The man called Mr. Ren sneered. “Can’t take it out, huh? You’d better scram. Don’t embarrass yourself here. Men at your level should remain in the countryside. You shouldn’t come to Beidu with the rest and waste community resources.”

Ning Tao smiled. “You’re rich and I’m poor. But even a pauper like me won’t donate 50,000. Why don’t you donate 50,000 and I add a zero behind that figure? I will donate 500,000 as a small gesture.”

The sneer on that man’s face suddenly froze. He was donating 50,000, and yet this lad was adding a zero behind that sum. And he still claimed to be a pauper and this a small gesture. Wasn’t he trying to ridicule him?

That man called Mr. Ren was provoked. He blurted out, “I will donate…”

The woman clad in fur clothing immediately tugged the man’s sleeve.

That man decided to take back his words. He was trying to win face, but to do that, he had to donate money.

Ning Tao gave a slight snort. “If you can’t even take out 500,000, what right have you to call yourself an elite of high society? Better scram!”

“Who are you asking to scram? I will donate 510,000!” The man called Mr. Ren was enraged.

His woman wanted to stop him, but was too late.

Ning Tao said, “You miser, why don’t you donate 500,001? That way, you can still save more than 9,000.”

The woman in fur clothing said fiercely, “I think you’re out to make trouble. You can’t really take out 500,000, but are scamming us to donate 510,000!”

Principal Chen, who was writing his school’s account number, paused a little. The word “scamming” from the woman disgusted him somewhat, but he only paused for a moment. In a few strokes, he had written the account number, then shifted his eyes to look at Ning Tao. He too felt the couple was right. Ning Tao had no money at all. He was merely trying to make the man donate.

“Principal Chen, give me your account number. Everything’s settled then.” The man called Mr. Ren glared fiercely at Ning Tao.

Principal Chen stood up, holding a piece of paper with the account number in both hands. “Mr. Ren, this is the bank account number of our school.”

But at this moment, Ning Tao said slowly again. “Is 510,000 a lot of money? Although I’m poor and a pauper, I still find it too little to donate. Why don’t you give me your account number? Principal Chen, I will add a zero behind that amount.”

Plonk!

Three jaws dropped to the ground.

Principal Chen stared at Ning Tao, his eyes startled. He asked probingly, “Mr. Ning, this is no joking matter.”

Ning Tao answered blandly. “Principal Chen. Do I look like I’m kidding you?”

The woman in fur clothing sneered. “You don’t look like you’re kidding. You must be some crazy pauper! Just now you scam us into donating 510,000, now you’re trying to make us donate 5,000,000? Let me tell you, dream on!”

The man called Mr. Ren also thought Ning Tao was playing bluff. He raised his finger to point at Ning Tao. “Donate it now. I will watch you donate. If you can’t donate 5,000,000, you’re my grandson! An utter pauper like you shouldn’t pretend to be a magnate! You think you’re the wealthiest man of Xihong City?”

Ning Tao shifted his eyes to Qing Zhui. “Wife, the last time you went to Shu Province for disaster relief, I gave you a card. How much is there left in the card?”

Qing Zhui answered, “More than eight million.”

Ning Tao continued, “Donate 5,100,000 to the school. Transfer it now.”

Qing Zhui seemed in a quandary. “I don’t really know how to…”

To transfer so much money would require internet banking. She was really not good at this.

The woman in fur clothing snickered. “Go on, I will watch you fellows act.”

At this moment, Jiang Hao walked in from the door. “Hubby, have you settled everything? I’ve run into some problem. Let’s go out and talk.”

Principal Chen and the man called Mr. Ren were both dumbfounded. Ning Tao had called that woman in green qipao his wife, yet there was another great beauty in sportswear calling him “hubby”. What complex relationships! Moreover, both the woman in green qipao and the short-haired woman in sportswear were stunning beauties. This lad had such luck with women!

Before Ning Tao could answer, Hu Xiaoji had spoken. “Mama Jiang, please wait for a while. We’re donating money now. Mama Qing don’t really know how to do the transfer.”

Qing Zhui saw a savior and said, “Sister Hao, please come and handle the donation transfer.”

Jiang Hao did not ask anything. She merely strode with her long legs over to Qing Zhui, helping her do the transfer.

Ning Tao did not get involved, because donating money to assist education and repairing bridges and roads were humanitarian acts. This was the real reason why he was donating money. He was not trying to get Hu Xiaoji into the school, but making Qing Zhui earn merits of good intention.

It was easy for him to earn money, be it from ordinary patients or his practitioner friends. As long as he opened his mouth and asked, someone would grab the opportunity to offer him money. Hence, he gave a sizable portion of his earnings to Jiang Hao and Qing Zhui. His intention was to make them do charitable deeds like this one. Had Jiang Hao been with them all this while, he would have made her donate some money too to earn merits of good intention.

Qing Zhui suddenly remembered something and said, “Sister Hao, didn’t our hubby give you some pocket money? We might as well each donate half of that. It’ll be good for you to do that too.”

Jiang Hao suddenly smiled. “You’re a thoughtful one. Okay, let’s each donate half. That’s 5,100,000, isn’t it? Not easy to halve it, so we might as well each donate 2,600,000. How about that?”

Qing Zhui answered happily, “Great, great. This way, it’ll be easier to do the accounts.”

Principal Chen instinctively prodded his ears to see if he was hearing wrong. He was wondering if he was in an absurd dream.

The man called Mr. Ren and his woman wearing fur were flabbergasted.

This was no way to donate money! Adding a zero behind the 500,000 figure was already foolhardy enough, yet the lad’s two women were adding 100,000 each to that sum. Were they provoked, or were their brains buried in their breasts?

While Jiang Hao and Qing Zhui were handling the transfer, Ning Tao was watching that man called Mr. Ren. “Mr. Elite, if you donate more than me, even a cent more, I will let you have the slot. Do you dare to?”

“You…” The man called Mr. Ren did not dare take up this challenge. Perhaps he could have donated five million, but even if he was rich, this was no way to spend money!

Ning Tao smiled. “So why are you pretending to be a magnate? Get lost.”

“You have spunk, kid. Just you wait!” The face of Mr. Ren flushed green and red by turns.

The woman clad in fur clothing seemed about to say something, but before she could, Principal Chen had said excitedly, staring at an SMS in his cell phone, “We’ve received the money! We have!”

The woman in fur clothing swallowed a mouthful of saliva and closed her mouth tightly.

The man called Mr. Ren said coldly, “Let’s go!”

Hu Xiaoji said, “Dad, I want her schoolbag.”

Ning Tao said, “Remember this: you are a poor man’s child. Such schoolbags are only for wealthy kids. Your dad can’t afford it.”

Her arms akimbo, Hu Xiaoji stared angrily at Qing Zhui and Jiang Hao who were happily transferring the money. The expression in her eyes seemed to be saying, “My mothers are donating 5,200,000, yet you’re telling me you have no money to buy me a schoolbag!”

Principal Chen walked over to Ning Tao, his face wreathed in smiles. He said politely, “Mr. Ning, thank you for your generosity. Your child is now officially enrolled in this school. She will join Teacher Fang’s class. If it’s convenient to you, could you leave your phone number so that we can contact you?”

Ning Tao answered, “Don’t bother to. By the way, the kid has a bodyguard. He will show up in the school now and then. Please give him permission to.”

Principal Chen asked in surprise, “Bodyguard? Where is he?”

A figure suddenly flashed into the Principal’s office. Yin Molan strode in, his tall figure and black windbreaker making him look very cool. The Blade of Brotherhood was hidden in his windbreaker’s lining. Inside, he was wearing the simplified version of the Flying Fish Heavenly Gem Magic Garment. He had given Ning Tao the authentic Flying Fish attire of the Ming Dynasty’s Embroidered Uniform Guards, but Ning Tao had simplified the design to facilitate movement. It was a wise decision. If Yin Molan were to wear the authentic version, he would be noticed wherever he went.

Ning Tao said, “This is my child’s bodyguard. My kid’s studying here and if anything crops up, look for him.”

“Err… okay.” Principal Chen accepted with alacrity. In his subconsciousness, he was already associating Ning Tao with wealthy families of some rich clan. He must give such men face and comply with their every request.

“Okay, that’s all. We’ll make a move first. Goodbye, Principal Chen.” Ning Tao shook hands with him.

Principal Chen wanted to shake hands with Qing Zhui and Jiang Hao, but the two women simply glided past him. He retracted his hand awkwardly and smiled. “Take care, ladies.”

Hu Xiaoji said, “Dad, go back and tell Celestial Howling, if it dares to steal my candies, I will settle scores with it after school.”

Ning Tao smiled wryly and walked out of the Principal’s office. A thousand-year-old fox demon in an elementary school? It was something even he could not understand.

After getting out of the office building, Ning Tao asked, “Hao, you said you ran into some problems. What sort of problems?”

Jiang Hao said, “Two things. I will talk about the first one first. Our laboratory isn’t ready, yet Zhang Zeshan said he would be staying in the lab. He has already moved there.”

Ning Tao furrowed his brows a little. “When I was strolling here looking for that skull, he suddenly turned up. Could he be related to the Genesis Biotech Company?”

Jiang Hao said, “I don’t know, I will have to investigate.”

Ning Tao said, “What about the second problem?”

Jiang Hao said, “Do you remember Commissioner Liao?”

“Yes, he’s the commissioner of that police station where I turned myself in. What has happened to him?” Ning Tao was somewhat curious.

Jiang Hao said, “About that case in Dragon Gate Inn, didn’t you discover a cell phone? I made Liao Bing trace the phone number. Although he doesn’t know who its owner is, he managed to locate from the database a few locations where the user called Li Biao. That person called him thrice from one spot. Liao Bing’s waiting for my reply. Should we continue with the investigation?”

Qing Zhui asked, “Isn’t Li Biao dead? Even the Song Family has released Senior Yin. I don’t see the need to continue investigation.”

Ning Tao thought for a while before answering. “My clinic has moved to Beidu. There’s surely a local tyrant here, although even now I don’t know who he is. He may be from the Song Family, or someone behind those practitioners of the Genesis Biotech Company. He may even be managing Li Biao. No matter who he is, we must continue with the lead. Hao, give me the addresses. I will investigate them.”