Celestial Master： I Have an Otherworld-Chapter 34: Hostage

"I get off work at 6:30. You can pick me up downstairs then." Guo Erqiu bent down, holding the phone, avoiding the eyes of others, and whispered:

"After dinner, let’s go watch a movie together. I heard that the new one on Furong Street is good, about a love story between three people."

"Isn’t a love story supposed to be between two people?" Fang Zhengyin was surprised.

"Two people are just dating. What’s the story in that?" Guo Erqiu chuckled softly:

"The ratings are okay. We’ll see when the time comes."

"Alright."

Fang Zheng said:

"I’ll make a reservation at a restaurant."

"Don’t book anything too expensive," Guo Erqiu reminded:

"If you want to do business, you need to be thrifty. Making money isn’t easy."

"Got it."

"... ..."

The two spoke softly over the phone. Even though there was nothing much to discuss, it seemed like there was an endless conversation, and they reluctantly hung up after a long while.

"Hey, handsome."

The female clerk at the jewelry store had been waiting impatiently for a while, but for the sake of sales, she listened to the conversation, finally speaking up when Fang Zheng put his phone away:

"You’re right to choose a gold necklace for your girlfriend. Diamonds don’t hold value, and there are too many artificial ones. Gold is always hard currency."

"Like this one!"

"It represents Elder Yue’s red string, symbolizing eternal and unchanging love..."

"Love." Fang Zheng picked up the necklace and scrutinized it closely in front of his eyes, involuntarily picturing Guo Erqiu’s delighted expression in his mind:

"How much is it?"

"Seventeen thousand. But it’s on discount for sixteen thousand now," the store clerk said, her eyes gleaming:

"The promotion ends tomorrow, so it’s the perfect time to buy it!"

Sixteen thousand?

Calculating by the gram, it’s a bit expensive, far less cost-effective than gold bracelets sold by the gram. As for the so-called promotion deadline, it’s all a marketing tactic.

"I’ll take it!"

Expensive or not, as long as she likes it, it’s worth it. Necklaces hang around the neck every day, so they shouldn’t be too heavy anyway.

Fang Zheng decisively paid the bill.

Meanwhile, he was calculating in his mind when next to get some gold from the Otherworld and have someone craft it into a traditional bracelet, to avoid being cut like leeks in a jewelry store.

"Hey, handsome."

The store clerk beamed with joy as she packed up the purchase:

"If you were to propose with this gift, success is guaranteed. I’ll wish you eternal happiness and a long life together in advance..."

"Thank you for the kind words." Fang Zheng took the packaging and casually asked:

"I’m using it to confess. What do you think?"

"Confess?" The store clerk was momentarily stunned, then her eyes widened:

"It’ll definitely work!"

"Spending over ten thousand for a confession, you’re really good to your girlfriend. I was once dazzled by an eight-yuan rose, sigh..."

She looked envious, muttering about how she was once blind in love.

*

*

*

"Screech..."

The tires screeched as they frictioned against the ground, parking precisely in the spot.

Fang Zheng got out of the car, bent down to check the tire wear, and touched his chin:

"Time to change tires."

"Tsk!"

"Now that I’m a multimillionaire, how can I be bothered with degrading myself to change tires? After these few days, I’ll just change cars directly!"

He’s been talking about getting a new car for a while but hasn’t had the time. This time, he’s serious.

Everything seems brighter when life is going well.

Guo Erqiu is beautiful and kind-hearted, and her temperament suits him well. They quickly grew closer over a few days of ambiguous interactions.

They already have a tacit understanding of being in a romantic relationship.

All that’s needed is a chance to break the ice.

Such things should be done by the man, and the sense of occasion can’t be neglected. Fang Zheng even bought a brand new suit specifically for today.

He took out his pocket watch and opened it.

"Tick..."

6:10

"Arriving before the agreed time and waiting for the girl is the gentlemanly thing to do according to the seventeenth rule of dating!"

In the past, Fang Zheng thought the so-called rules of dating were just rules for bootlickers, but now he’s enjoying them immensely.

Just like...

In the past. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Remembering those days, his expression darkened slightly, gripping the rose in his hand tighter.

That woman had caused his grades to drop, and it took him years to recover emotionally, but now he was finally moving on from her.

"Don’t move!"

A cold voice sounded from behind, Fang Zheng’s body swayed slightly, then froze, staring intently at his waist.

A pistol!

The black, metallic barrel, with its silver grip, was firmly held by a large, calloused hand.

The cold barrel was pressed against Fang Zheng’s waist, the thick suit and lining offering no security.

"Move forward slowly, do you see that black business car?"

The person behind him wore a cloak and a wide-brimmed hat, showing only the area below the nose, but it was clear he was a mixed ethnicity.

He nudged Fang Zheng with the gun, speaking coldly:

"Don’t make a sound, go over and get in the car!"

"Friend," Fang Zheng swallowed hard:

"The gun is fake, right?"

"Hah!" The other snorted lightly:

"You could try it?"

Fang Zheng pursed his lips.

"Move!" The barrel nudged again:

"Hurry up."

Fang Zheng’s body stiffened as he slowly moved toward the business car the man pointed to, hoping someone would notice something amiss, but the few passersby were too engrossed in their phones to notice anything wrong.

"Clatter..."

The car door opened, a large hand reached out to grab Fang Zheng by the collar, and with a sudden yank, he was pulled completely into the car.

The person behind him quickly followed into the car.

"Go!"

"Right." The driver responded, sounding surprisingly familiar.

"Da Wei!" Fang Zheng’s eyes flickered:

"Do you know what you’re doing?"

Wasn’t he supposed to be locked up by the Public Security Bureau? When did he get out?

"Hmph!"

Da Wei turned the steering wheel, sneering disdainfully:

"Of course I know. It’s you who doesn’t understand. If you had just let us take the stuff that night, this wouldn’t be happening now."

"Fang, you’re as good as dead today!"

"Shut up!" The gunman growled lowly:

"Stop talking nonsense, drive up the mountain, and notify your people to come."

With that, he took some zip ties and fastened Fang Zheng’s hands tightly, even adding a few more ties just in case.

These zip ties were just strips of plastic with teeth marks that seemed flimsy, but the tighter you pulled, the firmer they got, strong enough to restrain a pig.

Fang Zheng did not struggle, as there was always a gun pointed at him.

Compared to the one holding him hostage, another person in the car had distinct characteristics, likely the reason for waiting inside the car.

A black man!

Standing about two meters tall, his muscular body looked different from the build typically shaped by gym workouts.

This body type...

A professional boxer?

Fang Zheng squinted slightly.

He didn’t look down on modern boxing like some traditional martial arts practitioners. In fact, Guo Ziran had always admired modern boxing.

The straightforward and concise techniques were closer to real combat.

After all, there were no so-called Dark Force or Transformation Force here. It was all about ordinary force techniques, and boxing had certain advantages over traditional martial arts in some aspects.

In terms of boxing, Xingyi had five basic boxing techniques, while boxing had straight punches, hooks, and uppercuts, among others, all equally matched.

Xingyi had Twelve Forms, and boxing also had corresponding footwork to match.

Secret Technique Celestial Sect could improve physique, while modern nutrition and physical training were also targeted methods, neither superior nor inferior.

Moreover, compared to traditional martial arts, boxing had more opportunities for practical application, making it easier to develop skills.

Martial Arts!

Ultimately, it still came down to who had more strength, speed, and power, with technique sometimes being secondary.

The reason he chose traditional martial arts was that its Qi and Blood techniques had similarities with cultivation techniques from the Otherworld, making them worth learning from.

It didn’t mean modern boxing was inferior.

Many thoughts crossed Fang Zheng’s mind, his hands tightening slightly.

With the enhancement from cultivation techniques in the Otherworld, he wasn’t afraid of even top-tier professional boxers. However, with a gun in the enemy’s hand, all the martial arts skills in the world could still be brought down by a single bullet.

Fortunately!

Ever since that pickpocket incident, even in modern society, he wore a protective suit underneath, offering some resistance against firearms.

Even so, he wasn’t afraid.

Firstly, it seemed like the kidnappers didn’t plan to act immediately, giving him a chance to play it by ear.

Secondly, and more importantly, Fang Zheng could choose to escape to the Otherworld if things got too dangerous—an easy switch between realities.

"Sister Lianlian."

Da Wei made a call while driving:

"We have the person, you can handle it."

"Phoenix Head Mountain."

"Yes, yes, you come over."