Cheng Yuxuan didn't wait for Zhao Yanan to send another message. Bored, he exited the WeChat interface and opened the phone map, entering "Ziyang Building."
He saw that it was on North Third Road, an area he used to visit frequently. A high school classmate had opened a food stall nearby years ago, and during his two years driving for Didi, he often went there to eat. This classmate was Chen Qiang.
Of course, Yuxuan had little interaction with Chen Qiang since he dropped out of high school in the second year. He frequently visited because a past incident was closely related to Chen Qiang's cousin. Each visit, he would intentionally or unintentionally inquire about the whereabouts of Chen Qiang's cousin.
Chen Qiang's cousin was none other than Chen Hong, the person Yuxuan had his fifth man investigate for two years without success.
After staring at the map for a moment, Yuxuan smiled faintly and muttered, "It's been a while since I had food from a stall..."
By evening, the sky was overcast, and it was completely dark before six o'clock.
Yuxuan put down the half-read Records of the Three Kingdoms, put on his coat, and went downstairs to change his shoes.
Xiaoqing was half-kneeling by the fish tank, meticulously wiping it. Seeing the young master come downstairs, she quickly stood up and bowed, "Young Master."
Yuxuan smiled faintly, nodded in acknowledgment, and turned around to see the golden-haired, blue-eyed little girl running in from the front door, followed by the large fat man.
"Wow! Creepy Uncle!" the little girl exclaimed.
Yuxuan: ...
"Chuli, slow down, Daddy can't catch up with you!" Chu Zhijing came in behind, hands on hips, panting heavily. He greeted Yuxuan, "Son, heading out?"
Yuxuan ignored him and strode towards his little sister, picking her up and pointing at the footprints on the ground, saying, "Clean this up yourself, or... I'll spank you!"
As he spoke, Xiaoqing came over with a mop. The little girl pointed at her and said, "This is her job!"
Yuxuan was not about to indulge her. He snatched the mop from Xiaoqing's hands and handed it to the little girl, "Do it yourself!"
The little girl, intimidated by Yuxuan's stern tone, pouted and immediately started crying, "Daddy! Help!"
Chu Zhijing laughed dryly, "Yuxuan, your sister is still young, you..."
At this point, Yuxuan raised his eyelids and glanced at him, his eyes flashing coldly.
"Chuli! Listen to your brother and clean it up yourself..."
"Why?!"
Yuxuan casually tossed the doll, aiming it straight into Chu Zhijing's arms. The little doll's eyes widened in shock, frozen in place as if experiencing the "flying feeling" firsthand.
"Take care of your daughter and teach her some manners!" Yuxuan said with a strange smile on his lips. "Just like Grandpa used to teach me with a stick every day. If she doesn't learn, keep hitting until she does!"
Xiaoqing looked up timidly, her eyes showing a bit of sympathy.
Chu Zhijing continued to smile playfully, sitting on the sofa with Chuli. He changed the subject, "Don't like that Ferrari? It's been sitting in the yard since Nan Nan brought it back, and I haven't seen you touch it."
"I still prefer my old classic," Yuxuan said with a hint of mockery. After changing his shoes, he told Xiaoqing, "Go rest, no need to serve them."
He then walked towards the door, purposely bumping into the large fat man blocking the doorway, giving him a resentful glare, "Good dogs don't block the way. Haven't you heard?"
Fat man: ...
Chu Zhijing played with his little daughter, his eyes showing some contemplation as he smiled faintly, lost in thought.
Soon, Yuxuan's phone vibrated lightly with a text from an unfamiliar number: The Gao family wants to cause trouble for Qingya. 8 PM, Ziyang Building.
Chu Zhijing shook his head with a smile and muttered, "I've already given the heads-up to the underworld bosses, but these little devils are still troublesome..."
After leaving Fenghuang Mountain Villa, Yuxuan headed straight to the villa area by Emerald Lake.
In the newly bought villa, Lao Wu was sitting on the living room sofa with a laptop, switching between several surveillance screens.
Seeing Yuxuan enter, Lao Wu waved, "Big Brother, the surrounding surveillance has been set up. Tomorrow I'll install a few cameras at the nearby intersections."
"Hmm."
Yuxuan didn't need to worry about these matters. After surveying the house upstairs and downstairs, he asked, "Anything else needed? Just use that card to buy it."
Lao Wu shrugged, "Infrared sensors, and... a few drones. They're already ordered and will be delivered in a couple of days."
"Good," Yuxuan patted his shoulder and said, "Let's go, I'll treat you to dinner."
"Oh! Cool!" Lao Wu closed his laptop and followed Yuxuan happily, "Going to that food stall?"
Yuxuan remained silent.
Lao Wu pouted, "Big Brother, Chen Qiang probably really hasn't been in touch with his cousin. I've been monitoring his calls and haven't found anything... Otherwise, we could just kidnap him, beat him up, and force him to talk."
"He's stubborn, won't respond to force. He's a guy who isn't afraid of death... Moreover, he's also honest and straightforward, I can't bring myself to do that."
"Oh my God, then there's no other way... Chen Hong seems to have vanished off the face of the earth. But I can guarantee, he hasn't appeared at the food stall or been in contact with Chen Qiang."
While speaking, they arrived at the Skoda.
Lao Wu made a face and said, "Oh my God, you really don't plan to change it? Or..."
Before he could finish, Yuxuan suddenly raised his hand and made a peculiar gesture. Lao Wu immediately understood and mimed zipping his lips.
By the time they arrived at the food stall, it was already past seven. Being winter, the entire stall was covered by a large transparent tent.
Yuxuan parked the car by the roadside and didn't rush inside. Instead, he looked up at the large sign of Ziyang Building and muttered, "I hadn't noticed this place before..."
It was dinner time, and the food stall was already filled with customers. Chen Qiang had just finished taking an order for a table when he turned and saw Yuxuan at the door, momentarily stunned.
Under the dim light, this dandy young man stood tall, wearing an obviously expensive black coat and leather boots, making his legs appear especially long. Although his appearance hadn't changed, he no longer wore those heavy, outdated glasses. His hairstyle was now modern and stylish, giving him a refined young master look.
However, the old classic car parked next to him did somewhat lower the overall impression.
"Yuxuan? Hey! I almost didn't recognize you with this outfit!" Chen Qiang greeted with a smile and joked, "What are you up to? Dressed like a big star! Did some rich lady have her eye on you?"
Yuxuan: ...
Lao Wu choked on his saliva and coughed wildly.
Chen Qiang, who had seen this foreigner at the food stall before, recognized him and said with a laugh, "Tony, where's your afro? Why did you braid it?"
"Pushed to extremes!" Lao Wu blurted out.
Yuxuan put his arm around Chen Qiang's shoulder, "What he means is 'forced by circumstances'... Qiangzi, it's been a while since I've been here. Let's start with a serving of lamb spine."
Chen Qiang nodded with a grin, "Are you done with your shift today? If so, I'll get you a bottle of wine to warm you up. You can just leave your car by the roadside tonight, no one will bother."
Yuxuan considered it for a moment, "Sure, but you need to keep me company. Tony doesn't drink white liquor."
Lao Wu: What does that mean?
Chen Qiang wiped down a four-person table by the door and said, "Alright, sit down first. I'll take care of the customers inside and then come out to drink with you."