Looking at her father's profile, Bai Shisui suddenly realized that this was the first time in her twenty-three years of life that she had seen him trust an outsider so unreservedly.
This wasn't an ordinary business collaboration, nor was it a test. It was a desperate, all-in gamble, almost like entrusting his legacy to someone else.
Admittedly, doing this was incredibly cool!
Liu Yutong said, "Uncle Bai, this gift is far too valuable. I truly don't deserve it."
Bai Jingchen waved his hand dismissively. "Yutong, please don't misunderstand. I'm not bestowing a favor upon you; I'm buying a boarding pass for the Bai family in advance. I can somewhat foresee the future of traditional trade. With the rise of the Dragon Kingdom, that path will only grow narrower. But you... you, I cannot see through."
"I'm getting old. The fact that Suisui is close to you is a blessing for the Bai family. Whether you consider these shares a welcoming gift from an elder or a boarding pass, as long as you are willing to accept them, that is enough."
Bai Shisui stared blankly at her father, then turned to look at Liu Yutong, who was as calm as still water beside her.
She suddenly recalled something her father had told her when teaching her how to read nautical charts as a child.
A true captain isn't someone who fears no storms, but someone who dares to hand over the mast to the person who best understands the wind before the tempest arrives.
At this moment, her father seemed to be doing exactly that.
He had clearly decided that Liu Yutong was the helmsman who understood the wind better.
After pondering for a moment, Liu Yutong picked up her teacup, using tea as a substitute for wine, and said, "In that case, from this day forward, I will stand together with the Bai family through thick and thin!"
"Excellent! Through thick and thin!"
Bai Jingchen laughed heartily, raised his own cup, and downed it in one gulp.
..............
Ten minutes later, just as everyone was enjoying the conversation to the fullest.
Bang!
The door to the private room was violently thrown open, and a man from the Dragon Kingdom wearing a jacket burst in frantically.
"President Bai, this is bad! The Snakehead Gang is causing trouble again! They've recaptured the people we rescued last time!"
Bai Jingchen frowned. "Are you sure?"
The young man nodded vigorously. "I'm sure!"
It was only then that he seemed to notice the other guests in the room. However, the situation was urgent, so he didn't even bother to apologize. He hurried over to Bai Jingchen and whispered a few more words into his ear.
Bai Jingchen's expression changed. He stood up abruptly, turned to Liu Yutong and the others, and said apologetically, "Yutong, everyone, I am truly sorry! An emergency has come up, and I must go deal with it immediately. Suisui, please host everyone on my behalf!"
Bai Shisui nodded in response. "Dad, go ahead. I'll take care of things here."
Bai Jingchen cupped his hands together again in a gesture of apology to Liu Yutong and the others. "I'm sorry for being a poor host. I will host another banquet to make it up to you later."
With that, he turned and hurriedly left with the young man in the jacket.
Liu Yutong then looked at Bai Shisui and asked, "Did I just hear that Uncle Bai is going to rescue someone?"
Bai Shisui nodded. "Yes, he's going out to rescue people."
Her expression was quite calm, clearly accustomed to her father's actions. She had long known that he did this sort of thing.
"Besides running his business, my dad is also the president of the regional Dragon Kingdom Chamber of Commerce. The situation here can be quite complicated sometimes. Especially in recent years, a bunch of messy criminal gangs have popped up, specializing in scamming their own compatriots."
"You know how it is. Many people back home have illusions about the Beautiful Country, thinking even the air here smells sweet. This gives those scumbags an opportunity. They deliberately hype this place up, saying the streets are paved with gold just waiting to be picked up.
"Those shady agencies and criminal gangs exploit this information gap to trick people into coming over, or they just smuggle them in through their illegal channels."
"As soon as they land, their passports and IDs are confiscated. Then they're forced to work illegally, with no pay, and are subjected to constant beatings and abuse. I've even heard of illegal organ trafficking. Many of them don't speak the language, are unfamiliar with the area, and are terrified of being caught by immigration. They don't dare call the police and can only leave themselves at the mercy of others."
Liu Yutong had seen this kind of news in her past life, but hearing Bai Shisui recount it personally, coupled with the fact that she was currently in the Beautiful Country herself, made it feel much more real.
"So, one of the main tasks of Uncle Bai's Chamber of Commerce is to rescue these deceived compatriots?"
"Yes," Bai Shisui nodded.
"My dad... despite being very shrewd and capable in the business world, he's actually quite old-school at heart. He always likes to talk about how compatriots abroad should watch out for and help each other. A group of people in the Chamber share his ideals, so they organized this mutual aid society.
"If they receive a plea for help, or if they uncover any leads themselves, they'll figure out a way to rescue the people. They help them contact the embassy, find a safe place for them to stay temporarily, or buy plane tickets for the victims to return home. He's been doing this for many years now; I suppose it's his way of continuously doing good deeds."
As a military veteran, Chu Yang felt a sudden surge of anger in his chest upon hearing this. He couldn't stand such despicable acts of bullying compatriots. He couldn't help but ask, "The Snakehead Gang that guy just mentioned—are they a syndicate that specializes in this kind of dirty work?"
Bai Shisui nodded. "Yes, they're the most rampant one in this area. Their members are a mixed bag—some are local Dragon-descended thugs who grew up here, while others are desperadoes who were smuggled in. It seems they also have the backing of other local factions."
"They are incredibly ruthless. They've previously engaged in shootouts with other gangs over 'piglets'—that's what they call the people they scam. Because my dad's Chamber of Commerce frequently steps in to rescue people, they've deeply offended them, and the gang has even retaliated against Chamber members in the past."
"Doesn't the local police care about this sort of thing?"
"They do, but how are they supposed to handle it? Many victims are simply too afraid to step forward and testify, and evidence is extremely difficult to gather."
"These gangs are also very cunning. They constantly operate in legal gray areas or set up their bases in neighborhoods that are already chaotic. Those places are crawling with junkies and gangs; even the police don't dare go in casually. Some corrupt cops even have shady ties with these gangs. So, more often than not, we just have to rely on our own people to figure out a solution."
Liu Yutong had now truly witnessed the dark underbelly beneath this glamorous facade.
But this was normal. As a complex immigrant nation, many social issues couldn't be completely resolved simply by relying on law enforcement agencies.
For Bai Jingchen to choose to step forward and do this required not just a kind heart, but also extraordinary courage and shrewdness.
To put it bluntly, a billionaire CEO continuously involving himself in this kind of business was taking on an immense amount of risk.
This gave Liu Yutong a few more degrees of heartfelt admiration for this elder who had just decided to weather the storm alongside her.
"Is it safe for Uncle Bai to rush out so recklessly?" Liu Yutong asked with concern once again.
Bai Shisui replied, "It should be safe. My dad always has bodyguards with him, and there are many brothers from the Chamber of Commerce as well. He is, after all, a prominent figure in the Dragon-descendant community. Anyone who wants to touch him openly would have to carefully weigh the consequences."
"Anyway, over the years he has handled quite a few similar situations, and most of them were resolved safely."
Liu Yutong nodded and did not press the matter further.
The dinner ended hastily due to the unexpected incident, and everyone promptly returned to the hotel to rest.
Bai Shisui also parted ways with them for the time being, presumably to gather the latest updates regarding her father's situation.
Back in the luxurious penthouse suite of the Four Seasons Hotel.
Yun Cheng, Chu Yang, and a few others lingered in Liu Yutong's suite for a while.
"Chairman Bai is truly admirable. Even with such a massive business empire, he is still willing to take risks to do such good deeds," Yun Cheng remarked with genuine respect.
Liu Yutong nodded. "This also proves that our partnership with him is a reliable choice."
"But Miss, from what Miss Bai said just now, that Snakehead Gang seems incredibly ruthless. Will this affect our future cooperation? Could it even threaten the safety of Chairman Bai and Miss Bai?" Yun Cheng asked, a hint of worry in his voice.
Liu Yutong turned around, looking at Yun Cheng, Chu Yang, and her other capable right-hand men.
"The tree desires stillness, but the wind will not cease. Since we have already decided to weather the storm together, we cannot just stand by and watch if something really happens to the Bai family."
She paused, a cold smirk tugging at the corner of her lips.
"Besides, we are only dealing with a bunch of rats in the gutter. There are always more solutions than problems."
