Singles' Day has arrived, and Hongchang Facai wishes all single friends an early escape from singledom! Note: This chapter is yesterday's extra update.
Wang Zhuo going to such lengths to deal with the Yang family was clearly not born from having nothing better to do. Since the reward doesn't justify the effort, and he clearly looks down on such meager income, what was he truly aiming for with all this trouble?
Only Yang Ru knew the answer to this question; a moment's analysis revealed the whole cause and effect.
The first person to fall out with Wang Zhuo was her own younger brother, Yang Feng. However, Yang Feng was already ruined—suffering from intermittent schizophrenia, he could barely take care of himself. One minute he might seem perfectly normal, and the next he could do something utterly unpredictable. Yang Feng was no longer in the country; he was receiving treatment at a sanatorium in Japan—essentially exiled to a place where no one would see him, for the sake of clean sight.
To be honest, Yang Ru still felt a pang of sympathy for her brother, but it was a choice between kinship and the overall interests of the Yang family. The trouble Yang Feng stirred up was so significant that if it were exposed, the entire Yang family would be dragged down with him. Thus, Yang Ru had no choice but to force herself to be ruthless and refrain from visiting him.
The true root of the conflict lay in the incident where Liu Jieming made a move against Wang Zhuo—it was a thorough assassination attempt. Though it failed, it forged an extremely deep enmity.
After silently cursing the foolish Liu Jieming, Yang Ru's gums itched with hatred for the non-existent mole, unaware that no such person existed. The reason Wang Zhuo discovered Liu Jieming's sinister plot was entirely due to his cheat-like ability, X-ray vision, not an informant.
Now Wang Zhuo had targeted the Yang family's assets. Even if resentful, the Yang family knew they were at a disadvantage. Even Elder Yang Yujiang's former superior was helpless regarding the situation, only able to react as events unfolded. And Wang Zhuo’s words proved true: if necessary, he could easily mobilize vastly larger funds to fight this power struggle until the Yang family surrendered.
For Wang Zhuo, this might only be the beginning of his revenge, but for the Yang family, it signaled a potential catastrophe. Competitors would undoubtedly seize the chance to kick them while they were down; all Wang Zhuo needed to do was lead the charge.
After much thought, Yang Ru reluctantly realized that the only way to defuse this crisis was to follow the adage: the one who tied the bell must untie it. Liu Jieming had to apologize to Wang Zhuo in person, followed by offering Wang Zhuo a satisfactory compensation, before there was any chance he would stop.
“Llll…”
The pleasant ringtone of a mobile phone cut through the air. Liu Jieming, immersed in the vibrant nightlife of a bar, his face flushed, glanced at the caller ID and muttered before answering.
“What is it?”
Hearing the melodious music of the bar, Yang Ru frowned and cut straight to the chase: “My brother and I met with Wang Zhuo today. He can mobilize between seven to eight billion in funds against Tongyuan Nonferrous, and his attitude is extremely rigid.”
Liu Jieming chuckled, “That kid sure is rich.”
“But there’s still some room for negotiation,” Yang Ru continued. “If he really does that, he’ll hurt himself as much as the enemy. So, I analyze that the root of the problem isn't the money; it’s the grudge he’s holding onto. If we give him a graceful exit and offer some appropriate compensation, this crisis might be resolved.”
“An exit?” Liu Jieming paused for a beat, then angrily retorted, “Yang Ru, you’re not suggesting I go down on my knees and apologize to him, are you?”
Yang Ru remained silent. Liu Jieming became even more enraged. Fueled by alcohol, he completely ignored his surroundings and roared into the phone, “Are you out of your mind?! I did that back then to save face for you Yangs! Now that you can’t beat him, you want to sacrifice me? Not a chance!”
“Jieming, listen to me…”
Yang Ru was forcefully cut off mid-sentence by Liu Jieming: “If you want to apologize, you and your brother go do it! Don’t think that just because I handled it all back then, it has nothing to do with you. You all had a part in it! If you don't agree, do you think I’d be stupid enough to pull off something so reckless that it could cost me my head?!”
Hanging up, Liu Jieming cursed viciously at his phone. Noticing the surprised stares around him, he remembered he was in a public place and immediately fled.
Back in Jiangzhou, when Yang Ru tried to call Liu Jieming again, all she got was the message: “The user you have dialed has powered off.”
Throwing the phone onto the bed, Yang Ru sighed in frustration, “Why did I, Yang Ru, end up marrying such a failure!”
Outside, the sky was turning dusk, streetlights were beginning to glow, and the traffic flowed like a raging torrent.
Yang Ru stared blankly at the night view of Jiangzhou, lost in thought. Getting her husband to return home and apologize to Wang Zhuo seemed impossible. What should she do next?
Should she just watch as Wang Zhuo dragged her family into a quagmire?
Her phone rang intermittently, interrupting her thoughts again and again. This time of day was when nightlife began, with people calling friends to eat, drink, party, or sing. Annoyed by the constant interruptions, Yang Ru simply turned her phone off.
“Huh?”
Suddenly, a bold idea sprang into her mind. Wasn't Wang Zhuo known for being lecherous? If apologizing couldn’t quell his anger, perhaps catering to his carnal desires could!
She quickly turned her phone back on and scrolled to a close friend’s number, dialing immediately.
“Qingqing, what happened with that matter you told me about last time?”
“Sister Xiao Ru? What are you talking about? I don’t understand your vague question.”
“The one about Little Xu Xin from Huabi who supposedly got his hands on a foreign girl half a month ago. Do you still have that foreign girl with him?”
“Yes, Sister Xiao Ru, why are you asking about that all of a sudden?”
“Qingqing, don’t ask for now. I’ll explain everything later. Immediately send me Little Xu’s phone number; I have an emergency!”
Having obtained "Little Xu's" number, Yang Ru called him right away.
This Little Xu was a dà bān (head waiter/manager) at the Huabi Nightclub. Huabi was the nightclub that had exploded in popularity in Beijing over the last few years. There had been a moderately successful movie called Painted Skin, and its themes and concept were perfectly suited for a venue like a nightclub, so some influential figure opened one named Huabi.
Just as the movie Painted Skin featured throngs of beauties, the Huabi nightclub was naturally no exception to this ambiance. Little Xu’s role was both a dà bān at Huabi and a "flower matchmaker" for many powerful figures in Beijing, procuring beautiful women for them.
When Little Xu answered, his voice sounded slightly effeminate, though he was a thin and small man. Upon hearing Yang Ru introduce herself and mention Qingqing as the connection, he instantly understood her status and greeted her warmly, calling her "Sister Yang."
Despite being toyed with by Wang Zhuo, Yang Ru held a formidable reputation within Beijing’s elite circles. With her distinguished family background, she already possessed undeniable standing and status. Coupled with her mature, imposing figure and "snake spirit" face, she was unforgettable—everyone had watched Calabash Brothers as a child!
Yang Ru went straight to the point: “Little Xu, I need to ask you something. I heard you have a foreign girl, completely untouched. Is that true?”
“Oh, Sister Yang, that’s truly too unfortunate,” Little Xu, adept at reading people, immediately grasped Yang Ru’s need. He said regretfully, “That little filly was original stock the day before yesterday, but now…”
Because Yang Ru was a woman, he stopped his sentence there, but anyone could understand: that little filly had already been ridden!
Such bad timing! Yang Ru felt a surge of annoyance, secretly contemplating the feasibility of presenting Wang Zhuo with a 'second-hand' item.
“Sister Yang, do you need this for something specific? If it’s not urgent, I have this kind of merchandise arriving all the time. Could you wait a bit longer?” Little Xu probed tentatively.
Wait? The blade was already at the Yang family’s throat! Yang Ru silently bit her lip and said, “Forget it. I’ll contact you if I still need one later!”
“Hey? Hey, wait a moment, Sister Yang.” Little Xu quickly interjected, “Don’t hang up yet. Besides that little foreign filly, I have other things here. Why don’t you let me introduce them first, and then you can consider?”
Others? Yang Ru offered a wry smile. Could others possibly suffice? Only a foreign girl might give her a chance to test the waters, perhaps sparking Wang Zhuo’s interest. As for other merchandise, could anything compare to the immensely popular Film Empress Ning? Could anything surpass the Dynasty Twins, Qi Fei and Guan Yingying? Could they even compare to the daughter-in-law of the Academy of Sciences President?
Perhaps even those two little girls managing Wang Zhuo’s chain of beauty salons were superior!
Although Huabi Nightclub took over the mantle from Tian Shang Ren Jian, even including its top courtesans, they were ultimately just women of the night. While their looks might not lose out to Wang Zhuo’s women, the gap in every other aspect was worlds apart—tens of thousands of miles!
Seeing Yang Ru remain silent, Little Xu’s mind raced. He knew she was in no mood for his games of playing hard to get. He got straight to the point: “Sister Yang, to be honest, I truly have several quite exceptional girls here. That foreign filly was just one of them. Qingqing only saw her once before she knew. In fact, I have higher-tier options too.”
“Higher tier?” Yang Ru was slightly taken aback. Qingqing had described the foreign girl’s looks: blonde hair, blue eyes, tall with long legs, and beautiful. Most importantly, she was only seventeen and a virgin. After special training by Little Xu, she was a rare gem in this circle.
Women of this caliber were usually introduced by the nightclub to the biggest spenders, then held in reserve, waiting for the highest bidder. Some would be taken in by a wealthy patron as a kept woman, while others were bought and gifted to curry favor with the elite. They were roughly equivalent to the top courtesans of ancient brothels, rarely available for open sale; most were acquired by powerful and rich men.
“Little Xu, I grew up playing near the foundations of the Imperial City; I’m not some nouveau riche par