Chapter 11: Your Secretary is Pretty
"Li Quancai, gather everyone and call an emergency meeting!" After receiving a call from Min Rou, Security Captain Wang Defa immediately called for an emergency meeting. With a stern expression, he conveyed Secretary Min's highest instructions to his subordinates. Wang Captain emphasized once again that there would be a substantial bonus for those who successfully completed the task assigned by Secretary Min. Therefore, he insisted that the two people accompanying him on this mission must be the best of the best.
Seven or eight security guards immediately puffed out their chests, with some even rolling up their sleeves and showing off their muscles. "Li Quancai, Zhang Fugui, you two change into plain clothes and wait in the car. Be ready to move at any time!" Wang Defa selected two of his closest subordinates, then slammed his hand on the table and declared, "This mission must succeed; failure is not an option!"
While the other security guards looked on enviously, Wang Defa changed into plain clothes and left the duty room. In the southeast corner of the parking lot, a Santana sedan, the security team's dedicated vehicle, was waiting. Li Quancai and the other guy were already inside. Wang Defa waited in front of the car when he spotted Li Nanfang approaching. He immediately picked up his walkie-talkie and notified his two confidants, "Attention, the target has appeared. Over."
"Understood. We're ready to move. Over!" After informing his trusted men, Wang Defa shook his shoulders as if warming up, but then he noticed Secretary Min walking out with the target. She said something to him and led him toward the black Mercedes that belonged to Boss Yue.
What's going on? Should we still proceed with the plan? Wang Defa was puzzled when he saw Min Rou open the car door and subtly signal him to follow. "Wow, a girl driving this kind of car? That's pretty unconventional," Li Nanfang remarked as he opened the door, took a sniff, and then sneezed, indicating his satisfaction with thesweet scent inside. "You'll see what's in store for you soon."
Feeling nauseous as the dirty Li Nanfang plopped down into the passenger seat where she usually sat, Min Rou had to grit her teeth and start the car. "Yue Zitong, why do you like such a rugged car?"
"Yue Zitong? Is that even your place to say?" Min Rou retorted coldly. "Oh, Yue Boss, BMWs are the standard for girls——"
"There's no one else in the car now," Li Nanfang tried to reason. "Alright, Auntie, can't you crack a smile?" Min Rou remained indifferent. "Mind your own business," she snapped.
After a few more attempts at conversation, Li Nanfang gave up and changed the subject. "What about your secretary?"
"What about her?" Min Rou's tone was dismissive. "Do you even know her?"
Ignoring the possibility of future coexistence with Yue Zitong, Li Nanfang felt it was only fair to warn her, considering his relationship with his master's wife. "Do you really know her?" he asked.
"Ha! You think I don't know my own secretary?" Min Rou scoffed. "She's a top graduate from Dongsheng University, recruited by me two years ago. I trust her completely."
"Has she been ISO 9000 certified or something?" Li Nanfang joked, trying to lighten the mood. "I was just asking casually. I know she's not a product."
Under Min Rou's furious glare, Li Nanfang awkwardly shrugged and stopped questioning. However, Min Rou took the initiative to ask, "Li Nanfang, why do you care about my secretary?"
Li Nanfang laughed. "She's pretty, you know. She looks even prettier than you."
"Shameless," Min Rou muttered, turning her attention back to the road.
About ten minutes later, the car pulled up in front of a bathhouse. Min Rou reached into the back seat, grabbed a bag, and tossed it to Li Nanfang. "Here's the company uniform. Change into it for now. We'll go shopping for clothes after you're done."
"Why not buy clothes first?" Li Nanfang questioned.
"Looking like you do, do you really think a fashion store would let you in?" Min Rou replied.
"Oh, I see. Alright then, I'll be quick," Li Nanfang said, stepping out of the car with the plastic bag.
The bathhouse didn't refuse customers in prison uniforms as long as they could pay. "Actually, I'm not dirty, but taking a shower isn't a bad idea either," Li Nanfang muttered to himself as he walked into the private bath area. He rolled up his sleeve, sniffed his arm, and casually tossed his clothes into the corner. Before he could lower his arm, the door was kicked open with a bang, and several men wearing black masks burst in.
Chapter 12: Best to Break One of His Legs
Wang Defa and his men, with sinister grins on their faces, swaggered into the bathhouse. Min Rou suddenly felt uneasy. She truly despised Li Nanfang, especially the way he spoke and the way he looked at girls, as if he could see right through their clothes. But no matter what, he was Yue Boss's nephew. She could try to win him over with kindness and reform him. It seemed a bit excessive to have him beaten up like this. Wang Defa and his men didn't know their own strength. If they really injured him, that would be a problem.
Unconsciously, Min Rou pictured Li Nanfang with a bloody nose, and she began to regret agreeing to Yue Boss's plan. If it were known that Yue Boss's nephew was a rapist, Yue Boss would definitely feel humiliated. Just as Min Rou was unsure of what to do, Yue Zitong called. Her voice was filled with excitement: "How's it going?"
"We just got in," Min Rou replied.
"Are you that slow?" Yue Zitong questioned.
"I was driving as fast as I could," Min Rou defended herself before cautiously asking, "Boss Yue, isn't this a bit too much?"
"What do you mean?" Yue Zitong was puzzled.
"If he really gets hurt——" Min Rou started.
"Hurt? Better yet, break one of his legs!" Yue Zitong's harsh tone startled Min Rou. She couldn't understand why Yue Zitong hated Li Nanfang so much. She quickly ended the call.Min Rou speculated that Wang Defa and his men would finish quickly. After all, the bathhouse had its own security. If a customer was assaulted on their premises, they would be held responsible and wouldn't just stand by. But ten minutes had passed, and Wang Defa and his men still hadn't come out. What was going on?
Could it be that they had gone too far and something had gone wrong? Min Rou couldn't sit still any longer and hurriedly got out of the car.
Bang!
Li Nanfang dodged the last masked man's short dagger with a sideways tilt of his head. He then twisted his waist, bent down, and delivered a powerful elbow strike to the man's left ribcage. The man let out a muffled scream. Before he could react, Li Nanfang grabbed his head with both hands and slammed it into the hard tiles on the floor. With a loud clang, the masked man's forehead collided with the tiles, and blood seeped out from under the black hood. The man's body twitched a few times before going still.
Li Nanfang kicked him in the ribcage to check for any response, but there was none. He then turned to look at the bathtub, where two more masked men lay unconscious. Who were they? Why did they burst in without saying a word and try to kill him on sight? Although their close-combat skills were quite average, their moves were extremely ruthless, aiming to kill. They were clearly professional assassins.
But no matter how fierce they were, Li Nanfang could easily take them down. So, he couldn't understand why anyone would send such third-rate killers after him. It would be an insult to "Black Phantom" and would only provoke a more brutal retaliation. Moreover, Li Nanfang had only come to QingShan City today, and aside from the old man, no one else knew about it. Well, there was Yue Zitong, but even if she hated him, it seemed unlikely that she would go to such extreme measures.Li Nanfang frowned slightly as he pulled the hood off the man's head, revealing an ordinary face, around thirty years old. He dragged the man under the showerhead and turned on the cold water. The man shuddered as he slowly opened his eyes. Li Nanfang grabbed his neck with his left hand and coldly demanded, "Tell me, who sent you?"
The man didn't speak and closed his eyes again. Li Nanfang didn't bother with further questioning. He knew that in the assassin's world, once a mission failed, they would never reveal their employer. He had no intention of pushing the man to his death. Suppressing his bloodthirsty impulse, Li Nanfang slammed the man's head against the wall.
Chapter 13: Am I Handsome?
Li Nanfang thought that these people might have entered the wrong room—otherwise, he couldn't think of anyone who would be foolish enough to hire such low-level assassins to try to kill him. Of course, it was also possible that Yue Zitong's pretty secretary had arranged it, either out of jealousy for being taken away from her first time or fearing that he would expose her true identity, using such a ruthless method. But that possibility was very small. Yue Zitong was waiting outside, and even if the secretary wanted to make a move, she wouldn't choose this moment.
He decided to put the matter aside for now. If he kept thinking about it, it would give him a headache, and eventually, the truth would come out. After the incident, Li Nanfang lost interest in taking a bath. He stood under the showerhead and quickly rinsed off before putting on the work clothes and walking out. During the fight, neither side had made any loud noises, so no one was disturbed.
Li Nanfang believed that the assassins would soon regain consciousness and quietly slip away. In the hall downstairs, the service staff, dressed in red high-slit short-sleeved cheongsams, continued to greet every customer with a sweet smile, welcoming them and hoping for their return.As Li Nanfang descended the stairs, he saw Min Rou standing at the front desk, talking to a customer service girl. "Hey, what are you doing here?" If it weren't for the crowd, Li Nanfang might have made some flirtatious remarks. After all, in public, he didn't have to call her "aunt," and he didn't really consider her a true elder.
"Ah, are you okay?" Min Rou turned around at the sound of his voice and blurted out the question. She was stunned when she saw him. You really can't judge a book by its cover. After changing out of his prison uniform into a light gray work outfit, Li Nanfang seemed like a completely different person. He had good physical features that were quite appealing to girls.
"I'm fine," Li Nanfang replied, already anticipating Min Rou's reaction. But her words made him feel something. He smiled and said, "I'm just here to take a bath. It's not like I'm doing anything bad."
"I, I didn't say you were doing anything bad," Min Rou quickly corrected herself, realizing she almost slipped up. "How long did you take to wash?"
"I was pretty quick, just about ten or fifteen minutes, including changing clothes," Li Nanfang said, shaking out his jacket.
"Oh, alright. Let's go. I'll take you to buy some clothes," Min Rou suggested, relieved to see no signs of a beating on him. She was also puzzled about Wang Defa and his men. She didn't know that as she left the bathhouse, her frequent glances back were noticed by Li Nanfang.
"Why are you looking back so much?" he asked abruptly.
"Ah, no, I wasn't looking at anything," Min Rou hurriedly shook her head and forced a smile. "I thought I saw an old classmate from high school, but I wasn't sure if it was really them."
"Want to go back and check?" Li Nanfang offered.
"No, no. It doesn't matter. We didn't get along that well back then. Let's just go buy clothes," Min Rou said, getting into the car.After starting the car, Min Rou's attitude improved a bit. She asked about his current living situation and offered to recommend a nice place if he hadn't found a hotel yet. They chatted casually until they arrived at a men's clothing boutique.
"Shouldn't you be busy?" Min Rou was about to get out of the car when Li Nanfang kindly said, "How about this? You go back to the company, and I'll buy clothes by myself."
"Do you not need me to accompany you?" Min Rou was actually relieved at the suggestion. She felt awkward accompanying a strange man while shopping for clothes. Besides, she wanted to call Wang Defa and find out what happened.
"Hehe, I'm a grown man. I don't need someone to help me buy clothes," Li Nanfang said, getting out of the car and waving goodbye.
After watching Min Rou's car turn around and drive away, Li Nanfang suddenly realized something. "Damn it, I should have asked for some money before she left. I'm a just-released prisoner with no money at all!"
Chapter 14: Someone Wants to Kill Me
After dropping off Li Nanfang, Min Rou turned her car around and sped back towards the bathhouse. She needed to find out why Wang Defa and his men hadn't followed through with the plan. As she approached the bathhouse, she saw a crowd gathered in front of the entrance, with two police cars parked nearby. The police were trying to persuade the onlookers to move back and were setting up a police cordon.
Min Rou parked her car on the side of the road and got out, walking towards the crowd. She stood on her tiptoes at the back, trying to see what was going on, but couldn't make out much. She asked an old lady next to her, "Excuse me, ma'am, what happened here?"
The old lady, who was also on her tiptoes watching the commotion, didn't even look at Min Rou and said, "I heard that someone was killed inside. The cleaning staff who went in to clean were so scared that they ran out shouting about a murder.""Someone was killed in the bathhouse?" Min Rou was shocked and asked, "Who was it?"
"Who knows? They said it was three men who seemed to be up to no good," the old lady replied.
As soon as Min Rou heard this, her mind raced. Three men going in to do something bad? That had to be Wang Defa and his men, who were supposed to teach Li Nanfang a lesson. But Li Nanfang had come out, and they hadn't. Could it be that they were the ones who were killed?
Min Rou was about to push her way through the crowd when she suddenly realized that she couldn't go in. If the police found out that Wang Defa and his men were from the Kaihuang Group, they would immediately investigate Yue Boss, and Min Rou would be held accountable.
Just then, her phone vibrated in her hand. She looked down and saw it was a call from Yue Boss. She quickly walked back to her car before answering.
Yue Zitong's casual voice came through the phone, "Min Rou, is that bastard suffering now?"
"Boss Yue, you need to run. Leave QingShan City right away!" Min Rou's voice was trembling with urgency and fear.
"What?" Yue Zitong was taken aback. "Why?"
"Wang Defa and the other two are dead. They were killed inside the bathhouse!" Min Rou said, almost collapsing against her car.
"What? Wang Defa and the others are dead in the bathhouse?" Yue Zitong dropped her cup of water in shock.
Min Rou covered her mouth and nodded frantically, even though Yue Zitong couldn't see her. "Yes, yes. The police are here."
"Who killed them?" Yue Zitong asked.
"I, I don't know. Ugh, ugh, Boss Yue, you have to leave. It's too late if you don't hurry," Min Rou said through her tears.
Just then, someone asked, "Hey, Secretary Min, what's wrong with you?"
"I, I——Wang Defa!" Min Rou looked up through her tears and saw Wang Defa and his men standing there.
They were puzzled by her reaction. "What do you mean, we're dead? We're right here, aren't we?"Min Rou was so relieved that she almost fell over. She stomped on Wang Defa's foot in her frustration. "You idiots! You were supposed to teach Li Nanfang a lesson in the bathhouse, right?"
"We did go in, but we couldn't find which room he was in. We searched for a long time but couldn't locate him," Wang Defa explained, wincing as he rubbed his foot where Min Rou had stomped on it.
Min Rou was furious. "You mean to tell me you couldn't even find him? You're supposed to be the best!"
"We're sorry, Secretary Min. We really tried," Wang Defa said, looking embarrassed.
Min Rou sighed in frustration. "Never mind. Just get out of here before the police question you."
As Min Rou was on the phone with Yue Zitong, Li Nanfang received a call from the old man. His voice was low and secretive, as if he were a spy making a covert contact.
"Is it safe to talk?" the old man asked.
"Yeah, it's fine. Even if I scream 'rape,' no one would care," Li Nanfang replied, closing the fitting room door and sitting down on a chair.
The old man chuckled on the other end. "Have you seen Zitong?"
"Yeah," Li Nanfang answered.
"How is she? Pretty, right?" the old man asked, his voice sounding younger.
"Pretty enough, I guess," Li Nanfang said nonchalantly.
"Do you like her?" the old man asked, his voice suddenly serious.
"Like her? What do you mean?" Li Nanfang was confused.
The old man realized he had slipped up and laughed nervously. "Never mind. It's nothing. So, tell me, what happened?"
"Well, someone tried to kill me," Li Nanfang said casually, as if he were talking about the weather.
Chapter 15: Make Him Satisfied
The old man had forced Li Nanfang to come to QingShan City to protect his sister-in-law, not to get himself killed. After hearing Li Nanfang's statement, he was silent for a long moment before asking, "Do you know who it might be?"
"Probably my dear little aunt," Li Nanfang replied sarcastically.
"Nonsense! Zitong wouldn't do such a thing," the old man insisted."Wait, don't get angry. Just hear me out," Li Nanfang said calmly, recounting his experience at the bathhouse and Min Rou's suspicious behavior in a matter-of-fact tone. "Think about it, old man. Besides you, she's the only one who knew I was coming to QingShan City today."
"But Zitong wouldn't do that," the old man repeated, though he sounded less certain now.
"If it was her, why would she go to the bathhouse with me?" Li Nanfang pointed out, though he admitted it was a puzzling detail. "Anyway, I'll get to the bottom of this."
Before hanging up, Li Nanfang suddenly remembered something. "Oh, and Boss Yue, what do you know about Min Rou?"
"Min Rou? Of course I know about her. Do you think just anyone can be Zitong's secretary?" the old man replied, as if it were obvious.
"Tell me about her. Everything," Li Nanfang insisted.
"Why? Are you interested in her?" the old man teased.
"Maybe. I think Min Rou has more of a CEO vibe than Yue Zitong," Li Nanfang said thoughtfully.
"Min Rou is twenty-two years old, comes from a clean family background, and has no criminal records in her family for three generations. She's a top graduate from the Economics Department of Dongsheng University——" The old man rattled off Min Rou's background as if he had it memorized.
Li Nanfang listened carefully, but the more he heard, the more puzzled he became. The Min Rou the old man described seemed more like Yue Zitong, especially the part about being "gentle and charming." The Min Rou he had seen was clearly a cold and arrogant person. But he didn't interrupt the old man and waited until he finished before saying, "Alright, I got it. I'll call you if I need anything."
Without waiting for a response, Li Nanfang hung up. He was getting hungry and needed to find a place to eat after buying clothes. He didn't have time to chat with the old man.Li Nanfang had no idea that while he was on the phone with the old man, Yue Zitong had also received a call from her grandfather in JingHua. Unlike the old man, Yue Boss spoke to her in a very stern tone.
"Has Li Nanfang come to see you?" Yue Boss asked.
"Yes," Yue Zitong replied.
"Is he with you now?" Yue Boss inquired.
"No," Yue Zitong said, her voice cold. "I told him to find a place to stay and come to the company tomorrow to talk in detail——"
"Why didn't you let him stay with you?" Yue Boss interrupted.
"I don't know him well enough yet——" Yue Zitong tried to explain, but was cut off again.
"You don't need to know him. You just need to know that he is your future husband," Yue Boss declared, his voice even colder.
Yue Zitong clenched her right fist, her knuckles turning white. "Do I have no choice in the matter?"
"You have no choice," Yue Boss said flatly. "Whether you like it or not, and whether he likes it or not, you must marry him."
"Just because he was the first person to see me naked—because he peeked at me while I was taking a bath?" Yue Zitong's voice trembled with anger. "Do I have to marry him despite the generational difference, despite him being a monster, a disgusting rapist?"
"Yes. He is a normal person now. Everyone makes mistakes. He can reform and start anew," Yue Boss continued, his voice unyielding. "You are a member of the Yue family, and you must follow the family rules. Besides, the generational difference is not an issue. Li Nanfang is just an orphan adopted by your eldest brother, so there is no violation of ethics."
Yue Zitong gritted her teeth so hard that they made a grinding sound. She wanted to shout back at him, but she didn't dare. "What if I refuse?" she asked, her voice trembling.
"You can try," Yue Boss challenged.Yue Zitong wanted to yell at him to try, but she held back. Instead, she forced a smile and said, "Alright, Grandpa. I understand. I'll make him very satisfied."
Chapter 16: The Secretary Who Doesn't Know Her Place
Many security guards have a bad habit of judging people by their clothes rather than who they really are. The same Li Nanfang, who was looked down upon by Wang Defa when he arrived in his prison uniform yesterday, was now treated differently. Today, dressed in a more respectable manner, Wang Defa, who walked with a slight limp, greeted him with a smile, "Hey there, young man. Have you found a job yet?"
Li Nanfang replied casually, "I'm supposed to start today."
"I bet you'll end up being a driver. If you're lucky," Wang Defa said with a hint of envy, pointing to a sign that read "Hiring: One Car Driver. Requirements: Six years of driving experience, good-looking, over thirty years old. Generous salary."
Li Nanfang was taken aback and asked, "Do I look like I'm in my thirties?"
"You look quite young for your age. I'd say you're around thirty-three at most," Wang Defa said, examining him closely.
"Wow, you've got a good eye. You're right. Today is my thirty-third birthday," Li Nanfang said, feeling a bit annoyed but deciding to play along.
"Good luck, young man. I'm rooting for you," Wang Defa said, patting him on the shoulder.
With Wang Defa's祝福, Li Nanfang walked into the lobby. The front desk attendant today was not the same as yesterday. She greeted him with a smile, "Sir, how may I assist you?"
"I'm here to see your Yue Boss," Li Nanfang said, scanning the attendant's face with his eyes. "By the way, what's your name, sweetheart? Are you married yet?"
"Mr. Li, please wait a moment," the attendant said, picking up the phone. "Secretary Min, this is the front desk attendant, Rui Yuanyuan. There's a Mr. Li Nanfang here to see you——Okay."
After hanging up, Rui Yuanyuan's smile became more sincere. "Mr. Li, Secretary Min has asked you to come up.""Rui Yuanyuan, that's a nice name," Li Nanfang said, not making a move to leave. "Yuanyuan, do you have time after work? How about I take you out for coffee?"
"I'm sorry, Mr. Li. I have to take care of my child after work," Rui Yuanyuan replied politely.
Hearing this, Li Nanfang turned around and walked away. He believed that flirting with pretty girls was a man's duty, but flirting with a mother was just being a pervert.
He walked into the president's office without knocking and saw Yue Boss's secretary, who was filling a cup with water from the water dispenser. She turned around when she heard the door open.
"Good morning, Secretary Min," Li Nanfang greeted her warmly. "Is my aunt not here?"
"Who gave you permission to enter?" Yue Boss's secretary asked coldly, ignoring his friendly tone.
Li Nanfang's smile froze. "What do you mean?"
"Didn't your parents teach you to knock before entering a room?" Yue Boss said, walking over to the desk and leaning against it with her arms crossed, looking at him with disdain.
"Hey, they never taught me that," Li Nanfang said, pulling out a cigarette and putting it in his mouth. "Let me give you a piece of advice, Secretary Min."
"Go ahead," Yue Boss said, raising an eyebrow.
"You're just a secretary. And I——" Li Nanfang pointed to himself, putting on an arrogant expression. "I'm the nephew of your boss. So you better know your place and don't act like you're the boss. Otherwise, I might just tell some lies about you and get you fired."
Just then, a young woman in her twenties walked over from the elevator, holding a stack of documents. She seemed to be there to report to the president's office.
"Let's talk later," Li Nanfang said, knowing better than to delay her work just to teach the secretary a lesson. He walked over to the sofa and sat down.
"Humph," Yue Boss said, walking around the desk and sitting behind it.Li Nanfang frowned when he saw her sitting in the chair reserved for the president. He thought Yue Boss had spoiled her, not only was she mysterious, but she also didn't know how to behave properly.
The young woman knocked on the open door. "Come in," Yue Boss said.
The young woman entered and saw Li Nanfang sitting on the sofa. She gave him a polite smile before walking over to the desk and saying softly, "Boss Yue, here's the quarterly marketing report you requested."