Chapter 3071 — Crossed Lines

"I'll have her cancel as much as possible. Anything that truly can't be canceled, I'll discuss with you beforehand—what do you think of that?" Feng Tianqi asked. Truthfully, Wei Zhao had no desire to be a star's close bodyguard. If she was a star, he couldn't live in his own villa—after all, a public figure, and whether she'd even be willing to live with him was another matter entirely. Besides, Wei Zhao would have to trail the star to events all over the place. But since the employer said the star could cancel most of her engagements, she probably wasn't much of a star, and living together shouldn't be a problem. So he said, "For the protected party's safety, I'd like her to live with me. Is that doable?" "Live together..." What Feng Tianqi feared wasn't anything else—it was Wei Zhao guarding the henhouse and helping himself to the chickens! His daughter was a big star and stunningly beautiful; if this bodyguard took a fancy to her, and she was seduced, where would he go to appeal? The man was a Heaven-rank expert, after all... "It's also for the convenience of protection. After all, if she doesn't live at my place, then I'd definitely have to live at hers. It's a matter of habit," Wei Zhao said, unaware of Feng Tianqi's misgivings—he assumed Feng Tianqi just found the idea unusual! After all, Wei Zhao didn't even know what this star looked like; she might be hideous. Wei Zhao knew well that some stars, once the makeup came off, were worse than ordinary people, so he had no such thoughts at all. "That... that's true enough!" Feng Tianqi thought it over and realized he was right—if he hired a close bodyguard for Xu Shilan and she didn't live with her at night, then how could he protect his daughter when the Eastern family's people came? At that, Feng Tianqi nodded and said, "That can be arranged, but is there anyone else at your residence? I'm afraid my daughter might not be used to it." "There is!" Wei Zhao was growing a little impatient. The only reason he'd taken this assignment was that he was short of money, but he was a Heaven-rank expert, after all, and he had a temper: "Mr. Xu, since you specifically asked for a Heaven-rank expert, you must be someone from the cultivation world. Don't you think it's already quite something that I'm taking on the job of protecting your daughter? What else do you have to nitpick about?" "This..." Feng Tianqi couldn't help but smile bitterly. Indeed, he hadn't hired an ordinary bodyguard but a Heaven-rank expert, and he couldn't treat him the way he'd treated bodyguards in the past. At that, Feng Tianqi hastily apologized: "My apologies, Master Bodyguard. I'm only thinking of my daughter. I hope you'll forgive me." "All right, you can have your daughter or someone close to her contact me directly," Wei Zhao said. "Very well. How should I address you, sir?" Feng Tianqi asked. "Ling Yi. The cell number is this one—you should be able to see it." Wei Zhao hadn't left his real name; this was the name he used while on assignments. So he'd fallen into the habit of giving it. "Very good, Mr. Ling Yi." Feng Tianqi nodded and hung up. "Ling Yi?" Feng Shihua, standing nearby, was taken aback. Why did that name feel so familiar? "Dad, let me see your phone..." "Oh? What is it?" Feng Tianqi handed the phone to Feng Shihua without thinking. Feng Shihua glanced at the number on the display and gasped: "It... it really really really... is really the boss?" "What boss?" Feng Tianqi was puzzled, but then it clicked: "Shipian, you mean the person who called is Wei Zhao?" "Yes, this number is the boss's—Wei Zhao's—and Ling Yi is a name the boss used before..." Feng Shihua said excitedly. "See? The boss really does have something going on. But I never imagined he'd take an assignment as a bodyguard!" Feng Tianqi was equally astonished—he'd never expected the bodyguard he'd hired to be Wei Zhao! Wei Zhao was no ordinary early Heaven-rank expert; he could hold his own as a mid Heaven-rank expert. This time, even if the Eastern family sent an early Heaven-rank expert, Feng Tianqi wouldn't be afraid. "I never thought it—could Wei Zhao be short of money?" Feng Tianqi asked, puzzled. "Short of money... that's it!" Feng Shihua suddenly recalled the news he'd heard from Ge Xian. After returning to the Feng family, though he hadn't contacted Wei Zhao, he'd kept close tabs on him, and he knew about the bankruptcy of Wei Zhao's pharmaceutical company. If anyone was short of money, it was Wei Zhao! So Feng Shihua told Feng Tianqi the whole story. "Ah, if that's the case, by rights I should pay him a bit more, but my private savings amount to just over three hundred million—only enough to hire him for about two months..." Feng Tianqi smiled bitterly. "I'd like to give more, but I don't have it!" "I understand. We'll do our best, and that's enough. But I never imagined—with the boss on the job, Sister Shihan will surely be fine!" Feng Shihua breathed a sigh of relief, but even as he did, he suddenly tensed again: "Wait, Dad—if the boss kills the people the Eastern family sends to protect Sister Shihan, won't that offend the Eastern family?" "This..." Feng Tianqi's expression shifted slightly. "I hadn't considered that before. After all, a bodyguard's duty is to take a man's money and spare him his troubles. We pay the fee; even if the Eastern family's business earns the bodyguard some enmity, that's not really our concern. If you can't handle the work, don't take the job—that's the rule of the trade. But now that the man is Wei Zhao, if you don't come clean with him, there'll be a rift between you later. So, Shipian, if you want to tell Wei Zhao, then tell him. You have my support!" "Dad, thank you!" Feng Shihua said, moved. Since Feng Tianqi had said so, he'd accepted that Wei Zhao might quit at any moment—but Feng Shihua knew Wei Zhao's character: "But don't worry, Dad. I know the boss's temperament. If the person he's protecting is my sister, the boss will only be more devoted. Even without pay, he'd do it!" "Good, then make the call!" Feng Tianqi said. Feng Shihua picked up the phone and dialed Wei Zhao's number again—but this time, he used the number Feng Tianqi had used to contact Wei Zhao. "Mr. Xu, is there something else?" Wei Zhao saw the incoming number and answered, assuming Feng Tianqi had forgotten to mention something. "Boss, it's me!" Feng Shihua said hurriedly the moment he heard Wei Zhao's voice. "Huh?" Wei Zhao froze, then asked in surprise, "Feng Shihua? Why are you calling from this number? Don't tell me the lines got crossed?" (To be continued...)