Chapter 1525: Chapter 1831: Visiting the Venue

After much difficulty, they finally finished the meal. Ling Chen found an excuse and immediately led Nanrong Wanqing away in a hurry. If they stayed any longer, Ling Chen feared his ears would grow calluses.

"Auntie is just concerned about you, what are you so afraid of?" Sitting in the car, Nanrong Wanqing spoke up for Yang Qingling.

"I’m not afraid," Ling Chen defended himself.

"Then why did you run away? I originally planned to sit with Auntie for a while and chat with her."

"What’s there to chat about? It’s better to chat with me. Hey! Wanqing, do you think... every mother likes to nag her son?"

"How would I know, I haven’t been a mother." Saying this, Nanrong Wanqing looked at Ling Chen, who was driving, with a hesitant expression.

"What’s up?" Ling Chen asked with a smile, "If you have something to say, just say it, there are no outsiders here."

"You..." Nanrong Wanqing hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Are you afraid of getting married?"

Hearing this unexpected question, Ling Chen almost choked on his own saliva. Marriage! The familiarity yet strangeness of these two words left Ling Chen unsure of how to respond. To be honest, he hadn’t really considered this issue yet.

Seeing Ling Chen’s face full of uncertainty, Nanrong Wanqing withdrew her gaze, turned her head to look out the car window, and said softly, "If this question is difficult for you, pretend I didn’t ask."

Ling Chen was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled, "Don’t misunderstand, it’s not that I feel troubled, it’s just... your question took me by surprise, and I don’t know how to answer right now. However, I hope you understand that my hesitation isn’t because I don’t want to marry you, but because I want to give you a sufficiently secure living environment. Do you understand what I mean?"

"I once watched a movie where, if you truly like someone, you will overcome all difficulties to be together, regardless of how short or long."

"You also said that’s just a movie. Besides, don’t you think doing so is too selfish? If it were you, would you prefer a long-lasting relationship or one that just focuses on the moment? Alright now, stop overthinking it, give me some time, and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible."

Nanrong Wanqing nodded gently, pointing to a junction ahead, "Just stop there."

"Aren’t you going to the company?"

"No, the Beijing branch of Changlong Technology is right here. I need to have a talk with Leng Feifei about Qu Guanying later on. What about you? Do you want to come up and say hello to some old friends?"

Ling Chen coughed lightly, "I’d better not, you’re there to talk business, I won’t meddle. How about I wait for you outside? After you’re done, I’ll give you a ride back."

"No need, you go on with your work, I’ll have Captain Zhong and the others pick me up later." After pausing for a moment, Nanrong Wanqing reminded, "Try to visit home more often when you have time; Auntie really misses you. Every time I talk to her on the phone, she asks mostly about you."

"I know."

"Then I’ll be off, bye!"

Watching Nanrong Wanqing walk into the doors of Changlong Technology, Ling Chen only started the car and drove straight back to the Dragon Tiger Hall branch.

Upon arriving back at the Dragon Tiger Hall branch, Ling Chen had just gotten out of the car when he saw Tong Zhentian walking out.

"Elder Tong."

Tong Zhentian turned around, looked at the swiftly approaching Ling Chen, and asked with a smile, "Kid, where did you run off to?"

"I went home for a bit. Elder Tong, did you need me for something?"

"Hop in, I’m about to go check the venue; you can come with me. I have something to arrange for you as well."

Once in the car, Ling Chen sat in the back with Tong Zhentian, along with the driver Tian Hanzhong and He Ziyun.

"Elder Tong, when I was heading back, I saw that my dad also received an invitation to the Martial Arts Tournament. My dad isn’t a martial artist, why invite him?"

"That was suggested by Master Su. It’s been over a hundred years since the Martial Arts Tournament was held, so of course, it should be grand. We extended invitations to not just your dad but many unknown experts as well."

Ling Chen curiously asked, "Elder Tong, since they’re unknown experts, how did you all know about them?"

"We have Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion to thank for that. Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has stood for hundreds of years. Despite many hardships, they are still top-notch in intelligence gathering. You know, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion values talent identification very highly, and they maintain records of all notable individuals. Honestly, when Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion gave me this list, I was quite shocked. While I know Huaxia is full of hidden talents, I didn’t realize there were so many."

"By the way, Elder Tong, Mr. He mentioned the venue’s security issues to me; have those been resolved?"

"That’s what I wanted to discuss with you. After some deliberation, the three of us will jointly oversee the venue’s security. Should an issue arise, all three parties will bear responsibility, so no one can shirk it. Earlier, I talked with Mr. He and we thought you should handle it."

"Me?" Ling Chen was startled.

"That’s right! Didn’t you just set up Falcon Security Company in Beijing? You have sufficient professionals, just maintain order on-site to prevent chaos."

"No problem, I can arrange that." Ling Chen joked, "Elder Tong, our Falcon Company’s fees aren’t cheap; will there be reimbursements?"

Tong Zhentian chuckled, "If you’re serious about reimbursements, talk to Master Su. All expenses for this Martial Arts Tournament are being covered by Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is undeniably wealthy, covering all the costs without asking us for a cent."

"Since you’ve put it that way, I wouldn’t have the nerve to ask her for reimbursements."

After an hour’s drive, the group finally arrived at the Martial Arts Tournament venue.

Getting off the car, Ling Chen found a high spot to overlook the scene, seeing a large area filled with materials and over ten construction teams working hard.

Wow! What a grand setup. This massive venue must accommodate at least ten thousand people.

Seeing Ling Chen’s astonished expression, Tong Zhentian asked with a laugh, "How is it, impressive?"

"Elder Tong, for a Martial Arts Tournament, does it need to be in such a grand setup?"

"This is already considered small. Initially, Su Mei wanted to expand the venue twice this size to accommodate tens of thousands. However, this would have been too time-consuming and laborious, and unnecessary. Plus, we don’t have the manpower to ensure security for such a large crowd. After final discussions, we capped the venue capacity at twenty thousand."

After speaking, Tong Zhentian looked at Ling Chen and asked, "Do you know why Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is putting on such a grand show?"

"Why?"

"Because Su He’s incident tarnished Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion’s reputation, and they want to elevate their reputation through this Martial Arts Tournament."