Chapter 25 Cause and Effect Even through the crowd, Yu Tang spotted it at a glance…

Yu Tang opened her eyes and recalled the scene of Yu Chaoxian holding her and dodging bullets that night. His back was deeply imprinted in her mind, giving her a great sense of security. Yu Tang unconsciously hugged the blanket in her arms tighter.

Unable to fall asleep, Yu Tang pulled out a small calendar from the drawer. Today's date hadn't been marked with an "x" yet. Ever since Yu Chaoxian mentioned the half-month deadline, she had marked each day with an "x" in red pen to indicate that she had made it through the day. She had even marked the 30th with celebratory flowers in advance.

Today is about to end, but Yu Tang didn't row anymore, because being with Yu Chaoxian didn't seem to be such a long day.

The number "x" stopped at the 27th. Today is the 28th, and there are only two days left until the half-month deadline that Yu Chaoxian mentioned. But why half a month? Yu Tang couldn't understand. She could never understand adult matters. Although she was of a higher generation than Yu Chaoxian, Yu Chaoxian was eight years older than her, so she still categorized him as an adult.

Yu Tang wasn't so ungrateful, especially since Yu Chao had said in the study that he would take good care of her, respect her, and cherish her from now on...

Yu Tang hugged the shark tightly, closed her eyes, and gradually drifted off to sleep as usual.

This time, however, she wasn't afraid of the mornings. Her brother had been taking his medication on time, and his blood pressure was stable. She didn't have to worry about how to face the intimidating Yu Chaoxian when she woke up, or how to get along with him. She also didn't have to worry about going to school; she had her good friend Mo Fei there. Oh, and tomorrow she needed to bring Mo Fei's favorite chestnut cake and that pretty little mirror...

Even after waking up, a bright tomorrow awaits her.

The next day.

"Boss, we've caught Li Xiang."

"Okay." Yu Chaoxian hung up the phone and glanced at Yu Yanting on the other end.

Yu Yanting stood up: "Let's go take a look."

Li Xiang planned to escape by boat, but was caught by Chen Diao's men as soon as he arrived at the port. This once famous "Uncle Xiang," who dared to compete with the Yu family for business, seemed not to have anticipated that much of the Yu family's business was conducted via sea routes. Not to mention that several shipping companies belonged to the Yu family, even the customs officials had already been taken care of by Yu Chaoxian. Escaping by boat would be tantamount to certain death.

Yu Yanting assumed that General Apai Wang from the customs office had asked the police to help arrest people because of their past friendship. He never imagined that Yu Chaoxian had already bypassed him and contacted Apai Wang.

Chen Diao led the person to the basement of the club.

When Yu Chaoxian entered, he heard sobbing sounds and then glanced at the person crawling on the ground.

Blood was gushing from Li Xiang's head, and his entire body was covered in blood. The blanket underneath him was soaked with blood, and the edges were starting to seep out.

Yu Chaoxian turned his head to look at Chen Diao, "Can't you be a little gentler?"

Chen Diao spread his hands innocently, meaning, who knew the old man would be so timid and troublesome.

Chen Diao's work style was entirely inherited from Yu Chaoxian, whether it was training or interrogation, so he was always the one that Yu Chaoxian was most satisfied with.

Chen Diao said, "The tongue has been left."

If your tongue is cut off, it's inconvenient to answer questions; you have to wait until the boss finishes asking them.

As soon as Yu Yanting sat down on the sofa, Li Xiang rushed over like a madman. His son had died tragically because of Yu Yanting, and he wished he could kill this hypocritical man with his own hands.

Unfortunately, Yu Chaoxian stepped on his hand.

"Uncle Xiang, stop struggling. You might break both your arms. Tsk, it'll be so hard to get up, like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon." Yu Chaoxian seemed to be kindly advising him, but actually moved his foot away in disgust, afraid that blood would splatter on his trouser leg. He still had to pick up his students later, and blood would be a problem.

Chen Diao covered his mouth, wanting to laugh. His boss's words were still so incisive. He still had to learn from him in this regard. He didn't know how to use metaphors when cursing. He would just say "damn it," "fuck it," or "I'm fucking idiot," which was too vulgar.

Yu Yanting sat down with his back to Li Xiang, closing his eyes wearily, as if he couldn't bear to look at the blood on the ground. "Alright, ask him if he has anything else to say."

These words were Li Xiang's last words.

Now that things have come to this, and he's willing to accept defeat for being outmatched, Li Xiang realized he only had one path left: death. With a desolate smile, he began to unleash a torrent of curses: "Yu Yanting, don't think you can stay glamorous for long! Karma has its consequences; what goes around comes around. Today you're the host, tomorrow you'll be trampled to death. I don't believe you don't understand this. Today my family is ruined, but that's just a reflection of your future. Nothing lasts forever. I have no one to care for me in my old age, and that doesn't mean you'll have a peaceful end. Your son doesn't acknowledge you, and your precious little girl will suffer sooner or later..."

Before Li Xiang could even utter the word "retribution," Yu Chaoxian kicked him twice in the head.

"Uncle Xiang, you've lived all these years, and all you've got is a head? You haven't closed many deals, but your mouth has certainly been there for all this time."

Yu Chaoxian gestured to Chen Diao with his eyes, took a puff of his cigarette, and said, "Cut out his tongue."

Perhaps he was truly old and couldn't bear to see people suffer before they died. Yu Yanting twirled the Buddhist beads in his hand, opened his eyes, and said, "Alright, he's so old, let's give him a quick death."

Yu Chaoxian turned his back to Yu Yanting and smiled contemptuously. His old man was scared. When he was young, it was common for him to chop people up and throw them into the sea to feed the fish when he was fighting for business. Now, he had been in there for less than half an hour and he couldn't see any bloodshed. No wonder his business had come to an end.

But Yu Chaoxian didn't intend to act so quickly; the interrogation before the killing was the most interesting part. Yu Chaoxian reached out, and Chen Diao handed him the knife. Just before taking the knife, his cell phone in his pocket buzzed.

Not many people know his private number. Chen Diao is right here, so there's no need to send messages; Mickey won't send messages repeatedly.

That leaves only Yu Tang, who had only known his phone number for two days.

Remember to change the band-aid; I put it in your pocket.

"Xiao Xian, will you still pick me up after school? Do you want some takoyaki?"

She's rambling on and on. So, Yu Tang's point is that she wants to eat, but doesn't have money, and wants him to go and pay the bill.

Yu Chaoxian reached into his pants pocket and found a long band-aid. He glanced at the time, 5:50, with 40 minutes to go.

Life is precious; why waste so much time?

Bang—bang!

Yu Chaoxian raised his hand decisively, and two bullets shot out—one through the heart and the other right between the eyebrows.

Li Xiang collapsed to the ground with a thud, his eyes wide open in death, staring straight at Yu Yanting on the sofa, his frozen pupils still reflecting the last trace of resentment.

Yu Yanting gazed at this familiar scene and wearily closed his eyes. He had seen too many such endings; very few people on this path met a good end. Gunshots, bloodshed, betrayal... these things that once thrilled him now only filled him with deep weariness.

All he wanted now was to have his family by his side and live out the rest of his life in peace. The setting sun outside the window made the bloodstains on the carpet appear even darker.

A strong stench of blood filled the room. Yu Yanting frowned and covered his mouth and nose with a handkerchief. He slowly rose, supporting himself on the sofa armrest, his complexion not good.

"Uncle Yu, shall I take you back to the company?" Chen Diao quickly stepped forward and asked.

Yu Yanting waved his hand, his voice filled with unprecedented exhaustion: "I'm tired, let's go home."

Standing to the side, Yu Chaoxian raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, a playful smile playing on his lips. How strange. The Yu Yanting who could once travel to three countries in three days to conduct business, now seemed tired of talking.

I just don't know if it's because I'm tired or scared.

Chen Diao immediately understood and waved to the driver to bring the car to the front door. Yu Yanting, leaning on his cane, walked out unsteadily, unaware of the mocking look that flashed in Yu Chaoxian's eyes behind him.

The setting sun cast a long shadow of Yu Yanting as he boarded the car alone, and the wind blew through his gray hair, making him appear exceptionally lonely.

On the bus.

Chen Diao showed the documents he had found from Li Xiang to Yu Chaoxian in the back seat. "Boss, Li Xiang's order materials are strange. He's not selling weapons, he's selling spare parts."

Yu Chaoxian carefully examined the documents, raised an eyebrow and smiled; it was indeed much as he had guessed.

No wonder Li Xiang has such a good relationship with the government. Li Xiang disassembles the smuggled weapons and then ships these internationally certified parts to Arizona, a state whose civil war rivals that of Killarley. Arizona is exceptionally rich in mineral resources, and Li Xiang uses the transport of disassembled weapons there as a way to smuggle these minerals back to China. These mineral resources are scarce in China, which is tantamount to the government tacitly approving "smuggling," so naturally they turn a blind eye to some of Li Xiang's business dealings.

Yu Chaoxian tapped the document on his knee with his fingertips, closed his eyes and gave instructions: "Go and contact the person in the government who signed it. This relationship must be preserved."

Chen Diao glanced at the man in the rearview mirror: "But Li Xiang is dead. Will the government agree to cooperate with us? Li Xiang was from Taicheng after all, and he always claimed to be patriotic. Compared to Li Xiang, we are essentially outsiders."

Yu Chaoxian scoffed disdainfully. Patriotism is believable when spoken by soldiers, and powerful when spoken by the people, but when spoken by a businessman, it sounds like a joke. "What the government wants is a tool like 'Li Xiang,' not him as a person. If the government's future arms orders are all in cooperation with the Yu family, then helping them transport some resources won't be difficult."

Chen Diao unconditionally obeyed all of Yu Chaoxian's decisions. Seeing that his boss's expression clearly indicated that he had already thought of a way out, he didn't say anything more.

"Back to the Yu residence, boss?" Chen Diao asked at the next intersection.

“Go to school,” Yu Chaoxian opened his eyes and glanced at the time. There were still fifteen minutes left, which was a bit tight. He told Chen Diao to turn left and “go through Jingming Road.”

Yu Chao glanced at his cuffs, but saw no bloodstains. Just to be on the safe side, he took off his suit jacket. It was inevitable that he would smell blood in the basement, but they were used to it and didn't find it unusual.

When we arrived at our destination, the school bell rang, signaling the end of the school term.

Today is Friday, and there are quite a few cars from parents picking up their children. Although Yu Chaoxian didn't say it explicitly, Chen Diao could still clearly feel the cold gaze on the back of his head. The boss was obviously not satisfied with the parking spot he had chosen.

Chen Diao was thinking that the eldest brother preferred quiet, and if he parked in the middle with cars on all sides, wouldn't it make people's ears ring from all the noise?

Chen Diao cleverly chose a spot next to a big tree at the end of the street. It wasn't close to the school, but it wasn't too far either, since it was already right at the school gate.

Seeing the air pressure inside the car gradually decreasing, and knowing that Mr. Yu was no joke, Chen Diao quickly said, "Sorry, boss, I'll find another seat forward."

But on Fridays, where will you find room to drive forward?

Yu Chao ignored him and got out of the car. With Yu Tang's height, he might not even be able to find this place even if he jumped.

As soon as the school bell rang, Yu Tang grabbed her pre-packed schoolbag and ran out of the classroom. After the class reshuffle, she and Mo Fei were no longer in the same class, so she had to meet up with Mo Fei first. They could chat for a while when they reached the school gate.

The two girls ran happily toward the school gate. Mo Fei was eager to get home to do her homework so she could quickly watch TV dramas, and Yu Tang was also a little anxious, but not just to get home and watch TV dramas. At the school gate, Mo Fei and Yu Tang waved goodbye.

Through the crowd, Yu Tang spotted that familiar figure at a glance.

Yu Chaoxian leaned against the door of the black Bentley, his black shirt highlighting his superior shoulder line. He stood under the dappled shadows of the trees with one hand in his pocket, exuding a lazy air.

Why does he like standing under big trees so much? Yu Tang glanced at the sycamore tree. If Yu Chaoxian came to pick her up in the fall, he might get hit by a ripe sycamore leaf.

Yu Tang recalled an animated film she had watched, featuring a cat that covered its forehead after being hit on the head, making a meme-worthy expression.

Imagine if it were Yu Chaoxian's face, just thinking about the scene makes me laugh.

Yu Chaoxian received a message on his phone. Yu Tang had sent him a cartoon picture of a cat covering its forehead. Yu Chaoxian tossed his phone back into his pocket, too lazy to deal with this high school student. Picking him up and dropping him off at school was one thing, but expecting him to chat was another.

Yu Tang unconsciously quickened her pace. When she came over, she was still breathing heavily, her spirits were high, and her sweet and warm scent wafted over with the wind.

Yu Chaoxian stared at her raised hand, a small fist that he could easily clench and enclose completely. "What do you mean, want to fight?"

“Of course not,” Yu Tang quickly shook her head. In her heart, she thought to herself how her nephew had so many dangerous ideas every day. She used her other hand to lift Yu Chaoxian’s hand, “You hold it like me, just like this.”

Behind the car, Chen Diao, who was silently observing, felt that eerie feeling from the previous night rise up in his heart again.

This little aunt dares to order the eldest brother around?

"Hurry up, lift it up like this, then we can bump fists." Yu Tang, unusually defiant, withstood Yu Chaoxian's gaze.

Seeing that she was so insistent, Yu Chaoxian knew that if he didn't give in to her wishes, he wouldn't know what trouble it would cause. He was too lazy to argue with her, since it would only take a couple of days anyway.

Yu Chaoxian impatiently raised his hand and touched her fair little fist as she wished.

"Ta-da~" Yu Tang opened her palm and showed a piece of chocolate. "This is for you. Mo Fei taught me how to make it. Isn't it fun?"

The girl's eyes sparkled as she proudly held up the chocolate towards him. When he didn't take it, she tiptoed closer, her hair swaying gently.

"Yu Tang".

She looked up at the sound and met his downcast gaze: "Hmm?"

"childish."

Suddenly, his palm felt empty as Yu Chaoxian turned and opened the car door. Sunlight streamed through his suit fabric, outlining the straight lines of his back.

Yu Tang remained rooted to the spot until the car window slowly rolled down. Yu Chaoxian's profile was particularly striking in the shadows: "You're planning to run after the car?" Glancing at the dumbfounded Chen Diao, he added, "You want to run alongside too?"

Chen Diao's mouth had been almost constantly open ever since Yu Chaoxian and Yu Tang met.

Is this guy trying to soothe a child or tease a woman? This is terrifying.

Chen Diao opened the car door for Yu Tang, and Yu Tang said thank you.

Yu Tang glanced at Yu Chaoxian, who was looking at his phone beside her, and asked obediently, "Is he one of your people, like Mickey?"

Yu Chaoxian gave a casual "hmm," glancing at her. She had only met Mickey once, but remembered him clearly. That afternoon, he picked her up from school, and she looked at him for a while before remembering him as her nephew.

In Chen Diao's mind, Yu Tang and Yu Tang's mother were both terrifying figures. Yu Yanting was a prime example; he abandoned his wife and children for Yu Tang's mother. Therefore, he would never allow his eldest son to follow in Yu Yanting's footsteps, becoming so infatuated with women that he neglected his business and went to live in seclusion in Hong Kong.

Although Yu Tang is not very old, she is clearly a beauty in the making. Who can predict what will happen in the future?

What if the eldest brother becomes the second Uncle Yu?

Chen Diao frowned... Yu Tang is, after all, the eldest brother's aunt, and there's a hierarchy of ethics and seniority between them. Logically, there shouldn't be anything between them.

The problem is that this kind of relationship doesn't work in the Yu family.

Even a stepmother can become a lover, so the eldest son and Miss Yu seem to have become much more acceptable.