"Lin Mo, why don't you come with us to rest in the town?" Li Yunfei asked as she looked at Lin Mo.
"Sure, I'm hungry too."
Gu Yangming frowned, unable to believe Lin Mo was so ungrateful and still wanted to spend time with Li Yunfei.
"Once we get to Lianshan Town, I'll show you what I'm capable of," Gu Yangming gritted his teeth.
The town was small but picturesque, mainly because it served as a tourist hub. There were several upscale hotels, although it was the off-season for tourism, so not many people were around.
Just as they arrived in town, a man in his fifties or sixties and two smartly dressed youths approached them.
"Mr. Gu, you've arrived at Lianshan Town and didn't let us know. I've just rushed over," said the taller youth with a smile on his face.
"I came with my teacher for exploration, not for tourism. I'm flattered that Mr. Yao came personally," Gu Yangming said with a smile, exhibiting elegant manners.
It turned out that this young man was the son of the county chief from the city above Lianshan Town, named Yao Guanglong, and he knew Gu Yangming.
The Gu family belonged to a third-level family from Qinghai, and they had investment projects in the county city, so Yao Guanglong had to give Gu Yangming some respect.
"Senior Gu certainly has a lot of clout, arriving here and even the county chief's son comes to greet him," Bai Xiaodong said from the side, his expression showing a bit of envy, and he glanced at Lin Mo to find Lin Mo's expression unchanged, which surprised him slightly.
Zheng Zhijun's eyes sparkled; after all, girls tend to have a bit of vanity.
Gu Yangming and Yao Guanglong were chatting and walking towards the town's most 'upscale' hotel, where Yao Guanglong had already prepared the food.
As for the youth with Yao Guanglong, he was also a young master, surnamed Duanmu, named Duanmu Yu, from the largest family in Qinghai, the Duanmu Family. However, he belonged to an eighteenth-line branch of the family, with a status similar to Yao Guanglong's.
"Fei'er, order whatever you want!"
The group entered a private room, and Gu Yangming sat next to Li Yunfei and said.
Li Yunfei looked at the dishes filled to the brim and frowned slightly, "Just a little bit of anything is fine. I have a poor appetite and am dieting."
Gu Yangming didn't say much more, but instead spoke with Yao Guanglong about the county city projects, easily mentioning tens of millions; any ordinary person sitting at the same table would surely feel extremely awkward and out of place.
But Gu Yangming noticed that Lin Mo's expression was just as calm as before, as if he hadn't heard Gu's words.
"Lin Mo, what does your family do? You look like you're still in school. Once school is necessary, let me introduce you to a job," Gu Yangming deliberately shifted the topic to Lin Mo.
Lin Mo shook his head, continuing to eat, "No need, I don't work; money and wealth are of no use to me."
"Senior Gu is offering you a job, and you're actually turning down such a good opportunity," Bai Xiaodong said, clicking his tongue in disbelief.
Gu Yangming's face showed a look of arrogance. To people from poor families like this, what they cared about most was their pitiful pride. Despite his calm appearance, he's probably extremely insecure inside.
Even Zheng Zhijun, who initially had a good impression of Lin Mo, now looked at him somewhat strangely.
Lin Mo was handsome, but Gu Yangming came from a better family background. Plus, Lin Mo had been acting too righteous the whole trip, even refusing a job offer.
Yao Guanglong, born an official, unlike ordinary youths, naturally noticed that as soon as Gu Yangming entered the private room, he was constantly keeping an eye on Lin Mo. Seeing the most beautiful Li Yunfei closest to Lin Mo, he naturally understood what was going on.
"Mr. Gu, is this gentleman also your friend?" Yao Guanglong asked with a smile.
"I've just met him, and I thought we had a connection, so I wanted to look out for him, but unfortunately, he wasn't receptive," Gu Yangming said coldly.
Yao Guanglong looked at Lin Mo with a contemptuous expression, "Brother, money is the universal passport in this world. If you don't work to earn money or strive for social status, no woman will be interested in you in the future. Even if you have one now, it won't last."
Lin Mo furrowed his brows and continued eating.
Yao Guanglong's expression changed slightly, for he was the son of a mayor and had never been so blatantly ignored before.
Suddenly, Gu Yangming said, "I heard on the way here that Brother Lin practices martial arts. Could it be that his pride is so high?"
"Practices martial arts? Just some third-level skills?" Duanmu Yu, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke up, looking at the middle-aged man beside him, "This Master Yan Changdong is a true Martial Arts Master, who came with me this time because of some matters."
Both Yao Guanglong and Gu Yangming stared at Yan Changdong curiously.
Li Yunfei, Bai Xiaodong, Zheng Zhijun, and Professor Zhou had already noticed Yan Changdong, dressed in a black centipede shirt with a transcendent aura, clearly an expert from outside this world, and all had expectant looks.
Without saying much, Yan Changdong gently placed his palm on the table, leaving a clearly defined handprint on the sturdy yellow pearwood table surface.
Li Yunfei's eyes widened, and Zheng Zhijun covered her mouth in surprise.
Even Professor Zhou showed an excited expression.
Huaxia Martial Arts are profound and extensive, but many nowadays are just in name, lacking in essence.
This table, made of sturdy yellow pear wood, couldn't be significantly damaged by a chopper used by an ordinary person. To leave a clear handprint with a gentle press like Yan Changdong did, only a master from the Martial Arts World could achieve that.
"Impressive."
Gu Yangming laughed heartily, clapping his hands, "Mr. Duanmu, the Duanmu Family really is the number one family in Qinghai, and I didn't expect such an impressive martial arts expert."
"Hmm," Yan Changdong hummed lightly, withdrawing his hand.
"Lin Mo, how do you think you compare with Master Yan?" Gu Yangming asked, looking at Lin Mo, purposely provoking him.
The others also stared, expecting Lin Mo to embarrass himself, as experts like Master Yan were not easily found. Moreover, someone as young as Lin Mo could, at best, manage some basic stances and a few sets of Tai Chi.
"Pretty good," Lin Mo said indifferently.
Yan Changdong's brows furrowed slightly; he dominated the Martial Arts circle in Qinghai, and few dared to belittle him. Now, to be deemed 'pretty good' by a young man?
"Lin Mo, you'd rather die than lose face. Why don't you show us what you've got?" Gu Yangming clenched his fists, clearly dissatisfied.
Just then, Lin Mo abruptly narrowed his eyes, and suddenly, he threw a punch towards the door. The force of the punch turned the door into wood splinters, and in an instant, his figure dashed out of the door like a tornado.
Leaving everyone at the table speechless! "This, this is a Martial Arts Master!" Yan Changdong muttered to himself in shock after a long silence.
Li Yunfei, Zheng Zhijun, Bai Xiaodong, and Professor Zhou nearly fell to the ground from the strong gust.
Yan Changdong, Duanmu Yu, Gu Yangming, and Yao Guanglong all had wooden expressions. Gu Yangming had just picked up a piece of chicken and was putting it into his mouth, but it slowly fell from his mouth to the floor as he watched the scene in disbelief.