Chapter 83: Bartering - A lifetime's creation.

The two exited their cabin, the deck bustling with people.

Apart from the guests invited for the banquet, many off-duty staff in casual clothes grouped together, eagerly whispering and looking forward to docking, reminiscent of schoolchildren on a field trip.

He Guan and Chi Yu found a secluded spot by the railings, engaged in casual chatter, occasionally observing the others.

"They seem as elated as if they're returning home," remarked He Guan.

Chi Yu laughed, replying, "It could very well be their home. Constantly drifting at sea isn't sustainable. It's too hard on anyone."

He Guan didn't respond, shifting his gaze from the jubilant staff to the ocean.

The gentle ripples of the sea steadily guided the massive cargo ship towards the shore. The ship's engines produced a deep rumble, muffled by the deck layers, leaving only a faint hum by the time it reached He Guan's ears.

In this journey, Yan Fengqing made his second appearance right then.

Dressed in light beige attire, he cleared his throat slightly, and the crowd instinctively hushed around him.

"Esteemed guests, greetings. We are about to dock on a deserted island. There aren't many rules, just one crucial one."

"And what might that be?" an impatient guest inquired.

Wearing a flawless smile, Yan Fengqing began, "This 'deserted' island isn't entirely uninhabited. Our team here maintains the island's operations. Once ashore, you'll find stalls selling various items – anything you can think of, and even things you can't. However..."

Deliberately pausing for effect, he relished the crowd's anticipation before continuing.

"They're not purchased with money."

"Then how are they acquired?"

Yan Fengqing raised a finger: "Barter."

He Guan arched an eyebrow.

A murmur rippled through the crowd.

Yan Fengqing clapped his hands for silence, adding, "Before disembarking, you can bring along any items you wish to trade. Its value might vary from one vendor to the next. What you can acquire depends entirely on luck."

Without further elaboration, giving the intrigued audience time to digest, he continued, "We'll be docking in a few minutes. Unloading will take some time, so I'm giving everyone forty-five minutes to choose the items you'd like to bring ashore."

The crowd began to stir, with many opting to return to their cabins to fetch personal items they could offer for trade.

Admittedly, it was an intriguing venture, yet it hadn't been mentioned in the prior itinerary—like an unexpected bonus.

Both He Guan and Chi Yu remained unmoved, continuing to lean against the railing and gaze out at sea.

As passengers retreated to their cabins, the deck quickly cleared, leaving only the staff who seemed to have been privy to this activity beforehand, displaying little surprise.

Yan Fengqing navigated through the scattered attendees, approaching He Guan from behind.

Sensing someone, Chi Yu glanced back, but, apparently uninterested, soon returned her gaze to the sea.

He Guan, noting Chi Yu's gesture, turned and greeted, "Mr. Yan's assistant?"

"Just Fengqing will do. I'm not an assistant here, merely a deputy manager," Yan Fengqing adjusted his glasses and clarified.

He Guan playfully replied, "Wearing two hats must be quite profitable, huh?"

"How does wage labor ever yield much?" Yan Fengqing chuckled. "Running your own show is far more lucrative. I envy you."

"What do you mean?" He Guan, genuinely puzzled, responded, "Aren't I also an employee?"

Observing He Guan's genuine ignorance, Yan Fengqing, with a complex expression, said, "Aren't you aware? Mr. Lou gifted Xingyu to you."

The Mr. Lou he referred to was, of course, Lou Yingjie and not Lou Junzhua.

"Isn't everything still under my father's control? He's got years ahead of him," He Guan was even more bewildered.

"Having recently helped Mr. Lou with share transfer documentation, I'm well-aware of whom he's entrusted his assets to," Yan Fengqing intently observed every nuance of He Guan's expression.

Connecting the dots, He Guan speculated, "So, were you originally headhunted by my father?"

It was clear Yan Fengqing was cultivated by Lou Yingjie.

"What else could it be? Lou Junzhua was too inept. Working for him was draining, like being more of a nanny than an assistant."

Yan Fengqing leaned back against the railing, looking at ease, as if he had returned to familiar ground, his words now freer and more casual.

"That makes sense," He Guan recalled, "The first time you met me was on my father's request."

Yan Fengqing hummed in affirmation.

The two were mere acquaintances. Before today, one might even say they didn't get along well. Hence, after exchanging a few words, a silence settled between them.

He had little to say to He Guan and was puzzled by his sudden congeniality. In truth, the bond between He Guan and Chi Yu was even more superficial compared to that with Yan Fengqing.

No one smokes here.

Among the three, two gazed out to sea while the third looked in the opposite direction. In this manner, they waited in silence for the boat to dock.

Every so often, He Guan would glance at him, sensing something different about his demeanor. However, he couldn't pinpoint what exactly had changed.

A critical moment seemed imminent, prompting one to discard the confining mask and reveal a true face.

"Let's go."

"See you."

In the end, he didn't say much. After a brief goodbye, he left.

After seeing off Yan Fengqing, He Guan turned to Chi Yu, "Shall we head down too?"

"Let's wait a bit longer, it's not crowded yet."

The implication in Chi Yu's words was clear: a bigger crowd would better conceal her movements. She had informed He Guan from the start that she'd act on her own after disembarking. He Guan understood and didn't insist, acknowledging his potential hindrance.

"Alright."

By the time the gangway was lowered and everyone disembarked, it was almost evening.

He Guan and Chi Yu went their separate ways.

When the guests first arrived, the beach hosted only a handful of vendors. They seemed relaxed, setting up their wares for display. The ones situated close chatted in Mandarin, seemingly out-of-towners given the convergence of their goods.

Now with the guests disembarking, the vendors were mostly set up.

The sun set on the horizon, inch by inch devoured by the sea.

Beside the beach, there were man-made streetlights. A few stalls, seeking convenience, grouped around these lights. Those wishing proximity to the disembarking passengers placed themselves closer to the boarding area, bringing their own lights or lamps.

He Guan wasn't interested in buying anything. He gave the goods a cursory glance and moved a few steps away from the crowd, soon entering a dimly lit area.

Behind him was a grove of palm trees and other unnamed trees. He regretted not studying the flora and fauna guidebook he had in his study, bought by Lou Dongcang.

He suddenly felt an inexplicable wave of loneliness.

Yan Fengqing spoke with unmistakable clarity, as if fearing he'd appear clueless. It was almost as if Lou Yingjie was drafting a will.

The old man might be nearing his end.

"If only Lou Dongcang were here now…" he mused aloud.

"Haha, you might be disappointed then. It's just this old man here."

He Guan abruptly lifted his head from his reverie, halting his muttering, and called out, "Father."

"Hmm? Yes?"

Lou Yingjie responded twice in succession, leaning on his cane as he approached.

Compared to just a few days ago, he seemed even more emaciated, with veins on his hands bulging unnaturally, reminiscent of wriggling worms clinging to the protruding bones of a hand.

He Guan moved to assist him but was lightly smacked on the fingers with the cane. He yelped and quickly withdrew his hand.

Lou Yingjie smiled at him, "You're always entertaining, no wonder the fourth one is fond of you."

"Is he here?"

Not hiding anything, Lou Yingjie responded, "Yes, he's on the island, confined by me. If you wish, you'll see him soon."

He Guan pressed, "How soon is 'soon'?"

With a mischievous grin, Lou Yingjie said, "It depends on how cooperative you are."

Standing slightly straighter, He Guan responded, "Just tell me, as long as it's within my capability."

"Willing to do anything? What if I ask you to commit murder?"

He Guan nonchalantly shrugged, "If that's the case, it's okay if I don't see him. He's not going anywhere anytime soon."

This amused Lou Yingjie, prompting hearty laughter.

Setting aside all the convoluted matters of drugs, goods, human trafficking, organ trading, and such, the two now resembled a typical elder and younger generation in a familial sense.

Lou Yingjie, after calming his laughter, remarked, "I'm quite surprised you followed us here."

"Did you think I wouldn't?"

"I thought the fourth one explained things clearly to you. Given you know nothing, why are you here?"

Lou Yingjie shook his head, a hint of disappointment in his tone, as if the successor he had chosen had let him down.

"Hmm?" He Guan was taken aback, unaware that he held such significance in Lou's heart.

But the old man offered no explanation, instead turning his gaze away.

As they conversed, the vendors on the beach were slowly moving in their direction, as there was no more space left for them to set up.

Bartering was the norm, with the items exchanged based on the vendor's preferences. Negotiations and discussions would ensue, and occasionally some would haggle, surrounded by ship passengers eager to help.

It was quite lively.

Lou Yingjie watched a young female vendor, his gaze lingering with a touch of nostalgia, as if he was looking at a departed loved one.

It wasn’t until the girl flashed a smile at another tourist that the shadow of the past dissipated. He withdrew his gaze and said, with a hint of regret, "Come with me. Stay at my place for the night."

He Guan followed without hesitation.

The two made their way into the woods, with Lou Yingjie pressing something on his cane, which suddenly lit up.

It turned out the cane had a light inside.

It was not just any ordinary light; it was brighter and more piercing than any lamp He Guan had ever seen, illuminating the dark woods.

He Guan silently estimated that, if shone directly into someone’s eyes, it might blind them.

According to the original itinerary, after disembarking from the ship, everyone would stay at a hotel near the beach. This hotel, located amidst the woods, was fully equipped and boasted a beautiful view. A well-paved path with streetlights led to it, right through the center of where the vendors set up.

But the path Lou Yingjie was leading He Guan down had none of these amenities.

This path was overgrown with weeds, littered with fallen leaves, and seemingly untouched by development.

He Guan followed him for several minutes, soon losing his bearings. Yet, Lou Yingjie moved forward without hesitation, skillfully avoiding overhanging branches and venturing deeper into the darkness.

It seemed as if he had traversed this path countless times in the past.

No words were spoken, just the rhythmic breathing of the old man and the young man.

Gradually, the old man's breathing grew labored, betraying signs of fatigue.

After all, they had been walking for a long time, nearly an hour.

He Guan checked his watch in the dim light, contemplating suggesting a break when the old man suddenly quickened his pace, turned a corner, and seemed to pass through a dense wall of foliage, disappearing from He Guan's sight.

He Guan hurried to catch up.

Just as He Guan pushed aside the leaves, suddenly—

There was a soft, diffuse glow.

This clear, gentle light brightened the surroundings in the dark night, rendering the sky less gloomy, taking on a bluish hue, with the

The imposing wall, roughly estimated to be three stories high, made it impossible to see anything from the outside. Even the adept climbing ivy fell short of reaching its top.

As a result, the wall shielded the brightly lit interior, keeping all its occupants and activities hidden from outsiders.

It stood silently amidst dense foliage, reminiscent of a silent sentinel.

He Guan paused in front of the massive structure, his pupils dilating slightly, querying, "Father, what exactly... is this place?"

The old man took a steadying breath, wiping sweat from his brow, replying, "Come in and see for yourself."

At a spot illuminated by two facing street lamps was the entrance to the towering wall.

The distance between the two, young and old, and the entrance was no more than three hundred meters.

He Guan's legs seemed to move of their own accord, drawing him towards this structure. But to call it a "structure" might be an understatement—it was immense, so vast in the darkness that its boundaries were indiscernible to the naked eye.

Regardless, He Guan found himself standing before its sleek, seamless wall.

On this deserted island, which he'd assumed held nothing more than a simple hotel, how could such a place exist?

"How do I get in?" He Guan asked.

"Fingerprint, iris scan."

After catching his breath for several minutes, Lou Yingjie finally caught up and stood next to him in front of the door.

"But how would the system have…"

Lou Yingjie interjected, "Did you forget? You attended my longevity feast, didn’t you?"

He Guan suddenly recalled the incident at the main house with Lou Dongzang, "You gathered my information back then?"

Lou Yingjie shook his head, seemingly amused—whether at He Guan's forgetfulness or his current look of astonishment, it was hard to say.

"Place your hand on the gray panel."

As the instruction was given, He Guan pressed his fingers against it. The differently colored panel sank, revealing a scanner.

The massive door swung open silently, its mechanism a mystery.

Bright lights illuminated a pathway before He Guan, flanked by sporadically arranged houses exuding a laid-back vibe.

As the door opened, it revealed a bustling night market street. People were chatting and strolling, and many turned to look upon hearing the door.

He Guan noticed a small family shopping: a father with a missing left arm holding his daughter's hand, while the mother sat in a wheelchair.

Their conversation before the door's interruption must have been cheerful, given the lingering smiles on their faces.

Behind him, elderly folks followed suit, entering the walled enclosure, which then shut out the outside world.

"This is... what I've spent my entire life... building."

Lou Yingjie stood proudly behind him, a hint of pride in his tone.