Night had fallen over Longyuan Bay Pier, and the daytime hustle and bustle had faded away.
At the edge of the pier, near the river, stood two security guards dressed in gray work clothes.
They had just finished a patrol and, with some free time on their hands, decided to get together for a smoke and a chat.
The excitement from the daytime hadn’t faded, and they couldn’t suppress the smiles on their faces.
And how could they not be? Their boss’s father, the old patriarch of the Lu Family, turned out to be the Daxia New Country’s very first Grandmaster of Divine Intent!
What was a Grandmaster of Divine Intent? Simple men like them couldn’t explain it, but the newspapers spelled it out clearly.
It was a Realm even more powerful than a Grandmaster of Huajin—a being of legend!
What’s more, Lord Lu was also the future Military Governor of Yun Port City! A Military Governor! That was a big shot who commanded a massive army and ruled over an entire region!
Back in the day, he was the kind of person that common folk like them couldn’t even dream of meeting.
But now? As employees of the Lu Family Trading Company, they walked with their heads held a little higher.
"Here, Xiaoshen. Have a smoke."
One of the guards, a middle-aged man in his forties, fumbled in his jacket, pulled out two crumpled cigarettes, and handed one to the young man in his early twenties next to him.
The young man took it without ceremony, quickly leaning in as the older man struck a match.
Once the cigarette was lit, the young man took a deep drag and slowly exhaled a plume of white smoke.
"Brother Zhen, do you think the old chairman of our company is really that incredible?"
The middle-aged man known as Brother Zhen shot him a sideways glance and scoffed. "Of course he is! It’s all over the papers. Sect Master Bai of the White Cloud Sect admitted it himself! And who is Sect Master Bai? The number one Martial Arts expert in all of Yun Port City!"
"He calls the old chairman ’Senior.’ Now you tell me—is that incredible or not?"
Xiaoshen scratched his head and laughed sheepishly. "I just think... it’s surreal. That people like us actually get to work for a man like that. Who’d believe it if you told them?"
Brother Zhen took another drag from his cigarette, his eyes narrowed as he gazed at the distant river. He remarked wistfully.
"That’s why I say you’re a lucky kid. When I joined the company, the old chairman wasn’t some Grandmaster of Divine Intent. He was just the old master, a former Martial Champion Scholar."
"Even back then, I knew the Lu Family was different. Not only did they pay well, but they never skimped. They even gave out bonuses for the new year and other holidays. Right then and there, I decided I’d spend the rest of my life working for the Lu Family."
He turned to Xiaoshen and grinned. "Who would’ve thought? I’ve been working here more than ten years, and I’ve ended up working for a Grandmaster of Divine Intent."
Xiaoshen listened with rapt attention, nodding repeatedly.
Brother Zhen clapped him on the shoulder. "Just keep up the good work, kid. The company takes care of its own."
Xiaoshen nodded emphatically. Of course, he knew that working at the Lu Family’s piers meant you’d be treated well.
Longyuan Bay Pier and the other two Lu Family piers offered the best pay and benefits of all the piers in Yun Port City.
The wages were thirty percent higher than anywhere else, but that wasn’t even the main thing. The crucial part was that they never paid late. There were generous holiday bonuses, mung bean soup in the summer, ginger tea in the winter, medical coverage for injuries, and a pension for when you could no longer work.
Workers at other piers turned green with envy when they heard about it, but what good did that do?
The Lu Family ran background checks and were picky about character. Not just anyone could get in. He’d been incredibly lucky to land this job.
As he thought about it, Xiaoshen suddenly remembered something and said excitedly, "Oh, right! Brother Zhen, the general manager gave everyone a whole silver dollar today! Said it was to celebrate the news about the old chairman!"
Brother Zhen roared with laughter. "I got it! How could I not? I’ve got my silver dollar tucked away in my pocket right now!"
Such a grand gesture! Who else in all of Yun Port City could afford to do that, besides the Lu Family?
Xiaoshen suddenly leaned in close, lowering his voice. "Brother Zhen... do you think the old chairman will give us a raise?"
Hearing that, Brother Zhen gave him a light slap on the back of the head. "You little punk. Give you an inch and you want a mile, huh?"
Xiaoshen rubbed the back of his head, chuckling. Brother Zhen laughed along, but then his expression grew serious.
"Xiaoshen, let me tell you something. This company is different, and the old chairman is different."
"I’ve worked on this pier for many years. I’ve seen a lot of people, and I’ve been through a lot of things."
"Those upper-class types, the rich ones, the big shots who think they’re all that... how many of them actually give a damn about us folks at the bottom?"
"I decided back then that a man like him is worth dedicating my life to. So you shouldn’t get too greedy, kid."
Xiaoshen didn’t say a word. After a long moment, Brother Zhen flicked his cigarette butt into the river. "Alright, that’s enough talk. A few more hours on patrol, and then we can get relieved."
Xiaoshen stood up too, casually flicking his cigarette butt toward the river as he spoke. "Brother Zhen, when we get off work in the morning, let me buy you a drink."
Brother Zhen was taken aback for a second, then laughed. "Sure, kid. You get that silver dollar and you’re already itching to spend it?"
Xiaoshen grinned. "Absolutely! It’s a happy day. How could we not celebrate with a good, stiff drink?"
Brother Zhen clapped him on the shoulder again, his large, rough hand landing heavily. "Alright! A good, stiff drink it is!"
The two men shared a smile and turned to walk deeper into the pier. Neither of them noticed a dark shadow slowly rising from beneath the river.
Near the stone embankment at the river’s edge, the surface of the water was gently broken as a head slowly poked through.
It had the face of a monkey, with grayish-green skin that was smooth and hairless. Strands of river weed were tangled on its head, covering one side of its face and leaving only the other half and a single eye exposed.
As it lifted its head, one of the flicked-away cigarette butts landed right on its eye.

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