With just 5 seconds left before the green light ended, the cars in front all sped up simultaneously to make it through the intersection. Uncle Li also accelerated, crossing the line just a second before the light turned red.
But the big truck, under the intense, excited gaze of Xiao Jianren, slowly came to a stop.
Xiao Jianren: ???
Uncle Li, having successfully crossed the intersection: Little one, you thought you could beat this old man? Dream on!
Xiao Jianren watched helplessly as Ye Jinchen's car drove further away, almost choking on her breath. She shouted into her Bluetooth earpiece, "What's wrong with you! How could you miss such a great opportunity!"
Xiao Jianren's shouting drew attention from passersby, making her flinch. Thankfully, she hadn't mentioned anything about crashing, so people just gave her a glance before moving on. She breathed a sigh of relief.
Then a trembling male voice came through the earpiece, "I'm...I'm sorry, I regret it. I'll return the deposit to you. I...I can't do it."
Xiao Jianren: "What did you say? You can't do it?"
That's right, the truck driver had backed out at the last minute. The poor man's wife had cancer, his son was autistic, and his elderly parents were in need of care.
He did need the money. When Xiao Jianren offered him one million yuan, he was tempted – in a rural area, that would be enough for his family to live comfortably for life.
But he was the only able-bodied person in the family. If he crashed into someone, he'd surely go to jail. Even with the one million, his aging parents, sick wife, and autistic son would be left with no one to care for them.
Hiring a live-in caregiver? Don't be ridiculous. He didn't trust that any outsider would diligently care for his four family members. What if the caregiver just took the money and ran?
Moreover, he wasn't sure if Xiao Jianren would actually give the money to his family after the job was done.
It wasn't that he assumed the worst in people, but even his own siblings and in-laws had abandoned his family. How could he trust a stranger?
So at the last moment, he backed out. He'd rather continue struggling as he had been, even if he never made a million yuan in his lifetime. But at least he could live with a clear conscience, and his family wouldn't bear the stigma of being related to a killer.
"Yes, I can't do it. I'll return the deposit to you right now."
The truck driver hung up, opened WeChat, found Xiao Jianren's profile, and refunded the 100,000 yuan deposit in full. Then he blocked her.
As the green light turned on, the truck slowly drove off in the direction of home.
Xiao Jianren stared at the transfer notification on WeChat, gritting her teeth in anger. "Aaargh! That bastard! No sense of contract at all. What a wasted opportunity! I'm so mad!"
Just then, Ye Junwen called. Feeling guilty about the failed mission, Xiao Jianren answered hesitantly.
"How did it go? Were you successful?" Ye Junwen sounded urgent and excited, even over the phone.
He had worked an extra hour and had just left the office. He wanted to rush over and see the aftermath of the car crash.
Xiao Jianren paused, then said, "No...it wasn't successful."
Ye Junwen shouted in disbelief, "What! Not successful? But how? It was such a great opportunity!"
Xiao Jianren felt like crying but still tried to explain, "Junwen, don't get upset. The plan was to floor it when we went through the intersection. But that bastard driver backed out at the last minute and even returned the deposit...I don't know what he was thinking..."
Enraged, Ye Junwen kicked a pillar in the parking lot, grimacing in pain.
Worried that Ye Junwen might get too angry at her, Xiao Jianren quickly reassured him, "Junwen, don't worry. There will be more opportunities. I'll find someone more reliable next time, I promise I'll complete the mission!"
There was nothing Ye Junwen could do to change the current outcome, so he calmed down and started thinking about next steps.
Unless there were special circumstances, he and Ye Jinchen commuted together every day, so he couldn't risk harming himself by planning something during their commute.
When Ye Jinchen went out for meetings or events, he usually brought one or two staff members or bodyguards, lowering the chances of success and increasing the risk.
The best scenario would be when Ye Jinchen was alone. As long as the hired person was reliable, there would be minimal external interference.
"Alright, find someone reliable first. As for when to strike, I'll let you know."
"Got it, Junwen."
...
Unaware of the danger he had just avoided, Ye Jinchen arrived at X International Headquarters with Lin Yijun. The towering building exuded a sense of grandeur and majesty, instilling a feeling of awe in Ye Jinchen.
After presenting their invitation and handing over their housewarming gift to the receptionist, the two made their way into the lobby.
Ye Jinchen spotted his father and mother, Ye Junli and Gu Qi, chatting with others in the center of the lobby. He approached them and greeted, "Dad, Mom, you're here too."
Lin Yijun politely greeted them, "Mr. Ye, Mrs. Ye."
Upon seeing Lin Yijun beside Ye Jinchen, Gu Qi's eyes lit up as if she had found a treasure. She immediately took Lin Yijun's hand and said, "Miss Lin, the men's conversations are terribly dull. Would you mind keeping this old lady company?"
Lin Yijun inwardly protested: Old lady? Did Mrs. Ye have some misunderstanding? She was no old lady, but a glamorous socialite!
Lin Yijun glanced at Ye Jinchen, and he nodded in response. Delighted by their interaction, Gu Qi led Lin Yijun by the hand towards the buffet area. "You must be hungry. Let's get something to eat first. These business leaders love to chitchat endlessly. We need to eat our fill."
Father and son: ...
The man standing nearby didn't mind their departure and simply smiled faintly at Ye Jinchen, saying, "Little Ye, is this your son?"
Ye Junli glared at him, "Don't call him 'Little Ye' in front of all these people!"
Ye Jinchen chuckled: Little Ye? His dad had such a "shy" side!
Ye Junli turned and glared at Ye Jinchen before introducing the man, "This is your Uncle Xiao, Xiao Yongze, the head of X Group, Sean."
Ye Jinchen's eyes widened: His idol was right before him!!!
