Volume 4: Hidden Struggles, Chapter 60: The Wise Man’s Words

In Ouyang’s family study’s secret room, after listening to Chu Tianyu and his daughter Ouyang Ziyi’s account of what had happened the previous night, Ouyang Boshu did not immediately express his opinion but fell into deep thought.
Chu Tianyu did not hold back any details, including how, due to Ouyang Ziyi’s injury, he had resorted to killing those special ability holders. He explained everything, though without going into excessive specifics.
Chu Tianyu knew well that to gain trust and persuade Ouyang Boshu to cooperate, the best and most direct way was to tell the truth and show some strength.
“Tianyu, according to what you said, those people were killed by you after Ziyi was injured. Leaving aside how powerful they might have been, such a murder is a serious crime in today’s society. Yet it seems to you as if killing a few ants is a trivial matter. Even if you possess hidden skills, the way you speak about killing so casually suggests only one thing: this isn’t your first time killing!” Ouyang Ruolin, who was also present, demanded sharply, staring intently at Chu Tianyu in hopes of reading something from his expression. But Chu Tianyu remained calm, unshaken by her sudden interrogation.
Ouyang Ruolin did not give up and pressed further, “With your background and whatever skills or superpowers you may have, it’s not surprising. What’s strange is your attitude toward this matter, your motives, and your true purpose for coming to Hong Kong. Even your approach to my sister—there could be other hidden motives…”
Faced with Ouyang Ruolin’s relentless and blunt questions, Ouyang Ziyi’s face turned red with anger. She tried several times to retort, but Chu Tianyu silently stopped her. Seeing his calm expression, Ouyang Ziyi, being perceptive, understood that her lover knew what he was doing, so she settled down and watched the situation unfold, casting resentful glances at her brother, her feelings clear without words.
Originally, Ouyang Ruolin, emboldened by her success, wanted to continue pressing him, but the hostile looks from her sister made her feel uneasy, so she swallowed her words and stopped speaking.
“Uncle Ouyang, may I speak to you alone?” Chu Tianyu asked, turning to Ouyang Boshu with a smile after enduring the barrage of questions.
Ouyang Boshu hesitated not at all. He nodded and said to his children, “You go outside first.”

Ouyang Ruolin had no doubts at all, but Ouyang Ziyi looked at Chu Tianyu with reluctance and glanced at her father with even more anxiety, appearing very worried. It wasn’t until Chu Tianyu gave her a subtle signal to calm down that she reluctantly left the study. As soon as she stepped out, Ouyang Ziyi lost her gentle demeanor. She quickly caught up to her brother Ouyang Ruolin, twisted his ear without hesitation, and said angrily, “I told you not to be mischievous! I told you not to be mischievous…” Ouyang Ruolin really didn’t know what to do with his little sister. While dodging, he protested, “Hey, are you kidding? I’m your brother! It’s only been half a year since we last saw each other, and you already act so rudely?” “Hmph! It’s because you spoke ill of Tianyu!” Ouyang Ziyi insisted. “Ugh, no wonder people say girls are outgoing. In just a few days, they already have lovers and forget their brothers. Can’t a brother even say a few words about him?” “No, no, absolutely not! Since you say that, I’ll go find my sister-in-law right now. Oh, you still dare to hide? It seems I don’t need to cover up your misdeeds anymore…” Ouyang Ziyi threatened, chasing after her brother’s ear as he tried to dodge. With this last resort, Ouyang Ruolin immediately surrendered, stopped dodging, and let her torment his ear, while still jokingly saying, “Okay, I surrender! If I stop talking, it won’t work!” “No! Confess honestly—how exactly do you and Dad plan to deal with Tianyu?” Seeing Ouyang Ziyi’s determination, Ouyang Ruolin sighed and said, “What can we do? Our little princess got kidnapped by him. But Dad still wants to find out more about certain things. You already know our family’s situation. Those words were all Dad’s instructions for me to say. Don’t blame me!” “It was Dad?” Ouyang Ziyi exclaimed. Seizing the opportunity, Ouyang Ruolin broke free from her grip, rubbed his ear, and said, “Of course. Dad said your Chu Tianyu has quite a ‘story’ behind him. He wants to take this chance to probe further and get more information out of him! By the way, sister, don’t go spreading rumors about me around your sister-in-law!” After hearing this, Ouyang Ziyi thought for a moment before impatiently sending her brother away, “I know…” … In the study, Ouyang Boxu sipped the Wuyi Xianwu tea that Chu Tianyu had “generously” given him last time, ready to listen to everything. “Uncle Ouyang, I came to Hong Kong this time to secretly protect my second brother, Chu Tianfeng…” Chu Tianyu got straight to the point.

Ouyang Boshu nodded and gestured for him to continue.
Chu Tianyu smiled slightly, then changed the subject and said, “Actually, I think what uncle is concerned about is definitely not why I came. What you’re concerned about should be my own situation.”
After a brief pause, Chu Tianyu spoke concisely, as if reading a script: “As a child, I learned martial arts and practiced medicine under my master. Fortunately, not only was my brain disease cured, but I also acquired great martial skills. Later, I traveled with my master, occasionally putting down evil forces and secretly taking over some of my master’s ‘businesses.’ What happened after that was simple—four words: ordinary life, going to school. I met Zi Yi at that time. Coming to Hong Kong this time was also a chance encounter with Zi Yi again, drawing me into this incident. As for meeting you today, I’m not representing my grandfather or the Chu family. I’m simply here as Zi Yi’s boyfriend, wanting to share some of her worries. Moreover, on a larger scale, this matter involves national interests. If I didn’t know, it would be fine, but once I do, I can’t just stand by!”
Ouyang Boshu didn’t follow up on Chu Tianyu’s words but suddenly asked, “What level have your martial skills reached? Although it’s already remarkable that you could easily kill five people with special abilities, I hope you can tell me more about your actual strength!”
“I really don’t know how to put it…” After a pause, Chu Tianyu thought for a moment before continuing, “Let me be direct. Uncle, that eminent monk who teaches Brother Ouyang in your household—if I use my full strength, I should be able to defeat him within ten moves!” After saying that, Chu Tianyu relaxed and leaned back, waiting for Ouyang Boshu to process this astonishing claim.
Sure enough, Ouyang Boshu, who had remained calm until now, was deeply shocked. Even the teacup in his hand trembled slightly. At this moment, Ouyang Boshu was not only shocked but also filled with more questions.
The shock came from Chu Tianyu’s claim of defeating him in ten moves, but what puzzled Ouyang Boshu even more was how Chu Tianyu knew about Master Ruolin’s strength and the existence of Master Jin Zhen. It was possible Zi Yi had told him, but how could Chu Tianyu know such things about their relative strengths? He had never even met Master Jin Zhen.
However, being someone who had experienced many hardships, Ouyang Boshu calmed himself down slightly, organized his thoughts, and returned to his previous state of mind.

Looking at Chu Tianyu’s relaxed expression, he said, “Tianyu, could you explain again why you said you could defeat Master Jin Zhen within ten moves?”
“It’s a kind of energy resonance between cultivators. Moreover, the Buddhist Zen cultivation method I practice shares the same origin as that master’s, so it’s easy to sense his level of cultivation through his energy. Last time I was at your residence, I already sensed Master Jin Zhen’s energy.”
“Oh, so can others sense you too? It seems Master Jin Zhen didn’t have any special perception of you!”
“Hmm… If I don’t deliberately release it, others generally can’t sense me, unless they reach a level beyond mine…”
“Oh…”
“By the way, you said you also inherited some of your master’s ‘assets’?” Ouyang Boshu suddenly asked.
“Mm, yes, like Qingtang Security Company in Hong Kong…” Chu Tianyu once again surprised everyone with his answer.
“What?” This time, Ouyang Boshu was so shocked that he couldn’t help but shout.
After a long while, Ouyang Boshu gradually calmed down. This conversation had far exceeded his expectations. Although Chu Tianyu’s claims hadn’t been verified yet, he already believed them 100%. There was no other reason—his third question had been, “How did you get rid of your three bodyguards and take Zi Yi out of the seaside villa guarded by Qingtang Security Company?”
After processing the information and forming a decision in his mind, Ouyang Boshu casually picked up his teacup again, took a sip, and said in a very calm tone, “Actually, everyone is well aware of my identity and the so-called ‘business’ conducted by the Ouyang family. We’ve been able to coexist peacefully all these years because I’ve maintained a balance—one that allows all parties to accept and benefit from the situation. That’s why this game of deception can continue over and over again. But this time, the new microquantum titanium analyzer invented by Germany’s Bell Labs has disrupted this balance!”
Seeing Chu Tianyu’s puzzled expression, Ouyang Boshu added an explanation, “It’s a material term, a new type of aerospace material. As for what exactly it is, I’m not very familiar either. I only know that it will change the pace at which humanity moves into space and the balance of modern military power.”
Chu Tianyu was also deeply moved. Just as he was about to ask more details, Ouyang Boshu continued, “So I used the last arms deal to obtain the formula for extracting this analyzer titanium and the first batch of raw materials. I smuggled them back using thirteen different shipping routes, destroying all their records, including their people…”

“Oh, no wonder you kept clearing several docks, using both real and fake ones, to prepare for receiving the goods,” said Chu Tianyu.
Ouyang Boshu gave Chu Tianyu a meaningful look and smiled slightly. “Hehe, now I believe you weren’t sent by your grandfather, Lord Han. Otherwise, you would have known that the goods had already arrived in Beijing, and I would just be a decoy.”
Chu Tianyu was once again astonished!
Seeing Chu Tianyu’s shocked expression, Ouyang Boshu laughed. “Several EU member states are investing in this project, so they must be extremely worried about the accidental loss of the goods. Earlier, I diverted their attention to the United States, allowing the goods to be delivered to Beijing ahead of time. The ships and goods now are just a cover. As for me, I’ll go all out and stay in the spotlight for a while!”
Chu Tianyu truly admired this Ouyang uncle across from him. His casual words concealed so many twists, hardships, and dangers, and he was impressed by his calm and composed demeanor.
“Do you know why I’m telling you these top-secret matters?” Ouyang Boshu continued calmly.
Chu Tianyu shook his head. “I don’t know.”
Ouyang Boshu laughed. “Isn’t this exactly the effect you wanted? First, you openly state your purpose, then show your strength. Plus, with you and Zi Yimei acting all affectionate—hehe, my future son-in-law, aren’t you trying to take on the heavy burden of my role as father-in-law? What’s your real intention?”
After saying this, the man who called himself father-in-law pretended to shed a burden and let out a long sigh.
Chu Tianyu was sweating! He had blurted out things like “father-in-law” and “affectionate behavior”—he really couldn’t believe it! But as the saying goes, experience does matter. It seemed like he was willingly taking on this burden, but upon reflection, since he decided to join the Ouyang family, it was indeed his own choice—no one else was to blame.
However, seeing the fox-like smile on his future father-in-law’s face, Chu Tianyu reluctantly said, “Ou, Uncle Ouyang, you’re really good at joking. Hehe, you can’t really believe I have the ability to take on this burden just because of a few words from me, right?”
“Why not? If I didn’t believe you, I wouldn’t tell you such secret matters. Even Ruolin doesn’t know the truth!”
“Just because of what I just said, you really believe it?” Chu Tianyu asked persistently.

“Of course. I, Ouyang Boshu, have been gambling my whole life. The bigger the bet, the bigger my winnings—yet I’ve never lost. That’s because I set my chances of winning at 80%, with the remaining 20% being the risk. Actually, ever since you started getting entangled with that girl Zi Yi, someone already told me about you. Besides piquing my curiosity, it led me to make several deductions about your situation, which can be summarized in three words: ‘not ordinary!’ And since you told me you’d be coming today, I had a strong premonition—a gambler’s intuition—that I could put this burden down…”

Ouyang Boshu’s words were clear enough. Chu Tianyu scratched his head and said awkwardly, “Uncle Ouyang, you’re really good at gambling!”

“You’re not bad either. Just met, and despite Ruo Lin’s hostile questions earlier, you still dared to state your purpose and show off your strength. It seems Zi Yi of our family is quite powerful!” Ouyang Boshu praised.

Chu Tianyu smiled slightly and said, “Uncle Ouyang, you really overestimate me. Zi Yi is very important to me, but what happened just now wasn’t gambling or anything else—it was analysis. Although Ruo Lin was questioning me, the way he started by calling me ‘Tianyu’ already showed his attitude. Otherwise, given Ruo Lin’s personality, he would have called me ‘Brother Chu Xian’ in a indifferent tone, just like last time we met…”

“Hehe, heroes emerge from the young—truly not ordinary! Come, let’s have an open and honest talk. First, tell me more about yourself. Though I think I’ve won the bet, exactly how much I won still needs to be told by you! And I’ll also explain some of the specific situations here to you. This burden must not only be handed over well but also firmly!”

After a long time, both of them were satisfied, ending their pleasant conversation. Just as they were about to leave the room hand in hand, Ouyang Boshu suddenly turned to Chu Tianyu and asked, “Oh, by the way, what’s the deal with your fiancée?”

The sudden question caught Chu Tianyu off guard. Before he could explain, Ouyang Boshu chuckled and said, “No need to explain. Though my uncle Ouyang is quite old, I’m a gentleman who never interferes in the affairs of the younger generation, let alone these complicated love issues. I’m sure you’re so ‘wise’ that you can handle it well. As a man, you must be decisive—just do what needs to be done! To be honest, Lin and Zi Yi’s mothers aren’t the same person, haha…”

Chu Tianyu was stunned after hearing this. Watching Ouyang Boshu, who looked more like a fox than a gentleman, open the door and walk out, his mind was in chaos. He had no idea what those words meant, but one thing was certain: not a word Ouyang Boshu said was meaningless. Either he had some ulterior motive or was laying the groundwork for future advantage…

…

The following days passed peacefully. Even the Ouyang family and Chu Tianyu, who were in the midst of turmoil, sensed no changes. Saturday was just one day away from the arrival of the “goods,” and today was the banquet hosted by Shi Yundong, the chairman of Hengyun Group. Almost all the top celebrities and dignitaries had been invited, and Ouyang Boshu was no exception.

Originally, Ouyang Ruolin and Ouyang Zi Yi strongly opposed going, but when they saw the details of the banquet on the invitation, they became the most enthusiastic encouragers. There was only one reason: this banquet invited a guest to perform live. Her name was Miss Xue Feifei, a superstar in the music world hailed as the “Lady of Pure Voice.” Her singing was as gentle and continuous as flowing water, as crystal clear as ice and snow, and powerful enough to pierce the heart like water cascading from a mountain…