Chapter 6: Brilliant, truly brilliant

“Lin Yi, why don’t you and the brothers Li Weiguo and Li Weidong spar a little? Let me see whose strength is truly more outstanding.”

If the strength of Li Weidong and Li Weiguo could even approach the level of Lin Yi and his companions, Lin Haoran would already be very satisfied.

With such strength, they would be more than qualified to be his bodyguards.

“Young Master, if I may speak frankly, the two of them are by no means our match. It is not that we intend to bully them, but I believe that my strength alone is sufficient to handle both of them,” Lin Yi said, full of confidence.

Li Weidong was just about to retort, but Li Weiguo gently tugged at his sleeve, signaling him to remain silent.

He knew that he was an outsider and had been saved by these people; therefore, he did not wish to appear too arrogant or overbearing in front of them.

“There’s no use in just talking about how strong you are. I believe Li Weiguo and Li Weidong’s strength is not bad at all. How about this: why don’t you spar with Li Weiguo first? True strength will naturally be revealed in the contest,” Lin Haoran said with a smile.

After speaking, Lin Haoran turned to ask Li Weiguo, “Are you confident?”

“Young Master, I am confident. I will certainly not let you down!” Li Weiguo said very firmly.

“In that case, then let’s fight!”

Lin Haoran was also full of anticipation for them.

The two nodded to each other, walked out of the dormitory building in tacit understanding, and arrived at the open space in front of the door, standing opposite each other.

Lin Yi quickly entered his state; his figure was agile and his steps flexible, attacking Li Weiguo like a cheetah, attempting to suppress his opponent with speed and agility.

However, facing Lin Yi’s fierce offensive, Li Weiguo appeared exceptionally calm.

He did not rush to counterattack, but stood firmly in place like a rock, his eyes fixed on every one of Lin Yi’s movements.

Whenever Lin Yi tried to get close, Li Weiguo was always able to defend with just the right amount of force and angle, making Lin Yi’s attacks feel as if they were hitting cotton, unable to take effect.

As time passed, Lin Yi gradually discovered that his speed and agility seemed to have lost their usual advantage in front of Li Weiguo.

Li Weiguo began to exert his strength gradually; every move he made was filled with power and technique, forcing Lin Yi to retreat again and again.

Finally, during an intense exchange, Li Weiguo caught a tiny opening in Lin Yi’s defense.

He lunged forward, his figure like a tiger descending a mountain, and threw a punch toward Lin Yi’s chest.

This punch was heavy and powerful, and its speed was astonishing. Although Lin Yi tried his best to defend, he was still shaken back repeatedly, almost losing his balance.

Taking this opportunity, Li Weiguo followed up quickly, a series of punches and kicks raining down on Lin Yi like a storm.

Although Lin Yi resisted continuously, under Li Weiguo’s tidal wave of attacks, he was ultimately unable to keep up and was finally struck in the abdomen by a heavy blow, stumbling to the ground.

“I concede!” Li Weiguo performed a traditional martial arts salute.

Lin Yi, however, had a gloomy expression. One hand clutched his abdomen tightly while the other supported his body as he slowly stood up.

His eyes revealed unwillingness; clearly, he had suffered quite a shock in the previous contest.

“I lost.”

Lin Er, Lin San, and Lin Si, who were watching from the side, had faces full of disbelief.

They knew Lin Yi’s strength very well; among the four of them, Lin Yi had always been recognized as the strongest.

However, the scene before them made their jaws drop.

If even Lin Yi was no match for Li Weiguo, wouldn’t they have even less chance of winning?

“Clap, clap, clap!” Lin Haoran suddenly clapped his hands, his face beaming with a satisfied smile.

“Brilliant, truly brilliant! Weiguo, your performance was impeccable, it simply exceeded my expectations!” He laughed heartily, giving Li Weiguo high praise.

He was truly satisfied with Li Weiguo’s performance.

Originally, Lin Haoran would have been satisfied if Li Weiguo’s strength was merely close to that of Lin Yi and the others.

But while watching the battle just now, Lin Haoran had actually realized that Li Weiguo had not used his full strength; he hadn’t even taken the initiative to attack at the beginning.

Li Weiguo was very tactful. In this martial contest, his focus on defense at the start was actually out of consideration for Lin Yi’s face, so he wouldn’t lose too embarrassingly.

There was no need to continue the sparring; Lin Haoran already knew Li Weiguo’s strength, and it was likely true that Li Weidong’s strength was even greater than Li Weiguo’s—Li Weiguo had previously tacitly agreed to this.

“Lin Yi, it seems you were injured in the match just now. Rest in the dormitory for these two days. Lin Er, Lin San, and Lin Si, you stay at the factory to work. I need to return to the city. Keep a close eye on the cement factory; don’t let any mistakes happen, or I will hold you responsible!” Lin Haoran said to the four of them.

“Young Master, the Master told us to protect your personal safety. How can we not follow you?” Lin Er and the others were anxious.

They bore the heavy responsibility of Lin Haoran’s safety, as well as passing information to the eldest young master, Lin Haoning. Once they left the young master’s sight, how could they continue to be double agents?

“You don’t need to worry about that. I will explain the situation to my father personally. As for my safety, I am very reassured with Li Weiguo and the others,” Lin Haoran said directly.

Lin Er and the others wanted to say more, but Lin Haoran didn’t give them the chance, continuing, “Go back and attend to your work. I’ll be driving back shortly. Remember my words: if anything happens to the Huafeng Cement Factory, I will hold you responsible!”

After speaking, he walked away without looking back.

He needed to go back to his room to pack his things, then drive away from Yuen Long and return to the Kowloon urban area.

The brothers Li Weiguo and Li Weidong followed behind him very consciously.

As for Lin Yi and the others, they remained where they were, looking at one another.

“Lin Yi, what do we do?” Lin Er asked.

“It seems we can only report this to the Master first, to avoid any mishaps for the Young Master, for which we would also be held accountable. Also, Lin Er, remember to call the eldest young master and tell him in detail about the Young Master’s encounters and situation these past few days, so he is aware of what’s going on.”

Lin Yi rubbed his aching abdomen and sighed, saying helplessly.

Their true motives might not be very honorable, but being in this position, they had no other choice.

Since they had already chosen to serve the eldest young master, they could only see it through to the end.

As for the young master, they could only apologize; who told him his future wasn’t as bright as the eldest young master’s?

“It seems that’s all we can do. To be honest, the young master has almost no chance of winning in this contest for the heirship. I really don’t understand what the eldest young master is worried about.” Lin Si shook his head, his tone filled with helplessness and confusion.

“Who’s to say? The eldest young master is just too cautious!” Lin San agreed with Lin Si’s view.

“Alright, stop talking. Walls have ears. The eldest young master naturally has his own deep-laid plans. What we need to do now is keep our mouths shut and not let the young master discover our affairs. I’m going to call the Master now; you all go do what you need to do.” Lin Yi stopped their discussion.

(End of chapter)