CHAPTER 193: CHAPTER 190: 【STICKY CANDY】(2ND UPDATE)

Chapter 190 [Sticky Candy]

It looked like Old Jiang and his wife were seriously planning to go to HK.

The Song Family, being merchants from HK, found a way to get the couple travel permits.

Originally, according to Old Jiang’s plan, it was enough for him to go alone. It was uncertain whether he could win or not, so why bother bringing his wife along?

However, Old Jiang wasn’t part of the Song Family. So, if he lost, he needed to offer incense, and Song Qiaoyun had to be there with him. This was a requirement from the Song Family.

Through news passed by Brother Haonan, Chen Nuo had even figured out the exact day the old couple was leaving.

Old Jiang had told Zhang Linsheng about his departure. He instructed Zhang Linsheng to stay put at home, not to fool around with Chen Nuo, to practice diligently every day, and not to slack off.

He hadn’t planned on telling Chen Nuo at all.

Song Zhicun was rather generous and had purchased round-trip flight tickets for them.

On the day of departure, Old Jiang and Song Qiaoyun arrived at the airport. Just as they got out of the taxi and entered the airport lobby, they saw a group of people waiting for them from afar at the security checkpoint.

Among them, a short figure with braided hair turned her head. Upon seeing Song Qiaoyun, she immediately called out sweetly.

"Godmother! I’m here!"

Song Qiaoyun was startled. Oh my, Xiao Yezi?

Old Jiang took a closer look and saw his disciple, Chen Xiaoguo, standing there, smiling at him with a mischievous grin.

Zhang Linsheng stood awkwardly behind Chen Nuo.

No doubt about it, this kid, Zhang Linsheng, leaked the news!

As they approached, Song Qiaoyun busied herself with Xiao Yezi, while Old Jiang shot Chen Nuo an unhappy glance.

Besides Zhang Linsheng, a bald man and a stout young man stood next to Chen Nuo.

They stood there with several travel bags of various sizes at their feet.

"Chen Nuo, what are you doing here?" Old Jiang asked.

"Going on a trip," Chen Nuo said with a smile.

"A trip?" Old Jiang’s face darkened. "Where to?"

"HK," Chen Nuo said, smiling as he tried to take the suitcase from Old Jiang’s hand, but Old Jiang blocked him with a swift move.

"Did Zhang Linsheng tell you?"

"Master, please don’t wrongly accuse my Senior Brother." Adhering to the principle that "one doesn’t hit a smiling face," Chen Nuo’s smile didn’t waver as he shamelessly continued, "We really are just going on a trip. Look, this is my boss, Brother Lei! Brother Lei thinks we’ve been working too hard recently, so he took advantage of the summer break to organize a trip to HK for us. Round-trip flights, all expenses paid! With the boss being so generous, of course we have to go along!"

Beside them, Brother Lei carefully offered a smile, waving to Old Jiang in greeting.

Good heavens, this is the young master’s master! The skills this young master possesses are terrifying—if the disciple is this formidable, wouldn’t his master be able to ascend to the heavens? Brother Lei had misunderstood...

"Ridiculous!" Old Jiang scolded angrily, pulling Chen Nuo aside and giving Zhang Linsheng a fierce look. "You come here too!"

Watching Chen Nuo being pulled aside by Old Jiang, still smiling, Zhang Linsheng let out an inward groan and could only lower his head and follow.

"You two! Stop fooling around!"

Old Jiang, keeping his voice low but with a stern tone, glared at Chen Nuo. "I don’t know what devilish scheme you’re up to! That day when I was talking to someone, you were right there, stirring up trouble! You must have manipulated Lin Sheng. He leaked the information to you, and then you eagerly came to follow us? What are you trying to do?!"

Chen Nuo cheerfully patted Old Jiang’s back, trying to soothe him. "Master, don’t be angry! Please calm down. I just wanted to see the excitement."

"What excitement!"

"The martial arts contest!" Chen Nuo’s smile was beaming. "Look, Master, I’ve been learning from you for so long..."

"You’ve only been here for a few days?!"

"Hey, hey, hey, but I’ve been calling you Master for so long." Chen Nuo spread his hands. "I only just found out that you’re truly a martial artist! A martial arts contest! Wow! I’ve only heard about such things before, only seen them in movies! Now that I’ve encountered a real one, and since I’m your disciple, of course I want to broaden my horizons! Master, you’re a teacher too. You understand on-site teaching, right? Combining theory with practice? You understand these things better than I do. Master, we’ll just follow along to watch. We’ll be mere spectators, just looking! We won’t do anything else, won’t cause you any trouble, and won’t stir up any problems. We’ll just behave and watch from the audience! Look, we bought our own round-trip tickets, and we’ll cover our own food and accommodation!"

"..." Old Jiang gritted his teeth. "Have you... struck it rich? Got too much money and nowhere to spend it? I heard from Old Sun that you won the lottery! But you can’t be this reckless! Do you know how much a trip to HK costs?"

"Not much, not much," Chen Nuo chuckled.

"...And you’re bringing Xiao Yezi too? A martial arts competition is no place for a child to watch!"

"But I can’t leave her behind either," Chen Nuo laughed. "Usually, if I’m busy, I entrust Ye Zi to your and Godmother’s care. This time, since you and Godmother are both leaving, I have nowhere to arrange for Xiao Yezi. I can’t just leave her at Old Sun’s place. Old Sun and his wife are incredibly busy, and my Keke has tutoring, so they don’t have time to look after Ye Zi either."

"But you still can’t..."

"Oh, come on, just think of it as taking the kid on a trip. Ye Zi has never been to HK. It’s summer vacation, so why not take her out to see the world and have some fun? I heard HK even has a Disneyland. I’m planning to take Ye Zi there."

Old Jiang was so angry he almost snorted. Disneyland? Good grief, does he really think this is just a vacation?!

Seeing that Old Jiang’s anger wasn’t subsiding, Chen Nuo’s eyes darted around. He deliberately lowered his voice and edged closer, "Master..."

"What!"

"Are you... so reluctant for us to watch because you think you can’t beat him? That you’ll lose on the spot, and we’ll see it, and you’ll lose face?"

"..."

Good grief! If Old Jiang had a stick in his hand right now, he would have beaten this kid right out of the airport! Why touch his sore spot? Don’t expose people’s shortcomings when scolding them, and don’t hit them in the face when fighting! Doesn’t he understand?! Old Jiang took a deep breath, circulated his internal energy according to his sect’s method twice, and barely managed to suppress the urge to thrash this rebellious disciple on the spot. He’s my own disciple, my own disciple... he silently chanted.

"Suit yourself!" Old Jiang finally said. "HK isn’t my private property. If you want to go on a trip, go! But once we’re in HK, you do your own thing, and I’ll do mine. Don’t you dare follow me!"

Having said that, Old Jiang huffed and turned to walk away. After a few steps, he turned back, giving his second disciple, Brother Haonan, a look of utter disappointment. "And you! You’re a grown man! How can you let Chen Nuo lead you by the nose all the time? You do whatever he tells you? Have you no mind of your own!"

Zhang Linsheng wore a bitter smile. There’s nothing I can do...

Old Jiang had made up his mind. If they want to follow, let them. But once we’re in HK, I won’t take them with me! The Song Family will have people pick me up at the HK airport. I’ll just leave directly from there and let this kid go on his ’trip’ by himself! As for now, I’ll just ignore him! But... can I really ignore him?

"Godfather~~"

After passing security, Xiao Yezi immediately dove into Old Jiang’s arms.

When it came to Xiao Yezi, Old Jiang and his wife were utterly helpless. They could never bring themselves to scold her; forget scolding, they couldn’t even bear to say a single harsh word to her.

The troublemaker is that little rascal Chen Nuo. What does it have to do with the beautiful, lovely, and spirited Chen Xiaoye! Besides, the old couple, who were childless, had always doted on Xiao Yezi as if she were their own daughter.

After shooting Chen Nuo a fierce glare, Old Jiang ultimately held Xiao Yezi close, and then the group boarded the plane.

On the plane, Chen Nuo, with shameless audacity, even managed to swap seats for Xiao Yezi so she could sit with Old Jiang and his wife. As for Old Jiang’s furious glares, Chen Nuo simply pretended not to see them.

Chen Nuo and Zhang Linsheng sat together, with Brother Lei and his brother-in-law, Zhu Dazhi, in the row ahead.

Zhu Dazhi was initially quite excited. This was his first time on a plane; he had never flown before! And... they were going to the legendary HK! How could he not be thrilled? Which young person from this era hadn’t grown up watching HK movies? Tongluo Bay, Temple Street, Tsim Sha Tsui... These place names were as renowned as thunder.

From the moment he left the house that day, the young man had been so excited he could barely speak clearly. In his heart, he felt that this young boss he had just met, Boss Nuo, was truly a great person! He was even paying to take him to HK for fun!

Ever since sitting down, everything seemed new to him. He touched this and looked at that, even picking up the in-flight magazine from the seat pocket and flipping through it several times—though it was all in English, which he couldn’t understand at all.

But as soon as the plane’s engines roared to life and it began to accelerate down the runway, Zhu Dazhi let out a loud "AARGH!" His hands clenched Brother Lei’s arm tightly, his face contorted as if he were about to cry.

"Brother-in-law! Brother-in-law! Holy crap! Holy crap!! This plane is huge! It won’t fall out of the sky, will it?!"

Brother Lei was red-faced with embarrassment, wishing he could strangle this lout.

「Several hours into the flight, after the plane had stabilized, Zhu Dazhi finally calmed down.」

It had to be said, a bumpkin was a bumpkin, but his mental fortitude was surprisingly strong. After being nervous and scared for a while, getting scolded a few times by Brother Lei, and seeing the other passengers looking calm and collected, Zhu Dazhi concluded that the plane was probably safe and wouldn’t fall. So, he gradually lost his fear.

When the flight attendant came by with refreshments, Zhu Dazhi heard the cola was free and immediately asked for three cups. He downed one cup on the spot, asked for a refill, gulped that down, and then asked for another...

Originally, Brother Lei thought the flight attendant was quite pretty and wanted to take the opportunity to say a few flattering words, maybe get her phone number. But in the end... how could he possibly have the nerve to flirt? He wished he could pull his clothes over his head to hide his face!

The flight attendant finally left, much to Brother Lei’s relief, but then Zhu Dazhi tapped him.

He turned and glared fiercely at his young brother-in-law.

Zhu Dazhi burped—he was bloated from all the cola.

"Um, Brother-in-law, after we land, can you come with me to buy something?"

"Buy what?"

"A wrench."

"Huh?"

Zhu Dazhi scratched his head sheepishly. "Well, when I’m out and about, if I don’t have a wrench tucked into my belt, I just don’t feel right. What if I get into a fight? I wouldn’t even have a decent weapon!"

Brother Lei completely lost it. He grabbed the magazine, rolled it up, and started whacking Zhu Dazhi on the head.

"Screw your sister! A handy weapon! I’ll give you the Sea-Pacifying Divine Cudgel! How about that, huh? How about that! How about that!"

Zhu Dazhi shielded his head as he was hit, protesting indignantly, "What do you mean, ’screw my sister’?!

"Wu Dalei! You’ve already slept with my older sister! Now you want my younger sister too?! I don’t have a younger sister! And even if I did, I wouldn’t let you have her! Damn it, you’re still hitting me! I’m going to tell my sister when we get back that you want to ’do’ my younger sister!"

Fortunately, Brother Lei hadn’t completely lost his senses. After hitting him a few more times, he tossed the magazine aside and ignored the blockhead. Otherwise, if the commotion continued, they might have attracted the attention of the air marshals.

「Upon disembarking, Zhu Dazhi trailed dejectedly behind Brother Lei.」

Chen Nuo and Zhang Linsheng stuck close to Old Jiang and Song Qiaoyun. With Xiao Yezi there, there was no fear of the old couple running off.

After clearing customs and immigration, they went outside.

Only then did Old Jiang turn around, his expression stern. He placed Xiao Yezi’s hand into Chen Nuo’s.

"No matter how much you fool around, you can’t come with us this time! Kid! Look after your little sister! You can play all you want in HK, but ensure the child’s safety!"

After speaking, Old Jiang turned and walked away.

Song Qiaoyun sighed. She gave Chen Nuo and Brother Haonan a slightly reproachful look before saying, "Don’t blame your master for being angry; you two really went too far this time. We’re here on serious business, and it’s truly not appropriate for you to follow. Besides, it’s dangerous."

Outside the airport, a driver from the Song Family was already waiting, holding a sign.

Old Jiang immediately went over and exchanged a few words with the driver. Then, he turned back to take his wife, Song Qiaoyun, by the arm. He shot Chen Nuo and the others a complex glare before quickly departing.

Chen Nuo, still smiling, watched Old Jiang walk ahead, but he was in no hurry.

Just then, a man in a suit walked over briskly.

"Are you Mr. Chen?"

Seeing Chen Nuo nod, the man’s expression became even more respectful. "President Dong Tian instructed me. I’m from the HK branch..."

"Cut the chatter. Follow the people in front. Where’s your car?"

"It’s parked just outside..."

"Let’s go! Keep up! If you lose them, you’ll lose your job."

「Old Jiang and Song Qiaoyun got into the Song Family’s car.」

During the journey, Old Jiang’s face was grim, and Song Qiaoyun offered some words of comfort.

"The youngsters are, after all, young and enjoy excitement. Although they were a bit reckless, they probably followed because they’re concerned about you. Oh, well, let it be. We can teach them a proper lesson when we get back."

Old Jiang sighed, then turned from the window to look at his wife with a complex expression.

"I am angry... but half of it is also helplessness. That kid’s words, every single one, pierced my heart! Sigh! If I were truly confident of winning, why would I be so worried and afraid to let them follow?"

His anger had actually mostly subsided.

But then, unexpectedly...

The Song Family’s car arrived at a hotel on Guangdong Road and stopped. Just as Old Jiang and Song Qiaoyun were getting out, they saw a black minivan speed up and stop right at the hotel entrance.

The moment the door opened, Chen Nuo was the first to jump out.

"Well, look at that! Master! What a coincidence! You’re staying at this hotel too?"

Old Jiang: "..."

After a few seconds of silence, Old Jiang suddenly kicked off his shoe, grabbed it by the heel, and charged straight at Chen Nuo.

The sole of the shoe smacked Chen Nuo’s backside several times. This time, Chen Nuo didn’t dodge, taking the hits squarely to let the old man vent his anger.

Then he smiled and said, "Master, look... we’re all here now, aren’t we... And hey, don’t glare like that. You’re going to have a martial arts contest, and Godmother is here too... I’m not trying to jinx anything, but... if, by any chance, something were to happen to you, Godmother is still unwell. Someone needs to be there to take care of her, right?"

Old Jiang was speechless. He pointed at Chen Nuo’s nose for a long moment before finally turning and storming into the hotel.

Seeing that Old Jiang had tacitly agreed, Chen Nuo gestured to Zhang Linsheng and the others, then quickly followed him inside.

"Master, wait for me! Hey, Master, what kind of room did they book for you? Shall I upgrade you to the presidential suite?"

He turned his head and frantically gestured to Zhang Linsheng, signaling him to help Song Qiaoyun with the luggage.

Song Qiaoyun sighed. This disciple of his is just like bubblegum.