Who says Qin Xiao is stingy? It was already mealtime, yet he didn't even offer a meal before leaving.
Fang Ming didn't care, though. The more Qin Xiao acted like a jerk, the less guilt he felt as a double agent.
The waiter taking the orders wasn't Chu Yao, but she was the one serving the dishes. The two continued to pretend they didn't know each other.
Once the dishes were all served, Wang Meng wolfed them down while calling Fang Ming 'Godfather.' Meanwhile, Fang Ming took the opportunity to report the progress of the situation in the group.
By the time the two left the restaurant and returned to their respective rental rooms, it was around ten o'clock in the evening.
Ding-dong!
Chu Yao sent a message.
[Chu Yao]: "Mr. Ming, is the person working against me behind the scenes that Young Master Qin?"
[.]: "Yes!"
[Chu Yao]: "It's a good thing you told me in advance, otherwise I really would have been fooled by him."
A hero saving a damsel in distress, combined with being handsome, young, and wealthy—few girls could resist such a temptation.
[.]: "Heh, your acting wasn't bad."
To prevent Chu Yao from blowing her cover, Fang Ming hadn't told her the specific details of the plan.
He only told her that a new round of suppression might be coming and to be mentally prepared.
[Chu Yao]: "I wasn't acting, I was genuinely scared. Two hundred thousand... if he hadn't shown up, how long would it have taken me to pay that back?"
[.]: "You're overthinking it. Never mind that those things aren't worth two hundred thousand; even if they were, don't you still have me?"
[Chu Yao]: "I'm really troubling you. But Mr. Ming, what should I do next? He helped me today, so logically speaking, shouldn't I take the initiative to thank him?"
[.]: "No need to be proactive. Wait for him to contact you, then react normally—be grateful, but keep your distance. Just say you haven't earned such a favor and want to work to pay him back slowly."
[Chu Yao]: "Understood. So we're beating him at his own game, right? That's how it's always done in TV dramas!"
[.]: "Watch fewer TV dramas."
[Chu Yao]: "(Sticking out tongue.jpg)"
...Fang Ming had successfully completed the task and obtained Grandmaster Fighting Techniques just by giving fifty thousand yuan and a few words of encouragement.
This put him in a very good mood.
Over the next few days, Fang Ming's life was quite leisurely.
With Fang Ming's help, Mu Qingxue had made a comeback against the odds. Qin Xiao temporarily lost the leverage to manipulate her and could only focus his efforts on Chu Yao.
However, in his previous life, he had been repeatedly humiliated by Chu Feng, eventually leading to the ruin of his family. Even with a second chance at life, he didn't have absolute certainty that he could take down Chu Feng.
Therefore, he didn't use force against Chu Yao. Instead, he used the method of demanding repayment for a favor to guide her into submission.
As long as he had Chu Yao under his control, the Soldier King Chu Feng would be no concern.
A few days later, around eight in the morning, Fang Ming had not yet woken up in the old city district of Jiangnan, thousands of miles away.
The mottled wall paint was like spots on an old man's face, peeling off in chunks to reveal the blue-gray bricks beneath.
This was a notorious slum. Power lines were tangled overhead like spiderwebs, and a constant smell of mold permeated the dark, damp alleys.
"Cough, cough... cough, cough, cough..."
A series of suppressed coughs came from an old rental room of less than forty square meters.
Under the dim light.
Gu Qinghe stood before a full-length mirror with a crack in it, trying hard to use foundation to cover the sickly paleness of her face.
She was beautiful.
She wasn't the currently popular 'fair, young, and thin' type, but rather possessed a mature charm—lush and full, like a ripe honey peach that seemed as if it would burst with moisture at the slightest touch.
A well-tailored white professional shirt was stretched tight by her startling curves, the buttons looking as if they might pop at any moment.
Below, she wore a black pencil skirt that tightly hugged the curve of her perky hips.
The most lethal part was her legs.
They weren't the scrawny, stick-like legs, but rather had lush thighs and slender calves, encased in semi-sheer black stockings and seven-centimeter pointed high heels.
Every step she took carried a charm unique to mature women.
"Sis, you have a fever."
Gu Bai sat at a worn-out little desk, holding a thermometer that had just displayed 38.2 degrees, his brow furrowed deeply.
The youth wore a faded school uniform, his eyes filled with worry and a maturity that didn't match his age.
"Don't go, really."
Gu Bai stood up and blocked the door. "I've checked that company; its reputation is terrible. And that Boss Zhu..."
"Xiao Bai, be good."
Gu Qinghe turned around and forced a gentle smile, though the hoarseness in her voice couldn't be hidden.
She reached out to help her brother straighten his collar; her fingertips were burning hot.
"It doesn't matter how the other company is. What matters is that Boss Zhu is a major client from Rong City. If I land this deal, the commission will be thirty thousand yuan."
"Your university tuition and our rent for the second half of the year will be taken care of."
Gu Bai grit his teeth, his fists clenching until they cracked. "I won't go to that Tsing-Bei prep class anymore. I have a scholarship, and I can go work..."
"Nonsense!"
Gu Qinghe's face hardened, her tone becoming a bit stern. "You're someone meant for Tsing-Bei. Your hands are for holding a pen, not for serving plates!"
"Your sister isn't capable enough to give you the life of a rich second generation, but even if it costs me my life, I will put you through school."
After speaking, she seemed to be overcome by emotion and clutched her chest, coughing violently several times.
The curves that trembled violently with her coughing seemed particularly heart-stopping in the cramped room.
"But..." Gu Bai's eyes turned red.
"No buts."
Gu Qinghe took a deep breath and picked up the briefcase with worn corners nearby.
"The people in Rong City are in a hurry; they said they're only free tonight. I have to catch the morning flight. Stay home and review properly. There are wrapped dumplings in the fridge; boil some for yourself if you're hungry."
After saying that, she didn't look at her brother's reddened eyes again. She pushed open the door and went downstairs, her high heels clicking 'clack, clack, clack' on the steps.
Gu Bai stood at the door, watching his sister's back disappear at the mouth of the alley, his nails digging deep into his palms.
He wasn't a fool.
He possessed intelligence and business intuition far beyond ordinary people.
That construction materials company in Rong City was clearly notorious in the industry for being difficult. Why did the company want his sister, a salesperson with little seniority, to handle the negotiations?
And why did it have to be tonight?
"Damn it! Damn it!!"
Gu Bai punched the door frame hard. Blood seeped out, but he didn't feel the pain at all.
His parents were both dead, and he had relied on his sister since childhood. Watching her run around for their livelihood made him feel terrible.
But... in this law of the jungle built on money and power, his pride-inducing report card was like a piece of waste paper, unable to protect the person closest to him.
"Is there really no other way?"
Gu Bai slid down and sat on the floor, a sudden flash of inspiration hitting him.
The Chat Group!
Wasn't that mysterious disciple of the group owner, Brother Ming, in Rong City??
He knew the Soldier King had money, and he knew the group owner had money, but the pride in his bones wouldn't allow him to accept charity, let alone ask for money.
But asking Brother Ming to help keep an eye on things shouldn't be a problem, right?
With that thought, Gu Bai didn't have time to hesitate. He quickly opened the Myriad Heavens Mutual Aid Group in his consciousness.