Chapter 535
You'll regret it!
Chapter 535 You'll regret it!
Lu Fang remained silent.
He had spent decades in this workshop; it held all his hard work and memories. Leaving so suddenly was truly difficult for him.
“I know you’re reluctant to leave,” Rowan saw through his thoughts, “but staying here is just too dangerous. A man like Madford will do anything for profit. What if he takes a desperate gamble and sends people to rob us…”
“I’m not afraid of him!” Lu Fang interrupted. “I’ve lived for over sixty years, what haven’t I seen? A mere Ma Defu can’t scare me.”
“I know you’re not afraid,” Rowan said, “but think about it, what would happen to your research if something went wrong? Would all the work you’ve poured your life into just be destroyed?”
Lu Fang's expression changed.
Yes, he may not be afraid of death, but what about his research? Those machines, those blueprints, those unfinished designs… those things represent his life's work, the entire meaning of his existence. If they were taken away or destroyed by someone like Ma Defu, he wouldn't rest in peace even in death.
“Besides, moving to the Bureau of Mysteries isn’t a bad thing,” Rowan continued. “The Bureau of Mysteries has many resources that can support your research. You can apply to them for any materials or tools you need. The conditions are much better than you working alone here.”
Lu Fang remained silent for a long time.
Finally, he sighed.
“Alright, I agree,” he said, “but I have one condition.”
"What are the conditions?"
“I’m only staying here temporarily, not officially joining the Secret Order,” Lu Fang said. “I don’t want to be bound by anyone, to do what I want. If the Secret Order wants me to do something for them, I can consider it, but it has to be something I’m willing to do.”
“No problem,” Rowan nodded. “I’ll talk to Deacon Chen, and he’ll agree.”
"That's good," Lu Fang stood up and began packing his things. "I'll pack the important things first, and we'll deal with the rest later."
Rowan also stood up to help.
The two began organizing the workshop's items, packing up the precious mechanical parts, blueprints, and tools one by one. To outsiders, these things were just a pile of scrap metal, but to Lu Fang, they were treasures more valuable than gold and silver.
“Be careful with this,” Lu Fang said, handing Rowan a finely crafted gear. “It took me three months to make; it’s extremely precise and you can’t buy it on the market.”
“Okay.” Rowan carefully placed the gear into the box.
“And these blueprints,” Lu Fang pointed to the blueprints on the wall, “these are the culmination of my decades of hard work, and I’m taking every single one with me.”
"I see."
The two of them worked for most of the day and finally packed all the important things. They filled more than a dozen boxes and piled them in a corner of the workshop.
“It’s too late today,” Rowan glanced at the sky. “I’ll find a few people to help move things tomorrow morning.”
“Alright,” Lu Fang nodded, “I’ll sleep in the workshop tonight and keep an eye on these things.”
"Then I'll stay with you."
“No need,” Lu Fang waved his hand. “Go back and rest. You have a lot to do tomorrow. I’ve been here alone for decades; one more night won’t make a difference.”
Luo Wen thought about it and was still a little worried.
“Let me stay,” he said, “in case Madford sends someone tonight…”
“He wouldn’t dare,” Lu Fang sneered. “He lost face in front of you today and needs time to come up with a plan. Even if he wants revenge, it won’t be so quick. Don’t worry, go back home and come pick me up first thing tomorrow morning.”
Seeing his insistence, Rowan had no choice but to give up.
"Alright, I'll come first thing tomorrow morning. Be careful tonight, and shout if anything happens; the neighbors should be able to hear you."
"I know, I know," Lu Fang waved his hand impatiently, "You should just leave and stop nagging."
Rowan smiled helplessly, turned around and left the workshop.
As he walked out of Blacksmith Street, his expression turned serious.
Although Ma Defu was intimidated by the man today, he saw deep greed and resentment in the man's eyes. This kind of person would not give up easily and would definitely try every means to seize Lu Fang's technology.
"We must get Master Lu away as soon as possible," Rowan thought to himself. "We can't give Ma Defu an opportunity."
He quickened his pace and headed towards the headquarters of the Bureau of Mysteries.
He needed to go find Chen Yuan that very night to arrange things properly.
There were still guards standing at the entrance of the Secret Service headquarters. When they saw Rowan approaching, they quickly bowed.
"Mr. Luo, why are you here so late?"
“I have urgent business with Deacon Chen,” Rowan said. “Is he still there?”
"Yes, Deacon Chen is working overtime tonight and hasn't left yet."
Luo Wen nodded, strode into the headquarters, and headed toward Chen Yuan's office.
Pushing open the door, Chen Yuan was sitting behind his desk, engrossed in processing a pile of official documents. Hearing the noise, he looked up and, seeing Luo Wen, showed a surprised expression.
"Rowan? What's up so late?"
“Deacon Chen, I would like to ask you for a favor,” Luo Wen said, getting straight to the point.
"What kind of help do you need? Tell me."
Rowan briefly recounted what had happened that day, including Lu Fang's technology, Madfu's threat, and his idea of bringing Lu Fang to the Mysterious Bureau.
After listening, Chen Yuan pondered for a moment.
“Lu Fang…I’ve heard that name before,” he said. “Is he the old craftsman in the west of the city who makes mechanical artifacts?”
“Yes,” Rowan nodded, “He recently created a device that can store internal energy, which is quite remarkable. With support, he can create even more useful things.”
"A device that can store internal energy?" Chen Yuan's eyes lit up. "If this is real, it would be extremely useful to the Mysterious Bureau. We often encounter the problem of insufficient internal energy when dealing with evil spirits. If we had something to store internal energy..."
“Yes,” Rowan said, “so I would like to ask your permission to move Master Lu to the Bureau of Mysteries. This will both protect his safety and allow him to utilize the Bureau's resources to support his research.”
Chen Yuan thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "That's no problem, I can arrange it. There are a few empty rooms behind headquarters, which can be used as a workshop for him. Materials and tools can also be allocated from the Mysterious Bureau's warehouse."
“That’s wonderful,” Rowan breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Deacon Chen.”
“No need to thank me,” Chen Yuan said. “This is a good thing, and it also benefits the Mysterious Bureau. However…”
He paused, a troubled look on his face.
"But what?"
“I’ve heard of Ma Defu too,” Chen Yuan said. “He wields considerable power in the west of the city and has connections with some government officials. If we take Lu Fang away, he might not let it go so easily.”
You mean...
“Our Secret Service isn’t afraid of him,” Chen Yuan said, “but he is a problem. These thugs are no match for us in a direct confrontation, but they’re quite adept at causing trouble behind the scenes. I’m worried he might pull some tricks in the shadows and cause us trouble.”
Rowan remained silent for a moment.
“Leave this to me,” he said. “I’ll show Madford what happens when someone messes with the Secret Service.”
Chen Yuan glanced at him, seemingly wanting to say something, but ultimately remained silent.
“Alright, you handle it,” he said, “but don’t go too far. We’re not the government; we can’t just punish people arbitrarily.”
"I see."
Luo Wen bid farewell to Chen Yuan and left the headquarters of the Mysterious Bureau. Night had fallen, the streets were deserted, with only a few dim lanterns swaying in the wind. The moon hid behind the clouds, casting a grey shadow over the world.
Rowan walked down the empty street, pondering his next plan.
There's no point in reasoning with someone like Ma Defu. The only way to make him behave is to instill fear in him.
"I'll pick up Master Lu tomorrow," Rowan thought to himself, "and then I'll go meet this Ma Defu."
A cold glint flashed in his eyes.
Early the next morning, Rowan arrived at Blacksmith Street with several servants from the Mysteries Department.
They pushed several carts, preparing to transport Lu Fang's belongings away.
When Rowan arrived at the workshop, he found that the door was open.
His heart tightened, and he quickly walked inside.
"Master Lu?"
no respond.
The workshop was a mess; the boxes that had been packed yesterday were overturned and scattered all over the place, with many things strewn on the floor. Tables were overturned, and chairs were broken into pieces.
"Master Lu!" Luo Wen called out, raising his voice.
Just then, a coughing sound came from the inner room.
Luo Wen strode over, pushed open the door to the inner room, and saw Lu Fang lying on the bed, his face covered in bruises and bloodstains at the corner of his mouth.
"Master Lu! What's wrong?" Luo Wen quickly helped him up.
"Cough cough..." Lu Fang coughed a few times, then said with difficulty, "It was...it was Ma Defu...he sent someone last night..."
"What?!" Rowan's expression changed drastically. "He sent people to attack you?"
“Yes…” Lu Fang said, panting, “Seven or eight people came… beat me up… and smashed all my things…”
Rowan's fists clenched so tightly they cracked.
He thought yesterday that Ma Defu wouldn't act so quickly, but he didn't expect that guy to send people to retaliate overnight.
"Your things..."
“Most of it was smashed,” Lu Fang said, his eyes filled with grief. “The machinery, the blueprints… they destroyed them all…”
Rowan looked around and found that most of the precious mechanical parts had been smashed to pieces, and the blueprints had been torn to shreds and scattered all over the ground.
A surge of anger welled up within him.
These things represent decades of Lu Fang's hard work, and they were destroyed in an instant by a group of thugs.
"What about that internal energy storage device?" Rowan suddenly remembered something.
“They stole it,” Lu Fang said. “They said… they came on Master Ma’s orders… and told me to behave myself in the future, or they’ll come back…”
Luo Wen took a deep breath, suppressing the anger in his heart.
“Master Lu, please don’t speak yet,” he said. “I’ll take you to see a doctor.”
“No need…” Lu Fang shook his head. “It’s just a superficial wound, nothing serious. I… my things…”
His eyes reddened, and his voice became choked with emotion.
"What I've spent decades creating... is just gone like that..."
Looking at the stubborn old man, Luo Wen felt a deep sense of guilt.
If he had insisted on staying last night, this might not have happened.
“Master Lu, I’m sorry,” he said softly, “I failed to protect you.”
“It’s not your fault…” Lu Fang wiped his eyes. “I was too careless… I thought he wouldn’t dare to come…”
“Don’t worry,” Rowan’s voice turned icy, “I will definitely give you an explanation for this. I will get back what Ma Defu stole. And I will make him pay back double for the money he owed you.”
Lu Fang looked at him and saw a chilling killing intent in his eyes.
"What...what are you going to do?"
“Don’t worry about it,” Rowan said. “All you need to do now is rest. I’ll take you to the Bureau of Mysteries first; someone there will take care of you. Once you’ve recovered, we can continue with the motor vehicle.”
"But...those blueprints were all destroyed..."
“Browsings can be redrawn if they’re ruined,” Rowan said. “Machinery can be rebuilt if it breaks. As long as you’re safe, everything can start over.”
Lu Fang looked at him, a complex expression flashing in his eyes.
“You young man…” he sighed, “you’re quite something.”
Luo Wen didn't say anything, but helped him to his feet and walked outside.
Several servants outside had already pushed the cart in and started tidying up anything still usable. Although most of it was smashed, there were still some parts and materials that could be salvaged.
"Take everything usable," Rowan ordered, "and send it to the headquarters of the Bureau of Mysteries."
"Yes!"
The servants began to get busy.
Luo Wen helped Lu Fang out of the workshop. As soon as they reached the door, they saw a group of people standing across the street.
The one leading the group was Ma Defu.
He wore a brand-new brocade robe, held a folding fan in his hand, and wore a smug smile. Behind him were the same burly men from yesterday, each with a mocking expression on their face.
"Oh, Young Master Luo, so early," Ma Defu said with a forced smile, fanning himself with a folding fan. "Coming to pick up your old friend? Too bad, you're a step too late."
Rowan's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Ma Defu, how dare you!"
"Courage?" Ma Defu laughed loudly. "I, Ma Defu, have been in the west of the city for decades. What haven't I seen? A mere nobody from the Mysterious Bureau thinks you can scare me?"
He stepped forward, leaned close to Rowan, and whispered:
“I, Ma Defu, remember how you humiliated me yesterday. Today I'll show you what happens when you offend me.”
Rowan looked at him coldly.
"Give the device you stole back to Master Lu."
"Return it?" Ma Defu scoffed. "That thing is already mine, why should I return it?"
“I’ll say it again,” Rowan’s voice turned icy, “Return the device to Master Lu. Otherwise, you’ll face the consequences.”
"Consequences?" Ma Defu laughed loudly. "You, a member of the Mysterious Bureau, dare to mess with me? I've been operating in the west of the city for decades, and I have excellent relationships with the government. If you dare to lay a finger on me, I'll report you to the authorities and make you regret it!"
(End of this chapter)