A crowd stood outside the workshop.
When Yuan Su got out of the car, plenty of onlookers had gathered around, their whispers never stopping.
"Did you hear? The owner owed millions to loan sharks, couldn't pay, and ran off!"
"Seriously? Doesn't this repair shop usually do pretty well?"
"What a shame. That young owner was good at his job and charged fair prices. Why would he do something so stupid..."
Yuan Su's expression remained unchanged as he heard their gossip, but the chill in his dark eyes deepened.
He pushed through the crowd and strode inside.
Nie Yang and several grease-covered workers were confronting a shrewd-looking lawyer in a black suit. Nie Yang's face and neck were flushed, and he clutched a wrench as though determined to defend this last stronghold.
"What right do you have to shut us down? This is our equipment! What does it have to do with that old bastard Yuan Hongzheng?" Nie Yang had shouted himself hoarse.
"Nie Yang."
Yuan Su called his name. His voice wasn't loud, but it cut straight through the noise.
Nie Yang shuddered. When he turned and saw Yuan Su, his eyes instantly reddened. "Yuan Su! You're finally back! These people... they're going to shut our shop down! They won't even let us work!"
Yuan Su walked over, pressed a hand against Nie Yang's trembling shoulder, took the wrench from him, and tossed it onto a discarded tire nearby with a dull thud.
"Don't do anything rash."
He turned to face the lawyer hired by the lending company.
"I'm Yuan Su."
His voice was steady. "What's going on?"
Lawyer Chen, who was leading the group, looked him up and down, then produced a document with a businesslike air. "Yuan Su, correct? The judgment in the loan dispute between Yuan Hongzheng