Having driven off the Tattooed Eagle Man, Shuang Qiao felt both worried and relieved.
They were worried that things might escalate further and that the Tattooed Eagle Man would come back to make trouble.
They were relieved because Luo Yang had temporarily alleviated the situation.
"Ninja, thanks for your help." Qiao Yousi, however, couldn't quite feel happy.
From the anxious look in Shuang Qiao's eyes, Luo Yang guessed what was on their minds.
"Big Sister Qiao, Little Sister Qiao, I'll help you sort this out," Luo Yang reassured them.
Just then, Qiao Yousi's phone rang.
Qiao Yousi hesitated for a moment but decided to answer the call.
"Boss Wang, do you need something?" Qiao Yousi asked tentatively.
The speakerphone was on.
All that could be heard was Wang Yunxiong's angry voice coming from the phone: "You dare to play me?"
Qiao Yousi faltered, "Boss Wang, actually..."
Seeing Qiao Yousi's helplessness, Luo Yang took the phone from her.
"Boss Wang."
Upon hearing Luo Yang's voice, there was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.
Then, Wang Yunxiong's voice changed to a friendlier tone, "Aren't you Luo Yang from the Hongyun Brigade?"
Luo Yang said with a smile, "That's right. Boss Wang, my two sister will pay you back. Just give us a few days' grace."
There was another moment of silence.
Wang Yunxiong's tone turned much colder as he asked, "So it was you who laid hands on my man?"
Luo Yang candidly admitted, "Yes."
A cold snort came through the phone, followed by Wang Yunxiong saying, "You want to play with me too? I'll indulge you! I want to see just how capable you all are!"
After that, he hung up.
Shuang Qiao was deeply worried. Having made an enemy of Wang Yunxiong in Honghai County was troublesome.
"Big Sister Qiao, Little Sister Qiao, money is not the issue, it just takes a little time. Look on the bright side, when water comes we build a dam against it, and after a fall, we can get up again," Luo Yang comforted them.
For the time being, he knew that Wang Yunxiong's influence in the county was much greater than his own.
Faintly, Luo Yang felt that Shuang Qiao's company might not be able to go on.
What he could help with was to find funds to ease their urgent need, but as for some mysterious and irresistible factors, it would be difficult to lend a hand.
By then, it was almost time for lunch.
"Let's go have lunch, we can talk while we eat," Luo Yang suggested.
Shuang Qiao nodded.
Luo Yang then called Xu Huimin and asked her to join them for lunch.
As they got into the car, Qiao Yousi saw that Luo Yang had come in a Volkswagen Langyi and expressed surprise, "Ninja, you have a driver's license?"
Luo Yang chuckled, "I'll have one very soon."
Hong Jiaxin teased, "When he says he'll have it soon, he means it's still at the driving school."
Upon hearing this, Shuang Qiao both laughed.
"Ninja, you're pretty bold," Qiao Zai Shui said with a laugh.
"Boldness kills thieves. Nowadays, the bold get by and the timid starve to death," Luo Yang said.
Once in the car, they went to a hotel and booked a private room.
After a while, Xu Huimin arrived as well.
After placing their order, Luo Yang spoke about Wang Yunxiong, and Xu Huimin's expression grew grave, "This is quite troublesome; he has a lot of clout, and he has ties with both the underworld and legitimate businesses. No one dares to provoke him in the county. Perhaps you could try apologizing to him and see if it's possible to resolve this grudge."
Luo Yang then shared Wang Yunxiong's proposal to cooperate on producing beauty products and concluded, "His ambition is to get his hands on my beauty product formulas."
Hearing this, Xu Huimin looked even more serious.
"We're here to eat, not to talk business. Let's put everything aside for now, and enjoy our meal first," Luo Yang said.
He truly could act as if the sky falling down was merely a blanket to cover himself.
Shuang Qiao, however, did not possess such a strong psychological fortitude and their faces were still fraught with worry.
If there is a tiger in the mountain, how can the rabbits living on the same mountain not be afraid?
Given Shuang Qiao's abilities, they were far from capable of resisting the force of Wang Yunxiong's onslaught.
"Your company, I'm afraid it won't be able to continue," Xu Huimin said.
"Worst comes to worst, we'll just file for bankruptcy," Qiao Zai Shui said.
Without Shuang Qiao, the company essentially lost its soul.
Their research project was the most vital value of the company.
Luo Yang thought that if Wang Yunxiong employed various means, he should be able to crush Shuang Qiao's company.
As for the current situation, Luo Yang himself felt that his willingness exceeded his ability.
Besides, he still needed to focus all his energy on confronting the Lin Family.
"Big Sister Qiao, Little Sister Qiao, don't worry. I will help you pay off your debts. If the company really can't continue, I'll start a new one and you'll manage it," Luo Yang said.
"Director Luo, then please take good care of us," Qiao Yousi finally showed a natural smile on her pretty face.
"We're all our own people, no need for formalities," Luo Yang said with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Shuang Qiao's cheeks tinged with a faint blush.
Xu Huimin saw this and guessed why Shuang Qiao's cheeks were red.
"Director Luo, won't you take care of me too?" Xu Huimin asked.
"Sister Xu, you're in charge of public relations. From now on, you'll be the manager of the company's PR department," Luo Yang promptly said.
"I want to be the general manager too," Xu Huimin said with a smile.
"No problem, I will open many companies, and each of you can have a general manager position," Luo Yang generously declared.
The four beauties all laughed.
The gloomy atmosphere in the private room lessened considerably, just right for dining.
Suddenly recalling the friendly martial arts exchange between Chinese and Japanese amateur enthusiasts, Luo Yang asked, "Sister Xu, did you sign me up?"
Xu Huimin nodded and said, "I told my dad, and he should have let the president of the Martial Arts Association know."
Not long ago, Luo Yang had beaten a ninja from Japan. The other party, not convinced, finally found a reason for an upfront challenge.
It appeared to be an amateur contest open to everyone, but in reality, the opponent came only for Luo Yang; he had to participate.
The incident at Hong Jiaxin's home might not be directly related to the ninja, but it likely had something to do with the hidden boss who hired the ninja.
Luo Yang wanted to find out why that Japanese antique collector was so desperate to get that foot-square piece of charcoal, which probably hid an unspeakable secret.
Moreover, a piece of charcoal being exchangeable for gold of the same volume was unheard of and unprecedented.
Hong Jiaxin's parents had been out of contact up to this point, and it was unknown whether they were alive or dead.
Seeing Hong Jiaxin trying to call or send messages to her parents without any response, Luo Yang also felt heartbroken for her.
As his relationship with Hong Jiaxin grew better, her problems became his problems. He would do his utmost to help her uncover the secret of the charcoal.
Lately, no suspicious individuals had appeared nearby, and instinct told Luo Yang that this was the calm before the storm.
Glancing around and seeing Shuang Qiao eating silently, their expressions clouding with worry again, he realized they were still unable to let go of their concerns.
After thinking it over, Luo Yang said, "Sister Xu, if we could collect evidence of Wang Yunxiong doing illegal things, is there a chance we could take him down?"
Xu Huimin shook her head and said, "It'll be difficult. No one dares to report it." She then laughed at herself, "You expect me to be able to defeat him? I don't have that ability. Even if evidence is collected, the county TV station won't broadcast it just like that. Director Luo, you are young and promising; you will definitely be able to defeat him. Wang Yunxiong, who commits many injustices, will get his comeuppance."
Grandma's legs, always lecturing me with high-minded principles. Luo Yang cracked a smile.
It's said that the wicked won't end well, but some villains do manage to die a good death.
Luo Yang didn't believe in heaven taking care of Wang Yunxiong, he only believed in himself.
Though he presently lacked the ability to deal with Wang Yunxiong, that didn't mean he wouldn't have it in the future.
As long as the green hills last, there will be no worry of no firewood. With that thought, Luo Yang felt even better.