A troubled look appeared on Uncle Hua's face. Chen Yang had plunged into the sea, and while Brother Dao was arranging for A-Cheng and A-B to quickly search the beach, he also immediately called Uncle Hua to report the matter. Looking at Ning Qiaoqian's eager and anxious face, Uncle Hua hesitated, wanting to speak but unable to.
The dead-end road at Lover's Bay was the first test site personally chosen by Ning Kuncheng and Uncle Hua. Uncle Hua knew the terrain there like the back of his hand. He was very clear about what it meant for Chen Yang and his car to tumble down the cliff. Uncle Hua had witnessed the close relationship between Ning Qiaoqian and Chen Yang. That day on the top of Gushan Mountain in Rongcheng, Uncle Hua had personally seen Chen Yang sitting on the steps with his arm around Ning Qiaoqian's shoulder. He knew Chen Yang's importance in the heart of this spoiled young lady.
The more this was the case, the less Uncle Hua knew how to begin.
Seeing Hua Bo's reaction, Ning Qiaoqian grew even more anxious. She stamped her foot and asked anxiously,
"Hua Bo, say something! What happened to Chen Yang?"
"A Zhuo, you may leave now!" A dignified voice rang out, and Ning Kuncheng, dressed in a dark blue Tang suit, strode in and said.
"Yes!" Hua Bo bowed slightly and then left Ning Qiaoqian's room.
Hua Bo's full name was Hua Zhuo. He had served Ning Kuncheng for over twenty years, loyal and hardworking. Ning Kuncheng respected and trusted Hua Bo greatly, never treating him as an outsider.
After Hua Bo left, Ning Qiaoqian gave Ning Kuncheng a cold look, snorted, and then sat heavily on the soft princess bed, turning her head away from him.
Ning Kuncheng watched his daughter's slender back, a faint smile on his lips. He didn't initiate a conversation, simply watching her quietly. After a long pause, Ning Qiaoqian's concern for Chen Yang finally overcame her dislike for Ning Kuncheng. She couldn't help but turn sharply to glare at him, asking in a harsh tone:
"What do you mean? You came into my room without saying a word! How is Chen Yang?"
When Ning Qiaoqian was angry, her lips pouted slightly, an expression strikingly similar to her mother's. Ning Kuncheng couldn't help but think of his deceased wife, a wave of sadness washing over him. In the blink of an eye, his daughter had grown into a young woman. Since his wife's death, Ning Kuncheng had become increasingly concerned about his daughter. Unfortunately, Ning Qiaoqian harbored resentment towards him because of her mother's death, and their father-daughter relationship remained strained.
Caring for one's daughter is a father's nature, especially for a father like Ning Kuncheng, burdened with guilt. However, concern can cloud judgment. Even a ruthless and ambitious man like Ning Kuncheng couldn't escape the common concern regarding his daughter's marriage. He always wanted someone of equal social standing, and if his daughter showed even the slightest closeness to any man, Ning Kuncheng would suspect ulterior motives or that he was after Ning Qiaoqian's family background. Therefore, upon hearing that Ning Qiaoqian had a boyfriend, Ning Kuncheng's first reaction was anger, followed by suspicion. It's fair to say that Ning Kuncheng's first impression of Chen Yang was extremely negative.
"But this kid does have some guts, and he must be genuinely interested in Qiaoqian!" Ning Kuncheng thought to himself.
"If it were anyone else seeing this, they'd probably be utterly humiliated, let alone risking their lives for Ning Qiaoqian. Undoubtedly, Chen Yang's performance in the first test was a desperate act."
And it seems he really did lose his life.
Ning Kuncheng sighed heavily, then said in a somber tone:
"Five minutes ago, A-Dao called to say that on the dead-end road at Lover's Bay, Chen Yang and his car plunged off a cliff..."
The air in the room seemed to freeze instantly. Ning Qiaoqian froze, her face turning deathly pale, her beautiful eyes brimming with tears, her graceful body trembling slightly, her entire being collapsing. Seeing Ning Qiaoqian's state, Ning Kuncheng panicked. He quickly stepped forward and gently put his arm around her shoulder, whispering, "Qianqian..."
Ning Qiaoqian abruptly turned away from Ning Kuncheng's hand, stood up, and shouted at him hoarsely, "Get out!"
Seeing his daughter's heartbroken state, Ning Kuncheng felt a sudden pang of pain. This seemingly powerful and successful man, known as "Brother Kun," appeared helpless in front of his daughter. It was clear that Ning Qiaoqian had genuine feelings for Chen Yang, and a sense of guilt and regret rose in Ning Kuncheng's heart.
Seeing Ning Kuncheng standing there motionless, Ning Qiaoqian coldly said without any emotion, "I will never forgive you in this lifetime!"
After saying that, she mechanically walked towards the door in her pajamas, her eyes filled with emptiness and despair. Ning Kuncheng hurriedly caught up with Ning Qiaoqian and asked,
"Qianqian, where are you going so late?"
Ning Qiaoqian seemed not to hear Ning Kuncheng's question, walking towards the stairwell like a zombie. The burly man in black at the door looked at Ning Kuncheng with a questioning gaze. Ning Kuncheng shook his head slightly, indicating not to stop her, and followed closely behind Ning Qiaoqian.
Just then, Ning Kuncheng's phone suddenly rang again.
Ning Kuncheng frowned, took out his phone, glanced at it, and then pressed the answer button, asking somewhat impatiently,
"What is it now..."
After hearing what the person on the other end said, Ning Kuncheng's tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed, and he even showed a rare smile, appearing very happy. After hurriedly hanging up the phone, Ning Kuncheng caught up with Ning Qiaoqian in a few strides and excitedly said:
"Qianqian! Qianqian! A-Dao called again! Chen Yang is alright!"
Ning Qiaoqian stopped abruptly, turned around sharply, seemingly not having heard Ning Kuncheng clearly, and said in a trembling voice:
"What did you say? Say it again!"
"I said Chen Yang is alright! A-Dao is with him right now. Apart from a small scrape on his arm, he's fine!"
Ning Kuncheng's voice was also quite excited. Ning Qiaoqian's appearance just now had terrified him. This was the first time his daughter had ever shown such despair, as if she had lost all hope. Ning Kuncheng had no doubt that if this good news hadn't arrived in time, Ning Qiaoqian might have done something foolish!
Ning Qiaoqian stood there stunned for a long time, then snatched the phone from Ning Kuncheng's hand, found Dao-ge's number, and eagerly dialed it back…
Lover's Bay, Luhu Island.
Dao Ge stared at Chen Yang, who had just climbed up the cliff, as if he were an alien.
"This kid's luck is incredible! He's still alright!" Dao Ge thought to himself.
Chen Yang looked disheveled. His hair, ruffled by the sea breeze, was studded with a few weeds. His left forearm was covered in blood, and his cheap t-shirt was torn to shreds during the climb, leaving him practically naked.
Thinking back to what had just happened, Chen Yang couldn't help but feel a chill.
During the competition, Chen Yang had only one thought in his mind: he had to defeat A-B. All other thoughts were forgotten.
"Thank goodness I've been training consistently since my rebirth, otherwise I would have been dead!" Chen Yang thought to himself.
When A-B tumbled off the motorcycle in such a pathetic manner, Chen Yang knew it was too late to brake. His excellent physical condition and calm mind saved him at the last moment. The instant the motorcycle plunged off the cliff, Chen Yang braced himself with both hands, freeing himself from the motorcycle while simultaneously spotting a protruding rock out of the corner of his eye.
During his descent, Chen Yang reached out and gripped the rock tightly, not letting go even as he slammed heavily against the cliff. Luck was on his side at the crucial moment; the rock miraculously withstood the immense impact without collapsing, allowing Chen Yang to slowly climb back up.
Brother Dao secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He had been pondering how to quell Ning Qiaoqian's anger, but now that Chen Yang was unharmed, he no longer needed to worry about that troublesome problem.
Brother Dao had immediately notified Uncle Hua after Chen Yang's fall, and the seaside villa was likely in chaos by now. Therefore, after confirming Chen Yang was alright, Brother Dao quickly made a phone call to Ning Kuncheng.
"Brother Dao, have I passed this hurdle?" Chen Yang asked with a smile, tearing open his t-shirt to bandage his injured forearm, without looking up.
"Of course, you can rest for a bit, then I'll take you to the second test!" Brother Dao answered without hesitation. The result was obvious: A-B was still at least five meters from the cliff, while Chen Yang's distance, theoretically, should be negative, since he had already flown off the cliff. The winner was clear.
Brother Dao's eyes narrowed as he watched Chen Yang's bandaging technique, a look of surprise on his face. Chen Yang's bandaging movements were quick and professional, and as a former special forces soldier, Brother Dao immediately recognized that Chen Yang's bandaging style came from the military. He watched Chen Yang finish bandaging with practiced skill, a thoughtful expression on his face.
At this moment, Ah Cheng and Ah B, panting heavily, climbed up the slopes on either side. Ah Cheng said to Brother Dao as he walked,
"Brother Dao, we searched down there for ages, but besides the wreckage of two motorcycles, we couldn't find anything else… Ah! You…"
Ah Cheng, still walking, suddenly saw Chen Yang behind Brother Dao and froze, pointing at Chen Yang, his mouth agape, speechless for a long time.
Brother Dao tossed away his cigarette butt and said calmly,
"Ah Cheng's back? Get in the car! Old Leng's still waiting for us!"
Then Brother Dao turned to Ah B and said,
"Ah B, we need to go back to the island on business. Wait here a bit, I've already sent someone with a car to pick you up!"
The two motorcycles Ah B brought had both plunged into the sea; he couldn't very well walk out of this desolate place! Although Brother Dao appeared rugged, he was actually quite meticulous in his thinking; otherwise, he wouldn't have earned Ning Kuncheng's trust so much.
"Yes! Thank you, Brother Dao!" A-B bowed respectfully, while secretly observing Chen Yang with admiration and curiosity. He had clearly seen him fall, yet now he was alive and well, completely unharmed. He truly wondered how such a magic trick was performed!
The three of them got back into the black Mercedes. The car drove smoothly for about twenty minutes, crossing the sea bridge again and entering the island. After navigating the somewhat narrow streets of Xiamen Island for a while, it came to a smooth stop in front of a high-end office building of over thirty stories.
Chen Yang could already see the imposing characters "Qiankun Building" on the building from afar.
"I knew I wasn't wrong!" Chen Yang thought to himself.
From the moment two burly men in black appeared out of nowhere at the bar that day, and from the subsequent apprehension shown by the bartender Zhou Weiqiang towards Ning Qiaoqian, Chen Yang knew that Ning Qiaoqian's identity was definitely not simple. That night during the car chase, when Ning Qiaoqian mentioned she was from Xiamen, Chen Yang had basically guessed her identity. After all, the surname "Ning" wasn't particularly common, and there were very few famous people with the surname Ning in Xiamen and even the entire Southeast Province. Considering the style of Dao Ge and his gang, Ning Qiaoqian's identity was practically obvious.
And now, the car had stopped at the Qiankun Building, further confirming Chen Yang's judgment!
This thirty-five-story office building housed only one company: the Qiankun Group.
Chen Yang had heard of Ning Kuncheng in his previous life; he was a powerful and ruthless figure. In his youth, he started out in the small town of Jimei with a group of brothers, and within just ten years, he became the underworld boss of Xiamen. His every move could shake the entire Southeast Province. Despite later leading his old comrades to collectively launder their money and personally building the behemoth that is Qiankun Group, the name "Ning Kuncheng" remains a golden brand in both the legitimate and underworld circles of Southeast Province.
So Sister Qian is Ning Kuncheng's daughter! No wonder she's so fierce! It must be a family tradition! Chen Yang couldn't help but smile warmly as he thought of Ning Qiaoqian's feigned reproach.