Situation

Wang Yiyang's phone—the black handset he would occasionally pull out to glance at.

At first glance, it appeared identical to a popular budget model currently on the market, but a closer look revealed that the texture, the buttons, and various other details were significantly more refined.

An Yuxi took note of this, feeling a thrill of excitement as she sensed she had discovered a secret no one else had noticed.

She kept quiet, intending to continue her observations.

After the group finished their toasts, they sat down to continue the meal as dishes arrived one after another.

Steamed Large Ribbonfish, Golden Jade Threads, Flying Dragon in the Sky, White Phoenix Rising and Calling, Drunken Man's Blessing, Sea Dragon Giving Birth...

Each dish arrived with a bizarre name, and everyone had to guess what the ingredients actually were.

Although they were all made from common, everyday items, the fancy names and elegant plating gave the meal a high-end feel.

Since the group was dining during work hours, everyone was dressed in office attire; the men wore dress shirts and slacks, while the women wore black skirt suits with sheer or black stockings.

It didn't look like a gathering of friends, but rather a company function.

After eating for a while, Wang Yiyang's phone suddenly rang.

Although other colleagues had answered calls during the meal, they had all kept their ringtones very low.

It was nothing like the jarring, piercing sound coming from Wang Yiyang's phone right now.

Woo... woo... woo!

The ringtone lacked any musical quality; it was a negative, grating sound designed to induce immediate tension.

Wang Yiyang was stunned. He clearly remembered setting his phone to vibrate, but now...

He hurriedly fished out the phone and offered an apologetic smile to the others.

"I need to take this call. I'll step out for a moment; you all go ahead and eat."

He stood up and unlocked the screen, only to see it glowing a deep, blood-red.

Warning! Warning!

This was the phone's passive alert system. It only triggered a forced notification during special circumstances, and it would sound an alarm regardless of whether the ringer was on or off.

Wang Yiyang narrowed his eyes, his heart tightening as a specific detail from his internal database flashed through his mind.

The phone's forced alert only activated when a high-priority individual he had pre-programmed appeared in his vicinity.

In other words...

He looked out through the window of the private room.

Outside the circular glass, a silver-white, streamlined luxury armored sedan was slowly coming to a stop by the curb.

The rear window slid down, revealing the face of a middle-aged man with a white, bushy beard.

The man wore a gray suit and a pitch-black tie. His eyes, sharp as a hawk's, looked calmly through the window toward Wang Yiyang.

Wang Yiyang pulled his gaze back. The information in his mind allowed him to recognize the man instantly.

Kesatirein, a rival within Mister Pharmaceutical Group who had long been eyeing his position as head of the Security Department.

Wang Yiyang pressed the alarm cancel button to silence the sound, offered a quick apology to those around him, and prepared to leave the room.

Bang!

Suddenly, the door to the private room was shoved open.

A handsome man with blonde hair slicked back and wearing sunglasses strode in, dressed in a sharp suit. His gaze locked onto Wang Yiyang immediately.

"Director Wang, Mr. Kesatirein requests your presence." The man grinned, his muscular frame giving the invitation a vaguely menacing undertone.

Wang Yiyang paused. The man wasn't speaking Federation, but Eresa Language, the internal tongue used within Mister Pharmaceutical Group.

Because the Mister Pharmaceutical Group headquarters were located in the Maria Islands of Eresa, everyone used Eresa Language for convenience.

The others in the room couldn't understand what the man with the slicked-back hair was saying, but they could all sense that he was trouble.

Wang Dongning glanced at Wang Yiyang and stood up immediately.

"Brother Yang, is he looking for you?"

"Yeah. You guys keep eating; I have a small matter to handle." Wang Yiyang offered a calm smile.

The lines of data that had appeared in his field of vision earlier clearly indicated a one-month buffer before the danger from Mister Pharmaceutical Group would find him.

But why was someone here so early? What was going on?

He steadied his heart, choosing to trust the system-like entity that had provided him with his hidden identity.

In truth, the main reason was that the arrival was so sudden he had no way to predict or prepare for it; he would simply have to play it by ear.

"I'll be right back." He smiled at his colleagues and patted Wang Dongning on the shoulder, signaling him to sit down.

"It's nothing, I'll be back in a moment."

"Are you sure it's nothing?" Wang Dongning asked, sounding unconvinced.

"Don't worry," Wang Yiyang laughed, then looked at the man with the slicked-back hair. "Lead the way."

He responded in the Eresa Language as well.

"Please." The man with the slicked-back hair stepped aside, bowing slightly with a gesture of polished courtesy.

The two men quickly left the private room, the door closing behind them.

A dull thud followed.

The remaining people in the room stared at one another, falling into a sudden, heavy silence as they speculated on the true intentions of the foreigner who had just appeared.

"I never knew Brother Yang had foreign friends; he never mentioned it. Could he be a client from a company he worked at before?" Wang Dongning broke the silence with a dry laugh.

"It didn't look like there was any trouble, but does anyone know what that man said? Did anyone understand it?" Xie Xiaodan asked, still looking worried.

"I used to watch foreign dramas and recognized that tone. Was it the Eresa Language?" a girl who loved television replied. "As for what it meant, I have no idea."

"But that guy was wearing a Kersi suit. I saw the pattern on the label," Xia Ying said with a smile. She was very familiar with luxury goods, so she had recognized the brand at a glance.

"Could it be that after all this time, Brother Yang is actually some kind of rich second-generation heir?" Wang Dongning joked.

"That's hard to say," Xia Ying laughed.

"Are Kersi clothes really that expensive?" An Yuxi didn't know much about these things. She had heard of some women's brands, but she really didn't know anything about men's labels.

"A basic set starts at fifty thousand at the very least," Xia Ying mentioned casually.

An Yuxi's breath hitched.

Fifty thousand?!

Her monthly salary was only a little over six thousand; a single outfit cost nearly a year's worth of her income.

What kind of absurd brand was this?

She lowered her head and quickly pulled out her phone to search. Sure enough, she found Kersi among the world's famous men's clothing brands.

It was a relatively obscure, top-tier brand, unlike the labels favored by most celebrities and public figures.

The brand had always kept a low profile, and its high price was due to the extremely expensive raw materials used in its production.

After finishing her search, An Yuxi appeared nonchalant, but her heart was filled with a growing curiosity about Wang Yiyang.

"But that foreigner seemed very respectful toward Brother Yang just now," a young girl wondered aloud.

"Alright, alright, let's just ask Brother Yang when he gets back. Stop guessing. Let's eat!" Wang Dongning stepped in for Wang Yiyang to urge everyone to continue their meal.

Although the speculative chatter was interrupted, An Yuxi kept her head down, her eyes flickering as other thoughts began to stir in her mind.

She had always kept herself "clean" specifically to hold out for a better price. The reason she was so obsessed with climbing social circles was precisely to change her life through marriage.

Looking at it now, if not for this unexpected incident—Wang Yiyang being sought out by that foreigner—everyone would have finished their meal and parted ways without ever knowing this guy was hiding so much.

An Yuxi's thoughts were clear. Her relationship with Wang Yiyang was ordinary, but this was an incredibly rare opportunity.

She vaguely sensed that the level Wang Yiyang was hiding was likely the highest she had ever been able to touch.

The feeling that such an opportunity was right in front of her, ready to be seized, made it hard for her to calm her heart.

She still remembered when she was in college, working hard and saving money for a long, long time just to buy a handbag she liked.

Until one day, she suddenly saw a girl in her class who she had always been at odds with, casually carrying that very handbag while chatting easily with others.

From that moment on, she lost all interest in that bag.

She couldn't forget the look in that girl's eyes at the time.

Perhaps the other girl had no idea she liked that bag, but in her eyes, every time the girl's gaze swept over her, it felt as painful as a knife cut.

From that day on, she decided she would completely change her own destiny.

Wang Yiyang followed the blond man with the slicked-back hair out of the private room, slowly exiting the restaurant under the escort of two bald, burly men.

This display was enough to startle not just his acquaintances, but everyone entering or leaving the restaurant, including the waiters and the manager, who all stood by to watch them pass.

Wang Yiyang didn't mind. At this point, since the other party had come to his door, there was no avoiding it. He might as well face it calmly.

Under the cover and concealment of the men, he quietly walked to the car, opened the door, and sat in the back row, sitting right next to the middle-aged man.

"You looking for me?" Wang Yiyang asked as calmly as he could, keeping his tone flat.

His phone kept vibrating, but he had no time to check it now.

"I thought you had run away," Kesatirein smiled, a strange expression appearing on his face.

"I was just going back to my hometown," Wang Yiyang shrugged.

"I heard you were mobilizing personnel again. I happened to have a meeting nearby, so I stopped by to see. Since you're fine, I won't disturb you any further," Kesatirein laughed.

"You're that kind?" In the files Wang Yiyang had obtained, the middle-aged man before him was no saint. He was like an old wolf searching for an opening; once he found a flaw, he would strike like lightning, relentless and unforgiving.

This was also his first time interacting with one of the big shots within the group. The department the man controlled was the relatively important R&D Department; while not as powerful as the Security Department, it still held significant influence.

"I need your help," Kesatirein said softly. "Regarding the Gelanwo matter, I need a team of elites to escort some critical items. My own people aren't strong enough."

"Heh, why should I help you?" Wang Yiyang sneered.

"I can help you. So, wouldn't it be better if you helped me?" Kesatirein smiled.

He seemed to be reminiscing, or perhaps expressing regret.

"Do you remember the days when we worked together in perfect harmony? Back then, the group was incredibly powerful, capable of anything. It's a pity..."