Not Sure Whether She Was a Young Married Woman

"Are you really okay?" Xiao Wang asked Chu Wenlong again.

"I'm fine, really. Don't worry, Brother Wang." Chu Wenlong rubbed his abdomen with one hand. Though it hurt, he could tell there was no serious injury.

"Brother Wang, you held back, didn't you?" Chu Wenlong asked Xiao Wang with a smile.

Xiao Wang merely smiled and did not answer. "All right. If you're fine, I'll be going first."

"Sure, Brother Wang, go ahead and get busy. Thanks, thanks. I owe you one for today. If you ever need my help, just come find me."

"Sure."

After speaking, Xiao Wang picked up his backpack and checked the time. It was not even one o'clock yet.

After leaving the school, he did not hurry back to the martial arts hall. Instead, he went to a nearby market, bought two whole pig livers, and only then headed back.

When he returned to the martial arts hall, Xiao Wang handed the pig livers straight to his senior brother, Cheng Hu.

Cheng Hu's eyes lit up at the sight of them. He had wanted to buy pig liver yesterday, but Wei Zhongxing kept a tight hold on the funds, so he had not dared bring it up.

Seeing the pig livers Xiao Wang had brought back, he was delighted. "Junior Brother, where'd you get the pig liver?"

"I bought it. Don't you like it, Senior Brother? We can have it as an extra dish tonight."

"Good, good, good. Hey, how did you know I liked pig liver?"

"You told me."

"I told you? Did I? When?"

"Last night."

"Last night? Did I?"

Cheng Hu was puzzled, but he did not dwell on it. He immediately carried the pig livers to the kitchen in high spirits to prepare them.

Xiao Wang went into the main hall. "Second Senior Brother, when are we leaving to discuss the business?"

"Right away."

Linghu Ke rose to his feet as soon as he spoke, then looked Xiao Wang over. "How about changing clothes?"

Xiao Wang asked, "Is there a problem?"

"You look a little too young. Looking too young in this line of work isn't a good thing. Bosses will think you lack experience."

"Fine, wait for me."

Xiao Wang went back to his room and changed into an outfit that made him look more mature.

When he came back out, he asked, "How about this? Better?"

Linghu Ke looked him over. "Forget it, let's go. That face of yours can't be hidden no matter what you wear. If the boss happens to be a young lady or a young married woman, your face might even help."

"Second Senior Brother, we're going to discuss a legitimate delivery job, right?"

Linghu Ke smacked Xiao Wang on the head. "What are you thinking? Do you really think young ladies and young married women are waiting for you?"

With that, Linghu Ke headed for the martial arts hall's front gate, and Xiao Wang hurried after him.

Their meeting place was at the southern end of the outer city. Even for martial artists like them, it would take nearly an hour to walk there.

Along the way.

As they walked, Linghu Ke reminded Xiao Wang, "When we negotiate later, just watch from the side. I'll do the talking. Understand?"

"Understood."

"And most importantly, don't ask what goods we're delivering. A lot of bosses hate being asked that. We just deliver the goods. The less curious you are, the better."

"Understood."

Xiao Wang listened as Linghu Ke gave him instruction after instruction. About fifty minutes later, they had reached an area near the southernmost edge of the outer city.

Xiao Wang looked around and realized that even the towering inner city wall, forty meters high, was almost out of sight. That meant they had reached the outskirts of the outer city.

Linghu Ke stopped at a street corner and pointed at a warehouse-like building across the road. "We're here."

Xiao Wang followed behind Linghu Ke, crossed the street, and approached the warehouse entrance.

Linghu Ke knocked on the warehouse's main gate. Before long, the small door set into it opened a crack.

Before the other person could ask anything, Linghu Ke said first, "We're here to discuss a delivery job."

The man glanced at Linghu Ke and Xiao Wang after hearing that, then opened the small door.

The two entered and followed him through a warehouse piled full of goods until they reached the door of a separate room farther inside.

Along the way, Xiao Wang studied the man leading them. His muscles were well-developed, but unlike those of a martial artist. Xiao Wang guessed he had received ordinary boxing training.

More importantly, Xiao Wang noticed the bulge at his waist and guessed it was a firearm.

At the door, the man knocked. "Sister Hua, the delivery men are here."

"Come in."

A woman's voice came from inside.

Linghu Ke opened the door and walked in, with Xiao Wang following behind him. The armed man did not enter. Once the two were inside, he shut the door behind them.

"Sister Hua." After entering, Linghu Ke greeted the woman across from them.

Xiao Wang followed him inside. It was a room of about twenty square meters, arranged like an ordinary office. There was a main desk, a large sofa in front of it, two rows of long sofas, and a table between them.

Sister Hua was seated behind the desk, watching the two of them.

Xiao Wang looked at Sister Hua. She appeared to be a woman in her thirties, with attractive features, a voluptuous chest, light makeup, and permed hair falling in softly curled waves. She looked like a decorative vase, but her eyes revealed shrewdness and a trace of ruthlessness.

She really is a young married woman? Xiao Wang thought. No, maybe she isn't married yet.

"Hello, Sister Hua." Xiao Wang followed Linghu Ke's lead and greeted her as well.

Sister Hua looked at Linghu Ke, then at Xiao Wang. When she saw Xiao Wang, her gaze paused for a moment, but she quickly returned to normal.

"Have a seat first. There are still a few others. They'll be here soon."

Linghu Ke and Xiao Wang sat down on one of the long sofas.

"Would you like some water? This place is rather bare. I only have water."

"Thank you, Sister Hua, but there's no need to trouble yourself. We aren't thirsty," Linghu Ke replied.

Xiao Wang kept Linghu Ke's reminder firmly in mind. He sat there without saying a word.

Then Sister Hua suddenly raised her head, looked at Linghu Ke, then Xiao Wang, and asked, "He looks pretty young. Does he have experience?"

"To be honest with you, Sister Hua, he's my junior brother. He's sharp, and he's quite capable in a fight. Even my senior brother isn't a match for him now."

Linghu Ke deliberately avoided Sister Hua's question, praising Xiao Wang instead to shift her attention.

Sister Hua smiled faintly. How could she not understand? Still, she did not press the matter and continued, "He's even stronger than your senior brother?"

"Yes. They fought just a couple of days ago."

"Not bad, then."

After saying that, Sister Hua fell silent.

Listening to their conversation, Xiao Wang guessed that this was certainly not their first time working together. Otherwise, Linghu Ke would not have brought along a stranger and gotten away with only a couple of questions before she stopped probing.

After they sat for a while, someone knocked on the room's door.

"Come in."

At Sister Hua's words, the door opened.

A man in his late thirties entered. He was thin and stern-faced, but the lines of his muscles were clearly visible.

Xiao Wang took one look and knew the man was also a martial artist.

"Sister Hua."

"Sit. There are two more people. They should be here soon."

The newcomer sat across from Xiao Wang and the others. They looked at one another and nodded, counting that as a greeting.

However, when the man saw Xiao Wang, he too froze for a moment.

"You should introduce yourselves. You'll need to cooperate closely during the delivery."

Linghu Ke was the first to extend his hand. "Linghu Ke. Nice to meet you."

Xiao Wang extended his hand as well. "Xiao Wang. Nice to meet you."

"Zhang Jian. Nice to meet you."

After they shook hands and introduced themselves, Zhang Jian looked at Xiao Wang and asked, "This little brother can't be very old, right? Do you often go outside the city to make deliveries?"

Xiao Wang understood at once that Zhang Jian was probing into his background. To look more mature earlier, he had deliberately worn thicker clothes that nearly concealed the lines of his muscles.

Still, Xiao Wang did not mind. Delivering goods outside the city was dangerous work. Anyone would care about the strength of their teammates. He figured that if their positions were reversed, he would also try to sound the other person out. Even now, if he had not been able to tell at a glance that Zhang Jian was no weakling, he would have tried every way possible to ask about him as well.

"I've never been outside the city. This is also my first delivery job."