Chapter 214: Taotie Feels Helpless
Fang Xiaocao looked up in surprise at Tom. Renovating the villa? That idea hadn’t crossed her mind, but as soon as Tom suggested it, she was instantly tempted.
This villa was located in the suburbs, far from the city, backed by a mountain, and facing an open plain. If properly modified, it could become an ideal base.
With this kind of geographical location and a well-thought-out plan, it could be turned into an impenetrable fortress.
Just the open area in front—if they set up guns on the second and third floors of the villa, any enemy trying to break in without heavy weaponry would have to pay with their lives.
Moreover, the mountain behind was dense with trees. If things went south, they could retreat into the mountains to evade danger.
It was simply too suitable for a base!
Thinking of this, Fang Xiaocao’s eyes lit up. “Is it really possible to renovate it?”
“If it is, I think this is a fantastic idea.”
Tom smiled confidently and nodded. “Of course, I can handle it.”
“With me here, we don’t even need to hire a designer. I’m a professional.”
He grinned with certainty, as if completely sure of his skills.
Fang Xiaocao’s curiosity was piqued. “Professional?”
Tom shrugged with a smirk. “Of course. I may be a professional assassin now, but I switched careers midway. My original profession was a house designer. But I was too obsessed with perfect house designs—whenever I saw an irrational design, I had an urge to blow it up. After I destroyed a few buildings, my assassin mentor discovered me and led me down the path of a contract killer.”
Fang Xiaocao was momentarily stunned.
This was the first time Tom had spoken about his past and how he became an assassin.
She hadn’t expected such a dramatic backstory.
It really felt like something out of a movie—a villainous male lead type of story. She found it quite interesting.
“Alright, then I’ll leave the villa renovations to you,” she said with a grin.
“But on one condition—no blowing things up!“
“This place cost money. You can’t just demolish it!”
Fang Xiaocao playfully warned.
Tom nodded. “Rest assured, Your Highness!”
“Good.” She smiled. “You can use the money from the card I gave you. If you need anything, ask Taotie first. If he doesn’t have it, we’ll buy it ourselves. No reason not to take advantage of Blacklist’s resources.”
She cheekily winked at him.
Tom immediately understood. “Got it. If I can avoid spending my own money, I definitely won’t. I’ll stick to Your Highness’s frugal philosophy to the end!”
“Thumbs up for you!” Fang Xiaocao raised her thumb in approval, looking satisfied.
“Alright, go lock up Wan Xiaozhou first, then start working on the renovations. I’ll head upstairs to study these gadgets.”
With that, she grabbed the backpack full of high-tech equipment and went upstairs.
Tom watched her leave, then grabbed Wan Xiaozhou and carried her toward a storage room on the first floor.
“I’ll just lock you up in here for now.”
After tossing Wan Xiaozhou inside, he locked the door and took out his tablet while heading down to the basement.
Tom was a man of action—once he had authorization, he wasted no time. He wanted to finish drafting the renovation plans as soon as possible and wished he could instantly upgrade the villa with the press of a button.
Standing in the middle of the basement, he carefully examined the surroundings. The design was quite practical—moisture-proofing and reinforcements were well done, and there were plenty of pre-set spaces for weapon cabinets and safes.
“Hmm, this saves me a lot of work. I just need to build on this foundation—no need for drastic changes.”
Tom muttered to himself while sketching on his tablet, occasionally glancing around, frowning in thought, then nodding in satisfaction before continuing.
Two Hours Later…
On his tablet screen, the preliminary blueprint for the renovated basement was complete.
“This should work for now!”
“I’ll start with this. If we need more adjustments later, I can just modify the design.”
Tom exited the basement, pulled out his phone, and began editing a list of materials and tools needed for the renovations.
His list included large safes, weapon racks, and a custom-built vault door—the kind used in banks.
Not to mention the various weapons and equipment he wanted.
The sheer volume of items he requested was enough to make Taotie feel a headache coming on and an urge to swear.
_______
In a Tang City Hospital
Holding his phone, Taotie exploded in rage.
“The hell? You call this just getting some equipment for self-defense?“
Lying in his hospital bed, he roared into his phone: “Tom, you bastard, you’re really something! The stuff you’re asking for is more luxurious than what Li Yunlong used to take Ping’an County. If he had all this, he’d have wiped out Taiyuan while he was at it!”
Taotie was fuming. He wanted to drive over to the villa and beat Tom up.
_______
Back at the Villa
Tom grinned as he listened to Taotie’s furious rant through the phone. He held the phone slightly away from his ear, waiting for the storm to pass before speaking calmly.
“Look, you can bargain. My list is the starting point. You decide the quantity.”
“Of course, only the weapons and gear are negotiable. For the other items—if you try to skimp, I’ll have to let our Princess discuss it with you personally.”
“You know how she is—money isn’t just money to her. It’s her lifeblood.“
Tom chuckled, making it sound like a friendly negotiation. But the underlying threat was crystal clear.
After all…
“Our Princess treats money as her lifeblood.”
That line alone was lethal.
What now?
You don’t want to give me the funds?
Then go ask the Princess yourself.
Taotie fell silent.
He got the message.
He was pissed.
Tom was blatantly waving the “Princess” card over his head and using it to pressure him.
And the worst part?
There wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it.
“Fine, I’ll approve it!” Taotie gritted his teeth.
What else could he do?
He could only swallow his pride.
For the first time, Taotie felt like he was being bullied.
Through clenched teeth, he asked, “Does our Princess have any other requests?”
Hearing the frustration in Taotie’s voice, Tom wasn’t fazed. “Nope, that’s it for now. If she has more, I’ll let you know!”
Before Taotie could respond, Tom hung up with a cheerful grin.
“Heh, you think you can outplay me? Don’t you know I’m Princess’ most trusted steward?”
(End of Chapter 214)
