One person said: The essence of Wuhou Qimen lies not in Qimen, but in Wuhou.

His voice held a hint of bravado, but he still tried to maintain the authority expected of a security guard: "W-what are you doing? You stand right there! Stop moving! If you come any closer, I'll get rough! That baton I'm holding is no joke! In broad daylight, under the clear sky—what are you doing?!"

Xu Si stopped less than two steps away from the security guard.

He didn't make a move, but when he spoke, his voice was so loud that all the office workers at the entrance of the Tianxiahui turned their heads to look.

"What do I want to do? What do you want to do?!"

Xu Si poked his chest with one finger, his voice so loud it could be heard in the Starbucks across the street, "You, a security guard—do you think you're a cop? You think you're some big shot with a broken stick and some trivial matter? What do you mean 'the entrance of your Tianxiahui Group'? What kind of place is this? This is a public place! Is there no law? What—you're going to hit me?"

He stretched his head forward, veins bulging on his forehead: "Come on! Hit your fourth uncle on the head! Hit him here! Harder! If your fourth uncle even flinches, I'm not surnamed Xu today! Hit him! Hit him!"

The security guard was overwhelmed by his rapid-fire barrage of attacks and had to retreat repeatedly. He was caught in a dilemma, unsure whether to raise or lower his baton. His expression went through four stages in an instant: from sternness to astonishment to confusion, and finally to the thought, "What did I do to deserve this?"

The two young security guards behind him exchanged glances. One of them quietly tugged at the captain's sleeve and whispered, "Could the captain really be mentally ill?"

By this time, a small group of office workers had gathered, some taking out their phones to record videos, while others whispered and pointed.

Seeing this, Xu San quickly stepped forward, grabbed Xu Si's shoulder, and pulled him back a couple of steps. At the same time, he forced a standard "sorry" smile at the security guard and explained rapidly, "Sorry, sorry! This is my colleague—it's too hot, we're waiting for a taxi here, but we haven't been able to get one. We've been under a lot of work pressure lately, please understand, sorry, sorry!"

As he spoke, he dragged Xu Si backward, his lips almost touching Xu Si's ear as he whispered, "Can't you calm down? Why are you arguing with the security guard?"

Xu Si was dragged back two steps by him, still yelling at the security guard with his neck stiff, "Xu San, let me go! I can't take it anymore! I've reached my limit and there's no need to hold back any longer! Damn it, the world is going to the dogs! When have I, the head of the North China region, ever been treated like this? What's wrong with me raising my voice? What law says citizens can't speak loudly? You just wait—I've lost all shame today! This isn't over until Feng Zhenghao fires you!"

Xu San dragged him to the sidewalk, let go, patted his crumpled collar, and looked at Xu Si with a "you've finally gone crazy" look, his tone tinged with exhaustion: "I think you really are crazy. Why are you arguing with a security guard? He's just a gatekeeper, his monthly salary is probably only a few thousand yuan. You're getting angry with him—can't you be a little more mindful of your image? Director Zhuge and Chairman Zhao will be here soon. If they see you arguing with a security guard here—how do you think Director Zhuge will rate your work performance?"

On the other side, the security captain watched Xu Si being dragged away, breathed a sigh of relief, and tucked his baton back into his waistband.

A young security guard nearby approached cautiously and asked, "Captain, what's wrong? Is someone causing trouble?"

The security captain straightened his peaked cap, which had been askew in fright, and commented in a seasoned, worldly tone, "Don't worry about it—he's run into a lunatic. This society, you see all sorts of people these days. Maybe the work pressure is too much; it's driving people crazy. Poor thing."

He turned and walked towards the guard post, continuing to share his life insights as he went: "That's right. Look how good our group's chairman is to us security guards. He provides food and lodging, a monthly salary of eight thousand, and a year-end bonus—I could work there until I die!"

The security captain turned and glared at him, his tone carrying a hint of authority and experienced advice: "Alright, stop showing off. Our job is to guard the company's gates. Those lunatics like that are absolutely not allowed in. And in the future, be careful—people like that have mental issues; they could kill someone and not necessarily be punished. If you encounter someone like that again, don't try to be brave; call for backup immediately. Got it?"

"Yes, Captain!"

The two young security guards responded in unison, standing even straighter than before, and tightening the brand-new batons around their waists.

……

It was already broad daylight when the black armored limousine entered Tianjin.

Sunlight shone on the glass curtain wall of the Tianxiahui Building, making the entire building look like a giant, silver-plated sword stuck in the most expensive piece of land in the city center. The reflection was so bright that it made people's eyes sting.

The plaza in front of the building is paved with gray marble tiles. Three flags flutter in the wind on the flagpole in the center. Two rows of potted iron trees are symmetrically placed on both sides of the revolving door. The doormen stand on both sides of the revolving door in their smart uniforms, their smiles as perfect as if they had been measured with a ruler.

Security captain Lao Zhou was standing by the guard post, drinking his first cup of strong tea of ​​the day.

He worked as a security guard for twelve years, starting as a security guard in a shopping mall, then moving to an office building, and finally becoming the security captain of the Tianxiahui Group. He had seen more cars than driving instructors and developed a keen eye for recognizing people by their vehicles.

Mercedes-Benz and BMW are nothing special, Porsche and Maserati are just for a second glance, and only when a Rolls-Royce comes along will he straighten his hat brim and stand a little straighter.

But the car that turned from the intersection at that moment made his hand holding the teacup stop in mid-air.

It was a black sedan, and he didn't recognize the model—it wasn't any common brand. The body lines were simple to the point of being plain, with no chrome trim, but the paint texture was so understated that it didn't look like civilian paint.

More importantly, the wheels—the thickness of the tires and the style of the rims made Old Zhou instinctively tense up at the back of his head.

He served in the army for several years and then worked as a security guard for twelve years after his discharge. He had only seen this type of tire once in his life—at a military exhibition, where the guide said it was a solid run-flat tire and was fitted with a military-grade chassis.

He put down his teacup, straightened his peaked cap, strode to the guard post, and pressed the button to raise the barrier.

The black bar slowly rose. Instead of going forward to inquire or stop the car as usual, he turned directly to face the car, put his feet together, and raised his right hand with his five fingers together to the brim of his hat—a standard salute that was flawless.

The two young security guards behind him looked at each other, not understanding why their captain was saluting, but they also straightened up and raised their hands.

The entire process, from the moment the car enters the field of vision to passing through the gate, takes no more than five seconds.

Without honking, without rolling down the windows, without any interaction, the car quietly and smoothly drove into the gate of the Tianxiahui Group, like a black fish gliding into deep water without even splashing a drop of water.