Chapter 1695 - 1695: Fourteen Grand Protectors

"Wu Feng, I'll send you a card number later. A week from now, when the Duanmu Family has scraped together that five hundred billion, you'll be responsible for supervising them to make sure the money hits the account. And you'll have the authority to deploy this five hundred billion. I have only one request: use it to beef up the Villa's power for me."

Jiang Feng watched Duanmu Mian leave with his people, then said to Wu Feng evenly.

"Yes, Master!!!"

Wu Feng was wildly excited!

Even now he still couldn't believe Jiang Feng had actually taken five hundred billion without spilling a single drop of blood!

You had to know, with Jiang Feng now putting him in charge of Yanchi Villa, that basically meant folding all the former Yan Family assets in the Provincial City into his hands. Altogether it was a family fortune of several tens of billions; in truth, they weren't short of money.

But even if you're not short, there's a huge gap between that and a sudden five hundred billion landing in your lap. This was truly being rich enough to dominate a whole region, even surpassing several Baili Families put together!

More crucially, Jiang Feng trusted him this much, handing him such great power without worry, which moved him even more to tears.

In terms of combat strength, he might not be the strongest under Jiang Feng, but right now he had undoubtedly become something like the Great Housekeeper, and had sworn he must help Jiang Feng manage this foundation well.

"Alright, turns out it was a false alarm. Early in the day and someone comes over to throw money at us for nothing. Let's go back!"

Jiang Feng chuckled, then led the crowd in big strides back up to the Villa.

At the same time, in the Capital City, a certain courtyard house beneath the Imperial City.

Unlike the courtyard house Duanmu Zhe had stayed in before, this place actually sat right beside the red walls. The area wasn't large, but it was extremely tranquil.

Several towering trees had been planted in the yard, yet the ground was so clean there wasn't even a fallen leaf.

Right now, beneath those towering trees, a round wooden table had been set up, with more than a dozen stools put around it.

On the round wooden table, a pure copper hotpot was ready, the meat already sliced—authentic castrated mutton from Xiwuzhumu Banner in Inner Mongolia. The lamb was sliced nearly paper-thin, almost translucent; you could see the blue and white porcelain pattern underneath through the slices.

In addition, there were a few plates of fried peanuts and fried cicadas, all perfect dishes to go with drinks.

But now the food was all ready, the water in the hotpot was bubbling, making people's fingers itch to dig in, yet not a single person sat on the surrounding stools; they were all empty.

As time slowly moved toward noon, people finally began arriving outside the courtyard house.

A few youths whose very bearing screamed nobility, exuding idle-rich playboy airs all over, came into the courtyard one after another, and according to their ranking, they sat down with horseplay and banter.

Each one of them—never mind the whole country—even within the Capital City was top-tier Heavenly Pride, the inner core of the most elite circle.

Yet coming here, they didn't even dare drive; they could only come on foot.

Gradually, everyone arrived; there were a full twelve of them, only two short!

Once the twelve had all taken their seats, only the two positions at the head and the very end of the table remained empty, but the twelve still weren't anxious; they kept chatting and laughing as before.

"Third Brother, what's the deal this time, with the Eldest calling all of us over again? It's been ages since the Eldest gathered the brothers for a meal."

A youth whose status was clearly only middle-of-the-pack asked with a grin.

"How should I know?"

The guy called Third Brother looked helpless. He wanted to take out one of his special-supply cigarettes for a smoke, but thinking of the rules here, he forced himself to hold back in the end.

"Let's just wait till the Eldest gets here and listen to what he has to say. Whatever orders he gives, we'll carry them out."

"Exactly."

The guy sitting beside Third Brother also laughed and said, "The Eldest has been back a few days now, but other than that lecture he gave us at the airport, he hasn't given any other instructions. During this time I wanted to meet him and discuss a few things, but he wouldn't see me either."

"You think this might still be about that matter he mentioned at the airport last time?"

Another youth suddenly spoke up: "I don't know about you guys, but I followed the Eldest's instructions. I mobilized all the strength the Suo family could use, yet still couldn't find anything out. Over this I feel I hardly have the face to see the Eldest!"

"Same here. Through my grandpa, I had the Lu Family pitch in too, and still no gains."

"Pretty much the same for me..."

"We're all in the same boat."

As it turned out, the people sitting here were brothers from the camp centered around Ying Zheng, also known as the Capital City's top-tier Fourteen Grand Protectors!

Ying Zheng hadn't arrived yet, because he was the host.

And Duanmu Zhe hadn't arrived either, because he was usually late as well, too playful by nature.

But since he ranked the youngest, everyone called him "Fourteenth Brother," "Little Fourteenth," and they all indulged him.

The last time this group had all assembled was to go to the airport to welcome Ying Zheng back to the Capital.

And that time, Ying Zheng had given them orders right on the spot, saying one of the Ying Family's external lines placed in the northern desert had been killed.

That man was a paternal cousin of Ying Zheng's, who had even mixed his way up to become the Hall Master of the Netherworld Hall, an underground foreign force, and the Ying Family suspected that the incident had been done by Chinese, so he had told them to split up and investigate.

But after several days had passed, they had used all the energy they could muster and still found nothing. Now that the Eldest had called them here, could it be to come down on them for failing the mission?

"Speaking of which, how come Fourteenth Brother still isn't here? He might usually be the slowest, but he's never actually delayed like this before. Isn't he afraid the Eldest will chew him out when he arrives?"

Someone finally realized Duanmu Zhe was already past time and still hadn't come, and asked in puzzlement.

"Hell if I know. I called him earlier but his phone's been off the whole time. Most likely he overslept again, or hooked up with some currently hot female celebrity or something, played himself silly, and stopped listening to summons."

"Heh, that Fourteenth brat is obsessed with that stuff. Sooner or later he'll die on a woman's belly!" another brother said, hating the iron for not becoming steel.

While they were talking, Ying Zheng suddenly came in with a pudgy man. The pudgy man was carrying a full basket, while Ying Zheng himself was carrying a case of authentic Hongxing Erguotou.

Everyone in the yard immediately stood up, calling him Eldest as they stepped up to help, taking the Erguotou and the basket from Ying Zheng and the man.

"Thanks for your trouble, Master Feng."

Ying Zheng personally invited the pudgy man into the kitchen, then turned back and said to his brothers, "I've invited the successor of Bao Du Feng. Brothers, today you'll get a taste of the most authentic old Capital City flavor. Before Liberation, the big stars like Mei Lanfang, Ma Lianliang, and Bai Yushuang were all crazy about this."

One brother very thoughtfully opened the liquor and poured it into the dozen straight glass cups. In an instant the fragrance of the alcohol filled the air, and the atmosphere warmed right up.

And before long, Master Feng came out carrying a few plates of crispy, fragrant tripe, set them on the table, wiped his hands on his apron and said, "You gentlemen enjoy. I have to head back; I've got a reception task today."

"Alright, I'll see you off." Ying Zheng stood up without any airs.

"Please stay seated! It's only a few steps, I'll just walk back."

Master Feng wouldn't dare let Ying Zheng send him off. After he left, someone tasted the tripe and immediately couldn't stop praising it: "Eldest, this craft is absolutely the real deal. Where'd you find this chef?"

You had to know that with their identities, they'd eaten all the delicacies of the mountains and seas; but chances to eat something this authentic and local were not many.

"Master Feng is a Great Hall chef specializing in state banquets."

Ying Zheng smiled. "Alright, brothers, it's been a long time since we gathered. Let's first raise our glasses together and have a drink."

"Eldest, aren't we waiting for Fourteenth Brother?" one brother suddenly asked in surprise!