Chapter 388: Huang Baiwen

Lin Zhiqing led Chen Erbao to the second floor, where they found quite a crowd. They dutifully got in line at the entrance.

Most of the people playing here were young couples. But with the handsome Chen Erbao and the beautiful Lin Zhiqing, they looked like a match made in heaven. Their presence drew the furtive glances of many men, all directed at Lin Zhiqing.

A few got caught by their partners, earning them a scolding and a yank on the ear, which made Lin Zhiqing cover her mouth to stifle a giggle.

After a dozen minutes, it was finally their turn. Chen Erbao bought two tickets and led Lin Zhiqing inside.

The main hall was spacious. To the left were three VR setups, their screens flashing with strange and colorful scenes from what looked like some kind of horror game.

Lin Zhiqing was terrible at games but loved to play, so she made Chen Erbao put on a headset with her.

Lin Zhiqing's pale, slender arms waved through the air as Chen Erbao carefully held her by the waist. He watched the crosshairs on the screen, aiming ahead and staying alert for any zombies that might suddenly charge out.

Lin Zhiqing felt the warmth at her waist, and her nervousness eased considerably. However, just as she guided her character around a corner, a hideous monster suddenly lunged out. It startled a scream out of her, and she raised her virtual pistol, firing wildly.

In her agitation, her chest heaved, her full breasts trembling and swaying with her movements. Chen Erbao's eyes were glued to the sight, and he instinctively shifted his body to block anyone else from seeing the beautiful view.

'No one else gets to see my woman like this!'

After finally clearing the level, Lin Zhiqing's legs felt a little weak. With Chen Erbao's support, they moved to a sofa in the lounge area, picked up controllers, and started a classic one-on-one arcade fighting game.

But Lin Zhiqing's gaming skills were truly abysmal. Chen Erbao won easily without even trying.

Watching her character fall in defeat on the screen, Lin Zhiqing pouted.

"You don't even know how to go easy on me!"

"Alright, alright. I'll go easy on you."

Chen Erbao sighed in resignation. He randomly picked a character and simply had it jump around. But after taking a few of Lin Zhiqing's punches, he couldn't resist. He unleashed a spectacular combo, instantly draining her character's health bar.

"I'm done playing!"

Seeing Lin Zhiqing huffily toss her controller aside, Chen Erbao gave a wry smile and quickly went to console her.

"They have archery over there. Want to go give it a try?"

"Okay!"

Lin Zhiqing quickly forgot her earlier frustration, linking her arm with Chen Erbao's as they headed to the archery range.

To the side were six bows of varying sizes and a quiver of arrows.

Lin Zhiqing picked up the largest bow. Mimicking the poses she'd seen in historical dramas, she applied a little strength and drew the bowstring into a full moon!

A nearby staff member responsible for safety saw this and was utterly astonished. He stared, dumbfounded, as this seemingly delicate woman drew the bow and aimed at the target.

Lin Zhiqing was, after all, a Cultivator at the Second Layer of Qi Refining. She would be considered an expert even among Ancient Martial Artists. Although she had never tried archery before, her basic eyesight and aim were still sharp. She easily landed several shots in the nine-point ring. Looking at Chen Erbao smugly, her bright eyes curved into crescents.

"Pretty amazing, right?"

"Amazing, amazing. You're the best, my lady!"

"..."

Hearing Chen Erbao's half-hearted praise, Lin Zhiqing rolled her eyes at him.

"Aren't you going to give it a try?"

Chen Erbao had no interest in this sort of thing. With his level of strength, he'd probably break the bow if he wasn't careful.

"I don't really feel like it. Let's go look around further inside."

The two of them continued to wander around. Time flew, and soon it was five in the afternoon.

Chen Erbao checked his phone.

"Where should we go for dinner?"

Lin Zhiqing thought for a moment.

"I'm craving crayfish!"

"You pick the place. I'm good with anything."

Chen Erbao wasn't picky about food. As long as it tasted good, he was happy.

Lin Zhiqing led the way, and the two drove to a very popular restaurant in the city center.

After expertly ordering the crayfish, Lin Zhiqing leaned against Chen Erbao to show him her new manicure.

'Looking at those long nails, Chen Erbao couldn't help but wonder if she ever poked a hole through the toilet paper.'

He voiced this curious thought aloud, earning a light smack on the arm from Lin Zhiqing.

"You're disgusting..."

"So, does it?"

Chen Erbao snickered.

"I'm not talking to you!"

Lin Zhiqing turned her head away and started nibbling on the complimentary snacks the restaurant had provided.

Ever since she started using the Cultivation Technique, her appetite had grown quite a bit, though her figure hadn't changed at all.

The restaurant was packed, with almost no empty seats. After a short wait, a pot of fragrant, colorful, and delicious-looking crayfish was brought to their table.

Chen Erbao was just about to put on a pair of disposable gloves and dig in when his phone suddenly rang.

He glanced down and saw it was a call from Hua Yueqing.

"Hello, Captain Hua?"

"Mr. Chen."

Hua Yueqing's voice sounded weary, as if she were in low spirits.

"I have a lead on that matter you asked me to look into."

Hua Yueqing said, forcing some energy into her voice.

Chen Erbao's brow twitched. He knew she was talking about the backer behind the Giant Whale Gang.

"Tell me everything."

"Mr. Chen, have you heard of the Binhai Huang Family?"

Hua Yueqing didn't answer directly, posing a question instead.

Chen Erbao thought for a moment, then shook his head.

"Never heard of them."

Chen Erbao had his phone on speaker, so Lin Zhiqing heard Hua Yueqing's voice. She raised her right hand like a first-grader answering a question and whispered:

"I know, I know! The Huang Family is a super-powerful family in Binhai! They're a huge deal!"

Over the phone, Hua Yueqing explained:

"The Binhai Huang Group was founded in Binhai last century and has been passed down for four generations. Their primary business is heavy industry, and they hold a monopoly on two-thirds of Binhai's shipbuilding sector. After so many years of operations, the Huang Family is a veritable behemoth in Binhai. Even the Governor of Binhai must respectfully address the old Huang patriarch as 'Senior' upon meeting him."

Chen Erbao's brow furrowed.

"Are you saying the Huang Family is behind the Giant Whale Gang?"

"Yes, but it's not that simple. The Huang Family's patriarch, Huang Zhengtu, retired many years ago and is no longer involved in day-to-day affairs. The current head is his eldest son, Huang Xiangsheng, who is primarily in charge of the shipbuilding business and the heavy industry group. Huang Zhengtu's second son, Huang Xiangyun, is a good-for-nothing playboy. Even though he's in his forties, he still acts like a street punk. The third son, Huang Xiangyu, is currently the Inspector General of Binhai City, making him a major figure in his own right..."

Hua Yueqing's account was incredibly thorough, covering everything from the old patriarch's entrepreneurial history to the family's four young masters.

And with that, Chen Erbao finally began to grasp what a true behemoth the Huang Family was.

In both the political and business spheres, the Huang Family's power was nearly absolute, putting them on par with the Zhao Family of Jiangnan Province.

The difference was that the Zhao Family wasn't the sole power in Jiangnan Province, whereas the Huang Family in Binhai... they were veritable local emperors!

The backer behind the Giant Whale Gang was none other than the eldest son of the Huang Family's current head, Huang Xiangsheng—Huang Baiwen!