Chapter 100: A Brief Trial of Skill

Dragon Two looked stern, but the things he said always carried an odd, unsettling edge.

They did not sound like friendly words.

Mofei sent Director Wang a message to confirm, and only after getting a definite answer did he finally relax.

He did not even need to read Director Wang’s long, emphatic explanation of how formidable Dragon Two was, how many awards he had won, and how many important people he had protected.

Mofei’s instincts told him this was unquestionably the strongest man he had ever met.

With the shabby street-fighting tricks Mofei knew, if he did not get the first strike in, his odds against Dragon Two were probably nine to one against him.

One punch from Dragon Two, and he would be in the grave.

No wonder Director Wang dared to film on the border between Yunnan and Myanmar with such a legend at his side.

He really had the confidence to do it.

The two of them walked in silence all the way to the gate of the residential compound. Seeing that Dragon Two had no intention of leaving, Mofei had no choice but to speak first.

“Mr. Dragon, what exactly are you doing?”

“Following you.” Dragon Two glanced at his watch. “My arrangement with Director Wang took effect an hour ago. For the next month, I am responsible for ensuring your personal safety.”

Mofei’s lips twitched, confusion in his eyes. “We’re not leaving until tomorrow, are we?”

“The arrangement is already in force.” Dragon Two looked toward the compound. “I can think of at least thirty different ways to get into this neighborhood, find your address, and assassinate you. This place is not safe.”

“What do you mean assassinate me? Who would want to kill me?” Mofei stared. “And this is still our country. Our country!”

Dragon Two’s expression did not change in the slightest. “A country can still be dangerous. Please do not forget that just two days ago, you helped the police dismantle six homemade bombs in this city.”

“According to my investigation, there is at least one group of people who have sufficient motive to want you dead, and the ability to act on it. Would you like me to name them?”

Mofei raised a hand to stop him. “Enough, enough, stop.”

That really hit where it hurt.

“Anyway, since I have accepted Director Wang’s commission, I am responsible for protecting you and the production team.” Dragon Two remained utterly unemotional, like a mannequin come to life. “Please cooperate with my work.”

“Fine… then am I supposed to feed you too?”

“I can provide my own meals. They may not taste very good.” With a face as cold as ever, Dragon Two took a vacuum-sealed cracker from the inner pocket of his coat. “Compressed rations. Once boiled in water, they can expand to six times their original volume. More than enough to keep a person fed and alive.”

Mofei had no way of dealing with such a serious person, someone so rigid he seemed like a robot.

“No wonder he asked for three jin of meat. He’s actually pretty polite, bringing a gift and all,” Mofei muttered as he headed home.

Dragon Two followed beside him, so quiet he seemed almost nonexistent.

Once home, Mofei slipped into the kitchen to prepare dinner. At the doorway, Dragon Two tested the door, inspected the keyhole for a moment, then let his gaze fall on the open window ledge.

He stepped over and shut the window, scanning the whole room before reaching up to switch the ceiling light to a warm setting.

Mofei noticed the change in lighting and poked his head out of the kitchen to see what was going on, only to find Dragon Two examining the fish-gutting knife that had not yet been signed.

Noticing the stare, Dragon Two lifted the knife toward Mofei. “If you need a weapon for self-defense, this is not a good choice.”

“It wasn’t my choice of weapon anyway,” Mofei said, shaking his head. “Stop moving around. Sit down and rest for a bit.”

Only after confirming there was nothing unusual in the room did Dragon Two sit on the sofa.

In the kitchen, Mofei washed the ribs, cut them into narrow strips for easier eating, then marinated them with cooking wine, light soy sauce, and crushed black pepper.

While waiting, he brought a pot of water to a boil and made a pear and meatball soup.

He seasoned lean pork with no connective tissue with a little salt and starch, stirred it until it turned springy, rolled it into meatballs, peeled and cored the pears, and cut them into chunks.

When the water boiled, he dropped in the meatballs and cooked them until they floated, then added the pear and brought it back to a boil before reducing the heat and letting it simmer for an hour.

Half an hour later, the ribs were ready to cook. He heated a skillet, melted a pat of butter and brushed it evenly over the bottom, then laid the ribs in the pan to fry over low heat. Once one side turned golden, he flipped them over.

When they were done, he blotted away the excess oil with kitchen paper, sprinkled cumin powder and chili powder over them, plated them, and called it finished.

Just as Mofei was arranging the ribs and preparing to check the soup, he suddenly heard the sound of a key in the lock from the living room.

By the time he dried his hands and stepped out, Dragon Two had already seized Lu Chunqiu’s wrist. With a light twist, he had taken a black square box from her hand.

“Who are you?!” Lu Chunqiu was badly startled by the stranger and tried to fend Dragon Two off with a flurry of slaps and kicks.

“Taser. Useless.” Dragon Two’s gaze swept over her. “Palm spikes, spray, collapsible baton. All useless.”

Lu Chunqiu froze. “How did you know—”

Those things were still in her bag. She had not even taken them out. How could he tell?

Fearing he might genuinely scare her, Mofei stepped forward to explain. “Sis, this is Dragon Two. He’s the bodyguard Director Wang hired.”

After Mofei explained, Dragon Two released her.

Rubbing her wrist, Lu Chunqiu looked at Dragon Two with suspicion and shock. “A bodyguard? A bodyguard still can’t say the things I brought for you are useless.”

“Useless?” Dragon Two tightened his grip on the taser, and both Mofei and Lu Chunqiu heard a clear crack.

He broke the taser open, picked out the two square batteries inside, then snapped it shut again and handed it back to her. “Use it to attack me. I’ll stand right here. If you can touch me, then it works.”

Lu Chunqiu took the much lighter taser and muttered under her breath, “That kind of thing is meant for a surprise attack. Once you’re prepared for it, of course it’s useless.”

Dragon Two closed his eyes. “Then I won’t look.”

The moment he shut his eyes, before he had even finished speaking, Lu Chunqiu thrust the taser toward him.

He truly did not open his eyes, but he tilted his head aside. In the next instant, he raised a hand and trapped her arm; with a twist of both hands, the taser she had sent at him ended up pressed directly against her own body.

“I’ve tested it. It really is useless,” Dragon Two said calmly. Then he let go of Lu Chunqiu. “Throw those other things away too.”

“Without proper training, those things are far more likely to hurt you than anyone else.”

When he finished, Dragon Two gave Mofei a slight nod, then turned back and sat down on the sofa.

Like a robot vacuum returning to its charging dock to stand by.

Mofei could only shake his head helplessly. “You okay?”

Lu Chunqiu still had not processed how she had lost. Her face was filled with disbelief. “How did he do that? That kind of speed only exists in movies, doesn’t it?”

Mofei led her into the living room and tried to comfort her. “It’s fine. The more capable Dragon Two is, the safer I am.”

“Besides, that wasn’t even that fast.”

As he spoke, he held up the cat-shaped knuckle duster he had just pinched from her bag. “This really doesn’t do much.”

A longer reach wins. For someone who had never trained, it was better to run than to try resisting with a knuckle duster.

Lu Chunqiu instinctively clutched her bag, eyes widening even more.