Tomb Raider: I Am Hu Bayi's Cousin

Chapter 431 Master Wu's Thoughts
"Ahem, Xiuxiu, Uncle Ming. The main thing is that Miss Yin is still here, so please give Uncle Ming some face!"

Xie Yuchen coughed lightly and tugged at Huo Xiuxiu, who seemed to be using her identity as a girl to let loose.

Honestly, the smile on Yin Nanfeng's face was really creepy.
Uncle Ming, you'd better pray for yourself!
Xie Yuchen looked at Hu Ming with a sense of pity.

"Xiuer, you're asking for it! I'm telling you..."

Hu Ming said quietly.

"Uncle Ming, you can't hold a grudge against a junior like me, can you? I'm still a child... well, a child who has just come of age!"

Huo Xiuxiu nonchalantly poured herself a cup of tea.

She was also a quick-witted person, and knew that this level of understanding would not offend Hu Ming.

On the contrary, such harmless jokes can actually enhance the relationship between the two.

"Alright, Xiuxiu, stop joking with your Uncle Ming. I have something important to discuss with him..."

"Although I have never questioned the matter that you, my third son, and that person have been plotting, I have known more or less about it over the years."

"Hu Ming, I'm not here to interrogate you... I just want to know, is my third son safe and sound?"

Wu Erbai waved his hand, his gaze fixed intently on Hu Ming.

"You're his second brother, don't you know him? Don't you know how shrewd he is? Taking his life won't be that easy!"

Hu Ming shook his head and said softly.

"Is he really only after Chen Wenjin?"

Mentioning this makes Wu Erbai's teeth ache!
His third brother was born to raid tombs; he was cunning, ruthless, and dedicated to research.

But apart from that woman from the Chen family, this third brother has never been in love with anyone else, so that Wu Xie is now the only one left in the three generations of the Wu family!
"For the sake of love... enough with the nonsense. It's about time you revealed your true purpose, wasn't it?"

Hu Ming answered casually, and then said something meaningful.

"As expected, it couldn't be hidden."

"In this line of work, especially among the Nine Gates, there are no real secrets. I know a little about what Old Madam Huo is up to."

"Hu Ming, promise me, this time, don't drag Wu Xie into this again!"

"Every place he's been to has been extremely dangerous, and Guangxi Province...you and I both know what kind of place that is!"

"This is the only son in three generations of our Wu family. If possible, I would like to let Wu Xie leave this industry completely and become an ordinary person."

Wu Erbai took a sip of tea and looked at Hu Ming solemnly.

There was no other way but to push Wu Xie to the forefront as a smokescreen, since the enemy was too strong.

Without completely eliminating the enemy, the next generation of the Nine Gates will have no future.

But now, "he" has fallen from power, and Wu Erbai is determined to clear Wu Xie's name, just like Wu Xie's father, Wu Yiqiong.

He just needs to get married and live a peaceful life. The Wu family's assets are enough for Wu Xie to cause trouble for ten lifetimes without ever having to worry about food or drink!
If you walk on dark roads too often, you're bound to encounter a ghost sooner or later.

The tomb raiding business is extremely dangerous. Not everyone is like Hu Ming and Xiao Ge; one wrong move and you could lose your life.

"First of all, Wu Xie is an adult. He has his own thoughts and he wants to do things. Neither you nor I have the right to force him to change his mind."

"And then...don't you think it's too late to bring Wu Xie out now?"

“Erbai, Wu Xie has experienced a lot in the past few years, and he has grown up. He is no longer the useless college student boss he used to be! He has his own ideas.”

"Even if you and I force him to stay in Hangzhou, given his personality, he will definitely find a way to investigate the truth of what happened back then."

"That's just the kind of person he is; he'll never give up until he gets to the bottom of the secrets from back then!"

Hu Ming sighed.

He understood Wu Erbai's concern for his nephew, but the problem was, it was really too late now!
For someone mired in a quagmire, clearing their name is never that easy.
Back then, Wu Yiqiong had never been involved in this business. Even so, it took Wu Laogou and Xie Jiuye a lot of effort to clear Wu Yiqiong's name.

The overall environment has improved a lot now, but the question remains: is Wu Xie really willing to clear his name and go straight?
If Wu Xie were willing to give up everything, he wouldn't be Wu Xie!
"I know, but as an elder, I really don't want to see Wu Xie waste the rest of his life like this."

Given the current environment, the line of work you're in is destined to have no future!
Wu Erbai smiled wryly, knowing full well the truth.

The problem is, he really can't bring himself to watch Wu Xie spend the rest of his life battling a bunch of cunning old foxes.

"That's your business. I won't interfere with Wu Xie's affairs. You have three months to persuade Wu Xie to let go of all this."

Hu Ming said noncommittally.

Wu Erbai is, after all, Wu Xie's uncle, and Hu Ming really doesn't have the right to interfere with his decision.

But Hu Ming knew that Wu Erbai's efforts were ultimately in vain.

"We should always give it a try; what if we succeed?"

Wu Erbai gave a bitter smile; he knew that his trip had been in vain.

It's a little embarrassing to admit, but at home, Wu Xie prefers to trust and rely on his Uncle Hu Ming rather than his own second uncle.

Otherwise, Wu Erbai wouldn't have rushed to Beijing to find Hu Ming as soon as he received the news.

If Hu Ming were willing to speak up, Wu Xie might actually have a chance of being persuaded, but now...
Just like Wu Erbai said, you should always try anything.

After a few rounds of tea and some casual conversation, Wu Erbai had lost the desire to stay and chat with the others any longer.

"...Actually, I'm quite envious of Wu Xie. His family has always been by his side, so many people care about him, and he's lived such an innocent and carefree life for the past twenty years! That's wonderful!"

Xie Yuchen looked at Wu Erbai's departing figure and said with a complicated expression.

Because of the schemes of Master Xie Jiu and Xie Lianhuan, these two pillars of the Xie family disappeared early on to plan important matters elsewhere.

At that time, the Xie family was almost completely disrupted, and countless people with ulterior motives were plotting to seize the Xie family's century-old assets.

(End of this chapter)