You believe that your gun is no match for my fist?

"You'll be all alone in Pucheng later. There are some things I need to tell you."

Tang Liu said, "Given the current situation, apart from Master Tang, you'd better not get too close to any other masters. As for the Third Master, he generally doesn't deal with you."

"Second Master, you're unlikely to have any dealings with him now, so it's not a problem."

"As for the others, those other high-ranking members of the Tang family, second only to the three masters, it's best not to get too close to anyone except for Master Tang's confidants."

"Even if it's one of Master Tang's confidants, it's best not to."

"Finally," he looked at Gao Zhan and emphasized again, "be extra careful."

"Practice martial arts, practice martial arts," Tang Liu muttered to himself. "Can't we practice the same way in Liaodong?"

Gao Zhan didn't speak, but Tang Liu mumbled a few words and then smiled.

I kept that name in my mind for a while.

He reached into his pocket, pulled out something, and handed it to Gao Zhan.

Gao Zhan took it; it was a light gray card.

It's about the size of an ID card, with a smooth surface, but it doesn't feel like metal or plastic; it feels more like a fingernail.

The card features a subtle emblem and a line of Albion script, with a row of numbers below.

"This is a deposit certificate," Tang Liu said. "It's from the Albion Imperial Bank. I've deposited over 20,000 silver dollars in there for you."

Gao Zhan held the card, flipped it over to look at the back, then flipped it back, looking up at him: "What?"

Is love like a bank card?

Bank cards already existed back then?

"Here you go," Tang Liu said. "The password is your birthday, September 9th, 0909."

Gao Zhan placed the card on the coffee table and pushed it back to him: "Keep it for yourself."

"Damn it, take it just because I told you to!" Tang Liu cursed, then pushed the card back.

"I still have money. I have over 30,000 in the Gaulliya Bank. Do you think your sixth uncle wasted ten years in Pucheng? He still has some savings."

He finished speaking with a hint of seriousness in his voice, "You'll need money in Pucheng, and martial arts training is incredibly expensive."

Gao Zhan looked at the card but didn't push it back.

He picked it up and put it in his pocket.

"Come on, let's go to the bank." Tang Liu stood up, changed his shoes at the door, and said, "Let's get this thing certified."

The Albion Imperial Bank is located in the middle of Queen's Road, not far from Tang Liu's residence.

Tang Liu led Gao Zhan inside, handed the card to the counter, said something to the clerk, and then passed the card over.

The man nodded, got up, walked to the wall behind the counter, and operated something on the wall.

Then, the wall opened, revealing the outline of a huge creature.

It was curled up in a glass tank, and appeared to be some kind of mollusk.

The other person inserted the card into the machine in front of the creature. Then, a thick, long tentacle extended from the front of the soft-bodied creature, protruding from the glass tank and the counter, and stopped in front of the two people.

"Reach out your hand," Tang Liu said.

Gao Zhan did as he was told, and the tentacles wrapped around his right wrist, circling his skin.

It tightened slightly at the vein on the inside of his wrist, lingered for a moment, then slowly loosened and retracted into the glass tank.

The man closed the gate, turned around, and handed the card back: "It's recorded."

After completing the formalities, the two walked out of the bank.

Tang Liu stopped on the steps and looked at Gao Zhan, who was playing with the card in his hand.

"Take good care of Qiu Niang."

After watching for a while, he put his hand on Gao Zhan's shoulder.

This time he didn't say "your mother" because Qiu Niang never allowed Gao Zhan to call her that; she only allowed him to call her "sister."

Gao Zhan nodded without saying anything.

Tang Liu released his grip, took a step back, and then resumed his usual demeanor, grinning. "I still have to stay in Pucheng for two more months. This cargo ship only sails once every three months. The iron armored soldiers ordered by the Liaodong New Army won't be fully delivered for another six months. I still have time."

As he spoke, he put his arm around Gao Zhan's shoulder, "Come on, I'll take you for a drink!"

*

*

*

three days later.

Gao Zhan and Lin Tiefeng sat in a black car. Lin Tiefeng was talking incessantly about his new job.

"Master Tang has arranged a new job for you."

"It's over in the concession, not the Tang residence anymore."

Gao Zhan listened without responding.

"Go be Qiuyue's bodyguard," Lin Tiefeng continued.

This surprised Gao Zhan a little.

Gao Zhan recognized the name; it was the woman who sang on the Xianle Palace stage that day.

Tang Liu's comments about this woman that day were quite harsh. What was he saying again?

"She can't even get a concubine position; when she's discarded, she won't even make a sound!"

Sending Gao Zhan to do this is basically like sending a wolf to be a sheepdog.

Although dogs are actually wolves, that doesn't matter.

However, assigning Gao Zhan as this woman's bodyguard does indeed align with Tang Liu's sharp assessment of her that day.

Master Tang has lost interest in keeping her in the mansion and has sent her to live in the foreign concession, with someone to keep an eye on her.

"Qiuyue lives in the Gaullivan Concession, in a small Western-style building on Avenue Joffre."

Lin Tiefeng said, "You can just go there every day, you don't need to stay there."

"She usually doesn't go out during the day; in the afternoon, she might go shopping, have coffee, or go to the theater."

"Just stay with her, don't let anyone get close to her, and don't let her cause trouble. If she goes out for social events at night, you have to go with her too."

"Most of the social events she attends are dinner parties with foreigners. You don't need to go in; just wait outside."

After he finished speaking, he paused, gave Gao Zhan an apologetic look, and said, "Your situation has changed, so naturally your pay will be less than before. Now it's five yuan a day."

Gao Zhan remained silent, for he harbored no dissatisfaction.

He never even thought he could still earn five yuan a day, after all, Tang Liu had said that this was a leisurely job, which was essentially marginalized.

But to my surprise, there were actually five more pieces?

And you don't have to look at old men, you can look at beautiful women.

Qiuyue was still pretty that year, and had a good figure. To be honest, she would have to wait about ten more years before she reached the best age for a woman.

However, he also found the arrangement somewhat interesting.

To send a martial artist who has only been there for less than half a month to guard a lover who has fallen out of favor.

The fact that Master Tang placed him in this position certainly doesn't mean he intends to give him an important position, but it doesn't seem like he intends to discard him either.

It sits to the side, neither in the way nor a waste.

"Okay," he said.

Lin Tiefeng glanced at him, and Gao Zhan smiled at him.

He nodded, and the car stopped at that moment. The voice of the driver in front came through:

"arrive."

"I'll leave you here. You can find out the rest of the process from the person who was in charge of your meeting. Her name is Chu Huai."

Lin Tiefeng didn't get out of the car, but stayed inside and spoke to Gao Zhan.

"Understood." Gao Zhan nodded, then walked towards the Western-style building in front of him.

I walked up to the Western-style building and knocked on the door. I heard footsteps coming from inside.

Then the door opened, revealing a woman's face.

Short hair, parted in a 3/7 ratio, slightly high cheekbones, sharp jawline, and slender eyebrows and eyes.

She has a good temperament and is quite good-looking.

She was wearing a suit vest and a tie. To be fair, it was quite a large-scale operation.

She sized Gao Zhan up and down, then stepped aside slightly to let him in: "Mr. Gao?"

Gao Zhan nodded.

"I am Chu Huai, Miss Qiuyue's bodyguard."

She smiled at Gao Zhan, "From now on, we'll be working together."

"Miss Qiuyue is on the second floor," she said, leading Gao Zhan inside.

Chu Huai's voice was gentler than her appearance, and she was about 1.8 meters tall.

"Are you a martial artist?" Gao Zhan asked.

"I trained for a few years," Chu Huai replied, "at the Cunzhen Martial Arts School."

Gao Zhan nodded. He had inquired about some martial arts schools in Pucheng after he arrived.

This is one of the top martial arts schools in Pucheng, located near Donghua Gate.

The owner of the hall is surnamed Feng, and is said to be a master at the ninth level of cultivation.

The two went up to the second floor, and Chu Huai stopped in front of a white wooden door and knocked twice.

There was a moment of silence inside the door, followed by the clatter of high heels.

Then the door was opened, and Qiuyue appeared wearing a silk nightgown, her hair loosely tied back, and no makeup on her face.

She looked more plain than she did on stage that night, with weariness and displeasure in her eyes.

He glanced at Chu Huai, then at the people behind Chu Huai, his gaze lingering on Gao Zhan's face for a moment.

She clearly remembered Gao Zhan.

Chu Huai said to Qiu Yue, "Miss, this is Mr. Gao, the new bodyguard that Master Tang has arranged for you."

Qiuyue gave a casual "hmm" and then slammed the door shut.

"Thump!" The door frame shook slightly, and the high heels clattered away into the distance.

Chu Huai stood still, her expression unchanged. She turned back to Gao Zhan with an apologetic smile, "Ms. Qiuyue hasn't been in a good mood these past few days."

"There's a spare room downstairs; you can stay there. When she goes out, we'll go out with her."

Wow, it's even wrapped up? How disgusting!

Gao Zhan was delighted.