Tomb Raider: I Am Hu Bayi's Cousin

Chapter 220 Lei Xianming's Child Support

"Hangzhou? Dog Fifth Master?"

"Hangzhou is not safe. Even with the cooperation between the Wu and Xie families, they can only barely protect themselves."

"In the early years, after the founding of the People's Republic of China, for various reasons, Dog Master Wu cooperated with the military to convert dog farms across the country into military dog ​​breeding centers. Although this gave him some connections to rival 'him,' it was far from enough."

"The Wu family's ties with the military are too deep. Even after many years, 'his' influence remains ubiquitous. Fifth Master Dog can't help you, and he might not even help you."

Upon hearing this, the young man remained silent for a few seconds before speaking indifferently as always.

He didn't care what the consequences of Hu Ming's choice would be; he was simply analyzing the pros and cons of Hu Ming's choice.

Ultimately, Hu Ming and the young man were just strangers who met by chance. Although they had many connections, this was not a reason for the young man to risk helping Hu Ming.

The Nine Gates are in a tough spot, but the Zhang family in the Northeast is in an even tougher situation! Moreover, they were tricked by Zhang Qishan back then, and it was only in recent years that Xiao Ge escaped.

Therefore, the young man didn't have the time.

only……

"Seeking help from Fifth Master Dog? Brother, don't underestimate me. I, Hu Ming, am not that cowardly! Besides, you know that my family's influence in the military is probably even greater than that of the Wu family!"

"I just need to find a place to quiet down for a while and process some things. As for why Hangzhou?"

"Just think of it as me wanting to fulfill some unrealistic ideas I had when I was young..."

Hu Ming tapped the stone table lightly, giving a noncommittal smile.

Seeking help from Fifth Master Dog? Are you kidding me? He, Hu Bayi, and Fatty all grew up in a military compound, and without a major disaster, Fatty wouldn't be in such a miserable state in Beijing! After all, Fatty and Hu Bayi's elders were all high-ranking leaders in the army back then!

As for seeking help from the Wu family, that's a joke! Hu Ming can't afford to lose face like that!
"It's good that you have your own plans."

"I've said what I needed to say, so I'm leaving now. You should take care of your business and leave as soon as possible. It would be a great pity if you died or encountered any misfortune."

The young man didn't want to judge what Hu Ming said; he simply stood up indifferently, his figure flashing repeatedly in the night sky.

In the blink of an eye, it had already disappeared.

Having explained everything he needed to say, the young man naturally had no intention of lingering to chat idly.

Qiu Dekao, Jiu Men, the Zhang family of Northeast, "him," and even the hyenas watching from the shadows, who don't know if they are.

Ghost Seal, Yin Soldiers, Bronze Gate, Ultimate, Immortality…

In short, to sum it up in one sentence, the world of Daomu Biji is nothing more than a game of chess between a bunch of cunning old bastards!
Despite saying that, Hu Ming's smile only grew wider.

Hu Ming hates a monotonous and boring life.

Moreover, it must be admitted that the ancient tombs designed in the Tomb Raider stories do indeed contain many good things and unknown secrets.

Even putting all that aside, the system's task rewards alone are enough to make Hu Ming envious.

Hu Ming couldn't think of any reason to distance himself from the situation and extricate himself from it.

Hu Bayi looked at Hu Ming, who was silently thinking, and sighed. He understood from the conversation between Xiao Ge and Hu Ming that Hu Ming was probably being targeted by some forces.

Hu Bayi stood up, glanced at Hu Ming, and said, "Just tell me if you need my help!"

Hu Ming nodded upon hearing this; he understood what Hu Bayi meant.
Upon seeing this, Hu Bayi left the courtyard without saying anything more and went back to see Yang Xueli.

At dawn, the first rays of sunlight fell from the eastern sky, dispelling the darkness.

"Mingzi? You didn't sit in the yard all night, did you?"

Thanks to his good sleep habits, Hu Bayi got up early and stepped out of his room. The first thing he saw was Jiangnan sitting at the stone table, deep in thought. "Old Hu? Oh, it's already morning!"

Hu Ming was taken aback, then realized that a bright sun had already risen in the eastern sky.

So, while he was pondering the problem, he completely forgot about the time and ended up staying here for most of the night?
"Hey, didn't the delivery guy come last night? I've been thinking about my future plans!"

Hu Ming stood up, stretched vigorously, and his bones and joints made a series of popping sounds like popping beans.

I have to say, doing this so early in the morning is incredibly comfortable.

"But since it's already dawn, I'm too lazy to go back for a nap... Let's go, Lao Hu, let's go get some breakfast, and bring some back for Yang Xueli and Fatty, then we'll go to Lao Jin and the others, we have some important business to take care of later."

“Lei Xianming, he still hasn’t settled the payment he owes us. Coincidentally, we’ll gladly accept the treasure he has in that little courtyard house in Beijing.”

"Consider it... Ah Xiang's child support?"

Hu Ming's excellent physical condition was enough to keep him energetic even after a sleepless night. As he watched Ah Xiang walk out of the room with sleepy eyes, Hu Ming suddenly remembered the deal he made with Lei Xianming before going to the Demon Kingdom.

Damn it, don't think you can renege on your payment just because someone's gone!
It's important to know that Hu Ming and his group perfectly carried out their agreement, leading Lei Xianming to the glacier crystal corpse.

However, what happened after that was none of Hu Ming's business. Lei Xianming had brought this upon himself, and they couldn't just refuse the reward for being good people, could they?
And Hu Ming and Hu Bayi are now raising Lei Xianming's "daughter"! It's not unreasonable for them to ask for some child support, is it?
hiss~
Staring at Hu Bayi and Ah Xiang's strange gazes, Hu Ming suddenly felt a pang of conscience, something he hadn't felt in a long time.
Hmm, it must be my imagination!
"Ahem, anyway, Hu Bayi and A Xiang, you two should go and wash up. We'll go out for breakfast later. As for Yang Xueli and Fatty, bring them some later."

Hu Ming rushed into the room to change his clothes and wash up.

The strange looks from those two girls were really making him uncomfortable.

Are you kidding me? Is Hu Ming the kind of person who's greedy for money? (Okay, yes.)

"Child support? I think I've already turned eighteen, I'm an adult now, is there even such a thing as child support?"

Is there any difference in the age of adulthood between the mainland and Hong Kong?

Ah Xiang watched Hu Ming return to his room, then blankly asked Hu Bayi, who was standing to the side.

This girl had lived in Southeast Asia since she could remember, and was later taken away by Lei Xiangming. This was the first time she had ever been to the mainland.

Keep in mind that it's only the end of 1981, and 1997 is still a long way off, so communication is difficult.

Lei Xianming never treated her as an adopted daughter, and he had no interest in introducing Ah Xiang to the situation in the mainland. Ah Xiang really didn't know much about the situation in the mainland.

"Don't listen to his nonsense! He's just a collector. He probably saw some good stuff at Lei Xianming's place and couldn't resist. When it comes to greed, our cousin is no less greedy than Fatty!"

"But Ah Xiang, Lei Xianming is, after all, your adoptive father, those things..."

Hu Bayi rolled her eyes. Didn't she know Hu Ming well enough?
Regarding money, Hu Ming has always adhered to the principle of "enough is enough" and "the more the better," but he is not excessively greedy.

However, Hu Ming couldn't help but feel a little tempted when it came to those highly collectible treasures and artifacts.

With such a tempting offer right in front of him, how could Hu Ming not be interested?
However, it was a bit awkward to talk about these things in front of Ah Xiang.

“No, Brother Hu, he is not my adoptive father, and he has never treated me as an adopted daughter. In his eyes, I have always just been a useful tool, a tool to help him ward off evil and disasters…”

"I don't want his things!"

Ah Xiang understood what Hu Bayi meant. When Lei Xianming was mentioned, her emotions didn't change at all; she just kept shaking her head.

Ah Xiang even said that she didn't want to have any more contact with Lei Xianming's courtyard house.

Ah Xiang wants a completely new life, a life free from the shadows of her parents and Lei Xianming...

(End of this chapter)