Chapter 59: Foolish Woman

“Yes, yes, you’re right, Brother Chen!” Feng Zhi Xiao grinned broadly. The moment he realized there was hope for the hotpot restaurant, the group of underlings lit up with excitement, especially the youngest, whose bright black eyes sparkled like a thief’s. He looked at Ye Chen, his voice trembling with delight, “Boss, really? Does that mean I can eat hotpot to my heart’s content from now on?”

“Damn, that’s all you aspire to?” Feng Zhi Xiao scolded, clearly dissatisfied with the young man’s ambitions.

“Come on, brothers, let’s drink up!” Ye Chen was the first to raise his glass.

The group burst into hearty shouts and downed their drinks. Every man at the table could drink a barrel, and as for Mouse and Big Shrimp, they were in a league of their own. If they started drinking, ten bottles of beer each would be nothing.

After a round of hearty food and drink, Mouse, still relatively sober, settled the bill. The group then staggered out together, splitting into two taxis for the ride back to Xinhai Apartments. Ye Chen collapsed onto the bed, dead to the world.

In the haze of sleep, the sky was overcast. A group of men in black chased him relentlessly. Ye Chen clutched his chest, his face deathly pale. Suddenly, the scene shifted. An exquisitely beautiful, alluring woman’s face appeared before him. Ye Chen strained to see her clearly, but it felt as if a thousand obstacles blocked the way. Anxious, he called out, “Who are you? Who are you?”

The woman smiled mischievously. “Darling, do you really not recognize me?”

“Who the hell are you?” Ye Chen shouted.

“I am... the one who’s come to kill you!” The woman suddenly pulled out a tiny pistol and fired straight at Ye Chen. The bullet struck his chest. Next, a horde of black-clad men gave chase, and then Ye Chen tumbled off a cliff.

Thud—

Ye Chen crashed to the floor, his face pressed firmly against the boards. It was hopeless; for over a year, he’d had the same recurring dream, always those two scenes in endless repetition. He dragged himself up from the bed. Outside, darkness had fallen. His head throbbed, and his bladder was bursting. He rushed to the bathroom to relieve himself.

“Mouse? Big Shrimp?” Ye Chen called out twice, but there was no answer. He wandered the apartment, but neither man was anywhere in sight. They’d probably already gone back to the Bamboo Grove complex. Work resumed tomorrow, so it was high time for a good night’s rest.

Beep, beep, beep—

His phone began to ring. At this hour, the only person who would call was Liu Momo. Ye Chen barely glanced at the number before answering, his tone gentle. “Momo, are you missing your Brother Chen?”

“Hmph!” came a soft snort from the other end, then Li Ruo’s voice followed: “Ye Chen, I’m outside Xinhai Apartments right now. You have one minute to show up in front of me!”

“Uh…” Ye Chen froze, then frowned in exasperation. “Come on, big sis, do you know what time it is? I have work tomorrow!”

“I don’t care. You have fifty-five seconds left. If you’re not in front of me by then, I’ll tell Captain Zhang a certain secret!” Li Ruo huffed. Ye Chen’s heart skipped a beat. Did this girl know something? His voice grew rough. “What secret?!”

“Heh heh!” Li Ruo’s lips curled. “The secret behind your thirty million!”

“Uh…” Ye Chen paused, then forced a laugh. “What are you talking about? I got that thirty million fair and square—not from robbing a bank!”

“That’s right, you didn’t rob a bank,” Li Ruo whispered, “but you had it easier than a bank robber!”

“How much do you know?” Ye Chen asked coldly.

“The police are searching everywhere for Zhang Dadan’s five million dollars!” Li Ruo finished. Ye Chen immediately hung up. Only thirty seconds remained. His heart pounded fiercely. Damn! How did she find out? Did this woman have some kind of scheme? Ye Chen was no saint. If anyone threatened his life, he wouldn’t hesitate to kill—even if she was as beautiful as an angel.

Ye Chen didn’t even bother to change out of his Tianya Group security uniform. He leapt straight from the second-floor balcony, rolled across the grass below, and sprang to his feet, sprinting toward the entrance of the complex.

Outside, a black Ferrari gleamed under the streetlights, drawing a crowd of onlookers. Li Ruo sat behind the wheel, her gaze fixed on the gate. When she saw Ye Chen racing out like the wind, she smiled in satisfaction.

The car door opened like the wing of a bird. Li Ruo poked her head out, smiled, and said, “Get in!”

Without a word, Ye Chen jumped into the passenger seat, demanding, “How did you know?”

“Hee hee, I’m not telling!” Li Ruo beamed with the innocence of a girl who’d just gotten a new toy. She shut the door, slammed her foot on the accelerator, and said, “There’s a race on Xiangming Mountain tonight. If you help me win, I’ll tell you—deal?”

“You fool! You know those wolves up there are just luring you in, and you still go running to them?” Ye Chen shot her a glare. “Whether it’s that Young Master Wei or those shady types, they’re all just eyeing your looks. In their eyes, you’re a little lamb. Can’t believe you still walk right into their trap!”

His words were sharp, spoken in a fit of anger. He braced himself for Li Ruo’s retort. To his surprise, she didn’t snap back, but instead gazed at him with a sweet, coquettish smile. “Well, it’s because I trust you, isn’t it?”

Looking at her, Ye Chen began to suspect she had a split personality. By day and by night, she seemed like two different people.

“Fine, I’ll help you one last time. But that’s it!” Ye Chen sighed with resignation.

“Hee hee, I knew you were the best!” Li Ruo giggled. She raised her right hand, kissed it, and pressed it to Ye Chen’s cheek. “This is your reward in advance.”

“Uh…” Ye Chen stared, dumbfounded. Split personality—she had to have a split personality. The daytime Li Ruo would never do something so “bizarre.” He’d sooner believe in ghosts than that this was the same woman as during the day. But it had to be her; the tiny mole on her neck never changed. Even twins wouldn’t have such a perfect match.

Li Ruo laughed at Ye Chen’s stunned expression, then stamped on the gas. The Ferrari let out a wild roar, rocketing toward the mountaintop. In the valley, engines howled and shrieked in response.

In a flash, they reached the summit. The mountaintop was packed with people. Racers from Jianghuai City and surrounding cities—Hong Kong, Macau, Shenzhen, Dongguan—had all flocked to Xiangming Mountain for the event. The vast platform, bathed in xenon light, was as bright as day. Dozens of top-tier sports cars were scattered about.

On the mountaintop, each region had its own racing zone. Li Ruo’s arrival didn’t draw much attention, except from Young Master Wei, who immediately recognized his own Ferrari. He was dressed in wild, eccentric clothes, his hair dyed in strange styles, an earring sparkling on his ear. He waved at Li Ruo’s car. Li Ruo paused, then steered toward him, stopping in the Jianghuai City racers’ area.

Li Ruo and Ye Chen got out together. Young Master Wei paused in surprise, then grinned. “President Li, you brought your security guard tonight?”

“I’ll say it again—he’s my friend!” Li Ruo’s tone was icy.

“Of course, of course!” Young Master Wei nodded quickly, then turned to Ye Chen. “May I ask your name, friend?”

“The surname’s Ye. Just Chen,” Ye Chen replied.

“Oh, so you’re Mr. Ye!” Young Master Wei smiled faintly; in truth, he already knew all about him. Then he turned to Li Ruo. “Tonight’s the amateur racing championship. President Li, interested in joining?”

“Of course!” Li Ruo nodded. “I’m here for the grand prize.”

“Haha, I have my eye on that V8 engine too!” Young Master Wei laughed.

“The V8 from an F1 car?” Ye Chen’s eyes widened.

“That’s right!” Li Ruo nodded, curious. “Ye Chen, you know about F1 engines?”

“I know a little,” Ye Chen swallowed. “Where did they get that V8? I thought those weren’t for public sale—they’re for pro F1 cars. Install that in a regular car and someone’s going to die!”