It was nearly noon by the time they returned to Red Tree Bay Pier.
The scorching midsummer sun hung high overhead, and a faint heat haze began to shimmer up from the pier’s concrete ground and the water of the berths.
A massive steam freighter slowly approached the shore. Mooring lines were cast, and its iron anchor sank into the depths.
As soon as the ship steadied, a stocky, dark-skinned man with a short beard, who looked to be around fifty, strode out of the cockpit.
He wore a faded black captain’s uniform. This was Huang Xinri, the captain of the steam freighter and one of the old-timers who had struggled and built a life alongside Lu Yun at the pier back in the day.
Huang Xinri was not only an exceptionally experienced old captain but also a Martial Artist who had mastered Dark Force many years ago.
But time waits for no man. Now, nearing fifty, his energy was no longer what it once was.
With a hearty smile on his face, Huang Xinri walked straight toward Lu Yun, who had just stepped off the gangway.
He familiarly pulled a pack of "Daxin Brand" cigarettes from his breast pocket.
Like Lu Yun, Huang Xinri also had a preference for the rich flavor of this domestic brand.
He quickly pulled one out and offered it to Lu Yun with both hands.
"Brother Yun... I never thought I’d see you on the ship again." Huang Xinri’s voice was tinged with a bit of melancholy.
He paused, looking at Lu Yun’s still-upright figure, then glanced at his own rough hands and sighed. "Counting the days... these old bones of mine are about ready for retirement."
"This time next year, I’ll be heading back to hold my grandson and enjoy a quiet life."
Beside Huang Xinri stood a tall young man of about twenty-five or twenty-six.
He was well over one-meter-eighty tall, with broad shoulders and a wide back, dressed in a well-pressed, black three-piece suit.
The suit couldn’t conceal the outline of the solid, well-proportioned, and powerful muscles beneath.
The young man exuded an aura of steady competence just by standing there. This was Huang Xinri’s eldest son, Huang Ningqiang.
Upon seeing Lu Yun, Huang Ningqiang immediately bowed respectfully, his voice resonant as he said, "Uncle Yun!"
"Mm."
Lu Yun nodded at Huang Xinri and Huang Ningqiang, then accepted the cigarette offered to him.
Nearby, the quick-witted Yan Lintong had already pulled out a lighter, first lighting Lu Yun’s cigarette, then Huang Xinri’s.
Lu Yun took a drag from his cigarette. His gaze fell upon Huang Ningqiang, and he nodded slightly with a faint, appreciative smile.
"Ningqiang, you’ve trained well. Your foundation is solid and your vital energy is strong. It seems your legacy has a worthy successor, you old dog. You can rest easy."
As a Grandmaster of Huajin, his perception was incredibly sharp. He could tell with a single glance that Huang Ningqiang had not only trained his family’s martial arts to a considerable level but had also built an extremely solid foundation.
’His temperament also seems quite steady. He’s definitely promising material.’
With him taking over and looking after the ship, Huang Xinri could indeed retire with peace of mind.
Hearing Lu Yun praise his son, the melancholy on Huang Xinri’s face was instantly replaced by pride. He grinned so widely his eyes disappeared. "That’s right! Brother Yun, to tell you the truth, this rascal has learned every last bit of my Huang Family’s ancestral Copper Skin Palm!"
"The student has surpassed the master! With him watching over this ship and continuing to serve you, Brother Yun, and the Lu Family in my stead, I can be a hundred percent at ease!"
"Hahahaha!"
Lu Yun let out a rare, hearty laugh.
Seeing this, Yan Lintong, Huang Ningqiang, and the other crewmen and guards nearby all tactfully disembarked, leaving the deck to the two men.
Lu Yun and Huang Xinri stood by the ship’s rail, puffing out smoke as they chatted about old times and recent events on the ship.
About ten minutes later, just as his feet touched the solid ground of the pier, Lu Yun saw a group of people waiting not far from the berth.
The one leading them was his nephew, Lu Jingwu.
As the best-located, best-equipped, and highest-throughput pier of the three controlled by the Lu Family, Red Tree Bay Pier was their core operational area.
Its importance far surpassed that of the other two, more remote piers.
Therefore, the majority of the Lu Family’s elite guards and management were permanently stationed here.
As the general manager of the Lu Family Trading Company, Lu Jingwu had naturally been among the first to learn that their only steam freighter had left port the day before and had not returned by morning.
In fact, Lu Jingwu had brought a group of men to the pier’s office building the previous night, waiting through the night while handling business affairs.
He had been worried about his uncle who had gone out on the river.
Now, seeing Lu Yun return safely, Lu Jingwu visibly relaxed and hurried over with his men to greet him.
"Uncle, you’re finally back! Why were you out all night?"
"It’s fine. Just a small matter."
Seeing that Lu Jingwu wanted to ask more, Lu Yun waved his hand dismissively and changed the subject. "By the way, how is Jingteng? Has he woken up?"
At the mention of Lu Jingteng, a happy expression appeared on Lu Jingwu’s face. "He’s awake! Uncle Fu sent word today. Cousin Jingteng has regained consciousness. His color is much better, he can drink some thin porridge, and his body is slowly recovering."
"The prescription Mr. Gu wrote is really working."
"Mm, very good." Lu Yun nodded. "The trading company is bound to be busy during this time. Jingteng needs to rest and recuperate, so I’ll need you to put in the extra effort and handle all his affairs for him."
"Don’t worry, Uncle. It’s my duty!"
Lu Jingwu puffed out his chest, full of motivation at the chance to lighten the burden for his uncle and elder cousin.
However, a shadow fell over Lu Jingwu’s face. He lowered his voice and said, "Uncle, at the Longyuan Bay branch office...
"A small problem came up this morning."
"Oh?"
"Over at Longyuan Bay Pier, one of our cargo ships returning from Yanjing City was blocked by those bastards from the Cultural Relics Department and their men right after it docked!"
Lu Jingwu said angrily, "They didn’t even bother to talk, just boarded the ship and started searching!"
"Now the whole ship has been ’secured’ by the Security Bureau. No one is allowed near it, not even us. We’ve been blocked outside."
"The official reason they gave is that someone reported our company for suspicion of illegally smuggling and trading artifacts from a previous dynasty!"
At this point, Lu Jingwu paused. He glanced at the guards and managers following them and said in a low, firm voice, "You lot, go wait for me over there."
"Yes, sir!"
The men answered in unison and quickly moved away, forming a loose perimeter around the open area of the pier.
Yan Lintong and the Huang father-and-son pair also followed, keeping an eye on their surroundings.
In less than a moment, only Lu Yun and Lu Jingwu remained.
Once the area was clear and they were sure their conversation wouldn’t be overheard, Lu Yun finally spoke slowly, "Is it the shipment from Mr. Chu?"
Hearing this, Lu Jingwu’s expression grew even more serious. "Mm, yes."
"As per usual, Mr. Chu hid the items very thoroughly."
"The way I see it, with the methods of those useless fools from the Cultural Relics Department, it should be like the last few times. There’s no way they’ll be able to find anything."

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