How could I possibly be confined in a cage?

Xin Wu Hui made her feel guilty for two reasons: first, because everything was caused by him, and second, because he wasn't as good as Qing Ru claimed.

Looking back, when Qingru fell into the water, he didn't rush to save her. Instead, at the instigation of the young master Huang Qian, he threw stones at her, making him an accomplice in a way.

However, since Qingru was so grateful to her and even risked her life to save him, from then on Qingru became Xin Wuhui's number one master, and no one else's words mattered. True kindness could only be repaid with one's life.

He also had some hidden thoughts in his subconscious, which was that he enjoyed being thanked and flattered, which made him feel smug.

"Don't say that. You only went to them because you saved me. If anyone should be repaying, it should be me. From now on, I, Xin Wu Hui, will serve you at your beck and call. If you say east, I will never go west. Even if you say knives are falling from the sky, I will stand still and take the hits."

"How could I be so cruel..." Qingru was speechless at his words.

"Ahem," Guo Zixing couldn't stand Xin Wu Hui's mushy words; perhaps this was a lingering effect of his time with his third sister. Pretty boy, so smooth-talking.

Qingru thought Guo Zixing had suffered a hidden injury, so she rushed over to check on him.

As the only one truly "injured" on the field, Seventh Master watched their interaction with slight displeasure.

At Chief Zhang's prompting, Guo Zixing said solemnly, "Seventh Master, first of all, I apologize. We didn't know your background when we met before, so we didn't tell you the truth. But after spending these two days together, we know you are a man of high moral character and chivalrous spirit, so we won't hide anything anymore. My real name is Guo Zixing, and I am the chief of the Sifang City Police Station. This is Chief Zhang Gong, and this is my deputy, Lü Qingru. The reason we are here is twofold: first, to rescue Xin Wuhui, and second, because of the human trafficking case that has been uncovered. Many able-bodied men have been abducted here by human traffickers, and their fates are unknown. We are here to investigate this matter."

Seventh Master was not surprised to hear the truth, and did not react. Instead, he asked, "Surname Guo? Could it be that Commander Guo is your father?"

Unable to discern whether he was friend or foe, Guo Zixing honestly replied, "Yes."

Seventh Master nodded to indicate that he understood. "Your father was a remarkable person. I have no one I admire in my life, but he is one of them."

"Oh? You know my father?" Guo Zixing was also quite surprised, as he had never heard Commander Guo mention him before.

"Well, we don't really know each other, but I benefited from his influence. Many years ago, when he was suppressing bandits in Snow Camel Mountain, he saved my parents. Today I've helped you out, so I don't want the money back. Let's call it even."

Guo Zixing was unaware of such a past, and he was unwilling to lose such a talented person. "You flatter me. One thing is one thing. My father is my father, and I am me. You helped me, so of course I have to repay you. Otherwise, wouldn't I become a dishonest scoundrel? Besides, I admire your heroic spirit. Would you be willing to be my friend?"

Seventh Master frowned, clearly somewhat unwilling, but Guo Zixing didn't want to offend him easily, so he said, "I am not worthy of your presence, farewell."

As soon as Seventh Master moved, the wound on his left shoulder was aggravated, but he gritted his teeth and got up to leave.

Guo Zixing quickly pulled him back, "Why are you doing this?"

Qingru also hurriedly came over to persuade him, "Seventh Master, I haven't thanked you yet. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been able to come back safely. Give me a chance to repay you. At least wait until you're healed before you leave."

The three of them were struggling when Boss Fan came over.

"What are you doing?"

"Boss Fan," Qingru greeted him first.

"Hmm," Boss Fan agreed, and sat down in the main seat. "Whatever your business is, listen to me first."

Everyone sat down as instructed. No one knew what Boss Fan's plans were, but in any case, he had promised to give up 10% of the profits, and this issue still needed to be resolved.

“Boss Fan, I, Guo Zixing, will fully assume the 10% profit you promised.”

“Hey,” Boss Fan interrupted, “You don’t need to say anything. I don’t intend to give Chengli any money. The reason I agreed was just a temporary measure.”

Everyone looked at each other in disbelief. How could Boss Fan, who always kept his promises, go back on his word?

"You don't need to look at me like that, I have other plans."

Guo Zixing cupped his hands and said, "I would like to hear the details."

"Since the Wushan Coal Mine was established, it has been more than 20 years. Large and small mines have all been owned by their respective owners. To date, apart from my Wushan Mine, there are seven other mine owners, as you all know."

Everyone nodded; this was indeed the situation as they understood it.

“But even the richest mines will eventually run out of resources. This isn’t a long-term solution. Some small mines are already on the verge of collapse, aren’t they?” Boss Fan asked Seventh Master as he spoke.

Seventh Master nodded. That was indeed the case, and it was also the main reason for the discord among the mine owners. Everyone wanted to take more than their share.

Boss Fan continued, “People like Huang Laosi and Third Sister might not be blind to this, but they’re just used to plundering and don’t care about the issue. Anyway, their pockets are bulging, and they can live a wealthy life whether they have a mine or not. But most of the brothers in the mine are from poor families. Once they lose the mine, they will have no source of income, and then things will probably get chaotic. That’s why I’m helping you.”

Looking into his eyes, Guo Zixing finally understood why Boss Fan had been so rude yet still willing to help him. Had Boss Fan planned all along that he had initially used his stern face to force them to stay at an inn and encounter Huang Laosi?

Boss Fan smiled meaningfully, "Young Master Guo, don't overthink it. Wushan is a mixed bag of people. If it's not Huang Laosi, it would be someone else. I didn't entertain you because I didn't want to cause trouble in the first place."

Guo Zixing, having his thoughts read, didn't mince words and asked directly, "What do you want me to do?"

“It’s very simple. I’m going to withdraw from Wushan, but you have to clean up the mess left by these workers. We’ll call off the 10% profit.”

Good heavens, so this was where he was waiting.

Qingru also gasped. There were at least eight or ten thousand workers in Wushan. Finding a way out for so many people was no small matter.

Guo Zixing's expression was also unpleasant. "I can still calculate 100,000 silver dollars and 10,000 workers. What's more, these people are not united and come from various mines. To settle them, it would cost far more than 100,000. Boss Fan, you are asking for too much."

"Haha," Boss Fan laughed loudly, "I knew you wouldn't agree so readily, but don't forget, Wushan is also under the jurisdiction of your father, Commander Guo, and the miners of Wushan are your people. Are you going to abandon them? I'm afraid the people in this area will not agree to that."

Guo Zixing truly hadn't expected that a trip out would involve such a significant responsibility, but he might not refuse. After all, his younger brothers were all grown up, and even if Commander Guo didn't want him to succeed him, he still needed to have the ability to live a stable life.

After weighing the options in his mind, Guo Zixing hesitated to speak. Even if he were to agree, he would have to get Boss Fan to give in first. He was dreaming if he thought he could get away without taking a single penny!

Boss Fan remained calm and composed. He wasn't in a hurry. After all, the person was on his turf, and he could arrange things as he pleased. Therefore, he patiently waited for Guo Zixing to think it over.

Seventh Master couldn't stand it anymore. "Boss Fan, I've always respected you in the Wushan area, but you shouldn't have schemed against others. The miners on Wushan have followed you for so long, risking their lives for you. You just want to abandon them like that? Have you been faking your justice all these years?"

“Young man, how long have you been in Wushan? If I didn’t treat the brothers in the mines as human beings, why would I care about their future? What can they do to me if I just left? I’m only talking to Young Master Guo because I’m loyal to him.”

"No need. I think 100,000 silver dollars a year is enough. As for the brothers in Wushan, at least you don't need to worry about the people from my Seventh Mine. I will never abandon my brothers."

Qingru was speechless for a moment. Was this Seventh Master really that fierce?

Boss Fan, his face darkening, rolled up his sleeves and said, "I've been in Wushan for twenty years. You're not some newbie who can judge me."

"Why is Boss Fan so angry?" Guo Zixing stepped between the two of them. "Seventh Master is admirable for his righteousness, and Boss Fan is shrewd and calculating, all for the future of our brothers in the mine. Both of you are heroes, you just have different ways of looking at things."

"Hmph," they both snorted coldly at the same time, turning their heads away and ignoring each other.

Guo Zixing quickly devised a plan of retreat and said, “Boss Fan, your suggestion is not without merit. I should decline if it is for the sake of my brothers in Wushan. However, there is one thing you do not know: I am not in charge of the Grand Marshal’s Mansion. I am just a small bureau chief now, with neither money nor connections. The situation in Wushan is complicated and difficult to settle down. Therefore, if this matter is to be entrusted to me, I still hope that Boss Fan can assist me and resolve this matter perfectly.”

Boss Fan frowned and thought for a moment, "You mean I'm handing over control of Wushan to you, and then I have to take orders from you?"

Guo Zixing smiled and said, "It's not that I'm following your orders. It's just that I don't know much about the situation in Wushan. I need someone like Boss Fan who knows everything about Wushan and has the authority to help me. Otherwise, if I let someone who knows nothing do this, I'm afraid you, Boss Fan, will do more harm than good."

Boss Fan narrowed his sharp eyes slightly, knowing that Guo Zixing would not easily swallow this loss, so he said, "You should get some rest, we'll talk again tomorrow."

Boss Fan didn't want to say anything more and turned to leave. Guo Zixing didn't press the matter further and smiled as he saw him off.

Seventh Master thought about it and decided to stay. After all, he had just said he was indebted to Commander Guo, and then immediately abandoned Guo Zixing – that was simply not his style. Moreover, Boss Fan's words were like a bolt from the blue, leaving him completely bewildered.

There is little farmland around Wushan, and almost everyone relies on coal mines for their livelihood. If Boss Fan, the big mine owner, withdraws, then these scattered small mines will probably have an even harder time surviving. Not to mention anything else, just the coal transport trucks, most of them are still using Boss Fan's trucks to transport coal out.