Chapter 172: A Treasure Trove of Heroes
Chapter 172: A Treasure Trove of Heroes
Ji Xinghuo spent two full days in the hospital.
During this time, officers from the Ministry of Security visited the hospital several times to take statements. At the behest of the Sword Bureau, the online uproar gradually subsided, and soon not many people were discussing the incident anymore.
"Finally discharged," Ji Xinghuo said, feeling that his condition had almost fully recovered.
These two days in the hospital had been boring.
Fortunately, his brothers and sisters took turns to keep him company, and Zhao Manying had also been there almost the entire time. She was even accompanying him for his discharge.
"Thank you, Aunt Yao, for taking care of me these past few days," Ji Xinghuo said as he bade farewell to Yao Xian.
According to the plan, she would be leaving after his discharge. The Sword Team members secretly stationed around them would continue their surveillance for a few more days before gradually withdrawing.
Yao Xian nodded gently. "Take care."
"I will," Ji Xinghuo assured her.
Ji Xinghuo watched as the legendary strong woman left. He then got into the back seat of the car, where Zhao Manying was already waiting for him. She asked, "You really want to send me home?"
"Is there a problem?"
"No," Ji Xinghuo shook his head with a smile and instructed the driver to set off.
The journey back to the apartment building in Qishan District was smooth, and when they arrived, Zhao Manying put on her sunglasses before getting out of the car. She accompanied Ji Xinghuo as they took the elevator up to his floor.
There was someone else in the elevator, a neighbor of Ji Xinghuo's in his thirties.
"Xinghuo?" The neighbor smiled. "Haven't seen you in a while. I thought you had moved out."
"I've just been busy lately," Ji Xinghuo replied casually. He wasn't very familiar with this neighbor; they were merely acquaintances who exchanged greetings.
However, this neighbor was quite forward.
He glanced at Zhao Manying, who was intimately holding hands with Ji Xinghuo. Even though he could only see half of her face, her tall stature and elegant demeanor still amazed him, and he couldn't help but feel envious. He asked curiously, "Is this your girlfriend?"
"Yes," Ji Xinghuo nodded.
The neighbor said sincerely, "Congratulations. Your girlfriend is very beautiful."
Before Ji Xinghuo could respond, Zhao Manying spoke up happily, "Thank you."
Just then, the elevator reached their floor. Ji Xinghuo said goodbye to the neighbor and led Zhao Manying out. The neighbor was left in the elevator, staring at their retreating backs, a puzzled look on his face. "Her voice sounds so familiar. I feel like I've heard it somewhere before..."
Ji Xinghuo opened the door to his apartment and stepped inside.
The place was quiet.
Zhao Manying took off her sunglasses and surveyed the modest apartment, which could be seen in its entirety at a glance. She smiled and asked, "So, this is where you live?"
"Yeah, I told you there's nothing special about it. It's just an ordinary apartment, and you're the most famous guest I've ever had here," Ji Xinghuo said as he took a drink from the fridge and offered it to her.
"The conditions are indeed a bit rudimentary," Zhao Manying commented as she took a sip of the drink and walked into the adjacent exercise room. She ran her hand over the strength training equipment, as if imagining Ji Xinghuo sweating profusely during his workouts. She then sat on the bed, absorbing the familiar atmosphere, curious about everything in this place.
"I don't have your kind of money," Ji Xinghuo said nonchalantly. "Being able to live in this apartment is already pretty good for me." He had never been one to care much about material possessions.
In the country, everyone had their basic needs taken care of.
Zhao Manying smiled. "It's very ordinary now, but in the future, it'll be a famous residence."
"Don't jinx me," Ji Xinghuo said, half-joking, half-serious. The term "famous residence" usually referred to places where deceased individuals had once lived.
"I'm just teasing..." Zhao Manying stood up. "I'm just curious about your life."
Ji Xinghuo pulled her close, gazing at her breathtakingly beautiful face up close. "Now you know. Aside from being relatively strong and good-looking, I'm pretty average in every other aspect. There's nothing worth mentioning."
"You're so full of yourself!" Zhao Manying teased, laughing.
As their eyes met, they couldn't help but lean in and indulge in a passionate embrace.
"Mmm..."
Zhao Manying's eyes glazed over with desire.
Being in the privacy of his home, Ji Xinghuo felt bolder, and his hands began to wander. He applied a slight force, gently pushing her towards the bed.
But Zhao Manying nimbly stepped back, creating some distance between them.
"No..." she said, her face slightly flushed, a mix of shyness and regained composure. "I'm not ready yet. I'm sorry."
"It's okay," Ji Xinghuo said, always respectful of her wishes.
Zhao Manying breathed a sigh of relief and opened the window to look at the street view outside, changing the subject. "When do you plan to move? It would be more convenient if you lived closer to me. You wouldn't have to commute every day, and if someone attacks you, I can help."
"I was already looking at apartments on my way back that day. I've found one that I like," Ji Xinghuo said as he took out his phone to show her.
The apartment he had chosen had an area of 280 square meters and was located on the 137th floor of a building. While it wasn't on the very top floor, it offered a fantastic view and excellent scenery. The living environment and cultivation facilities were also very comprehensive, and the monthly rent was 100,000 Asian Yuan, just within the range he could accept.
"Qindu Tianwu Center," Zhao Manying read aloud as she looked through the information about the apartment. "This building is quite high-end in Chang'an. It's a great choice."
Most importantly, it was only about a thousand meters away from the Weiyang Building where she lived, and both were located on Zhuque Avenue.
Ji Xinghuo nodded. "It's a bit pricey, but it suits me well."
"Then go ahead and rent it," Zhao Manying urged. "Don't let someone else take it."
"I want to ask you to help me rent this apartment in your name. I'll still pay the rent myself," Ji Xinghuo said.
"Why do you want me to rent it?" Zhao Manying didn't understand. It clearly had nothing to do with money, as the monthly rent of 100,000 Asian Yuan was a small amount for both of them.
Moreover, Ji Xinghuo's words implied that there might be more than one traitor, and there could still be some hidden within their ranks.
Ji Xinghuo nodded.
"I understand," Zhao Manying said without hesitation and immediately took out her phone to rent the apartment in Qindu Tianwu Center.
She did it anonymously, and as long as she fulfilled the contract, she wouldn't have to meet the landlord at all.
Additionally, the apartment was owned not by an individual but by a company specializing in the rental market, ensuring a smooth and legally sound process.
"How long did you rent it for?" Ji Xinghuo asked.
"Ten years." Zhao Manying replied casually, "This is the maximum lease term, and I've already paid the rent. For the next ten years, the right to use it belongs to me, and I'm authorizing you to move in whenever you want."
"Ten years is a long time," Ji Xinghuo said helplessly.
This was the style of a billionaire—renting an apartment for 1.2 million yuan without batting an eye.
He asked, "What's your bank account number? I'll transfer the money to you."
"No need," Zhao Manying smiled, "This amount is nothing to me. Consider it a small gift from me. Don't be polite."
Ji Xinghuo was taken aback, "Then aren't I being kept by you?"
Others might hide their beauties in golden houses, but here he was, a man being kept in a golden house.
"What? You don't like it?" Zhao Manying teased, "So many people wish they could be kept by me, and you're being unappreciative."
"I do! I really do!"
Ji Xinghuo had no choice but to reluctantly accept.
Of course, the term "kept" was just a joke, and 1.2 million yuan wasn't an amount that he couldn't earn himself.
The two of them played around in the apartment for a while before going downstairs for a meal.
Zhao Manying rarely came to the Qishan District and wasn't familiar with the area, so Ji Xinghuo, as a semi-local, took her to a nearby restaurant for lunch. Afterward, they went to Fengming Language University, their alma mater, and walked around the campus, showing her where he had lived and studied for several years.
At the university, Ji Xinghuo also ran into a few classmates who had stayed on as staff or for further studies after graduation.
Fortunately, he wasn't very close to these classmates, so they only chatted briefly before parting ways.
None of them recognized Zhao Manying.
Ji Xinghuo had thought about calling Lu Yunhai, but after considering the situation, he decided against it.
It wasn't until evening that Zhao Manying left.
Ji Xinghuo saw her off and watched as her magnetic levitation car disappeared into the magnetic field induction. He then scanned the surrounding hidden corners, spotting two Sword Teams that had been secretly following them throughout the day, one of which was led by Min Chongwu.
However, they were unaware of Zhao Manying's true identity.
In the following days, Ji Xinghuo returned to his usual routine. During the day, he went to his reserved training room to cultivate, and in the evenings, he would go on dates with Zhao Manying, without any further incidents of being attacked.
The Sword Teams from the Sword Bureau secretly protected him for two days before gradually withdrawing.
But they didn't leave completely.
Although Ji Xinghuo couldn't detect any swordsmen nearby, he guessed that within a five-kilometer radius of his magnetic field perception, there were at least two or three Xuanyuan swordsmen on standby at all times, ready to rush to his aid if he was attacked.
March 10th.
Today was the opening day of the Asia-Pacific Community Super League.
There was only one match for the opener, held at the "Tianqin National Stadium," the home stadium of the reigning champion "Emperor Star" team, with the "Skywalker" team as their guests.
After the Skywalker team's match-fixing scandal from eight years ago was exposed, all the involved players were banned for life, the management was fired, and even the club owner was replaced.
The new owner spared no expense, spending three years and a lot of money to assemble a luxurious team, bringing the old brand back to its peak.
In the last season, Skywalker had come in second only to Emperor Star in the league rankings.
In the championship match, they faced off, and in the end, the Emperor Star team led by Zhao Manying proved to be the better team, winning the victory.
Skywalker came in second, but due to their past glory, they had accumulated several generations of loyal fans, and their popularity was second only to Emperor Star. During the off-season, Skywalker had once again spent hundreds of billions to purchase star competition mutants, further strengthening their team, and many viewers were optimistic about their prospects for the new season.
With the reigning champion and runner-up facing off in the opener, and Skywalker being Emperor Star's biggest rival for the championship, tickets for the match had sold out the day the schedule was announced.
Online discussions about this match had been heating up since last month, and the hype continued to build.
Billions of viewers worldwide were focused on tonight's game!
In the late afternoon, Ji Xinghuo arrived at the Tianqin Stadium an hour early. As he got out of the car, he saw a sea of people outside, almost all of them wearing Emperor Star team jackets, gathering in groups of three or five.
There were also many people holding up flashing signs and chanting support slogans in unison.
They were either fans of the team or personal fans of Zhao Manying, with her photo printed on their clothes, creating a passionate and lively atmosphere.
Ji Xinghuo made his way through the crowded stadium and found his brothers and sisters outside.
Zhong Ming glanced at him and exclaimed, "Xinghuo, why are you carrying a weapon to the game?"
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
