What It's Like Being a Vampire

Xiang Kun’s plan for today was to take everyone to the Wushu Mountain Scenic Area. Except for Zhang Qian who had visited before, none of them had been to Wushu Mountain. So since they were in Tongshi Town, it seemed logical to pay a visit. After all, the mountain was famous and close by, less than an hour’s drive away.

Actually, the scenic area had reopened yesterday. The specific spot of the incident two days ago, however, was still temporarily closed off due to a “safety hazard”. Measures were to be taken later on to ensure safety.

Around nine o’clock, Xiang Kun received a call from Liu Caifu, who mentioned that he had told “Brother Chu” about their plan to visit the Wushu Mountain Scenic Area today. Consequently, “Brother Chu” had scheduled two MPVs with drivers to assist them throughout the day.

In fact, Liu Caifu had initially planned to lend his car to You Meng so that they could drive three cars. Otherwise, eleven people would make things pretty uncomfortable with just two cars.

Remembering the encounter with “Brother Chu” two nights ago, Xiang Kun had a positive image of the man and guessed that “Brother Chu” had their best interests at heart. He thus agreed to ride in the vehicles they provided. Having two separate cars with drivers would indeed remove some of their worries.

However, when he saw the two drivers with their two GL8’s in the hotel parking lot around 9:30, Xiang Kun was a bit surprised.

From their appearances, both drivers seemed inconspicuously average. They were about 1.7 meters tall, had dark skin, and exhibited a sincere and honest demeanor. They spoke with the local Tongshi Town accent and appeared to have nothing unusual about them.

However, Xiang Kun’s way of judging people went beyond mere looks. With his infrared thermographic vision mode, his sixth sense, other more comprehensive sensory information, and his overall cognitive analysis, he could tell right away that these two drivers were different.

Both of them possessed physical attributes and muscular strength significantly beyond that of an average person, though not exceeding human limits.

Signs of heavy load and high-intensity training were evident. Old injuries could be seen throughout their bodies, from their muscles, soft tissues, to their bones. There were some injuries that were clearly inflicted by regulated weapons.

With Xiang Kun’s extensive observation database and comprehensive analysis, it was clear that these two were no ordinary individuals.

Where on earth did Chu Xiuwen find these two to serve as drivers?

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Xiang. My name is Ji Hang, as in ‘discipline’ and ‘space travel’. You can call me Old Ji. This is my colleague Xu Kai. We are responsible for your transportation today.” Right from the start, one of the drivers greeted Xiang Kun with a sincere smile and extended his right hand.

Even though he had some doubts about their identities, Xiang Kun did not show any abnormality on the surface and enthusiastically shook hands with Ji Hang: “Thank you in advance for taking care of us today.”

He could feel the numerous calluses on Ji Hang’s palm, and his finger joints were rather robust. Most people, upon noticing these calluses, would probably think that he often performed heavy labor. However, Xiang Kun could infer from these calluses the type of equipment Ji Hang normally used to train, as well as the exercises he performed, and the potential equipment employed.

Among the two drivers, Ji Hang was older and had more training scars and injuries. He was the one who communicated with them, while the other driver, Xu Kai, looked more introverted and honest and didn’t talk much. Even when asked a question, he only gave a brief answer. Of course, his attitude was very good.

Xiang Kun could detect Ji Hang’s covert observations and scrutiny of him, which he assumed was instinctual according to his understanding of the two drivers.

Around the time You Meng and Liang Yulong arrived at the hotel for the meeting, Xiang Kun allocated the eleven people into the two GL8s, and they set off for Wushu Mountain Scenic Area.

While arranging the seating position, Ji Hang was eager and enthusiastic to assist Xiang Kun. He made very pleasing suggestions and gave reasonable explanations for the seating arrangements.

When it was finally time for Xiang Kun to get in the car, there were only two spots left, one in the third row of Xu Kai’s car and one in the front passenger seat of Ji Hang’s car. So he naturally chose the front passenger seat.

Though it didn’t seem strange on the surface, Xiang Kun, through his various observations and understanding of Ji Hang, concluded that this arrangement had been intentional.

Sure enough, on the way, Ji Hang started to strike up a conversation with him casually.

“Mr. Xiang, is this your first time visiting Wushu Mountain?”

“I’ve been there several times, but the most recent visit was seven or eight years ago. Most of my friends haven’t been there before.” Xiang Kun responded without any hesitation.

After a while, Ji Hang casually mentioned his work and his past, leading Xiang Kun to share his own stories.

Ji Hang’s voice, accompanied by a hint of the local Tongshi Town accent, along with his unhurried speech and moderate tone, sounded sincere and trustworthy, easily evoking one’s willingness to believe his words. Moreover, he was very skilled in his conversation, subtly guiding the topic and eliciting others’ interest, encouraging them to continue the discussion.

If at the beginning Ji Hang’s observations had been considered a normal instinctual behavior, then his seemingly unintentional actions during the seating arrangements and his deliberate plan to have Xiang Kun sit in the front passenger seat had indeed given Xiang Kun the sense that the true purpose of these two unusual drivers in offering to drive them was probably to target him specifically.

However, Xiang Kun did not feel tense or uneasy, and he did not deliberately avoid Ji Hang’s probes and observations. For he could also sense that Ji Hang was relaxed and virtually had no sense of vigilance towards him. From the physiological feedback and cognitive model conjecture, Ji Hang seemed to bear no ill will towards him, but was merely observing and testing him.

Considering that Ji Hang was sent by Chu Xiuwen, Xiang Kun had a general guess about his purpose.

It seemed Chu Xiuwen was influenced by Liu Feibao and developed certain assumptions about his identity and background, and these two drivers were sent by him to learn more about Xiang Kun.

It was probably to figure out how to engage him in potential business collaborations or projects in Tongshi Town in the future.

If viewed from this standpoint, Ji Hang’s attitude and state were quite understandable.

Also, Xiang Kun was very curious about Ji Hang’s past. Judging from his training scars and injuries, the background of this “driving guru” was quite intriguing.

So, he politely responded to each of Ji Hang’s probes and guided topics, and then took the initiative to inquire about the information and experiences of Ji Hang in his own way.

As for Xiang Kun, aside from the last half year, his life experience was quite normal and ordinary. So everything he shared was truth without embellishments.

However, his judgment based on Ji Hang’s cognitive model revealed that the details Ji Hang shared about himself contained both truth and lies.

Although Ji Hang’s speech, expressions, and eyes during his conversation looked natural whether he was telling the truth or lying, suggesting remarkable mental resilience, and his words seemed thoroughly prepared, it became increasingly difficult for him to lie without being noticed the longer he interacted with Xiang Kun due to the extensive information Xiang Kun gleaned from him and the vast amount of data at his disposal for analysis.

What could be confirmed was that Ji Hang had spent quite a long time in an official military-related unit. However, he had either embellished or lied about his professional specialty, the types of work and training he had performed, and the years spent on them.

When they got to the scenic area’s parking lot, Xiang Kun invited Ji Hang to go up the mountain with him. However, Ji Hang politely declined by saying that he needed to stay in the car to conserve his energy, as he wanted to provide better service.

After Xiang Kun and the rest went to buy their tickets to enter the scenic area, Xu Kai, another MPV driver, walked over and asked in a low voice, “Brother, why aren’t you going with them? We’ve prepared beforehand and easily have the ability to act as their guide.”

“Everything should be done according to normal protocol for drivers. Don’t meddle,” Ji Hang said with an indifferent tone. The honest and unpretentious expression on his face had faded and there was a hint of shrewdness in his eyes.

Xu Kai curiously asked, “Brother, have you noticed something?”

“Nothing, quite normal. His education, work condition, is consistent with the information provided by Mr. Liu. Based on my observation, it should be true. His hands don’t seem to have undergone extensive training like ours, and he probably doesn’t know much about the military operations. He doesn’t seem to have had professional training,” Ji Hang replied.

Xu Kai nodded, “So, it seems that Mr. Liu’s intel was wrong. The passengers in my vehicle seem to be ordinary young people. They were just talking about the game ‘King of Glory’ and about food. They were saying that the bald guy named Xiang Kun is an amazing chef, good at gaming and primarily a software developer…”

“Well, just focus on driving and don’t talk too much,” Ji Hang said.

“Don’t worry, brother. I won’t say a word,” Xu Kai promised.

Ji Hang then squinted his eyes as if the sun was too bright, looking at the mountains inside the scenic area.

The reason Ji Hang had brought Xu Kai to drive Xiang Kun and his friends was all related to an experience he had at Chu Xiuwen’s house.

Several years earlier, Ji Hang and several of his acquaintances worked as professional bodyguards for the wealthy. Last year, he began thinking of starting his own business, which required funds. Many of his previous clients offered to invest money, and Chu Xiuwen was one of them.

Chu Xiuwen not only invested a lot of money, but also introduced their company to a multitude of businesses, helped them expand their network. If it weren’t for Chu Xiuwen’s significant support, his company wouldn’t have enjoyed such a smooth development. Thus, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call Chu Xiuwen his benefactor.

As the Lunar New Year approached, Ji Hang visited Chu Xiuwen’s home, bringing Xu Kai and gifts for Chu Xiuwen in order to wish him an early New Year. They also reported to Chu Xiuwen on the company’s success. Chu Xiuwen might appear as a rural town magnate, but in reality, he had far-reaching connections throughout Haixi Province, especially among merchants and politicians from Jianzhou City.

At dinner, Chu Xiuwen invited a plump businessman with glasses over. Learning about Ji Hang’s background, the businessman asked cautiously whether the officials secretly cultivated powerful individuals who later worked undercover among the civilians.

Ji Hang hadn’t heard such theories before, typically found in tabloid literature or online novels. However, when explaining, he discovered that Liu Feibao, the plump businessman, didn’t ask this question out of curiosity. His belief was not derived from novels or related works, but from a definite real-world target.

His first thought was that “Liu” had encountered a fraud.

“Mr. Liu, a single person, no matter how strong, has limited capabilities. Like a screw, it forms a part of a weapon in military equipment. It serves different purposes, but if you pick it out individually, its function and influence are minimal, especially in modern society. Whether it’s our nation or other nations, there are indeed some departments unknown to ordinary people, but they constitute a functioning system, and are not made up of one or two elites. An arrowhead can cause damage, but it is useless on its own,” Ji Hang explained according to his understanding.

“So, if they leave the official organization, their abilities would be significantly less?” Liu asked.

“They are excellent screws, refined arrowheads. If they leave their initial organization and join a new one, they can still be very effective. Some of my comrades couldn’t find suitable work after their military service, unable to use their professional skills, so they had to learn a new profession. Some comrades found fitting jobs, earning up to seven-figure salaries every year…”

“I understand, so you mean such a person wouldn’t be acting alone, there must be an organization behind them. If that person has official backing, then their support comes from an official organization,” Mr. Liu said while nodding reflectively.

“What I mean is that such people wouldn’t have any connection with us,” Ji Hang said somewhat helplessly. He was almost saying that if the official side wants to take action against you or us, they don’t need any secret organization or privately trained strong people.

“Mr. Liu, are you being threatened? If you’re uncomfortable calling the police in this situation, you can actually have our company handle it. We will carry out investigations and gather evidence within the legal framework, prioritizing the client’s interests…” Ji Hang directly voiced his suspicion.

“No, no, I was just asking out of curiosity, I’m not being threatened,” Mr. Liu repeatedly denied.

No matter how Ji Hang introduced the situation or gave a “101”, Mr. Liu did not reveal who had triggered this cognition in him.

What was even more surprising to him was Chu Xiuwen’s attitude.

It seemed like Mr. Liu’s “consultation” was instigated by Chu Xiuwen, who was also very curious about this issue.

In Ji Hang’s view, a businessman like Chu Xiuwen who has wide-ranging contacts would not generally hold such unrealistic thoughts.

Under his repeated prompting, Chu Xiuwen and Mr. Liu finally revealed the truth. It was a boss, stronger and more assertive than both of them, who showed an unusual reverence for a person he ran into on the street. He behaved unusually timid during a conflict, and afterwards there was a dramatic change in his behavior. Mr. Liu investigated and verified through his channels and found that the person might have an official background, with profound and unfathomable origins. However, the information and history they could find were very normal and revealed nothing.

This made Ji Hang curious, so he offered to help them investigate for free. But Mr. Liu repeatedly refused, looking panicked, as if he was afraid that his investigation would anger the other party and bring about terrible consequences.

After Ji Hang repeatedly stressed his professionalism and assured him that no one would find out, and with Chu Xiuwen backing him up, Mr. Liu finally agreed.

That led to him driving Xiang Kun today with Xu Kai.

All along the way, he didn’t notice anything unusual, nor did he believe that the bald man sitting in the co-driver’s seat had received professional training similar to his or worked for the officials. As for the other people in the car, Xiang Kun’s ten friends, except for a tall girl surnamed Xia, he found nothing peculiar about the others. Even for the girl surnamed Xia, he did not think she was the kind of person Mr. Liu described.

Generally speaking, without further observation, he would be able to conclude that the abnormal reaction of the boss who was with Mr. Liu was caused by other reasons, not Xiang Kun; The information about Xiang Kun having an official background or being a “strong man” was unreliable.

Yet, Ji Hang had an inexplicable intuition, causing him to feel an inexplicable fear towards Xiang Kun.

This fear made him feel uncertain, as he even doubted its very existence.

After all, from all objective observations, Xiang Kun shouldn’t be a threat to him.

But he had a deep trust in his intuition because although the number of times it appeared was rare, it had saved his life more than once.

So, Ji Hang made a call back to the company, used his own channels to try to investigate Xiang Kun, to see if there was information that Liu Feibao couldn’t find. If there was, he wouldn’t need to dig up specific information and history, he just needed to know if it existed, and then he could understand if there was any issue with Xiang Kun.

At noon, after receiving a call from Xiang Kun saying that they were heading down the mountain for lunch, Ji Hang suddenly saw a familiar figure among the crowd leaving the scenic area.