Just by her face, Cao Yang immediately felt a sense of familiarity. The moment she spoke, he remembered who she was.
He greeted warmly, extending his hand:"Hello, Miss Diana. Long time no see."
"Oh my—so you remember me! Can you give me a little hint?"
They shook hands, yet Diana still couldn't recall exactly who Cao Yang was.
Cao Yang smiled broadly."Hong Kong."
"Oh! Oh my god, I remember now! You were Miss Hu Qing's bodyguard."
"How did you end up in Nanluo? Is Miss Hu Qing here as well?"
Diana was curious. Nanluo Kingdom was extremely closed-off; it was rare for foreigners to enter.
"No, my sister-in-law isn't here. I'm just visiting relatives," Cao Yang explained.
"Relatives?"
"Yes." Cao Yang gestured to Cao Tailin and introduced him."This is my great-grandfather."
"Oh my god! You must be General Cao! It's such an honor to meet you."
Diana enthusiastically extended her hand to Cao Tailin. Prior to coming, they had researched the Nanluo Kingdom thoroughly and understood the elder's influence. He was arguably the second most powerful figure in the nation.
The oilfields they intended to exploit were within the Cao family's territory. The king was the first hurdle; the elder was the second.
Cao Tailin smiled and nodded, but didn't shake her hand.
"Xiao Yang, catch up with your friend. I'm a bit tired; I'll head back first," he said, leaving Cao Yang and Diana some privacy.
Watching his retreating figure, Diana asked,"Why would someone with such powerful relatives be working as a bodyguard in China?"
Cao Yang shook his head with a smile."That's a long story. I'm actually more surprised that you, Miss Diana, remember me from just a brief encounter."
"Of course. You're the most handsome Asian man I've ever seen, and so skilled. Naturally, you left an impression."
"But just now, you didn't recall me?"
"Haha, don't worry about such details," she said with a laugh.
"Have you settled down in Nanluo now?"
"Not really." Cao Yang shook his head."I've been in the U.S. lately, working for Miss Situ."
"Really? Why didn't Miss Situ mention you?"
Cao Yang rolled his eyes inwardly. "Why would she?"
He changed the topic."Are you here to survey the oilfields?"
"Yes," Diana nodded."The reserves in Nanluo are enormous, but we're not sure if we can secure them."
She gestured to the survey group. It wasn't just her team—there were groups from several countries and companies.
"I remember you were an investment banking manager. Why…"
"I'm no longer at Goldman Sachs. I've moved to ExxonMobil and am now an executive," Cao Yang replied with a smile and a nod.
After a brief chat, there was nothing more to say.
Diana pulled out her phone and asked for his contact. Cao Yang provided it, and she also asked for his name.
Cao Yiyue, noticing the conversation, walked over."Cao Yang, do you know Miss Diana?"
Cao Yang smiled."We met once before."
Diana greeted them and returned to her survey group. Before leaving, she gave Cao Yang a flirtatious wink, which made his heart flutter.
After the survey, the group returned to the hotel for a meeting.
The discussion concluded that the oil was high-quality, and the platforms built by China could be reused with minimal work, saving substantial costs. The main concern was whether the king's pricing would allow them to compete with other countries and how the local powerhouse, the Cao family, would respond. Someone needed to communicate directly with them.
Diana eagerly volunteered to handle the Cao family liaison.
After the meeting, Diana wanted to invite Cao Yang out for drinks, hoping to seduce him and later leverage his influence to gain an advantage. But she hesitated—what if he refused?
Suddenly, she had an idea. Since he was working for Situ, she could ask her to arrange Cao Yang's help. Surely, that would work.
She called Situ Meixin, explained the situation, and requested her assistance.
Situ was first shocked, then incredulous. Cao Yang had gone off to visit relatives? And they turned out to be the Cao family of Nanluo? How did he have such a connection?
"Anna, it's not that I don't want to help. But Cao Yang isn't obedient. I can only try persuading him and see his reaction."
"But he's working for you! Why wouldn't he listen?"
"Ugh… he's not a normal person. He's stubborn and has embarrassed me many times."
"Alright, just try to speak to him. If he helps us, we won't let him down—he'll get a handsome reward."
"I understand. I'll convey your sincerity properly."
After hanging up, Situ Meixin twirled a pen, thinking. Oil was a highly profitable industry. This could also be a chance for the Hongmen Group to enter a new field. They had mainly dealt with copper and iron, rarely gold or oil. Suddenly, this opportunity appeared, and it was worth pursuing.
An hour later, she left her father's office and called Cao Yang.
Cao Yang, lying in a luxurious hotel bed, was messaging Hu Qing about his experiences in Nanluo. Seeing the call from Situ, he was curious and immediately thought of Diana.
"Hello, Miss Situ."
"What are you doing?" her tone unusually gentle.
"Drinking Meng Po's soup."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm dead… in hell."
"Then who's speaking to me now?"
"My ghost."
"Are you crazy? Can you be normal?"
"Weren't you the one who said I should die outside?"
Situ rolled her eyes."When will you return?"
"I'm not coming back."
"You want to quit?"
"No, I don't dare. Last time you said you'd use the Hongmen to get me killed. Coming back would be suicide."
"I realize you're stubborn. Everyone knows I was joking back then."
"Oh, so it was a joke. You're not going to kill me now?"
"Why would I? We're family in the same sect."
"Heh, got it. Anything else? No? I'll hang up."
"Don't rush! I haven't finished yet!"
"You met Diana, didn't you? If she asks for your help, don't listen to her. Tell her you obey me entirely."
Cao Yang scratched his head, confused. What was she playing at? And what help could he even offer Diana?
He could roughly guess, but he had no intention of helping. He had just reunited with his relatives; it was too soon to leverage them for favors.
"Situ, what relation is Cao Tailin to you?"
"You know him?"
"A bit. He's the veteran general of Nanluo Kingdom."
"He's my great-grandfather, my grandfather's brother."
"And Cao Ying?"
"My great-grandfather."
"Lin Yuezhi, the number one beauty of Xiangjiang in the Republic era?"
"Vaguely familiar."
"She's my great-grandmother."