Ouyang Mingquan did not dare to contact his backer. When Ye Feng returned to the underground parking lot of the Liu Family Group with Hong Shisan, Liang Youming called.
"Mr. Xiao, Ouyang Mingquan was driving alone, and suddenly crashed through a barrier and died in the Sucheng River!"
Liang Youming paused before continuing, "This incident was all caused by that brat Ouyang Youxu. Mr. Xiao, do you want to continue to pursue the Ouyang family..."
"Let's let this matter rest here," Xiao Yunlong interrupted.
"Yes, Mr. Xiao, I understand."
After hanging up the phone, Xiao Yunlong prepared to get out of the car.
Hong Shisan quickly got out of the car and went around to the back to open the rear door, his attitude extremely solicitous.
After the incident at the Supervisory Bureau, Hong Shisan naturally looked up to Xiao Yunlong even more, knowing that this young man not only possessed powerful skills but also had a terrifyingly formidable background.
"Oh, Mr. Xiao, you've helped me out of a tight spot twice in a row. Tonight, I'd like to host a banquet to express my gratitude. Additionally, I have two friends from the Martial Arts Association who are very interested in you. May I ask if you have time to grace us with your presence?" Hong Shisan asked.
"Your friends from the Martial Arts Association?" Xiao Yunlong raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, Mr. Xiao. Two disciples from the Martial Arts Association were at the Hongmen Tavern the night before last. Perhaps they let something slip when they returned, as those two friends called me today. Of course, if Mr. Xiao dislikes it, I will politely decline."
"Since they are from the Martial Arts Association, they must be interested in martial arts. Make the arrangements, and I will attend tonight!" Xiao Yunlong said.
"That's wonderful. I'll send someone to pick you up later."
"No need for such trouble. Send me the address later, and I'll go directly!"
"Then I shall await Mr. Xiao's esteemed presence tonight!"
Xiao Yunlong waved his hand and turned to walk into the elevator.
Upon returning to the group's special consultant office, Liu Ruyan was pacing back and forth inside, her expression filled with worry.
Seeing Xiao Yunlong return, Liu Ruyan was overjoyed, "Brother Xiao, you're finally back. Are you alright?"
Xiao Yunlong curled his lips into a smile, "What could possibly be wrong? I told you, I was just there for a cup of tea. But honestly, the tea at the Supervisory Bureau is bitter and astringent, nowhere near as good as our group's."
As he spoke, he sat down and picked up the teacup on the desk to drink.
Liu Ruyan shook her head and asked, "Brother Xiao, tell me honestly, did you know Director Liang Youming of the Supervisory Bureau before?"
"No, why do you ask?" Xiao Yunlong said.
"If you didn't know him, why would he protect you repeatedly? Last time at home, you called him in, and then he left inexplicably, and the same happened this time."
Xiao Yunlong shrugged his shoulders, "If I really had to give a reason, it might be because of this face of mine."
"Because of your face? Why?" Liu Ruyan was even more confused.
"Because this face of mine is so handsome, so handsome that it captivates both men and women, so..."
Before Xiao Yunlong could finish speaking, Liu Ruyan rolled her eyes, implying, "Do you expect me to believe that?"
Xiao Yunlong, however, was displeased, "Ruyan, what do you mean by rolling your eyes? Do you think I'm not handsome enough?"
"..." Liu Ruyan was utterly speechless. She had realized that whenever this fellow didn't want to answer, he would always resort to playful, roguish remarks to deflect the topic.
"Brother Xiao, if you don't want to say, then forget it. Let's go eat. Today, I'll take you to the company cafeteria for a simple meal. After eating, I still have some things to attend to at school." Liu Ruyan said.
Xiao Yunlong naturally had no objections. The two of them then walked out of the office and headed towards the cafeteria downstairs.
It was lunchtime, and the cafeteria on the second floor was packed with company employees. The arrival of Xiao Yunlong and Liu Ruyan naturally drew everyone's attention.
Liu Ruyan did not hold any specific position in the company, but she was now in her senior year and was interning at the company. Coupled with her beauty and being the adopted daughter of the Liu family, she naturally attracted considerable attention.
The most attention was drawn to Xiao Yunlong. The most widespread rumor in the entire group at the moment was his title as the Liu family's live-in son-in-law. For instance, this morning, many employees, after finishing their work and having tea, would turn to ask, "Hey, you, have you heard? We have a live-in son-in-law in our company. Oh no, a special consultant to the board of directors."
The person being asked would often reply, "Of course, I've heard. But he's just the Liu family's live-in son-in-law, a guy who lives off his wife. What a load of rubbish, a special consultant to the board of directors. If it were me, I wouldn't be a live-in son-in-law even if I were beaten to death!"
Xiao Yunlong paid no attention to the pointing fingers and sour grapes from those around him, completely ignoring them.
Liu Ruyan did not expect their arrival to cause such a stir in the cafeteria, and her expression became slightly awkward. However, since they were already there, they had no choice but to sit down and eat.
At that moment, General Manager Chen Ruimin was sitting in a corner by the window, eating. He ate in the company cafeteria for almost every meal, being very thrifty. Of course, half of his good reputation in the company came from the cafeteria.
Chen Ruimin merely glanced at Xiao Yunlong and Liu Ruyan from a distance, his expression unchanged, and continued to bury his head in his meal.
His assistant, sitting opposite him, also noticed and lowered his voice, "General Manager, are you just going to accept this?"
"What do you mean by that?" Chen Ruimin asked coldly. The cafeteria hall was very noisy, and with no one around, they didn't have to worry about their conversation being overheard.
"I mean, originally, Old Master Liu intended to set you up with Miss Liu and wanted you to become the Liu family's son-in-law and gradually help you rise in the company. But now, that fellow surnamed Xiao has gotten there first!"
The assistant pouted, his face full of disdain, "This live-in son-in-law surnamed Xiao is completely useless, a complete freeloader. Compared to you, General Manager, he's not even fit to carry your shoes. You've made great contributions to the group over the years. Honestly, I truly feel it's not worth it for you!"
Chen Ruimin simply smiled faintly, "What's not worth it about something like this? As the General Manager, it is my duty to do my utmost for the group, to serve them wholeheartedly!"
The assistant became even more indignant, "Look at you, General Manager, you're too kind. You never fight for anything, always thinking of others and the company, but you're the one who suffers everywhere. It's truly her blindness that Miss Liu didn't fall for you."
"Alright, let's eat. This topic ends here!"
Chen Ruimin shook his head and smiled. However, in the depths of his eyes, as he inadvertently glanced at Xiao Yunlong and Liu Ruyan, a dark glint flickered.
Liu Ruyan ate her meal like she was in battle, due to the constant pointing and whispering. After finally finishing, she quickly pulled Xiao Yunlong away.
"Honestly, I shouldn't have come. Eating a meal is so unsettling," Liu Ruyan sighed deeply as they entered the elevator.
Xiao Yunlong shook his head and smiled, "I told you the day before yesterday that you need to experience more. Only by seeing more will you not care about these rumors. For example, I don't take these things to heart; I eat and drink as usual."
Liu Ruyan pouted teasingly, "You act as usual because you have a thick skin!"
Xiao Yunlong nodded and said, "That's true. If one didn't have a thick skin, they really couldn't eat this kind of live-in son-in-law meal."
"..." Liu Ruyan was speechless again, shaking her head. "By the way, I need to go back to Sucheng University to handle some matters later. Brother Xiao, do you have any arrangements for the afternoon? Or will you stay at the company?"
"Staying at the company all afternoon is very boring. Why don't I accompany you? I've never been to university and have always envied the carefree university life. It's a good chance to take a look." Xiao Yunlong said.
"Okay, let's head out then." Liu Ruyan readily agreed, happily throwing her arm around Xiao Yunlong's. Being able to bring her significant other to visit the university was undoubtedly something she longed for.
The two then drove to Sucheng University.
Although Sucheng University was named after a prefecture-level city, it was still a key university in Longguo. The school was located in the suburbs, and after more than an hour, the two finally arrived.
Liu Ruyan, accustomed to being low-key, suggested parking the car at the school entrance and not driving in.
Xiao Yunlong nodded and complied, subconsciously looking up to this girl a bit more.
Liu Ruyan needed to go back to her dormitory to retrieve some materials, so Xiao Yunlong waited downstairs.
Luo Liping was not present, but Wei Qianqian was sitting in front of the computer playing games. Seeing Liu Ruyan return, she couldn't help but be surprised, her expression somewhat unnatural.
After all, they had a minor unpleasantness at the Royal City KTV yesterday.
Liu Ruyan didn't dwell on it much, "Qianqian, you're here. Aren't you supposed to be interning?"
Wei Qianqian then said, "I'm not feeling well today, so I took a leave of absence. By the way, why are you back so suddenly?"
"I'm back to handle some paperwork. I've passed my recommendation for Imperial Capital University, but I still need to submit some additional documents." Liu Ruyan said.
"Ah, I see. Then congratulations." Wei Qianqian smiled, but her smile was somewhat unnatural.
"Thank you. By the way, you're not leaving today, are you? It's rare for you to come back. Tonight, I'll treat our dorm sisters to a meal to celebrate!" Liu Ruyan took out the documents from the cabinet and then left.
After Liu Ruyan's figure disappeared down the corridor, Wei Qianqian's expression completely darkened. She gritted her teeth and muttered to herself, "This bitch, deliberately showing off in front of me. She knows I failed my exams and am going abroad, yet she deliberately flaunts her postgraduate recommendation. How shameless!"
"And what happened yesterday made me lose face. You can pretend nothing happened, but I can't. If I don't get back at you severely, I won't be able to quell my anger!"
Wei Qianqian gritted her teeth and snorted coldly. Her eyes darted around, and she suddenly picked up her phone and dialed a number.