25 The Awakened

In the Taohuayuan Villas, a luxurious residential complex not far from both Huaqing and the imperial capital, there were a total of twenty-eight villas. Each villa averaged a thousand square meters. The price was sixty-eight thousand per square meter. That meant the average villa cost 680 million, and the entire complex was worth over 20 billion. The property behind it was owned by a domestic giant named Hengyuan Group, whose chairman was Zhang Hengyuan—a man as elusive as a dragon, rarely found and always hard to reach.

Rumor had it that since the age of eighteen, this man’s greatest passions were luxury cars and beautiful women. He spent the whole year traveling the world, leaving romantic entanglements everywhere, the very definition of a playboy.

On a sunny August 23rd, Zhang Hengyuan was stretched out on the deck of a super-luxury yacht in the Caribbean, basking in the sunlight, utterly relaxed and enjoying himself. At that moment, a black Apache helicopter approached from afar, soon hovering directly above the yacht.

Zhang Hengyuan and the bevy of beauties around him all looked up. The cabin door slid open, and a chubby bald head poked out, the expression decidedly displeased.

To be fair, Wang Fu was indeed not in a good mood. On such a sweltering day, wouldn’t it be nicer to stay in an air-conditioned room, watching dramas and keeping cool? Who would want to be out in this heat? “Dogs hate the heat, cats hate the cold, get it?”

The helicopter descended, and those on the deck cleared a space. Wang Fu jumped down steadily.

Zhang Hengyuan was momentarily speechless—no, in fact, he was utterly flustered.

"Wang, Brother Wang, long time no see..."

Wang Fu smiled and threw an arm around Zhang Hengyuan’s shoulder. “Indeed, it’s been quite a while. Xiao Zhang, can I ask you a question?”

How could Zhang Hengyuan refuse Wang Fu’s question? He nodded eagerly, like a pecking chick. “Of course, Brother Wang, ask away.”

“Well then, Xiao Zhang, do you know what a mobile phone is?”

“Uh, of course, of course I do…”

“Then do you know what it’s for?”

“For making calls…”

Until now, Zhang Hengyuan hadn’t known why Wang Fu had come all this way to see him. Surely a phone call would have sufficed? Now, with that question, he suddenly realized—he’d been so annoyed by constant calls that he’d left his phone ashore on purpose.

Just his luck.

Wang Fu clapped him on the shoulder. “Since you know phones are for making calls, why didn’t you answer when I called? Do you know how much effort it took for me to get here in this heat?”

“Brother Wang, I’m sorry, I really am. I know I was wrong…”

Wang Fu was only trying to scare him a little, not truly angry. After all, they’d known each other a long time. Now that Zhang Hengyuan had apologized, Wang Fu dropped the pretense. “Just this once. Next time you pull something like this, I’ll let you have it!”

“Thank you, thank you, Brother Wang, for being so generous…” Seeing that Wang Fu was willing to let it go, Zhang Hengyuan beamed. “So, Brother Wang, you came all this way—do you have something for me to do?”

“Nothing much, just need your help with something. I called your group, too, but honestly, your staff could use some discipline. They all act like they own the place.” Wang Fu thought of the young woman who not only hung up on him but also called him crazy—amusing in retrospect.

“Yes, yes, I’ll call right away to have them straightened out.”

“Enough, let’s get down to business—it’s sweltering, and I need to get back. Your group owns a villa in the capital, Taohuayuan Villas. I want to buy it.”

“Of course, no problem!” Zhang Hengyuan agreed without hesitation.

“Also, I understand all the villas in that complex have already been sold, but many are empty. Make arrangements to buy back as many as possible.”

After a pause, Wang Fu added, “Preferably all of them. We’ll be using that place soon.”

That was a tall order. People who could afford such villas were hardly ordinary.

Zhang Hengyuan hesitated. “Brother Wang, this…”

Wang Fu handed over a business card. “Call the number on here—his name is Ha Xiaoming. He’ll help you with this. I’ll cover the cost of buying back the villas.”

“All right!” Zhang Hengyuan’s hesitation vanished.

“Good, then I’m off—get it done in three days…” The Apache’s rope ladder had already been lowered. Wang Fu turned to leave.

Zhang Hengyuan stood frozen, hesitating for a few seconds before finally deciding he had to ask, no matter what. If he didn’t, there’d be no chance at all.

“Brother Wang…”

“Hmm?”

“I’m in a bit of trouble and can’t conveniently return right now… Brother Wang, you have connections everywhere; could you do me a small favor?”

Wang Fu, almost melting in the heat, truly wanted to leave. But it looked like he’d have to stay a bit longer.

“Spit it out. Can’t you see the helicopter’s waiting?”

“Right, right!” Seeing Wang Fu hadn’t refused outright, Zhang Hengyuan grew excited and quickly presented the cigar he’d forgotten earlier. “Brother Wang, here’s the thing, you know me…”

“Get to the point!”

“Okay, well, about half a year ago I met a girl. Turns out she’s an Awakened. Since then, she keeps coming after me, saying she’ll chop me up and feed me to the fish. Brother Wang, can you help me with this?”

Wang Fu sighed. Now he’d have to stay even longer.

“Xiao Zhang, honestly, dogs—” He almost said, “A dog can’t change its ways,” but caught himself, realizing he was a dog too, and changed course. “Why don’t you ever learn? I warned you not to mess around. What’s her ability?”

“I never even touched her, really. I don’t know why she hates me so much…” Zhang Hengyuan looked helpless. “Knives… She can control knives, any knife, at will. That’s why she threatens to cut me up…”

“All right, send me her info. I’ll see what I can do, but no promises.”

“Thank you, thank you, I can’t thank you enough… Brother Wang, let me treat you to a meal some other time…”

Wang Fu boarded the helicopter, which quickly departed for the airport.

Before long, he was seated on Fangjiang Group’s private jet.

By then, Zhang Hengyuan, who was clearly terrified of being chopped up, had already sent over the girl’s information.

Wang Fu glanced at it.

To be honest, he wasn’t familiar with Awakened individuals. That group was fundamentally different—a whole new kind of existence. All he knew was that, in the past decade or so, people around the world had been awakening, though the numbers were small and sporadic.

His team had investigated; so far, the earliest known Awakened appeared about eighteen, nearly nineteen year