Chapter 660 Jiang, we meet again
Several military vehicles, all SUVs, were parked there, along with a Cadillac, a famous car from Country A, its black body gleaming in the sunlight.
Several cars blocked Jiang Bai's way, and then several people got out of the cars.
Besides the two burly men in suits and an elderly man with silver hair, there was a group of soldiers, one of whom, an old man with the rank of general, was leading the way.
This was an acquaintance of Jiang Bai's; they had even joined forces to deal with Li Yaoji back in South Korea. It was none other than General Apson, the old man Lieyang's nemesis.
"Jiang, we meet again." After getting out of the car, the other person smiled at Jiang Bai, waved to greet him, and ignored the bewildered look on Cheryl's face beside him.
"Yes, we meet again. You're back from South Korea? Did you come all the way to see me?"
Jiang Bai squinted and smiled, but the smile seemed somewhat forced.
He and Apson could hardly be considered to have a friendly relationship. Although the two of them had once joined forces against Li Yaoji, it was out of necessity. Apson was forced into the fight, not out of genuine interest.
Moreover, due to their different nationalities, they still harbor hostility towards each other.
Of course, the main conflict lies between him and Lieyang, with Jiang Bai only incidentally.
That alone was enough for Jiang Bai to have no good feelings towards him.
Especially when the other party brought an SSS-level superhuman to see him and blocked his way.
"I did come here specifically to see you. There are some things I'd like to discuss with you privately."
Apson responded with a chuckle, then glanced at Cheryl.
"I'll go over and wait for you."
Cheryl wisely left. She didn't know Apson's identity, but a general with the rank of lieutenant general and a group of soldiers blocking Jiang Bai's way was definitely not a good thing.
As for Jiang Bai's safety, she wasn't worried, because the other party didn't seem to be there specifically to cause trouble. If they were specifically targeting Jiang Bai, a general would definitely not stand against him, and Cheryl was clear about that.
She had seen firsthand what Jiang Bai was like when he made a move.
"What's up? Tell me, I'm busy right now." Jiang Bai took out a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, took a puff, and then threw it away.
He stomped the cigarette out viciously: "The cigarettes from your country A are really not fit for human consumption."
Despite his reaction, Apson still smiled and said, "Smoking is harmful to your health. You don't have to smoke. If you insist on smoking, I can personally give you a box of my treasured cigars. They're very good. You can try them."
"Stop talking nonsense and get to the point. You brought so many people with you to see me, tsk tsk, they're all warriors, plus you, two SSS-level ability users. You didn't come here just to tell me you're going to give me a box of cigars, did you?"
Jiang Bai knew perfectly well that Apson's approach was definitely not for anything good, so he didn't give him a friendly look.
Get straight to the point and let the other person talk; I don't want to waste time with idle chatter.
"Did you do what happened on Dongshi Street last night?"
Jiang Baihua had already made it clear, so Apson didn't stand on ceremony and directly stated his purpose: he had come because of what happened last night.
"It was me, but it was members of the Assassin's Guild who tried to assassinate me. I was just defending myself. How... is there a problem with doing that?"
"Furthermore, this is Country A, your territory. Don't tell me you're unaware of the Assassin's Guild's underhanded tactics. I suspect you not only know but are actually happy about it, right? So you deliberately let them have a chance to attack me?"
"The ones who blocked off the streets last night weren't from the Assassin's Guild, but you?"
When Jiang Bai saw Apson, many questions came to mind, such as the people who blocked the streets last night and the people who handled the aftermath.
These things may not have been done by the League of Assassins, but rather by Apson and his gang in the present day, along with the government behind them.
Those guys from the Assassin's Guild are all lunatics; they only care about destruction, they have no idea how to clean up the mess.
Looking back now, who else could have done these things besides them?
With an awkward laugh, Apson nodded, not denying it: "It was indeed us who did it, but don't misunderstand, we weren't targeting you. By the time we found out, it was too late to notify you, so we could only block off the street first and then clean up the mess after you were done. It was absolutely not our intention to hurt you."
That's just something you can fool a fool. It would be a miracle if Jiang Bai believed it, because it's such a rotten excuse.
I'm in country A, and I reckon these guys probably already got the news the moment the plane entered the country, right?
During this period, my every move should be under their control.
They wouldn't know it's their own phone number?
Are you kidding me?
However, Jiang Bai did not expose the other party's extremely lame reason. Jiang Bai had no special relationship with the other party, and was even somewhat hostile.
Last time, we lost an SSS-level superhuman in Taiwan, A country. The opponent was not from Apson's faction; he was a lone player, but still a core member of A country.
Although that person was killed by Nangong Xinghuo, this messy debt is now being attributed to Jiang Bai.
Outsiders, unaware of what had happened, all assumed that Jiang Bai had killed a bunch of experts, including this SSS-level superhuman, Flying Eagle, and other experts, all of whom died at Jiang Bai's hands.
This created many enemies for Jiang Bai, including powerful figures such as the Assassins, the Yagyu Shinkage-ryu, and of course, Apson and his group.
However, thanks to the collaborative efforts and discussions of many people, this matter has come to an end, and no conflict is expected to erupt over it for the time being.
So no one mentioned it again, but his hostile relationship with Apson and his group was real.
If someone attacks him, there's no need for them to notify Jiang Bai. In fact, they might even be happy for Jiang Bai to be eliminated, thus reducing China's strength. These are all tacitly understood matters.
How can we blame others for this?
Jiang Bai wasn't that domineering, and besides, being domineering wouldn't work anyway, since this was someone else's territory.
Jiang Bai didn't know how many top-tier warriors Country A had, but Country A still had seven top-tier superhumans. On their turf, Jiang Bai wasn't confident he could take on so many people single-handedly.
Even with Tiger Soul in hand, I don't have that confidence.
"Alright, whatever your reasons are, this matter is over, and I won't pursue it any further. So, what is it? I don't think you came to me just to spout this nonsense, did you?"
Although they understood each other implicitly and didn't say anything, Jiang Bai kept these behind-the-scenes moves in mind and wouldn't give them a pleasant look, which was directly reflected in their conversation.
Chapter 661 Jiang, Don't Cause Trouble Here
"It's very simple, we're here because we want you to behave yourself."
"I know why you came to Country A, and I'm aware of your messy dealings with the five Mafia families, but that's your private matter, and we won't interfere."
"My request is simple, Jiang, you'd better not cause trouble here!"
"This is our bottom line. As long as you don't cause trouble, we won't stop you from doing whatever you want. That's your freedom. But if you cause trouble here, then we won't be polite to you."
"You should know that although you are very strong, you are not invincible. We have plenty of ways to deal with you. Country A is our territory, and we have an absolute advantage over you. If you really cause trouble here, you may have a hard time getting back."
Apson, no longer hiding his true feelings after hearing Jiang Bai's words, spoke rudely, standing there with a gloomy expression.
He revealed all his thoughts and forcibly ordered Jiang Bai not to cause trouble here.
Apsen was aware of Jiang Bai's situation.
In fact, Jiang Bai is now famous not only in China, but also abroad.
He's a notorious troublemaker, a real handful.
Wherever they go, they cause trouble, and they are extremely powerful, leaving people helpless and extremely troubled.
Frankly, unless absolutely necessary, Apson would not want to provoke Jiang Bai, that troublesome guy.
However, Los Angeles is one of the most important cities in Country A. If Jiang Bai stays here now and causes trouble, the consequences could be unpredictable if damage occurs.
Just like when Jiang Bai fought the Assassin Alliance, the time was extremely short, and it was just two warriors fighting, so the destructive power should theoretically be limited.
Even so, the entire street was smashed. Not only the street itself, but also the surrounding shops and buildings suffered varying degrees of damage. This was only because they received advance warning and cleared and sealed off the area.
It was nighttime, and the area was sealed off in advance, so it didn't cause a stir. They handled the situation properly afterwards.
But what if Jiang Bai gets into a fight during the day?
What if the location wasn't a deserted street, but Beverly Hills? Or somewhere else in the city center?
The consequences are unpredictable!
If nothing goes wrong, fine, but if something does, it will be a huge problem.
As experts from Country A, they wouldn't allow Jiang Bai to fight here, which is why they came specifically to warn him.
"It's simple that I don't fight with people. I think you all know why I'm here. My business is almost settled, and I'll be leaving in a few days."
"Moreover, I am not someone who likes to cause trouble."
"But what if someone attacks me? I can't just sit here and wait to die, can I?" Jiang Bai said noncommittally.
That's the truth. He came here to make money. Now that he has the money, the matter is settled, and Zhao Ling'er's troubles are dealt with, he can retire successfully. He originally planned to stay here for two days and then leave, so he won't cause any trouble here.
The problem is, Jiang Bai doesn't cause trouble, but some people provoke him!
The saga between the League of Assassins and him is far from over. The fact that they accepted the mission from the Avengers Foundation to assassinate him already indicates a life-or-death struggle.
Jiang Bai has now dealt with Bai Yin and another assassin more cleanly and efficiently. They are both valuable members of the Assassin Alliance, and now the trouble seems endless.
If Jiang Bai doesn't make a move, what will happen if others do?
We can't just let him sit there and wait to die.
"We will warn them about this. The Assassin's Guild has lost two top experts and shouldn't be able to target you again anytime soon. I hope you leave as soon as possible. Once you're gone, you can do whatever you want."
"However, as long as it is within our territory, neither you nor the Assassin Alliance are allowed to make a move. Whoever makes a move, we will deal with them!"
"You should know that after World War II, our country stood out from the crowd, not only because our technology and economy were at the peak, but more importantly because we had the most experts. Even the former Red Polar Bear was not as good as us!"
"If anyone really wants to challenge our country here, I guarantee they will absolutely regret it!"
Apson listened to Jiang Bai's words and said in a deep voice. After saying this, he did not say anything more, turned around and left, and got into his car.
The other expert he brought didn't utter a single word from beginning to end. When Apson got in the car, he got in too.
The car started, turned around, and was about to leave when Apson stuck his head out again and warned, "Jiang, you'd better leave quickly."
"Remember, Jiang, this is Country A, our territory. Don't cause trouble here!"
After saying that, the car started and drove away, leaving Jiang Bai alone, standing there with his arms crossed, looking in the direction Apson and the others had left, muttering to himself, "You think I'll just leave because you tell me to?"
"Just because you tell me not to cause trouble doesn't mean I won't! I'm not leaving!"
Jiang Bai angrily decided to stay for two more days, to keep these guys on edge for a while.
He originally planned to stay here for a maximum of one more day, and once the domestic crew arrived, he would leave directly on his private jet. Of course, the most important thing was to let Boeing use that day to repaint the exterior of the plane.
The name "Imperial Fortress" is painted on, and then a bright red, flame-like pattern is added. This process takes a whole day to complete.
Leave immediately after you finish.
Now he has suddenly changed his mind. Because of what Apson said, he decided to stay for two more days to eat, drink, and have fun.
As for whether the Assassin Alliance would attack him again, he wasn't worried; he would deal with whatever came his way.
If they really come, then let's start fighting!
As for whether it would cause a sensation or injure innocent people, Jiang Bai didn't care at all. That wasn't his concern. Let Apson worry about those things.
He knew that every extra day he stayed there, Apson and the others would suffer from poor eating and sleeping habits, living in constant fear.
Jiang Bai, that's exactly the effect I wanted.
At the same time, he felt a hidden resentment. The reason was simple: although his strength was among the strongest in the top tier, it was still not powerful enough. This made Jiang Bai suddenly feel an urgent need to find a way to improve his strength.
You have to understand, Apson only dared to speak like that because he was meeting him today.
If Xu Changsheng were here, Jiang Bai wouldn't believe that Apson would dare to threaten him like that.
In fact, according to Jiang Bai's understanding, Xu Changsheng had also been to the United States before and caused quite a stir there, but what happened in the end?
They eventually left without uttering a sound; none of the eight top-tier ability users showed their faces from beginning to end.
Of course, Xu Changsheng went to the East Coast, not Los Angeles.
However, the effect is the same no matter where you are.
Chapter 662 When a Young Man is in Trouble, the System Comes to His Help
Jiang Bai felt a vague sense of anger and resentment, but unfortunately, he had no way to increase his power at the moment.
It should be noted that he is currently cultivating the Dragon Elephant Prajna Technique, and with the help of the system, he has reached the peak of the seventh level, just one step away from breaking through.
However, this step is not easy. With normal cultivation, Jiang Bai estimated that it would take at least three to five years to break through at his own speed, and he could only achieve it by following the proper steps.
This is already a very fast pace, which means that Jiang Bai will be able to break through to the Martial King realm before the age of thirty and become a master like Nangong Xinghuo and Yang Wudi.
For an ordinary person, this would definitely be granted, but Jiang Bai didn't think so.
He felt this was far from enough. First, he lacked the strength to crush everything; second, it took too long, and he was unwilling to wait that long and proceed step by step.
Therefore, he wanted to improve his strength.
However, there is no shortcut to improving one's strength; one can only persevere in diligent practice.
Of course, most people only have this one path, but Jiang Bai has a few more.
It is because he has the system in his hands that Jiang Bai has been able to reach this point in just over a year.
However, it won't be so simple for Jiang Bai to improve his cultivation level next. The Dragon Elephant Prajna Technique has layers upon layers, and each layer is extremely expensive. To directly exchange for the eighth level, he would need hundreds of thousands of prestige points.
With this prestige, Jiang Bai was able to complete several high-level lottery draws.
Why bother exchanging it?
While high-level lotteries do have their drawbacks, namely uncertainty, Jiang Bai might draw something good, like last time, which caused his cultivation level to surge and directly break through to the seventh level.
However, you might also draw something bad that is useless.
Even so, it's still better than simply exchanging items, right?
The demand for prestige points is too high; Jiang Bai can't afford it.
Now, after his trip, during which he ruthlessly crushed nine major gambling groups and stirred up a storm, he only gained a mere ten or twenty thousand prestige points.
The real bulk of the income comes from Imperial Enterprises. Since acquiring Flying Eagle Enterprises, Jiang Bai's daily fixed prestige has been increasing like crazy.
After Jiang Bai swallowed up Flying Eagle Enterprise, the number of people working for him skyrocketed.
Jiang Bai's current daily fixed income is around 1,500 prestige points.
In other words, Jiang Bai can gain 30,000 prestige points a month by simply lying there without doing anything.
Thirty thousand prestige points is quite a lot.
However, it's far from enough. To date, Jiang Bai has only accumulated about 100,000 prestige points, enough for one high-level lottery draw. However, Jiang Bai hasn't used it. As mentioned before, the high-level lottery draw is too uncertain, and Jiang Bai is unwilling to use it lightly unless necessary.
One hundred thousand prestige points might have been an astronomical figure for Jiang Bai before, but now it's pitifully little. Thirty thousand a month, or thirty-six hundred thousand a year, is only enough for Jiang Bai to exchange for one level of the Dragon Elephant Prajna Technique cultivation. It's far too little.
This gave Jiang Bai quite a headache.
"Young man, are you worried about power? Don't worry, a great system is here to help you."
Just as Jiang Bai was at his wit's end, the system's voice suddenly rang out.
This surprised Jiang Bai. This guy was elusive, and his sudden reappearance must mean something was up.
Will it be like the time in Taiwan before, where they gave me a side quest?
You should know that Jiang Bai obtained a brand-new drug technology that time. The pharmaceutical company is now working hard to research and produce it. The special drug that is said to be able to cure all cancers and kill all kinds of cancer cells is about to start production. The official release date is set for the first of next month.
Once the drug is released, Imperial Pharmaceuticals will immediately become Jiang Bai's most important money-making weapon, bringing him a huge amount of money.
Moreover, according to Jiang Bai's estimation, due to the special nature of the medicine, it might increase his prestige points.
Of course, this is just a guess and not certain, but it's already exciting enough.
To be honest, the last side quest wasn't as crazy or rewarding as the previous main quest, but Jiang Bai still didn't lose out.
Jiang Bai would be very happy to accept any more side quests, as they would allow him to improve his cultivation level or increase his wealth and abilities.
Side quests represent rewards.
As for the punishment for failure, Jiang Bai, who was eager to achieve quick results, automatically ignored it.
"How can we help?" Jiang Bai couldn't help but ask.
He now tries his best to get rid of the system's interference and dependence, rarely communicates with the system, and will not use it unless necessary, because he always feels that things are not that simple.
A system cannot be created out of thin air; it always has a reason for its existence and a place of origin, which must be hiding a huge secret.
Based on Jiang Bai's communication with the system, he always felt that this thing was not always a kind person.
This is also why he is reluctant to use it too much.
However, now that he is eager to improve his cultivation level, he is happy to communicate and exchange ideas with the system more often in order to improve.
To be honest, the system was like a chamber pot to Jiang Bai; he used it when he wanted to and kicked it away when he didn't.
Clearly, Jiang Bai wanted to use it at this moment and was very anxious.
"The despicable Assassin Guild dared to attack my beloved boy. The great system cannot let them get away with this. Side quest: Destroy the Assassin Guild, destroy their stronghold, and kill more than half of the Assassin Guild's high-ranking members."
"The mission has a one-year time limit. Success will result in a reward: the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill will be upgraded by one level."
"Mission failed, two levels of Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill deducted!"
As expected, just as Jiang Bai had thought, after completing the side quest on the last island, the system reappeared and gave him a new side quest.
This side quest almost made Jiang Bai curse.
"Destroy the Assassin's Guild's headquarters? Kill more than half of the Assassin's Guild's top leaders? You're dreaming!"
"Success only raises my cultivation level by one, but failure deducts two levels? Isn't this blatantly ripping me off?"
It's no wonder Jiang Bai was so angry; his anger wasn't without reason. The Assassin Alliance wasn't so easy to deal with.
As the Assassin Brotherhood, which once stirred up trouble in Europe and claimed to have ruled the entire dark Middle Ages, is not so easy to deal with.
They have an abundance of experts!
According to Jiang Bai's understanding, there is more than one person like Bai Yin, which can be confirmed by the words of the female assassin whom Jiang Bai killed yesterday.
She said it herself: Silver is one of the top powers.
Since it is one of them, it means that there is definitely more than one top force in the Assassin's Guild.
If that were all, Jiang Bai wouldn't be afraid.
The problem is that they certainly have more than that. The Nangong family can create an ice burial coffin, which contains the family's historical masters. Can't the Assassin Alliance have similar methods?
Chapter 663 Can we change it?
A task that can get the system to create a side quest and give you a year to complete must not be so simple.
It's important to know that this reward is far more valuable than the previous one, as it represents a significant upgrade, without specifying which upgrade it is.
In other words, if Jiang Bai can break through now and become an ancient martial artist before completing the mission, and break through to the eighth level, the system's reward will allow him to directly enter the ninth level.
If he reaches the ninth level, the system's reward will allow him to reach the tenth level.
Such a reward is actually quite extraordinary.
Because the level was ignored.
With such a generous reward, given Jiang Bai's understanding of the system and its usual behavior, this task is definitely not going to be easy to complete.
The previous side quest eventually brought out Nangong Xinghuo from the Nangong family. Although this was accidental, it might not be without reason, so Jiang Bai had to be careful.
Moreover, even without such a backup plan and expert, Jiang Bai alone would still be somewhat lacking in strength to deal with the entire Assassin Alliance.
Most importantly, the Assassin Brotherhood is elusive; despite their long history, no one knows the exact location of their headquarters.
Are you suggesting Jiang Bai search for it out of thin air?
How do I find it?
The Assassin Brotherhood is currently the organization with the most enemies in the world, and it has a firm grip on organizations like the Assassins and the Superpowered Alliance.
Because the work they do is dirty, they make a living by killing, and they'll kill anyone for money.
They are the ones with enemies all over the world. Jiang Bai admits he has many enemies, but compared to the Assassin Alliance, they are nothing.
They have so many enemies, including some powerful figures and forces. More importantly, the hatred in western Zhejiang has been accumulating for more than just a year or two; it can be traced back to hundreds of years ago when they first became enemies.
Over the years, with so many people, not a single person has been able to find them or destroy them, which speaks volumes about their power.
The secrecy surrounding the headquarters is self-evident.
Not only must Jiang Bai destroy their stronghold within a year, but he must also slaughter more than half of their high-ranking officials. This task is no less difficult than half a year.
"Can we change to another one?" Jiang Bai couldn't help but ask.
He really didn't want to take on this task, but unfortunately... the system remained silent.
After issuing the task, he fell silent, and no matter what Jiang Bai said, it was to no avail.
He knew that the system was clinging to him, and if he didn't complete the task, it wouldn't pay any attention to him for the time being.
With a helpless, bitter laugh, Jiang Bai muttered to himself, "Damn it, you've screwed me over."
He then shook his head, trying to stop thinking about it. He had no idea what to do for the time being, and no clue what to do.
However, his relationship with the Assassin Alliance is one of mortal enmity, and they certainly won't let it go so easily. The next assassination attempt will come soon.
Jiang Bai can deal with it then.
Now, Jiang Bai has one crucial thing to do, and that is... borrowing money.
The purchase of the large aircraft was a pleasant surprise, but Jiang Bai's wallet wasn't full. He was currently broke and couldn't come up with the money within three days, which would be truly embarrassing.
The embarrassment is a minor matter; the key issue is that the previous 200 million yuan deposit has essentially been given away for free. Jiang Bai naturally needs to find a way to raise money to fill this hole.
The best solution is to borrow money.
However, there was no rush. Jiang Bai planned to call George that evening to discuss the matter.
Or perhaps you could go and meet the other person in person.
As for the present moment, Cheryl is still waiting not far away. How could Jiang Bai abandon such a beauty?
That's not Jiang Bai's style.
Jiang Bai walked over and got into the car. From beginning to end, Cheryl didn't ask Jiang Bai any questions about what had happened, what was going on, or why someone had come looking for him.
Instead, she chose to remain obediently silent, started the car, and drove away. After driving for a long time, she finally asked, "Where are we going now? Do you want me to continue showing you around, or do we go back?"
Sheryl didn't ask, and Jiang Bai didn't say anything either. There were some things she was better off not knowing too much about.
"Let's keep looking around. Los Angeles is so big, there are still so many places I haven't been to yet. Anyway, I have nothing else to do, so why don't you show me around?"
After thinking for a moment, Jiang Bai gave this answer.
So, accompanied by the world-renowned beauty star Cheryl, Jiang Bai happily strolled around Los Angeles, saw the famous hilltop sign, enjoyed the seaside scenery, and had a candlelight dinner at a Michelin three-star restaurant in the evening, drinking a bottle of his treasured red wine. He couldn't have been more carefree.
As evening fell, Jiang Bai and Cheryl returned together to Cheryl's villa, one of the famous mansions in Beverly Hills, located on the beachfront, a very nice residence, neither too far nor too close to the city center.
The surrounding environment is comfortable and the security is good.
Sheryl spent over a million dollars when she bought this house. She said that a month ago, a real estate agent contacted her and said that a client was willing to offer two million dollars.
Not far from her residence are the truly seaside mansions, those that occupy more than ten acres, have landscaped gardens, and are close to the sea. These are much more expensive, but also much more luxurious. Top celebrities and the wealthy choose to live there.
Sheryl bought this house two years ago, when she didn't have the financial means. Even now, if she wanted to move to that place, she would be struggling to make ends meet.
If he weren't short of money, Jiang Bai would have liked to buy a luxury mansion here.
Having this idea in mind, I mentioned it to Cheryl and asked her to keep an eye out for suitable houses so I could buy one.
Cheryl readily agreed, especially after Jiang Bai mentioned that it would be much easier for him to visit Cheryl after he bought it.
The two then returned home. After their passion subsided, Jiang Bai took out his phone. Between the old godfather Sannos and George, Jiang Bai ultimately chose George. The old fox was not easy to deal with; talking to him would easily lead him astray. It was better to talk to George directly.
Although George certainly can't make the decision, this matter will eventually reach Sannos's attention, and ultimately the old man will have to make the final decision.
Jiang Bai preferred to have George relay his words to the old man.
Having a mouthpiece saves the two people from the awkwardness of facing each other directly.
The main reason is that Jiang Bai himself felt a little embarrassed. It had only been a short time since he extorted billions of dollars from the five major families in Vegas.
Was it three days?
He then went to ask someone for the money again. Even though Jiang Bai was thick-skinned, he felt a little embarrassed and awkward.
Chapter 664 George Was Terrified
It's worth noting that Jiang Bai made a guarantee when he took the money.
In fact, guarantees were made not only in Vegas, but also with the other eight major gaming groups.
Besides guaranteeing that the matter in Portugal would be put behind them, the more important thing was to guarantee that he would not visit their casinos again, and that he would not cause them any trouble for any reason, unless they caused Jiang Bai trouble first, otherwise Jiang Bai could not cause them trouble.
Jiang Bai agreed because of the money.
The main problem is that if he doesn't agree, the other party definitely won't give it to him, and they might even fight Jiang Bai to the death.
Without such a guarantee, Jiang Bai could appear at their casino at any time. If Jiang Bai does this every few days, will they still be able to do business? Will they even be able to succeed?
How could they possibly be so confident as to spend money to avoid disaster?
A real man's word is his bond; once spoken, it's like water spilled—it can't be taken back.
It's unreasonable to ask someone for money now.
That's why he spoke to George instead of Sannos.
"George, what are you doing?" Jiang Bai asked in a very Chinese-style opening line after dialing George's number.
"Uh, nothing's wrong. I'm here. What can I do for you, Mr. Jiang?"
George was a little stunned when he suddenly received Jiang Bai's call. He checked the time and it was already past nine o'clock. Jiang Bai calling him at this time gave George a bad feeling.
George couldn't quite put his finger on what was wrong, but he had a vague feeling that something was off.
To be honest, when he saw Jiang Bai's name calling, he subconsciously didn't want to answer the call.
But after a moment's thought, he made his choice within a few seconds and decided that it was better to answer the call.
After all, Jiang Bai was not someone to be trifled with, and he had been instructed to treat him well, so he couldn't be careless.
You should try your best to meet any requests the other party may have.
How can I not answer a phone call?
George felt it was not worth angering the other party over something so trivial.
"It's nothing, I just need to borrow some money from you."
Jiang Bai went straight to the point, not beating around the bush with George, and stated his purpose directly.
The two weren't exactly acquaintances, so there wasn't much to say in polite conversation. Besides, Jiang Bai knew that foreigners weren't used to the Chinese way of doing things.
If you talk to them in a roundabout or ambiguous way, they may not understand you. It's better to be direct.
"Lend me money? Sure, how much?"
Upon hearing this, George instinctively replied, "It's just borrowing money. I thought it was a big deal."
However, as soon as he said it, George's expression changed, his hand trembled, and he almost dropped the phone.
Borrow money? You're asking me to lend you money? You recently squeezed over 40 billion US dollars out of nine major gaming groups in less than a week... and you're asking me to lend you money?
Are you sure you're not messing with me?
That's 40 billion US dollars! Even if you took it all out and set it on fire, it could burn for days, right?
It's only been a short time, and you're already asking me for money? Are you kidding me?
George thought this to himself, but dared not say it aloud. He forced himself to steady his trembling body and asked cautiously in a trembling voice, "Mr. Jiang, what... what did you just say? Borrow money?"
"Yes, I need to borrow some money. I'm short on cash lately and wanted to ask you for some to spend. Don't worry, it's really a loan, I'll definitely pay it back," Jiang Bai said without any guilt, not feeling embarrassed at all.
"How...how much?" George shuddered and couldn't help but ask in a low voice.
As for Jiang Bai's reasons, he didn't believe them at all, but he didn't refute them. He just asked Jiang Bai how much he needed.
He was now certain that this was a new extortion tactic employed by Jiang Bai, using the pretext of borrowing money to actually demand money from him.
Is it possible to get the money lent to Jiang Bai back?
Who will ask for it? How will they ask for it?
If you really give the money to this guy and he just walks away, who's going to come to China to collect the debt from him?
Have you had enough of living?
In Country A, the five major families are arrogant and domineering, but if they really go to China, they have to be humble and submissive. They can't do anything to Jiang Bai in their own territory, but when they go to other countries' territory, they can be manipulated and shaped at will.
I can do whatever I want with you, what makes you think you can turn the world upside down?
Should I ask him to collect the debt?
Are you dreaming?
So, in George's view, this was nothing short of extortion—a loan in name only, with no intention of repaying.
"Not much, five hundred and fifty million US dollars. Don't worry, it will be repaid. Jiang Bai's reputation speaks for itself, it's definitely worth the price."
Jiang Bai chuckled upon hearing this, completely ignoring George's complicated feelings.
"Five hundred and fifty million?" George felt like crying. Where would he get such a large sum of money?
Don't be fooled by the fact that he is one of the Gambino's heirs. He is a third-generation heir, and his position in the family's succession is below tenth. He is in charge of Los Angeles and has some lucrative opportunities, but how could he possibly have five hundred million?
He's a classic example of someone who's all bark and no bite.
"It's not that I don't want to help with this amount, it's just that I don't have that much money. Don't laugh at me, Mr. Jiang, but all my assets combined don't amount to that much. I really..."
George wanted to tell Jiang Bai that he was powerless to help with this matter and that Jiang Bai should find someone else to deflect the blame, thus ending the matter.
Unfortunately, Jiang Bai didn't even give him a chance to speak: "I know you don't have any, but your family definitely does. Of course... you contributed some money a while ago, so you must be a little tight on funds now."
"But another 550 million is nothing. For the Gambino family, a prestigious godfather family, it shouldn't be a problem, right?"
"Even if you don't have it, the five major families can surely scrape together some. I know that your five major families have a net income of hundreds of millions every day in your casinos in Vegas."
Upon hearing this, George shuddered again.
Just as he feared, this happened. At this moment, he was even more certain that this was simply a money-making scheme by Jiang Bai.
What did you mean by asking him to lend you money?
In reality, he was simply using his words to tell the people behind him to give him money.
Why are they bringing up Vegas? What's the meaning of that?
This is a blatant threat! It means they won't give it to you, so you have to take it yourself? From the casino?
Does one have to go this far?
George really wanted to verbally abuse Jiang Bai on the spot, but considering the difference in strength between himself and Jiang Bai, and the consequences of Jiang Bai becoming enraged after he verbally abused him, George held back and cautiously said, "Mr. Jiang, when you took the money before, you made a guarantee that you would not go to the casinos in Vegas again."
Chapter 665 You're only fit to raise cattle for your younger brother
"I know, I know, of course I know I made a guarantee, but I'm out of money right now. I bought a plane, and I haven't paid the final payment yet. I'm short of money, so I'm asking you for a temporary loan. You won't refuse to give it to me, will you?"
"Huh? What did you say about Vegas, and my guarantee? What do you mean? Are you doubting my character?"
As soon as George finished speaking, Jiang Bai hurriedly explained, but as he spoke, his tone shifted to one of accusation.
"No, I wouldn't dare... I wouldn't dare. How could I doubt you? It's just that I can't make the decision on this matter," George hurriedly explained, trembling.
But in his heart he thought, "You're only just realizing this? You have character flaws? I'm not saying you have bad character, I'm just questioning your integrity, brother."
But he only thought about it; he really didn't dare to say it aloud.
"Then you should talk to someone who can make the decision. Anyway, I'm in a hurry. Today is the first day, and I need to get the money by tomorrow night."
In response to George's explanation, Jiang Bai also spoke up, lazily saying this, and then hung up the phone without giving George another chance to speak.
"What's wrong?"
Sheryl looked at Jiang Bai, who had just finished making the call, with a blank expression, and hugged him from behind.
"It's nothing. My company in China needs time to transfer funds over. Three days is definitely not enough, so I'll borrow some from a friend."
Jiang Bai explained with a smile, turning around to hug Cheryl as he spoke, letting her golden hair rest on his arm.
"Friends? That much money, is it easy to borrow?"
Five hundred and fifty million US dollars, but it's cash. Half of the group company would have a hard time raising it in a short time. Cheryl is not an unreasonable little girl, so she naturally knows the difficulties involved.
"Yes, I believe they will lend it to us. They have plenty of money, and we are good friends."
Jiang Bai laughed and said, then put his arm around Cheryl and continued sleeping.
Meanwhile, his good friend George had already told his other good friend Sannos the news.
Upon hearing this, his older friend Sannos's first reaction was to turn pale, followed by a fit of rage. He smashed his beloved pipe on the spot, stood up angrily, and paced back and forth.
This frightened his other good friend Spears so much that he fell silent.
"This is extortion! Blatant extortion! I'm going to fight him! Fight him! No one has ever dared to do this to the Gambino family before. He just extorted six billion... a whole six billion US dollars from the five major families, and it's only been a few days?"
"It's been less than three days, and he's already asking for money again! Does he think we're easy to bully? I'm going to teach him a lesson, I absolutely have to teach him a lesson!"
The older friend, Godfather Sannos, roared furiously from inside the house.
He roared and smashed things, breaking several of his beloved possessions before calming down. He then yelled at Spears, who hadn't dared to utter a sound, "Notify the rest of the five great families to come over tonight. I need to have a meeting with them!"
"Are we dealing with this greedy guy? Should I prepare some men?"
Seeing his grandfather's reaction, Spears was immediately overjoyed and asked excitedly.
He harbored a deep hatred for Jiang Bai, and more importantly, he disliked Jiang Bai and had long wanted to kill him. He had this idea when Jiang Bai came last time.
However, Sannos disagreed, and the others hesitated and were afraid. No one dared to lay a hand on Jiang Bai. Spears's status within the family was not very high, even lower than that of his younger brother George.
Therefore, he was of low status and his words were ignored, so the matter could only be left unresolved.
But his desire to deal with Jiang Bai never diminished. Now that Jiang Bai was asking for money again, he saw this as a golden opportunity because Jiang Bai had crossed their bottom line. Didn't he see that his grandfather was furious?
Therefore, he suggested at the opportune moment that Jiang Bai should be eliminated.
Spears felt that his grandfather would definitely support this.
They might even be praised for their preemptive and clever actions.
"Smack!"
However, Spears never dreamed that instead of his grandfather's praise, he would be greeted with a resounding slap.
"Fool! What kind of men are you going to prepare? Do you think your men can stand a chance against that despicable bastard?"
"What use are they? What can they do besides send them to their deaths? You're simply wasting our family's resources!"
"Besides, when did I say I was going to deal with him? Spears, don't be so clever. If you continue like this, I seriously doubt whether you can continue to hold an important position in the family!"
"Do what I tell you to do. Why all the nonsense?"
Undoubtedly, Spears became the punching bag for Godfather Sannos. Although the man in front of him was his grandson, he had more than a dozen grandsons, and Spears was undoubtedly the least favored one. Now that he had suddenly appeared, Sannos, who had nowhere else to vent his anger, seized the opportunity and slapped him hard as a way to vent his frustration.
Still somewhat dazed from being slapped by his grandfather, Spears glanced at Sannos with a wronged expression, then cautiously asked, "What should I tell them?"
"Do I need to teach you how to say it? Just tell them the whole story, and casually mention that you need them to come to the meeting, that's all."
Sannos roared in exasperation.
Spears looked bewildered, then muttered, "Then we still have to take action?"
He turned to leave after saying that, but what greeted him was a kick from behind by the old godfather, who angrily said, "You good-for-nothing bastard, you'll be going to the farm tomorrow. You're only fit to take care of your brother's cows, you idiot!"
"You'd better be smart and not talk nonsense. I'm having them discuss how to pay that bastard and what percentage of the money they should contribute, not to fight him!"
"Damn it, how come you still don't understand? If the people behind us refuse to step in, we can't do anything to that bastard. Provoking him could very well mean the end of us all!"
"The Gambino family has been around for over a hundred years since the first generation immigrated. We can't possibly ruin our entire family for a little money. You idiot, don't you even understand that?"
As he said this, the old Godfather was filled with disappointment and anger. He immediately banished Spears, sending him away to manage some farm instead of staying there.
Raising dairy cows?
This drove Spears to near despair.
Chapter 666 What did the Duke say?
While feeling desperate, he was also somewhat unwilling to accept it, but Spears was destined to never have the chance to say these things, because he had already been kicked out of the house and dejectedly followed the old Godfather Sannos's instructions to inform the heads of the other four major families.
The five Mafia families are all immigrants from Sicily. They have been fighting and intertwining with each other for a century, and their power is deeply intertwined. However, they are all manipulated by the same force behind the scenes.
Although their spheres of influence differ, they occupy the five directions of country A: east, south, west, north, and center.
But their leader has always been in Vegas, because now this is their paradise and haven.
More importantly, the representatives sent by their backers have been staying in Vegas all along. They need to communicate with this person about everything, so they have no choice but to be stationed here permanently.
Vegas is also the only region jointly governed by five major factions.
Spears wanted to slam the door and leave, or change the content of the call; in fact, for a fraction of a second, he really did think about it.
However, he quickly gave up on the idea, not because he couldn't, but because he didn't dare.
He didn't dare challenge the old Godfather's authority.
Not to mention him, even his father could only be a docile kitten when facing his grandfather.
If you ask him to go east, he would never dare to go west, let alone him.
Half an hour later, while Jiang Bai was fast asleep, his group of "good friends" had already gathered at Sannos's villa. The five of them sat scattered in Sannos's study, each one angry, but none of them spoke.
After a long pause, Sannos spoke first: "So, you know what happened. He asked us to lend him money. What do you think, should we lend it to him or not?"
"Is it really a loan? I think it's outright robbery! He already got so much benefit from us last time, a full six billion US dollars, and he also extorted a lot from other people. I haven't even included that extra two hundred million US dollars for him."
"Roughly estimated, he has extorted at least 40 billion US dollars from our nine major gaming groups. Now he says he's short of money and wants to borrow from us? Do you think that's believable? I think he's just looking for an excuse to extort money from us!"
"We absolutely cannot agree to this. This man is insatiable. If we agree this time, he will definitely do it again. If this goes on and on, who can stand it?"
"He keeps talking about hundreds of millions of US dollars. Does he even realize how long it will take us to raise that kind of money?"
"If this continues, all five of our families will become his employees!"
No sooner had Sannos finished speaking than the hot-tempered godfather of the Genovese family roared in fury, expressing his deep disgust for Jiang Bai's insatiable behavior.
"Yes, this guy is completely untrustworthy. Just a few days ago, when he took our money, he made a promise that he would never come to Vegas again and would never cause us any more trouble. Now he's turned around and found an excuse to extort money from us again?"
"Damn it, are we the mafia, or is he the mafia? How come he's even more ruthless than us?"
Another family head stood up angrily and roared indignantly.
Once these two spoke up, others joined in, launching into a scathing attack on Jiang Bai, almost as if they wanted to write down ten major crimes committed by him and forever nail him to the pillar of historical shame.
Undoubtedly, in the eyes of these people, Jiang Bai had become synonymous with robbery and thuggery, greedy and utterly untrustworthy.
In front of Jiang Bai, they seemed to transform into ordinary people who were afraid of death and extremely weak. They were blackmailed and extorted by Jiang Bai, a gang leader, but they were helpless.
They were all angry and shouting, yet their faces were full of grievance.
If outsiders saw this scene, I wonder if they would be shocked.
The godfathers of the five great families are here recounting how they were blackmailed. If tabloid reporters found out, it would be a huge joke that would be known to the world, and it would definitely be listed as one of the most famous jokes of this century.
"So what do you suggest we do? Fight him?"
After the group had vented their anger for a while and stopped their unrestrained insults and attacks on Jiang Bai, Godfather Sannos spoke in a deep voice.
One sentence made the people in the room hang their heads immediately, like a defeated rooster.
"Fight? How?"
It is true that their five major families are powerful and well-equipped, with more than 100,000 members across the country, including many desperados and veterans. They are extremely powerful in both firepower and manpower; otherwise, they could not have stood among the strong and steadily controlled the underworld of Country A for a century.
The question is, what use are these people to Jiang Bai?
This group is fine against ordinary people, but what about Jiang Bai?
Save your breath.
They weren't clueless newbies; they knew how powerful and troublesome Jiang Bai was. According to their informants, Jiang Bai had already killed SSS-level superhumans, let alone their insignificant subordinates.
With just them?
We definitely can't win in a fight.
Since we can't win, the only option is to surrender and be at their mercy. It's better than dying right away, isn't it?
Besides, Jiang Bai himself said that this was a loan and he would pay it back; it's not that he wouldn't pay it back.
Although everyone present felt that once this money was given out, it would be like throwing a meat bun to a dog—gone forever.
But at least there's something to look forward to, isn't there?
It's better than being slaughtered and devoured immediately, isn't it?
"What did His Excellency the Duke say?" someone suddenly asked, instantly brightening the previously dim eyes of those around him.
"Yes, what did His Excellency the Duke say? Did you tell him about this?"
Immediately, someone asked, as this question was extremely urgent.
The so-called Duke is the big boss behind them. For more than a hundred years, the five major families of Sicily have been able to dominate the underworld of Country A, defeating one opponent after another and rising from the crowd. The Duke has made great contributions to this.
It was because of his support that the five major families were able to rise to prominence.
It is precisely because of his support that the five major families have been able to remain stable to this day, without being swallowed up by those truly powerful and ruthless tycoons.
The five families are confident that they can face Jiang Bai if they want to go to war with him.
Without his support, they would naturally surrender immediately. Jiang Bai could give them whatever they wanted; what else could they do?
"I have already told the Apostle about this, and the Apostle will tell the Duke. However, he has already said that we should not have too high hopes. In fact... he told me last time that the Duke is also having some trouble recently and cannot spare the resources to help us."
Chapter 667 is all good, except...
Sanruos's words have already told everyone that the people behind them probably can't help with this matter.
This silenced everyone present, and the room fell completely still.
"If… His Excellency the Duke truly has no way to spare any resources, then we have no choice but to compromise," someone said dejectedly.
"Hmm." Many people didn't respond to this, only giving a soft "hmm."
Because they didn't know what to say anymore.
In this situation, what's the point of saying so much?
If the big boss can't help, do you expect these people to fight Jiang Bai to the death? Of course, they have some experts, but even they themselves feel that they are not strong enough to fight Jiang Bai.
Saying those nonsense words is completely useless.
Just then, the door to the room was suddenly opened, and a figure dressed entirely in black, hidden in a black robe, appeared inside. The moment the door opened, everyone in the room stood up and bowed to the person hidden in the black robe, greeting him: "Apostle."
Waving his hand, the other party responded in a hoarse voice: "I have already spoken to His Excellency the Duke. He asked you to compromise for now and lend the money to this Chinese man. He also told me to tell you not to be afraid. Once His Excellency's troubles are resolved, he will personally deal with this Chinese man. How dare such an ant challenge the Duke? He simply doesn't know what he's getting himself into."
Having said that, he ignored everyone in the room and turned to leave.
His words dispelled the worries of the others in the surrounding room, and their faces beamed with smiles.
Now that the Duke has made his decision, they are confident that with him taking action, Jiang Bai will surely die a horrible death.
Although the Duke is currently unable to spare the time, his affairs will eventually be resolved. Once the Duke has some free time, they believe Jiang Bai is doomed.
Over the past hundred years, they have encountered countless powerful enemies and crises, some of whom are more troublesome and difficult to deal with than Jiang Bai. Jiang Bai only wants money, but some people want lives. However, no matter who they are, as long as the Duke takes action, they will surely collapse at the first touch.
In their eyes, the Duke was absolutely invincible.
This is a belief they have held for over a century without wavering.
Since His Excellency the Duke has said so, what do they have to worry about?
Even if they can't get the money back after lending it to Jiang Bai, it's not a big deal. They can afford this loss; they can just consider it as Jiang Bai's funeral expenses.
As a result, the matter was successfully approved, and the major families pooled their funds that very night.
The next morning, George called Jiang Bai, asked for the account number, and transferred the money directly to Cheryl. After paying the money, Jiang Bai successfully obtained his large aircraft—the Imperial Fortress.
After receiving the money, Jiang Bai did not leave immediately. Instead, he stayed in Luocheng for a while, a full four or five days. This was partly for eating, drinking, and having fun, but more importantly, to keep Apson and his gang on edge.
These guys dared to threaten him; Jiang Bai had no reason to let them get away with it.
They deliberately seek out crowded places, waiting for the Assassin Guild to come knocking so they can have a big fight and ideally destroy the entire area—that would be perfect.
Unfortunately, since the last attack, the Assassin Alliance has made no move, and Jiang Bai is perfectly safe here, dashing his dreams, although it still made Apson and his gang worry for several days.
However, Jiang Bai did not get what he wanted.
Jiang Bai can't stay in Luocheng forever, can he?
With no other choice, Jiang Bai bid farewell to Cheryl and Zhao Ling'er here and embarked on his journey home.
When the plane landed at Tiandu Airport, Jiang Bai ordered his men to give each member of the crew a large red envelope and then dismissed them. These people were temporary staff members of Tiandu Airlines and were not Jiang Bai's crew.
Although his qualities are good, he is still far from meeting Jiang Bai's requirements.
At the very least, his crew must have three or four experienced pilots, right?
There should be a dozen or twenty beautiful flight attendants, the kind that catch the eye at first glance...
Although these people are not bad, their figures do not reach the level of supermodels, so Jiang Bai is not willing to use them.
Jiang Bai didn't need to worry about these trivial matters; he delegated them to Xiao Tian, and they're almost done now.
Despite the high requirements, the salary is generous, with monthly salaries exceeding 50,000 yuan plus bonuses, attracting a flood of applicants.
I heard that it's almost been resolved now.
As soon as we exited the airport, Xiao Tian was already waiting there with a group of people.
He's gotten a bit flamboyant lately. Every time he picks up Jiang Bai, he feels embarrassed to go out alone. He always brings a bunch of people with him, several cars and a dozen bodyguards. It's as if only by forming a convoy can he look impressive. He feels too embarrassed to go out alone.
Jiang Bai neither agreed nor objected, which can be considered as tacit consent.
Xiao Tian himself has gradually moved beyond being a driver and is now more like Jiang Bai's personal assistant. Jiang Bai entrusts him with handling everything and he solves many problems. He is like a head butler and rarely drives anymore. He also serves as the general manager of Empire Construction.
If Jiang Bai didn't need Xiao Tian by his side right now, he would have sent him away long ago, since he has a lot of things to deal with.
"Hey, Xiao Tian, you've made some progress!" After leaving the house and getting into the car, Jiang Bai looked Xiao Tian up and down and said with a smile.
Xiao Tian's strength has indeed improved. Last time, Jiang Bai plundered a lot of martial arts manuals from the Nangong family and gave them to Xiao Tian and Xu Jie. Now they have all practiced them. Xiao Tian has even reached the level of a sixth-grade master, which is many times stronger than before.
Jiang Bai was quite surprised by Xiao Tian's amazing talent.
Keep in mind that it hasn't been long since he obtained this manual.
One month? Or more than a month?
In any case, it didn't take long for Xiao Tian's strength to improve by leaps and bounds.
"I've only made some minor breakthroughs. What kind of strength do I have? Compared to you, boss, I'm far inferior," Xiao Tian said modestly, his face slightly flushed.
That's not entirely untrue; his strength is indeed far inferior to Jiang Bai's.
Too far apart to be compared.
With a light laugh, Jiang Bai waved his hand and asked, "How's things at home while I was away?"
"The development is going quite well. Several projects in the Imperial Construction area have already started, and everything is going smoothly. Mr. Li and Minister Cheng have been very supportive, and the progress is even better than we expected."
"The group has basically completed its integration and returned to its previous level. It's developing very well. The pharmaceutical factory is also almost ready and will soon be able to produce the medicine you previously provided."
"only..."
Chapter 668 High Monk
"Just what? Don't beat around the bush!"
Jiang Bai was taken aback. He didn't like Xiao Tian's hesitant manner. If he had something to say, he should say it. Did he think he was going to eat him? What kind of talk was this, being so evasive and indecisive?
"Someone has been looking for you recently. I told him that you had to leave and asked him to come back later, but he won't leave and has been sitting at our door for a week now."
After hearing Jiang Bai's words, Xiao Tian didn't dare to hide anything and quickly told him what was going on. After speaking, he looked at Jiang Bai in front of him with some worry.
Someone came looking for Jiang Bai. It wasn't a big deal; he usually dealt with people who weren't very important. He tried to get rid of this person as well, but unfortunately, he couldn't. That was his dereliction of duty.
You have to understand, he is Jiang Bai's driver and housekeeper. If he can't even handle this little thing, Xiao Tian himself feels a bit embarrassed.
"Looking for me? Why didn't you tell me before? Who is it?"
Jiang Bai was stunned for a moment.
He didn't understand who was looking for him, as Xiao Tian hadn't mentioned this person when they spoke on the phone before.
"I didn't think he was very important, so I wanted to get rid of him. But he wouldn't leave. I asked him why he was looking for you, but he wouldn't say. I saw that you were quite busy over there, so I didn't tell you about this. I thought he would leave on his own when he couldn't wait for you."
"But I didn't expect him to sit at the door for more than a week and still refuse to leave."
Xiao Tian gave a dry reply, sounding somewhat embarrassed.
Jiang Bai understood this matter; who could just see him whenever they wanted now?
People who want to meet Jiang Bai can line up from the east end of the city to the west end. None of them are ordinary people; they are all wealthy merchants and local tycoons. Who wouldn't want to pay a visit to Jiang Bai?
Jiang Bai couldn't possibly meet with all these people one by one. Firstly, he was too lazy to meet them, and secondly, he didn't have the time. Most of them, not the most important ones, would be dealt with by Xiao Tian or even his subordinates.
Only extremely important people, those with sensitive identities, or those with considerable strength would tell Xiaotian and his team that they would only meet with them when they had time, after the screening process.
A monk?
It is clearly not in this category.
Besides, just as Xiao Tian said, he didn't know him, he just found him, and he wasn't even willing to say his purpose. How could Xiao Tian possibly let him meet him?
Xiao Tian did not do anything wrong in this respect.
To Jiang Bai's surprise, the other party did not leave, but sat at his doorstep waiting.
This surprised Jiang Bai.
She glanced at Xiaotian with surprise and asked uncertainly, "You really sat there for a week?"
"Yes, he came the day after you went to Portugal. He said he wanted to see you. I told him that you had already left and that he should tell me if he needed anything. He didn't say anything, so I let him leave. But he didn't leave and just waited at the door. If you count the time, it's actually been nine days."
"Nine days? You've been sitting there the whole time?" Jiang Bai asked in astonishment.
"Yes, at first we thought he would just sit there for a while and leave when no one came. But we never expected that he would sit there for three days straight without eating or drinking anything. He just sat there cross-legged in meditation, rain or shine, right at our doorstep. It was terrifying to see."
"Then I had someone prepare some food for him, and he didn't refuse. He just sat at the door waiting, and he's still there now." Xiao Tian gave a wry smile and responded dryly.
"Have you found out who they are?"
Putting everything else aside, the fact that someone could sit cross-legged in front of his own house for nine days without moving is enough to make him curious about who this person was and what they wanted from him.
I don't think I have much interaction with monks.
"Well... I asked around, but he wouldn't say, no one knows him, we can't find any information about him, we can't even find out how he got here. But one thing is certain, he should be a Tibetan Buddhist monk, wearing lama robes."
"I asked around, and the person dressed like that should be a high-ranking monk, but I don't know where he came from. I arranged for someone to go into Tibet and asked my connections there to find out who he came from, but I haven't heard back from them yet."
"Lama?"
Jiang Bai frowned upon hearing this. He had no connections with the great monks of the Central Plains, so what connections could he possibly have with lamas?
Just kidding.
I've never been to Tibet, although I long to go there.
There's absolutely no way this lama could have any connection with me anymore, so why is he coming to see me?
Could it be that someone else came looking for revenge?
It doesn't seem like it. If it really were someone seeking revenge, wouldn't they take the opportunity to destroy my stronghold while I'm not here?
"Are the people you found in Tibet reliable? How come there's been absolutely no news from them?"
Jiang Bai pondered for a moment and asked, "It's impossible for a person to disappear without a trace. If we haven't found out the person's background, it must be because the person using them is incompetent."
"They are several powerful figures in Tibet, all formidable local tyrants. Two of them were descended from great chieftains, wielding immense influence there. They could even investigate the backgrounds of reclusive high monks in the Potala Palace. But this person... they say they have no information about him at all."
"However, they didn't come away empty-handed. Several prominent figures in Tibet said that they inquired with close religious figures, and the response they received was that if they couldn't find out the details, there were only two possibilities."
"One is that this person is not from Tibet at all, nor is he a lama. The other is that this person is not under the leadership of Tibetan Buddhism. In other words, he is a hermit who cannot be controlled by the Panchen Lama or the Dalai Lama. Such people usually hide in remote mountains and valleys, never leaving their homes, and are very difficult to find."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Bai raised an eyebrow, glanced at Xiao Tian, and asked noncommittally, "Which one do you think he is?"
"Judging from his demeanor, he seems to be a high-ranking monk. I think it's the second possibility, but I'm not sure." Xiao Tian expressed his thoughts but didn't give a definitive answer. This was a basic quality of a subordinate, and he didn't want to mislead Jiang Bai with his judgment.
"Is that so? Let's go see him. I'm also very curious about who he is and what he wants from me." Jiang Bai smiled upon hearing this.
When soldiers come, we'll meet them head-on; when water comes, we'll dam it. No matter where they come from, we'll just face them. Do you think he's afraid?
If you don't even have this much courage, you might as well give up.
"Okay." Xiao Tian nodded, then instructed the driver to rush back to Jiang Bai's home, which was their planned route.
Half an hour later, they had returned to Jiang Bai's home. At the door, Jiang Bai saw the Tibetan Buddhist monk that Xiao Tian had mentioned. At this moment, he was sitting cross-legged under the shade of a tree on the left side of Jiang Bai's door.
Chapter 669 Lingjiu Palace in the Great Snow Mountain
He was dressed in a deep red lama robe, wearing a small yellow hat, sitting cross-legged, holding a string of prayer beads, chanting sutras with his eyes closed. His skin was somewhat dry and dark, and he was around sixty years old with white hair and beard. Hearing the car arrive, he stopped what he was doing, opened his eyes, and a sharp glint appeared in his small eyes.
"This is a master." Jiang Bai had this feeling the moment he saw the other person.
He keenly sensed that the other party was a master, a true master, and possibly even no weaker than himself.
However, in reality, without a direct confrontation, it's impossible to find out the truth.
"parking."
After giving the order, the car stopped immediately, and Jiang Bai slowly got out.
When the other person saw Jiang Bai, he stood up and bowed to Jiang Bai.
"Master, you wanted to see me?" Jiang Bai returned the greeting politely, walked over, and spoke first.
"Greetings, benefactor."
The other party did not deny Jiang Bai's words, nodded, and then bowed to Jiang Bai again.
"Let's go inside and talk. You've been sitting at my door for so many days, and my men haven't properly entertained you, Master. It's their fault."
Jiang Bai responded with a smile and invited the other party into the house.
This was his first time visiting the house since it was rebuilt, and he was quite excited to see how Xiaotian and the others had done.
The other party did not refuse, nodded, and then followed Jiang Bai inside. The courtyard was large and had been restored and leveled. Inside, there were artificial hills, small bridges and flowing water, full of ancient charm.
Upon entering the magnificent mansion, which had been expanded to twice its size and resembled a palace, Jiang Bai invited the man directly into the study. A servant brought tea, and Jiang Bai offered him some, but the man remained silent throughout.
Jiang Bai remained silent, simply observing the other party's actions.
He was waiting, waiting for the other party to speak first, to see what the other party's purpose was. Jiang Bai didn't think that a grand lama had come all the way to see him just to have tea with him.
Moreover, this high lama is very likely a true master.
Such a master has been sitting in his house for nine days and nine nights without leaving. Could it be that he just came in for a cup of tea?
I have to say something.
As expected, after the two had drunk three cups of tea, the other party put his hands together, stood up, bowed to Jiang Bai, and said, "This humble monk, Bayantele, greets benefactor."
This is a self-disclosure of your identity. Jiang Bai nodded silently and said with a smile, "Master, what are you saying? At your age and with your cultivation, to call yourself a humble monk in front of me is something I cannot accept. Please just say what you want to say."
"If you're asking me for alms or help, no problem. Just name your price," Jiang Bai said with a smile. He knew that such a skilled person wouldn't be coming to him for money.
Jiang Bai knew perfectly well that he was just trying to get the other party to reveal his purpose. If it really was about money, that was easy; Jiang Bai would give it to them. Not to mention a few million, even hundreds of millions wouldn't be a problem.
But Jiang Bai knew that the other party was definitely not after money.
"The place where I practice is a bit austere, but I can still make ends meet. The people around here are willing to help me. I'm here to ask you for some other things."
Bayantler shook his head slightly after hearing Jiang Bai's words, and then said.
Jiang Bai remained silent, waiting for the other party to speak. Sure enough, after a pause, the other party's eyes flashed with a sharp light as he looked at Jiang Bai and said in a deep voice, "Is the one you are cultivating the supreme secret technique of my Tantric Sect, the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill?"
These words caused Jiang Bai's expression to change abruptly, and he stood up, coldly staring at Bayantele in front of him. Sure enough, the one who came was not friendly, and the one who came was not friendly.
The lama didn't speak at all, but when he did, he pointed directly to Jiang Bai's biggest secret: the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill.
According to what Yang Wudi had told him before, the "Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill" should have been lost and few people knew about it now. He himself only knew a little about it from seeing it in ancient books. How did the other party know about it?
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Jiang Bai narrowed his eyes, a cold glint flashing in them, and vehemently denied the matter.
"Benefactor Jiang, there's no need to hide anything. When I first met you, I sensed the fluctuations of the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill. I'm not mistaken. The Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill is the supreme secret technique of Tantric Buddhism, the secret technique of our Lingjiu Palace in the Great Snow Mountain that has been passed down for thousands of years. Although it has been lost, it has its own characteristics that ordinary people cannot perceive."
"As a successor of Lingjiu Palace, the moment I saw you, I was certain that you must have cultivated the Dragon Elephant Prajna Technique."
Bayantler didn't seem to care about Jiang Bai's denial and responded calmly, showing no joy or sorrow, nor any change in expression.
"So what if it is, and so what if it isn't?"
Jiang Bai said noncommittally.
His skills, including the "Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill" he cultivated, did not come from Tantric Buddhism and had nothing to do with their Great Snow Mountain Lingjiu Palace. He obtained it by exchanging prestige points from the system, and no one should even think about taking it.
"Don't worry, benefactor. I have no ill intentions. Although the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill is the supreme martial art of our Lingjiu Palace in the Great Snow Mountain, we have been trying to find it ever since it was lost hundreds of years ago. This is indeed our sect's greatest wish for hundreds of years."
"But since you were able to obtain it, it is your destiny. I just want to ask you where you obtained it. You know... this may be related to our last lineage holder, Master Gesang Wangdui. We hope to bring back his remains."
"Of course, if you are willing to return the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill to our Great Snow Mountain Lingjiu Palace, we will be extremely grateful."
Jiang Bai sneered at the other party's words. He had used his own prestige points to obtain the "Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill". What did it have to do with their Great Snow Mountain Lingjiu Palace?
That belongs to Jiang Bai himself; it has nothing to do with them.
They want to take away my livelihood with just one sentence?
Dream on!
Jiang Bai has always been the one extorting and blackmailing others, and he has always been the one taking advantage of others. Now, someone actually wants to take the "Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill" from Jiang Bai's hands with just a few words.
What is this if not a pipe dream?
Even if the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill had nothing to do with the other party, Jiang Bai would never give it to this great lama. Once something is in Jiang Bai's hands, why would he want to leave?
Are you drunk and still asleep?
"Do you think that's possible?" Jiang Bai sneered dismissively.
After saying this, he said coldly, "To tell you the truth, I don't know any of those people you mentioned, such as Gesang Wangdui, and I have no idea who they are. My 'Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill' has a different origin, but don't worry, it definitely has nothing to do with you."