"Why do you look a bit pale?"
As they arrived at the parking lot, Jian Ning noticed that Chen Nan's complexion seemed off.
"Do you think I found the jade in that stone by luck?" Chen Nan chuckled and shook his head. "I used a secret technique to scan those stones, and performing that technique consumes a lot of energy."
The technique of observing qi consumed a vast amount of spiritual energy. Even with his cultivation at the first level of Qi Refining, Chen Nan couldn't handle it. Although it had drained his spiritual energy considerably, he had at least earned twenty-five million.
Jian Ning understood. After getting into the car, she asked, "What are your plans next?"
Chen Nan replied, "I was thinking of buying a house, preferably a villa."
Jian Ning's eyes lit up. "How about the Banshan Villa District? Our community has excellent landscaping, and the prices aren't too high. Ten million should be enough."
"Are there still unsold villas in your community?" Chen Nan asked curiously. The Banshan Villas had already been on sale before he was imprisoned. Under normal circumstances, villas in such prime locations should sell quickly.
Jian Ning explained, "They're likely all sold out, but there are some second-hand, almost new properties. If you're interested, I can contact the community's property manager, and we can go take a look at those listings."
"Alright, you contact them, and let's go see," Chen Nan agreed.
Even if Luo Guangyao hadn't shown up, Chen Nan had been considering buying a larger house. Their current home was a small three-bedroom, and it was extremely cramped for a family of five. Especially Chen Xiazhi and Chen Hanlu, the sisters, had to share a 1.5-meter bed.
Jian Ning immediately called the community's private property manager, inquired about the available properties, and then informed them that she would be back within half an hour.
Chen Nan asked with a smile, "Are you really hoping our family will move into the Banshan Villa District?"
"It's not that I'm desperately hoping, I just feel that if we all lived in the same villa district, it would be convenient to visit each other later," Jian Ning's face flushed, like the clouds dyed red by the setting sun in the west. She looked stunningly beautiful.
Chen Nan chuckled and asked, "When you say 'visit each other,' which door are you referring to?"
Jian Ning was momentarily stunned, then realized Chen Nan was teasing her again. She sighed, "You're truly shameless!"
Chen Nan shrugged. "Don't you like me this way?"
Jian Ning was speechless. Although she didn't particularly like the roguish Chen Nan, she had to admit that if he were too quiet and proper, she wouldn't like him as much.
Just as the white BMW drove towards the city center, Chen Nan keenly noticed a black car following them.
"We're being tailed!" Chen Nan said, lighting a cigarette.
Jian Ning glanced at the rearview mirror. "You're right, this car has been following us! Why are they following us? Do they want to rob us?"
Chen Nan's sudden fortune of twenty-five million was bound to attract attention.
"Vroom!"
With a low engine roar, the black car instantly overtook Jian Ning's white BMW and began to slow down, clearly intending to force Jian Ning to stop.
Jian Ning sounded nervous. "What should we do?"
"Stop, I want to see who they are," a hint of disdain flickered across Chen Nan's lips. Even though he felt weak, he didn't take them seriously.
"Okay." Thinking that Chen Nan was no ordinary person, Jian Ning felt a bit more at ease. She turned on her hazard lights and pulled over.
"Stay in the car and don't move."
Chen Nan, still holding his cigarette, opened the door and stepped out.
At the same time, four burly men, armed with clubs, emerged from the black car. They wore smug smiles, looking as if they had Chen Nan cornered.
"Where is Dong Haoze?" Chen Nan recognized two of them as Dong Haoze's bodyguards and felt a sense of disappointment at his actions.
One bodyguard sneered, "Chen, our young master said that if you hand over the twenty-five million, today's incident will be as if it never happened."
"Otherwise, we don't mind breaking your limbs and leaving you crippled for the rest of your life!"
Another added with a cold smile, "That's right, that money doesn't belong to you. I think you'd be wise to hand it over quickly."
"There's no need to become crippled for money that isn't yours!"
Chen Nan let out a cold laugh. "Just the four of you think you can cripple me?"
"Damn it, what's wrong with the four of us? It's not that I'm looking down on you, but I alone am enough to deal with you!" the leader sneered disdainfully.
Another asked, "Chen, are you choosing money or your life?"
Chen Nan replied, "Children make choices. Adults take both."
"Since you refuse a toast and insist on a penalty, don't blame us for being ruthless!" the lead bodyguard roared and swung his club towards Chen Nan.
Chen Nan stood still. When the attacker was about three meters away, he flicked the burning cigarette butt from his hand!
*Whoosh!*
Infused with true qi, the cigarette butt flew with incredible speed, hitting the middle-aged man directly in the chest.
The next moment, a chilling and gruesome scene unfolded! The man was sent flying as if struck by a speeding truck. He spewed blood, arced through the air, and then crashed heavily onto the roof of the black car!
The car's roof caved in, and all six windows shattered. The hazard lights flashed, accompanied by a piercing horn sound.
"Run... quickly... this guy is a mas... master... we can't win..." the bodyguard, his face pale and stuck to the car roof, felt as if every bone in his body had broken.
This sight stunned the other three. Sending someone flying several meters with just a cigarette butt? Was this guy a devil?
"Run!" The three dared not fight and turned to flee. Chen Nan's strength was evident, and they were no match for him. They had to leave quickly, or the consequences would be unimaginable!
"Did I say you could leave unharmed?" A cold glint flashed in Chen Nan's eyes. He kicked a few small stones, hitting the three men squarely in the ankles.
With three screams, the men fell to the ground as if their brakes had failed, their faces meeting the earth.
"Go back and tell Dong Haoze that if he's still harboring ill intentions and wants to cause trouble for me, don't blame me for forgetting the favor of those two hundred and fifty yuan!" Chen Nan left his parting words, and then, with Jian Ning, drove away into the setting sun.
After Chen Nan left, the four bodyguards recovered from their shock. One of them pulled out his phone and dialed Dong Haoze's number, saying nervously, "Young Master, we failed. We are no match for Chen Nan!"
Dong Haoze was furious. "You four claimed to be experts, boasting you could take on ten men? How could you not even defeat Chen Nan? Are you worthless trash?"
The bodyguard replied uneasily, "Young Master, if I'm not mistaken, Chen Nan might be a first-class master."
"Damn it!" Dong Haoze was enraged, surprised by Chen Nan's strength.
"Young Master, Chen Nan asked me to relay a message," the bodyguard said nervously. "He said if you still refuse to give up and cause him trouble, don't blame him for forgetting the favor of those two hundred and fifty yuan!"
Dong Haoze flew into a rage, feeling insulted by Chen Nan. "Just a mere first-class master, daring to scorn me like this? Does he really think the Dong family can be bullied?"