"The new boss seems pretty good to us, Boss. He not only feeds us until we're full, but even gives us employee benefits. Look at this silver necklace—what a beauty!" Lao San said, rubbing the necklace around his neck with a satisfied look.
A pile of fish bones lay beside him. Clearly, he'd just enjoyed a hearty meal.
The silver necklace bore a Xiaolang Robot pendant, crafted with exquisite detail. Nie Yun had generously given each of them one, calling it an employee benefit.
Lao Da cautiously glanced around. After making sure no one was nearby, he lowered his voice. "You idiot. This new boss is an alien. The nicer he is to us, the more it means he's got some ulterior motive. We'd better keep our eyes open. Don't be so stupid that you get sold off and even help them count the money!"
"Oh, got it, Boss. So what do you think he wants from us?"
"If I knew what aliens were thinking, would I still be human?" Lao Da rolled his eyes.
"Oh, that's true!" Lao San gave a simple-minded grin.
"Ahem!" A cough from behind them made them jump.
They turned around in a panic and saw their new boss smiling at them.
"Boss!" "Boss!" They quickly stood up and greeted him respectfully.
"Mm. Are you both full?" Nie Yun asked with a smile.
"Y-yes, we're full!" Lao Da couldn't shake the feeling that Nie Yun's smile held a hint of ill intent.
"Good. Since you're full, I have a job for you to do. Are you confident you can handle it?"
You haven't even told us what the job is. How are we supposed to be confident?
"Yes!" The two men stood straight and answered in unison, their voices firm.
"Excellent. I've prepared communication devices and a boat for you. Go pick them up, and you can set off. As for the details of the job, I'll tell you step by step."
"Yes, Boss!"
Nie Yun nodded in satisfaction and turned to leave.
"Uh, Boss?" Lao Da called out hesitantly.
"Hmm? What is it?" Nie Yun turned back to look at him.
"Well... you really trust us that much? You're not worried we'll run off?" Lao Da asked boldly.
"Of course I trust you. You don't doubt the people you employ, and you don't employ people you doubt. I trust you completely!" Nie Yun waved his hand grandly.
Lao Da was deeply moved by those words. For a moment, he felt ready to die for someone who understood him.
"Oh, right. There's something I forgot to tell you." Nie Yun's lips curled up. He snapped his fingers.
Four Xiaolang Robots approached, carrying a half-body sculpture, and set it down in front of them.
These kinds of sculptures were commonly used as models for drawing practice. Nie Yun produced a necklace identical to the ones around their necks, then put it around the sculpture's neck.
The two men looked at him in confusion.
"You can see this is a necklace, and this is a model." Nie Yun whipped out a silver pointer and gestured at the sculpture as he explained.
"Mm-hmm!" The two nodded like bobbleheads.
"There are a few conditions.
"Condition 1: Taking off the necklace without permission!
"Condition 2: Revealing any information about this place!
"Condition 3: Doing anything that makes me unhappy!
"If you trigger any one of those three conditions..."
As soon as Nie Yun finished speaking, the Xiaolang pendant's eyes suddenly glowed red. Then the necklace rapidly tightened with a series of clicks, and with a loud CRACK, it crushed the sculpture's neck.
The two men stared wide-eyed at the sculpture's head as it rolled across the floor.
"Gulp!" They both swallowed audibly.
This damn thing was a high-tech Blood Dropper!
Have you ever felt a blade held against your neck? Maybe you have.
But have you ever felt a blade held against your neck every second of the day? These two poor fellows had.
So much for trusting us!
Give me back the feelings I just had, you bastard!
While Nie Yun was training his newly recruited underlings, Xiacheng City had been in turmoil over the past two days as the yacht kidnapping case continued to unfold. Several major events had taken place.
First, news broke that Chu Xiaoxiao had been kidnapped again, this time by foreign mercenaries.
Even more shocking was that among the dead was Feng Ge, who had countless ties to Han Yi, the heir of the Riyao Group.
This immediately put the Riyao Group in the spotlight. The police even paid several visits to gather evidence and investigate.
With two of Xiacheng City's heavyweight corporations at each other's throats—and a major case involving dozens of dead and injured—the news outlets swarmed in like sharks scenting blood, competing to dig deeper and report on the story.
But all the turmoil gradually subsided as the Riyao Group made moves in political and business circles. Even the media began to keep quiet, while the police publicly announced that they were halting their investigation into the Riyao Group due to insufficient evidence. In the end, the matter was quietly dropped.
Clearly, the Riyao Group had pulled strings behind the scenes, revealing the depth of an established power. It was impossible to know what price they'd paid, but one thing was certain: the young Chu Group was still no match for the Riyao Group in that arena.
The second event was the Chu Group's high-profile announcement that it was entering the ocean-shipping trade, directly challenging the Riyao Group's core business. Tensions between the two corporations grew ever more intense.
The third was the appearance of several seventeenth-century gold coins on the market. They delighted many collectors, and enthusiasts from Europe, America, and elsewhere rushed to get their hands on them. The average auction price reached three million Renminbi, and Xiacheng City's antiques market was abuzz for a while.
Although this received less attention than the first two events, it still attracted a certain amount of interest.
There were also rumors that the Chu Group had discovered a vast treasure at sea, and that the coins were among the treasures recovered from it. Some claimed that the Chu family's eldest daughter had been kidnapped repeatedly because she possessed such a fortune.
Of course, there were plenty of other rumors like that, and no one took them seriously.
The Dihao Building, headquarters of the Riyao Group.
"Yi, you were far too careless about this!" A middle-aged man with a touch of gray in his hair and a sharp gaze addressed Han Yi, who stood respectfully across from him, his tone stern.
This man was none other than Han Xiangshang, chairman of the Riyao Group.
"Dad! This time, I was careless. I didn't expect that idiot Feng Ge to be so useless. He failed to capture her, got himself killed, and even dragged the Riyao Group into it! I'd like to kill him all over again!" Han Yi ground out through clenched teeth.
"Enough. There's something strange about this, and you can't take all the blame. From what I've learned from the police... things don't add up. We shouldn't make any big moves for now. Let's wait and see." Han Xiangshang rubbed his brow, looking tired.
The Han Family had paid a steep price to bury the matter, in addition to calling in a lot of favors.
"Dad, what exactly happened? Feng Ge wasn't the kind of man to act recklessly. He'd never show himself unless he was sure the operation would succeed. And all those mercenaries were wiped out, too. Why did the plan fail?"
"The police are just as confused. Chu Xiaoxiao and the surviving bodyguard said pirates had joined the firefight, and that was how they survived. But there are too many suspicious points.
"Pirates? Hah! What major pirate groups are still operating around Rabbit Country?
"Even stranger, judging by the battle damage on the yacht, a powerful force seems to have used a considerable number of cannons to wipe out those mercenaries with overwhelming force. The only force in the area that could have that kind of firepower... is probably the military."
"What!?" Han Yi gasped.
"Dad, are you saying the military got involved? That's impossible. I've never heard of the Chu Group having any ties to the military."
"That's why I said something about this is strange. Until we find out whether the Chu Group has powerful backing, the Riyao Group shouldn't make another move."
"But the Chu Group is openly competing with us for the ocean-shipping market now. We've seen what those two women are capable of. If we're talking competitiveness, we'll lose a considerable share of the market!" Han Yi said urgently.
"Hmph! Don't worry. I've already been working on a way to deal with this. The Chu Group is just a newcomer. They have no idea how deep the Riyao Group's roots go.
"I've contacted several major suppliers and cut off their supply channels. I've also asked Customs to make some trouble with their import and export licenses. That should slow their growth."
"I see. Dad, you really are brilliant!"
"Mm. Things are tense out there, so you'd better keep a low profile for now. There are already voices in the family expressing dissatisfaction with you."
"Yes, I understand." Han Yi lowered his head deferentially, but a cold glint flashed in his eyes.
Chu Group! This isn't over!
Before you continue