After settling the matter with Zhao Yicheng’s mother, life returned to its peaceful routine: going to work, eating, getting off work—almost a perfect example of the three-point-line life of the working class.
I thought the days would continue in this peaceful way. However, as fate would have it, calm was once again shattered by unforeseen storms.
On this day, the sun was shining brightly in an office on the top floor of Zhao Corporation Tower.
“What’s up?”
Xu Yinsheng took off her gaming earbuds and turned to look at Zhao Yicheng at the neighboring desk, his face clouded, gripping a file so tightly his fingers were curled, eyes flickering with a cold and gloomy light.
“Did someone die in your family?”
She couldn’t help but ask.
Zhao Yicheng glanced over, and Xu Yinsheng sensibly shut her mouth. She then watched as he “gently” crumpled the document in his hand into a ball of waste paper and tossed it into the trash can.
“It’s nothing. Just had a deal stolen.”
“That’s perfectly normal.” Xu Yinsheng pouted, putting her gaming headset back on: “Market regulation, free competition—this is what the Huayuan Federation advocates. If you ask me, you shouldn’t always look so glum. Someone who didn’t know better might think the company’s gone bankrupt.”
“You finance people, isn’t it all about nerves? Learn from Alpha Stock, falling every day, dropping for years without ever hitting bottom, but the experts are always full of confidence, bragging about buying the dip, all talk but never actually doing much.”
Xu Yinsheng adjusted her earbuds and clicked to start the game.
A dazzling 10v10 screen unfolded before her eyes. Qian Kun—the most popular game in the Huayuan Federation for the past five years. Pay-to-win, grind-heavy, but still highly playable.
Xu Yinsheng used to have a fully maxed-out account, but unfortunately, with her identity erased, her account was automatically canceled, and her top-tier gear along with her Unrivaled Title was all for nothing.
“By the way, what kind of deal was it?”
“Land.”
“Who stole the deal from you?” “A real estate developer.” “Then that’s even more normal.”
While Xu Yinsheng typed furiously, she kept making sarcastic comments.
“Your company’s main business is finance. The other side is real estate, plain and simple. Losing the deal is normal. How could you even compete…”
“The other side even owes their construction workers’ wages. Just based on that, I can’t compete with him.” “Cough, cough, cough.” Xu Yinsheng was instantly choked up, and even her typing faltered.
What a scumbag boss! Xu Yinsheng cursed in her heart. Daring to withhold wages? Do they really think Huayuan Federation’s labor laws are just for show? Is this boss and his construction team foreign or something?
Even though she thought this, Xu Yinsheng had no intention of seeking justice. Right now, she was like a clay idol crossing the river—barely able to protect herself, let alone meddle in others’ affairs.
After two matches, about an hour passed. She finally ranked up from Secret Silver to Fine Gold, set down her earbuds, and stood up to stretch.
She picked up her teacup and walked to the hot water dispenser to make herself a cup of instant milk tea.
At that moment, Zhao Yicheng, who had been standing by the floor-to-ceiling window making a call, hung up and looked at Xu Yinsheng, who was sipping her milk tea: “There’s still hope for the deal.” “What now?” Xu Yinsheng asked, baffled.
“I got word—the other side’s delivery person hit an old man with their car while crossing the street. They’re tied up dealing with the dispute and won’t be able to reach the landowner for a while. As long as I get to the landowner first and sign the contract, I can snatch the deal back.”
As he spoke, Zhao Yicheng fished out the crumpled paper from the trash can, quickly printed out a new, identical contract, and stamped it with the company seal.
“I can’t help but feel like you’re taking advantage of someone’s misfortune.”
“The other side’s people broke my delivery guy’s leg last time just to buy themselves time, and that trick worked. The landowner changed his mind.”
“Are business battles nowadays really this simple and brutal?” Xu Yinsheng couldn’t help but complain.
“Should I turn into a Magitech Automaton tonight and slip into the other boss’s office through the air ducts as a liquid robot and pour hot water on their money tree?”
Zhao Yicheng said nothing. He just stuffed the contract into a file folder, tidied his appearance in the full-length mirror, then grabbed Xu Yinsheng and headed straight for the elevator.
Xu Yinsheng was startled as he pulled her along: “Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing?” “Leading by example, hands-on.”
Zhao Yicheng had the contract in his left hand and Xu Yinsheng in his right, striding confidently into the elevator.
Underground parking lot.
Shoved into the passenger seat by the man, Xu Yinsheng couldn’t help but roll her eyes.
This guy… really sees me as the little secretary who tags along with the CEO every day.
She had just grabbed the seat belt when her left hand was suddenly caught by Zhao Yicheng’s right. She turned to see him holding a ballpoint pen, the tip pressing onto a piece of freshly-torn white tissue, the tear marks still visible.
“Spirit Pen Xu Yinsheng, will I run into sabotage from the competition if I deliver the contract in person this time?”
The pen tip quivered. Blood-red characters appeared on the white tissue, each stroke clear…
Getting the answer he wanted, Zhao Yicheng released her, buckled up, dropped the handbrake, and the engine roared to life!
The black Bentley shot out like an arrow from a bow!!
Tianlin City, in a shadowy corner of a street near Zhao Group’s new district.
A young man with dyed blond hair was leaning against his heavily modified motorcycle, smoking a cigarette. Suddenly, his phone rang with a heavy metal rock ringtone. He answered:
“Zhugo, there’s movement from the other side.”
A subordinate’s voice came through: “Judging by the car, it looks like their boss. Is it a trick? Should we follow?”
The young man, called Zhugo, crushed his half-smoked cigarette on the ground, exhaling a cloud of thick smoke: “Follow!”
Vroom! Vroom! Vroom!!!
Dozens of motorcycle engines roared to life, low and harsh.
From every dark corner surrounding Zhao Corporation Tower, modified motorcycles emerged, ridden by youths with hair dyed in all sorts of colors, all around sixteen or seventeen years old—school age—some with earrings, some in leather boots, or wearing all kinds of weird jackets.
They all had one target.
The million-yuan black Bentley on the road!
The Bentley, as if aware of its situation, deliberately turned down a deserted street, seemingly trying to escape pursuit.
But it could never outpace those heavily modified motorcycles.
Minutes later, as the buildings faded into the distance, the Bentley pulled into a small grove, quickly surrounded front, back, and sides by a swarm of brightly-colored motorcycles, forced to a halt.
The racing boss of the Wolf Hammer Gang, Zhugo, rode his trusty bike, cigarette dangling, a crowbar stained with dried blood slung over his shoulder.
He politely knocked on the car window, preparing for a “cordial conversation”—the etiquette of the underworld.
If the other side willingly rolled down the window, he would cordially “advise” them, then make them submit to his dominance and offer up some cash.
If the other side refused, the crowbar in his hand would “cordially greet” both them and their car.
The employer’s request was just to block the target. While he was at it, Zhugo planned to grab a little extra for himself—perfectly reasonable.
Seeing the window slowly roll down, the killer-hipster youth named Zhugo was already feeling smug, as if a pile of crisp green bills was waving at him. He was already planning which foot spa to visit tonight.
However, he failed to notice that behind the window, something black and menacing was being exposed to the cold air.
The next second.
Bang!