Chapter 197 - Shanghai, Gatekeeper

“Was it an eventful ride? Did many freaks attack the train?”

“Of course, in order to protect the armored train, our government has strengthened it and also formed a special army—the railway guards tasked to protect the armored train.”

“The army was mobilized to defend it… Fortunately, most of the freaks have no IQ and will only chase after humans. Otherwise, the roads between cities would definitely have been blocked.”

It was Lin Yao who made this comment. He had not sensed it when he had arrived from Ninghai City to Tianhai City. However, during the journey from Ninghai to Shanghai, which usually took only three hours by plane, Lin Yao had spent a total of three days.

Also, in the past three days, he’d had to transfer between different trains, so in the meantime, he had sensed dozens of freak attacks outside. This made Lin Yao realize how difficult it was for cities to keep in touch with each other.

Nowadays, unlike in the past, when there had been well-developed railway lines that could connect every place, there were planes to travel to and fro different places.

Due to the attacks of the freaks, there were only a few main railway lines left in China. Many of the branch railway lines had disappeared. Most of the cities had only one railway connecting them to other places, and this railway line had to be protected by the railway guards as well.

Passenger planes were more susceptible to damage. Once they were damaged, the people on the planes could not even escape, so they had been totally phased out.

Such traffic conditions also made him understand why the locals were so united and cliquey in this time and age. Obviously, more exchanges could lead to a better understanding and cooperation. However, there was currently only one armored train to connect the cities, and train tickets were very expensive, so most people would only leave their cities once a few years. Each time they left, there was always a certain degree of danger. Thus, the difficulties in communication and exchanges naturally resulted in people from different areas feeling inclined to stay within their city and having very little trust in outsiders.

‘Fortunately, there is spirit energy, so crops can be harvested quickly and it takes a shorter time to rear livestock. I heard that the country also exerts control over some mystic realms and small planes. Otherwise, if we lost a large territory, there would certainly be famine in the human world.’

While Lin Yao was sighing, Qin Xue, who had come with him, was not in the mood to think about this. As she was looking at Shanghai, which was obviously countless times more prosperous than Ninghai, she seemed to be slightly nervous.

“Ah Yao, are we going to the Flowery Sect first, or are we going to look for my cousin? She has arranged our accommodation.”

“Let’s go to the Flowery Sect first. Let’s stay in a hotel by ourselves.”

There was already an invisible barrier between Lin Yao and Qin Ya. This was not the fault of one person but something inevitable, as they both had strong personalities.

Lin Yao needed a manager who was solely responsible for him. Obviously, Qin Ya could not fulfill that need. She had her own business and wanted to control everything rather than rely on others.

Both of them had strong personalities, and when one was unwilling to accommodate the other, it was inevitable that there would be a wall between them.

Of course, this estrangement did not affect their cooperation. Both of them were smart people who knew how to achieve a win-win situation. However, the relationship between them had now been limited to cooperation and investments.

Since Lin Yao had made this decision, Yan Yu’er hailed a car and went to the hotel next to the Flowery Sect.

“I have booked the hotel. It just so happens that there is a presidential suite…”

“It doesn’t need to be so expensive. Just an ordinary place will do… We have to stay here for some time. Let’s book an ordinary apartment.”

“I will pay for the suite.”

“Use my reserve funds. You are now my assistant.”

Lin Yao currently had four personal assistants, Qin Xue, Yan Yu’er, and two other assistants from Tianhai City, who happened to be twins.

Lin Yao could not fire these people. Qin Xue had been hired by Qin Ya to work for him, and she was close to Lin Yao. Yan Yu’er was a member of the Yan Family. They had invested a lot of money in Lin Yao, not to mention the two assistants from Tianhai City.

However, Lin Yao was frustrated that the four of them were high school students and none of them could shoulder responsibilities alone.

‘I want a management expert who can take care of the foundation.’

Actually, even if someone else sent an expert to help with the foundation, he would not dare to hire them.

He needed someone who only answered to him.

Among his four assistants, Qin Xue was in charge of taking care of Lin Yao’s daily life, and he sent the other three assistants to study and gain experience in managing a company.

During this time, he underwent in-depth electric current development every day. There was no time for him to be intimate with these beautiful girls.

‘There is 21 million yuan in the reserve fund, but it is still not enough. If I am going to practice at full speed, I will need 1 million yuan every day. The 21 million yuan could only last me 21 days. Besides, I still need money for daily expenses. Hopefully, we will make loads of money this time.’

Lin Yao frowned as he worried about money in the car.

The chauffeur looked at Lin Yao, who was surrounded by the ladies, with envy on his face. The driver found it incredible that, while he was envious of Lin Yao, he did not detest him for being surrounded by girls.

‘This is a match made in heaven… No, there’s four of them… Damn, why am I having such thoughts?’

Lin Yao got busy finding an apartment for rent. The main dojo of the Flowery Sect in Shanghai was located on Jinfu Street, which was considered a commercial center. The Flowery Sect must have a lot of financial resources to set up a dojo there.

The entrance of the dojo was currently bustling with activity. There might be a square nearby, but the large number of people still slightly obstructed the traffic.

Fortunately, this was a pedestrian street, so this did not result in a traffic accident. Some people who were affected also stopped and took a look. They noticed a banner at the entrance of the Flowery Sect.

“Congratulations on the 30th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Flowery Sect!”

In addition to the banner, dozens of handsome men and beautiful women were standing on a high platform at the entrance of the Flowery Sect. They were pleasing to the eye, and there were also several arenas at the entrance. Right now, many people were competing in the arenas. It would be more accurate to say that they were displaying their martial arts skills.

Their moves were beautiful and gorgeous. Some looked like clouds and mist, some were brightly colored, and some were studded with stars. The people who were fighting seemed to be dancing. The girls were beautifully dressed and seemed to be walking on clouds like fairies, and the young men were dressed in white, looking very dashing. This did not seem like a competition.

One had to admit that such a competition was indeed eye-catching. The conversations of the crowd in front of the dojo said everything.

“It’s the 30th anniversary. There is a lot to look forward to.”

“What’s there to see? They are so effeminate. Martial artists are all about real capabilities.”

“Brother, you must be from another city.”

“What’s the matter? Are you looking down on outsiders? Shanghai was built single-handedly by outsiders.”

The person in question felt helpless against the burly man, who was full of anger.

“I am also from another city, so why would I look down on outsiders? When I said that there would be a good show, I was not referring to this performance. Every year, the Flowery Sect celebration lasts three days. On the first day, there will be a performance, and competitions will take place on the second day. The Flowery Sect will gather all its disciples from other places and have them compete with each other on the second and third day. This is a real competition, and there will be rewards.”

“Competition? Why are they competing against each other?”

“Why else? To display their capabilities and recruit new disciples. They will live-stream the entire competition and urge their disciples to post threads on their social media to attract more people to watch it. This round of the competition will attract many people and make them join the dojo.

“Besides, in two days… No, starting this afternoon, the best part will come. It is not the confrontation between disciples of the Flowery Sect. Instead, there are many people like you who are unconvinced by the Flowery Sect and feel that their disciples merely have fancy moves but no substance. I heard that in the first 10 years, people would challenge the winner after each competition, wanting to shame the Flowery Sect. The dojo has become smarter now. Before the start of the competition, there will be a challenge channel for martial artists who want to participate in the competition. If you are unconvinced, you can give it a try.”

“Will we be rewarded if we participate in the competition?”

“Of course.”

“Thanks, buddy. I won’t forget you if I am rewarded.”

…

Many people outside wanted to join the competition. They wanted the rewards and they could not stand the competition on the stage, where people would not display real power. Like Lin Yao’s initial impression of the Flowery Sect, many people felt that the Flowery Sect had no real capabilities.

However, most of the people who challenged them were in fact sent by other dojos. They were not after the rewards. They were unconvinced of the fame and popularity that the Flowery Sect enjoyed. They wanted to use the Flowery Sect as a stepping stone to become famous. There were conflicts of interest everywhere.

As everyone outside was gearing up for the competition, the Flowery Sect had its own way to deal with them. At the same time, some guests who came to celebrate their anniversary had also arrived.

Aside from the middle-aged people and the elderly, many young people were also there. They were talented disciples of the Flowery Sect or spokespersons like Lin Yao.

Due to the selection criteria of the Flowery Sect, the people who gathered there were mostly handsome men and beauties. They were also talented geniuses, and some of them were children of rich and powerful families.

These people had gathered and started chatting among themselves. A young man with dyed blond hair was standing next to a smart and mighty woman.

“There is only one gatekeeper. Hasn’t he arrived yet?”

“This is not something you should be concerned about.”

“I just feel indignant on behalf of the dojo. I heard that they spent eight million yuan to sign a contract with him. In the end, he only took a few photos and was unwilling to do anything else. Our fellow disciples who went to assist him also said that this guy was too arrogant, and everything had to go according to his schedule and arrangements. I heard that they spent another 500,000 yuan to invite him to this anniversary event.”

The smart woman’s expression turned cold when she heard this remark. She disliked arrogant people. Of course, she was not a fool who would be ordered around by others.

“Jin Cheng, since you are worried that he will snatch Sister Qin away, why don’t you compete with him directly? Your background instigation will only make me look down on you.”

Jin Cheng laughed bitterly when he heard this remark. “How I wish I could compete with him. However, Sister Qin forbade me to fight against him and said that this has nothing to do with him. What else can I do? Besides, I am not instigating others. I’m stating a fact. He… He is here. Wow, he has four assistants, including a pair of twins. This is really enviable.”

Jin Cheng looked at the entrance, ready for a good show. The others in the hall also looked toward the entrance, where Lin Yao was standing.

Everyone had heard of him, and the main reason was that the conditions that Lin Yao had asked for were too demanding. Anyone who signed the contract would take photos and participate in the activities held by the dojo, so they’d be kept busy every day. However, Lin Yao had been given eight million yuan in one go, and he rarely participated in the activities organized by the dojo. He had merely taken photos and videos in the early stage. Those who were sent by the dojo to work for him also had to follow his instructions. This time, they had indeed spent extra money to invite him there (A clause in the contract stated that he would not leave the city. If he did, he would be paid another sum of money).