Chapter 23: This Job Is Very Dangerous

To be honest, Sister Yan and I have been doing this kind of work for over two years. I’ve lost count of how many times we’ve caught people in the act, but we have never once signed a contract.

However, now that Chen Yinan has brought it up, I won’t object because I know he has the company’s best interests at heart. I originally thought it would take a long time, but while this guy Chen Yinan is often full of nonsense, he is truly reliable when it comes to work. He had long since prepared contract templates saved on Sister Yan’s office computer, so all we had to do was print them out.

The client paid the deposit, signed the contracts, and took their copy before leaving. Sister Yan then emerged from the meeting room with the girl. Seeing that the gloom had vanished from the girl’s face, replaced by a smile of relief, I knew things had gone well. It seems Sister Yan is a shoo-in for this year’s psychological counselor qualification exam; her ability to provide guidance is becoming increasingly masterful.

Sister Yan clapped her hands and said to Chen Yinan and me, "Hold on a second! Let me introduce you all. This young lady is named Shen Dongyan, nickname Youyou. She just graduated from Haizhou University of Finance and Economics last year. From today on, she is the accountant for our Yan Hui Consulting Services Co., Ltd.! Youyou, this is my younger brother; you can just call him Stone. And this is our newest colleague, Chen Yinan. There are three others out on errands, and I’ll introduce them to you when they get back."

"St-Stone-ge, Nan-ge, you are all my... my benefactors. Thank you for saving me!" Shen Dongyan blushed as she bowed to us.

I smiled and said, "Welcome to the team, Youyou. Once everyone is back, we’ll throw a welcome party for you!"

Chen Yinan looked Shen Dongyan up and down and added, "Such a pretty and cute girl—what a pity it would have been if you’d done something foolish out of impulse! In the future, if anyone bullies you, just tell Brother Yong. I’ll stand up for you; you mustn't keep things bottled up inside. You need to open your heart, and you’ll become even more beautiful..."

Seeing him getting carried away, I quickly smacked him with the contract and scolded, "The slap mark on your face hasn't even faded, and you're already back to your old tricks? Tell me, is this contract really necessary? I think it’s just too troublesome!"

"It is necessary!" Sister Yan said, looking at me seriously. "A-Nan discussed this with me. I think it’s very enlightening and quite essential, which is why I asked him to handle it. In the past, we were acting blindly, and it was easy for us to get entangled when disputes arose. We must sign liability waivers in advance to keep ourselves out of the fray and avoid bearing unexpected consequences. That’s the only way to keep the business running long-term! A-Nan is an expert in this, and we should all follow his advice."

Chen Yinan stood with one hand behind his back and the other over his chest, nodding with a grin. "It is my duty and an honor. I thank the boss for her trust, and I shall..."

I rolled the contract into a tube and smacked him over the head with it! "Damn you, Chen Yinan! I’ve been keeping an eye on you for the past two days, making sure you were with me at all times. When did you find the time to talk to my sister alone and tell her all this?"

Chen Yinan instantly broke character, covered his head with his hands, and scrambled away in a flurry! "Hey, Second-in-Command, your priorities are a bit weird! Aren't we talking about the contract? Why have we gone off-topic? Ouch, stop hitting me! If you give me a concussion, you’ll be losing a valuable asset!"

Sister Yan and Youyou were doubled over laughing, and even the renovation workers stopped their tasks to watch us with amusement.

My phone rang. I stopped, pulled it out, glanced at the caller ID, signaled to everyone, and stepped outside.

"Little Monkey, why have you been gone so long? Are you on your way back?"

Little Monkey’s anxious voice came through the phone: "Stone, we looked for a long time but couldn't find the mushrooms; they were probably thrown away on purpose. I want to go to the hospital to check on things. Blackie and I just can't let go of Master..."

Almost reflexively, I wanted to refuse their request, but knowing their personalities, I paused and said into the phone, "Then promise me this: do not get into a conflict with Zhao Xiangbo’s gang! Once you confirm that Third Master is alright, come back immediately!"

Little Monkey agreed, and I hung up. Looking at Sister Yan standing nearby, I sighed. "Blackie and Little Monkey went to the hospital after all. I don’t think they’ll be back tonight. I’m afraid Zhao Xiangbo’s group will lose their minds and go after them!"

Sister Yan frowned. Chen Yinan smiled and tried to reassure us: "Don’t worry, this is a society ruled by law; they wouldn't dare do anything reckless. If something happens at the hospital, the hospital won’t be able to escape the responsibility! Besides, with Third Master lying in the hospital, he’s essentially under their control. Big Bear and Little Monkey are of no use to them, and dealing with them would only bring them trouble!"

I shook my head. "Then why did Third Master keep trying to drive them away, refusing to let them stay at the hospital? At a time like this, Third Master should want more people he trusts around him to be safe!"

"Unless..." Sister Yan’s expression changed, and she looked up at me in shock.

Before I could react, Chen Yinan’s eyes widened. "Unless the two of them are carrying some secret! Third Master doesn't want them to fall into the hands of Zhao Xiangbo’s gang!"

"Damn it!" I finally understood what Third Master was worried about! He must have entrusted some of his assets to Blackie and Little Monkey, which is why he sent them to me. If they fell into Zhao Xiangbo’s hands, he would stop at nothing to torture them until they revealed the location of those assets. If those assets were snatched by Zhao Xiangbo, Third Master might not be too heartbroken, but now that Zhao Xiangbo has become a lapdog for Fatty Luo, he wouldn't dare keep anything for himself and would surely hand it all over to Fatty Luo. For Third Master’s life’s work to fall into the hands of his enemies—and to be betrayed by his own disciples—he would never be able to swallow that indignation!

I adjusted my sunglasses and said to Sister Yan, "Sister, I have to go to the hospital and stop them!"

"But..." Sister Yan knew this was dangerous, but there was no other way. We couldn't just watch Blackie and Little Monkey walk into a trap and let Third Master die of pure rage. She also knew that her tagging along would only make things more dangerous for me, so she didn't interfere and simply urged, "Whatever you do, stay safe. Be careful!"

I nodded firmly, turned, and got into the car. Seeing Chen Yinan climb in after me, I cursed, "What are you doing? Get out!"

"Second-in-Command, that’s not very kind!" Chen Yinan pulled the door shut and sat down, snorting. "Though I’m not good at brawling, reasoning is my specialty!"

I snapped, "Reasoning my ass! None of those guys are capable of reasoning! Get out, this trip is very dangerous!"

Chen Yinan buckled his seatbelt and grinned. "Then I can’t get out even more! Just because I’m not good at fighting doesn't mean I can't! I’m a man, after all, and I’m your Second-in-Command now. If the boss is going out there to risk his life and I stay here sipping tea, that wouldn't be very human of me, would it?"

I looked at this seemingly slacker-like guy, and a sense of warmth filled my heart. I didn't say anything else; I just nodded at him and started the car.