Power and Wealth

Villa.

In the backyard.

It's already dark, with distant firecracker sounds echoing around. But after such a dangerous incident just now, everyone stopped lighting firecrackers. Most of them gathered around Dong Xuebing.

"You're okay."

"Brother-in-law, let me see your hand."

"Uh, really, no injury."

"This is too damn amazing."

Even Xie Ran couldn't help but curse.

Xie Hao smirked, "You guys should know by now that my brother-in-law is not ordinary."

Everyone thought about it; indeed, Dong Xuebing's exploits had been witnessed for many years. They had become somewhat numb to it, so after a moment of astonishment, they all accepted the fact. The reason was simple: when knocking down so many firecrackers bare-handed, it was not Xie Hao or Xie Ran, but Dong Xuebing, who the Xie family already knew was extraordinary.

Dong Xuebing said to everyone, "I'm fine." He waved his hand, leaving no trace, "Thanks for your concern. Uh, continue lighting the firecrackers."

"Don't light them anymore," Han Jing decisively said.

Xia Yanzhen also said, "Safety first, let's forget it."

Ci Lifeng added, "Dinner is almost ready. Let's go back inside to watch the Spring Festival Gala and eat."

But Xie Hao quickly ran over to Dong Xuebing, shouting, "Brother-in-law, that move just now was so damn cool. Teach me quickly, teach me."

Xie Jing sneered, "Even if he teaches you, you won't learn it."

Xie Hao retorted, "Who says so? If brother-in-law can do it, so can I."

"Forget it," Xie Jing mocked, "Who do you think you are, my brother-in-law?"

Her boyfriend, Sun Kai, stood aside, bewildered. He hadn't quite figured out what had just happened, as Dong Xuebing's actions had been so exaggerated.

Dong Xuebing looked at Xie Hao and smiled, "There's nothing to teach. It's all reflexes. Once your reaction is fast enough, you can do it too."

"Okay, then I'll practice my reaction speed," Xie Hao declared.

Xie Ran interjected, "Forget it. No matter how you practice, you won't become like brother-in-law."

At this moment, Xie Guoyue walked over, looked Dong Xuebing up and down, and said, "I've always heard about your skills, but today I finally believe it. I never imagined a young guy in his twenties could handle such big things."

Dong Xuebing chuckled, "You flatter me."

For the first time, Xie Guoyue's son, Hou Ming, respectfully called Dong Xuebing "brother-in-law," saying, "Brother-in-law, you're so skilled, it's unbelievable. I've never seen anyone slap away small fireworks bullets with bare hands. How fast are your reflexes? Have you practiced martial arts? Can you even beat security guards?" Their family had always lived in Dongshan Province, so they had only heard a little about Dong Xuebing's exploits and weren't very familiar with him. They were pretty skeptical about many things.

Dong Xuebing modestly replied, "Not at all. They're properly trained. I just picked it up along the way, self-taught, a bit unorthodox compared to them."

Xie Jing grinned, "Brother-in-law, you're too modest."

Xie Hao turned to Hou Ming and said, "Cousin, don't underestimate my brother-in-law. To him, it's not about whether he can beat a security guard. It's about how many he can beat. It's not even on the same level."

Dong Xuebing glared at him, "Stop talking nonsense."

The security guards at the old man's place were rotated regularly, usually changing every month or two. They were outstanding individuals with dignity and honor. Saying they couldn't compare themselves wouldn't make them happy, especially during the Lunar New Year.

Indeed, several security guards' faces didn't look too good. Dong Xuebing's feat of slapping away firecrackers bare-handed had earned their admiration, but they were unwilling to accept that they couldn't match Dong Xuebing. After all, their roles were on different levels. Moreover, Xie Hao's words were too grand—saying he could beat several of them alone or dozens at once. These security guards were all seasoned professionals who had grown up in the bureau, undergoing systematic learning and training from a young age. They naturally had absolute confidence in their physical abilities and skills. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been assigned to protect Xie Guoyue's family, which was a recognition and affirmation of their capabilities. Even though they were executing protection duties, they still had strong self-esteem.

Han Jing and Ci Lifeng had already gone inside.

Others followed suit, and dinner was about to begin.

However, the security guards were given another push. Xie Guojian, instructed by Senior Xie, found them and said, "You've all worked hard. Today is Lunar New Year's Eve. Go back and reunite with your families."

One of the security guards said in surprise, "That's impossible."

Another security guard added, "Yes, we're here to protect Mr. Xie's safety 24/7. How can we leave? It's against the rules."

Xie Guojian smiled, "It's Senior Xie's order. You've all worked hard, so take a break." The Central Security Bureau was currently under Xie Guojian's management, so these guards were technically his subordinates.

One guard objected, "But Mr. Xie and everyone's safety—"

Xie Guojian waved his hand, "It's New Year's. What could happen?"

The other guard still didn't agree, "It's not possible. We have to be here 24/7."

"Hey, if I tell you to take a break, just do it," Xie Guojian interrupted. "Hurry back, spend the New Year with your families. Don't worry, nothing will happen. If there are any issues, tell your superiors that I, Xie Guojian, let you take leave. Anyone who has a problem can come find me." After a pause, Xie Guojian added, "Besides, with Xiao Dong here, even if terrorists come, he can handle it." With that, Xie Guojian turned and walked away.

Several security guards glanced at each other, unsure of what to do. Taking leave was a good thing, but their duty was here. If something happened, they wouldn't be able to explain.

Dong Xuebing was...

"What's he doing?"

"This isn't magic; what's the use of being fast with hands?"

Most Xie family members had gone inside to watch the Spring Festival Gala.

Dong Xuebing also intended to leave, but a security guard called him as soon as he turned around.

"Mr. Dong," the lead security guard looked at him and said, "I saw your quick reflexes just now. I have an unusual request. Could we have a friendly exchange?"

Dong Xuebing was taken aback, "Exchange what?"

The security guard explained, "Let's exchange some martial arts skills."

"Oh, I don't know any martial arts," Dong Xuebing replied. "I've never learned any techniques; I just have fast reflexes. I think it's better to forget about it."

The last to enter the house, Xie Hao, Xie Ran, and a few younger ones, heard their conversation and turned back to look.

Xie Hao was the most excited and immediately returned to the backyard. "Wow, there's something lively to watch. Brother-in-law, come on, come on, you can do it!" This guy always feared chaos in the world.

Dong Xuebing waved his hand, "Forget it, it's New Year's."

"It's precisely during the New Year that we should have an exchange; it's so festive," Xie Hao shouted.

Xie Ran, Xie Jing, and Hou Ming were also very interested and didn't return to the house. Instead, they all walked back to the courtyard.

The leading security guard clasped his fists lightly, "Mr. Dong, please teach us."

"Um, really spar?" Dong Xuebing didn't want to because it was meaningless. Firstly, he couldn't possibly lose, and secondly, even if he won, what difference would it make?

The other security guards looked solemnly at Dong Xuebing, "Mr. Dong, please instruct us."

Dong Xuebing was at a loss. After thinking momentarily, he said, "Alright, let's just go through the motions."

"I'll go first." The leading security guard stepped forward without hesitation, rushed towards Dong Xuebing, and moved his hands, launching an attack directly: "Ha!"

Compared to their excitement and fierce momentum, Dong Xuebing seemed a bit lackluster, like he had just woken up. He sidestepped to avoid when the opponent kicked over, leisurely evading as if he already knew the attack pattern.

One minute passed.

Two minutes passed.

The security guard continued to attack vigorously.

Dong Xuebing, on the other hand, evaded lightly, occasionally feigning a counterattack without much force, seeming to be sleepwalking.

Xie Hao shouted, "Brother-in-law, come on!"

Hou Ming also found it uninteresting because Dong Xuebing had been on the defensive, constantly evading the attacks. It seemed like he didn't even have a chance to counterattack, unlike earlier when he had swiftly slapped away the fireworks. He was starting to doubt if Dong Xuebing was really that powerful. Initially, he seemed impressive, but now he appeared somewhat less so.

"What are you doing, brother-in-law?" Xie Hao seemed more anxious than anyone else, stomping and shouting, "Fight back! Where's your 'Foshan Shadowless Hand'?"

"Foshan Shadowless Hand?" Dong Xuebing almost burst out laughing. How could he possess such martial arts? It was probably a name Xie Hao used to describe his supposed speed. However, it was pretty fitting. Under the influence of STOP, Dong Xuebing could indeed achieve instantaneous movement, leaving no shadow. But today, there was no need to exert that much effort. There was no hostility between them, significantly since these security guards protected Huilan's grandfather daily. Dong Xuebing respected them.

"Throwing punches, hitting people, there's no reason for it," Dong Xuebing remained distracted the whole time, simply going through the motions to quickly finish the sparring and return to watch the Spring Festival Gala.

They continued for a while.

Being passive the whole time, Dong Xuebing dodged while saying to the security guard, "Comrade, that's about enough. We've sparred enough for today."

Feeling unsatisfied with the spar, Xie Hao couldn't help shouting, "It's not enough! You haven't even tried your best! Come on, show them your killer move!"