Xu Mu noticed the look in Jiang Huihui's eyes. Could it be that she'd met Meng Wanyue before?
That didn't make sense. Jiang Huihui, as a cleaner, mainly operated domestically, while Meng Wanyue mostly worked overseas.
"Xu Mu! You really piss me off, you know that?"
Hands in her pockets, Jiang Huihui spoke in a flat tone.
Xu Mu blinked in confusion. "When did I ever offend you?"
Pop!
Before he could finish speaking, the bubble Jiang Huihui had just blown suddenly burst.
In the blink of an eye, she appeared right in front of him.
Her hands were still in her pockets, but one long leg whipped toward Xu Mu's shoulder.
Seeing this, Meng Wanyue instantly stepped forward and raised her arm to block.
Boom!
The courtyard trembled.
Meng Wanyue managed to parry the kick, but she stumbled back several steps before steadying herself.
"Wanyue, are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
Still in her office uniform and heels, she quickly kicked off the shoes and fixed her wary gaze on Jiang Huihui.
"Jiang Huihui, are you crazy?" Xu Mu snapped, frowning.
"Just joking. I didn't notice before—you've got a pretty strong fighter beside you," she said casually, blowing another bubble before glancing at Meng Wanyue. "Which faction are you from?"
"She's with the Xu family, of course."
Xu Mu slipped an arm around Meng Wanyue's shoulders. "I saved her life once. She stayed to be my bodyguard."
"At your level, make sure you register with the Sanitation Department when you have time," Jiang Huihui said faintly.
"The what department?" Xu Mu feigned ignorance.
"This woman should know. If not, I'll take you both there when we meet in Yang City later," Jiang Huihui replied, glancing at Meng Wanyue.
"She won't get hurt, right?" Xu Mu asked.
"Of course not. Registration is actually a form of protection," Jiang explained. "When I take you there, someone will give you a full briefing."
"Alright then."
Xu Mu turned and cupped his hands politely toward Wei Jingzhi. "Old Wei, we'll take our leave."
"Alright. That girl's method was wrong, don't be angry. She meant no harm."
Wei Jingzhi chuckled, taking a sip of goji tea.
"I'm not bothered."
Xu Mu shook his head. "Wanyue, let's go."
She slipped her heels back on and followed behind him.
Once they'd gone, Wei Jingzhi laughed. "You little rascal, that was a bit much—who starts a conversation with a flying kick?"
"I did it for his own good. A top expert suddenly appearing at his side—who knows her motives?" Jiang Huihui said evenly. "That's why I attacked Xu Mu, not the woman."
Wei Jingzhi smiled. "Clever girl. If she's willing to reveal herself and protect him, it proves she means no harm. Otherwise, her intentions would be suspect."
"Exactly. Judging from her reaction, she really was protecting him," Jiang Huihui nodded.
"And if she hadn't stepped in? Even holding back, that kick would've nailed Xu Mu," Wei Jingzhi asked.
"Then he'd deserve it! I've looked into his background—beating him up would be letting him off easy."
Jiang Huihui pouted. Still, she knew Xu Mu hadn't committed any real crimes. Otherwise, she wouldn't have bothered with him at all.
Xu Mu and Meng Wanyue got into the car together.
She looked at him apologetically. "Mnager Xu, I embarrassed you back there."
"Embarrassed? You protected me just now!"
He grasped her wrist. "Your arm—does it hurt?"
[Favorability +10]
"No, I'm fine."
Her heart warmed, and she shook her head lightly.
"Let's go straight to Yang City then. I'll drive this time." Xu Mu smiled.
Along the way, he asked about the Sanitation Department. He knew quite a bit of the story's plot, but his presence had already altered events.
"That woman's probably a cleaner," Meng Wanyue said softly, glancing at him before looking away. "You can think of cleaners as law enforcers within the martial world—maintaining order."
"I see. And what did she mean by registration?" Xu Mu asked.
"They record martial artists—take photos, draw blood samples. It helps them handle cases more efficiently," she explained. "But most strong practitioners don't register—it's too easy to leave evidence behind."
Xu Mu nodded thoughtfully.
Yang City.
Xu Mu drove to the Xu Group's branch office on the outskirts of the city, near the border with Jiang City.
The highway trip took about an hour and a half. After exiting, a short two or three kilometers brought them to their destination.
For years, the Yang City branch had been bleeding money. To keep it running, Xu Shou had moved several industries from Jiang City—but it still hadn't revived. Labor costs in Yang City were higher, and the branch hovered on the brink of closure.
Today, however, the main gate looked different—decorated with red banners and huge balloons.
Xu Mu and Meng Wanyue got out and walked toward the building. Off to one side, a long line had formed—it was a recruitment queue.
To cut costs, they had been downsizing for years. But things were different now.
With the Weight-Loss Pill's massive potential, their current staff wasn't enough.
Xu Shou was even preparing to expand overseas—to make foreigners pay for slimming down.
"Dad!"
Xu Mu entered the building and saw Xu Shou chatting with the branch managers.
"Brother Xu," the managers greeted hurriedly.
This man again—life's about to get difficult for us.
After the Yang City branch failed, Xu Mu hadn't shown up for ages. Now that he'd regained influence, here he was again.
"There's nothing for you here right now," Xu Shou waved him off. "Go enjoy yourself."
"Alright, it's almost noon anyway. Wanyue and I will grab lunch."
He nodded and left with her.
Meanwhile, near the recruitment line, a mature woman in a black uniform watched Xu Mu's departing back.
Her blouse buttons were pulled so tight they looked ready to burst at any moment.
It was none other than Li Yun, Zhao Yingying's mother.
"Li Yun, what are you staring at?" asked another uniformed woman beside her—short-haired, thin, around the same age, though her heavy makeup couldn't match Li Yun's natural beauty.
"Oh, that back looked familiar, that's all."
Li Yun turned back with a smile.
"Forget him. Just remember to smile more later. The supervisor I know personally is handling recruitment," the short-haired woman said. "Big companies rarely hire women over thirty-five—they're making an exception for us."
As they talked, a slightly overweight man in a suit approached from a distance, balding and about fifty years old.
"Brother Wu, over here!"
The short-haired woman waved eagerly.
The man grinned as he came over—but the moment his eyes landed on Li Yun, he froze.
Well, well, he thought. What a lucky day… I've struck gold.