Chapter 22: Let’s Sign a Contract, Shall We?

Before the traffic police even arrived, the drivers of the cars behind us rushed over and unleashed a torrent of violence upon the bald man. This guy had been provoking everyone along the way, and it wasn't just our car that was affected; all the vehicles around us had been caught up in his reckless behavior. Driving like that, it was a display of remarkable restraint that he hadn't been beaten to death on the road. Now, with several people joining in, he was soon howling for his parents and cowering in fear. If the traffic police hadn't arrived just in time to save him, he likely would have ended up hospitalized.

The process of determining liability went smoothly; with surveillance footage available and testimony from other drivers at the scene, the bald man not only had to pay for our car repairs but also had his driver's license revoked on the spot. As for any further punishment, we had no interest in it, so we took the girl back to our shop.

Sister Yan was quite surprised to see us return with a girl in tow. I pulled her aside and explained the whole story. Her eyes filled with sympathy as she looked at the girl, and she walked over, saying, "Sweetheart, could we talk for a moment?" Seeming to sense the sincerity in Sister Yan’s smile, which made her feel close and safe, the girl nodded. I turned and stepped out of the reception room, closing the door behind me.

Inside the main hall, the workers were busy. Now that we had more space, the company had expanded; renovation had begun on the first floor, and the living quarters had been moved to the fifth. Since Third Master had provided this space, it shouldn't be wasted. Expanding the company wasn't just about enlarging our territory; it was about recruiting talent. Third Master had said that if I wanted to find my father, I had to strengthen my own power. Only by making a name for ourselves would my father know where we were.

However, strength isn't built on slogans alone, nor can it be achieved just by burying one's head in practicing Qi. Practicing Qi requires money to pave the way—various nutrients and medicines are all expensive. Without a solid financial foundation, practicing Qi is nothing more than empty talk. The higher the level of Qi cultivation, the greater the expenses required; this is an undeniable fact.

To make room for the renovations, Chen Yinan and I stood at the entrance, holding the documents we had just brought back from the Viking Group. Before we could even look at them, Chen Yinan stared straight ahead, his expression becoming extremely awkward. "Second Boss, I need to go hide for a while!"

"Damn you! 'Second Boss' is one thing, but when did I become 'Second in Command'?" I scolded with a dark face, feeling as though this guy was addressing someone like Pigsy. I turned my head to follow his gaze, only to see a white car parked in the lot in front of our door. Why did this car look so familiar? I felt like I had seen it somewhere before. When the driver stepped out, I suddenly realized!

This was none other than... you know who!

I grabbed Chen Yinan, who was just about to slip away, and said, "Old Chen, your former flame is here!"

"Let go!" Chen Yinan struggled to pry my hand off. I wasn't about to miss an opportunity to watch the drama. I gripped his wrist firmly and said, "Don't run! You've already broken up anyway, so no one would object even if you started seeing her again!"

"Chen Yinan? Why are you here?" The woman spotted us standing at the door and widened her eyes in shock. Realizing he couldn't avoid it, Chen Yinan gave up, forced a smile, waved at her, and said, "Hi, Xiaona. Long time no see. How have you been?"

Xiaona walked over with a bright smile, stood right in front of Chen Yinan, and then suddenly raised her hand and slapped him hard across the face. I pursed my lips to suppress a laugh and stepped back, both to avoid being caught in the crossfire and to find a better vantage point to enjoy the spectacle.

Chen Yinan covered his face and muttered, "I knew I wouldn't be able to escape this..."

Xiaona’s face turned icy. She pointed at Chen Yinan and berated him: "Chen Yinan, you really are something! I thought your excuse about taking photos was just that—an excuse—but you actually spent the whole damn night taking pictures of me! Are you sick? And then you just ran off naked? I was already at that point, and you pushed me away! Since when have I, Lu Xiaona, been so cheap that I'd throw myself at someone only to be rejected?! I was even prepared to have a showdown with Su Huishan, and you have the nerve to tell me you never intended to be with me! If you didn't have intentions, why the hell were you being so ambiguous with me? Why the hell were you flirting with me? Do you know what a joke I am at SK because of you, you bastard?!"

Chen Yinan stood there motionless, taking the verbal abuse without a word of explanation. Even I felt a bit sorry for him. Fortunately, someone else stepped in to pull her back. The woman who had gotten out of the car with Lu Xiaona was also a beauty—tall and slender. She grabbed Lu Xiaona’s arm and said, "Alright, Nana, a forced melon is never sweet! Since his heart isn't in it and he won't even eat the meat delivered right to his mouth, stop devaluing yourself. Since when has our beautiful boss of SK ever lacked men chasing after her?"

Lu Xiaona pushed her aside irritably and snapped, "Don't you talk to me, you dead Xiangxiang. You're no better yourself! I really don't know what that pretty boy has besides a decent face that makes him worthy of you! You work yourself to the bone earning money just to give it all to him. You're losing both your dignity and your money—why bother?"

Xiangxiang looked embarrassed by her outburst and slapped her on the shoulder. "Are you here to help me or to humiliate me? If you keep this up, I'm going back!"

Lu Xiaona hugged her and huffed, "And go back to watching you get swindled by that pretty boy? Let me tell you, my intuition is very accurate. If I say there’s something wrong with him, there is a hundred percent chance there is. If you don't believe me, let's hire a professional to check it out! This place is actually very capable; I saw them working the other day, and they really have their ways!"

She looked up, glared at Chen Yinan, and spat, "Get lost! I’m not here for you today!"

Chen Yinan looked as if he had been granted an amnesty and quickly stepped aside. Lu Xiaona pulled Xiangxiang over to me and asked, "Hey, little master, I need you to handle a job for me. You name the price!"

I nodded and said to her, "Inside... or outside..." This was awkward. The inside was under renovation, and the reception room was occupied. We couldn't very well talk business on the street.

Lu Xiaona pressed her car key and said, "Let's talk in the car. It's safer!"

I nodded and grabbed Chen Yinan, who was trying to make a run for it. "We're going together!"

"Why are you going?" Lu Xiaona frowned. "Wait, what are you doing here anyway? Who are you trying to investigate? Don't tell me, you want to..."

I quickly interrupted her wild speculation. "Chen Yinan is now an employee of our Yan Hui Company—he's our full-time photographer!"

"He..." Lu Xiaona’s eyes nearly popped out of her head as she pointed at Chen Yinan, speechless for a long moment.

I ignored her reaction, shrugged, and said, "So if we're taking the job, he has to be involved. Otherwise, we can't handle this case!"

Lu Xiaona’s face fell. She huffed sullenly, "Fine, bring him along then! But we're just strangers from now on—I look down on people like you!"

Chen Yinan looked utterly helpless. He glared at me, then reluctantly followed us into the car.

Xiangxiang took a photo out of her bag, handed it to me, and explained her purpose. It was a simple case: Xiangxiang suspected her boyfriend was cheating, so she wanted us to investigate. The deadline was three days, and the fee was five thousand.

I received the photo on my phone, noted a few details, and said to them, "Wait for our news!"

Just as I was about to get out of the car, Chen Yinan grabbed my arm and said to the two women, "For safety's sake, let's sign a contract first. We have to follow the proper procedure!"