"Miss, this move of yours is about to uproot Master Jiu's entire operation," Yun Cheng said after closing the contract.
"Since he made a move against us, he should have anticipated this outcome."
Liu Yutong turned to Su Mansu and said, "Arrange to acquire a qualified renovation company as soon as possible."
"Understood, boss," Su Mansu replied.
Just as the elevator doors were about to close, a deafening crash of shattering porcelain erupted from the direction of the private room, accompanied by Master Jiu's hysterical roar.
"Unbearable! Absolutely unbearable!!!"
"I will settle this score!!!"
At that moment, Huang Yu hadn't left yet. Seeing Master Jiu's impotent rage, he too felt a surge of irritation.
Why on earth did I partner with this guy in the first place?
But now the arrow was already on the bowstring; he had to proceed. He needed to act on both fronts and secure funds quickly, otherwise his company risked a cash flow rupture.
"Alright, let's consider this matter closed for now. Hurry up and find some reliable people to handle the tasks I've assigned."
"Got it," Master Jiu grunted.
Huang Yu said no more, straightened his suit jacket, and turned to leave.
Master Jiu looked at the table full of untouched delicacies from land and sea and lost his appetite, preparing to depart as well.
As he reached the entrance, his phone suddenly rang.
"Have you found those Green Hair punks or not?"
"You haven't?"
"Useless! A bunch of useless trash! What do I keep you all around for? You can't even catch a few green-haired street thugs!"
"First, Liu Yutong pushes me around, and now some gutter-crawling scum I don't even know dares to steal from me! Do they really think I'm made of clay?!"
"Find them! Keep looking! Tear Danan City apart brick by brick if you have to, but find those green turtles for me! Otherwise, you lot can go fill the river in their place!"
After hanging up, Master Jiu nearly hurled his phone, but managed to restrain himself at the last second.
A strong sense of foreboding faintly rose in his heart. He probably couldn't stay in Danan City much longer.
First, this formidable outsider Liu Yutong suddenly stormed in from Mingzhu City. Then there were his past shady dealings with Zhao Tianxing. While Zhao Tianxing's death meant no witness, making it hard to pin anything on him directly, it was precisely because Zhao Tianxing was dead, coupled with Liu Yutong's untimely appearance in Danan City, that amplified his sense of crisis.
"That woman is nothing but a scourge! A venomous shrew! A viper!"
Master Jiu cursed a few times, and the thought of going abroad began to take root in his mind.
Truth be told, unless forced, few people genuinely enjoy living overseas.
Putting aside the issue of not acclimating, going abroad would mean becoming a rootless wanderer, with no family or friends in sight. All the power and status he possessed now would vanish into thin air.
The taste of falling from the clouds and being at others' mercy was particularly unpalatable for someone like him.
But if he didn't leave now, a bad ending seemed likely. Although he didn't understand Liu Yutong's purpose in making him sign that contract, his gut told him it was nothing good.
If push comes to shove, grab a pile of cash and run.
Rather than staying in Danan City to be slowly devoured by that viper Liu Yutong and ending up worse than Zhao Tianxing, it was better to cut his losses now while he still could. Take the fortune he'd accumulated over the years and gamble on a life of freedom abroad.
And in this regard, he already had some leads.
An "unable-to-return" friend abroad had tipped him off that several major foreign gangs and the conglomerates behind them seemed to be searching for two items.
One was a very miniature key, and the other was a uniquely designed emblem.
According to that friend, traces of the emblem had reportedly been found, but there were no clues whatsoever about the key.
Anyone who could obtain either of these two items and deliver it to any related gang overseas would earn their friendship and a hefty reward.
Coincidentally, he had seen something that looked suspiciously like the key, hanging around the neck of one of those Green Hair punks.
That was why he had sent men after them.
Of course, given the item's importance, he hadn't told a soul, not even his most trusted subordinates. He had already written them off as expendable.
The domestic situation was getting tougher for people like him; getting taken down was only a matter of time. You can't exactly bring a whole entourage when you're running for it, can you?
Isn't there a saying in the underworld? Brotherhood is in the heart; if my brother's in trouble, I'm the first to depart...
In short, if he could get that key, he could still live large, even more lavishly, overseas.
...
Meanwhile.
After parting ways with Richest Man Huang and the others, Liu Yutong met up with Gao Min, who had rushed over from Mingzhu City.
Gao Min had already made contact with the local police in Danan City. The extended investigation into the cases involving Zhao Tianxing and others had finally reached Danan City.
It wasn't that their progress was slow, but the resistance was significant. Some people didn't want them to dig any further.
Unfortunately for those people, they were being naive. Some individuals' determination isn't something that wavers just because of resistance.
Upon seeing Gao Min, Liu Yutong immediately gave her a big hug.
"Sis, it's been so long. Did you miss me?"
Gao Min's body stiffened for an instant before she replied with a soft "Mm-hmm."
"Grandpa and Grandma want you to call when you have time. The old folks have mentioned it several times."
"Mm, I'll call first thing tomorrow morning. Are they keeping well?"
"They're fine. Grandpa went to set traps in the fields for loaches and eels just yesterday. But what about you? Is everything going smoothly here?"
"Pretty much. Just some loose ends to tie up."
"Sis, if you encounter any resistance with your case here in Danan City, come find me. I'll help you sort it out."
Gao Min seemed accustomed to Liu Yutong's way of doing things and didn't refuse.
Working on a case in an unfamiliar city, having Liu Yutong's local assistance could indeed save a lot of trouble.
"Yutong, do you know of a 'Master Jiu' in Danan City?"
Liu Yutong: "Why? Are you looking for him?"
Gao Min shook her head: "Not directly. That would alert him. You have more people. Could you arrange for some to help me gather evidence covertly?"
"No problem," Liu Yutong agreed.
Gao Min: "Thank you!"
"You're my sister. No need for thanks."
Liu Yutong thought of something and asked, "By the way, sis, have you had dinner? Do you want to go for a late-night snack? We're not far from the Riverside Night Market. There's a very authentic river fish restaurant there; their signature steamed swordfish is absolutely divine."
Hearing this, Gao Min did feel a bit tempted and agreed.
Honestly, she genuinely felt very comfortable around this younger sister. Whether it was handling affairs or other matters, she was very considerate. Gao Min could also sense that her sister's affection for her came from the heart.
Yet, she always felt as if her sister was perpetually shrouded in a layer of mist, making it hard to see her clearly.
The two sisters, along with Yun Cheng and others in their party, soon arrived at the river fish restaurant Liu Yutong had recommended.
There were quite a few places serving river fish in this night market area. The shop Liu Yutong chose was one Gu Yebai and the others had taken her to before.
The storefront wasn't large, but it was an old establishment with over a decade of history. The decor looked a bit dated, but the place was kept very clean.
By the time they arrived at the restaurant, the peak dining hours had already passed, leaving the place rather quiet.
The proprietress clearly knew Liu Yutong and warmly led them to a table by the window.
"Sis, see if you'd like to add anything else?"
After ordering the house specialties, Liu Yutong handed the menu to Gao Min and deftly began rinsing the tableware with hot water.
Gao Min took the menu, her eyes scanning over it before adding a stir-fried seasonal vegetable dish and a serving of crab roe tofu.
"That's enough. It's not good to eat too much in the evening."
While waiting for the food, Gao Min noticed Liu Yutong was still fiddling with a badge and couldn't help but ask, "I've seen you playing with this the whole way. Does it have some special meaning?"
Liu Yutong paused for a moment, pointing at the badge in her hand. "This? I borrowed it from a friend to take a look. I found it interesting and haven't returned it yet. He's not in a hurry for it anyway."
Gao Min: "..."
Is he really not in a hurry? Or is he just too afraid to ask you for it back?
"It doesn't look like an ordinary accessory."
"I've been holding onto it precisely because I haven't quite figured it out yet. What do you think it looks like, sis?"
Gao Min took the badge. It felt heavy in her hand, with a cool, metallic texture.
She examined it carefully under the light. The badge had an ancient and peculiar design, made of a material that was neither gold nor bronze. For the moment, she couldn't tell what it was made of.
Especially the ferocious wolf's head at the center, encircled by thorns, exuded an aura of fierce and solemn lethality. It made her feel that the badge's former owner must have been a person of extremely high status.
Beyond that, she couldn't discern anything else.
"I can't tell its origin either, but one thing is certain: it's an old piece with some years on it."
Just as she was about to hand it back to Liu Yutong, she suddenly noticed a detail. In the shadowed folds of the wolf's jawbone, there was a very small hole, its diameter looking to be less than 2 millimeters.
"Wait, what's this?"
"You mean this little hole? I noticed it a long time ago. Lots of old crafts have pinholes like that, it's pretty normal, right?"
Gao Min shook her head. She lifted the badge again, adjusting the angle so the overhead light shone on the edge of the tiny aperture.
"Take another, closer look?"
Liu Yutong leaned her head closer. With the light reflecting at that specific angle, she could vaguely see that the hole's interior actually had tiny, regularly arranged serrations.
"This doesn't look like an ordinary pinhole."
"Its internal structure is too precise. This looks more like a micro lock, crafted with extremely high skill, requiring a specially made key to open."
