"Ye Qiu, someone is targeting us," Tang Buyi said bluntly as soon as Ye Qiu entered the office.
"Who?" Ye Qiu asked with a smile, finding Tang Buyi's words somewhat amusing. After all, he was just a lowly bodyguard with no financial conflicts with anyone. Who would go out of their way to mess with him?
"International Jiaye," Tang Buyi replied, handing Ye Qiu a stack of documents from his desk. "International Jiaye is a mid-sized real estate company based in Yanjing, registered just last year. They've been growing rapidly. Originally, the competition for the Langshan land was between our Tang Group's Green City division and the Jin Hai Group. Other smaller companies didn't even qualify."
"But ever since you confronted Jin Haili, the boss of Jin Hai Group, he called a few days ago and said he was willing to withdraw from the bidding. I thought our Tang Group was the only contender left, but then International Jiaye suddenly entered the fray."
Ye Qiu glanced at the documents, which contained information about International Jiaye, and commented, "Their company's strength isn't enough to pose a threat to Tang Group, right?"
"Exactly. The officials overseeing the bidding process are very fair, and they'll definitely choose the best candidate. Since they can't compete with us on hardware, they've resorted to trying to force us to withdraw," Tang Buyi said angrily. After all, who wouldn't be upset when a deal they were so close to securing was suddenly at risk?
"On what grounds?" Ye Qiu asked, narrowing his eyes. The business world was indeed a battlefield, with no visible smoke but complex maneuvers behind the scenes that could shift billions of dollars in profit with a single move. This was far more profitable than outright killing.
"They've found a small weak spot to exploit," Tang Buyi said with a bitter smile. "When you went to meet Jin Haili, someone noticed. Now, International Jiaye is actively trying to win Jin Haili over. If they team up and testify against you, I'll inevitably be implicated and have to withdraw from the competition. The fact that you're Tang Guo's bodyguard hasn't escaped the notice of certain people, and they can't help but link this back to me. That envelope contains some photos International Jiaye sent over—they're trying to use you to force me into submission."
On the table lay an unmarked file folder. Ye Qiu untied the string and pulled out the contents: photos from the time he visited the club to confront Jin Haili. There were shots of him at the entrance, in the elevator flanked by two men in black, and even as he was leaving.
Ye Qiu had noticed at the time that the club had no cameras in the rooms or corridors to protect the privacy of its guests. He had only injured Jin Haili's men, and there were no deaths, so he hadn't bothered to destroy the surveillance equipment in the elevator lobby and other public areas. Afterward, Tang Buyi had sent someone to handle the aftermath, but by the time they arrived, the footage had already been taken and ended up in the hands of Cai Xingwang, the boss of International Jiaye.
International Jiaye had long been a rival of Jin Hai Group, and they had planted numerous moles within it. A seemingly insignificant staff member in the surveillance room turned out to be a key player this time. With the evidence in hand, Cai Xingwang began planning his move, threatening Tang Buyi on one front while attempting to woo Jin Haili on the other.
When Tang Buyi mentioned that International Jiaye was trying to partner with Jin Haili, Ye Qiu chuckled and said, "Uncle Tang, you don't need to worry. Jin Haili won't collaborate with them."
"Life is full of uncertainties. Men don't betray for nothing; they only do so when the stakes are high enough. If International Jiaye makes an attractive enough offer, Jin Haili might be tempted," Tang Buyi analyzed, still worried.
"Even if International Jiaye offered Jin Haili everything they had, he wouldn't dare work with them. But I'll still go and give him a wake-up call," Ye Qiu said confidently. He had learned plenty from Jin Haili's memories, and any one of those secrets could bury him.
"Haha, Ye Qiu, I knew you weren't an ordinary person. The fact that I was able to get your master to lend you to me is a testament to the respect he has for me. I'm bringing this to you for advice, and if you can handle it, even better," Tang Buyi said, feeling much more at ease after Ye Qiu's assurance.
"Alright, I'll go talk to Jin Haili now. I'm sure he won't refuse," Ye Qiu said, standing up. He wondered what expression Jin Haili would have when he saw him again—probably as if he'd seen a ghost.
But Jin Haili was indeed a talented individual. Despite all the terrible things he had done and the enemies he had made, he was still alive and well. That took some skill.
"Good. I'll leave this matter in your hands. Even if Jin Haili refuses to cooperate, those photos will be useless to International Jiaye," Tang Buyi said with a laugh, standing up to see Ye Qiu off.
"No need to see me out, Uncle Tang. Aunt Zheng is waiting for you in the lounge," Ye Qiu said calmly.
"Oh? Haha..." Tang Buyi was momentarily taken aback, then broke into a happy smile.
Ye Qiu sighed inwardly. It seemed that woman was not to be underestimated. To have someone like Tang Buyi wrapped around her finger took some serious skill. And then there was Uncle Wang's seemingly offhand remark earlier—was he trying to hint at something? Given his close relationship with Tang Buyi, why wouldn't he just say it directly? Or was Ye Qiu reading too much into it?
As Ye Qiu left the Tang Group building and was about to hail a cab on the street, he heard someone calling his name from behind.
"Hey, why are you always coming here?" A curly-haired woman called out, holding a cup of instant coffee. She wore a light gray uniform that accentuated her shapely figure, and the white shirt beneath showcased her ample chest, making her look quite alluring. Standing next to her was another woman with straight hair, equally attractive, who smiled and nodded at Ye Qiu as he looked over.
Ye Qiu rubbed his forehead. What a coincidence! Did he have some grudge against these two women? Every time he came to this street, he would run into them loitering outside. Didn't they have work to do?
"What are you two doing here?"
"Our office is nearby. Where else would we be? Are you working around here too?" Lu Xiaoman asked, looking him up and down. He didn't seem like a white-collar worker in the financial district.
"No, I was here to see someone. If there's nothing else, I'll be going," Ye Qiu said, not wanting to get entangled with them. He quickly hopped into a car that had just pulled up beside him.
"Hey, hey—what's with that attitude? Does he think he's all that? Acting like I'm trying to chase after him! And what are you laughing at? Wasn't it you who attracted him here in the first place?" Lu Xiaoman grumbled as she stomped her foot, annoyed by Ye Qiu's departure. She then turned on her friend, Su Shan, who was laughing beside her.
As Su Shan giggled, Lu Xiaoman reached out and grabbed her friend's chest through her blouse, causing Su Shan to shriek in surprise. The two women then began playfully wrestling on the sidewalk, drawing envious stares and drooling looks from passersby.
"Driver, to Langshan," Ye Qiu instructed.
"Young man, why are you heading to Langshan now? It only gets lively there at night," the driver remarked as he started the car.
Ye Qiu smiled without replying, instead using the rearview mirror to observe the cars behind him. He had noticed earlier that two cars had been taking turns tailing him. Now, a new Audi had joined the chase. Curious to see who was after him, Ye Qiu decided to lead them to Langshan for a little chat.
After all, he wasn't that familiar with Yanjing. But he had visited Langshan once with Shen Monong and knew it was a perfect place for some clandestine activities.