Forbidden Fruit [Full Text] - 30

Chapter 414 Returning to Headquarters

Not only did Lin Siyin see hope, but Xingye, who had initially thought Bing Shuang and Bing Xue were just comforting her, also saw hope. They had both witnessed the radiant light on Ye Tianya's forehead.

For the past six months, a radiant light had appeared on Ye Tianya's forehead from time to time, and the brightness of the light had increased each time. Bing Shuang and Bing Xue said that it was a sign of Ye Tianya's internal energy circulating. Although Lin Siyin didn't know that Bing Shuang and Bing Xue were lying to her because they couldn't tell her about magic, she was certain that Ye Tianya was constantly moving closer to 'awakening'.

Having just seen off Lu Tianfeng, who was eager to make a name for himself, Li Lanyu and Gu Letian arrived together. Since Ye Tianya's accident, Li Lanyu, as his assistant, had taken on an important task. This was because Xingye had announced that all of Ye Tianya's decisions were valid, including the cooperation agreement signed with Huaxia University to establish a laboratory. Originally, Ye Tianya had personally overseen the laboratory project, but after his accident, Lin Siyin handed it all over to Li Lanyu. Li Lanyu had always relied on Ye Tianya and followed his instructions, but now, taking charge on her own, she finally demonstrated her true abilities. After assuming the position of project leader, she immediately arranged everything in an orderly manner. This relieved Lin Siyin, who had been somewhat worried. Her good friend's success also greatly reduced her pressure. Seeing her return, she was delighted and immediately went to greet her, asking: "Xiaoyu, how's the lab progressing?"

Li Lanyu replied easily, "The main structure of the underground part of the lab is complete, and progress is going smoothly. The main body of the lab is underground, and the above-ground part won't take more than two months. I plan to install the underground equipment while completing the surface construction."

Lin Siyin said with satisfaction, "Good. You can discuss the specifics with the engineers. As long as the project arrangements are reasonable, we'll proceed according to your plan. President Gu, you went to see the lab today. What did you think?"

Gu Letian smiled and nodded, "Two words: stunning. The underground part alone is already incredible to me. But President Lin, after seeing the underground structure... it seems to be more than just a simple biological lab, isn't it?" Lin Siyin and Li Lanyu exchanged a glance before looking at Gu Letian and asked, " President

Gu, you noticed?"

Tian nodded and said, "I visited the GHI biological laboratory in the US when I traveled abroad before. GHI is already the world's largest and most well-equipped biological laboratory. They not only conduct research on HIV/AIDS, but also on life sciences, cancer prevention, and other fields. If Xiao Ye was only researching AIDS prevention, it would be impossible for it to be on such a large scale."

Lin Siyin nodded and said, "That's right. Tianya made this decision just before signing the contract with Huaxia. He actually played a little trick on the president of Huaxia. Although it was said to be a biological laboratory, Tianya also designed a technology laboratory, including a software development laboratory in which Yin Chao also participated. Due to the space limitations of other above-ground buildings of Huaxia University, it is so large underground."

"The president of Huaxia didn't know about this?" Gu Letian asked in surprise.

Lin Siyin nodded and said, "He already squeezed a hefty sum out of Tianya just to agree to build the biology lab, and he's been playing the emotional card with Tianya all along. Tianya has no choice but to play his little tricks. Once the lab is built, it'll be too big to use up. Even if we don't ask, the principal will probably take advantage of these empty labs and add a few science labs for China's research elites, and then give them research funding. I think the Chinese principal would be very happy

to do that." "That works?! President Ye is really..." Gu Letian showed a strange expression, then realized he couldn't really comment, and finally shook his head and laughed, "I'm truly impressed."

Li Lanyu then spoke up from the side, "Actually, it seems the principal has also noticed Tianya's cleverness. Today, when he came out after visiting the underground section, he said something to me."

"What did he say?" Lin Siyin and Gu Letian both looked at Li Lanyu curiously.

Li Lanyu said, "He said, 'I'll settle accounts with that bastard Xiao Ye when he wakes up.' With the principal's experience, I think he figured it out too."

Lin Siyin and Gu Letian exchanged a glance, then both showed strange expressions. Lin Siyin picked up a document from the table and handed it to Gu Letian, saying, "President Gu, this is a report just submitted by the HR department. The hotel project is now fully underway, and some staff have been withdrawn from the lab. We're short-staffed and need to recruit more people. We might have to arrange a recruitment fair soon."

Gu Letian looked it over before looking up and said, "President Lin, I've been thinking about something these past few days. When Xiao Ye established the Lincheng Starry Night Bar project team, headed by Luo Yang, it gave me an idea. I think we could adjust our management structure."

Lin Siyin looked at Gu Letian in surprise and asked curiously, "President Gu, how would you like to adjust it?"

Gu Letian lowered his head and organized his thoughts before saying, "When Xiao Ye established the Lincheng Starry Night Hotel special team, I was thinking, if we combine the special team with the traditional company management..." "By combining theory and practice, we strengthen the power of the special task force while transforming traditional company management into service organizations. This way, the task force's work objectives and responsibilities are clearly defined, and traditional departmental boundaries are broken down, allowing for better utilization of talent."

Gu Letian paused and continued, "When Xiao Ye first implemented the special task force measures in Lincheng, he specifically emphasized that all departments should serve the task force. I think his initial idea was to conduct such a management experiment in Lincheng. The results are obvious; the Xingye Hotel task force in Lincheng has shown absolute superiority in both management and efficiency. Moreover, President Lin, you seem to have subconsciously accepted this management method. Assistant Li, who is in charge of the Huaxia Laboratory project, is already following Xiao Ye's original plan, isn't she?"

Lin Siyin lowered her head and fell into deep thought, while Li Lanyu's eyes lit up. Transforming the company's traditional, conventional organizations into service organizations, with departments like finance, human resources, engineering, and announcements all serving the task force—what a sight that would be! Li Lanyu couldn't help but feel tempted.

Lin Siyin then looked up and said, "I don't know if Tianya was using the Lincheng special project team as an experiment back then, but... President Gu's suggestion is very feasible. However, although our current project team is formed according to Tianya's original idea, we haven't dared to explicitly define the service role of other regular departments. Will this sudden implementation cause dissatisfaction among employees in the traditional regular departments? How about this, notify all department managers to gather in the conference room, we'll discuss it, and also finalize the recruitment matters."

Gu Letian's suggestion immediately resonated with several department managers. After all, this concept was first successfully tested by Ye Tianya at the Lincheng branch. Luo Shunqing was the first to excitedly say, "Great! This concept is brilliant. In this way, each department will be managed according to normal procedures. Once a project is launched, capable employees will be drawn from each department to join the project team. After the project is completed, they will return to their respective departments. This will create a competitive mechanism during the selection process, encouraging employees to strive for advancement."

However, Qiao Yi and Lin Siyin had the same idea. He suggested, "Premier Lin, President Gu... " "In short, I personally think this idea is feasible, and if successful, it will definitely be a new high point in management theory. However... we may not be able to announce this decision publicly for the time being, as this might cause dissatisfaction among employees in regular departments. After all, demoting them to service departments might cause resentment among them. I suggest we follow the method General Manager Ye used when implementing this idea in Lincheng: do not explicitly state the departmental level, but instead establish a special task force and require all departments to fully cooperate, allowing employees in regular departments to accept this management method gradually. In addition, I suggest that this method not be implemented nationwide, but tested further in a certain company first. If successful, then it can be promoted."

Zhao Ziliang then said, "I agree with Manager Qiao's suggestion. After all, we cannot take too much risk. Among the several subsidiaries of Tianya Group, I think only the real estate company has the conditions to implement this idea. I suggest implementing it in the real estate company first, and taking advantage of this recruitment opportunity, we can transfer the company's elite employees to the Xingye Hotel special task force, while the newly recruited employees can fill the vacant positions below."

Gu Letian hadn't expected that his idea, inspired by Ye Tianya, would be approved so quickly. In just one meeting, the management of Tianya Real Estate underwent a dramatic change. Soon, all employees of Tianya Real Estate received an announcement stating that Lu Tianfeng, the manager of Tianya Real Estate, had resigned and was transferred to be the leader of the Xingye Hotel project team; Tang Shaoyan, the manager of the Lincheng branch of Tianya Real Estate, was transferred to be the manager of the Tianya Real Estate headquarters; Zhu Xingyuan, the business director of the Lincheng branch of Tianya Real Estate, Tang Wan, the director of the engineering management department, Luo Yang, the leader of the Lincheng Xingye Hotel project team, Li Zongming, the engineering director of the S City Real Estate Corporation, and other personnel were transferred to the Xingye Hotel project team. During the project, the members of the project team would not be subject to the management of their original departments, and other departments of the real estate company would fully cooperate with the Xingye Hotel project team...

As a newly established large group, personnel transfers and promotions were common for Tianya Group. Moreover, since the Xingye Hotel project was currently Tianya Real Estate's most important project, it was perfectly normal to suddenly transfer so many elites to the project team and require the cooperation of all departments. Therefore, ordinary people had not yet noticed the subtle changes behind this apparent personnel transfer.

Of course, some clever people could see some clues, like Ding Junfeng.

After receiving the transfer order, Ding Junfeng excitedly read it three times and couldn't help but laugh wildly: "It's really heaven helping me, heaven helping me! Ye Tianya, even the heavens are on my side, hahaha, you can keep lying there. I hope you've had enough and wake up. I really want to see what your expression will be when you wake up and see your assets fall into my hands, hahaha, Xingye, you just wait, hahaha..."

After a batch of elites were transferred to the Xingye Hotel project team, there was an immediate chain reaction of promotions within Tianya Real Estate. The vacant positions were immediately filled by newly recruited employees. With the efficiency and fast pace of Tianya Group employees, Tianya Real Estate quickly got back on track after a short period of adaptation and adjustment in just half a month.

Ding Junfeng, who had arrived in S City with high hopes, was disappointed again. He couldn't find Xingye, who had been waiting by Ye Tianya's side at the ends of the earth. His carefully laid plans had temporarily fallen through. Then, the Xingye Hotel project team began to deploy to major cities across the country to carry out the project. He was also sent abroad with the project team. He was furious about this but helpless because he didn't dare to alert them. After reaching the upper echelons of headquarters, he realized that his original assumptions were too simplistic. The upper echelons of Tianya Group were not as simple as he thought. Even without Ye Tianya, there were still a bunch of shrewd people. People like Lin Siyin and Gu Letian seemed like insurmountable mountains to him.

He still remembered the day he was transferred back to headquarters. Facing the gazes of Lin Siyin and Gu Letian, he felt guilty and that their eyes seemed to see right through him. The pressure from the authority they had cultivated in their high positions made it hard for him to breathe. Only then did he realize how weak he truly was, how insignificant he had been as a mere real estate company manager. He finally understood why Ye Tianya had been able to make his Changfeng Real Estate disappear with such ease. This made him begin to waver in his desire to control the Tianya Group, and the scales in his heart began to tip in the direction of destroying the Tianya Group.

Although being transferred out of town deprived him of the opportunity to contact Ye Tianya's lovers, fate seemed to have not been too cruel. At least Tang Wan, the woman with whom he had an ambiguous relationship, was also sent out with him, so he could still make full use of his time.

From the official formation of the Starry Night Hotel project team in April, the Tianya Group's hotels expanded like wildfire from S City outwards.

In May, the Starry Night Hotel in Beijing broke ground; in June, the Starry Night Hotel in NZ City broke ground

; in July, the Starry

Night Hotel in Lincheng was announced as completed, and the Starry Night Hotel in Tianjin City also broke ground. On this very day, the Lincheng Starry Night Hotel finally allowed reporters to photograph its interior. If it were a six-star hotel, it certainly deserved that title. The Starry Night Hotel once again astonished the world. Half a month later, the Lincheng Starry Night Hotel opened. From the moment construction began, the hotel had been the focus of much attention. The opening day was as lively as a grand event, with the hotel fully booked the day before.

Starry Night, who had disappeared from the public eye since inheriting the Tianya Group, reappeared on the opening day. She appeared much thinner on camera, but still quite energetic, at least much more so than on the day she inherited the Tianya Group. Xingye is currently the most controversial woman in the country. She was once the most pitied and admired girl in China, but due to Ye Tianya's illness and her inheritance, some began to doubt her. Public opinion then split into two extremes: some sympathized and admired her, while others expressed doubt. Regardless of their attitudes, when the world faces this woman, now widely recognized as the youngest and richest female billionaire in the country, the focus has shifted to her investment intentions—in other words, her money.

When Bill Gates, the Windows tycoon, visited China, both Peking University and Beijing University offered him honorary titles of trustee and honorary doctorate. Why? What did Gates have? Money! Because he was rich. A student who dropped out of a university in the US and never attended a single class at Beijing University could obtain a doctorate from Beijing University—such an ironic thing happening in a nation of over a billion people. Why? Again, because of his money. Similarly, regardless of how the world views Xingye, because of money, she has become the focus of this grand event and the most popular person.

This time, she couldn't just leave after saying a few words like she did at the last press conference. This time, she was dealing with important figures from both the political and business worlds. Xingye finally finished her social engagements, and it was already dusk. The hotel was one of Ye Tianya's life's work, and she couldn't afford to ruin the opening ceremony of this first hotel. The unprecedented grand success of the opening ceremony improved her mood slightly. The elevator doors dinged open, and Xingye took a deep breath and stepped out. To her surprise, she found a large man in black clothes and glasses standing there with his arms crossed, giving her an unnatural smile that revealed a set of white teeth. He said, "Xiaoye, are you going out so late?"

Xingye couldn't help but ask in surprise, "..." "Black... Brother Black Hawk, weren't you resting in your room? How... how..."

Black Hawk chuckled. Although his usually cold expression made his laugh rather unrefined, he still smiled warmly and said, "Little Ye, are you going out so late?"

Seeing that Black Hawk hadn't told her how he'd gotten ahead of her so quickly, and sensing the reproach in his tone for not informing her of her safety, she hurriedly said, "I wanted to go to the orphanage to see the director. No one can hurt me now. You've been working hard all day protecting me, so... I'm sorry to bother you."

Black Hawk smiled and said, "You're not me... " " How do you know I'm tired after a long day? If you're going to the orphanage, I'll go with you."

Xingye could sense Black Hawk's exhaustion. Even the strongest person would feel tired after maintaining a high level of vigilance all day. She quickly shook her head, saying, "Brother Black Hawk, please don't. You go and rest. I'll be fine, really."

Black Hawk's face turned cold. "Xiaoye, if you keep being stubborn, I'll get angry. If anything happens to you, even the slightest thing, how am I supposed to explain to Tianya? Let's go." Black Hawk said, walking towards the gate. Xingye still shook her head, saying, "Brother Black Hawk, if you're really worried, send someone else with me. If you insist on protecting me, then I won't go."

Black Hawk frowned, helpless against Xingye's stubbornness. He could only nod and say, "Alright, wait a moment, I'll make the arrangements."

After speaking, Black Hawk ordered through the miniature earpiece, "Third team, prepare to move out. Drive the car to the hotel entrance. Shi Ling will accompany the team to protect Miss Xingye's safety."

In just one minute, a black Hyundai, escorted by two equally black Volkswagens, pulled up in front of Xingye at the hotel entrance. A tall woman in a black leather bodysuit and black sunglasses stepped out of the Hyundai and respectfully said to Black Hawk, "Big Brother—"

Black Hawk nodded and looked at Xingye, "Miss Xingye is going to the orphanage. You will protect her closely. If anything happens to her, I will hold you responsible."

"Yes—" the woman in black straightened up and answered firmly.

Xingye smiled slightly and said, "Thank you, Miss Shi."

Shi Ling was surprised that Xingye called him by name. After a slight pause, she said in her somewhat stiff voice, "It's my duty. Miss Xingye, please get in the car."

Xingye turned back to thank Black Hawk before getting into the car. Shi Ling slipped in and sat next to Xingye, glancing warily around before decisively ordering, "Maintain forward escort and drive!"

Xingye glanced at Shi Ling, seeing her cold and vigilant demeanor, and felt embarrassed to disturb her. She felt both grateful and helpless. Black Hawk was a bit too tense, but after all, he was thinking of her safety. However, she didn't know that Black Hawk wasn't just tense, but excessively so. Yet, beneath his tension lay years of life-and-death experience and keen intuition. As soon as she left, Black Hawk felt uneasy and quickly led the second group to follow at a distance.

As Xingye was inwardly pleased that her brother had made some good friends, the car had already crossed the overpass and entered a construction site undergoing demolition. High safety netting and steel frames lined both sides. Coincidentally, a van in front of them completely blocked the narrowed lane due to the construction site. Looking in the rearview mirror, she saw another large truck following behind. A sudden sense of unease rose in Xingye's heart. At the same time, Shi Ling coldly spoke into her miniature earpiece: "Something's not right. Everyone, be on high alert! Form a defensive formation!"

As soon as Shi Ling gave the order, the two Volkswagens in front and behind changed speed. The front one slowed down and moved to the left, positioned itself to the left front corner of Xingye's Hyundai, while the rear one accelerated to the right rear of the Hyundai. This formation not only gave the Hyundai in the middle more space to move forward and backward but also provided ample room to maneuver and protect the area in front and behind it.

Just as Shi Ling was cautiously guarding her front, back, and sides, Black Hawk's anxious voice suddenly came through her earpiece: "Shi Ling, watch out! There's something falling from above!"

Shi Ling reacted immediately, moving closer to Xing Ye, ready to help her jump out of the car. The driver in front reacted, slamming on the gas and speeding to the right, but he was a step too late. A heavy object came crashing down from above, slamming into the trunk of the Hyundai. As the Hyundai driver rushed to the side of the Volkswagen in front, the van in front stopped moving like a snail. Shi Ling and her specially trained security personnel knew that both the vans in front and behind belonged to the attackers, and it was impossible to rush forward or retreat.

"Plan Two, move out!" Shi Ling decisively ordered. The driver slammed on the brakes, and Shi Ling opened the car door, pulled Xing Ye out, and shielded her by her side, quickly moving towards the construction site to the side. A dark pistol was now in her hand, and four burly men got out of the cars in front and behind her, all moving towards Xingye. Just then, a gunshot rang out…

416 Guardian Reappears

“Bang—” The first shot rang out.

But before the burly men who had just gotten out of the cars could get close to Xingye, who was alone with Shiling, Xingye felt a strong force coming from her arm. Shiling immediately bent her over and shielded her with her body. However, at the instant the gunshot rang out, Xingye was suddenly enveloped in a layer of white light. When the white light shone, Shiling, who was originally prepared to take the bullet herself to protect Xingye, was bounced outward by the white light shield. Then she felt a pain in her back. She knew she had been shot, but she didn’t know that the elasticity of the light shield on Xingye’s body had prevented her from being shot in the heart, allowing her to escape death. She gritted her teeth and shouted, “Sniper! Protect the target and get him into the construction site, quick!”

After saying that, Shiling looked at Xingye, who was enveloped in a layer of white light, in surprise. But then she saw Xingye suddenly lunge towards her. Shi Ling was shocked and cried out anxiously, "Run!"

Xingye saw that Shi Ling had been shot in the chest and was bleeding profusely as she fell to the ground while trying to save her, and immediately rushed towards her. Then another burst of gunfire rang out. Xingye had already pounced on Shiling. The bullets fired from above hit the white light surrounding her and bounced off like glass marbles hitting balloons. However, two of the black-clad men rushing towards Xingye were hit by bullets fired from above and fell to the ground. Seven or eight hooded men in black jumped off each of the trucks in front and behind, raising their guns and charging towards them. Xingye shouted urgently, "Get out of the way! I'm fine!"

The elite members of the spy team also noticed that the light shield around Xingye was impenetrable even to bullets. Relieved, they immediately moved to the side to find cover and turned back to fight back. Of the nine men, including the driver of the Hyundai, two were shot. Four men looked up and fired at the snipers on the construction site buildings on both sides to provide cover for Shiling. The other three men slipped into the construction site and quickly rushed into the buildings.

Xingye tried to reach out and pick up Shiling, but because of the light shield around her, she couldn't touch Shiling's body at all. Anxiously, she asked, "How are you? Can you move?"

Shiling weakly shook her head. She had been shot in the chest and struggled a couple of times but couldn't move. Xingye realized that the attacker, seeing the bullet couldn't hurt her, had stopped shooting at her and was now attacking the other bodyguards. So, she grabbed the pendant on her chest to dispel the light shield and save Shiling, but at that moment, masked men rushed out from the trucks in front and behind her... They all inexplicably collapsed to the ground with a thud. Just as the bodyguards, struggling to cope, were bewildered by the attackers falling to the ground, two figures leaped down from the roof of the truck behind them. Seeing Xingye holding the pendant inside the light shield, they were startled and shouted, "Xiaoye, no!"

Xingye looked up and saw that the figures rushing towards her were Long Lan and Long Zhu, whom she hadn't seen since Ye Tianya's accident. At this moment, even if she hated them, she had to consider the present. She quickly stopped the bodyguards who were pointing guns at Long Lan and Long Zhu. Biao shouted to Long Lan, "Come quickly and help! Save Miss Shi!"

Long Lan rushed over, stopping Xing Ye from turning off the light shield, and carefully protected Xing Ye beside her. Just as Long Zhu helped Shi Ling up, Black Eagle and his second team had already circled around the large truck behind them and pounced. Seeing the group of masked men lying on the ground, they glanced at Long Lan and Long Zhu in surprise, then squatted down to check Shi Ling's injuries and the injuries of the other two bodyguards lying on the ground. They decisively waved to the people who had followed behind and ordered, "Leave three people to take the wounded to the hospital." "Everyone else, search! Don't let the sniper and the bastard who threw the precast concrete slabs upstairs escape!"

The Shadow agents immediately rushed to both sides. Shi Ling and the other two were taken away, while Black Hawk, Long Lan, and Long Zhu escorted Xing Ye into a blind spot at the bottom of the construction site. Only then did Xing Ye clasp her hands together with the pendant to remove the light shield covering her body. She gave Long Lan and Long Zhu a cold look. Although they had saved her this time, she couldn't forgive them because her brother had been lying motionless at the ends of the earth for almost a year.

Long Lan and Long Zhu, of course, understood the meaning in her eyes last night. They didn't dare to meet Xing Ye's eyes, and instead told Black Hawk, "Protect her well," before darting out. They needed to catch all the attackers and find out who the mastermind was.

Sporadic gunshots could still be heard outside. Xingye looked at Black Hawk apologetically and said, "I'm sorry, Brother Black Hawk. If I hadn't insisted on coming out, this wouldn't have happened..."

Black Hawk stopped Xingye and said, "Alright, Xingye, even if nothing happens tonight, these people will still make their move sooner or later. Tonight, at least they've been exposed. As for the injured bodyguards, since they are bodyguards, they were prepared to sacrifice themselves when they joined this industry. It's their professional ethics. Besides, they might still be saved. You don't need to feel too guilty. We've arranged everything. The real culprits are tonight's attackers. I will definitely find them and avenge our brothers."

Xingye nodded silently. It would be a lie to say he didn't feel guilty, but Black Hawk quickly guided this guilt into resentment directed at the attackers.

"Report, danger cleared. Four attackers upstairs have been killed, and the sniper escaped." Two reports came through Black Hawk's earpiece. Black Hawk said with a strong sense of menace, "Second team stay. Third team, expand the search area and search carefully!"

After speaking, Black Hawk took out his phone, dialed a number, and then held it to his face, saying seriously, "Number 17, this is Black Hawk. Miss Xingye was attacked at the construction site east of the Lanling Overpass in Lincheng. Why didn't you report anything unusual beforehand?... Don't give me excuses. We seriously injured three of our best fighters, and their lives are hanging in the balance. I need you to immediately organize a team to investigate and find out what happened. Also, find the sniper who escaped—"

After Black Hawk finished speaking, his stern expression softened considerably as he said to Xingye, "Alright, the danger is over. I'll take you to the orphanage."

Xingye shook her head and said, "No, Brother Black Hawk, let's go to the hospital." Xingye didn't want to bring her troubles to the orphanage at this moment. If another gunfight broke out there, those poor children would suffer.

"Alright." Black Hawk was hoping Xingye wouldn't run away. If something happened, he would have a hard time explaining to Ye Tianya and Yang Ying. When Yang Ying called to tell him that Xingye was going out, she specifically instructed that Xingye must return to Haijiao Tianya unharmed. Black Hawk didn't dare to take any more risks. Moreover, Xingye's decision to visit the injured bodyguard at the hospital touched Black Hawk deeply, giving him a deeper understanding of Xingye.

Stepping out of the construction site, Black Hawk immediately noticed that all the attackers who had inexplicably fallen had bloody holes in their foreheads and were already dead. He couldn't help but ask in surprise, "What happened? Where are the survivors?"

The leader of the second team hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Boss, those two women killed them. They took one survivor, and we left one behind, but... we didn't notice he committed suicide." The leader pointed to a man on the ground with his neck crooked and spitting black blood, and continued, "They took two of our guns and left a message telling us to keep our weapons safe and not let the police find out. They'll take the blame for all the dead bodies here..."

Black Hawk felt a chill run down his spine. These security personnel were indeed different from the police; they killed people more swiftly than slaughtering chickens and sheep. With no survivors, he could only try to investigate later on his own. On the way to the hospital with Xingye, they encountered the police rushing to the scene. The Lin City police, having received a call from Long Lan informing them of Xingye's attack, were enjoying a peaceful family time at home. The police chief, who had been scalding his son who was nestled in his arms, didn't even notice as he personally led his team to the scene. Upon seeing Xingye unharmed, the initial tension subsided, and he almost collapsed in his car seat. He finally managed to get out and hurriedly ran to Xingye's car window, anxiously asking, "Miss Xingye, are you alright?"

Xingye opened the car door and got out, saying, "Thank you for your trouble, Chief Cai. I'm fine, but three of my bodyguards are seriously injured. Please, Chief Cai, find the culprit no matter what, okay?"

The chief was sweating profusely. Even without Xingye's request, he was determined to investigate, even if it cost him his life. The attacked... However, if the wealthy woman Xingye were to continue causing trouble, the public's perception of Lincheng's security would immediately be questioned. If the security situation wasn't handled well, he, as the police chief, would be the first to suffer. Not to mention his influence, the person who reported the case was someone of considerable importance. Any police chief would break out in a cold sweat in such a situation, and he was no exception. He hurriedly assured Xingye, "Miss Xingye, rest assured, I will do my utmost to investigate thoroughly and give you an explanation."

Xingye didn't expect the police to uncover anything. Since Long Lan and Long Zhu had intervened, the resources they could mobilize were far beyond what the police could match. Therefore, she said calmly, "Then I'll trouble Chief Cai. There are more than ten corpses at the construction site near the overpass; I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you to handle them."

"Don't worry, Miss Xingye, leave it to us. If possible, could one of our officers ride with you back and take your statement in the car?" The chief was quick-witted enough not to ask to take up Xingye's time alone.

Xingye didn't intend to make things difficult for the police and agreed to let the clever policewoman ride with her. However, Black Hawk squeezed her into the passenger seat, and when Black Hawk asked Xingye questions, he had to turn his head back, which was quite a hardship for the young policewoman.

Police escorted Xingye to the hospital, flanking her from both sides. The three injured bodyguards, including Shi Ling, were already in the operating room undergoing emergency treatment. Xingye refused the hospital's offered rest room and anxiously paced the corridor for over ten minutes. Lin Siyin, Gu Letian, Yin Chao, Hu Qing, and others rushed to the hospital after receiving news of Xingye's attack. Seeing Xingye unharmed, Yin Chao dramatically plopped down on a nearby chair and let out a long sigh of relief, saying, "Xingye, you scared me half to death!" Xingye hurriedly apologized, "I'm

sorry
, I've dragged everyone into this, including the three of them." As she spoke, she looked apologetically at the flashing light above the emergency room door.

Lin Siyin quickly comforted Xingye, "It's alright, Xiaoye, don't feel guilty. Yin Chao is just talking nonsense, don't listen to him. It's good that you're alright, it's good that you're alright." Lin Siyin repeated "It's good that you're alright" twice, showing how worried she was.

The light above the emergency room door went out, and a group of doctors in white coats came out. Xingye and Black Hawk immediately rushed forward and asked anxiously, "Doctor, how are they?"

The doctor already knew that the injured person was Xingye's bodyguard, and seeing Xingye's anxiety, he quickly smiled and said, "Miss Xingye, don't be nervous. The surgery was very successful. The bullets were cleverly removed. The two male patients were not hit in vital organs, so they are not in serious condition. It's just that the female patient suffered internal injuries. Fortunately, the bullet was slightly off-target and did not hit her heart, otherwise she would not have survived. Although she has passed the critical period, she has lost too much blood and may not wake up for the time being."

Xingye breathed a long sigh of relief and, just like Lin Siyin had been anxious about her, said twice, "It's good that they're alright," before saying, "Doctor, please, please use the best medicine to treat them. They were injured while taking bullets for me." As Xingye said this, the group of bodyguards protecting Xingye behind Black Hawk showed gratitude in their eyes, a gratitude of being respected.

The doctor chuckled and said, "Of course, Miss Xingye, please rest assured, we will use the best medicine to heal them as quickly as possible." The old doctor, being a talkative man, added, "Miss Xingye is so considerate of her subordinates; their injuries are worth it."

Normally, if a doctor said the injuries were worthwhile, he would probably be scolded, but in this situation, his words resonated deeply with the bodyguards behind Black Hawk, who had no intention of blaming the doctor.

While Xingye and the others were visiting Shi Ling and the other two at the hospital, on the top floor of another building in S City, a sinister-looking young man answered a phone call and immediately roared, "What?! Mission failed?! Didn't you guys claim there were no missions you couldn't complete?"

The voice on the other end of the line was somewhat dissatisfied, saying, "Stop your sarcastic remarks! We failed because the information you gave us was wrong. You didn't tell us the target had a secret weapon, nor did you tell us there would be superhumans protecting her. I'm the only one left in my team, and I haven't even found anyone to pay the bill yet."

"Secret weapon? Superhuman?" The young man paused, then asked, "What secret weapon? What superhuman?"

The voice on the other end of the line said unwillingly, "We could have sniped Xingye, but suddenly a layer of white light appeared around her, and bullets bounced off the light shield. I was going to ask what that secret weapon was. As for the superhuman, do you think someone who can render our brothers incapacitated at the same time is a superhuman? And two women?!"

"Hmph, this is getting more and more absurd. At least come up with a better excuse for your failure. White light? Can it stop a bullet's light? Don't you think that's ridiculous?... Enough! I don't want to hear any explanations. Your men's accident isn't entirely my fault; it's your own incompetence. Don't say I'm unfair. I'll have someone send you half the reward as compensation for your team's losses. I want you to continue this mission. If you don't see Xingye's body, you won't get a single penny of the other half!" The young man finished speaking harshly and hung up the phone. He turned to a cold-faced man in black standing by the window and said, "Brother Xiong, I'll have to trouble you again."

The man in black nodded coldly and silently left, without taking a single penny. He knew what the young man meant and knew what to do. Because this wasn't the first time. After the man in black left, a sinister glint flashed across the young man's face as he said angrily, "Damn Han Zhengxiao! He actually sent a superhuman to protect Xingye! Damn it!"

At the same time, at the Lincheng Security Bureau, the man who failed to commit suicide fell into the hands of people like Long Lan and Long Zhu. Those who wouldn't confess were unknown even if they were still alive. The poor guy, in his delirium, spilled all his secrets. Long Lan and Long Zhu came out of the interrogation room and immediately found the person in charge in Lincheng, saying, "He confessed. It's an assassin organization called 'Hunters.' Move out immediately!"

Less than ten minutes after Long Lan and Long Zhu and the Security Bureau's personnel set out, Black Hawk's phone rang urgently at the hospital. After answering the call, he immediately left a team to protect Xingye and took the first team, which was originally waiting at the hotel, to join the third team. Ultimately, it was because his intelligence arrived a little too late, one step behind Long Lan and Long Zhu. Little did he know, Long Lan and Long Zhu were also a step too late; by the time they arrived, the sniper was already a cold corpse.

The head of the Lincheng branch looked at the sniper lying on the ground and the surrounding environment, and said in a professional tone, "According to the information, this sniper's nickname is 'Hound Dog,' a sharpshooter belonging to the 'Hunter' organization. Few people he targets can escape his sniper bullets, and his own strength is terrifying. The wound on his neck was caused by a K33 military dagger. Judging from the location and depth of the wound, this is a common method used by professional soldiers. There are no signs of a struggle at the scene. Judging from the incredulous expression on Hound Dog's face, he was probably attacked unexpectedly by someone he knew. So, it was..."

"Murder to silence him!" Long Lan, Long Zhu, and the head of the branch simultaneously uttered four words, their faces filled with worry. The other party had cut off all leads so quickly. It seems that the opponent they encountered this time was not an ordinary troublemaker. "

It's really lucky that Xingye was able to escape from this assassin's sniper rifle. Before meeting Xingye, he was an assassin who had never missed a shot," the branch head said with emotion.

Long Lan and Long Zhu exchanged a glance, a strange glint in their eyes. Few could possibly harm Xing Ye now. Others might not know, but they were most acutely aware of the magical light barrier; even their mental attacks couldn't penetrate it, let alone physical attacks. They both knew the barrier wasn't a superpower, and as far as they knew, Xing Ye and Bing Shuang Bing Xue weren't superhumans. They knew the barrier's trigger was on the dark blue pendant on Xing Ye's chest, and they'd noticed that people like Lin Siyin, Li Lanyu, and Yang Ying and her daughter in Haijiao Tianya all had similar pendants. Therefore, they were certain it was some kind of high-tech product, a safety device. Yet, they were still confused about how the light barrier on Xing Ye and Bing Shuang Bing Xue had been activated, and what principle it operated on. If it weren't for Han Laoyan's orders forbidding them from exploring the wonders of Haijiao Tianya before Ye Tianya woke up, they probably would have gone to Nangong Qian'er to ask her for answers.

They weren't the only ones confused; Xu Keming and Long Shang, who had witnessed the magic of the light barrier before, as well as the Han and Long elders who knew about it, were equally confused.

"That light barrier again?" Upon receiving Long Lan's report, Elder Han couldn't help but mutter softly before continuing, "This time, will you be able to see how Xingye triggers that light barrier?...No? Then forget it. Don't try to probe before Ye Tianya wakes up... Asking Qian'er is also forbidden. I said, before Ye Tianya wakes up, you are not allowed to investigate anything about Tianya!"

After hanging up the phone, Elder Han lost all interest in playing chess, pushing aside the chessboard and saying, "I'm not playing anymore, Elder Long. Xingye was attacked by assassins in Lincheng, and the assassins were eventually silenced. It seems someone deliberately wanted to create chaos within the Tianya Group."

Long Tianxing frowned and asked, "Is Xingye alright?"

Elder Han sighed, "Xingye's bodyguards are quite strong, and with Long Lan and Long Zhu arriving in time, she escaped unharmed." "That kid Xiao Ye has offended quite a few people, and now that the trail has gone cold, it'll be difficult to find out who's behind it all."

Long Tianxing nodded, then suddenly remembered something and said, "What did you just say? A light shield? The light shield that Xu Keming and Long Shang were talking about?"

Old Han nodded and said, "Yes, this time when Xingye was attacked, that light shield appeared on her again, but when they arrived, Xingye's light shield had already been activated, so they didn't see how she activated it."

Long Tianxing murmured, "A light shield on an individual, a light shield on a floor, and a light shield for the entire manor, ultra-precise laser weapons... these are technologies that are currently unattainable. If we could get our hands on all these technologies, then..."

Long Tianxing's eyes widened... Guang Lai, however, said with worry, "That's why I asked everyone who knows about these things to keep it a secret. I'm worried that if other organizations find out about the technological capabilities of Haijiao Tianya, they might try to take advantage of it. Old Long, I really can't bring myself to do anything about Haijiao Tianya before Ye Tianya wakes up. Do you think we should strengthen the protection of the members in Haijiao Tianya?"

Long Tianxing lowered his head and thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "I'll arrange it. By the way, remind those two girls that they are very curious. I hope they don't touch on Ye Tianya's taboos again. The election has already begun in full swing, and I think the situation is a bit off. You should prepare in advance."

Old Han sighed and said, "The situation is changing too much and is unpredictable. You'll have to keep a close eye on Haijiao Tianya."

Long Tianxing suddenly thought of something and tentatively said, "Actually, if you could get your hands on those magical things in Ye Tianya's hands, maybe you would still have a chance."

Old Han shook his head and smiled bitterly, "No, I can't do it. I owe him and Qian'er too much. I can't cause him any more trouble for my own sake. If he can wake up, then I'll talk to him then. I'm old too. I've been through decades. I'm so tired. It's time for me to rest."

Old Han sighed, and his weathered face looked even older. He still couldn't find the three missing satellites. He knew that no matter what the situation was, he could no longer stay in this position. Now he could only do his best and leave the rest to fate, trying to preserve his power so that it could be used at a crucial moment...

418

The incident of Xingye being attacked in the hidden mountain village caused a huge sensation, but it seemed that it did not affect the development progress of Tianya Group at all. On the same day that Xingye returned to S City, Tianya Group announced the commencement of construction of the Xingye Hotel in CQ City. This was also the first time that Tianya Group had extended its business into the southwest.

While everyone in CQ City was focused on what Tianya Group was planning to do in the southwest besides developing the Xingye Hotel, a small mountain village in the southwest corner of CQ City remained peaceful. This place was scenic, and if transportation were more convenient, it would undoubtedly become a tourist destination. However, due to its difficult transportation, this mountainous area was relatively underdeveloped and even somewhat isolated. Except for extremely important news, it was difficult for outside information to reach this village. Yet, the villagers were simple and honest. This place, filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers, had almost preserved its most natural atmosphere.

At this moment, in the courtyard of a small bamboo house on the east side of the village, Sima Ruyan lay lazily basking in the sun, her hands gently stroking her high, protruding belly. A smile on her face radiated maternal warmth. To avoid being searched by her family's intelligence agents, she and Murong Piaoxue had hidden in this remote mountain village. Here, surrounded by picturesque scenery and watching the villagers work from sunrise to sunset, she found peace and tranquility. She had even come to love this place.

Murong Piaoxue skipped out from behind the bamboo house, completely ignoring the grass oil and yellow mud stuck to her jeans. Clutching a large bunch of mushrooms, she excitedly smiled at Sima Ruyan, "Sister Ruyan, look what this is! Pure natural food, good for your health!"

Just then, an old woman followed her out, carrying a basket of mushrooms and smiling broadly. "It rained last night, and so many mushrooms grew in the woods behind the mountain. Look, we've picked a whole basketful! Today we'll make a mushroom and chicken stew to nourish you."

Sima Ruyan gratefully said to the old woman, "Thank you, Grandma."

The old woman chuckled, "Young lady, don't be so polite. Oh, by the way, Old Liu at the village entrance is driving to town to pick up fertilizer today. If you need anything, just let him know." With that, the old woman took her basket and went back into the house.

Sima Ruyan, looking at Murong Piaoxue covered in mud, couldn't help but laugh, "Piaoxue, you look like you just finished a battle!"

Murong Piaoxue looked down and smiled nonchalantly, "This is what you call a battle? Back then, we were with our captain..." Murong Piaoxue blurted out but suddenly stopped, looking at Sima Ruyan lying in the courtyard with her protruding belly. Her cheerful demeanor vanished, and she said softly, "Sister Ruyan, aren't you really going back? It's been almost a year, I wonder what's going on outside."

Sima Ruyan's smiling face froze when Murong Piaoxue mentioned the word "captain." She habitually reached out and touched her protruding belly, and said softly... He sighed and said, "Piaoxue, stop talking. Quickly take the mushrooms inside. I know you miss him. Go find him after the baby is born."

Murong Piaoxue feigned defeat and said, "I really don't know what you're thinking. Never mind, I don't care anymore. I'll go check how many nutritional supplements we have left. If we run out, I'll ask Uncle Liu to bring some back."

Murong Piaoxue was still as simple-minded as ever, disliking to think things through. Ever since Sima Ruyan brought her to this place, she hadn't left this small mountain village to take care of the pregnant Sima Ruyan. Whenever she needed to buy something, she would write a list and ask the villagers who went out to bring it back. Apart from missing Ye Tianya and worrying about the baby in Sima Ruyan's belly, she had no other worries.

Sima Ruyan watched as Murong Piaoxue, who always walked with a cheerful skip, entered the house. She sighed softly and muttered to herself, "Piaoxue, I wish I could be like you, thinking less about things, but I can't. How can I go back? The baby will cause a major upheaval in the entire Haijiao Tianya." Sima Ruyan left Haijiao Tianya and hid in this remote mountain village precisely because she was too rational and considered too many factors. She knew that although the women in Haijiao Tianya got along well now, if she went back, once her child was born, and if the interests of the next generation were involved, it would inevitably cause open and covert struggles within Haijiao Tianya. Perhaps she and her good friends like Nangong Qian'er and Ouyang Xin'er wouldn't have any issues, but that didn't represent everyone. Since her family had no objections, and based on her understanding of the women in the Ends of the Earth, even if Xingye didn't fight, and Lin Siyin didn't fight either for the sake of the bigger picture, Li Lanyu would definitely fight, and the Ends of the Earth would be in chaos. Sima Ruyan reached out and stroked her lower abdomen, her maternal glow returning to her face as she gently said, "Baby, the world of the wealthy is a deep and dangerous place. I'm doing this for your own good. I hope you'll live a carefree and happy life in the future. Don't blame me later."

A short while later, Murong Piaoxue jumped out of the house, already dressed in clean clothes, and said to Sima Ruyan, "Sister Ruyan, our strategic reserves are seriously insufficient. I have to go find Uncle Liu. Oh right, I forgot to ask, what's the due date?"

Sima Ruyan smiled and said, "It's still half a month away."

"Half a month?" Murong Piaoxue tilted her head and thought for a moment, then said, "No, as the saying goes, 'an army marches on its stomach,' and since the little one hasn't even arrived yet, I, as her aunt, have to be prepared. Half a month isn't long. Today, I'm going to town with Uncle Liu, and then to the county to contact the hospital. We've almost used up the cash we brought, so we'll go to the county to withdraw some more. You stay home and rest."

Sima Ruyan hurriedly called out to Murong Piaoxue, who was skipping out the door, "Wait, Piaoxue, you can't use your own card to withdraw money. Take Rongrong's card with you."

Murong Piaoxue turned back and smiled, "Don't worry, I already thought of that. Dad and the others won't be able to check our accounts. But after we withdraw Rongrong's money, that girl is at school..." "It would be heartbreaking." After saying this, Murong Piaoxue was about to skip away again when Sima Ruyan called her back, saying, "Take your weapons and identification, just in case."

Murong Piaoxue stopped and turned back, hesitating for a moment before saying, "Alright, alright, I almost forgot."

Murong Piaoxue jumped back into the house, quickly came out, and placed a small black leather bag beside Sima Ruyan, saying, "What about when I'm not around? You have to keep this with you at all times." After saying this, she patted the bulge in her waist and laughed, "Now you can rest assured, right?"

Sima Ruyan reached out and patted Murong Piaoxue's bottom, laughing, "You little bottom, come back soon."

Murong Piaoxue touched her bottom and scolded, "I know, you lecherous woman." Then she jumped out of the yard and ran towards the village entrance.

Having not left the village for seven or eight months, Murong Piaoxue stood on the tractor and looked around, excitedly screaming loudly in the ravine, startling the wild birds on both sides of the mountain into flying in all directions.

As he drove, Grandpa Liu chuckled, "Girl, you city folks have never seen so many birds before, have you?"

Murong Piaoxue laughed, "Yes, the air in the city is bad, the birds don't like that place. This countryside is much better, the air is fresh, the scenery is beautiful, the birds love it."

Grandpa Liu chuckled, "What's so good about it? You city folks are tired of living in the city, of course you think it's good, but we country folk have had enough of being poor, we want to go to the city to live a better life. This place is good in every way, except it's too poor. A few years ago, the government wanted to develop this place into... what district again? I heard that after it was developed, many people would come to visit, and we could make snacks, run a farmhouse restaurant, and provide food and lodging for guests, and make money. But then the road was built to this half-finished state, and for some reason it was shelved."

Murong Piaoxue smiled, "It's a tourist area, right?"

Grandpa Liu nodded hurriedly, "Yes, yes, yes, it's still better for you, my dear." "You're insightful, daughter. By the way, can that tourist area really make money?"

Murong Piaoxue laughed. "Yes, if it's really developed, a lot of tourists from other places will come to visit the village. Then, people like Grandpa Liu can get a minivan to transport tourists in and out of the village. People who can afford to travel are all wealthy. As long as they have fun, they don't care about a little money. Think about it, picking people up from town costs five yuan each. A minivan can carry five or six people, that's thirty yuan. Ten round trips a day wouldn't be a problem, right? Six hundred yuan a day, that's more than eighteen thousand yuan a month. Even if you can't transport that many people every day, you can easily earn several thousand yuan a month. Besides, when tourists come to the village, they need to eat and stay, that's all business, isn't it? It's hard not to make a fortune."

As Murong Piaoxue spoke, a thought suddenly popped into her mind: Why did the government abandon this place and not develop it? If she went back and asked the team leader to develop this place, would it be profitable? Having this idea in mind, Murong Piaoxue went on to describe all the benefits of developing tourism, making Old Liu's eyes light up. The young girl's plan was to first convince Old Liu, and then have him mention it to the villagers, spreading the word quickly and building a strong foundation among the villagers. This would make it much easier for her to approach Ye Tianya to develop the area. When

the car arrived in town, Murong Piaoxue jumped out and turned to Old Liu, who was still immersed in his dreams of developing the tourist area, saying, "Uncle Liu, I have to go to the county today. Can you stay in town a little longer and wait for me? I'll go to the county and buy you some Hongtashan cigarettes, okay?" Murong Piaoxue knew that Hongtashan was the best cigarette brand known to the villagers.

Old Liu chuckled, "Why bother with Hongtashan cigarettes? I only like this Dahan cigarette; it's strong enough. I'll wait for you in town while you go to the county. But hurry up, my tractor doesn't have lights, and I won't be able to get home if it gets dark."

Murong Piaoxue agreed and skipped towards the town's bus station. After arriving in the county, Murong Piaoxue contacted a hospital, bought some nutritional supplements there, withdrew 10,000 yuan in cash using her friend Rongrong's card, and then went on a shopping spree at the supermarket. Carrying large and small bags, she finally boarded the bus back to town.

As she got off the bus and turned out of the station, a cold smile appeared on Murong Piaoxue's face. She felt someone had been following her from a distance since she got off the bus...

419 The Late Blow

Murong Piaoxue knew why these people were following her; when she paid the fare, the 10,000 yuan in her wallet revealed its emptiness. Murong Piaoxue didn't want to cause trouble, so she ignored the three young men following behind her, quickened her pace to shake them off, and headed straight for the street corner where Old Liu had parked his car.

Old Liu, having finished loading fertilizer, was leisurely smoking a pipe on the fertilizer bags in his truck, squinting his eyes as he imagined the good life he would have if the village were developed into a tourist area. Beside him, a child who looked like a primary school student was engrossed in playing with a radio, listening intently to the news. Suddenly, his squinting eyes spotted Murong Piaoxue. Such a beautiful woman carrying large bags was certainly conspicuous in this small town. Old Liu got out of the truck, intending to help her, but he saw several shady-looking young men approaching Murong Piaoxue from behind, one of them already reaching into her pocket.

"Girl—" Old Liu had just begun to warn Murong Piaoxue of a thief when a scream rang out. The man who had reached into Murong Piaoxue's pocket cried out, clutching his leg and rolling on the ground in pain. It turned out that Murong Piaoxue, with her hands full, had given the thief a small lesson with her foot.

"She...she—" The guy writhing on the ground in pain pointed at Murong Piaoxue but couldn't speak clearly. His gang of thugs immediately surrounded her. It was market day in town, and this action immediately attracted a large crowd to watch the spectacle. After several thugs surrounded Murong Piaoxue, the guy standing directly in front of her pushed up his sunglasses and crossed his arms, saying coolly, "Miss, you think you can just leave after hitting my friend for no reason?"

Murong Piaoxue almost vomited at his pretentious, gentlemanly act. Just as she was about to speak, Old Liu squeezed in and said disapprovingly, "He deserved to be hit. Who told him to reach into someone's pocket and try to steal something?"

"What did you say? Which eye did you see that? Old man, do you want to die?" After being pointed out by Old Liu, the gang of thugs immediately revealed their true colors, glaring at Old Liu with vicious intent. Unfortunately, Old Liu was righteous and fearless, saying, "I saw it with both eyes. He was the one who reached into her pocket and that's why he was beaten."

"You old bastard..." The group of thugs, enraged, grabbed Old Liu by the collar. Murong Piaoxue, unable to avoid trouble, shouted, "Stop!"

Hearing Murong Piaoxue's words, the thug temporarily released Old Liu and turned back with a smile, "What, are you going to pay for the medical bills?"

Murong Piaoxue coldly glanced at the four or five thugs around her, pursed her lips, and handed all the bags she was carrying to Old Liu, saying, "Uncle Liu, take these to the car first."

Seeing that Murong Piaoxue knew Old Liu, the thugs immediately found an excuse, chuckling, "So you know each other. No wonder you're speaking up for her. Hey little girl, say something! What do you say we do? My friend is still lying on the ground."

Old Liu took the things from Murong Piaoxue but didn't leave, looking at her worriedly, saying, "Girl, let's go. Don't pay attention to these hooligans."

"Go? Where do you want to go?" The thug stepped to the side, blocking Old Man Liu's way, and said, "You're not leaving without an explanation."

Murong Piaoxue sneered, "Let him go, and I'll give you an explanation."

The thug grinned maliciously and said, "I like that." With that, he pushed Old Man Liu aside.

Old Liu was frantic, but Murong Piaoxue winked at him, signaling him to stay put. Then, with a radiant smile, she looked at the thug and said, "Brother, what do you want me to do to leave?"

The thug, seeing Murong Piaoxue's beautiful smile, was stunned, almost drooling. His gaze lingered on her ample chest, unwilling to leave. Seeing their leader's lustful gaze, another thug quickly reminded him, "Brother Hua, Xiao San is still lying on the ground. Make him pay for Xiao San's medical treatment."

"Yes, money, pay for medical expenses. Xiao San has a broken bone; it'll cost at least ten thousand yuan to treat him in the hospital. Give me ten thousand yuan and we'll let you go, otherwise…" This guy's lecherous gaze made Murong Piaoxue begin to feel a surge of anger.

"Why should I pay for medical expenses? Which eye of yours saw me hit him?" Murong Piaoxue continued to smile sweetly, inwardly cursing this bastard for his sharp eyes, able to even tell how much money was involved.

"Trying to deny it? Little girl, I advise you to be sensible, or don't blame us for taking the money ourselves." The thugs' eyes were all focused on Murong Piaoxue's bulging pockets.

Murong Piaoxue's smiling face suddenly turned cold. "Get lost, I don't have time to play with you." Murong Piaoxue turned to leave, and the thug in front of her changed his expression. He reached out to grab Murong Piaoxue, but suddenly his vision blurred, and he felt a strong force coming from her. He immediately lost his balance and had a close encounter with the ground. He fell and kicked up a cloud of dust.

"Damn it, you bitch, you're asking for it! Get her!" The guy on the ground cried out in pain, and four or five guys surrounded him. Even the guy who had been clutching his leg got up and pounced on Murong Piaoxue. Seeing that there was a fight, the onlookers immediately spread out and formed a large circle. These honest farmers didn't dare to step forward to uphold justice, and several young men who wanted to help were held back by the people around them.

Old Liu wanted to help, but with his bags and packages slung over his shoulders, he had nowhere to put them. He hurriedly ran to his car to put them down before returning to help. The old man was a bit simple-minded; he felt his belongings were more valuable than a fight.

But when he returned, he saw Murong Piaoxue standing calmly in the center, arms crossed, while four or five thugs lay sprawled on the ground around her. Old Liu was stunned. Not only was he stunned, but the onlookers who had witnessed Murong Piaoxue's actions were also incredulous. How could such a slender woman have taken down several tall, burly men in just a few seconds? Was this possible? These honest, simple farmers couldn't accept it.

While still bewildered, Old Liu suddenly saw a thug on the ground put his hand to his waist and feel around. Then he saw a flash of cold light, and the guy got up and stabbed at Murong Piaoxue in the back. Old Liu was shocked and anxiously warned, "Careful, there's a knife!"

"Ah—" Just when everyone was holding their breath for Murong Piaoxue, they saw the thug stop halfway through the stab. Murong Piaoxue didn't even turn her head; instead, she turned around and pointed a dark gun at him. Seeing the gun, the onlookers began to disperse. At this moment, one of the thugs on the ground didn't believe that such a girl would have a gun and warned, "It's fake, what are you afraid of? Stab her."

Stab—

the bastard actually stabbed, but he heard an unbelievable gunshot, a deafening gunshot. Then he felt a numbness in his wrist. Before his pain nerves could react, he had already lost his strength, and the dagger fell to the ground.

A gunshot rang out, and everyone froze, staring in disbelief at Murong Piaoxue. After a brief silence, the police finally arrived, nervously pointing their guns at Murong Piaoxue: "Don't move, police! Put your gun down!"

Old Liu was secretly terrified, thinking that he was doomed. This little girl had actually kept a gun and even shot someone; she was definitely dead. She might even be a fugitive, which would mean the village was harboring a criminal. Old Liu's legs went weak with fear, and he was about to turn and run away when he saw Murong Piaoxue calmly put the gun back into its holster at her waist, walk towards the policeman with the gun, and pull out a small notebook to hand over. The policeman immediately became extremely respectful to Murong Piaoxue, even saluting her, before signaling the other policemen to arrest the thugs.

When the crowd saw the police salute Murong Piaoxue and noticed she had a gun, they immediately confirmed she was an undercover officer. They pointed at the thugs and cursed them, saying they deserved it for daring to steal from the police. Then they dispersed. Old Liu, even after Murong Piaoxue pulled him back onto the tractor, still hadn't quite grasped what was happening. Like the other onlookers, he murmured, turning back to Murong Piaoxue, "Girl, are you... a police officer?"

Murong Piaoxue smiled and said, "Sort of, Uncle Liu. I hope I didn't scare you. Those thugs were just too awful."

Only after confirming Murong Piaoxue was a police officer did Old Liu finally relax. He said, "No wonder that officer in the peaked cap saluted you. You must be a high-ranking official. Could you develop our village into a tourist area?"

Old Liu had been daydreaming all day. When he saw that Murong Piaoxue was actually an 'official', he suddenly remembered the tourist area and hurriedly brought it up with her.

Murong Piaoxue smiled and said, "Uncle Liu, you drive first. If we don't leave now, it'll get dark and we won't

be able to get back. We can talk about the tourist area after my sister's baby is born. Right now, I have to take care of my sister; I don't have time." Hearing Murong Piaoxue say this, Old Liu immediately realized that Murong Piaoxue was a high-ranking official, a very high-ranking official, someone who could get government officials to develop their village. He excitedly agreed and started the tractor to leave. Just then, a message came from the radio of the child playing with it not far from his tractor: "This station reports that yesterday, Ms. Xingye, the president of Tianya Group, was attacked by unidentified people in Lincheng. Fortunately, she escaped unharmed thanks to the desperate protection of several bodyguards. Upon returning to S City today, Ms. Xingye immediately announced that Tianya Group will invest in building the city's third five-star hotel. Since the former president of Tianya Group, Ye Tianya, became seriously ill and in a vegetative state last year, Ms. Xingye, who succeeded her as president, has invested in four hotels nationwide named 'Xingye'..."

420 The news struck

Murong Piaoxue like a thunderbolt, leaving her feeling as if her blood had frozen, her hands and feet turning icy cold, her mind going blank and momentarily unable to think. When she came to her senses, Old Liu's tractor had already driven far beyond the street corner. Murong Piaoxue suddenly cried out, "Uncle Liu, stop the tractor!"

Old Liu quickly stopped the tractor, and Murong Piaoxue jumped off and ran back. But when she reached the spot where the child with the radio had been, the child was nowhere to be seen. Murong Piaoxue collapsed to the ground, dazed, muttering to herself: "How could this happen? How could this happen? Captain..."

Old Liu saw Murong Piaoxue running back like a madwoman and thought she had lost something. He waited in the car for a while but she didn't return, so he quickly stopped the car and ran back. He found Murong Piaoxue sitting on the ground, muttering something about "Captain," as if she had lost her soul. He rushed over to help her up, saying, "Girl, what's wrong? Did you lose something?"

After being helped up by Old Liu, Murong Piaoxue finally came to her senses and hurriedly rummaged through her clothes, finally finding something that made Old Liu's eyes light up—a cell phone.

At this moment, Murong Piaoxue had completely forgotten Sima Ruyan's repeated warnings not to let anyone know they were there, and dialed Nangong Qian'er's number.

When asked about Ye Tianya's condition, Murong Piaoxue, who had been watching over Ye Tianya day and night with Ouyang Xin'er, cried and complained on the phone, "Piaoxue, where have you been? The captain has been lying in bed for almost a year, why haven't you come back?"

Murong Piaoxue was both heartbroken and anxious, and asked in a tearful voice, "What exactly happened? How could the captain become a vegetable? The captain has always been in good health, how could he suddenly fall ill?"

Nangong Qian'er recounted the whole story, and Murong Piaoxue murmured, "So it was Old Han, why did this happen? How could this be?" Murong Piaoxue still couldn't accept this fact; her beloved had been in a vegetable for seven or eight months and she hadn't even known.

"Where are you? Where is Sister Ruyan? Please come back quickly, the captain needs you right now. Don't hide anymore, okay?" Nangong Qian'er said on the phone, hoping to use this to call them both back to the ends of the earth.

Mentioning Sima Ruyan, Murong Piaoxue shuddered, suddenly remembering that she had reminded her to keep her whereabouts a secret no matter what. Tears welled in her eyes as she said helplessly, "Qian'er, please tell the captain we're sorry. Tell him Piaoxue's mission is almost over, and she'll be back to be with him in a month at most. Please take good care of the captain for us. Don't ask him anything. Goodbye, Qian'er."

Murong Piaoxue hung up the phone ruthlessly, turning back to look in the direction of the station. Her feet, almost against her will, were already walking in that direction. Liu Caihan saw the once dashing policewoman turn away... Kung Fu, still sobbing and distraught, was once again stunned. Seeing her walking towards the street, he quickly grabbed her, saying, "Girl, where are you going? Aren't we going back? It's getting late."

Murong Piaoxue was once again jolted awake by Old Liu's voice. How she longed to immediately take a bus back to S City! But she couldn't. She couldn't abandon Sima Ruyan in this small mountain village. She couldn't even tell Sima Ruyan about Ye Tianya at this crucial moment when her child was about to be born. If Sima Ruyan heard about Ye Tianya and something went wrong at this critical juncture, it would be a disaster. Ye Tianya's first child—she absolutely couldn't allow anything to happen to it.

"No...it's nothing, Uncle Liu, let's go back." Murong Piaoxue wiped away her tears with her sleeve after regaining her senses and walked towards the tractor, silently saying in her heart, "I'm sorry, Captain. Once your baby is born, Piaoxue will come back to be with you immediately. I'm sorry..."

Old Liu didn't know what had happened to this high-ranking official. He sat silently in the back, lost in thought. He wanted to ask several times but didn't dare to, thinking that he, a mere commoner, couldn't possibly understand the affairs of such a high-ranking official. If he asked too many questions and bothered the official, the development of the small mountain village into some kind of district would be abandoned, and that would be a huge loss.

For the first time, Old Liu personally drove the tractor to take Murong Piaoxue to the door of their small house. After all, she was an official. For the sake of the village's future prosperity, Old Liu drove the tractor steadily and carefully, treating her with great care. Even after Murong Piaoxue got out of the car, the old man still smiled and said, "Girl, if you need any help in the future, just tell me."

Murong Piaoxue turned around with a radiant smile and said, "I know, Uncle Liu. Grandma made some mushroom and chicken soup today. Come in and have a bowl before you go."

Old Liu was stunned once again when he saw Murong Piaoxue, who had been crying and silent all the way back from town, suddenly smiling brightly at his doorstep. He thought to himself, "She really is an official; she changes so quickly." He hoped she wouldn't forget about developing their village after such a sudden change. He dared not stay for the chicken soup, hastily waving his hand in refusal and turning to leave. Murong Piaoxue stopped him, took a pack of Hongtashan cigarettes from the large bag she had brought down, handed it to Old Man Liu, and whispered, "Uncle Liu, take these cigarettes. But whatever you see or hear today, don't tell my sister before her child is born, or I won't develop this little mountain village anymore, understand?"

Old Man Liu nodded hastily, "Okay, okay, I understand, I won't say anything, but… I can't take these cigarettes."

Sima Ruyan was in the courtyard. Inside, unable to move freely, he didn't come out and didn't know what Murong Piaoxue and Old Man Liu whispered to each other. However, seeing Murong Piaoxue handing cigarettes to Old Man Liu, he secretly felt gratified, thinking, "This girl is quite sensible. She's troubled Old Man Liu so many times; she should repay him in some way." So, he called out loudly in the yard, "Old Man Liu, please accept the cigarettes. They're nothing valuable, just a small token of our sisterly affection. We've troubled you so many times; we'd feel bad if you didn't accept them."

Old Man Liu then accepted them and hurriedly drove away. Murong Piaoxue, carrying her things... Xi skipped into the yard as if nothing had happened, smiling at Sima Ruyan, "Sister Ruyan, look what I bought! I bought several outfits for the little one. You know what, these little clothes are really pretty. We never wore such pretty clothes when we were kids."

Sima Ruyan, preoccupied with her unborn child, didn't notice Murong Piaoxue's deliberately hidden sadness. She jokingly teased Murong Piaoxue about her belly, "Baby, look how good your Aunt Piaoxue is to you! When Aunt Piaoxue is pregnant, Mommy will be very busy!" "Oh."

Murong Piaoxue blushed and spat, "Go away, I don't want to be pregnant. Like you, it's hard to even move while lying down, how uncomfortable is that? Let me tell you, the baby will have to call me 'Mom' after it's born. I'll just be a cheap mom for now, there will be many more babies calling me 'Mom' in the future, Qian'er's baby, Xin'er's baby, and Xiao Ye's baby... Oh dear, each baby needs a set, that's a huge loss for me. Don't underestimate these clothes, they're expensive. No way, I have to get pregnant too, and recoup all the money I bought for them."

Sima Ruyan chuckled and said, "You silly girl, you got pregnant just to recoup your losses? Hurry up and bring it inside. Grandma's dinner should be ready soon. Go wash up and get ready for dinner."

Murong Piaoxue said "Oh" and went inside, saying as she went, "Sister Ruyan, the hospital has been contacted. They want you to be admitted for observation at least ten days in advance. We'll go to the county in a few days. Oh, by the way, the doctor prescribed some prenatal medication for me. I'll give it to you later..."

Listening to Murong Piaoxue's chatter as she entered, Sima Ruyan felt a warmth in her heart, grateful to have such a good friend. Little did she know, Murong Piaoxue was trying to distract her and prevent Sima Ruyan from seeing the sadness in her heart.

No matter how well she disguised herself, she couldn't escape Sima Ruyan's eyes. At the dinner table, she suddenly became lost in thought again, and Sima Ruyan immediately noticed her preoccupation. She anxiously asked, "Piaoxue, what's wrong? Did something happen to you today?"

Murong Piaoxue jolted awake and hurriedly shook her head, saying, "No...nothing, don't overthink it."

The more nervous she became, the more certain Sima Ruyan was that something was wrong. She pressed her eyes close and said, "Piaoxue, what happened? Don't hide it from me, tell me quickly."

Murong Piaoxue... Just as Sima Ruyan was struggling to keep up with Murong Piaoxue's sharp eyes and was wondering how to respond, the only black-and-white television in the small house, which could only receive one local channel, started playing the evening news. This channel could only receive rebroadcasts of the evening news and local channels, and it was reporting on representatives from various regions coming to Beijing for a meeting. A thought flashed through her mind, and she quickly said, "It's nothing, I just saw the elections going on in the county today, and I was thinking Grandpa Han might be retiring this time."

Murong Piaoxue had always been adept at outsmarting her parents, and this little lie was flawless; Sima Ruyan didn't suspect a thing. Smiling, she said, "I didn't realize our little witch Piaoxue was concerned about national affairs."

Piaoxue immediately found a reason for herself, saying, "I'm worried that if the Fang family's power takes over, will Fang Hua become even more arrogant and harm our captain?"

Sima Ruyan was taken aback, then laughed, "Don't worry, who is our captain? Every time that Fang guy has met him, he's in deep trouble. What's the rush? Alright, alright, let's eat."

Murong Piaoxue secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but was still a little worried . The local news station will report on Tianya Group's hotel development in CQ City. Previously, we didn't hear about Tianya Group because they hadn't entered the area, but that's no longer necessarily true. After watching the news, Murong Piaoxue slammed the TV off, saying, "The announcements are so noisy! Sister Ruyan, don't let the announcements pollute our baby's ears."

Sima Ruyan remained unsuspecting, letting Murong Piaoxue lead her into the bedroom. She took the magazines Murong Piaoxue had bought that day and started reading, not noticing Murong Piaoxue leaving the bedroom to stare blankly outside.

421 Major Event

"Haven't they found out yet?" Old Han frowned at Long Tianxing. He still had the authority to mobilize resources to investigate, but after a while, he might not have the power to investigate anymore.

Long Tianxing smiled bitterly, "We've investigated some of the people Xiao Ye offended in the past, and all the clues point to one person: that grandson of the Fang family. However, there's no evidence. And at this crucial moment, if we openly investigate him without evidence, it could be accused of malicious pre-election attacks, or even trigger unrest by breaking the final barrier, which would be very detrimental to Lao Xu."

Old Han frowned even more deeply, pondering for a long time before looking up and saying, "It seems I really have to listen to you. We should make preparations. Later, I'll transfer the staff of the four great families to your department. Get ready to receive them. I'm going to see Lao Xu."

Seeing that Old Han had finally made up his mind, Long Tianxing smiled with relief, "You've finally decided. That's good. It's a pity Xu Keming and Long Shang were crippled by Bing Shuang; otherwise, more strength would provide more security." Long Tianxing's tone was filled with regret, but also with helplessness. He knew the tide had turned, and even if he wanted to help further, he felt powerless. At this crucial moment, everything had to be done with utmost caution; a small mistake could trigger a huge upheaval. Therefore, once he confirmed that Fang Hua was likely behind the attack on Xingye, he had no choice but to halt his investigation.

However, no matter how careful he was, the final result was still a helpless sigh. The biggest event in the country that year was the leadership election; some rose to power, and others fell. Old Han was one of those who fell, and because of his departure, the attack on Xingye was completely shelved and left unresolved.

However, since the failed attack on Xingye in Lincheng, no similar incidents have occurred. Although Elder Han was removed from his post due to the inability to recover the three lost satellites, Long Tianxing was unaffected. His powerful and loyal special team was someone any politician would only try to win over, not ostracize. Coupled with Long Tianxing's shrewdness in handling affairs, he remained stable and composed. It was precisely because of his stability and his relationship with Elder Han, coupled with his special attention to Ye Tianya and Xingye, and the fact that every leadership must pay close attention to the wealthy enclave of Haijiao Tianya, that the safety of the people there was guaranteed.

These changes did not hinder the rapid development of the Tianya Group.

In September, the Tianya Group announced the commencement of construction on the DL Xingye Hotel; in October, the Tianya Group

announced the completion and commissioning of the Tianya Laboratory at Huaxia University. The Bingtian Electronics Laboratory and the Chaoyue Software Laboratory simultaneously moved into the Tianya Laboratory. A biomedical laboratory jointly established with Huaxia University was also founded. The Tianya Group invested 800 million yuan in health product research. Of course, these are all things that are visible on the surface. Very few people know that Tianya Group secretly invested 3 billion yuan in a biological laboratory for AIDS prevention research.

How much money does Tianya Group actually have? Some people can't help but ask this question. Some have even done a small calculation for Tianya Group. Leaving aside the annual investment profits of Xueya Shuangye, just the Tianya Group's investment in the Haijiao Tianya residential complex alone, after deducting costs, averages over 2 billion yuan in net profit per building. One hundred buildings would amount to around 200 billion yuan. Add to that other projects like the development of the Lincheng Gymnasium, the Xingye Hotel which has been dominating the hotel industry since its opening, and Xingye Express which has captured a large share of the university and social markets, and the total assets of Tianya Group are at least 300-400 billion yuan. Some even jokingly commented online that Xingye could spend her whole life just throwing money around until she's 60. Even more malicious people drew cartoons online, implying that if Ye Tianya doesn't wake up, she shouldn't occupy the position and leave, so that others can have a chance to get close to the wealthy woman.

Xingye couldn't even muster the energy to care about what others thought. After finally attending the laboratory's completion ceremony, she dragged her tired body back, only to find Murong Piaoxue lying by Ye Tianya's bedside, staring blankly at him. Her eyes were red, clearly she had just been crying. Nangong Qian'er and Ouyang Xin'er were also there.

Seeing Xingye return, Murong Piaoxue couldn't help but choke up again, tears streaming down her face as she cried, "Xiaoye—"

Xingye stepped forward and gently hugged her trembling shoulders, softly comforting her, "It's good that you're back. I can feel you. Shuangjie said I'll wake up soon. Don't cry. You were with Ruyan, right? Where is she? Is she still unwilling to come back?"

Murong Piaoxue choked apologetically, "Ruyan... she doesn't know about the captain's accident. I only found out recently, and I didn't dare tell her..."

"Why? What happened to Ruyan? Where have you been all this time?" Hearing Murong Piaoxue say that she didn't dare tell Sima Ruyan, Xingye assumed something had happened to her and hurriedly asked anxiously.

Murong Piaoxue shook her head firmly and said, "I'm sorry, Xiaoye, Sister Ruyan is fine. She just didn't want to come back. To prevent her family from finding her, she went to a place with limited access to information. That's why we didn't know about the captain's accident. That place... she told me not to tell anyone. I can't say."

Xingye sighed helplessly, "Sister Ruyan has her own choice. We won't make things difficult for her, and we won't make things difficult for you either. Piaoxue, now that you're back, please don't leave again, okay?"

Murong Piaoxue nodded firmly, tightly grasping Ye Tianya's hand, and choked out, "I won't leave. I want to stay with the captain and wait for him to wake up."

Xingye smiled with relief, but at that moment, the white light on Ye Tianya's forehead shone brightly again. Murong Piaoxue was startled and looked up at Xingye with nervousness and confusion. Xingye smiled and said, "See, Piaoxue, your brother can hear you. He knows you're back."

"Really? It's true! Captain, Captain, can you hear Piaoxue's voice? Piaoxue is back, and I'll never leave again! Captain, please wake up and see Piaoxue..." Murong Piaoxue was so overjoyed that she was almost incoherent, making the hearts of those around her ache. However, seeing that the light on Ye Tianya's forehead was much brighter this time, everyone's hope grew even stronger.

※※※ ※※※ ※※※

Xingye focused all her energy on Ye Tianya, neglecting everything at the company. Lin Siyin had to shoulder the entire burden. After attending the lab's launch ceremony, Xingye returned to Haijiao Tianya, while Lin Siyin had to drive back to the company with Li Lanyu.

Qingfeng Building was as busy as ever, and the Qingfeng Group's security guards were as dedicated as ever, meticulously patrolling back and forth to ensure the building's safety. Lin Siyin felt secretly relieved. Although Ye Tianya had encountered trouble, thankfully the employees of both groups had performed admirably, and there hadn't been any major problems in the past year. Otherwise… she didn't dare imagine what would have happened if the employees had fallen into chaos.

Back in her office, Lin Siyin received the latest update from the hotel project team. Lu Tianfeng and his team had been in Guangzhou for a week. This team was arguably the most elite group at Tianya Real Estate. Lu Tianfeng's leadership and decision-making abilities, Luo Yang's smooth public relations skills, Li Zongming's engineering management skills, and Zhu Xingyuan's business negotiation skills were all top-tier within the company. However, in Guangzhou, the largest city in southern China, not only was land scarce and expensive, but competition within the industry was also fierce, and social relationships were extremely complex. Even Lin Siyin, who had always trusted Lu Tianfeng's team, couldn't help but pay attention to their trip to Guangzhou. That's why she requested Lu Tianfeng to report on the progress every two days.

However, the news that came back this week was not optimistic. Zhu Xingyuan, the strongest negotiator, had to take leave due to diarrhea caused by acclimatization issues after arriving in Guangzhou. It seemed that the relevant departments in Guangzhou were deliberately making things difficult for Tianya Real Estate, and the real estate and hotel industries were also interfering. Luo Yang, in charge of public relations, had spent a whole week negotiating with various sectors in Guangzhou, but without any progress. Compared to the progress made in other major cities, this was a complete failure.

Lu Tianfeng and several other key personnel had also tried everything, but the relevant departments always made excuses, and the reports for a week were all of no progress, which gave Lin Siyin a headache.

"Damn it, these guys in Guangzhou are deliberately making things difficult for Tianya Real Estate!" Li Lanyu, who was quite angry, said angrily after reading Lu Tianfeng's report.

Lin Siyin shook her head and smiled wryly, "This is normal. Any company going to a new place to open up a market will encounter this situation. There was a reason why Lu Tianfeng and others were so successful before, which was because Old Han, who had always been related to Tianya, was still around. Now it's different. Old Han has retired. This involves many changes in interests. You can understand that, right?"

Li Lanyu listened and lowered her head to think for a moment, then said, "Then what should we do? What do those bastards want in order to let Tianya Group develop in Guangzhou?"

Lin Siyin lowered her head to think for a moment, a resolute look flashing in her eyes, and said, "Wait. Let Lu Tianfeng and the others work hard for another week. If there is still no progress, or if those guys' shameless demands exceed the bottom line of Tianya Real Estate, then we will shift our target to..." "SZ City, that's a special economic zone. If we encounter the same situation there, hmph, we'll immediately set up an overseas development project team. Following Tianya's original plan, we'll expand our overseas business. As the saying goes, if one place doesn't keep you, another will. Since they're forcing us to invest overseas, don't blame us for being unpatriotic."

Li Lanyu's eyes lit up. "That's right, if one place doesn't keep you, another will. Hmph, I don't believe there's no place that welcomes Tianya Group's investment."

At that moment, the phone rang. Lin Siyin answered it, her serious expression turning to joy. "It's a call from home. Piaoxue is back."

Li Lanyu was slightly pleased, but then her face darkened again. "She only came after so long since Tianya's incident. How dare she..."

422 A Dire Situation

Hearing Li Lanyu's complaints, Lin Siyin quickly reached out to stop her, saying, "Xiaoyu, don't be like this. Maybe she has her reasons. No matter what, she's still family. You're making things difficult for Tianya. For the sake of this family, for Tianya's sake, can you please be more understanding?"

Li Lanyu pouted, feeling wronged, and said, "Am I not understanding enough? I thought that once I became an assistant, I could be with Tianya every day, but that bastard has been lying there for a year. Siyin, tell me... why are we so unlucky?" Li Lanyu couldn't help but sob as she spoke.

Lin Siyin quickly supported her, saying, "Alright, alright, I know you're suffering, but isn't everyone suffering the same way? Tianya knows, he'll make it up to you when he wakes up."

"Siyin, what if he really never wakes up?" Li Lanyu couldn't help but ask tentatively.

Lin Siyin's expression changed, and she said warily, "Xiaoyu, you... how could you have such thoughts? If you..."

Li Lanyu hurriedly shook her head and said, "No, no, I didn't have such thoughts, I was just asking."

Lin Siyin breathed a sigh of relief and said, "That's good. If you had such thoughts at this time, then we sisters might not be able to stay together. Since you asked, I'll tell you clearly: if he never wakes up, then I will wait forever."

Li Lanyu stared intently at Lin Siyin's resolute face, and suddenly felt a wave of shame in her heart, a shame of being inferior. She slowly looked away and turned back, saying, "I'm going to do my work." Lin Siyin

watched Li Lanyu's departing figure and couldn't help but sigh with worry, a sigh of helplessness.

The changes at the top had an impact on Tianya Group not only on the project team in Guangzhou, but also on other projects. The already operational Xingye Hotel was constantly subjected to various health and safety inspections, while Xingye hotels under construction in various locations encountered numerous obstacles, such as noise restrictions and the interception of imported materials. Although these issues were ultimately resolved because Tianya Group followed legal procedures without any problems, they still delayed project progress, resulting in significant losses for each project.

Lin Siyin sensed that someone was deliberately targeting Tianya Group, and she immediately suspected the Fang family was behind it. However, she felt powerless; all the inspections and restrictions were legal. For example, the delay in inspecting imported materials wasn't illegal; the authorities hadn't done anything wrong, just deliberately stalled the process, which couldn't be used as evidence of illegality. The increasing pressure only strengthened Lin Siyin's resolve to expand overseas.

Ding Junfeng feigned illness and hid for over ten days, feeling it was time to step forward. His deliberate departure from the team had only one purpose: to make them suffer in Guangzhou, then, with the help of someone behind the scenes, easily resolve the matter. His goal was to prove to Lin Siyin, Gu Letian, and others that Tianya Real Estate couldn't function without him.

However, just as he recovered and returned to the team, Xingye appeared at Tianya Group for the first time, bringing with her news that greatly relieved and invigorated the pressured Lin Siyin: she had obtained the design plans and renderings for fifty stadiums of different sizes and styles. This meant that the invitations extended to Tianya Group from various countries could now be accepted. She had originally planned to expand Xingye Hotel overseas, but unexpectedly, a truly major overseas project appeared at this opportune moment. Lin Siyin herself couldn't help but marvel at how fate had intervened.

After receiving the design plans, Lin Siyin immediately called Lu Tianfeng in Guangzhou, instructing him to cease all work in Guangzhou and return to S City to prepare for the establishment of an overseas project team.

Ding Junfeng was extremely anxious upon hearing this. He secretly regretted that he had gone too far and pushed the unyielding Lin Siyin to the limit. As expected, she was about to give up. However, once she went overseas, without the help of that mysterious person, he would not be able to produce any business. His chance to enter the highest level of Tianya Group might be cut off forever. How could he not be anxious?

When Lu Tianfeng announced Lin Siyin's decision, he was the first to stand up and say, "Team leader, we can't just give up like this. If we give up now, all our efforts here for more than a week will be wasted."

Lu Tianfeng said helplessly, "What else can we do? Continuing to waste time is also a waste, and more efforts will be wasted. Those guys in Guangzhou are all ruthless and heartless. Tianya Real Estate isn't going to starve without this business. Also, you may not know this yet since you just returned to the team, but Tianya Real Estate is encountering various problems with its projects across the country. Think about when these problems started? They started after this election. That's why President Lin decided to develop overseas business first. And there's something else you don't know: the reason President Lin made this decision is because she got the design drawings for the stadium."

"Really? President Lin got the design drawings?" Ding Junfeng's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately felt that there was no room for maneuver. But he was still unwilling to give up, because once he gave up this opportunity and went overseas, he would never have another chance. He said with a face full of resentment, "Even if we get the design drawings, it won't be a quick process to set up an overseas project team. Besides, President Lin didn't say that the Starry Night Hotel project team would be disbanded. We can't just give up like this. Our hotel project team is not one to give up easily, is it? Team leader, please ask President Lin for two days. If I can't secure the GZ project within two days, I hope Zhu Xingyuan will give up completely. I beg you."

Ding Junfeng spoke with sincerity, and his resentment was completely genuine. He was truly unwilling to give up, unwilling to lose the last opportunity. His words, "Our hotel project team is not one to give up easily," ignited the passion of Lu Tianfeng and the others. Lu Tianfeng gave Ding Junfeng an approving look and said, "Good, Zhu Xingyuan is right. We can't give up easily. I'll call President Lin right now and ask her to give us two more days."

Ding Junfeng nervously watched Lu Tianfeng call headquarters. When he heard that Lin Siyin had approved their efforts for the final two days, Ding Junfeng almost jumped for joy. Having received permission, Ding Junfeng immediately got to work, writing a name on a piece of paper and asking, "Has anyone contacted this person?"

Lu Tianfeng and the others glanced at it and shook their heads. Ding Junfeng smiled and said, "I haven't been idle these past few days at the hospital. I've reviewed a lot of relevant information, and I've discovered that this person is the key to this project. He's our former superior and subordinate. Although he's retired now, his influence shouldn't be underestimated. You've all been busy for days. I'll handle this task today. Just wait for my good news."

Lu Tianfeng couldn't help but praise, "Well done, Xiao Zhu. President Lin's decision to bring you into the project team was truly the wisest one. I think we should let Luo Yang go with you."

'Really? The wisest?' "That's the most foolish thing to do," Ding Junfeng sneered inwardly, but outwardly he hurriedly said, "No need, I can manage by myself. Brother Luo, help me prepare some materials. We'll go see that supervisor who's been playing games with us ever since I got back." Of course, Ding Junfeng didn't dare let anyone travel with him; otherwise

, his secret would be exposed. Luo Yang was a smooth talker and naturally knew that Ding Junfeng wanted to steal the credit. Although he was unhappy, he was helpless, since he hadn't made any progress after more than a week. He nodded in agreement and stayed to prepare the materials for Ding Junfeng.

S City, Qingfeng Building, Tianya Group Headquarters.

"Sister Siyin, you agreed?" Xingye asked.

Lin Siyin nodded and said, "Just two days. Lu Tianfeng said Zhu Xingyuan has returned to the team. Zhu Xingyuan is indeed a genius in business negotiations. I hope he can achieve something. After all, the market in Guangzhou is the largest in the country, and we will have to go there to work sooner or later. If this is successful, it will be a good thing."

Xingye just nodded without saying anything, copied the design drawings into Ye Tianya's president's office computer, and had Lin Siyin set three passwords before saying, "Siyin, I'm leaving the design drawings with you. This office of yours is the safest. Just come and get them when you need them. Thank you for all the work here."

Lin Siyin smiled and said, "Xiaoye, why are you being so polite with me? Leave everything to me. You take good care of Tianya and take care of my share too, okay?"

Xingye held Lin Siyin's hand and nodded solemnly, "I will. Oh, by the way, Piaoxue mentioned something to me when she came back..." "She came across a place that's perfect for developing into a tourist area. The local government had tried to develop it, but the project was shelved after funds were embezzled. She brought back some information and suggested we set up a tourism development company to develop that place."

Lin Siyin thought for a moment and said, "How about this, I'll go back and look at those documents tonight, and we can discuss it further. However, our group is currently facing some trouble in China; someone is deliberately targeting us. Even if we were to set up a tourism development company, it can't be registered under our Tianya Group for the time being. We'll discuss this further when we get back tonight."

Xingye didn't seem surprised at all by the troubles Tianya Group was facing. Instead, he said something that shocked Lin Siyin: "Sister Siyin, I've asked Brother Hu to prepare some materials to allocate shares in Xueya Shuangye and Tianya Real Estate. Sister Shuang, Sister Xue, you, and I will each hold shares. The documents should be delivered soon; please sign them."

"What?" Lin Siyin looked at Xingye in surprise, but then, realizing Xingye's purpose, asked in astonishment, "Xiaoye, you're planning to list both companies?"

Xingye nodded and said, "Yes, the current situation is unfavorable for Tianya Group. To be on the safe side, we should avoid using our current funds. Overseas development requires a large amount of capital, so I want to list these two companies that meet the listing requirements to raise funds."

423
Lin Siyin sighed softly as she recommended him for the second time , saying, "If it's just a temporary measure, I'll sign this. But the other sisters need to know about this, and I need to sign another document stating that the shares

will still be in your name after the IPO. Otherwise... I won't sign." Xingye knew that Lin Siyin was doing this entirely to maintain harmony within Tianya Real Estate. If only she benefited, the others would definitely have some reservations. However, Xingye couldn't distribute the shares of the two companies too widely, as that would be detrimental to the company's stability. So, she nodded and said, "Alright, as you say. Then, while setting up the overseas project team, let's also prepare for the IPO. Hopefully, we can announce the development of overseas business after the company goes public, as that will benefit the company's stock price."

Lin Siyin nodded and said, "I know that. Leave it to us. President Gu is an expert in this area; I can get his help without any problem."

Tianya Real Estate and Xueya Shuangye were preparing for their IPOs.

When Lin Siyin announced this news, everyone in the conference room showed surprise, including Gu Letian. However, after the surprise, they all showed excitement. However, as a professional, Gu Letian's first thought was about the conditions for listing, and he spoke first: "President Lin, both companies are wholly owned by President Ye, and it seems that the conditions for listing are not yet met."

Lin Siyin nodded and said: "Xingye has already made preparations for this. The shares of the two companies will be distributed to four people: Miss Xingye, myself, and two other people closest to President Ye. Now we are not considering this issue, but rather that our Tianya Group's industries in various regions are encountering unprecedented obstacles. Does anyone have any countermeasures?"

Lin Siyin's words caused everyone to exchange bewildered glances. Lin Siyin knew what they were thinking: the equity distribution between Tianya Real Estate and Xueya Shuangye. Their immediate concern was who the other two people besides Lin Siyin and Xingye were. Lin Siyin's acquisition of shares in Tianya Group was undeniable; no one in the entire Tianya Group dared claim greater merit than her. But what about the other two? How many shares would they receive?

However, Lin Siyin had already stated that this wasn't the topic of discussion, so no one dared to bring it up. After exchanging knowing glances, Zhao Ziliang spoke up: "Based on recent indications, I've done a preliminary analysis. Our pressure comes from certain government departments. Since the leadership reshuffle, our projects across the country have encountered various problems. I think… we can't fight fire with fire; we can only avoid it."

Gu Letian's face darkened. "From the perspective of the mainland's economic development, I don't think the top leadership is foolish enough to target Tianya Group. I personally believe… it's just a group of people at the top targeting Tianya Group, and they're doing it covertly." "The others at the top are manipulating things behind the scenes to deal with us. We can only temporarily hide and find out which force is targeting us."

Lin Siyin sighed and said, "Then let's hide. We'll slow down our domestic development and expand our business overseas. Does anyone have any good suggestions or opinions?"

Qiao Yi asked, "What are our goals for expanding overseas? Continue expanding the hotel plan?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Siyin smiled and announced another exciting piece of news: "I've obtained the design plans for fifty stadiums. Tianya Real Estate's overseas expansion plan can be implemented."

Hearing about the stadium design plans... Everyone's faces lit up with surprise. Luo Shunqing then spoke up, "I propose that if our hotel project is implemented simultaneously, it will be easier to negotiate hotel-related matters while we're building stadiums for various countries—a win-win situation."

Gu Letian smiled, "That's a good idea. If we miss this opportunity to contact relevant high-level departments in various countries, it will be much less efficient to try again later."

Lin Siyin smiled, "If everyone agrees, then the overseas expansion is settled. All departments will assist the planning department in developing the plan. Now, let's discuss the company's listing. Mr. Gu, you're an expert in this area; you'll take the lead..." (The text abruptly ends here.

) While the group's top management was strategizing for the company's IPO, in a luxurious villa in City B, a young man with a gloomy face sneered, "Overseas development? Trying to escape? Hmph, Lin Siyin, do you think I'll let you get away? Design plans? Design plans? I'll make sure all your plans fall apart!"

After saying this, the young man revealed a sinister smile, made a phone call, and said, "Arrange for Xu Zhiqiang to come see me."

After hanging up the phone, the young man picked up the documents in front of him, which clearly stated 'Xu Zhiqiang, male, 28 years old, PhD from the United States...' The young man glanced at them, and his gaze finally stopped on the line 'Lin Siyin's first love, CEO of Tianya Group...'

Seeing this, the young man laughed and muttered to himself, "Lin Siyin, I'm giving you a lot of face, you know. Look, I've even brought your first love back. Shouldn't that keep you here?"

Lin Siyin was unaware that the decision made by the Tianya Group's higher-ups was already known to others. After work, she went up to the third floor to see Ye Tianya, had a friendly chat with Murong Piaoxue, and then led her into the study on the second floor. Xingye, Nangong Qian'er, and Ouyang Xin'er also went in with Yang Ying. After reviewing the information Murong Piaoxue brought back, everyone agreed that the small mountain village she mentioned had great development potential. However, the problem lay in who to send to develop it. The Tianya Group was facing unprecedented trouble, preparing for both an IPO and overseas expansion, and simply couldn't spare the manpower. Furthermore, because the Tianya Group was being targeted, the travel company couldn't be affiliated with the Tianya Group; they needed to find a trustworthy person to establish it. Who should go?

All the women focused their attention on Murong Piaoxue, partly because she knew the place well, and partly because she had made the suggestion.

Seeing everyone staring at her, Murong Piaoxue quickly shook her head, saying, "No, I won't go. I want to stay with the captain."

Lin Siyin sighed, "Piaoxue, Tianya knows how much you love him, and he'll be very happy. But right now, Tianya needs us to work together to develop the Tianya Group, to add luster to his business, and to do what he can't do while he's asleep, understand? Because of the preparations for the IPO and overseas expansion, we simply can't send any trustworthy people right now. If you don't go, this tourism development plan will only be empty talk."

Lin Siyin's words seemed to touch a nerve in Nangong Qian'er, who was always by Ye Tianya's side, and Ouyang Xin'er, who had fully recovered. The two exchanged a glance, and Ouyang Xin'er spoke first, "Piaoxue, go! Qian'er and I will go help you. We'll fight together again. When the captain wakes up and sees how much we've done for him, he'll be very happy."

When the phrase "fighting together" entered Murong Piaoxue's mind, she suddenly thought of Sima Ruyan in the mountain village. Sima Ruyan was alone with her child, hiding in that remote little village. If she could do this job, the four sisters could reunite and fight together, and they could also take care of Sima Ruyan and her child.

Murong Piaoxue was moved. After hesitating for a moment, she finally nodded. Xingye and Lin Siyin exchanged glances and smiled with relief. Yang Ying also nodded approvingly at the three girls. Of course, they had no idea what Murong Piaoxue was thinking. They probably never imagined that Ye Tianya already had a child, and that a large part of Murong Piaoxue's agreement to go was to take care of Ye Tianya's first child.

Having made her decision, Murong Piaoxue didn't delay any longer. She worried that if she delayed, Sima Ruyan would quietly leave after the child's one-month celebration. Although the three girls were reluctant to part with Ye Tianya before leaving, they resolutely dragged their luggage away. However, Lin Siyin was right. At this moment, what Ye Tianya, lying there, truly needed was not their daily company, but to do more for him during this time when he was unable to move or speak.

The day after Murong Piaoxue, Nangong Qian'er, and Ouyang Xin'er left, news came from Guangzhou about the latest progress made by Lu Tianfeng and his team. Lin Siyin hadn't held out much hope that Lu Tianfeng and his team would secure the Guangzhou hotel project in the extra two days, but two days later, a result that surprised everyone in the Tianya Group's upper management arrived: Zhu Xingyuan had actually won the entire project.

When she received the news, Lin Siyin was presiding over the group's weekly meeting. Lin Siyin herself had to admire Zhu Xingyuan's ability; he had found the most important breakthrough point. Almost everyone in the conference room gave positive feedback on Zhu Xingyuan's performance. Tong Jiale, who was attending the meeting, was the first to speak, suggesting, "President Ye once said that our group only values ability, not seniority. I think we should give this talent an important position."

Gu Letian smiled and said, "Of course, of course. It was Manager Tong who suggested transferring Zhu Xingyuan back to headquarters last time, right? Recommending such a talent deserves a lot of credit. But... where in the group would Zhu Xingyuan be most effective?"

Zhao Ziliang, Luo Shunqing, Qiao Yi, and the others remained silent, as they couldn't possibly give up their positions to Zhu Xingyuan. So everyone turned their attention to Lin Siyin.

Lin Siyin remained silent at this moment, instead glancing at everyone and saying, "I'd like to hear everyone's opinions."

Seeing that no one spoke, Tong Jiale naturally understood what the managers of the various departments at the company headquarters were thinking. He hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Since no one is saying anything, I'll add one more thing. As things stand, if headquarters isn't planning to establish a new company, then having Zhu Xingyuan participate in Tianya Real Estate's overseas project team would be the greatest opportunity to utilize his abilities."

424 First Love

Tong Jiale's two recommendations of Zhu Xingyuan were not surprising to Gu Letian and Lin Siyin. After all, Zhu Xingyuan was quite capable; his performance during the recent trip to Guangzhou was so impressive that even Luo Yang was impressed. This was something that everyone in the group's senior management had to admire, and Lin Siyin and Gu Letian had no reason to reject Tong Jiale's recommendation. Qiao Yi, however, jokingly said to Tong Jiale, "Manager Tong is really taking special care of Zhu Xingyuan. It seems our group's two dark horses are kindred spirits."

A flicker of panic crossed Tong Jiale's eyes, but he relaxed when he saw that Qiao Yi was just joking. He half-jokingly replied, "Sitting here in this meeting, with all of you renowned masters and seniors, I feel a lot of pressure sitting here alone. Bringing in someone younger than me helps balance things out."

Everyone thought they were joking and laughed it off. But no one knew that Tong Jiale felt a chill down his spine as he walked out of the meeting room; he was covered in cold sweat.

Having resolved the issues in Guangzhou, Lin Siyin was in a good mood. She and Gu Letian chatted and laughed all the way back to her office. Just as they reached the office door, her secretary stood up and said, "President Lin, a Mr. Xu just called and wants to see you. He said his name is Xu Zhiqiang."

Upon hearing the name Xu Zhiqiang, Lin Siyin trembled as if struck by lightning, her face turning deathly pale in a split second. Seeing her like this, the secretary couldn't help but ask anxiously, "President Lin, what's wrong? Are you alright?"

Lin Siyin snapped out of her daze and forced a smile, saying, "I'm fine. Turn him down. I won't see him."

"Yes!" the secretary replied, but inwardly she was filled with unease. Who was this Xu Zhiqiang that would elicit such a reaction from the CEO?

Lin Siyin entered her office, leaned against the door, and tightly closed her eyes. Xu Zhiqiang—that sunny boy, that talented student council president, her first love, the first love who disappeared without a word. Now he had suddenly reappeared, and Lin Siyin's composure was completely disrupted. Memories long buried in her mind surged forth like a tidal wave: the sunset at dusk, the encounter in the bright Huaxia Library, the rainy night, the figure waiting foolishly with an umbrella at the entrance of the teaching building, the bright midday, the humorous and witty conversation by Red Maple Lake…

Lin Siyin tried hard to shake her head, trying to force herself not to recall, but it was, after all, her first love, a memory that no one could easily forget.

Lin Siyin painfully opened her eyes, wanting to quickly immerse herself in work to numb herself from the memories, but after sitting back at her desk, her gaze habitually drifted to the photo frame next to the computer monitor. The white figure in the photo frame struck her like lightning once more, leaving her feeling icy cold. Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably. She clutched the frame to her chest and buried her face in her hands, sobbing, "I'm sorry, Tianya, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have thought about it, I shouldn't have thought about it, I'm sorry, please forgive me..."

A knock on the door interrupted her sobs. She quickly put the photo frame of Ye Tianya back, pulled out a tissue to wipe away her tears, and composed herself before looking up and saying, "Come in."

The secretary entered, carrying a large bouquet of roses

, smiling broadly. "Ms. Lin, these are from the florist, ninety-nine roses. Where should I put them?" When Lin Siyin saw the flowers, her gaze shifted from the photo of Ye Tianya in the frame on the table, and her heart calmed considerably. She forced a smile and said, "Let me see the card."

After the secretary handed her the card, Lin Siyin immediately glanced at the signature and, seeing the name Xu Zhiqiang, looked up at the secretary and said, "Throw the flowers away. From now on, if any more flowers are delivered, don't bring them in; just throw them away."

"This... okay, Ms. Lin." The secretary hesitated for a moment but still went to carry out Lin Siyin's order.

Lin Siyin glanced at the card, which contained a few short sentences: 'My parents forced me to leave without saying goodbye. I had no choice. I was wandering overseas, thinking of you every moment. I want to see you, Siyin. My phone number is...'

'What a great excuse, Tianya, what do you think?' Lin Siyin suddenly smiled charmingly, looking at Ye Tianya's photo and muttering to herself, 'Even if this isn't an excuse, it seems he's too late. He probably doesn't even know that she's already yours. You little rascal, you'd better wake up soon. If you don't, hmph, I might run off with someone else.'

If the secretary were there and saw Lin Siyin's emotions change so quickly, she would probably be shocked. The personality displayed by a woman who combines infatuation with rationality is truly beyond the comprehension of ordinary people. And the infatuation under absolute rationality is even more incomprehensible to ordinary people.

For two consecutive days, Lin Siyin had her secretary throw away two more bouquets of roses, but the florist seemed undeterred. On the third day, another flower was delivered, this time by a different person. The deliveryman's tone was also different; he said to

the secretary, "I'm sorry, our customer requested that we personally deliver the flowers to President Ye this time." The secretary had no choice but to lead the deliveryman into Lin Siyin's office.

However, as the man entered, the secretary saw Lin Siyin, who was busy behind her desk, look up and drop her pen with a clatter. She looked at the person she had brought in with surprise. Turning around, the secretary saw that the deliveryman had removed his hat, revealing a handsome, refined face, and his eyes were gazing at Lin Siyin with tender affection. The secretary immediately realized her mistake and nervously called for security, but Lin Siyin stopped her with a gesture, saying, "That's none of your business, get out."

Knowing she had made a mistake… The secretary, realizing her mistake, hurriedly and carefully withdrew. Lin Siyin then smiled and looked up at the flower deliveryman who had entered, saying, "A PhD who studied abroad has returned to China and is now a flower deliveryman? Isn't that an insult to foreign education? Long time no see, Chairman Xu."

Xu Zhiqiang's excitement and tenderness were somewhat softened by Lin Siyin's calm tone, but he still said excitedly, "Siyin, you...you still won't forgive me? Please let me explain?"

Lin Siyin smiled calmly, "Explain? At this point, do you think it's still necessary?"

Xu Zhiqiang was somewhat... He said excitedly, "It's necessary, I know. You don't have a boyfriend yet, you're waiting for me, right? I know you're waiting for me, Siyin, please let me explain. To stay with you and not leave school, I fought with my family. My parents practically forced me onto the plane. I didn't have a chance to tell you, and when I called you later, you had already left school..."

Lin Siyin interrupted Xu Zhiqiang, calmly chuckling, "You don't need to explain anything to me. If you really think I'm not having a boyfriend because I'm waiting for you, then it just means you don't understand me at all. I'm sorry." "I have a boyfriend. Even if I didn't, it wouldn't be possible for us. If there's nothing else... Thank you for the flowers, I have to go to work."

Xu Zhiqiang said with a look of disappointment and resentment, "Siyin, isn't there any room for negotiation? You clearly don't have a boyfriend, why did you lie to me?"

Lin Siyin remained calm and smiled, "Yes, there's no room for negotiation. My boyfriend is very good to me. I'm very busy. If there's nothing else, I won't see you off." As she spoke, Lin Siyin picked up the photo frame on the table and gently wiped it with tenderness, clearly telling Xu Zhiqiang that she had a boyfriend.

Xu Zhiqiang was utterly disappointed. He listlessly put the flowers down and said, "I know I left without saying goodbye. I have no face to ask for anything more. I just hope... even if we can't be friends anymore, we can still be classmates. I know you're busy, I won't bother you. I'll wait for you at a bar called 'Wenqing' on LJ Road after work this afternoon. If we can't even be friends or classmates, you don't have to come..."

Xu Zhiqiang left dejectedly, leaving Lin Siyin with an endless sense of loss.

The composed smile on Lin Siyin's face froze the moment he closed the door after he left. How many people can remain composed when facing their first love? Unless they are cold-blooded and heartless, but unfortunately, Lin Siyin is not.

Clutching Ye Tianya's photo tightly to her chest again, Lin Siyin felt a pang of sadness. She knew Xu Zhiqiang's words weren't entirely excuses, and she knew his family had opposed their relationship. But regardless of the truth, it was all over. She didn't hesitate, though a pang of reluctance lingered when she saw Xu Zhiqiang's dejected figure as he left. Taking Ye Tianya's photo out again, Lin Siyin stared blankly at the white figure in the picture and asked softly, "Tianya, did you see him? Do you think I should go? I think maybe being friends is still possible. If you wake up, will you agree to let me go?"

Lin Siyin ultimately went. The bar was crowded, but quiet, with a serene and natural atmosphere. Especially the woman greeting customers—Lin Siyin always felt inferior to her, not in height, but in taste. She admired the woman's refined taste; both her serene black attire and the bar's tranquil atmosphere made Lin Siyin feel inferior.

She was also somewhat surprised that Xu Zhiqiang had found such a good place. After looking around, Lin Siyin found Xu Zhiqiang and sat by the window. When Lin Siyin saw him, he was tilting his head back and drinking the wine in his glass in one gulp. He raised his hand to order another drink, but then he saw Lin Siyin already at his table.

After a slight pause, Xu Zhiqiang, already slightly tipsy, revealed an excited expression: "I thought... you weren't coming."

Lin Siyin smiled calmly: "No matter what, we're still classmates, aren't we?"

Xu Zhiqiang smiled dejectedly and gestured for Lin Siyin to sit opposite him. After sitting down, Lin Siyin noticed a disk on the table and asked in confusion, "What's this?"

425 Seamless

Xu Zhiqiang still smiled dejectedly: "I'll tell you later, let's order drinks first."

At this moment, the woman whose taste even Lin Siyin admired walked over, her smile surprisingly serene: "Miss, what would you like to drink?"

Before Lin Siyin could speak, Xu Zhiqiang preemptively said, "She likes Blue Moonlight..."

"No—" Lin Siyin interrupted Xu Zhiqiang: "I don't like it anymore, just give me a glass of champagne, do you have any?"

Champagne? Yun Shuiqing was slightly taken aback; she wasn't quite used to it yet. Before, when the bar was called "Heartless," people came to drink to drown their sorrows, and she didn't need champagne at all. Luckily, she had prepared two bottles when she changed the bar's name. She smiled slightly and turned to pour champagne for Lin Siyin. Xu Zhiqiang, having taken it upon himself to order drinks for Lin Siyin, was interrupted by her and awkwardly said to Yun Shuiqing, "Give me two more bottles of whiskey."

Lin Siyin didn't stop Xu Zhiqiang but smiled and said, "As a classmate, I still want to remind you to drink less to avoid harming your health."

Xu Zhiqiang smiled bitterly, "I'm very happy you came today. Although you said we're still classmates, I really..." "I really can't let go, Siyin, listen to me... So many years..."

Lin Siyin interrupted Xu Zhiqiang again, saying, "If you think drinking a couple more bottles will help you let go, don't worry, I won't try to persuade you. I came here today just to say that between us... no matter whose fault it was, it's all in the past. We're still classmates. From a classmate's perspective, I hope you can pull yourself together. This is my bottom line, and I hope you understand."

Xu Zhiqiang shook his head painfully, "No... I can't let go, Siyin, please give me another chance, okay? This disk in front of you contains my voice diary from all those years I spent wandering abroad. I thought about you almost every day. If you don't believe me... you can take it and listen to it..."

"I'm sorry..." Lin Siyin picked up the disk and handed it back to Xu Zhiqiang, saying, "It's not necessary anymore. Whatever's on this disk doesn't matter anymore. Just pretend we're not meant to be."

~?~?~?~?~

Yin Chao had lost count of how many times he had come to the Heartless Bar, because he had made it a habit, a habit that didn't require counting the number of times. He'd even gotten so used to it that he hadn't noticed the bar's name had changed from 'Heartless' to 'Love Inquiry'.

He still didn't know the woman sitting behind the bar's counter, and he was used to not knowing her name, because their unspoken understanding didn't require them to know each other's names.

It was Wednesday again. Yin Chao had been busy all day with his colleagues in the software lab at Huaxia University, only to realize it was already past closing time when he came out. He usually went to the Heartless Bar every Wednesday afternoon to quietly reflect on things, but today he'd been so busy he'd forgotten the time, and thinking the bar wouldn't be quiet by now, he hadn't planned to go.

However, as he drove past the bar, he glanced at it, and that one glance made his heart sink slightly. He screeched to a halt and stared intently at the bar's floor-to-ceiling windows. Because he saw someone, someone who shouldn't be there—Lin Siyin, and he saw her handing a disk to a handsome man.

Little did Yin Chao know, in the car in front of him, a camera lens was rapidly snapping photos of Lin Siyin handing over the disk.

Yin Chao almost doubted he was seeing things. He looked up, and the bar was still the same, only the name had changed to "Wen Qing" (问情), with the large name followed by the inscription "What is love in this world?"

Business? But this place was definitely not for business. Few knew the type of people in this bar better than Yin Chao. Even with the name "Wen Qing," the word "love" in the name suggested that Lin Siyin's presence here was unusual, unless she was with Ye Tianya. But the person sitting opposite her wasn't Ye Tianya, because Ye Tianya couldn't possibly be here.

"Have they changed their minds?" The thought suddenly startled Yin Chao. Ye Tianya was in trouble, and all his shares had been handed over to Xingye. All the women in Haijiao Tianya seemed fine on the surface, but were they truly unaffected? Yin Chao asked himself. If Lin Siyin and the others really had other ideas, wouldn't leaving now be the most plausible reason?

Yin Chao didn't dare think any further. He was afraid that if he kept watching, he would rush in and confront Lin Siyin. But he lacked the courage and the right. Lin Siyin had done so much for Ye Tianya without any official status or recognition, yet in the end, for the sake of the Tianya Group, it was he who advocated putting all the assets under Xingye's name. Lin Siyin had every reason to change her mind. Not to mention her, Yin Chao was certain that if he were in her shoes, he could completely understand her relationship with another man under these circumstances. But Yin Chao was afraid that he wouldn't be able to tolerate this, wouldn't be able to forgive Lin Siyin for betraying Ye Tianya. Lacking the courage to rush in, he could only quickly drive away.

Not far from the bar, Yin Chao suddenly remembered the disk Lin Siyin had handed to that person. A chill ran down his spine, and he quickly turned the car around and drove back to the bar. Looking through the glass window, he saw that the spot had changed; Lin Siyin and the handsome young man were gone. Yin Chao immediately picked up his phone and dialed Lin Siyin's number. After only two rings, Lin Siyin's voice came through: "Yin Chao, what's up?"

Hearing the sound of brakes, Yin Chao knew Lin Siyin was driving when she answered. He asked, "Sister-in-law, you haven't gone home yet? Are you driving?"

Lin Siyin chuckled on the phone, "Yes, I just finished meeting up with a classmate from university and I'm heading back. Where are you? At home? At the company?"

Yin Chao laughed, "I'm still on the street too. I just came from the lab at Huaxia and am heading home. Hmm… I'm near Nanjing Road right now. I suddenly remembered… Brother Hu said you're preparing to list two companies. How's the preparation going? Do you need my help?"

Lin Siyin exclaimed, "LJ Road? I just came from there. The IPO is being prepared urgently. President Gu is an expert in this area, so there's no need to trouble you for now. But if you need anything, you won't be able to run away. By the way, Yin Chao, there's a nice bar on LJ Road with a great atmosphere. I think it's called 'Wenqing'. That place isn't suitable for me, but luckily my classmate invited me there, so I had the chance to experience the proprietress's taste. If you have time, you can check it out. The taste and atmosphere there are top-notch."

"Oh, even Sister Siyin praised it. I have to go and see. I've been busy with the new project lately and haven't been able to help, but I'm done today. If Sister Siyin needs anything regarding the IPO, just let me know. I'm going to go check out that bar now." After hanging up the phone, Yin Chao couldn't help but laugh at himself. He was being a bit too neurotic. Now that he thought about the IPO, he remembered that Xingye had actually intended to allocate shares to Lin Siyin, but she had secretly returned them to Xingye after signing a separate document. If Lin Siyin truly had ulterior motives, why would she return it to Xingye? Thinking this, Yin Chao secretly rejoiced that he hadn't rushed in to confront Lin Siyin. Otherwise, he would have been incredibly embarrassed.

Relaxing, Yin Chao pushed open the car door and stood at the entrance of the 'Wenqing' bar. Looking at the bar, now renamed, he couldn't help but feel a slight surprise and a touch

of nervousness. He was nervous about whether the area behind this door had changed, whether it had a new owner, and whether his usual table was still there. With a mix of nervousness and trepidation, Yin Chao went inside. Seeing that everything inside was unchanged, he finally relaxed. Yun Shuiqing,

who had just placed a glass of red wine for a table of customers, stood up with a smile but froze on the spot, for she saw the person who had disappointed her all afternoon. Every Wednesday afternoon, she subconsciously waited for Yin Chao, only to be disappointed sometimes. Like today, she hadn't seen him all afternoon and kept glancing up at the corner. But she never dreamed that after looking there all afternoon, she would see him at the door.

"I'm sorry, I'm... late today,"

Yun Shuiqing said with a slight, natural smile. "It's alright..."

It was a very calm exchange, a tacit understanding, so tacit that Yin Chao didn't even consider why he had inexplicably said "late." He seemed completely unaware that he hadn't made any appointment with Yun Shuiqing. How could he be "late"? Yun Shuiqing also didn't realize that there was anything wrong with Yin Chao's words, nor did she realize that her response, "It's alright," was also problematic.

Yun Shuiqing led Yin Chao to the "reserved" seat in the corner. When Yin Chao saw the "reserved" sign and looked disappointed, she removed it and, seeing his increasingly surprised expression, gestured for him to sit down.

Just then, more people entered through the door, and quite a few of them. Yin Chao didn't sit down; instead, he took the nameplate from Yun Shuiqing and placed it back on the table. He glanced at the new guests and whispered to Yun Shuiqing with a smile, "Let me help you, it's free!"

The word "free" made Yun Shuiqing laugh, but she couldn't help but exchange a deep look with Yin Chao. They both remembered that Yun Shuiqing always added "free" when pouring drinks for Yin Chao.

Just as Yin Chao hadn't refused her free drinks before, Yun Shuiqing hadn't refused his "free" help. Smiling, she handed him the drink menu. But just as Yin Chao walked towards the two tables of guests, a commotion erupted at the door, and Yun Shuiqing's face instantly turned extremely pale…

Forbidden Fruit 426 The

chaotic scene at the bar originated from a group of thugs. These guys entered and started shouting without any restraint. Yin Chao frowned. It wasn't unusual for thugs to be in a bar, but what he liked most about it was its tranquility. The arrival of these noisy thugs was an insult to the peaceful atmosphere. However, since he wasn't the owner, he didn't say anything. He turned to look at Yun Shuiqing, only to see her already approaching the group, coldly asking, "Brothers, I remember I've already paid you this month's wages. Please don't cause trouble here, okay?"

One of the thugs, clearly the leader, wearing a floral shirt, gave Yun Shuiqing a lewd look and said, "This month? This month we only collected wages from one place called 'Heartless Bar,' I know. We don't think we went to 'Heartless Bar' again, do we? We always keep our word."

"You..." Yun Shuiqing's face turned pale with anger. Yin Chao immediately understood what was going on. He put down the drink menu, walked over, and whispered to Yun Shuiqing, "Let me handle this. You go and greet the guests."

Yun Shuiqing gently shook her head, not wanting Yin Chao to get involved. But when she looked back and saw the look in Yin Chao's eyes, she felt a strange sense of relief. She gave him a strange look, nodded, and turned away.

Seeing Yin Chao appear, the man in the floral shirt grinned maliciously and said, "What? You're the proprietress's backer?"

Yin Chao smiled and deliberately said loudly, "No, I'm just a customer here. It's just that your presence here makes me feel like I'm lowering my standards by associating with trash like you. I'm very unhappy that you're disturbing my enjoyment. What do you suggest we do?"

Yin Chao's words clearly resonated with the other customers in the bar. Everyone looked up expectantly at how things would unfold.

"Oh ho, another noble person. Brothers, people are asking. What do you suggest we do?" The man in the floral shirt chuckled and turned to ask his gang.

The group of thugs knew their leader's temper; they knew he was about to lose his temper. Even if their leader hadn't, Yin Chao's words were enough to enrage them. One of them reached out to grab Yin Chao's collar, but Yin Chao smiled and easily brushed the thug's hand away, saying, "I haven't had a fight in a while. It seems a bit restrictive here. How about we find somewhere to have a proper chat?"

Seeing Yin Chao so casually brush the attacker's hand away, the man in the floral shirt's face changed slightly, his sinister smile turning cold as he said, "Friend, a man can have a lot of money, a lot of women, but getting into trouble isn't a good thing. Don't go looking for trouble."

Yin Chao still smiled: "Friend? I don't like being friends with thugs who demean themselves. I don't want to get into trouble either, but some people just like to..." "Looking for trouble, you've come to disturb my enjoyment." Yin Chao said, swaggering out the door. His composure and calmness intimidated the group of thugs, who involuntarily made way for him. Reaching the door, Yin Chao turned back and sneered, "What? Afraid to come out? Scared? If you want to collect protection money, you'll have to see if you can protect this place."

The man in the floral shirt's face darkened. He probably still thought that Yin Chao's casual pull was definitely not from an ordinary person, but his brothers, unable to withstand Yin Chao's provocation, had already started jeering. As the leader, he couldn't lose face. He coldly snorted, waved his hand, and led his men out, standing at the bar entrance, saying, "Kid, you're asking for it. Don't blame us brothers for ganging up on you." With a shout, the group of thugs charged at Yin Chao.

Yin Chao smiled coldly, and with a whirlwind kick, three of the four or five thugs fell, stopping them in one move. The man in the floral shirt already sensed that Yin Chao was no ordinary man, and now he was even more certain that he and his group were no match for him. He said somewhat timidly, "You're strong, but you've offended us. Our boss, Black Hawk, won't let you get away with this."

Yin Chao was slightly taken aback, then asked coldly, "Black Hawk?! Black Hawk from the Blue Palace?!"

The man in the floral shirt nodded, "It's good that you know. If you know what's good for you, you'd better not cause any more trouble. Let's pretend today's events never happened; maybe we can even become friends."

Yin Chao snorted coldly, ignoring them, and directly pulled out his phone to dial the Blue Palace's number: "I'm looking for Brother Black Hawk… Who am I? I'm Yin Chao."

Upon hearing this, the man in the floral shirt's expression changed drastically. He exchanged a glance with his men and tried to slip away, but Yin Chao blocked their path with a whirlwind step, staring coldly at them. The men, feeling the cold gaze and recalling the impressive whirlwind kick from earlier, couldn't help but tremble. Then Yin Chao said somewhat disgruntledly, "Brother Black Hawk, this is Yin Chao. I ran into some protection money collectors on LJ Road. They said they were your brothers. I want to know what happened... Okay, then I'll trouble you. I'm fine, I just taught them a lesson. Okay, bye!"

Yin Chao hung up the phone. The thugs were already pale with fright. The reason why Shadow Spy could gather information so effectively in various places was largely due to these lowest-level thugs as their informants. Of course, Shadow Spy couldn't control these hooligans in other places. Instead, the intelligence chiefs in various places used the thugs under other people's control as part-time informants by offering them money. But in S City, in addition to highly professional intelligence personnel, Shadow Spy also controlled a large number of local underworld members. This was not only to fight against the former Green Dragon Gang, but also to ensure the existence of its headquarters. Since Ye Tianya avenged Night Owl and destroyed the Green Dragon Gang, and Black Hawk and his men swallowed up the Green Dragon's territory, Shadow Spy had become the largest force in S City.

Unfortunately, due to Ye Tianya's decision, Black Hawk began developing high-end entertainment venues, gradually handing over the underworld business to several of Night Owl's former trusted henchmen. Unbeknownst to them, these henchmen, driven by profit, began to outwardly comply with Ye Tianya's designated leader while secretly plotting against him, slowly attempting to control the underworld. Now, with Ye Tianya's troubles, these guys have even more justification to break free from Black Hawk's control and establish their own system. They've even started causing trouble under his name, and unfortunately, Yin Chao stumbled upon it.

Everyone directly controlled by Shadow Spy knew Ye Tianya, and those who knew Ye Tianya were likely aware of his brother, Yin Chao. That's why the man in the floral shirt panicked and tried to escape when Yin Chao called Black Hawk and gave his name. Now that Yin Chao had finished the call, the thugs were watching him cautiously, worried he might unleash another flying whirlwind kick.

Yin Chao didn't make another move, but coldly said, "Get lost. If I see anyone here collecting protection money or causing trouble again, I'll cripple them all!"

Regardless of whether Yin Chao could keep his word, the man in the floral shirt led his gang of thugs and scrambled away. He was in a hurry to get back to their district boss and report the mess they had made, because he knew that Black Hawk would soon come to confront their true boss.

Black Hawk was furious upon receiving Yin Chao's call. As an intelligence officer, he was well aware of the actions of his key henchmen in charge of the S City underworld, but he hadn't taken any action. Partly because those men had risked their lives for Night Owl, and he didn't want to go too far with them, and partly because he was busy with club affairs and hadn't had time to deal with them. But this time, they were using his name to commit crimes, and targeting Ye Tianya's best friend no less! How could he not be enraged?

In the past, Black Hawk would call them to meet at a certain place for anything. This was the first time he had come in person. Seeing that all of Night Owl's men had surprisingly gathered, along with a crowd of thugs standing around, Black Hawk couldn't help but sneer, "Well, everyone's here. Looks like not only you guys are all here, but you've brought quite a few brothers too. Fifth Brother, are you going to explain this to me in front of the brothers?"

The man called Fifth Brother stood up. He was a burly man with a face that looked like it had the words "gangster" written all over it. "Black Hawk, we knew you were coming. I don't want to explain anything. We're just gathered here to ask you, are you going to let us live?"

"Oh, why wouldn't I let you live?" Black Hawk asked coldly.

Old Five snorted and said, "We're not allowed to touch drugs, we're not allowed to have sex with women, and now you want to interfere with protection money too? Are you trying to drive us to the brink of despair?"

Black Hawk coldly replied, "The ban on drugs was stipulated by the Night Owl Gang leader back then. The ban on having sex with women only prohibits forcing women into prostitution, that's what Leader Ye Tianya said. He didn't stop anything else. Although Leader Ye Tianya also said that protection money is forbidden, that's because he's never been in the underworld and doesn't know the survival rules. I've pretended not to see you collecting protection money all these years, but you've gone too far. You're collecting protection money again just because the Heartless Bar changed its name? Are you short of money? Where does the money that flows into you from Qingfeng Group and Blue Palace every month go? Where does the casino revenue go? I want you to give me a reason!"

Old Five was speechless and looked at the other three people next to him. These three were also the heads of the other three districts. The man on the left, with a beard and a scar on his face, spoke up: "Damn it, just say it, what kind of reason do you want? We were all the same back then." "You risked your life for the gang leader, and now you've latched onto the new leader. You've mobilized funds from our various districts to build a high-end club, becoming its manager. You're riding high, all clean, and you don't want any more trouble in the underworld, so you dump everything on us. But why do you still interfere in underworld affairs? We risked our lives together back then, so why are you superior? Why are you the boss?"

Black Hawk said coldly, "All of this was decided by the successor designated by the Night Gang Leader. What guarantees did you make when you swore to support the new leader?"

At this moment, the thin, gloomy-looking man on the far side of the four spoke up, "That's right, we swore to support the new leader back then, but where is the Night Gang Leader now? The Night Gang Leader said he wouldn't allow protection money collection, but who can guarantee he hasn't changed his mind? Who can guarantee he'll object to the brothers collecting protection money again? As far as I know, the gang leader can't even move now, let alone speak. So, is your coming here to interrogate us also on the gang leader's orders?"
427 A Swift and Decisive Approach

Black Hawk was enraged, a fury from the depths of his heart. Yet, Black Hawk's anger usually grew calmer with each passing moment. He coldly chuckled, "So... you're planning a rebellion?"

"It's not that simple. We just hope that from now on, we'll go our separate ways. You can be the manager of your high-level club, and we'll go our own way, each of us unrelated. We absolutely won't interfere with what you do in the Blue Palace, and we ask that you not interfere with what business we do in the underworld." This was the last of the four to speak. Black Hawk's lips curled slightly. He wasn't used to smiling, but when he did, it sent chills down one's spine.

The resolute voice rang out: "Then I tell you with certainty, before the leader Ye Tianya woke up, what he said was the rule. Anyone who disagrees and wants to go it alone is welcome, but not within the territory controlled by the leader. Otherwise, don't blame me for showing no mercy!" Black Hawk finished speaking and glared coldly at the fifth brother who had spoken first, saying, "Hand over the people who caused trouble at the Heartless Bar today!"

The four men hadn't expected Black Hawk, who had only brought about ten men, to be so assertive in front of their dozens. After exchanging glances, the fifth brother sneered: "Hand them over? On what grounds? My own men are none of your business, Black Hawk. Shouldn't you consider the strength you have? What are those intelligence agents in your Shadow Spies lineage? We'll still show some consideration, of course, only if you take your men and get out of here now and never cause trouble again!"

After the fifth brother spoke, the three men beside him waved their hands simultaneously, and the forty or fifty men who had been standing guard suddenly surrounded them, their gleaming machetes pointed at Black Hawk and his men, leaving only one path for them to leave.

Black Hawk still smiled calmly, glanced back at the dozen or so men he had brought, and said coldly, "Execute the traitors! Those who resist will be killed without mercy!"

A dozen or so men roared in unison, their thunderous "Yes!" startling the surrounding thugs, most of whom only knew how to feign intimidation. Before they could react, the dozen or so men Black Hawk had brought had already pounced on their four leaders. Several thugs who stood in front of the four, trying to show their loyalty, resisted, but with a snap of their necks, they collapsed listlessly to the ground. The crisp sound of the necks breaking immediately frightened most of the charging men. Many of these men, though skilled in fighting, had never actually killed anyone. Seeing Black Hawk's men effortlessly end several lives, seeing their long, protruding tongues and the blood flowing from their orifices as they fell, some began to sneak away. Most retreated, while a few moved closer to the four leaders, wanting to protect them.

The four men were equally terrified by the sheer strength of the dozen or so unassuming men Black Hawk had brought. They screamed hysterically within the protective circle of their loyal henchmen, "Kill them! Kill them! Damn it, have you rebelled?"

Black Hawk coldly smiled, staring at the four men, a murderous glint in his eyes. He uttered a chilling word that sent shivers down their spines: "Kill!"

The dozen or so men pounced like death itself. They were like professional killing machines, every move seemingly practiced solely for killing. The gleaming machetes were utterly useless against them. Within seconds, a dozen men had fallen, lifeless. They had never imagined that Night Owl's dozen or so men would defeat their four leaders, who had left them no way out. Now cornered and unable to escape, some of the thugs protecting the four finally realized that further resistance would only lead to death. As another man who had made the same choice fell, sticking his head out, one of them finally gave in, his legs buckling, and he knelt on the ground, begging for his life.

"Useless bastards!" The fifth brother was furious. Almost simultaneously with the other three, he drew his pistol and fired at Black Hawk. But as soon as he raised his gun, Black Hawk had two silenced pistols in his hands. He fired two bursts in each hand, and everything stopped with four loud thuds as the men fell to the ground. Only Black Hawk's cold laugh rang out: "Looking for death! Anyone else want to betray the boss's rules?"

"Boss, we won't dare, we won't dare!" As soon as the four leaders were killed, the thugs all dropped their weapons. It was a joke; even if there were a few others with guns, they didn't dare to draw them again. Everyone knew that Black Hawk of Shadow was a famous dual-wielder and had a nickname they dared not call "Quick Gunner." Thinking of how he had instantly killed four usually imposing underworld bosses with just two shots, these men couldn't help but feel a chill. Looking at the dozen or so men who had stopped and were staring at them with cold eyes, they didn't dare to breathe loudly. How could they dare to step forward?

"Very good. From today onwards, business at casinos, nightclubs, dance halls, bars, and other similar establishments will continue as usual. The positions of those who died will be filled by their deputies, who will then report directly to me. The rules set by the leader will also remain unchanged. If a similar situation is discovered today, there will be no mercy!"

Black Hawk finished speaking and glanced around coldly, saying, "Where is Fifth Master's deputy?"

"Boss... Boss, I am Chang San, Fifth Master's deputy. Please give your orders, Boss," a young man who was already terrified stepped forward, his whole body still trembling. Black Hawk looked at his pathetic appearance and felt a surge of disgust. He coldly said, "I want one hand from each of the five people who went to the Heartless Bar to collect protection money again today. Do you know what to do?"

"Yes... yes... yes..." Chang San hurriedly and cautiously responded.

From Black Hawk's appearance to the killing and his departure, it was less than ten minutes. His swift and decisive actions terrified all the gang members under the control of Shadow. Although Black Hawk didn't want to resort to such a high-pressure method, Ye Tianya's continued unconsciousness gave these ambitious men an excuse. Trying to appease them with kindness was impossible; the situation could only spiral out of control. Therefore, before coming to confront them, he had received news that the four leaders had gathered together and had already made preparations, bringing out his most elite team, trained using the exquisite killing techniques Ye Tianya had given him. Things went as he expected, and his ten-man team lived up to expectations, achieving an absolute deterrent effect.

Yin Chao, of course, was unaware that his phone call had triggered an internal power struggle within Shadow. The bar's customers had all left, and as he put the last pair of glasses back on the bar, Yun Shuiqing, who was tidying the liquor cabinet behind the counter, came out, held up two empty glasses and a bottle of red wine, smiled at Yin Chao, and then walked towards Yin Chao's favorite corner.

The 'Reservation' sign was still on the table. The two sat down, and Yun Shuiqing naturally took the sign and placed it under the table. She and Yin Chao said in unison, "Thank you!"

After a slight pause, they both laughed, then said in unison again, "Why are you thanking me?"

Another pause, then another in unison: "You go first!" After

three times of unison, the third pause left them both silent, looking at each other quietly. Finally, Yun Shuiqing spoke first: "Thank you for helping me today."

"Thank you for this reservation sign!" Yin Chao took the sign from under the table and looked at Yun Shuiqing earnestly: "Was this sign placed for me?"

Yun Shuiqing's face showed a slight awkwardness as she said, "Sort of, because I haven't found anyone who understands this corner better than you."

Yun Shuiqing's words seemed to be avoiding something, as if telling Yin Chao that she placed the sign only because he could feel the tranquility here, not because of him personally.

Although Yin Chao had no romantic feelings for Yun Shuiqing, he couldn't help but feel disappointed upon hearing these words. However, he still smiled slightly, raised his glass to Yun Shuiqing as a gesture, poured it into his mouth, closed his eyes, and slowly swallowed it.

Yun Shuiqing looked at the expression on Yin Chao's face as he closed his eyes, knowing that he had truly savored the flavor of her wine. She poured the liquid from her glass into her mouth, the mild, sweet and sour taste still so intoxicating that she couldn't help but close her eyes gently, just like Yin Chao...

When she opened her eyes again, the seat opposite her was empty. The person who had spoken in unison with her three times was gone. Yun Shuiqing, however, seemed unsurprised, smiling as she cleared away the glasses and bottles on the table and closed the shop door...

※※※※※※※※※

After Ye Tianya's accident, Tang Qin was transferred to Lin Siyin's office as a secretary. These days, she was busy with the listing of two companies under the group, and with a new, serious, and decisive boss, Tang Qin no longer enjoyed the leisurely work she had in Ye Tianya's office. After working overtime for an hour, she finally finished typing the documents Lin Siyin had assigned her, and Tang Qin let out a long sigh of relief. She tidied up the table and prepared to leave.

But at the elevator, she bumped into Zhu Xingyuan, the company's most popular guy who had been pursuing her sister. When there were no projects, Zhu Xingyuan's regular position was Deputy Director of the Business Department. Tang Qin greeted him with a formal smile, "Director Zhu, are you getting off work so late?"

Zhu Xingyuan smiled and said, "Tang Qin, it's not working hours now. Just call me by my name or call me 'Big Brother.' I left work a long time ago, but I've been waiting for you here."

"Waiting for me? Waiting for me for what?" Tang Qin's face flushed red again, almost involuntarily.

Seeing Tang Qin's innocent and alluring blush, Ding Junfeng couldn't help but feel a sudden jolt. However, his desire for revenge was too strong, so he composed himself and smiled, "I need your help with something. Could we... talk?"

Tang Qin hesitated for a moment, then nodded, still blushing, "Okay... but..."

"But you're still hungry, right? I know. Come on, consider it your future brother-in-law treating you to dinner." Ding Junfeng said this so naturally, without a hint of embarrassment.

Tang Qin blushed and said, "What future brother-in-law? Don't you know how to be embarrassed? Tell me, what do you need my help with?"

Ding Junfeng smiled and said, "Let's go to the restaurant for dinner, and I'll tell you while we eat."

Tang Qin hesitated for a moment but still followed Ding Junfeng into the elevator.

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