Chapter 78

078

As the car approached the highway entrance, it made a sharp turn and drove down a small road, heading towards the new industrial park in the eastern part of Zhonghai City.

When they arrived at a vast industrial site that was currently idle, Yang Chen slowed down and parked the car on the muddy roadside. He took out a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and leaned against the car, looking back in the direction they came from.

Not far away, a black Honda Accord also stopped quietly. Soon, four rugged men, dressed in different styles, got out of the car. They varied in height, build, and appearance, but their gazes on Yang Chen were all unfriendly, even somewhat violent.

"How did you find us?" a man in a floral shirt with dark skin asked.

"Men's sixth sense," Yang Chen replied with a grin.

The man in the floral shirt frowned and asked, "Since you noticed we were following you, why did you bring us here? Do you think we wouldn't follow you just because you changed your route home?"

Yang Chen took a few puffs of the cigarette. Although he had some money, the tobacco was still quite harsh, but it was also spicy. After exhaling a few smoke rings, he smiled and said, "I never said you shouldn't follow me. I just chose a suitable place for you to get out of the car."

"What do you mean?" The man in the floral shirt was puzzled by the situation. They were only following orders to gather information about this man's social network to prepare for further action, but the current turn of events forced him to reconsider their next move.

Yang Chen narrowed his eyes and said with a grin, "Haven't you noticed that there are no cameras around here?"

Since this was a development area that was currently idle, the surrounding infrastructure was extremely messy and dilapidated, with roads not fully constructed and almost no traffic.

"Cameras?" The man in the floral shirt sneered, "That's something I should warn you about. In places without cameras, we don't have to worry about our actions."

"Maybe it's the opposite," Yang Chen shrugged.

"Boss, this kid is asking for it. He must be pretty stupid," one of the henchmen laughed.

The man in the floral shirt looked displeased and said, "Young man, you can talk big, but don't make us use force. Although we haven't been ordered to take care of you, we can always act first and report later."

"Are you done?" Yang Chen smiled, "If you want to fight, hurry up. I have to get home for dinner."

"You brat, you're asking for it!"

A bearded man stepped forward without a word, and the other three also joined in, surrounding Yang Chen.

"Let me tell you, talk is cheap, but fists are hard!" The bearded man spat and clenched his fist, launching a powerful punch at Yang Chen's face!

Yang Chen easily dodged it, and as he moved, a cold smile spread across his lips. "When I returned to this land, I made a silent vow that I would never strike first unless provoked, attacked, or threatened. So, I should thank you for this punch—it gives me a clear conscience to finish you off."

"Attack together!" The man in the floral shirt was furious; he couldn't tolerate such disrespect from a young man.

However, their attack was futile. Yang Chen effortlessly used a few散打 (sanshou) techniques, his lightning-fast speed and powerful strikes causing the four men to either break their fingers or arms or receive harsh slaps that left large bruises.

The five-person brawl quickly turned into a one-sided affair, with Yang Chen toying with the four men.

"Too tough, we can't beat him!" The bearded man who had initiated the attack cursed, clutching his already swollen and bruised face.

The man in the floral shirt also realized the situation was dire. Although he was unwilling, he knew that the four of them were not on the same level as the man in front of them.

"Back to the car, let's run!"

The man in the floral shirt gave the order, and the four quickly ran towards the Honda.

Yang Chen didn't stop them, watching with a half-smile as they got into the car, locked the doors and windows, and started the engine, trying to escape.

As the Honda was about to leave, Yang Chen bent down, picked up a pebble the size of an egg, and weighed it in his hand...

The four men in the car breathed a sigh of relief as the car started. Although they couldn't beat him, they could at least escape. And no matter how strong this young man was, he couldn't possibly catch up to the car! They could report back to their superiors and bring a large group to seek revenge!

But reality and ideals often have a gap...

Yang Chen picked up the pebble, closed one eye, and aimed slightly. His body bent into a throwing stance, and he extended his arm, leaning back and then suddenly thrusting forward with his waist!

He threw the pebble in his right hand!

The pebble flew like a miniature missile, slicing through the air with a whistling sound!

"Bang!!!"

At a speed that the human eye couldn't distinguish, the pebble struck the side of the Honda near the fuel tank...

"Boom!!!..."

The black Honda, which was still moving, burst into flames, the intense heat enveloping the entire car as it crashed into a utility pole by the roadside.

In an instant, the once intact Honda became a burning mass of blackened charcoal.

Yang Chen looked at the "four-man murder" he had caused as if it were a work of art. He chose to resolve the situation this way after they got into the car to avoid leaving any clues for the police.

Killing people when they feel most safe and relaxed also gave Yang Chen a sense of satisfaction, a psychological issue he had developed over the years—unfortunately, he had no intention of treating this cruel habit.

"Next time, remember to buy a German car. Japanese cars are too fragile," Yang Chen sneered, got back into his car, and continued on his way home.

On the way, Yang Chen pondered who might be targeting him. The person must not know him well enough to send people to follow him and gather information about his home and social network.

No matter how much he thought, Yang Chen couldn't identify the person. He sighed and said to himself, "If you want to cause me trouble, fine, but involving the people around me... they will all die..."

...

After a sumptuous dinner at the villa, Aunt Wang brought out a bag of fashion magazines and said to Yang Chen with a smile, "Son-in-law, this is the magazine Miss ordered, which was just delivered. Please take it to her for me."

Yang Chen, who was watching the news on TV, gladly took the bag, "Of course, Aunt Wang. You just need to cook us delicious meals; this kind of errand is something men should do."

"No, no," Aunt Wang quickly said, "Son-in-law, I think you should visit Miss more often. This way, she will remember your kindness, and the two of you will have a closer relationship."

Yang Chen smiled bitterly, "Aunt Wang, you trust me so much, pushing Ruo Xi into my arms like this?"

Aunt Wang said seriously, "Son-in-law, I've watched Miss grow up. I never had children of my own, so I consider Miss like my own daughter. After the old lady and the lady passed away, I hoped Miss would find a good home. Miss has always been so beautiful, and there are many men who like her in Zhonghai, but they are all too superficial," Aunt Wang looked at Yang Chen with satisfaction, "Unlike you, Son-in-law. I may be old, but my eyesight is still good. Although you don't say it, you genuinely care about Miss. I could see it in your eyes after Miss fainted that day. You care about her deeply, just like Miss, who is not good at expressing herself. Young people like you sometimes care too much about face, but face is not as important as feelings."

Yang Chen was silent for a long time and then smiled faintly, "Aunt Wang, you should be a psychology expert. You make me doubt myself."

"Don't overthink it, Son-in-law. Just consider it an old woman's rambling. Go ahead and deliver the magazines to Miss. It's getting late, and she might be asleep," Aunt Wang urged with a smile.

Yang Chen picked up the bag of magazines and looked at them. Most were about fashion and luxury brands, and as the CEO of a fashion company, Lin Ruo Xi would naturally be interested in these products.

He quickly left Longjing Garden and drove to the hospital. As he passed a small commercial street, he noticed a lit shop and couldn't help but smile...

When he arrived at the hospital ward, it was almost 10:30 PM. Most of the wards were dark, but Lin Ruo Xi's ward was still brightly lit.

Yang Chen quietly opened the door and looked up to find that Lin Ruo Xi was not alone.

The visitor was Lin Ruo Xi's secretary, Wu Yue, a woman with a cold and distant demeanor, whether it was her natural personality or something she learned from Lin Ruo Xi.

Lin Ruo Xi was lying in bed, with a table in front of her covered in documents. She was writing with a silver pen, while Wu Yue stood beside her, looking serious and occasionally organizing and handing over documents.

Seeing Yang Chen enter, Wu Yue frowned, "What are you doing here?"

Yang Chen lifted the paper bag in his hand, "I'm delivering some magazines."

"Why are you delivering them? Do you think you're the CEO or something?" Wu Yue scolded, clearly displeased.

Yang Chen thought that since he was considered one of Lin Ruo Xi's confidants, it was fine to speak openly, but before he could say anything, Lin Ruo Xi interjected, "He's my distant relative." She gave Yang Chen a slight look, signaling him not to say more.

The legal husband became a distant "relative," and Yang Chen touched his nose, smiling bitterly. He had thought their relationship had grown closer over the past few days, but now it seemed that in Lin Ruo Xi's eyes, he was just a partner in a contract, not someone she truly accepted as close, let alone as her husband.

Slightly disappointed but with a good mental fortitude, Yang Chen just smiled and didn't say more. He placed the paper bag on the bedside table and said, "Aunt Wang asked me to deliver this. She said it's the magazine you ordered this month."

Wu Yue's expression changed, and she said with a look of disdain, "Just put it down and leave. Don't disturb the CEO's work."

Yang Chen wanted to advise Lin Ruo Xi not to work too late, but seeing her focused on the documents and not willing to pay attention to him, he didn't want to embarrass himself.

"I'll leave then," although he was somewhat dissatisfied with Wu Yue, he couldn't lash out at her, being the CEO's secretary. He just held his breath and left.

After Yang Chen turned to leave, Lin Ruo Xi slightly raised her head, her eyes following his back. The carefree and free-spirited figure that usually stood out now seemed somewhat lonely and fallen in the light. Lin Ruo Xi felt a bit regretful for not even saying thank you, but her shy nature made it hard for her to speak.

The door closed, and Lin Ruo Xi sighed imperceptibly, continuing to work on the documents.

About an hour later, it was deep into the night. Wu Yue looked at her watch and said with some reluctance, "CEO, let's call it a day. I'll take the documents back and organize them, then hand them over to Minister Mo tomorrow. The important ones are already handled, and you need to rest."

Lin Ruo Xi rubbed her temples. She had been taking traditional Chinese medicine, getting treatments, and receiving visitors, so she was quite tired by the evening. She nodded and said, "Tell Minister Mo that I will personally handle the files for the autumn fashion show and the plan for the Japanese market. She can handle the rest as she sees fit."

"Yes, CEO."

Wu Yue was efficient, finishing the organization of the documents in less than five minutes and politely leaving.

Lin Ruo Xi relaxed, took a deep breath, and leaned back on the soft pillow. Her eyes caught the large bag of magazines Yang Chen had brought. She thought for a moment and decided to read the magazines before going to sleep.

As she opened the bag, a familiar aroma of glutinous rice wafted out. Lin Ruo Xi was surprised and looked closely to find that in addition to the dozen or so magazines, there was a box of transparent plastic-wrapped glutinous rice balls!

She slowly took out the box and looked at the ten round balls of dough, white, black, and green, still warm and steaming.

Lin Ruo Xi knew this couldn't be from Aunt Wang, as she had forbidden her from eating glutinous rice balls after she got sick from them as a child. So, it must have been from that person...

Was it because Cai Yan mentioned that she liked glutinous rice balls when she visited?

Did he remember what she liked from that casual conversation?

Thinking about the cold treatment she had given Yang Chen and his back as he left...

Unconsciously, Lin Ruo Xi's eyes welled up with tears.

For the first time in her life, looking at her favorite glutinous rice balls, Lin Ruo Xi had no appetite.

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