Chapter 44 Part 2

“Haha, is that so?”

Xu Qinglai: …

For once, he was telling the truth without misleading him, and the guy didn’t believe it?

He felt a touch helpless.

“If anything really happens, I’ll bring bodyguards.”

Oh, then that was fine.

Bo Ting relaxed.

Bodyguards were better than Mr. Xu going solo.

He nodded slightly and didn’t forget a final reminder.

“Then when you head to the Gem Exhibition the day after tomorrow, Mr. Xu, let me know.”

Xu Qinglai replied affirmatively and set down his phone.

But thinking of Bo Ting’s earlier concern and worry, strangely, he felt no offense or displeasure.

The man gripped his pen, his thick lashes casting shadows. He stared at the darkened phone screen for a moment, then let out a soft chuckle.

…

The weekend:

No matter how reluctant, the Gem Exhibition proceeded as scheduled.

Outside the parking lot, Lu Jingshan sighed. Just thinking of the intel Wang Dong had verified gave him a headache.

—Rebirth of Fire really was planning something today.

With their path to hunting innocent citizens blocked, the lunatics had taken a detour, intending to release a weird entity at the Gem Exhibition.

They didn’t know the specifics of the weird entity’s level or traits—only River Ghost, carrying it, did.

But considering that, plus the massive crowd flow today, Lu Jingshan couldn’t help feeling that middle age had brought him nothing but misery.

“Ahem, Captain Lu.”

“All the big shots in Mengjia City are here today.”

Wang Dong glanced around discreetly before turning back.

“Even Mr. Xu is here.”

That Xu Qinglai from Rong’an Building?

Lu Jingshan looked up instinctively and spotted Xu Qinglai’s figure ahead.

A tall, long-legged man dressed in a suit stood out conspicuously among a group of pot-bellied, balding, short-statured middle-aged CEOs.

At that moment, he seemed to notice them, turned around, and gave a slight smile in greeting.

Lu Jingshan nodded politely, unable to resist sharing his thoughts with his teammate.

“Every time I see Mr. Xu, he doesn’t seem like a company owner at all.”

“He looks just like a refined and elegant young professor.”

Wang Dong felt the same way and scratched his head.

“But he is a scholar, isn’t he?”

“A scholar of the occult— that temperament makes perfect sense.”

After exchanging a few words, they shifted their attention to their surroundings, scanning for any sign of the River Ghost.

After entering the exhibition center, Xu Qinglai sent a message to Bo Ting.

“I’m in.”

That single sentence instantly drew Bo Ting’s attention away from the new “diary” entry that had just refreshed on the flower shop table.

Heaven knew how Miss Du managed to have so much to say every day.

She appeared to be such a quiet and reserved person, yet she could go on endlessly about Xiu Xiu and A Zhen.

The key point was—

He had never actually met the Xiu Xiu and A Zhen she mentioned, and now hearing about them sent a slight chill down his spine.

Pretending to casually look away, Bo Ting forced his gaze back to his phone.

The transparent text on the table remained oblivious to the fact that no one was reading it anymore and continued to pour out heartfelt thoughts unabated.

Bo Ting took a step forward.

“Mr. Xu, is there any danger?” he asked vigilantly.

Xu Qinglai glanced up faintly at the screen opposite him.

“Not for now.”

However, amid the faint floral scent in the exhibition center lingered a subtle rotten smell.

It instinctively made one feel… nauseous.

He subtly covered his mouth and nose, then sat down in his seat.

His secretary beside him only saw the president lower his head to chat on his phone right after entering, as if he had little interest in the exhibition.

“Mr. Xu.”

“This is the catalog of jewelry highlights for this exhibition.”

Secretary Zhang handed the booklet to the president.

Xu Qinglai had originally planned to flip through it casually, but suddenly something occurred to him, and he asked on his phone: “Do you like gems?”

Huh?

Bo Ting was momentarily stunned.

Then he saw Mr. Xu continue: “I really liked the Smiling Doll you gave me last time.”

“I’m here today anyway, so I wanted to get you a gift too.”

Bo Ting felt the events unfold so suddenly that he couldn’t react at all.

Weren’t they just talking about the crazy group causing trouble at the Gem Exhibition?

How did it jump to giving gems?

Wasn’t this leap a bit too fast?

Besides, how could one just casually give away a gem!

The value wasn’t even remotely comparable to a Smiling Doll, was it?

With his brows tightly furrowed, Bo Ting was about to say that Mr. Xu should stop joking and get serious!

But then he saw Mr. Xu message:

“What color do you like?”

Bo Ting: …

“Green?”

The words slipped out subconsciously. After sending them, Bo Ting felt a bit dazed.

Wait, Mr. Xu wasn’t actually going to buy him a gem, was he?

Xu Qinglai’s lips curved up. He suddenly thought that lately, he had always been led along by Bo Ting’s unexpected trains of thought—maybe today he could try making the other guess for once.

If he turned the gem into a ring… what would the other think?

The thought flashed through his mind.

Xu Qinglai’s gaze landed on an emerald gem on the third page of the catalog.

For some reason, Bo Ting’s cold and handsome face surfaced in his mind.

The eyes Bo Ting had when looking at the camera seemed to match this gem perfectly.

In an instant, he made his decision. While his secretary was lost in thought, he lightly tapped the table. “This one.”

“Buy it after the event ends.”

Secretary Zhang was stunned for a moment, then snapped back to attention with some confusion: Hadn’t Mr. Xu seemed uninterested earlier?

Why buy it now?

A hundred question marks popped up in his mind, but Secretary Zhang maintained perfect professionalism and nodded.

“Understood, Mr. Xu.”

With the gift selected,

Xu Qinglai’s brows relaxed slightly, and even the repulsive rotten smell in the hall didn’t seem so pungent anymore.

However, Bo Ting was far from well right now.

Out of nowhere, a friend suddenly wanted to buy him an expensive item.

What would anyone think?

A straight guy, of course, wouldn’t think crooked.

Even if it were made into a ring, a straight guy would just see it as a bro-ring.

But… wasn’t this too hasty?

A single gem— it had to be pricey, right? Especially at an exhibition center like this.

Unable to enter himself, Bo Ting could only take a deep breath and pull out his new phone.

“How much for an emerald at the exhibition center?”

The River Ghost had just arrived at the exhibition hall in Camphor District. He searched everywhere but couldn’t find Huaiya, and his mood was already foul when he saw the message from Huaiya.

How much for an emerald?

What the hell?

Dressed in a custom suit and made up to look like a barely affluent middle-aged man, the River Ghost furrowed his brows.

“What are you doing?”

“I’ve brought the stuff— where are you?”

Bo Ting: Me?

I’m at home.

Ignoring the first question, Bo Ting continued: “Answer me first.”

River Ghost: …

Crazy bastard!

His face twisted in anger. He couldn’t fathom what the other was thinking and sneered coldly at the nearby special glass display case.

“Fifty million, I guess.”

Fifty million?!

Bo Ting shot up from his chair, startling even the table that was still scribbling its diary.

He stared incredulously at the number on the screen.

He hadn’t expected it to be that expensive…

At this price, even if he slaved away as a corporate drone his whole life, he might not be able to pay it off?

Bo Ting’s gaze turned serious. Though he knew Mr. Xu was wealthy, he hadn’t realized just how wealthy— clearly beyond normal comprehension.

After pondering for a long while, he finally remembered to ask:

“Oh right, what did you just say?”

The River Ghost was truly about to explode.

He suspected it was because he carried the Bone Incense with him today that he was so easily affected.

But was Huaiya insane?

With Rebirth of Fire’s big operation today, he was asking what he’d just said?

Hadn’t he already prepared?

The River Ghost, who had been trying to stay calm and not get angry, felt his blood pressure spike.

Noticing the Bone Incense’s attention drawn over as the surrounding aura thickened, he forcibly reined in his emotions.

But every message on his phone made his head spin, as if he hadn’t released the Bone Incense—instead, in his agitation, he’d been poisoned by the other’s infuriation.

With a face turning bluish-purple and breathing labored for a moment, the River Ghost gritted his teeth.

“The Bone Incense has entered the exhibition hall.”

“In less than half an hour, this group will be completely melted by the Bone Incense.”

“I’m in Hall One— you better get here now!”

After issuing the final order, the River Ghost shut off his phone, worried that continuing the conversation would make him succumb to anger before the ordinary people did.

After staring at the number for two seconds, Bo Ting’s attention finally shifted.

When he read it, he paled in shock.

Bone Incense? Melting?

Did this crazy group have that kind of power?

Bo Ting was first shocked, then suddenly realized: Mr. Xu was still inside.

Xu Qinglai waited for Bo Ting’s reaction.

Countless possibilities flashed through his mind.

Just then, his phone vibrated suddenly.

Bo Ting?

A flicker of contemplation passed through his eyes. He picked it up and, upon opening it, saw a flurry of urgent messages from the other.

Before clicking the voice note, Xu Qinglai never imagined that Bo Ting wouldn’t overthink or get suspicious and angry.

Instead, in a very anxious and sincere tone, he hurriedly warned him: —”Mr. Xu, something’s happened.”

“Don’t buy it.”

“You might not even make it out alive today!”