Xia Bozhou gasped, thinking to himself, "Where does this young man get his confidence? This isn't just showing off, it's downright arrogance!"
The fact that the outcome was entirely up to him meant that the other party was absolutely certain of making him accept defeat wholeheartedly. Xia Bozhou simply couldn't understand how a young man could defeat his dozen or so bodyguards.
Is he a good fighter? But being a bodyguard isn't just about being a fighter. Even if he could take down a dozen bodyguards, he wouldn't think they were capable of protecting the old man.
He looked Qingmu over carefully a few more times.
He wasn't short, but he wasn't tall either; he was wearing a trench coat, so you couldn't tell if he was strong or not; his hair was a bit messy, but very clean; his features were quite handsome, but not the effeminate look that's popular these days; his back was slightly hunched, and he stood with his hands in his pockets, looking rather awkward.
Xia Bozhou had initially assumed Qingmu was a fraud and hadn't looked closely, only noticing his odd attire and dislike of a normal person. Upon closer inspection, he discovered that Qingmu's appearance, combined with his outfit, actually conveyed a sense of laziness, but was actually quite masculine and capable. However, it was ultimately unfashionable, making him look odd, somewhat like an intellectual from the 1980s, with a touch of the Republic of China era.
He didn't know what Qingmu was up to, but since the outcome was in his hands, he figured he had the initiative. So he instructed Xiao Wang, "Go and greet Li Wei, then bring our men in to see what this Mr. Qingmu is capable of."
Just as Xiao Wang was about to leave, he was stopped again, who said, "Let's go to the backyard instead. These are all the treasures the old man collected. Even if you have money, you can't afford to pay for them if you break them."
Qingmu said, "No need, it'll be fine here in the book. If I damage anything, I'll admit defeat."
Xia Bozhou was somewhat surprised and laughed, "Young man, don't be too arrogant. This condition isn't fair to you. Have you thought it through?"
Qingmu said, "If someone deliberately damaged it, that doesn't count. Please have Aunt Xia act as a notary."
Xia Bozhou looked at Wu Lixia Wu Lixia nod, he said, "Alright, you said it yourself."
Xiao Wang went downstairs to call for reinforcements, and soon a dozen or so capable bodyguards entered the hall. These men were all as strong as oxen, full of energy, and clearly well-trained. Together, they resembled a pride of Lion, with Xiao Wang undoubtedly being the Lion.
Xiao Wang asked, "President Xia, what do you need us to do? Please give instructions."
Xia Bozhou said, "Just do your jobs as usual. Respond to whatever others do according to the security regulations."
"Clear!"
Upon receiving instructions, Xiao Wang immediately divided the dozen or so people into three groups. He and one of the others formed the first team, standing next to Xia Bozhou to form the first line of defense; the other five people stood about five meters away from the sofa where Xia Bozhou was, forming a semi-circle based on the room's layout to form the second line of defense; the remaining nine people were scattered around the perimeter to form the third line of defense.
After making the arrangements, Xiao Wangchao Qingmu glanced at it, his wolf-like eyes filled with vigilance.
Xia Bozhou was satisfied with Xiao Wang's arrangement, then smiled and said to Qingmu, "We can begin, Mr. Qingmu."
He was now hoping to see Qingmu do something amazing that would impress everyone. Otherwise, all this fuss would be a laughing stock, and it would be incredibly embarrassing if word got out.
Curious as he was, he still didn't think the young man had any hope of winning. After all, the referee's power was in his hands, and there was no way he could even try to cheat or argue.
Wu Lixia and Xia Bozhou shared the same thoughts: curiosity mixed with worry about making a fool of themselves. However, she had more confidence in Qingmu than Xia Bozhou, and her eyes held more expectation.
Qingmu remained standing there lazily, and while Xiao Wang and his men were arranging their troops, he lit another cigarette. Xiao Wang's team moved quickly and soon took their positions.
Qingmu put a cigarette in his mouth, put his hands in his pockets, and paced around the living room again. The crisp tapping sound of his slippers on the Dali floor echoed in the large living room of the Xia Family manor, a place big enough to host a huge party.
Everyone was watching him; even the servants stopped what they were doing and watched from a distance.
No one noticed that Li Wei appeared in the second-floor corridor, pushing a wheelchair. Xia Wenyuan was sitting in the wheelchair, watching with great interest what was happening in the lobby downstairs.
The clapping sound continued, becoming increasingly irritating.
Xia Bozhou said, "Time is limited, you should start quickly."
Qingmu glanced at the second floor, smiled slightly, and then shuffled towards Xia Bozhou.
His hands were still in his pockets, and the cigarette in his mouth was half-smoked, with long ash hanging on it, refusing to fall off.
He walked up to the nearest bodyguard and reached out to straighten his collar. Strangely, the bodyguard didn't move at all, standing there like a wax figure.
Qingmu took a few more steps forward, and as he passed the second bodyguard, he reached out and smoothed his hair, as if the other man's hair was even messier than his own.
Xia Bozhou was stunned. He didn't understand what was wrong with his bodyguards; why had they all turned into wooden figures? He asked Xiao Wang, "What happened?"
Xiao Wang had never seen anything like this before and was completely bewildered when he heard Xia Bozhou's question, which sent a chill down his spine. The clattering sound continued, and he saw Qingmu walk in unhurriedly. The security personnel outside were practically non-existent, and Qingmu was about to approach Xia Bozhou's sofa.
Xiao Wang lunged forward to block Qingmu, only to find that Qingmu had vanished, replaced by a field of terracotta warriors. Countless terracotta figures stood there, majestic and imposing, and he himself had become one of them.
Xiao Wang vaguely remembered having a mission to protect someone. Just now, a figure passed by, and he wanted to turn around to take a look, but suddenly found that he couldn't move. Xiao Wang looked around and thought that this was normal; terracotta warriors wouldn't move!
He was a terracotta warrior, so naturally he had to protect the First Emperor. The one who just passed by was Jing Ke, right? No problem, he knew the story of Jing Ke; it failed, and Jing Ke died in the end. That's what Xiao Wang thought.
Xia Bozhou was even more shocked to see Xiao Wang standing there motionless like a stone statue. At this moment, Qingmu had already arrived in front of him. He was sitting, and Qingmu was standing, looking particularly tall, like a giant. Xia Bozhou inexplicably felt a huge pressure, as if a mountain was pressing down on him.
Qingmu looked down at Xia Bozhou, the cigarette in his mouth already half-burned, the ash teetering precariously. He leaned down and smiled at Xia Bozhou, his already slightly hunched back appearing even more bent. As he smiled, the cigarette twitched at the corner of his mouth, and the ash, which was already teetering, snapped off with a snap and fell onto Xia Bozhou's snow-white shirt.