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

Old Zhou watched the car disappear around the corner before lowering his salute, offering no explanation for his judgment.

Those who are meant to understand will understand, and explanations are useless for those who are not meant to understand.

Across the street, a cigarette ash fell silently onto the concrete pavement.

Xu Si squatted on the curb, his fourth cigarette of the morning dangling from his mouth, heavy bags hanging under his eyes.

He had been squatting on this curb for almost two hours, from midnight until dawn, and from dawn until the morning rush hour. His buttocks were numb, his legs were sore, and he exuded a kind of decadent aura that only comes after being repeatedly beaten down by life.

But at this moment, his eyes were fixed on the direction in which the car disappeared, his pupils contracted slightly, and the cigarette butt in his mouth swayed up and down twice with the movement of his lips.

He turned to look at Xu San beside him, his tone carrying a hint of uncertain doubt—the kind of hesitation that makes someone feel they recognize someone but doesn't dare admit it.

"San'er—that car looks so familiar!"

Xu San was leaning against a lamppost looking at documents on his phone when he heard this. He looked up, adjusted his glasses, and followed Xu Si's gaze toward the entrance of the Tianxiahui.

The car had already turned into the building's driveway, leaving only the empty entrance and the security guard back at his post. His brow furrowed slightly, and he said in a professional, analytical tone, "It's not a civilian vehicle, nor does it look like a commercial vehicle. Judging from the tires and chassis height, it's likely a special vehicle used by the government or military, and it's of a high rank. What's wrong? Do you know it?"

Xu Si did not answer immediately.

He nodded first, then shook his head violently, then nodded again, his movements resembling a bugged program repeatedly restarting.

Then a flash of inspiration struck him—that car, that understated black paint job, those abnormally thick tires—he had seen it before at the company headquarters gate.

Just yesterday, during the meeting, this car was parked in the company's designated parking space, and he even took a second look at the license plate number.

The next second, the cigarette butt in his mouth fell directly onto his crotch. He jumped up and slapped the cigarette butt away, his voice so loud that people at the bus stop across the street turned to look at him.

"Holy crap! Isn't that Director Zhuge's car? I saw it at the company headquarters gate! How did it get inside?"

Before the words had even finished, the person had already darted out.

Without using any Qi, relying solely on his two legs and a survival instinct honed by the harsh realities of society, his speed was comparable to a 100-meter sprint. The wind made his clothes flutter loudly, and his leather shoes clattered rapidly on the asphalt road.

Xu San was a beat slow. After his brain processed the disastrous information that "the leader has already gone in while we are still outside," his expression changed drastically, and he also took off following.

When Xu Si rushed to the main gate of the Tianxiahui Group, two figures in dark blue security uniforms were already blocking his way.

Security captain Lao Zhou had already drawn his baton in his right hand, and pointed his left finger at Xu Si's nose. His expression was a mixture of vigilance and the certainty that "I've seen through you."

Behind him stood three young security guards side by side, each holding a rubber baton, their stances wide open, like a riot control formation that had been practiced countless times.

"Stop right there! This is a warning!"

The security captain's voice was loud and forceful, his eyes fixed intently on Xu Si. "You lunatic! You stand right there! Take one more step forward and we're going to take action against you! Even if you're mentally ill, we have to be reasonable! Brothers, grab your weapons!"

Xu Si was blocked outside the door by several security guards. He was so anxious that the veins on his forehead bulged out, his cheeks were clenched tightly, and his fingers clenched into fists and then relaxed and clenched into fists again. He wished he could take off and jump over the horizontal bar.

When had Xu Si ever suffered such humiliation? As the head of the North China region, a figure who could walk sideways in the world of supernatural beings, he was blocked at the gate by a security guard who called him a lunatic twice.

"What are you trying to do? Are you trying to cause trouble for me? Get out of the way! Raise the barrier! I need to get in!"

His voice rose eight octaves, one finger pointing at the security captain, the other frantically pointing to his mouth, "You dare call me mentally ill? I won't stoop to your level! You bastard—have you ever seen a mentally ill person who smokes? Huh? Have you? I'll take my cigarette—I'll burn your glans! Get out of my way!"

Security captain Lao Zhou tucked his baton into his waistband, put his hands on his hips, and his expression changed from vigilance to disdain. His tone carried the pride and unquestionable authority unique to lower-level managers.

He had guarded the gates of the Tianxiahui Group for twelve years and had seen countless monsters and demons. There were not many things in this world that could intimidate him anymore—except for that black sedan this morning.

At this moment, he stood in the center of the gate, like a wall of people in uniform, and slowly spoke with the patience and condescension characteristic of dealing with mental patients.

"Oh ho, you're getting cocky, aren't you? Let me tell you, the company gates are guarded by a team of security personnel, and we absolutely won't let someone like you in. Let me make this clear first—we don't discriminate against the mentally ill. Our country has a law protecting the disabled, and the mentally ill are also a group protected by law. However, your situation is too severe, with obvious instability and aggressive tendencies, which constitutes a potential threat to public safety. Our Tianxiahui Group building is full of white-collar workers who can't even kill a chicken, and we absolutely won't let you in and disrupt normal work. Let me make this clear—please leave."

Xu Si took the cigarette out of his mouth and threw it hard on the ground with two fingers. The cigarette butt bounced on the floor tile, producing a few sparks, which he then stomped on and crushed with one foot, as if he were stepping on something else rather than a cigarette butt.

He took a deep breath and spoke in a tone that suggested he had been pushed to his limit but had become calmer.

"You're the security captain, right? I'm in a real hurry, something important has happened. Oh, by the way—you need money, right?"

As he spoke, he reached into his pocket, moving so quickly that the bunch of keys inside rattled as he did so.

Upon seeing this, the security captain's expression immediately turned serious. He raised his chin slightly and spoke in a solemn tone, the kind one only adopts after their dignity has been insulted: "You have not only insulted us physically, but you have also shown contempt for us spiritually. We may be security guards, but we also have dignity. We will never accept any bribes. We are not white-collar workers, nor are we university professors, but we are proud working people—we are proud, we are honored! Aren't you, brothers?"

"right!"

The three security guards behind him shouted in unison, their momentum unstoppable, and slammed their batons into the ground with a series of muffled thuds.

Xu Si's hand, which was reaching into his pocket, froze in mid-air. His fingers were clutching a few crumpled banknotes, unsure whether to pull them out or put them back.

His facial expressions were incredibly varied—first astonishment, then anger, then frustration, and finally a deep despair that seemed to say, "Are you all here specifically to bring me down?"