Chapter 10: Contract in Hand, Being Followed

After Secretary Lin lifted her head, she glanced at Xiao Yu with embarrassment, then abruptly turned to Li Quan, her gaze icy. "Li Quan, you'd better give me a reasonable explanation!"

Li Quan's face instantly turned deathly pale at her words, and he hesitantly asked, "Secretary Lin, are you sure this person is our distinguished guest?"

"Hmph, of course I'm sure! The chairman himself gave me this order last night. And you—how dare you act so outrageously toward our most honored guest? I think your career has come to an end. Wait to see how the company deals with you!"

Secretary Lin was inwardly seething with anger.

Seeing her fury, Li Quan knew he'd gotten himself into big trouble. Yet he recalled what Li Minghao had told him: that Xiao Yu was just a minor son-in-law of the Ye family. How could he be treated with such respect by the company?

Even Ye Shihan, standing nearby, looked at Xiao Yu in shock. She couldn't fathom what merit or ability Xiao Yu possessed to warrant such treatment from the chairman of Huayi Group. Was it because of Xiao Yu himself, or was it due to Taishui? She simply couldn't understand.

"Mr. Xiao, since Li Quan has offended you, how he should be dealt with is entirely up to you." Secretary Lin turned, her expression worried as she looked at Xiao Yu, afraid that he would choose to leave because of this incident. If he did, the task entrusted to her by Liu Junhe would be impossible to complete, and she herself might be implicated.

Li Quan's face became bitter upon hearing her words. He knew Xiao Yu wouldn't let him off lightly. In his heart, he cursed Li Minghao and his entire family. If Li Minghao hadn't involved him in pursuing Ye Shihan, none of this would have happened. The root of everything was Li Minghao.

"How else? Just fire him." Xiao Yu spoke calmly, as if it were a trivial matter.

Li Quan's legs gave out, and he collapsed to the floor. He knew it was over. After years of struggling in Huayi Group, stuffing red packets and climbing his way up to a sales manager, he'd dreamed of rising even higher. Now, it was all gone.

"Did you not hear Mr. Xiao's words? Li Quan is no longer the department manager. Remove these irrelevant people immediately." Secretary Lin shouted angrily at the security guards.

None of the guards dared defy her. Despite their injuries, they scrambled to their feet and escorted the dejected Li Quan out of the company's main doors.

"Who are you? I don't think I've seen you around the company." Once Li Quan was thrown out, Secretary Lin's gaze fell on Li Minghao.

Li Minghao trembled, forcing a smile. "I'm leaving, I'll leave right away." With that, he darted out, afraid he would suffer Li Quan's fate.

Once the two had gone, the farce finally subsided.

"Mr. Xiao, all unrelated people are gone. Shall we go up and discuss the contract details?" Secretary Lin bowed respectfully to Xiao Yu.

"You should discuss the contract with her. She's the one in charge this time." Xiao Yu glanced at Ye Shihan, who was still stunned, and shook his head. Only after Xiao Yu took her hand did she snap out of it.

"Ah? What did you just say?" Ye Shihan, embarrassed by her lapse, blushed.

"You must be Miss Ye. I've already drafted the cooperation contract between Huayi Group and your company. Please review it and let me know if you're satisfied. If not, I'll make any changes you suggest." Secretary Lin said with a hint of envy, then gestured for the three to follow her to the Huayi Group's conference room.

Outside the main entrance of Huayi Group, Li Quan was still sitting on the ground, unable to recover from what had just happened. Li Minghao approached him and helped him up.

"Uncle, I'm sorry. I didn't know things would turn out like this," Li Minghao said to the dazed Li Quan.

Li Quan finally came to his senses at the sound of his nephew's voice. Seeing Li Minghao so close, he suddenly lashed out, gripping his nephew's neck with both hands, his face twisted in fury. "It's all your fault! You bastard, you've ruined years of my hard work! I want you dead!"

"Cough… Uncle, let go!" Li Minghao struggled to breathe as Li Quan tightened his grip. If this continued, he would suffocate. Without thinking, Li Minghao kicked Li Quan, knocking him to the ground.

Li Quan did not get up to fight but instead broke down in tears. A forty-year-old man, sobbing by the roadside—it was clear how much he was suffering.

"Uncle, don't be upset. Rest assured, since this happened because of me, I can't get you back into the company, but I can help you get revenge! Xiao Yu is the one who caused all this. If he shows no mercy, we won't show any either!" Li Minghao said viciously.

Li Quan, roused by his words, snarled, "That's right! It's all because of Xiao Yu! I want him dead!"

"Don't worry, Uncle. I know some people in the underworld. For a bit of money, they'll deal with Xiao Yu. It won't be difficult at all." A sinister smile appeared on Li Minghao's face.

Meanwhile, the target of their wrath, Xiao Yu, was with Ye Shihan, discussing the contract.

After reviewing the contract, Ye Shihan was once again astonished. Every clause favored the Ye family—at least seventy or eighty percent of the profits would go to them. She couldn't understand why Huayi Group would sign such a loss-making contract. Was it because of Xiao Yu?

She glanced at him, and Xiao Yu shrugged. "Why are you looking at me? Is there something unsatisfactory about the contract?"

Secretary Lin grew anxious at his words, nervously asking Ye Shihan, "Miss Ye, is there anything about the contract you're unhappy with? Please tell me, and I'll have it redrafted immediately."

The fact that just a look from her could make the person in charge so nervous startled Ye Shihan. She quickly waved her hand. "No, the contract is advantageous to us in every respect. I just want to ask—is this really the contract between your company and the Ye family?"

She still couldn't believe it. She didn't think such a windfall would simply drop from the sky.

"Of course it's real. Every clause was drafted according to the chairman's instructions," Secretary Lin replied with a smile.

Ye Shihan looked at Xiao Yu again, realizing she could no longer see through him. What kind of identity did he have to make the chairman of Huayi Group go to such lengths just to satisfy him?

Xiao Yu had always been outstanding, but he had never been so extraordinary. Even setting aside the mysterious Taishui, just the chairman's attitude toward him was enough to show how different Xiao Yu was now.

"Miss Ye, if you have no objections to the contract, shall we sign it now?" Secretary Lin urged, fearing any change.

"Ah, yes!" Ye Shihan nodded, then signed her name. From that moment, the partnership between Huayi Group and the Ye family officially began.

"Very well, then let's wish for a pleasant cooperation," Secretary Lin said, extending her hand. Ye Shihan shook it.

With the contract settled, Xiao Yu and his companions no longer had any reason to stay. Under Secretary Lin's respectful escort, the three left Huayi Group.

As she walked out the main doors, Ye Shihan exhaled deeply. Never in her wildest dreams would she have imagined the contract would be signed so smoothly—it felt unreal, as if she were dreaming. But she knew it was all because of the man beside her.

"Xiao Yu, what have you been through these years? Why do you seem so different from before? Why does the chairman of Huayi Group treat you like this?"

Ye Shihan looked at Xiao Yu and voiced all her doubts. But all she got in return was Xiao Yu's faint smile.

He slowly raised his right hand, about to touch her cheek, but for some reason, Ye Shihan turned away to avoid him. Xiao Yu couldn't help but look disappointed.

"Tell me, what have you been doing all these years?" Ye Shihan asked, serious.

"Joined the army, served the motherland," Xiao Yu replied calmly, lowering his hand.

He wasn't lying. In the five years he was away, he had guarded Yanxia's borders, defending its land and rivers.

Ye Shihan realized she wouldn't get the answers she wanted from Xiao Yu, so she turned to Taishui. "Taishui, since he won't say, you tell me!"

Taishui gave a wry smile. "Sister-in-law, forgive me—I can't tell you much. You only need to know that big brother hasn't lied to you."

With that, afraid Ye Shihan would press further, Taishui quickly took out the car keys and headed for the parking lot.

Soon, Taishui drove the car over to them. Xiao Yu, ever the gentleman, opened the door for Ye Shihan, who got in, followed by Xiao Yu.

The car started slowly. Inside, the atmosphere was awkward; no one spoke. Each was lost in their own thoughts.

Just then, Taishui, focused on driving, spoke gravely. "Big brother, we're being followed!"