Future New City was welcoming a major event.
The president of the Yang Group was coming to inspect the construction progress, so the entire engineering department was extremely nervous and on high alert. The newspapers had come out a few days ago, announcing the failure of the proposed marriage alliance between the Yang and He families. With the president visiting at such a critical juncture, no one felt at ease. A single misstep could easily get someone fired.
The management at Future New City had already notified the construction site to be vigilant about safety and conduct. Anyone who made a mistake would be out.
Dressed in track pants, with her hair up and wearing sunglasses, Yang Xinyi got out of the car, immediately drawing everyone's attention. She stood out from the crowd like a proud swan, capturing everyone's gaze.
"President Yang, welcome," said Xia Qiu, the chief of the engineering department, approaching briskly with a team of engineers.
"Get me a safety helmet," Yang Xinyi instructed.
A new safety helmet was promptly provided. After putting it on, she headed toward the construction site. Just then, her phone rang.
"President Yang, I have news," the group's security manager said over the phone. "He Haodong has dispatched a large number of people to find that guy, Ye Xiong."
"Have they found anything?"
"Not yet."
"Keep searching," Yang Xinyi commanded. "We must find Ye Xiong before they do."
After hanging up, Yang Xinyi's thoughts returned to that mysterious and capable man. Who exactly is he? What does he do for a living, and why did he help me?
Since that night, it was as if he had vanished into thin air. Neither the Yang Group nor the He Group, two of Jiangnan City's most powerful families, could find him.
"President, shall we start with the townhouses or the detached homes?"
"Let's start with the townhouses."
Future New City was a highly promising project. The Yang Group had invested no less than three billion into this phase alone, making it one of the most valuable properties in the city and one of the group's most important current assets.
「On the road outside the townhouses.」
Wearing worn-out rubber shoes, Ye Xiong pulled a handcart full of bricks toward the construction site. The scrawny Wang Tong sat atop the pile.
"Brother Xiong, do you know why Yang Xinyi called off the wedding that evening?"
"Because He Haodong was caught cheating in an upstairs room with another woman during the wedding!"
"Yeah, right," Wang Tong scoffed.
"Why don't you ever believe me when I tell the truth?" Ye Xiong sighed, continuing, "Afterward, I even hung out in Yang Xinyi's villa for a while, chatting with two beautiful women in the same room."
"You're so full of it, you're about to burst," Wang Tong said in exasperation.
As they walked and talked, they quickly neared the villas. Ye Xiong's sharp eyes spotted a spirited, sharp-looking policewoman talking with Auntie Bao.
Damn it! He instantly recognized her as the senior police officer who had handcuffed him to a billboard.
"I'm going to take a leak," Ye Xiong said, lowering his cap and slipping away to the side.
Just as he ducked onto the construction site, his phone rang—it was Auntie Bao.
She's like a ghost I can't shake!
He quickly set his phone to silent and crept further into the site.
"Where's Ye Xiong?" Seeing Wang Tong approach, Auntie Bao asked curiously. "Weren't you two assigned to the same team today? Why is it just you?"
"Brother Xiong went to pee." Wang Tong glanced at Luo Weiwei, his eyes lighting up.
She had a voluptuous figure and delicate features. Her eyelashes were especially long, making her eyes look as deep and alluring as autumn pools. That, combined with her police uniform, made her far more attractive than the costumed actresses in those films from the Island Country.
"When did he go?"
"A few minutes ago."
Realizing she was on the right track, Luo Weiwei spoke sharply. "I'll give you five minutes to bring him to me, or you'll answer to me."
"What did Ye Xiong do?" Auntie Bao asked meekly.
"Rape." Just the thought of that guy infuriated Luo Weiwei, so she decided to scare them. Otherwise, they wouldn't put any real effort into finding him.
"Officer, there must be some mistake! Brother Xiong isn't that kind of person," Wang Tong said urgently.
"If he didn't do anything wrong, why would he run the moment he saw me?" Luo Weiwei countered.
"I'll go find him for you," Wang Tong said before darting off.
Once inside the construction site, Auntie Bao yelled, "Everyone stop what you're doing and find Ye Xiong! He's in big trouble!"
Huddled by the toilets, Ye Xiong turned off his phone after it rang a few more times.
A group of workers approached, pointing at him and shouting, "There he is! Grab him!"
"Ye Xiong, I can't believe you're that kind of person. We were blind to your true nature!"
"You wouldn't even spare a fifty-year-old woman—are you even human?"
"There are police cars waiting outside! You'd better surrender!"
"Don't waste your breath on him! Let's grab him, beat him up a little, and then hand him over to the police!" one of them yelled.
The mob charged toward him, radiating pure rage.
Ye Xiong was dumbfounded. These guys have to be nuts! All I did was run over some car. When did I rape an old woman?
At this point, his only option was to run. Otherwise, these guys would surely beat him to a pulp. With one push against the wall, Ye Xiong vaulted over it and fled.
"There he goes! Don't let him escape!"
Damn it!
Ye Xiong dodged left and ran toward a pile of cement, but a figure suddenly leaped out and pounced on him.
"For fuck's sake, do you have to be so intense?" He nimbly sidestepped, dodging the lunge.
Another worker lunged at him as if he had a death wish.
"Fuck, I can't stay here."
Ye Xiong weaved through the obstacles, sprinting toward the exit.
"Chase him! Don't let him get away!"
Dozens of construction workers followed close behind. The pursuit was nothing short of epic.
Luo Weiwei stood at the entrance to the construction site, sipping water and watching with amusement as Ye Xiong fled for his life from the dozens of workers chasing him. Strangely, even after more than ten minutes, dozens of men still couldn't catch him. Ye Xiong hadn't laid a hand on anyone, but he was as slippery as an eel.
The entire construction site was thrown into chaos.
Xia Qiu was introducing the project as he led Yang Xinyi toward the site. "President, all our construction workers are of very high quality, strictly vetted. In a moment, you'll see them working diligently and without complaint..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Xia Qiu was struck dumb by the sight before him.
The scene that greeted them around the corner was utter chaos. Dozens of construction workers were chasing a lone man all over the site. The whole place was a whirlwind of frantic activity and loud shouting.
"Is this the 'high-quality team' you were talking about?" Yang Xinyi frowned.
Sweat beaded on Xia Qiu's forehead. He quickly pulled out his phone to call Auntie Bao and shouted furiously into it, "Bao, what the hell is going on at the construction site?! What do you mean, rape?!"
After hanging up, Xia Qiu said weakly, "President, one of the construction workers has committed rape. The others are trying to catch him."
"Explain," Yang Xinyi said, her brow furrowed.
"Officer Luo is over there. Perhaps we should ask her."
The group quickly made their way to the edge of the site, where a spirited, sharp-looking female police officer was bent over, clutching her stomach as she roared with laughter. She had just seen two workers pounce on Ye Xiong simultaneously, only for him to dodge, causing them to crack their heads together. Both men were now clutching their heads, howling in pain.
"Officer Luo, what exactly happened?" Xia Qiu approached and asked.
"Just taking someone in for questioning," Luo Weiwei said, finally stifling her laughter. She pointed at Ye Xiong in the middle of the chaos. "Could you do me a favor and bring him over here?"
"Everyone, stop!" Xia Qiu stepped forward, bringing the chase to a halt. He pointed at Ye Xiong. "You, get over here."
Ye Xiong sighed. Realizing there was no escape today, he obediently followed Xia Qiu over.
"Officer, we meet again," Ye Xiong said sheepishly.
Luo Weiwei circled him, clicking her tongue in amazement. He wasn't even red in the face or out of breath. "You're quite skilled, having dozens of people unable to catch you," she remarked with a laugh.
"I've moved a lot of bricks; it makes you agile," Ye Xiong replied. He then pulled a grimy pair of handcuffs from his waistband and handed them to her with a grin. "Returning these to their rightful owner."
Luo Weiwei took them and clicked them onto his wrists, then pointed at her sports bike. "Let's go!"
Ye Xiong obediently headed for her bike but suddenly spotted a group approaching, led by none other than the president of the Xinyi Group, Yang Xinyi herself.
He quickly lowered his head, hoping not to be recognized. That would just be another headache. He wasn't afraid of Yang Xinyi, but her friend, Xiao Fangfang, was not someone to be trifled with.
Yang Xinyi's gaze fell on him. His head was hanging low, obscuring his face, but he seemed quite tall.
"Officer, what crime did this employee commit?" she inquired, since he was one of her company's employees.
"He drove a motorcycle over someone's car out of resentment for the rich," Luo Weiwei explained.
"Not rape?"
"If it were rape, I would have shot him dead long ago," Luo Weiwei said.
"Then handle it according to the law."
Yang Xinyi took another look at the slouching Ye Xiong. He seemed vaguely familiar. Suddenly, she said, "Lift your head."
Ye Xiong acted as if he hadn't heard, keeping his head down as he walked.
"The president told you to lift your head! Are you deaf?" Xia Qiu snapped.
As if too ashamed to show his face, Ye Xiong lowered his head even further.
Suspicion flared in Yang Xinyi's mind as a silhouette flashed through her thoughts. "Thank you for what you did that night," she said suddenly.
"Don't mention it, it was nothing," Ye Xiong replied breezily, waving a hand. The next moment, he realized he'd been tricked.
Resigned, he lifted his head and offered a grin. "President Yang, we meet again."
Yang Xinyi stared at the grimy figure for a full thirty seconds before it registered. If not for his trademark roguish smile, she would have thought she was mistaken.
It really was the man from that night. How is that possible? The man from that night was dressed in designer labels from head to toe, oozing charm and sophistication—the very epitome of a tall, rich, and handsome man. And the man in front of her?
Pfft!
Yang Xinyi couldn't hold back her laughter any longer. No wonder the Yang and He families had searched high and low for him without success. Who would have ever believed he was a construction worker hiding out on a building site?
Those around them exchanged looks, surprised that President Yang knew this construction worker. And from the sounds of it, it seemed Ye Xiong had even helped her before.
"We have been looking everywhere for you!" Yang Xinyi said, a rare smile gracing her lips.
Now she believed what the policewoman said. A guy who would climb five stories to break into an apartment to collect a debt was certainly capable of running over a car with his motorcycle. In comparison, that seemed like a minor offense.
"Whatever the damages are for the car he ran over, put it on my account. For now, let him go," Yang Xinyi suddenly declared.
Her words caused an instant sensation. Everyone's gaze fell on Ye Xiong as if they were seeing a ghost.