Ji Hang's Observations

Xiang Kun's plan for today was to take everyone to Wushu Mountain Scenic Area. Among their group, apart from Zhang Qian who had been there before, none of the others had ever been to Wushu Mountain. So since they were already in Tongshi Town, they should at least go there, given its reputation and the fact that it was so close, less than an hour's drive away.

In fact, the scenic area reopened yesterday, but the section where the incident occurred the day before yesterday is still temporarily closed due to "safety hazards," and some protective measures will be implemented later.

Around nine o'clock, Xiang Kun received a call from Liu Caifu, who said that he had mentioned to "Brother Chu" yesterday that they were going to Wushu Mountain Scenic Area today. So "Brother Chu" arranged two MPVs with drivers to take care of their itinerary for the day.

Originally, Liu Caifu planned to lend his car to You Meng so they could go in three cars. Otherwise, it would be too crowded for eleven people in two cars.

Xiang Kun recalled the "Brother Chu" he had met the night before last, and his impression of him was still quite good. He could roughly guess what the other party was thinking, so he agreed to ride in the car they provided. Splitting into two cars with drivers would indeed save them a lot of trouble.

However, when Xiang Kun saw the two drivers in two GL8s in the hotel parking lot at 9:30, he was somewhat surprised.

The two drivers looked very ordinary, just over 1.7 meters tall, with dark skin, and a simple and honest appearance. They spoke with a local accent from Tongshi Town, and there seemed to be nothing unusual about them.

However, Xiang Kun no longer judges people solely by their appearance. With the help of infrared thermal imaging vision, his sixth sense, and other richer and more detailed sensory information, as well as a comprehensive cognitive model, he can tell the difference between the two drivers at a glance.

These two individuals possessed physical attributes and muscle strength significantly superior to the average person. Of course, they did not exceed the limits of ordinary people.

It is evident that there are many signs of high-intensity, high-load training, as well as numerous old injuries on the body, ranging from muscles and soft tissues to bones. Some injuries are even clearly caused by controlled weapons.

Based on Xiang Kun's extensive observations and comprehensive analysis, these two are no ordinary people!

Where did Chu Xiuwen find these two to be his drivers?

"Mr. Xiang. Xiang, I am Ji Hang, Ji as in discipline and Hang as in aerospace. You can call me Lao Ji. This is my colleague Xu Kai. Today, the two of us will provide transportation services for you and your friend." Upon meeting, one of the drivers extended his right hand to Xiang Kun with a sincere smile.

Although he had some doubts about their identities, Xiang Kun didn't show any unusual behavior on the surface, and warmly shook hands with Ji Hang: "Thank you for your help today."

He could feel that Ji Hang's palms had many calluses, and his finger joints were also very thick. Even if most people noticed these calluses, they would probably just think that this person often does heavy work. But Xiang Kun could deduce what type of equipment he usually used for exercise, the movements he made, and the equipment he might use.

Of the two drivers, Ji Hang was older and had more injuries and training marks on his body. He was the one who communicated with Xiang Kun and the others. The other driver, Xu Kai, was introverted and honest, and didn't like to talk. Even when asked questions, he would only give brief answers. Of course, both of them had a very good attitude.

Xiang Kun could sense Ji Hang's secret scrutiny and observation of him, but this was normal; according to his understanding of the two drivers, their observation was probably instinctive.

After You Meng and Liang Yulong met up at the hotel, Xiang Kun divided the eleven of them into two GL8s and set off for Wushu Mountain Scenic Area.

When arranging seats, Ji Hang was very proactive and enthusiastic in helping Xiang Kun. His words were very pleasant to hear, and his reasons for arranging seats all sounded reasonable.

When Xiang Kun finally got on the bus, there were only two seats left: the third row in Xu Kai and the front passenger seat in Ji Hang's car. He naturally sat in the front passenger seat.

This might not seem strange at first glance, but Xiang Kun, through various subtle clues and analysis of Ji Hang's cognitive model, concluded that this was deliberately arranged by Ji Hang.

Sure enough, on the way, Ji Hang started chatting with him, seemingly casually.

"Mr. Xiang, is this your first time visiting Wushu Mountain?"

"I've been there several times, but the last time was seven or eight years ago. Most of my friends haven't been," Xiang Kun replied without any attempt to hide anything.

After chatting for a while, Ji Hang casually brought up his work and past experiences, guiding Xiang Kun to tell his story.

Ji Hang's voice, with a slight local accent from Tongshi Town, spoke at a measured pace and in a moderate tone, making him sound very sincere and easy to trust. His words seemed very persuasive. Moreover, he was very skillful in speaking, subtly guiding the conversation and cleverly stimulating others' interest in continuing the discussion.

If Xiang Kun thought Ji Hang's observations at the beginning of their meeting were just instinctive behavior, then the seemingly "unintentional" actions when arranging the seats, especially the deliberate decision to put him in the front passenger seat, made him realize that Ji Hang and Xu Kai, these two drivers with considerable "backgrounds," might actually be there for him.

However, Xiang Kun did not feel nervous or uneasy, nor did he deliberately avoid Ji Hang's probing and observation. He could also sense that Ji Hang was relaxed and did not seem wary of him. Based on his physical and physiological feedback data, as well as his cognitive model, he believed that Ji Hang had no ill intentions towards him and was simply testing and observing him.

Knowing that Ji Hang was sent by Chu Xiuwen, Xiang Kun had a rough idea of his purpose.

Chu Xiuwen was probably influenced by Liu Feibao and had some connection to his identity and background. These two drivers were sent by him to investigate him.

I guess they want to see how they should approach each other when they're collaborating on business or projects in Tongshi Town in the future.

If we think about it from this perspective, Ji Hang's attitude and state of mind become much easier to understand.

Moreover, Xiang Kun was quite curious about Ji Hang's background. Judging from the training marks on his body and the injuries he had suffered, this "driver's" past experience was quite extraordinary.

Therefore, Xiang Kun accepted all of Ji Hang's probing questions and the various topics he brought up, responding naturally, and then in turn, he took the opportunity to inquire about Ji Hang's information and experiences.

In any case, apart from the last six months, Xiang Kun's life experience has been quite normal and ordinary, and he has been telling the truth.

However, judging from his assessment based on Ji Hang's cognitive model, Ji Hang's statements about himself were a mixture of truth and falsehood.

Although Ji Hang's tone of voice, speaking speed, facial expressions, and eye contact all seemed very natural, whether he was telling the truth or lying, it was clear that he had a very strong mental fortitude and that all his statements had been prepared in advance and remembered very well.

However, when Xiang Kun observes a person now, he has too many sources of information and too much data to analyze and judge. The longer he spends with him and the more he talks, the harder it is for him to lie to him.

It is certain that Ji Hang previously worked in an official military-related unit for a long time. However, he has embellished or lied about his professional field, the location of his training, and the length of his service.

Upon arriving at the scenic area's parking lot, Xiang Kun invited Ji Hang to go up the mountain together, but Ji Hang declined, saying he needed to stay in the car to conserve his energy for better service.

After Xiang Kun and his group bought their tickets and entered the scenic area, Xu Kai, the driver of another MPV, came over and whispered, "Brother, why aren't you going in with them? Didn't we make arrangements beforehand to be their guide or something? That should be more than enough."

"Do everything like a normal driver would, don't cause any trouble," Ji Hang said indifferently. The honest and simple look on his face had mostly disappeared, and there was a hint of shrewdness in his eyes.

Xu Kai asked curiously, "Brother, what did you see?"

"No, it's normal. His description of his studies and work matches the information provided by General Manager Liu, so based on my observation, it should be true. His hands don't seem to have practiced with a lot of offensive weapons like ours, and he probably doesn't know much about military-related units. He doesn't seem to have received professional training," Ji Hang said.

Xu Kai nodded. "Then it seems that President Liu and his team had the wrong information. The passengers in my car, judging from their conversation, seemed to be just ordinary young people, discussing Honor of Kings and food. They said that the bald guy named Xiang Kun is a very skilled chef, also very good at playing games, and his main job is software development..."

"Okay, just drive carefully and don't say anything more," Ji Hang said.

"Don't worry, bro, I won't utter a single word."

Ji Hang's gaze fell upon the towering mountains within the scenic area, and he squinted slightly, seemingly because the sunlight was too bright.

The reason he brought Xu Kai along today to drive Xiang Kun and his friends was because of his experience at Chu Xiuwen's house last night.

For the past few years, Ji Hang and several of his brothers had been providing professional security services to wealthy people. Last year, they wanted to start their own business and needed funding. Many of his former clients invested in him, including Chu Xiuwen.

Chu Xiuwen not only invested a lot of money himself, but also introduced a lot of business to their new company and helped him expand his network. Chu Xiuwen provided great help to the company's smooth development, and it is no exaggeration to say that he was Ji Hang's benefactor.

So, with the New Year fast approaching, he and Xu Kai brought gifts to wish Chu Xiuwen a Happy New Year in advance. They also took the opportunity to report on the company's operations to the shareholders and to ask Chu Xiuwen for his thoughts. Don't be fooled by the fact that Chu Xiuwen seems to be just a local tycoon from a small mountain town; he actually has a wide network of connections and many relationships throughout Haixi Province, especially with businessmen and politicians from Jianzhou City.

During dinner, Chu Xiuwen invited a portly boss wearing gold-rimmed glasses to join him. After learning about his background, the portly boss cautiously inquired whether the government secretly cultivated individuals with strong personal abilities to conduct business and carry out activities in the private sector.

Ji Hang had heard this kind of statement many times, but most of them came from reading too much cheap literature or online novels. However, after explaining it to him, he realized that the fat boss named Liu Feibao did not seem to be asking out of pure curiosity or gaining knowledge from novels or other entertainment works. Instead, he seemed to have a specific real-world goal.

His first reaction was that "General Manager Liu" had been scammed.

"President Liu, no matter how capable an individual is, their abilities are limited. Like a screw, in military equipment, they are part of a powerful weapon; in a game console, they are part of an entertainment tool, playing different roles. But if you take them out individually, their role and influence are very small, especially in modern society. Whether in our country or other countries, there are indeed some departments that the general public doesn't know about, but they are an entire operating system, not just one or two elites. What causes the damage is the arrowhead, but having only the arrowhead is useless." Ji Hang explained according to his understanding.

"So, if they're no longer part of an official organization, their capabilities diminish?" Mr. Liu asked.

"They are excellent cogs in the machine, refined arrows. Even after leaving their original organizations and joining new ones, they can still play a significant role. Some of my comrades, after being demobilized, couldn't find suitable jobs, their professional skills couldn't be utilized, and they had to learn and familiarize themselves with new work; others found suitable jobs and even earn seven-figure incomes every year..."

"I understand. You mean that such a person is definitely not an individual; there must be an organization behind them. If that person has an official background, then they belong to an official organization." Mr. Liu nodded thoughtfully.

"What I mean is, those kinds of people have nothing to do with us." Ji Hang said helplessly. He was practically saying that if the authorities wanted to take action against them or us, they wouldn't need any secret organizations or privately trained strongmen.

"Mr. Liu, have you been threatened? If it's inconvenient for you to call the police, you can actually contact our company to handle it. We will conduct an investigation and collect evidence within the legal framework and with the interests of our clients as the priority..." Ji Hang directly expressed his suspicions.

"No, no, I was just asking out of curiosity. I wasn't threatened," Mr. Liu repeatedly denied.

No matter how Ji Hang explained the situation or tried to "popularize the science," Mr. Liu refused to reveal who had caused him to have this perception.

What surprised him even more was Chu Xiuwen's attitude.

It seems that Mr. Liu's "consultation" was at Chu Xiuwen's behest, as he was also very curious about this issue.

In Ji Hang's view, businessmen like Chu Xiuwen, who have a wide range of contacts, generally wouldn't have such unrealistic ideas.

So, under his repeated prompting, Chu Xiuwen and General Manager Liu finally revealed the truth. It was a boss who was more powerful than both of them and had a very strong personality. He had an unusual sense of awe towards someone he met on the street, and when a conflict occurred, he made an abnormal retreat. Afterward, his personality changed drastically. Then, General Manager Liu investigated and verified through his channels and found that the person might have an official background and an unfathomable origin, but the information and resume he could find were all very normal, and he couldn't find anything suspicious about him.

This piqued Ji Hang's curiosity, so he offered to investigate for them, free of charge. However, President Liu repeatedly refused with a panicked expression, as if he feared that his investigation would anger the other party and bring about some terrible consequences.

Ji Hang repeatedly emphasized his professionalism and assured everyone that it wouldn't be discovered. With Chu Xiuwen echoing his sentiments, President Liu finally nodded in agreement.

Then came the incident today where he and Xu Kai came to drive for Xiang Kun.

Throughout the journey, he didn't notice anything amiss, nor did he suspect that the bald man in the passenger seat had received similar professional training, nor did he believe he was working for the government. As for the other passengers, Xiang Kun's ten friends, apart from the tall girl surnamed Xia, he didn't see anything unusual about them either. Even the girl surnamed Xia didn't seem like the kind of person Boss Liu had described.

Normally, without further observation, he could have concluded that the abnormal reaction of the boss who was with President Liu was caused by other reasons, not by Xiang Kun; and that President Liu's sources of information that Xiang Kun had an official background and was some kind of "powerful figure" were unreliable.

But Ji Hang had an inexplicable intuition that made him feel a strange fear of Xiang Kun.

This fear made him somewhat uncertain, even doubting whether it truly existed.

After all, based on various objective observations, Xiang Kun should not be able to pose a threat to him.

But he also trusted his intuition, because although it rarely came up, it had saved his life more than once.

So Ji Hang called back to the company and used his own channels to try and investigate Xiang Kun to see if there was any information that Liu Feibao couldn't find. If there really was, he wouldn't need to find the specific information and resume; just knowing whether it existed would be enough to understand if Xiang Kun had any problems.

At noon, after receiving a call from Xiang Kun informing him that they were going down the mountain for lunch, Ji Hang suddenly spotted a familiar figure among the crowd leaving the scenic area.