"Oh, if it isn't President Hua!" Just as Hua Youmeng's mind was drifting far away, a voice suddenly came from beside her. Upon hearing it, her delicate brows furrowed, and she turned to look.
Not far away, a man who appeared to be around thirty strode toward her with a confident, predatory gait, chuckling to himself all the while. His eyes swept over Hua Youmeng's body, lingering on every sensitive spot without the slightest attempt at discretion.
The man was dressed in opulent attire, clearly someone of considerable background, but his naturally narrow, triangular eyes lent his appearance an added touch of insidiousness. Under that leering gaze, Hua Youmeng immediately felt deeply uncomfortable.
Behind the man trailed two martial artists of the Return Void Realm, their expressions cold and detached — clearly bodyguards of some sort.
"Jiang Chao!" Hua Youmeng's beautiful eyes flashed with a mixture of disgust and wariness. But in the next instant, she remembered that she was no longer alone — Yang Kai was right beside her — and her composure returned.
"Heh heh, what a coincidence running into you here, President Hua. It must be fate — sheer fate!" Jiang Chao seemed entirely oblivious to Hua Youmeng's clear rejection, his manner still aggressively warm.
"President Jiang jests. We are both trade association presidents — as the saying goes, rivals in the same trade are enemies. There is no 'fate' between us," Hua Youmeng replied flatly.
"Enemies?" Jiang Chao was entirely unfazed. The corner of his mouth curled upward. "I prefer the version that says rivals in the same trade become *lovers*. President Hua is most certainly my destined lover."
Hearing such brazen harassment, Hua Youmeng's lovely face darkened. "President Jiang, I advise you to conduct yourself with some dignity!"
"Heh heh, and what need is there for dignity in front of you? We'll be family soon enough." Jiang Chao threw his head back and laughed. "Oh, right — what about the offer I made you half a year ago? Have you given it any thought? I don't have the patience to wait much longer. You suddenly left Purple Star City six months ago and vanished where I couldn't find you. Now that we've run into each other, you'd better give me an answer on the spot."
Hua Youmeng's expression turned grim. She gritted her teeth and glared at him.
Jiang Chao let out a frigid laugh. "President Hua, you should know — your little trade association isn't going anywhere. A handful of cats can't accomplish anything of significance. You'd be far better off merging with my Sacred Yuan Trade Association. Under my leadership, why would you worry about prosperity in the future? If it weren't for the fact that you're a woman shouldering such a heavy burden, do you think I'd let you take such an enormous bargain? I am a man who cherishes beauty. I simply cannot bear to see a lovely lady suffer."
"President Jiang, I already gave you a clear answer last time. The Five Directions Trade Association will never merge with your Sacred Yuan Trade Association. Give up this pipe dream and stop pestering me." Having said that, Hua Youmeng tugged at Yang Kai's sleeve. "Let's go."
"Go?" Jiang Chao's triangular eyes widened. He shifted his feet and instantly blocked Hua Youmeng's path. "Go where? Now that I've run into you today, you're not leaving until you give me a satisfactory answer. Today you agree whether you want to or not!"
"You intend to make a move right here?!" Hua Youmeng cried out in alarm. "This is Purple Star City—"
"Ha!" Jiang Chao sneered. "And what of Purple Star City? President Hua, it seems my previous forbearance gave you the wrong impression. Have you forgotten who I am? Not only have I not laid a hand on you yet — even if I had, what of it? Besides... I've heard that members of your Five Directions Trade Association were causing trouble and beating people at the city gates yesterday. I don't know why you're still walking around freely, but if I were to apprehend you and hand you over to the garrison, that would surely be nothing but meritorious service."
When he invoked his identity, something seemed to click in Hua Youmeng's mind. Her face shifted subtly, a clear look of apprehension crossing her features.
Seeing her hesitation, Jiang Chao laughed coldly. "President Hua, don't spurn the toast only to drink the hemlock. I haven't the patience — give me a satisfactory answer now, and we can still be family. If not..."
Hua Youmeng looked utterly helpless. She turned to Yang Kai with a pleading gaze.
Yang Kai sighed, knowing he couldn't stay out of this any longer. He stepped forward, patted Hua Youmeng's shoulder, and guided her behind him. Then he regarded Jiang Chao with a mild look and chuckled lightly.
"Friend, did you perhaps forget to bring something when you left home today?"
Jiang Chao's triangular eyes swept up and down Yang Kai's figure. "Where did this punk crawl out from, daring to speak to me like that?"
Seeing the way Hua Youmeng deferentially obeyed Yang Kai, a surge of inexplicable fury rose within him. His tone turned predictably hostile.
"Daring to call yourself 'I' in front of me — it really does seem you forgot something at home." Yang Kai chuckled.
Jiang Chao's expression turned glacial. "Brat, by all means — tell me what I forgot!"
Yang Kai extended a finger forward. Before Jiang Chao could even react, the finger was already tapping him lightly on the forehead. Yang Kai smiled. "I think you forgot to bring your brain, friend."
Jiang Chao staggered back several steps, a look of shock surfacing on his face. He was a martial artist of the second layer of the Return Void Realm, yet he had been utterly unable to resist having his forehead flicked. The other party was clearly far stronger than him — if there had been real killing intent behind that tap just now, he would already be dead.
The thought sent a cold sweat cascading down Jiang Chao's back. Humiliation quickly boiled over into rage, and he bellowed, "Insolent wretch! You dare insult me?"
Yang Kai burst into laughter. "If you had brought your brain with you, wouldn't you have figured out the reason we were beating people at the city gates yesterday and are still perfectly fine today?"
"What reason?" Jiang Chao was thoroughly bewildered by Yang Kai's words.