"Attention all passengers, we are now approaching City A. Passengers disembarking at this station, please make your preparations in advance." The sweet, crisp voice of the announcer rang out over the train's broadcast system. With a nod and a smile to Ye Xinyi seated across from him, Fang Yu hefted his bulging bags and bundles and made his way toward the exit.
The moment he stepped off the train, Fang Yu made straight for the station exit. The old man had told him someone would be waiting for him when he emerged, and so he scanned the crowd on all sides. At last, he spotted it: a sign bearing the two characters "Fang Yu", held aloft by an elderly man in his sixties.
"Hello. Am I right to think you're waiting for Fang Yu?" Fang Yu stepped up to the elderly man, a faint smile on his face.
"And you are?" The old man stared at Fang Yu, a flicker of astonishment crossing his eyes. Could this really be the bodyguard the master had spoken of, the one sent to protect the young miss?
"I'm Fang Yu." Fang Yu patted at his pockets, rummaging around for a long moment before finally pulling out his ID card and handing it to the elderly man.
"So it is you." The old man's expression shifted as he stared at the ID card in his hand, then back at the young man before him. Once he'd confirmed the two were one and the same, he let out a bitter, helpless laugh. Why on earth would the master send this country boy to protect the young miss? He could only imagine how the young miss would fly into a fit of rage when she saw what her new bodyguard looked like.
At the mere thought of that willful, unruly young lady, a cold sweat broke out across the old man's forehead.
"Very well, come with me. I'll take you to meet your employer." The old man handed the ID card back to Fang Yu, adding, "You may address me as Uncle Li." As he spoke, he glanced toward the distance, and in an instant, two men clad in black suits and dark sunglasses stepped out of a black BMW parked nearby, walking over to stand at Uncle Li's side.
"Take Mr. Fang Yu's luggage and load it into the car." Uncle Li instructed the two bodyguards, then turned to Fang Yu and said, "Let's go."
Fang Yu shrugged and nodded, then fell into step beside Uncle Li and climbed into the black sedan.
For the duration of the drive, Fang Yu sat in the car, running his hands over the interior and peering curiously at every detail of the BMW, utterly fascinated by it. Beside him, Uncle Li shot him frequent, sidelong glances.
"Do you know who it is you're meant to be protecting?" Uncle Li looked at Fang Yu and asked.
Fang Yu shook his head, breathed a warm fog onto the car door window, and drew a pig's head in the condensation.
Uncle Li was struck utterly speechless. Did this man truly know nothing at all? If he was completely in the dark, then he had best keep his mouth shut, and let the master explain everything to him once they arrived.
"Hm? Where exactly are we going?" When he noticed the scenery outside the car windows shifting, the buildings on either side growing sparser by the second, Fang Yu's brows furrowed slightly. He turned to stare at Uncle Li, expecting an answer.
"You'll find out soon enough." Uncle Li smiled faintly. All at once, as the car pulled up to the edge of a dense forest, Uncle Li told the driver to bring the vehicle to a halt.
"Step out of the car for a moment. There's somewhere I'd like to show you." Uncle Li opened the car door, smiling at Fang Yu with a mysterious air.
Fang Yu nodded, and without a moment's hesitation, climbed out of the car.
He had only just followed Uncle Li into the trees when, all at once, more than a dozen bodyguards—all clad in the same black suits and dark sunglasses—emerged from the surrounding forest, closing in to form a tight circle around Fang Yu.
"Uncle Li. What is the meaning of this?" Fang Yu stared at the hostile-looking bodyguards, his voice cold and sharp.