Chapter 185: Just a Little Bit More, Reaching Out for Money

He Tian had returned to Tianhai!

Many things had happened during his journey back from Japan to Tianhai, and they had left a profound impact on him.

However, those matters were already in the past!

Returning to Longhai Garden, back to this big family, He Tian quickly adjusted his mindset.

Yet, He Tian had not forgotten his promise to Wan Shun!

As for his thirty-five trainees... He Tian truly intended to show them more care!

At the very least, he could not allow their beliefs to waver due to practical financial reasons!

If they were to walk down a path of no return like Lin Shaozhen, it would simply be too tragic to be worth it!

"Little Tianzi! How is it?" Lazy Cat asked proudly as he led He Tian on a tour of the entire villa!

He Tian had seen the blueprint of the villa beforehand and had even participated in the design process personally. Nothing here was unfamiliar to him!

Whether it was the various buildings or the vast expanse of woods, none of this was a surprise!

He Tian knew that what Lazy Cat was really boasting about was the speed of construction!

"Brother Cat... how many extra workers did you hire?" He Tian asked with a smile.

"Three times as many as before! We couldn't afford to delay any longer. The sooner it's completed, the sooner we can restore peace and security here!" Lazy Cat said earnestly. "I still have vivid memories of what happened last time, and I'm genuinely a bit scared. Fortunately, nothing happened that we would have lived to regret! Otherwise, it would have been too late no matter what we said!"

"Brother Cat, from being on the offensive to now being on the defensive, how do you feel about it?" He Tian was very glad to see Lazy Cat taking on such a sense of responsibility!

"How do I feel? Hahaha, it feels a bit odd, but it's actually quite interesting! Everyone is happy together, living in a cozy little world, free from all the troubles of the past, very peaceful..." Lazy Cat said with a smile. "My heart is very tranquil! Extremely tranquil!"

"Brother Cat, it's about time you had some peace and quiet!" He Tian patted Lazy Cat on the shoulder and said happily.

"Little Tianzi... are you satisfied with a free bodyguard like me?" Lazy Cat chuckled.

"Brother Cat, I trust you as a bodyguard... we look out for each other. But I disagree with calling it free! Brother Cat, we need to have a serious talk. Exactly how much money did you spend in total?" He Tian akimboed, determined to clear up the facts!

"Woah, Wukong is coming!" Lazy Cat vanished instantly!

"Brother Cat, that's not playing fair!" He Tian shouted...

But Lazy Cat was already long gone.

Besides, with Wukong pouncing forward like a streak of lightning, He Tian no longer had the heart to argue with Lazy Cat over whether his services were truly free.

"Wukong, did you miss me? How do you like the new home?" He Tian stroked Wukong's fur, his face beaming with joy.

Wukong cried out... sounding somewhat reproachful toward He Tian!

"It's not that I didn't want to take you along! There was simply no way I could! Alright, alright... I promise I will never leave you behind for several days straight ever again!" Understanding Wukong's grievance, He Tian hurriedly made a promise...

An animal endowed with spiritual intelligence and such deep attachment to you makes it very difficult to refuse any of its demands. He Tian was currently experiencing exactly that.

The entire Villa Number Three now resembled a fortress.

Along the outermost perimeter stood practical yet aesthetically pleasing iron railings. The railings were not particularly tall, standing at just over two meters. Their primary purpose was to serve as a symbolic deterrent!

The main defensive strength, however, lay in the series of observation posts arranged around the perimeter.

The application of high-tech equipment ensured that even a fly could not slip through unnoticed.

The various concealed and supplementary structures were not only integrated with the forest at the center but also complemented the villa itself... creating a breathtakingly magnificent sight.

Only the overall style was thoroughly modern...

Speaking of which, Shinfeng was extremely displeased with this modern aesthetic. According to him, these structures should have been built in a retro style to truly resemble a castle... specifically, a medieval European castle style!

In his view, that was infinitely superior to anything brimming with modernity.

Of course, judging by the current style, Shinfeng's suggestion had been... mercilessly voted down by everyone!

When He Tian returned, neither Wang Xinmeng nor Wang Xinrou was present.

Similarly, Yaoran and Lucy, who followed Wang Xinmeng, as well as Lanji and Qingwu, who followed Wang Xinrou, were also not at home.

Ugly had gone to Guizhou and had not yet returned, nor had any news come back from him.

Therefore, under normal circumstances, only Lazy Cat remained in sole charge of the villa!

This gave Lazy Cat an experience completely different from his past life of bloodshed...

"Brother Cat, has anything unusual happened lately?" He Tian still felt the need to ask.

Although he had not been gone long—about a week in total—having experienced so much in between made the time feel quite stretched.

"I don't care about anything else. Anyway, Xinmeng and Xinrou are both safe and haven't encountered any trouble! The household has been very peaceful!" Lazy Cat teased Wukong, though regretfully, Wukong completely ignored him!

"That's more than enough!" He Tian smiled, then playfully handed Wukong over to Lazy Cat to satisfy the latter's 'wish'. Amidst Shinfeng's dissatisfied protests, He Tian headed upstairs to his own room.

The room was immaculate, looking no different from when He Tian had left it. Clearly, Aunt Qiu and the others had done a thorough and diligent job.

He Tian turned on his computer and contacted Dragon Head!

This time, it wasn't through email, but via a specific secure channel for a video call with Dragon Head!

"I've already heard about what happened in Tianhai! You did a brilliant job!" Dragon Head began with a beaming smile, praising He Tian directly.

A defector at the colonel level lurking within the Ministry of State Security posed an unimaginably severe hidden danger!

Had such a mole continued to lurk undetected, there was no telling how many secrets might have been leaked.

"I just happened to stumble upon it by coincidence!" He Tian said modestly.

Although he had only participated in and completed a single Dragon Soul mission, it had already made He Tian realize that the matters handled by Dragon Soul were all of extreme difficulty... unlike rooting out internal traitors, those missions involved true brushes with life and death!

Therefore, relatively speaking, exposing Lin Shaozhen seemed somewhat ordinary by comparison.

"No need for modesty. Your contribution this time is immense. At the same time, it will trigger a storm within the Ministry of State Security! However, these are all good things... In this line of work, if internal stability cannot be guaranteed, nothing else can be accomplished! Furthermore, those two agents... have been preliminarily confirmed to be carrying vital classified information!" Dragon Head said with a smile. "You brat, stepping up like this time and again... has made certain people look at you in a completely new light."

"Head, do they still not fully trust me yet? If so, why don't you assign me another mission? I guarantee I'll complete it flawlessly and make those people shut up for good!" He Tian said with full confidence.

"Your confidence is a bit over the top! What do you think a Dragon Soul mission is? It's not as simple as you imagine! Until you advance to the Fourth Tier of Internal Qi, I won't assign you any more missions! If you want to take on missions and prove yourself, focus first on making progress in your cultivation!" Dragon Head said in a deep voice.

"Oh!" He Tian's enthusiasm dipped slightly... It wasn't that he loved taking risks, but occupying his position and having journeyed along this path, he found that the most fulfilling thing for him was precisely completing mission after mission!

"You haven't truly touched the real world of Dragon Soul yet! He Tian, work hard to improve yourself. I don't want to keep you idling either, but without strength, taking on certain missions is nothing more than marching to your death!" Dragon Head admonished.

"Head, I understand! Don't worry, I will definitely cultivate diligently!" He Tian asked with a cheeky grin, "Head, what about those pills?"

"Don't bite off more than you can chew... Build your foundation solidly first! Your advancement will be much smoother that way." Dragon Head's expression turned stern.

"Understood!" He Tian nodded. In fact, in his experience, Dragon Head's stern warnings made him feel a sense of warmth—an effect even stronger than when Dragon Head was all smiles.

Growing up, He Tian had long been accustomed to Dragon Head's sternness and even severity...

"You don't need to worry about the Ministry of State Security! Knowing what you're worried about, I'll instruct certain people to keep your identity confidential!" Dragon Head continued.

"Thank you, Head!" That had been He Tian's primary concern.

"Still, the stunt you pulled was a bit too surprising for my taste! Transforming your appearance just to shoot a commercial—you really managed to come up with that! Alright, nothing more to discuss, I'm hanging up... I don't have time to idle away talking nonsense with you!" Dragon Head abruptly cut off the connection.

"Hehe..." He Tian chuckled softly, though he couldn't help asking with a curious murmur, "Mengrou Apparel's commercial... is it really that popular right now?"

"Ah! Brother He Tian!" In the evening, when Wang Xinrou returned and saw He Tian, she was overwhelmed with joy and excitement. Disregarding whether anyone else was around, she hurled herself straight into He Tian's arms!

"Ahem... Look here, little girl, isn't this a bit too enthusiastic? It makes me somewhat unaccustomed to it!" He Tian said with a smile. Yet, his shifted mindset had actually made him much more open-handed.

At the very least, facing the gazes of Qingwu, Yaoran, and Lanji, he could still jest uninhibitedly with Wang Xinrou.

"Tsk... Oh please, you're not used to it? This young lady isn't used to it either! It's just that you've been gone for so many days, and I missed you... just a tiny bit!" Wang Xinrou gestured with her fingers, further assuring He Tian that she had only missed him by a tiny fraction...

"Only a tiny bit? Just a tiny bit and you react this violently! What if it had been even a little bit more? How would that turn out?" He Tian teased, looking at Wang Xinrou with a smile.

"If it had been even a little bit more... well, then I'd be holding out my hand for money!" Wang Xinrou extended her fair, delicate palm and smiled sweetly.

"Ask... ask for money?" He Tian truly hadn't expected Wang Xinrou to give such an answer.

"Yeah! Because any more than that, and I'd start thinking about the company's current situation, and how we're a bit short on funds, which would naturally lead to the thought of getting some more money from you!" Wang Xinrou blinked her eyes and said with a perfectly straight face.

"No money!" He Tian replied instantly and decisively. Ahem, he couldn't indulge her habit of casually holding out her hand for cash!