Volume II: The Anbei Consortium Chapter Thirty-One: Preparations for Departure

That night, An Kangyu drank heavily.

All his life, he had fought relentlessly, building his empire from nothing, pouring in countless efforts and sacrifices. Yet now, all of it had vanished in a single stroke. The few loyal subordinates he had were dismissed, and apart from his wealth, nothing remained.

In his younger years, he pursued power and status single-mindedly, and now, he had no children to his name.

It was late when he finally staggered home, collapsing onto his bed and immediately falling into a deep sleep.

Elsewhere, Li Yu was also awake.

“My old friend didn’t bother to maintain his influence?”

This surprised him; but thinking further, perhaps those remnants of power meant nothing to his old friend now. Maybe his attention was no longer fixed on S City.

If not, what could the Scorpion Gang possibly amount to?

Li Yu narrowed his eyes, gazing at the stark white bulb overhead, images of his old friend flickering in his mind. He chuckled softly, “I look forward to meeting you again.”

If it weren’t for the system, perhaps he’d never have the chance in this lifetime.

Li Yu was suddenly curious: what would his old friend see when he encountered him again? What expression would he wear?

“Truly, I’m eager for that moment.”

The lights in the room went out, darkness swiftly enveloping the space. Before long, the sound of steady breathing filled the quiet.

...

The next day, Li Yu unexpectedly received a call from An Kangyu.

“What? You’re moving in next door?”

The news jolted Li Yu awake. He stared blankly, struggling to process it.

Not only that, An Kangyu had already bought the adjoining apartment; this was just a courtesy call.

“What’s wrong? Am I not welcome?” An Kangyu laughed heartily. “You weren’t like this yesterday.”

Li Yu thought for a while. It seemed he had agreed yesterday, assuming it was just a casual remark, never expecting it to be real.

After a moment, he replied, “Of course! You’re more than welcome!”

An Kangyu, after all, was a master of hidden strength. Since Li Yu often had matters that kept him in another world, he had to consider Huang Xiu’s safety here on Blue Star. Although the presence of the spirit guardian meant there was little to worry about, having another master nearby was an extra layer of security.

The two chatted for a bit longer. Since An Kangyu was already tidying up next door, Li Yu decided to step out and see.

“You didn’t have to bring me food as well! How did you know I hadn’t eaten yet?” An Kangyu laughed, taking the breakfast from Li Yu’s hand.

Before Li Yu could object, the buns disappeared in a few bites.

An Kangyu looked puzzled. “Wasn’t this for me?”

Li Yu’s face flushed slightly, rare for him. He hurriedly replied, “No problem, I thought it might be a bit cold.”

He’d intended to throw them out—the buns Huang Xiu bought for him that morning were now cold. But since they’d been eaten, he couldn’t say anything more.

“They are a bit cold,” An Kangyu nodded.

Compared to Li Yu’s place, An Kangyu had simply bought the whole apartment outright, so the furniture was left over from the previous owner—a bundle gift for the old man. However, An Kangyu disliked most of it, so he bought new pieces and rearranged the layout, which explained why he was there so early.

“How does it look?” An Kangyu suddenly asked. “I arranged it all myself.”

“It’s excellent!” Li Yu raised his thumb, genuinely impressed; the layout was truly well done.

An Kangyu smiled at the praise, then suggested they spar at his villa.

Li Yu’s expression was odd as he glanced at An Kangyu’s injuries.

The most severe was the knife wound on his back from his adopted son’s betrayal; compared to that, the other wounds were minor. But if they sparred and Li Yu wasn’t careful, Chen Chengde would be a cautionary tale.

With that in mind, Li Yu quickly refused.

If it happened, An Kangyu wouldn’t be energetically arranging furniture now.

An Kangyu shook his head regretfully.

That was his intention—cultivate a deeper relationship, and have someone to exchange martial arts with. But he soon adjusted his mindset; there would be time, and opportunities would surely come.

“Next time, then. Whenever you’re free.”

Now, this was all that remained for An Kangyu—hoping to push his martial arts further. Yesterday’s fierce battle had given him direction for a breakthrough; he needed someone who could pressure him, help him break through in one leap.

They chatted a bit more. By now, Huang Xiu should be out of school.

Li Yu took his leave.

...

At home, after waiting a little over ten minutes, Huang Xiu returned with lunch.

“Brother Yu, come eat!” Huang Xiu set the dishes on the table, her beautiful eyes showing satisfaction.

Not bad, not bad—Li Yu had been eating breakfast well lately.

“Coming!” Li Yu left his room; the table was already set. They waited for Huang Xiu to wash her hands, then started their meal.

“How are your grades lately?” Li Yu asked.

“They’re fine. I’ve got a new teacher, but it hasn’t affected me,” Huang Xiu nodded. She’d managed to stay steadily above the minimum score line, and as long as nothing unexpected happened, she felt confident about the university entrance exams.

“In that case, I have some matters lately that will require me to be away for a while,” Li Yu said. Knowing Huang Xiu’s nature, if she said things were fine, they truly were. He didn’t press further, but continued, “An old gentleman has moved in next door. He may not always be around, but he’s a good person. If you need anything, you can ask him.”

Li Yu had already spoken with An Kangyu, asking him to keep an eye on Huang Xiu when he was around.

As for why he trusted An Kangyu, the reasons were simple.

First, under An Kangyu’s leadership, the Anbei Group never dealt in drugs nor forced anyone into anything—Li Yu had checked on this.

Second, Anbei Group was gone, and An Kangyu owed his life to Li Yu. In such circumstances, Li Yu didn’t believe An Kangyu would do anything harmful.

And besides, Li Yu’s spirit guardian was no pushover—it would obey his orders and always protect Huang Xiu.

Except for martial grandmasters whose fame echoed through the world, whom Li Yu had never met, all the hidden masters he’d encountered were easy to defeat; the spirit guardian was more than enough to handle them. He had no worries.

“Alright!” Huang Xiu nodded obediently.

She didn’t ask what Li Yu had to go do.

“If anything comes up, you can contact me. I’ll check my phone,” Li Yu said, seeing her mood dip, and smiled reassuringly.