Wu Lixia looked at Qingmu, waiting for his answer.
Qingmu knew that this was the issue the Xia Family cared about most. Even if Xia Wenyuan trusted him, he couldn't go out alone without the consent of his family.
"Alright, I'll take responsibility with my life to ensure Elder Xia's safety," Qingmu said.
"Joke!"
Xia Bozhou was genuinely furious. Even if Qingmu suggested a rudimentary security plan, like having police or hiring a few security guards, he wouldn't be angry; at most, he'd think Qingmu was naive. But what about guaranteeing with one's life? Was this a gang fight or an underground casino gambling session?
"What's your life worth? What makes you think you can guarantee my father's safety!" Xia Bozhou roared. "It's fine if young people are naive, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future, but don't embarrass yourself! Don't keep waving your life as collateral; your life can't guarantee anything!"
"These days, any celebrity can be surrounded by a dozen bodyguards. My Huanyu International has two entertainment companies and dozens of A-list celebrities under contract. Do you really think my father is inferior to an entertainment star?"
Qingmu then asked, "So, Mr. Xia...?" He hesitated for a moment, unsure how to address Xia Wenyuan's eldest son, before continuing, "Mr. Xia... may I ask how you ensure your safety when you go out?"
Xia Bozhou chuckled and said, "It's nothing for me; it was all arranged by my subordinates. But at my level, I can't just go wherever I want. My schedule is arranged at least a month in advance, and some appointments are booked six months in advance. Xiao Wang— "
He shouted, and a spirited young man came in, jogging to within three meters of them and stopping abruptly. Qingmu could tell at a glance that this was a trained soldier; although his aura wasn't as calm and composed as Li Wei's, he was still a skilled fighter.
Xia Bozhou told him, "You tell this Mr. Qingmu how my security is handled when I go out." He added, "No need for details, just give a general overview."
Xiao Wang said "Yes," then turned to Qingmu and said as if reporting a work report, "Chairman Xia's travel plans will be submitted to the security department by the assistant or secretary. The security department will arrange the travel route and accompanying security personnel in advance, check for all possible security risks, and indicate the risk level. The security level is divided into three levels according to the destination, purpose of travel, and risk assessment, with level one being the highest."
Xia Bozhou said, "Tell him what measures are in place according to the lowest level three standard."
Xiao Wang said, "According to the Level 3 standard, there will be three vehicles accompanying the vehicle on the road, two vehicles providing covert protection; two bodyguards for personal protection in public places, eight bodyguards for long-term escort, twenty-four peripheral security personnel, and several local police or urban law enforcement personnel to maintain order on the perimeter."
Xia Bozhou waved for Xiao Wang to leave, then said to Qingmu, "Although I am the Xia Family and manage such a large conglomerate as Huanyu International, and my name is on the Forbes list, there are several people in the Xia Family with higher status than me. Even my younger brother has a slightly higher security level than me. You want to take my father and Aunt Xia out without letting anyone accompany them? Do you think that's possible? Do you still dare to say that you'll risk your life to guarantee my father's safety?"
Qingmu listened quietly, stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray, then stood up, stretched, and began to pace around the living room.
Xia Bozhou looked at him coldly, not afraid of what tricks he might play. Wu Lixia, on the other hand, was somewhat curious, wondering how this young man would deal with Xia Bozhou's questions.
She trusted Qingmu, but since the old man's safety was at stake, she dared not be careless. Moreover, although she was Xia Wenyuan's lawfully wedded wife, Xia Bozhou was, after all, Xia Wenyuan's eldest son, and about the same age as her. When she entered the family, Xia Bozhou was already married. Xia Bozhou respected her and called her Aunt Xia, which was due to the Xia Family family's rules and upbringing. If it really came down to a power struggle, she wouldn't be so arrogant as to think that this eldest son would listen to her.
Qingmu thought that rich people's families were really troublesome. No wonder Hu Xing would rather be a police officer than a rich heiress. No wonder Xia Xiaoxiao would give up her home to get into Laboratory No. 19.
Money is a strange thing. It is a necessity for freedom. Without it, people have to struggle for a living and worry about food Tiantian. Only with money can people be free and do what they want. But once you have too much money, freedom suddenly disappears, and you become even less free than when you had no money.
Emperors rarely left the inner palace; this has been the case since ancient times. God has already made the balance: if you want something that others cannot have, you must lose something that everyone else has.
Qingmu was in a dilemma: he wanted to persuade Xia Bozhou and Wu Lixia, but he couldn't reveal Xia Xiaoxiao's situation. After walking around the living room for a while, he suddenly stopped and turned back to ask Xia Bozhou, "What level of security did you have today?"
Xia Bozhou was taken aback, then called Xiao Wang in again, asking him to answer Qingmu's question.
Xiao Wang said, "Because I'm familiar with the route and don't need any additional security measures on either side, the security level for returning to my hometown in Wuzhong is the lowest, which is almost level three."
Qingmu asked, "Just tell me how many people you brought?"
Xiao Wang said, "There were four cars in total, and sixteen people including me."
Qingmu said to Xia Bozhou, "Here's what we'll do. Now, bring all your men in and have them surround you. If you think that's not enough, you can have Li Wei arrange a few more. Then you can see if I'm qualified to say what I just said."
Xia Bozhou certainly wouldn't go to such lengths to bring in all his bodyguards just because a young man said something casually, especially since this was Xia Wenyuan's private estate where he was retiring.
He looked at Qingmu with disdain and asked, "What do you want?"
Qingmu said, "I just wanted you to know that I have the ability to protect Elder Xia's safety."
Xia Bozhou said, "Make it clear, this is not a place for jokes."
Wu Lixia seemed to understand Qingmu's meaning and said, "Mr. Qingmu, would you like to have a match with the people Bozhou brought?"
Xia Bozhou sneered, "If it's a competition, there has to be a prize. How can we have one?"
Qingmu said, "I don't know anything about the stakes, you decide."
Xia Bozhou said, "The stakes are simple. Don't call me vulgar; I'm a businessman, so I'll use money as the stake. If you win, I'll give you a sum of money, which will come from my own pocket and won't be attributed to the Xia Family. If you lose, get out of here and never show your face in front of me or my father again!"
Qingmu nodded and said, "Okay."
Xia Bozhou laughed and said, "Aren't you even going to ask how much I'll be paying?"
Qingmu said, "No need, I have no concept of money."
"Ha!" Xia Bozhou shook his head, thinking this young man was overdoing it, thinking he was some kind of big shot! He said, "Now that we have the prize money, we need to set the rules, otherwise how do we determine the winner? Don't try to cheat the rules, I won't fall for that."
Qingmu said, "There's no need to set rules. You decide who wins and who loses. If you say I won, then I won; if you say I lost, then I lost."