Yu Tang, Yu Chaoxian's lover, always felt that the way Yu Chaoxian looked at her was...
Yu Chaoxian looked at her silently, his gaze calm. Yu Tang suddenly tensed up; what had she done wrong again?
She looked to Mickey for help, but Mickey didn't give her any hints. Yu Tang awkwardly put her hands behind her back, lowered her head, and pursed her lips.
Yu Chaoxian frowned, both afraid and resentful. He couldn't remember what he should remember, but he held grudges about things he shouldn't. He would either burst into tears or refuse to eat or talk to anyone if he said a few words. Who was he trying to anger?
The man waited for her for three seconds, but Yu Tang didn't react at all. Yu Chaoxian simply turned around and left without telling her what time he would be back.
Yu Tang ran to the balcony and watched the black Bentley drive out of the hotel and eventually disappear into the night of the foggy city.
Yu Chaoxian's face was cold and stern as he walked in the car.
Mingming was pushed out to drive by Chen Diao, who then drove a car alone in the back. At this time, whoever was next to the boss was doomed.
After much thought, Mingming felt that they still had to find a way to ease the conflict between the eldest brother and Yu Tang. Otherwise, if things continued like this, Yu Tang's life would probably be difficult, and the eldest brother's life wouldn't be much better. The rest of them were also terrified.
Although he had sworn an oath in the name of the priest to keep Yu Tang's secret, as he initially said, the boss was someone who was above the priest.
"Boss, last time in Hong Kong, did you go to St. Dominic's Church with Miss Yu?"
"Hmm." Yu Chaoxian's expression remained unchanged.
"Boss, do you remember when Miss Yu went to pray with the priest?"
Yu Chaoxian's expression finally showed some change. Yu Tang's mood had been off since she finished praying with the priest that day, and it hadn't improved even after several days of trying to comfort her. It wasn't until she went to the concert that her mood improved a little.
Mingming looked at Yu Chaoxian through the rearview mirror and said, "Boss, aren't you going to ask who upset Miss Yu? It was you."
Mickey, sitting in the passenger seat, stared wide-eyed. How could Mingming have blurted out the truth?
Sure enough, as soon as Mingming finished speaking, Yu Chaoxian's face became even more gloomy.
Mingming continued, "Boss, do you know that Miss Yu likes you? She confessed to the priest that she was guilty and that she cared a lot about a man who always liked to touch her hair, but because their relationship was abnormal, it caused her a lot of pain. If Miss Yu didn't like you, she wouldn't have this trouble. It's because she's tormented by liking you, Boss, but unable to face this relationship that she chose to leave. So, Boss, since we already know we've found Miss Yu, why not try to see what she really wants? A string stretched too tight will break sooner or later. Why not give her some space and see what she really wants and what she wants? You can also figure out if you really have to have Miss Yu, since things have gotten so messed up and it's quite frustrating."
Perhaps after parting ways, they'll both be happy. This was clearly not said aloud.
Mickey glanced at Mingming. Although he didn't understand matters of the heart, he inexplicably felt that what Mingming said made a lot of sense.
Yu Chao closed his eyes, his mind filled with Yu Tang's tear-streaked face, her crying making him feel uneasy. Was there something he hadn't given her? She actually wanted to run away from him.
Unexpectedly, after that, Yu Tang rarely saw Yu Chaoxian again. Even on the rare occasion when he came, he didn't stay long, only letting her continue to stay in the hotel instead of living at school.
Ah Jin stayed by her side the whole time. If it weren't for the fact that she could see Ah Jin at a not-too-distant distance every time she turned around, Yu Tang would almost think that Yu Chaoxian had completely abandoned her.
Nearly a month into the semester, she waited, but he didn't come back.
During this month, Yu Tang only saw Yu Chaoxian once, on her first day of school. After completing the enrollment procedures, A Jin picked her up and took her to a nearby restaurant.
Yu Chaoxian was already sitting there, his phone pressed to his ear, the call seemingly never stopping. He was speaking Russian, which she could understand a little. When she came over, he simply pushed the menu towards her.
Yu Tang wanted to ask him what he wanted to eat, but seeing that he didn't seem to be ending the call anytime soon, she ordered food according to his eating habits.
The appetizers had been served, and Yu Tang ate them quietly.
"Me?" She then realized that he had already hung up the phone; the man's question, "Have you finished the enrollment procedures?" was directed at her.
Seeing him looking at her, Yu Tang nodded and said, "It's all done. A-Jin helped me a lot."
Seeing her put down her utensils, Yu Chaoxian frowned: "Eat yours."
"Oh, okay." Yu Tang felt that Yu Chaoxian's mood was becoming increasingly unpredictable; even when she listened attentively to him, he didn't seem happy. "Aren't you going to eat?"
Yu Chao put down his phone and ate with her for a while. The main course had barely been served when his phone rang again, seemingly about something urgent.
"Okay, I'll be there tomorrow morning." Yu Chao hung up the phone and replied to a few more messages.
Yu Tang couldn't tell if he was in a good or bad mood, but she could tell he was leaving.
Will I ever memorize my phone number?
Yu Chaoxian, what kind of question is this? It's obvious, everyone knows their parents' phone numbers. Yu Tang rattled off a string of numbers, and besides, his number was always saved in his phone.
To her surprise, Yu Chaoxian's expression didn't improve much after she gave him the number. Yu Tang felt that the way Yu Chaoxian was looking at her was strange, somewhat like the time he returned to the Yu residence. During that period, Yu Chaoxian was constantly hesitating, wondering whether Yu Tang should stay or leave.
The phone rang again. As Yu Chao was leaving, he turned back and told her, "After you finish eating, I'll take you back. Stay at the hotel for a while. I won't have much time to come back these few days. Just stay put, understand?"
"I understand." Yu Tang nodded thoughtfully.
After finishing his sentence, Yu Chaoxian left on the phone, not even turning back to look at her at the door. Yu Tang thought about it carefully and realized that Yu Chaoxian had always been like this. In the first few days after he returned home, he came and went as he pleased, and no one could stop him.
Sure enough, I got tired of it after a few times. After all, a single flight through the fog takes more than ten hours.
It would be nice to go back to how things were before.
And so, Yu Chaoxian left her in the hotel without any concern for her for half a year. During this half year, he would at most come to have a meal and leave afterward, rarely staying overnight.
Back at the hotel, Yu Tang hugged a cushion and watched TV on the sofa. There were many news channels, but they were all broadcasting the same news: "The Cold War between the Americas and the Suez Union has ended."
Yu Tang wasn't interested. She turned off the TV, turned over, picked up her phone, but there were no messages.
Ah Jin came over to bring her some fruit.
“Ah Jin.”
"Um?"
Yu Tang suddenly asked A Jin, "Does your boss have a lot... a lot..."
Ah Jin put down the fruit plate and looked at her hesitant expression: "A lot of what?"
Yu Tang thought to herself, since A Jin already knew about her and Yu Chaoxian's affair, she might as well ask directly: "Does Yu Chaoxian have many lovers like me?"
Lover? Ah Jin had a feeling that Miss Yu didn't hold that position in the boss's heart, but Miss Yu was indeed the boss's woman.
This made A-Jin fall silent. He had only been by the boss's side for a year. He didn't know about the past, and now he had only taken care of Yu Tang. He couldn't answer such a question carelessly.
Yu Tang then asked, "After your boss breaks up with his lover, does he give her a large sum of money? Or does he just leave her there to fend for herself?"
“Miss Yu, perhaps you can ask Brother Mickey,” A-Jin said truthfully. Mickey had spent a lot of time with the boss and should know more.
Yu Tang thought for a moment, then decided not to ask. She had seen many movies, and people of Yu Chaoxian's status certainly wouldn't lack lovers. He could have one here and one there, going wherever he felt like.
For him, she was probably just a novelty; once he found someone new, he naturally forgot about her.
She should cooperate, because she noticed that Yu Chaoxian had paid her tuition but rarely gave her pocket money. He bought her a complete set of expensive things, but wouldn't give her cash—he was both generous and stingy. Her classmates all agreed that Yu Tang's family was well-off and absolutely didn't believe she couldn't even scrape together a hundred yuan.
However, Yu Tang didn't dwell on these issues for too long, because she had recently made a new friend.
Although they were not in the same department, the other person would always greet her warmly every time they met.
It happened during a public lesson. The other student forgot to bring their textbook, so Yu Tang offered to share hers with them. From then on, they sat together in every class.
"Tang, wait for me."
A clear female voice came from the school gate. Yu Tang turned around and saw Vivian waving at her.
Vivian McCarthy is Yu Tang's new friend.
The story of how I became friends with Vivian was quite thrilling.
That day, Vivian suffered a sudden heart attack in the school restroom and collapsed on the ground. Just then, Yu Tang came into the restroom.
Yu Tang had just learned about first aid for cardiac arrest. She quickly laid Vivian on her back, asked a classmate nearby to call for emergency help, and then knelt down beside Vivian, pressing the heel of her hand firmly against the lower half of Vivian's sternum, making sure the chest fully recoiled after each compression, and never removing her hand from the chest wall.
The first four minutes after cardiac arrest are the golden time for rescue; for every minute of delay, the survival rate decreases by 10%. Yu Tang's bangs were already soaked with sweat, clinging tightly to her skin.
Between presses, she stared intently at Vivian's chest, afraid of missing even the slightest rise and fall.
After nearly 30 chest compressions, Vivian finally regained spontaneous breathing and a pulse. Her teacher and paramedics arrived at the scene and took Vivian to the hospital.
After a tense emergency, Yu Tang, who had saved the person, remained at the scene, her wildly beating heart slowly calming down. Exhausted, she leaned against the cold tile wall, only then realizing that the sweat on her back had long since cooled, and her clothes clung tightly to her back.
This wasn't a cold success rate from a textbook, nor an abstract multiple-choice question on an exam paper. It was a warm life, truly restored from between her fingers.
Yu Tang had never felt so relaxed and joyful, as if she had found the meaning of life.
After this incident, Vivian and Yu Tang became friends.
Vivian also had black hair, and her mother was from Hanzhou, so Yu Tang unconsciously became close to Vivian. Vivian had a sunny and generous personality, many friends, and her classmates all enjoyed spending time with her.
Little did she know, Vivian initially became close to Yu Tang because of her surname. She developed a natural affinity for the surname "Yu" because of that man.
Vivian often invites friends to her home, and Yu Tang is sometimes invited as well.
When the girls get together, the conversation sometimes turns to boys. Yu Tang has little dating experience, so she mostly just listens quietly.
Dating in college is very common; Vivian's other two friends both have boyfriends.
However, when Yu Tang listened to their descriptions of their daily relationships, it wasn't like the love-hate relationships and constant misunderstandings depicted in idol dramas. Instead, it was very ordinary and everyday. They would eat together, watch movies, and go to concerts. Their boyfriends would ask them if they were hungry, thirsty, or tired, what they wanted to eat, and they would give them desserts, clothes, or bracelets.
Isn't this exactly what Yu Chaoxian usually does to her?
Could it be that she and Yu Chaoxian are dating? Impossible, they don't have that kind of relationship.
Vivian was always at the center of the group, the focus of attention in terms of both family background and social relationships, so the conversation naturally ended up on her.
"Vivian, you haven't had a boyfriend yet, is it because you don't have anyone you like? What kind of person do you like? I can introduce you to someone. How about the rugby team?" a girl asked gossipy.
“Of course I have someone I like,” Vivian said without hesitation. “He’s tall and handsome, and no one can compare to him in my heart. He’s incredibly amazing, you wouldn’t believe it. When I was in danger and thought I was going to die, he appeared out of nowhere and saved me, carrying me onto the helicopter. That’s when I decided that I would marry him when I grew up!”
Vivian was lost in her memories, her eyes filled with deep love. She poured all her most beautiful fantasies and aspirations about love into this memory of "hero saving the damsel in distress," treasuring it as a precious gem.
However, people are always peculiar. Even their own memories are repeatedly embellished and beautified in their hearts, eventually being shaped into the image they most desire, used to comfort or deceive themselves.
Vivian was exactly like that. Unconsciously, she had already processed and polished that past, eliminating all the imperfect details and gilding it with the most dazzling halo, making it perfectly match all her deepest fantasies about love and heroes.
Upon hearing that he was tall, handsome, powerful, and skilled at saving lives, Yu Tang's thoughts drifted to Yu Chaoxian.
I wonder what he's doing right now...
In the past two months, Yu Chaoxian has given Yu Tang a free rein, intending to ease tensions and see what she really wants to do. On the other hand, the decades-long cold war between the Americas and the Sussian Alliance has come to an end.
Upon receiving the news, Yu Chaoxian flew to the Sus Alliance's military base in Wuzhou.
The Sus Alliance had a million troops stationed in the Uzbekistan region, but with the collapse of the alliance system, the soldiers there have not received their salaries for a long time.
Angry soldiers and warehouses full of weapons make for the perfect combination for arms dealers.
“I can’t sell government weapons to you privately,” General Govorov said to Yu Chaoxian, touching a box full of greenbacks. “I need to report to my superiors first.”
"Report to whom?" Yu Chaoxian leaned back in his chair, a cigarette swirling between his fingers, and scoffed, "Morico? That empty shell of a capital city?"
Govorov unscrewed the vodka and took a swig. He clearly realized that the alliance had disintegrated and that city was no longer his capital.
Govorov remained silent and poured Yu Chaoxian a glass of wine.
Yu Chaoxian said while smoking, "The superiors you know have lost their real power. The current leaders know nothing. As for the new president? He's probably busy seizing the presidential vacation villa on the Black Sea."
Govorov, his rough hands gripping the cup, gulped down vodka, remaining silent. His face bore the marks of war, and his cloudy eyes stared at Yu Chaoxian before him, finally settling on the box of banknotes Yu Chaoxian had brought.
Yu Chaoxian picked up the glass of vodka and pushed another box of money over at the same time.
“I understand the general’s difficulties. With these, the general can solve the problem of soldiers’ salaries.”
Govorov gripped the bottle tightly, this time shifting his gaze from the money to Yu Chaoxian, and staring at the young arms dealer for a moment.
Finally, I clinked glasses with him heavily.
Yu Chaoxian's smile deepened as he downed the vodka in his glass.
As the sun set and its afterglow faded, the once-shining insignia on Govorov's uniform were completely swallowed by the approaching night.
In the pitch-black night, only searchlights illuminated the armory. Several guards, wrapped in heavy military overcoats, stood silently, their breath dissipating quickly in the cold wind. Their eyes were vacant, as if they had long been accustomed to being forgotten by the world along with these weapons.
Yu Chaoxian, dressed in a black overcoat, stood tall and straight, and the sound of his footsteps echoed in the empty corridor along with that of Govorov.
The armory was filled with the familiar smell of gun oil and rusty metal.
Rows of T-72 tanks stood with their gun barrels drooping, their tracks covered in a thin layer of frost. Undeniably, they were unstoppable on the battlefield, but now they could only appear a deathly bluish-gray under the lamplight.
Black leather gloves covered Yu Chaoxian's long, slender fingers as he slowly ran them over boxes of unopened AK-47 rifles.
Of all the "legacy" of the Suez Union, none was more profitable than the AK series. Indeed, the AK-47 became the most famous export of the Suez Union—no, it should be called Russia—following only vodka and caviar.
Unfortunately, they will never have the chance to shoot here.
"How many guns?" Yu Chaoxian's voice was exceptionally clear in the vast space.
Govorov flipped through the folder in his hand: "Fifty thousand, that's more than enough for you..."
“Fifty thousand?” Yu Chaoxian stopped and interrupted Govorov in a calm but unquestionable tone. “I don’t think there are that many. There are only twenty thousand here.”
Govorov paused for a moment, then looked down to confirm the document again: "The data does indeed show 50,000."
Yu Chaoxian turned to look at the elderly general, who was in charge of setting the rules in business: "General Govorov, the exact amount here depends on how much we say."
“A battalion only has 20,000 rifles,” he solemnly instructed Govorov. “General, your arsenal is pitifully small. You should go to the factory and place a new order.”
Govorov exclaimed in surprise, "This...this will be investigated! What will we do then?"
A glimmer of light swept across Yu Chaoxian's deep profile. He smiled, his impeccable face displaying an expression that was both dangerous and breathtaking.
He reached out and patted the box of green coins that Govorov was clutching tightly in his hand.
In the dim light, Govorov could only see his handsome smile, and then hear his clear words—
"Then let's drag him down with us. Do I need to teach you how to get in the water?"
The armory doors were fully opened, and the arms deal between Govorov and Yu Chaoxian took a new step forward. Compared to cooperating with Russian arms dealer KX, Govorov preferred doing business with Yu Chaoxian, not only because the process was smoother, but also because the commission he received was much more generous.
Having tasted the sweetness of success, Govorov and his colleagues were so impressed by the huge profits that they took the initiative to drive Yu Chaoxian to see another weapons depot.
Missiles, non-missiles, transport vehicles, tanks, landmines, mortars...
Govorov's colleague was clearly more savvy, and he generously suggested to Yu Chaoxian, "These tanks, buy five get one free, how about it, Mr. Yu, isn't that a good deal?"
Sure enough, sellers who have tasted the benefits are only afraid that buyers won't buy. Because Ukraine isn't the only country with an army that doesn't receive pay and is stockpiled with weapons.
Govorov even personally took Yu Chaoxian to inspect the artillery equipped on the helicopter.
"It was originally produced specifically to deal with the Americas. Unfortunately, that war will never happen again." Govorov sighed again, perhaps thinking of the alliance's disintegration.
pity?
No, it won't.
In addition to a large order for AK-47s, Yu Chaoxian also ordered this batch of helicopters. Yu Chaoxian gave this batch of long-dormant artillery a chance to be fired again.
Born for the battlefield, it should be on the battlefield.
It was late at night when they left the armory, and Govorov glanced enviously at Yu Chaoxian's car.
Govorov's car was a Suez Union production vehicle, and nobody likes a Suez Union car. It was an outdated model, with inferior performance, and an extremely noisy engine; it was hardly a high-end brand.
The line to buy AKs could stretch all the way to America, but the line to buy cars made by the Suss Alliance? It's practically nonexistent.
For nearly half a year, Yu Chaoxian had been working non-stop, flying all over the world. Just as he got into his car and closed his eyes to rest after returning from Wuzhou, A Jin's daily report came in.
The content, as always, is about Yu Tang's daily life.
Besides the daily reports on life, there was one sentence that made Yu Chaoxian frown.
Miss Yu asked if the boss had many lovers like her, and whether he would leave them to fend for themselves after they broke up.
Chen Diao immediately sensed that something was wrong in the car. He glanced in the rearview mirror and saw that his boss's face had darkened.
It's definitely not a business matter. Although I've been busy lately, all business is progressing smoothly and in an exceptionally orderly manner.
If it's not official business, then it must be the boss's personal matter.
Chen Diao, seemingly thinking of something, preemptively reminded him, "Boss, we need to see General McCarthy first when we get back to England. We still need him to make the final arrangements for the drone bidding."
The implication is that after arriving in England, the eldest brother will first meet with General McCarthy, and then go to see his aunt.
Sure enough, he heard Yu Chaoxian ask, "How's the renovation going at that manor in Wudu?"
This manor was hastily purchased by Yu Chao in a short period of time. Due to the urgency of the purchase, he even paid several times the market price.
"It won't be finished until the end of the year at the earliest." Chen Diao knew that his boss didn't want Yu Tang to live in a hotel indefinitely. Otherwise, what would it look like to keep her living outside?
Yu Chaoxian nodded, "Let's book a restaurant tonight, but not a window seat. I'll go back to her place this afternoon, and cancel all my plans before tomorrow morning."
"Okay." Chen Diao secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, the boss didn't cancel the meeting with McCarthy; McCarthy still needed to act as a go-between for the drone bidding.
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