Chapter 141 — Old Buffon's Origins

"What's your own view, Brother Yang?" Bao Lin asked cautiously. He was well aware, of course, that Tianzixiao City was losing money—but the current manager was Yang Ce's uncle Yang Dashan, so Bao Lin dared not interfere lightly. With anyone else, the man would likely have been disposed of long ago.

"I want to hear your opinions now," Yang Ce said.

"Brother Yang, if I may speak frankly, your uncle is not suited to running Yaoguang City," Hou Lin said after a moment's hesitation.

"Go on," Yang Ce said with a wave of his hand.

Seeing no displeasure on Yang Ce's face, Hou Lin continued: "Right now Yaoguang City is operating at an overall loss. To turn the situation around, Yaoguang City needs a complete overhaul—not only the business model but the management as well."

"All right, do it your way." Yang Ce nodded. "What's my uncle's old sand quarry doing now?"

"I'm not too sure. It seems someone bought it and is still running the sand business," Hou Lin said after a moment's thought.

"Buy that sand quarry back and give it to my uncle. Let him run his sand quarry in peace. As for Yaoguang City, send someone of your own to take over," Yang Ce said.

"Yes, no problem, Brother Yang," Hou Lin answered.

"Also, look into the Ouyang family of P Province for me. I want detailed information," Yang Ce instructed.

"P Province? Our intelligence network doesn't reach that far yet. The investigation may take some time," Hou Lin said hesitantly.

"There's no great rush." Yang Ce smiled. "Take your time."

As for that Eagle Eye Group Sun Jie had mentioned, Yang Ce had called Fang Tian to confirm, and the answer left him speechless: it was merely a third-rate assassin outfit, doing nothing but firearms-based hits and raids. There were far too many such organizations in the world—if not a thousand, then eight hundred.

And yet this shabby outfit had been built up by the underworld into something legendary, as though it were some formidable organization. Then again, no wonder—after all, assassination was not the same as the underworld. These people of the underworld had never had any deep contact with the assassin trade, so an outfit like the Eagle Eye Group seemed remarkable enough to them.

Hearing Fang Tian's explanation, Yang Ce set his mind at ease. Even if the Eagle Eye Group came knocking, it was not as though he could not handle them.

He had already learned from Zhao Ying that Chen Shutang was no longer angry with him, so Yang Ce decided to give her a surprise.

Downstairs from Chen Shutang's building, Yang Ce gave her a call.

"Yang Ce?" Seeing the caller ID on her phone, Chen Shutang could not help but brighten. "You're back?"

"Mm, I'm back." Yang Ce smiled. "Still angry?"

"I wasn't angry in the first place," Chen Shutang said, stubbornly refusing to admit it.

"Not angry? Then what was that the other day—turning on your heel and storming off, and scolding Sister Ying too?" Yang Ce asked with a laugh.

"That wasn't my fault either—who told you to come at me like that?" A little embarrassed, Chen Shutang deliberately changed the subject. "Where are you?"

"Downstairs from your place," Yang Ce said, feigning indifference.

"Then why didn't you say so earlier? Wait there, I'm coming down now." Chen Shutang complained with a touch of reproach, then hung up in a hurry.

Yang Ce smiled. Chen Shutang's temper had, without her even noticing, changed somewhat too.

Before long, a light, nimble figure came running toward the gate of the residential compound. Yang Ce got out of the car and waved to Chen Shutang.

Catching sight of Yang Ce, Chen Shutang at once quickened her pace.

"Little vinegar pot, did you miss me?" Yang Ce lifted Chen Shutang in his arms, spun her once in the air, and only then set her down.

"I did—wait, who's a little vinegar pot?" Chen Shutang had not minded at first, but on second thought something was off. How had she become a little vinegar pot?

"If you hadn't flown off the handle without rhyme or reason, would I call you that? Regretting it now, aren't you?" Yang Ce tapped her forehead with his finger.

"I already apologized to Sister Ying," Chen Shutang said, lowering her head in embarrassment.

"And what about me?" Yang Ce was clearly not about to let Chen Shutang off so easily.

"You? What about you?" Chen Shutang said, a little coyly.

"All right then. Since that's how it is—you've misunderstood me twice now—you won't object if I bring another girl back, will you?" Yang Ce looked at Chen Shutang with a half-smile.

"Hah! You wouldn't dare!" The moment Chen Shutang heard Yang Cenbin's words, she would have none of it.

"What's there to not dare? Didn't you already agree?" Yang Hengye asked.

"When did I ever agree to that?" Chen Shutang said, baffled.

"Didn't you say you agreed to my finding Shu Ya?" Yang Yanchuan said.

"Shu Ya? You've seen Shu Ya?" After asking this, Chen Shutang shook her head before he could even answer. "Impossible. You're just bragging."

"Believe it or not." Yang Ce chuckled. "But don't come crying to me later."

"Fine then—when have I ever gone back on my word?" Chen Shutang simply refused to believe Yang Ce could have anything to do with Shu Ya. Yang Cenbin had gone abroad this time, not to Hong Kong—how could he possibly have run into Shu Ya?

"Let's find a coffee shop or somewhere to sit. It's freezing out—we can't just stand here talking forever," Yang Ce suggested.

"Let's go. I know a nice cold-drinks shop nearby," Chen Shutang suggested.

"No way—cold drinks? It's winter, for heaven's sake!" Yang Puqi was astonished.

"Who ever said a cold-drinks shop only sells cold drinks?" Chen Shutang laughed. "By your logic, they'd have to shut down for the winter, wouldn't they?"

"Wouldn't they?" Yang Ce's family hadn't been well off before, and he hadn't been to a cold-drinks shop many times—the few times had been with Zhang Bin in the summer—so he had no idea they stayed open in winter.

"Of course not." Chen Shutang explained, "In winter, cold-drinks shops sell hot drinks and juices. Otherwise, wouldn't the owners lose their shirts?"

"I see." Yang Yongjin scratched his head sheepishly. "Then let's get in the car."

"Your car?" Chen Shutang eyed the BMW X5 suspiciously.

"More or less." Yang Yuting nodded. "Why? Don't you like it?"

"It's not that. I just think—you're a college student now, and driving a BMW... isn't that a bit conspicuous?" Chen Shutang said after a moment's hesitation.

"Then tomorrow I'll pry off the BMW badge and swap it for something else." Yang Ce had once seen a rather amusing post online: a man drove a BMW, and people kept prying off the badge and stealing it, until in a fit of pique he stuck on some random domestic-car badge—and after that, it never got stolen again.

"..." Chen Shutang was speechless. "Your car looks like this—what, are you going to make it transform? Forget it. Don't waste your energy."

"Ha, well, Zhang Bin and I are about to open our company—we can't very well do without a car, can we?" Yang Ce said. "Besides, sometimes when the two of us go out to have fun, it's inconvenient otherwise."

"That's true. Oh, by the way, Zhang Bin called me a few days ago—he said he couldn't reach you," Chen Shutang said suddenly. "I only told him you'd gone on a long trip. I didn't tell him I couldn't reach you either." At this point Chen Shutang sounded a little aggrieved. "Abroad, the local SIM cards wouldn't work, and I thought you were still angry, so I didn't contact you. I never expected you'd come around first." Yang Ce spread his hands in explanation.

To be continued.

666. Career Development

So Chen Shutang still didn't believe he had met Shu Ya. But Yang Shuoxuan had only been teasing her—at least for now, Yang Ce hadn't developed any particular feelings for Shu Ya.

The reason Yang Ce was somewhat interested in Shu Ya was simply that he sensed there was a secret about her—on her, perhaps, he might find the secret of Su Ya.