Romance of Dragons and Snakes

Lin Yanan was deeply concerned, but when she heard Wang Chao’s suggestion, her eyes moved to him and the look on his face had grown far more light-hearted and carefree than before, “The matter this time may be small in the eyes of the state, but to the eyes of the Shaolin Temple, many heavy animosity will definitely occur. The matter with Yong He and Yong Bao are fine because of their reason. One dead and one injured is doable, Shi Yongxin is a reasonable monk, he will not make things hard on you. But you killed Duan Guochao, if I were the abbot of the Shaolin Temple, that would be unforgivable. From today onwards, I’m afraid that even more trouble will come from this. You must be careful, and make sure no hiccups happens to you.”

Wang Chao wiped at his fingernails, the dark look on his face not changing, “Even I know my troubles aren’t light. Even if not for this affair, I would still come into conflict with the Shaolin Temple eventually. The higher ups called for me to open up a school in Laoshan. To speak frankly, from then onwards, my name will only grow bigger. And with the school becoming a business, the name will come into conflict with Shaolin. Perhaps not me, but the future generations downwards, 50 years, 100 years, with the support of the higher ups, there will definitely be expansion. The Shaolin Temple will not brush such a matter aside.”

“You’re right. The primary goal was indeed such. You saw through it. The power of Shaolin is getting too big, just not long ago, a heavyweight boxing champion and his manager came to the Shaolin Temple to visit. They were clearly seen wanting to expand in the world of boxing. Furthermore, in the last meeting of Hong Kong, a big celebrity had his recently born child sent to Shaolin Temple to learn martial arts.

Author note: Boxing champion Evander Holyfield went to the Shaolin Temple to visit, and Nicholas Tse and Cecilia Cheung had their own son sent to Shaolin Temple to learn martial arts.

Lin Yanan nodded, “Truly, the Shaolin Temple has grown too big in strength, it has even started to influence some major matters. Thus, we need to create a balance and push for a new school. Originally, the best to contend against them was the Wudang Mountains, but the martial arts of Wudang are passed down in secret. Not a single one is willing to join with the organization. Furthermore, with so many factions, there amount of internal strife is basically unsupportable. So all that’s left is developing a school in Laoshan.”

After speaking with Lin Yanan, Wang Chao’s thoughts had been confirmed. From his talks with Chen Aiyang, he had already known about the situation with the Wudang Mountains.

The martial arts of the Wudang Mountains wasn’t one huge school like in the many novels. Instead, it was comprised of many small sects. Chen Aiyang’s practice of the “Fishing Toad Jin” had belonged to the “Golden Toad Sect” of the Wudang Mountains.

Likewise, the “Rash Bull Jin” had belonged to the “Quiet Void Sect”.

Then, there was the “Pure Yang Sword”, “Jiugong Palm”, “Five Thunder Palms”, “Red Sand Palm”, “Wudang Iron Body”, “Majia Gong”, “Iron Palm”, “Lightning Palm”, and the list went on in terms of internal martial arts. Some practiced breathing to strengthen their internal organs. Some practiced the muscles and bones using acupuncture and medicinal water to bathe the body. Many of them all belonged to different sects.

If one wanted to learn martial arts at the Wudang Mountains, then going to the halls to find a Daoist priest would be fruitless.

The experts of the Wudang Mountains were all in seclusion. The Daoist priest in charge of the temple there would most likely be some sort of university graduate that changed his job and took up the offer to become a priest for the sake of the economy.

As for the kiosk sellers or the business owners of the small stores. The local police station, the government officials, the 110, the PE teachers of the school, etcetera. It could not be said for certain whether they were genuine experts or not.

For the many different sects of Wudang, for the many different martial arts, the inheritor of them were always a mystery, hidden, and secretive, like the tail of a dragon.

With a case like this, one might ask how it was possible to support such a situation. It was practically impossible.

“The martial arts of Wudang has plenty to profit from. But they are secretive, and don’t reveal themselves to the world. Thus, the successors were never met with gunfire. However, the Shaolin are different. Who knows how many time they have been burnt by fire. Furthermore, the cultures of Buddhism and Daoism are quite different.” Wang Chao sighed.

By Wang Chao’s side, Lin Yanan said, “The martial arts of Shaolin had been lost during the cultural revolution before it was circulated and brought back by the experts amongst the people and passed it on. To be truthful, the expansion of Shaolin can partially be attributed to Shi Yongxin. Although he does not know martial arts and was changed to his current position, he is truly a genius. When it comes to developing business or making interpersonal relationships, his hands can overturn the clouds and make them rain. He is a very dangerous person.”

“Thus, we lack a person like Shi Yongxin in our organization, but we are currently doing our best to find one. You are a genius in martial arts only. But in economics, it may as well be Greek to you. And I am nowhere close to being on the same level as Shi Yongxin. I am only just a temporary help to you, after time, I will have to return to the army.”

As she spoke, there was a seemingly reluctant tint to Lin Yanan’s voice.

But Wang Chao hadn’t heard it. Instead, his eyebrows narrowed together, “Yanan, would you happen to know. Aside from me, just how many other youths are planned to help keep up appearances? They cannot possibly think I alone would be enough to suppress the Shaolin Temple.”

Lin Yanan shook her head, “I’m not clear about that either. However, there should most definitely be some plans. I heard that the higher ups are currently looking for several of the scattered sects of Wudang.”

“Well then, let us go on a stroll. First, let me go change my clothes. What do you want to buy, I’ll pay the bill for today.” Wang Chao said.

“You said this yourself, you’re the boss. I am only just a small military officer with a small wage that can’t be used easily. Today, I will slaughter your salary.” Lin Yanan winked.

Lin Yanan had spoken correctly. Wang Chao was the boss of Tianxing Networking with a net status of over a hundred million. He could be considered to be a super wealthy person. Most recently, Tianxing Networking had been extremely prosperous in S province. Aside from networking, they had stepped into several other prosperous adventures.

As the Military Commission, Cao Yi had hired some people to assume control of the business and bought out many of the stocks in the company. But Wang Chao still had the same amount of stock he had always had.

In the last year, Wang Chao had heard from Yao Xiaoxue that they had invested several ten millions into a national company worth 700,000,000 to 800,000,000 RMB. With the stocks soaring, they had earned a tremendous windfall.

Furthermore, Yao Xiaoxue herself had become a major representative for the province and became a committee member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. As of now, she was a famous celebrity on television. It could even be said that in the S province, she could call down the winds and scatter soldiers like beans. She was just as powerful as Wang Chao was in the martial arts world.

Lin Yanan was comparatively less outstanding. Although she engaged in the business and funding side of the school, all of the more stringent procedures were done by the men hired by the Military Commission. However, they were corrupt. She of course, was not as corrupt.

In the huge international metropolis that was Hong Kong, the city was a hole for consumer finances. With what small wages she earned, there was no way Lin Yanan would be able to support herself here.

“Fine, whatever you want to buy, just take it when the time comes.” Wang Chao spoke before leaving Lin Yanan to return to his room. Taking off his military uniform, he put on several casual clothes from a famous brand and walked out to wait for her.

After half an hour, Lin Yanan had finally came out.

When she came out, Wang Chao’s eyes had lit up. Clearly, Lin Yanan had meticulously put on some light makeup. Her eyebrows were drawn in nicely, and she wore a nice light blue cotton skirt that barely reached her knees and revealed her spotless pale white legs. With her rather nice stature, she had the classical atmosphere of a celebrity. Combined with her training in the military, there was a strict but proud aura to her that would give any male a type of desire to her.

It seems that today, Lin Yanan had truly put out all the stops, giving Wang Chao a rather stunning view. Ordinarily, she wore a military uniform with a white collar and no makeup to show off her natural features. Wang Chao had never felt anything during those moments but that she was quite pretty, that was all. But with the make up, he felt that she was not inferior to even a beautiful female celebrity.

“Let’s go. Originally I planned on using commissar Yang’s specialized car. Although it is an ordinary Audi, the brand is quite eye-catching. But after some thought, I felt that it would bring the paparazzi. If they snapped some pictures and sent them to the magazines, that would reflect poorly on the Hong Kong station. Since there’s no other choice, we’ll have to go in taxi.”

Walking forward, Lin Yanan hooked her arm around Wang Chao as if it was natural and that they were passionate lovers.

After exiting, they took a taxi and headed straight for the shopping paradise in Hong Kong, Causeway Bay.

“Miss, if it doesn’t bother you, can you send these clothes to this location?”

“Wang Chao, does this bracelet look nice on me?” Lin Yanan asked as she swapped clothes after clothes and tried them on. Wang Chao watched her try them on with glee before paying for the purchase with his credit card and have them sent to the army.

In front of the jewelry counter, Lin Yanan took out a topaz crystal bracelet and put it on her hand. Giving it a little shake, she seemed incredibly happy as if Wang Chao was truly her boyfriend.

“It looks nice! Very nice.” Wang Chao spoke truthfully before swiping his card without another word. Even the cashiers at the jewelry stand had looked at the youngster and then to Lin Yanan as if trying to see if Wang Chao was some wealthy prince of a son who was trying to get with a female celebrity.

“Come on, let’s go check out the cosmetics.”

After buying several sets of clothes and several sets of jewelry that totaled up to several thousand hundred RMB, Wang Chao’s eyebrows hadn’t narrowed together even once. Even now, he still maintained the aura of like the boss of the Shanxi coal mines.

He had many gold cards as a result of his battle that one time with Zhang Wei on the tanker. Because of his win, he had won 50 million RMB for pocket money.

From birth, Wang Chao was a part of an impoverished family that belonged to the lowest rungs of society. So there had been an especially precious attachment to money. In the past, he had even considered killing Cao Yi for 100,000 RMB, that had been the extent to his relationship with poverty.

Although his martial arts was unbelievably deep, his cultivation of the health had been great as well. The attachment to money he had had significantly lowered.

But after Cao Yi had stuck his hands into the Tianxing Networking and transformed it into a huge corporation, Wang Chao felt that money was best under his own hands. So in earnest, he began to deposit into his own personal savings.

With 50 million RMB in his pocket, Wang Chao had naturally felt quite wealthy.

Amongst the crowd of people walking here and there across the shopping market, Wang Chao felt himself as quite gallant and spirited as if watching everyone from a mountain. Even the people at the side had felt the aura he gave off with some surprise.

This wasn’t even the aura born from martial arts, but purely from the aspect of wealth.

When one was strong in martial arts, he had a natural aura of power.

When one had influence, then they had a natural power with the government.

When one had money, then no matter who the person, he could use money to kill them. That man would naturally feel like a hegemon without an equal or enemy.

After Lin Yanan bought the topaz crystal bracelet and a diamond necklace, she shot a quick glance to Wang Chao with a rather uneven heart.

“He has money, he has superb martial arts, and he is my partner. If he was really my boyfriend, that’d be great.” While Lin Yanan was ordinarily quite serious, capable and experienced, she was still a woman in the end. After a day of retail therapy, her heart was at peace–infatuated even.

“Although my mother had always hated those second generation princes, starry-eyed girls, and rich women in contempt, today has been quite eye-opening. It’s not bad at all. Whatever I want, I buy. Whatever I like, I take. If everyday was like this, that would be heaven. Even if offered to become an Immortal, I wouldn’t take it.”

Lin Yanan’s imagination had ran away from her mind. After opening fire and injuring Dong Ling, according to history, there would only be a huge amount of trouble waiting her. Today’s intense shopping experience had been to purely vent off her frustrations. After all these purchases, she felt at peace. And secretly, she had quite enjoyed this fall from grace.

“No. I can’t. If I continue like this, wouldn’t this mean I was corrupted by the sugarcoating of Capitalism?” Lin Yanan suddenly realized that her heart was swaying to that of an infatuated but rich woman with some shock.

Wang Chao didn’t know what Lin Yanan was thinking about and had only led her to the expensive cosmetic brand store.

He was no stranger to cosmetics. That was because in S province, he was familiar with Zhang Tong, the Sales chairman of the French Chanel brand.

“Chose what you will from this brand. The pricier the better, I still have money!” Wang Chao joked.

In an instant, the aura of an upstart boss of Shanxi had disappeared from him. Instead, he was more like a self made lord.

“This feeling of wealth is quite nice, this is the very first time I’ve experienced it. It is better than the inspiration felt in martial arts, and quite useful too.” Wang Chao had felt this entire experience to be quite fun, as if he was a child once more.

“What kind of upstart is he? How is he so crude?” From the VIP lounge of the store, several rather beautiful women from the upper class society came over when they had suddenly heard what Wang Chao had said.

Their eyebrows narrowed together before a look of disdain overcame them and had one of them walk on over.

One of the other more noble looking woman suddenly felt her eyes brighten up before asking questioningly, “Wang Chao?”

“Ai! Someone I know?” Wang Chao suddenly looked over, “Zhang Tong?”