Eldritch Horror Theatre - Ch. 18: I've Wanted to Do That for a Long Time
Everyone was shocked.
"Xiao Li..."
Wen Xiuxian looked at his daughter stepping forward with a face full of worry.
"Don't worry. If this Mr. Fu wanted to kill me, I would have died more than once just now."
The latter gave a weak smile and formally bowed.
"Thank you for saving my life just now. If my father offended you in any way, please forgive him."
"If possible, I'd like to continue relying on you for what comes next..."
Not bad. Being able to keep a clear head under my kind of performance makes her a rather sensible NPC.
Fu Qian nodded, feeling deeply gratified.
"Easy to say. The situation is still tense right now. From now on, everyone follows my arrangements."
"Who do you think you—"
Young Master Ye's sentence was cut short abruptly.
Hmph. I, Fu, am well-read. Do you think I don't know the classic repertoire of slapping the face of a rich young master to increase my prestige?
With a slap dealt out, Fu Qian forcefully blocked a punch and a kick from the middle-aged man surnamed Ji with a backhand, retreated lightly, and maxed out his image as an exalted master.
But under the exchange, Brother Ji was clearly feeling terrible.
Although he detected the movement, the opponent's speed was simply too fast, still causing him to be late in protecting his master.
But he definitely couldn't be late again.
Staring fixedly this way, his face was momentarily full of vigilance.
"Old Ji—"
It was a pity that Young Master Ye stubbornly insisted he still had value to show off, letting out a roar after steadying himself.
However, the summoning spell failed. Not only did Brother Ji not move, but he even rushed forward to stop the hot-blooded youth.
The farce didn't matter. This guy indeed seemed a bit like he was playing the fool, but what if he really was a psychopath?
What if he acted entirely on a whim, didn't care about the consequences at all, and just wanted to kill people first?
...
"Ahem!"
Fortunately, there were still discerning people around. Seeing the situation almost spiraling out of control, Wen Xiuxian coughed and stepped forward.
First, he properly comforted Young Master Ye, and then invited him to go rest first.
Young Master Ye had calmed down a bit by now. After revealing a legendary gaze full of resentment and declaring that he wouldn't let this go, he finally left surrounded by people.
The Butler was already organizing people to clean up the mess. At this moment, the entire manor could be described as an unbearable sight, its former glory gone.
Not only was there a large hole in the house, but several of the magnificent pillars in the plaza had snapped after the dual devastation from Fu Qian and the giant.
At a glance, it was a thoroughly miserable and desolate scene.
As one of the chief culprits behind the current situation, Fu Qian momentarily comprehended the legendary sense of mono no aware (the pathos of things).
Thinking back to a few days ago, he was still an otaku. While not exactly frail, his physical fitness could only be considered mediocre.
To think that in the blink of an eye, he was already a human weapon.
Even after this series of battles, he still didn't feel very tired.
The minor injuries from the clash with the middle-aged man surnamed Ji had long since lost any sensation.
What the Thug form brought him wasn't just speed and passion, but also a recovery ability far beyond common sense.
He really wasn't in the human category anymore.
At this time, having finished arranging everything, Wen Xiuxian approached with a smile.
"Mr. Fu, Team Leader Gu, please come with me."
As expected of a businessman, his emotional control had reached the pinnacle.
Team Leader Gu was still in a state of confusion. At Wen Xiuxian's invitation, he followed along in a daze.
The place where Wen Li had been was smashed to bits by the stone pillar and was now cordoned off.
Fortunately, the place was big enough, and another room was quickly prepared.
"Mr. Fu, please take a seat."
Wen Xiuxian first let Wen Li sit down and rest, then emphatically invited Fu Qian to take a seat.
"We've encountered a lot of things recently, so I'm relatively sensitive. I was a bit impolite after the incident just now, please don't take it to heart."
"We will be relying heavily on you for Xiao Li's safety moving forward."
"It's no problem. It's my duty, and I am duty-bound not to decline."
Fu Qian adjusted his uniform and continued to spout nonsense with him.
...
"Then we'll have to rely on Team Leader Gu a lot."
After probing for a long time and seeing that Fu Qian was watertight, Wen Xiuxian had no choice but to sincerely turn to another person.
"You are too polite."
Team Leader Gu felt a wave of overwhelming favor.
Things were developing way too fast. Even though he was usually tactful and slick, his brain couldn't keep up right now.
Including the fact that he had been staring at Fu Qian since earlier, indicating that this team member was unprecedentedly unfamiliar to him.
Just a moment ago they were discussing slacking-off techniques, and then he suddenly transformed into a Beyonder, even saving the employer multiple times in a row.
"In Mr. Fu's opinion, what kind of people attacked us today?"
Undoubtedly very satisfied with his reaction, Wen Xiuxian turned his head and asked again.
Now you're asking the right person.
"I don't know!"
Fu Qian shook his head.
...
"But it shouldn't be hard to investigate. Have you encountered that big guy before?"
Answering a question with a question is always a good method.
"Never seen him before."
"We've encountered two attacks before, and neither involved such a person."
Wen Xiuxian's attention was indeed diverted, and he slowly shook his head.
"Today's attack proved one point: the other side is a highly professional team, not some stragglers. Every one of them is an expert, and their coordination is quite tacit. This isn't something a temporarily assembled crew could achieve."
Although it was useless, it was still fine to show off some professionalism. Fu Qian casually continued spouting nonsense.
"So even though they left behind little information, it's not completely hopeless. A team with such distinct member characteristics shouldn't be too hard to track down."
"I will make the arrangements."
Wen Xiuxian nodded; his tone was not evasive.
Obviously, although he was just an ordinary person, having been a wealthy tycoon for so many years, he also had his own pride.
"Actually, that big oaf wasn't the hardest one to deal with."
Fu Qian continued to strategize.
"The one providing backup for him was clearly skilled at disguise. With so many people in your house, it's probably easily infiltrated until it resembles a sieve."
"That... is true!"
Wen Xiuxian broke out into a cold sweat.
"Then what does Mr. Fu think is safe?"
"Simple. There's definitely a Safe House here, right?"
Although different eras have different standards, a Safe House was practically a standard feature for the rich and powerful. After all, you only live once.
"Uh, there is indeed one..."
"Have Wen Li hide in the Safe House, minimizing the number of people who can come into contact with her. Ideally, no one besides me should be allowed to enter."
"Xiao Li still needs to be taken care of..."
Wen Xiuxian obviously couldn't accept this suggestion.
Is it really okay for a person of unknown background like you to say that?
"Then there's no saving her. Just wait for death."
...
"Can I chat with Mr. Fu alone for a moment?"
Seeing the scene turn slightly stiff, Wen Li, who was on the side, suddenly spoke up.
"This..."
"It's fine..."
Wen Li looked at her father and gently shook her head.
"Alright."
Wen Xiuxian hesitated for a moment, finally sighed, and sent everyone else out.
And after everyone left, Wen Li stared at Fu Qian's face, deep in thought for a long time.
"Thank you."
"You've already thanked me before."
"This 'thank you' isn't for saving my life."
"Thank you for that slap. I've wanted to do that for a long time."
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