Chapter Fifty-Five: Revealing the Truth

Liu Molan jolted awake, startled. Looking around, she was shocked to find herself back in her hotel room. Last night, she had been eating dinner as usual when suddenly four burly men burst in and knocked her unconscious. She remembered nothing after that. Examining her clothes, she saw they were intact, though a bit wrinkled, which eased her mind somewhat. The room, she now realized, was familiar—her own hotel suite.

“What on earth happened?” she murmured, rubbing her aching head as she rose and stepped out of the room. But just then, a menacing figure appeared in the hallway, causing her to shriek and dash back inside, pressing herself against the wall in terror. A familiar, hearty laugh rang out. When she turned, she saw the infuriating Qin Yang holding a mask, roaring with laughter in the most undignified manner.

“Qin Yang!” she shouted, seething with rage, and lunged at him. He dodged, still grinning. “You scare that easily? I must have done a good job with my disguise.”

“Qin Yang, are you a child?” Liu Molan fumed. “Did you think that was funny?”

“It was!” Qin Yang’s expression turned serious. “If I hadn’t run into the four men who were trying to kidnap you last night, you’d probably be unrecognizable by now. I know you’re here for business, but you have to be more aware of your surroundings, your security, and the character of the people you deal with. If something happened to you, what would I do? Isn’t it right to scare you a bit as a warning?”

“I—I…” Liu Molan’s words faltered; instead, tears welled up and spilled over. She crouched by the door, clutching her arm and sobbing like a child. Qin Yang, heart aching at the sight, tossed aside the mask and approached gently.

“All right, it’s my fault. Don’t cry,” he said softly.

“Leave me alone,” she replied, pushing him away, still curled up and crying.

Qin Yang could only smile wryly, never expecting things to turn out like this. He pulled out a tissue and handed it to her. “Is it really worth crying this much?”

“I want to.”

“Then at least eat something. I’ve already made breakfast, and I haven’t eaten a thing since last night.” He rubbed his stomach, sounding aggrieved.

“I’m not hungry.”

“Don’t be childish.”

“Why does everyone want to hurt me?” Liu Molan looked up at him, her eyes wet and questioning.

Qin Yang wiped her tears away and sighed. “Fine, you deserve to know. You were targeted because there’s a ten million bounty on your head. I’m not talking about your personal worth, but an underworld reward. Every desperate criminal in Haitian City is after you now, and word has spread not just here, but to Jianghai, the Southeast Province, maybe all over China. Anyone with the right connections is getting involved. Sun Qi opposed your coming to Jianghai for this reason, and that’s why she stuck to you almost twenty-four hours a day. I didn’t want you to dine with outsiders last night, but you insisted. I thought it’d be hard for them to find you so soon, but something still happened. Fortunately, it didn’t go worse.”

“Why?” Liu Molan was pale, unable to comprehend how a ten million bounty could set the underworld in turmoil. “Why is this happening? Ever since I returned…”

“It’s not your fault,” Qin Yang reassured her, helping her to the sofa. “Conflicts of interest often arise without your knowledge. At least be grateful they want you alive—otherwise, I honestly couldn’t guarantee your safety.”

“If there’s a ten million bounty on me, why don’t you just turn me in and claim the money?” she asked, staring at him intently.

Qin Yang shrugged. “I don’t need money. I wouldn’t betray my boss for profit. Besides, you’re a beautiful woman—any decent person would want to protect you. As long as I’m alive, they won’t get you. Sun Qi and I are already looking into the mastermind behind this, and we’ve made significant progress. The bounty will be withdrawn soon.”

“But in movies, once a bounty is set, it never gets rescinded.”

“That’s just movies. Who would risk their life for no profit?” Qin Yang smiled. “Now hurry and eat. Don’t cry anymore. From now on, whoever invites you out, I must be with you. Otherwise, I’ll forcibly bring you back—maybe even tie you up.”

“Drop dead,” Liu Molan snapped, but she was deeply troubled.

Qin Yang said nothing more. He brought over the food, and seeing her appetite was gone, he could only sigh. “Can you stop worrying? I’m still here, aren’t I?”

“Will you really never leave me?” Liu Molan asked quietly.

“Unless you fire me. Besides, I want to know who’s behind all this too,” he replied with a smile.

“I’m sorry, Qin Yang.” Remembering the injuries he’d suffered before, guilt filled her eyes, turning them red again. “It’s all my fault—if not for me, you wouldn’t be in such trouble.”

Qin Yang just shrugged and urged her to eat.

Liu Molan’s mood lightened slightly, but she still had little appetite. She forced down a few bites and checked her phone, seeing several missed calls—from Sun Qi and others. She called Sun Qi first to assure her she was fine, then returned the other calls. One was from the man who’d invited her to dinner last night. Hearing the urgency in his voice, Qin Yang rolled his eyes, crossed his legs, and pretended to read the newspaper, though his ears were keenly tuned in.

“I’m fine, thank you,” Liu Molan said, hanging up. She couldn’t help but smile at Qin Yang’s pose.

“You’re holding the newspaper upside down,” she teased.

“Huh?” Qin Yang was taken aback, realizing she was joking with him. He pouted. “What, another business meeting with that pretty boy?”

“What pretty boy?” Liu Molan glared at him. “His name is Lu Ran, former general manager of the real estate group. He’s worth hundreds of millions at a young age and is quite accomplished in Haitian City. Don’t underestimate him—his market analysis skills are exceptional. I learned a lot from our conversation yesterday.”

“I’m not interested in his life story.” Qin Yang put the newspaper aside. “Shouldn’t we visit Hailong Real Estate Group? After the public bidding, they’ve made their move, and other real estate firms will have little chance.”

“My talks with Lu Ran went smoothly,” Liu Molan replied. “Both sides’ prices are reasonable, and Hailong Real Estate Group doesn’t seem too interested in this plot of land.”

“Oh?” Qin Yang glanced at the clock and switched on the TV to the Jianghai finance channel. As if on cue, a news bulletin played.

“This morning, Hailong Real Estate Group held a press conference. Spokesperson Guo Yang stated that the company will invest one billion in bidding for the XX site. From his remarks, it’s clear Hailong is determined to win this land…”

The following news was standard analysis, but the key point was in the opening statement. Liu Molan glanced helplessly at Qin Yang; just as he’d predicted, once Hailong made a move, no one else could win the land. To top it off, the authorities had scheduled the bidding for the next day, putting immense pressure on developers still scrambling for funds.

“So soon?” Liu Molan was flustered by these rapid developments. “I must go to Hailong Real Estate Group right away. Qin Yang, call a car for me while I change.”

Qin Yang got up to summon a car, but just then, there was a knock at the door. To their surprise, the somewhat shifty-looking Guo Yang was standing outside. When he saw Qin Yang open the door personally, he was almost flustered by the honor. “Young Master, the chairman’s instructions have arrived. I’m here to discuss the contract with Miss Liu. As per the chairman’s orders, we are prepared to make concessions.”

Qin Yang waved him in. “Concessions are necessary, but don’t let the company lose money on this investment. And remember, I’m just an assistant now, understand?”

“Understood.” Guo Yang believed the young master was only doing this to win Liu Molan’s favor, though he was puzzled as to why he wasn’t telling her directly. Still, he knew it wasn’t his place to ask. He sat quietly, barely daring to breathe, while Qin Yang knocked on Liu Molan’s door.

“Boss, someone from Hailong Real Estate Group is here.”

“What?” Liu Molan was startled. She quickly changed and hurried out, only to find Guo Yang sitting on the sofa. She rushed over. “Manager Guo, what brings you here?”

“I have another meeting later,” Guo Yang replied with a smile. “No need for formalities, Miss Liu. Let’s discuss our collaboration. Hailong Real Estate Group wishes to invest in the mall project. Your Tianfeng Mall has an excellent reputation and strong presence in Haitian City, and our chairman has nothing but praise for you. We hope to partner with your group to jointly develop the Jianghai Tianfeng Mall.”

“Really? Would Mr. Qin agree to this?” Liu Molan found it hard to believe.

Guo Yang replied earnestly, “The chairman hopes to encourage fresh talent and strengthen commercial development in the Southeast Province. He sincerely hopes you won’t refuse.”

What utter nonsense, Qin Yang thought to himself, standing aside. Encouraging new talent? Who’d believe that? Still, Guo Yang was quite the diplomat, a real asset to the old man, bolstering the company’s reputation.