Chapter 106: Old Zhang, I Heard You’ve Had a Stroke of Luck?

The banquet passed without any tension, no swords drawn, no smoke of conflict hanging in the air.

The meal was genuinely enjoyable and satisfying.

Old Master Su personally cooked and even poured wine for Du Fang, all to ensure Du Fang would take good care of Su Xiaoyu.

Du Fang remained silent.

Perhaps this was true familial affection.

Such warmth stirred faint ripples across Du Fang’s otherwise calm heart.

“Xiaoyu did very well,” Du Fang said with a smile, clinking glasses with Old Master Su and taking a sip of the fruit wine.

Old Master Su chuckled and downed a shot of strong liquor in one gulp.

“That girl is stubborn, with a temper just like mine. She wanted to be a Dreamguide, so I let her have her way. I even pulled some strings to arrange a comfortable, safe position for her.”

“But she wasn’t happy with that. She worked reluctantly because what she truly wanted was to be on the front lines, a Dreamguide who participates directly in combating the Dream Calamity. She said those Dreamguides are truly great.”

Old Master Su’s words fell over the table, and the entire Wildfire squad fell into a thoughtful silence.

Zhang Changlin quietly drank his wine, smiling wryly at the old man’s words. Greatness? No, it was simply duty.

Assistant Su Xiaoyu sat quietly beside Du Fang, sipping her juice.

In truth, after the recent incident with the Divine Core Organization and seeing Sun Yaohai’s lifeless body firsthand, Su Xiaoyu had come to understand.

Becoming a Dreamguide and charging ahead on the front lines was indeed perilous.

Even though Su Xiaoyu was unafraid of death, she had to consider her grandfather. He cared for her so deeply—if she died on the front lines, how heartbroken would he be?

Once, Su Xiaoyu’s mind had been filled only with dreams.

But life was never just about dreams; family mattered too.

Family was equally important.

“Grandpa…” The assistant looked toward Old Master Su, who was clinking glasses with Du Fang, and whispered softly.

Old Master Su’s eyes snapped open. “None of your business. Grandpa will arrange everything for you.”

He turned to Du Fang, a smile returning to his face. “Young Du, Xiaoyu told me about you. Your strength, your talent—as a Dreamguide, you’re among the very best.”

“As Xiaoyu’s assistant, I only hope that when danger comes, you’ll look out for her. As an old man, that’s all I ask.”

Old Master Su smiled again, pouring more wine for Du Fang.

After several rounds, the atmosphere at the banquet grew warm and lively.

Old Master Su stood, raising his glass to the Wildfire squad—not for any other reason but to ask everyone to take good care of Su Xiaoyu.

Meanwhile, Zhang Changlin and Su Jiuming slipped away to the restroom.

There, as they relieved themselves, Zhang Changlin expressed surprise. “I thought Old Master Su would pay us to come. Didn’t expect he just set up this feast purely to make sure we take care of Xiaoyu.”

Su Jiuming glanced at him. “You’re overthinking. He originally only intended to invite Du Fang.”

“We’re just here as a show of support for Xiaoyu.”

“Besides, as the richest man in Jinling City, Old Master Su hires only top-tier Dreamguides. I heard several of them are foreign pros he paid a fortune to recruit.”

Zhang Changlin scoffed, cigarette dangling from his lips. “I have the lowest opinion of those Dreamguides who leave their homeland just for money.”

“Foreign Dreamguides who don’t fight the Dream Calamity in their own countries but come here for profit—pathetic.”

“When the calamity breaks out, those Dreamguides are the least reliable. They shouldn’t even be called Dreamguides—they’re mercenaries.”

Zhang Changlin snorted coldly.

Su Jiuming smiled coyly, then tilted his head toward Zhang Changlin. “Hey, Old Zhang, have you been getting lucky lately?”

“This meal with you involved went surprisingly smoothly, no headaches at all.”

Zhang Changlin’s face darkened instantly.

Was that even human speech?

He wasn’t a jinx; just a bit unlucky, that’s all.

“I’m already starting to turn my luck around, got it?” Zhang Changlin said, smoking, scowling, and stubbornly pulling up his pants before turning to leave.

***

A luxurious stretch limousine slowly rolled out of the estate, cruising along the winding yet smooth asphalt road.

Inside, Su Hao sat upright on the leather sofa, dressed in a suit, holding a tall wine glass filled with swirling crimson liquid.

Wearing a wireless earpiece, a serious voice crackled through.

“Young master, everything is set. Shall we begin the operation?”

“Begin. That old man threw a banquet at home but didn’t invite me. Clearly, he no longer considers me his grandson. The Su family’s business is no longer my concern. If he’s heartless, then so am I.”

Su Hao loosened his tie, gazing through the rain-specked window at the drizzling rain outside, his voice cold and calm.

“That old man likes to collect antiques, right? I spent a fortune bringing back a forbidden artifact from abroad. Does he really think I’m so kindhearted to win his favor?”

A sinister smile crept onto Su Hao’s face.

“Not a Dreamguide, yet obsessed with Dreamguide tastes—he’ll die by that forbidden artifact sooner or later.”

“In that case, I’ll see him off.”

His throat emitted a chilling vow.

“Prepare yourself. I’m leaving the estate soon. When I do, activate that forbidden artifact. Detonate the Dream Calamity. Let everyone die!”

A ruthless gleam blazed in Su Hao’s eyes.

“Young master… today the old man invited a top-rated assault team from Jinling City. This might affect the duration of the Dream Calamity,” the voice in the earpiece warned.

“I know. The Dreamguide named Zhang Changlin making headlines recently—heard he killed a city-destroyer level foe.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve prepared. The Dreamguide I hired from overseas has a special ability to suppress the Dream Calamity and kill Zhang Changlin and his team in reality.”

“You just need to trigger the calamity.”

“Today, the Wildfire Dreamguide assault squad is unlucky. They’ll be wiped out in this calamity.”

“Including that girl, Su Xiaoyu.”

A cold, merciless smile darkened Su Hao’s shadowed face.

In the world of the wealthy, there is no such thing as family.

There is only calculation.

“Begin the operation! Remember, speed is essential!”

***

After leaving the restroom, Zhang Changlin and Su Jiuming walked together down the corridor, intending to return to the dining hall.

But after a few steps, Zhang Changlin paused, stepping on the plush carpet, his pitch-black face turning grave.

Su Jiuming, trailing behind in a flashy green suit, also paled, staring at the goosebumps rising on his arm, his eyes narrowing.

“Do you feel it?”

“There’s a chilling Dream Spirit fluctuation spreading…”

“Enveloping the entire estate!”

“Someone is artificially deploying a Dream Calamity through a forbidden artifact!”

Zhang Changlin lit his cigarette, narrowing his eyes, voice icy.

“And it’s no ordinary calamity. This forbidden artifact seems… vicious!”

Su Jiuming’s words trailed off.

Then, his neck twisted mechanically as he looked at Zhang Changlin.

“Heard you’ve been getting lucky, huh?”

Zhang Changlin’s broad chest shuddered, his expression one of utter frustration—as if someone had dropped mud down his pants.

“Damn it! I start turning my luck tomorrow. Today doesn’t count…”

***

Back in the dining hall, servers began bringing out fruits and desserts.

Du Fang was still pondering how to track down the whereabouts of his sister-in-law.

Old Master Su seemed to have taken a liking to him, holding his hand and chatting non-stop.

Perhaps due to age and the copious drinking tonight, the old man’s personal doctor had come to warn him but was sent away with a scolding, leaving Old Master Su tipsy and talkative.

Most of his words revolved around Su Xiaoyu.

How the old man had personally changed her diapers as a child, how often she cried, how fierce and stubborn her temper was…

Su Xiaoyu, sitting nearby, couldn’t help but cover her face, feeling utterly embarrassed and her image completely shattered before Du Ge.

Du Fang simply smiled and responded.

He made no move to withdraw his hand. The old man’s face was deeply wrinkled, hair white as snow, having navigated the battlefield of business for most of his life.

What he valued most in this life was family.

“Xiaoyu… she’s playful and not very capable. She doesn’t understand the business; forcing her into it is pointless. Just don’t let her squander the family fortune.”

“I want her to do what she loves… and for the business, let her cousin Su Hao handle it.”

“Getting old, you finally understand how precious family really is…”

Old Master Su leaned back in his chair, sighing deeply.

He looked at Du Fang with bleary eyes. “Young man, you seem sincere. You must value family too, right?”

Du Fang was taken aback, then nodded.

He glanced at the delicate, big-eyed Luoluo blinking beside him and the quiet hand of his wife resting on his shoulder.

With a gentle smile, Du Fang said, “Indeed, family is the most important thing to me.”

Old Master Su laughed heartily.

He felt a deep kinship with Du Fang.

Holding his hand tightly, he refused to let go.

Suddenly, Old Master Su leaned back and began snoring softly, drifting into sleep.

Du Fang glanced sideways.

A ripple-like, chilling Dream Spirit fluctuation blew and spread through the air.

At the table, the weakest Dream Spirit presence, Su Xiaoyu, struggled to keep her eyelids open before finally collapsing forward.

Chen Xi, Si Nan, and Zhao Lu immediately became alert.

“Dream Spirit fluctuation… Dream Calamity!”

“A Dream Calamity is erupting!”

Si Nan’s fiery red hair fluttered wildly as he stared, filled with grave disbelief.

“How could a Dream Calamity break out here?”

The three stood abruptly, the cold Dream Spirit waves brushing past.

“Lalalalala~”

A faint, haunting song seemed to echo in their ears.

Even the professional Dreamguides—Chen Xi, Si Nan, and Zhao Lu—felt their eyelids grow heavy, their Dream Spirit inside freezing as they began to collapse into deep sleep.

Du Fang held Old Master Su’s hand, listening to the eerie song resounding in his ears, feeling the chilling Dream Spirit waves stirring the air.

He tilted his head slightly and looked at Luoluo beside him.

Her big eyes sparkled with excitement.

“Daddy, daddy! That song… it’s Auntie singing!”

Du Fang was momentarily stunned.

He had been worried about where to find his sister-in-law.

Now, the Dream Calamity containing her seemed to have been unleashed.

But by whom?

And why such a perfect assist?

A top-tier supporter, indeed.

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