"Honey, I'm going to cook," Chen Yang called out to Qin Qiu before heading to the kitchen.
Luo Sulan approached Qin Qiu, pleading earnestly, "Xiaoqiu, Han Rui is a really great guy. Why don't you try dating him and see if you're a good fit?"
"Impossible!" Qin Qiu declared emphatically.
He's a notorious playboy in Lingjin City. Putting aside the fact that he's probably just looking to have some fun, even if we got serious, he'd be cheating on me left and right. In that respect alone, Chen Yang is much better than him.
"You..." Luo Sulan was infuriated. Why can't my daughter see reason?
But she also knew such matters couldn't be rushed. Maybe if Han Rui comes over more often, things will gradually get better through subtle influence?
"By the way, who gave you this car?" Luo Sulan asked, pointing to the Ferrari in the yard.
She knew of the car; it was worth tens of millions.
"It's Chen Yang's," Qin Qiu said.
Luo Sulan was speechless.
"It was a gift to him from Jin Zongquan," Qin Qiu added.
Luo Sulan was dumbfounded. "Elder Jin gave him a car worth tens of millions?"
"Maybe they had a chance encounter and Chen Yang helped him somehow. Elder Jin used this car to repay the favor. However, their connection ended there," Qin Qiu said helplessly.
Luo Sulan stomped her foot in anger. "A loser is always a loser! If he had just listened to me that day and tried to curry favor with Elder Jin, he could have gained far more than just a car from his patronage!"
Qin Qiu remained silent.
"That damned loser, he let such a golden opportunity slip right through his fingers! He gets no lunch today!" Luo Sulan seethed.
「Meanwhile.」
In the kitchen preparing lunch, Chen Yang dialed Yang Hu's number.
"Boss, what are your orders?" Yang Hu asked as soon as the call connected.
Chen Yang briefly recounted what had just happened, finally asking, "This guy got on my nerves. I'm not happy about it. You know what to do, right?"
"Understood! I'll take care of it immediately!"
"Also, it seems Qin Dongshan and Qin Xuejun are preparing to make a move on you. I've already sent people over. As you requested, they'll teach them a lesson!"
After hanging up, Chen Yang shook his head helplessly. The big fish are still hidden, but a bunch of small fry have jumped out.
The greatest crisis facing the Qin Family wasn't the decline of the Qin Corporation, but the shadowy force working behind the scenes, bent on destroying them. Qin Qiu's father's death was proof. Chen Yang had used his authority to review the investigation report from that car accident. Although the cover-up was nearly perfect, he could still discern the traces of foul play from minute details.
Until this shadowy force is eliminated, the Qin Family will never know peace.
* * *
「Autumn was growing intense.」
On both sides of the road, yellow leaves fluttered down, blanketing the sky like flowers scattered by celestial maidens.
After leaving the Qin residence, Han Rui dismissed his bodyguards and sped toward Brocade Residential Area to pick up a girl he had a spa appointment with.
Just as he neared the residential area, a van suddenly swerved in front of him, cutting him off and forcing his car to a stop.
Startled, Han Rui stuck his head out of the window and cursed, "Are you trying to get yourself killed? Do you even know how to drive?"
A young man in combat boots stepped out of the van and walked straight toward Han Rui.
Assuming the man was coming to apologize, Han Rui lit a cigarette with a smug expression.
As the young man approached, he snatched the cigarette pack from Han Rui's hand, lit one for himself, and tossed the pack back into the car. "You shouldn't have threatened him," he said coolly, "and you definitely shouldn't have called him a loser."
Han Rui was stunned for a moment, then found the situation absurdly amusing. "You dare snatch my cigarettes? You've got some nerve!"
The young man, who was none other than Yang Hu, smoked quietly, his eyes fixed ahead. His tone was filled with reverence as he spoke, "Ever since I've known him, anyone who learns of his identity has respectfully addressed him as Commander-in-chief Chen!"
"That's not right." Yang Hu shook his head, correcting himself. "These days, he should be addressed as Governor, or even Commander." Now that there are new titles, of course, one should use the latest ones. Besides, who doesn't know that by now?
"W-what do you mean?" An ominous feeling crept into Han Rui's heart. "Hurry up and get out of my way, I've got places to be," he urged.
If he had calmed down enough to think it through, he would have been scared stiff.
"Even if you don't address him by his title, out of common decency and good manners, you could have called him Mr. Chen," Yang Hu said, blowing out a ring of smoke. "And not 'loser' or 'freeloader.'"
Yang Hu lowered his distant gaze to stare at Han Rui in the car, his sharp eyes glinting.
"You're insane!" Han Rui started the car again. The uneasy feeling in his heart was growing stronger, and he decided it was best to leave as soon as possible.
However, Yang Hu simply opened the passenger door, sat down inside, and continued, "He once led an army of eight hundred thousand, yet you call him a loser. How about I ask those eight hundred thousand valiant men guarding the borders if they agree with you?"
Han Rui froze.
Him? It's him?! That good-for-nothing loser... he's actually... No, this is impossible!
"You... what nonsense are you spouting? How could you just casually impersonate such a major figure?" Han Rui finally stammered, his hands gripping the steering wheel, his thoughts a tangled mess.
Yang Hu held his hand out the window and flicked his cigarette ash. His eyes twinkled. "Do I look like I'm spouting nonsense?"
This...
For a moment, Han Rui was at a loss for words. Even though his mind screamed 'impossible' a thousand times, it did nothing to calm his turbulent emotions. Cold sweat began to bead on his forehead.
The man who married into the Qin family, scorned by all as a worthless, pathetic loser... could he really be the Commander?
Anyone who heard this would probably laugh their heads off. Han Rui, however, couldn't bring himself to laugh.
The man from Hanyun Valley is named Chen Yang, not yet thirty years old... and that guy seems to be called Chen Yang, too. Their ages match up. Add to that this mysterious guy next to me, and what Chen Yang said before I left the Qin residence... 'It's a shame you won't see tomorrow's sun.' Could... could this all be real?
HUFF... At this thought, Han Rui began to pant heavily, his mind trembling violently.
"I... I really have urgent business to take care of. Please, get out of the car," Han Rui pleaded, his voice trembling.
If what he suspected was true, a man with such capabilities could do more than just stop him from seeing tomorrow's sun; he could snuff out the entire Han family with a single finger.
Seeing that Yang Hu remained unmoved, Han Rui unbuckled his seatbelt and tried to push the door open, but Yang Hu grabbed his arm.
"Since you're in such a hurry to leave, I happen to know a shortcut. How about I send you on your way?"
Han Rui was speechless.