of the Nine Gates! His blood is very red, just like Hu Bayi's!

Nowadays, the green light given by others is mainly for small-scale wars involving firearms to take place in some remote areas.

For example, the night the Wang family was wiped out.

Although the area where the Wang family lived was remote, China is, after all, a nation under heaven. Under the surveillance of satellites and a vast number of cameras, it is difficult for anything to escape the eyes of those above, and it was inevitable that they would be discovered.

China is a country that strictly controls the private possession of firearms, but so many days have passed and they are still at peace. The fact that the higher-ups seem to see nothing speaks volumes.

However, this is pretty much the bottom line set by the authorities.

"That night at the Wang family's house? We all know that with satellite surveillance, the incident was so big that it couldn't be kept secret."

"We were prepared to be held accountable afterward, and I even planned to contact my former supervisor, but unexpectedly, nothing happened..."

"I thought Zhang Rishan was pulling the strings, tsk, dirty... but it's an enviable deal!"

Wu Xie is a smart man after all. He understands many things very quickly. While others are still confused, Wu Xie has already figured out many things.

For those in their line of work, defying the rules of the country is wishful thinking. The country will never allow a family like the Zhang's to appear, not even in the slightest sign.

Given this, wouldn't it be great to have the protection of those in power?