Qin Yuchen looked at the photo sent by his third uncle Qin Hanyue, asking his assistant, "Have those people who entered Yun City been found yet?"
The assistant said, "No, our people lost track of them around here. It's strange. This place is so small, yet after those people entered, it was as if they disappeared into another space. There's not a trace of them anywhere."
The assistant was a bit puzzled. Those people escaped here with purpose, very likely wanting to make a move on Qiao Ying who had saved Qin Yuchen before.
Qin Yuchen was even prepared to negotiate with them.
Yet after a night passed, Qiao Ying was safe and sound, while those people seemed to have vanished from earth.
Could it be that our people chased them too tightly, so they didn't have a chance to do anything and just fled for their lives?
"Disappeared? There's nothing that mystical," Qin Hanyue said, looking in the direction where Qiao Ying had vanished. "Keep searching. We need to see people alive and bodies dead. Also, arrange some more people to guard here and ensure that girl's safety."
Qiao Ying was a benefactor to the Qin Family. If something unfortunate happened to her under those people's hands, it would become a huge joke if word got out.
Speaking of which, didn't we give her money to repay her life-saving grace? How much did that brat Yuchen give her that she's still living in a place like this?
"Yes." The assistant recalled something. "Oh right, Third Master, our people spotted people from 791 lurking around here a few hours ago."
791, belonging to the strongest mercenary group in Country M - the Arctic Fox Mercenary Group, one of its regiments.
Qin Hanyue asked, "Him?"
"Him" referred to Ye Si - the highest administrator of the 791 regiment.
What was Ye Si's people doing here?
It seemed there were hidden undercurrents in this small Yun City.
The assistant said, "But they only appeared briefly before leaving, as if they were just passing by."
Qin Hanyue said, "Find out clearly what they're doing here."
"Yes," the assistant replied.
When leaving, Qin Hanyue looked at the awful dilapidated environment here and thought for a moment before asking his assistant to call the mayor of Yun City.
Upon learning the other party's identity, Mayor Feng Teng of Yun City immediately stood up from his chair in excitement, then didn't dare sit down again, even though the other party couldn't see him.
He held the landline phone in his study room with trembling hands and a nervous heart.
"Don't worry, I will definitely take good care of her."
"If you have any other requests, I will surely get them done for you."
After hanging up the phone, Feng Teng immediately had his assistant look up Qiao Ying's information. While waiting, he paced around anxiously in the study room, eager to personally handle this.
He pondered whether he should directly visit the Qiao family carrying gifts.
Or send the Qiao family a house or money under some other pretext.
But the Qin Family told him not to disturb the Qiao family's life and they didn't need any assistance for their livelihood, only asking him to keep watch.
Unless the other party was in need or difficulty.
Only then did he suppress the urge to pay a visit.
He was truly agitated and muddled earlier. To have the Qin Family personally ask him for a favor, how could they possibly lack money or housing?
Yet from memory, he didn't recall any successful figures or wealthy officials surnamed Qiao in Yun City!
At this moment, Feng Teng was extremely curious about Qiao Ying's identity.
He would never have imagined someone from their Yun City to have connections with the Qin Family in the Capital City, even having the Qin Family personally ask him to look after them.
Just who exactly were they?
Unable to remain in the study room, Feng Teng simply went downstairs, and saw his prodigal son sneak back from outside.
There was no need to ask - he must have fooled around again all day.
"You little bastard! Young Master Huo has returned to the Capital City already. You're continuing to act unscrupulously taking advantage of this chance, aren't you?!" Feng Teng scolded as soon as he opened his mouth, and wanted to hit him.
Feng Wenzhong dodged while saying, "What did I do? Who acted unscrupulously? I was out doing proper business for Young Master Huo."
"Doing proper business?" Feng Teng who had been chasing his son to hit him stopped and said incredulously, "What proper business could you do for Young Master Huo?"
"Why would I lie to you? Young Master Huo personally instructed me to help him find someone. I'm supposed to call him after finding that person."
As Feng Wenzhong spoke, he took out his phone which really had Huo Chengdong's number stored inside.
Feng Wenzhong wasn't lying. The person Huo Chengdong asked him to find turned out to be none other than Qiao Ying.
Huo Chengdong had been called back to the Capital City by his family early on, and asked Feng Wenzhong to help investigate Qiao Ying. Feng Wenzhong naturally agreed readily.
Recognizing the school uniform Qiao Ying wore to be from No. 7 High School, he had rushed over to No. 7 High School early in the morning to ask around.
But after inquiring for a whole morning, Feng Wenzhong became more and more confused.
From the No. 7 High School students, he learned that there really was such a person in No. 7 High, a senior like him called Qiao Ying.
The external characteristics matched too.
Yet the Qiao Ying described by those people differed greatly from the Qiao Ying he saw last night, so much so that they should be said to be hugely different instead.
In his eyes, Qiao Ying was: arrogant, handsome, domineering, confident, daring and bold, awesome, even not putting Young Master Huo in her eyes.
She was even more attractive than those girls with hot figures.
But the Qiao Ying described by the No. 7 High students was: timid, weak, incompetent, hunchbacked with extremely low self-esteem. Her grades were so bad there was no edge to speak of, stupid as a pig. She was bullied by others all three years of high school with no resistance.
Feng Wenzhong felt scoring 20 points on the college entrance exam already qualified him as a talent, but he heard Qiao Ying only scored 5 points.
No matter how he looked at it, Qiao Ying didn't seem like a "genius" who scored 5 points.
This left Feng Wenzhong full of doubts.
Feng Teng said, "Then you have to handle this properly for Young Master Huo."
Feng Wenzhong replied, "Got it."
He would personally go to No. 7 High to find Qiao Ying later. He was even thinking of using Qiao Ying to build ties with Huo Chengdong.
He would be going to university in the Capital City. Hoping to rely on Huo Chengdong this big tree, if he could integrate into Huo Chengdong's circle, his future prospects would be limitless.
"How was it? Did Young Master Huo have fun these past few days here?" Feng Teng asked.
"Yes, fun," Feng Wenzhong answered perfunctorily.
The past few days, Huo Chengdong didn't experience any climax and felt quite boring at first, until Qiao Ying's appearance last night.
Even when sending Huo Chengdong off this morning, Huo Chengdong was still excited.
"Keep in more contact with Young Master Huo. Be careful when speaking, don't offend him. If you can become friends with Young Master Huo and gain his appreciation, Dad will fulfill your wish of buying a car."
"Really?" Feng Wenzhong's eyes lit up.
"Dad keeps his word." Feng Teng was in an exceptionally good mood. If they could build relationships with the Qin and Huo Families, just thinking about it excited him.
His Feng Family's meteoric rise was imminent.
-
Qin Yuchen looked at the photo his Third Uncle sent over. At first, he was a bit uncertain whether the girl in the photo was Qiao Ying.
Because the girl in the photo looked thinner than that night.
In the photo, Qiao Ying seemed to have noticed the photo taker and turned her head slightly. Her side profile was gentle and three-dimensional.
Only after repeatedly comparing did Qin Yuchen dare confirm it was her.
Next, Qin Yuchen noticed the boy in the photo.
Qin Yuchen had only checked Qiao Ying's personal information and didn't know the specifics of her family circumstances, thus not knowing she had a younger brother.
So seeing the two walking so close together, he reacted the same as Qin Hanyue - "Is this...her boyfriend?"
Or younger brother?
Qin Yuchen didn't dwell on it either. Although Qiao Ying had saved him, he had repaid the favor too. The Capital City and Yun City were worlds apart, and their identities meant they would never cross paths again in the future.
-
That night when Qiao Ying went out for her night run, she discovered the people Qin Hanyue's assistant had covertly arranged to guard her safety nearby.
Qiao Ying had always been decisive and quick to settle things. She would never leave suspicious people around to confirm their identities the next day.
Thus, on the way back from her night run, Qiao Ying flashed and slipped out of their line of sight.
Just as they were searching everywhere, Qiao Ying noiselessly appeared behind them, "Looking for me?"
