Volume One, Chapter 16: Enemies Crossing Paths

“Yan Fengjia, why are you only just arriving? Everyone’s been waiting for you for quite some time.”

Yan Fengjia strolled leisurely into the Gu residence, where Gu Qinghan eagerly approached him and pulled him inside.

Yan Fengjia felt a headache coming on. Gu Cangfeng wasn’t a bad man; in fact, he treated him almost like his own son.

It was just that the old grudge lingered—he had abandoned Gu Qinghan back then, which made Gu Cangfeng, as a father figure, uncomfortable.

Now, Gu Cangfeng had gone to great lengths, pulling strings to borrow money for him, even paying out of his own pocket.

Tell me, would ordinary people do something like that?

“Qinghan, ahem, actually, I have something to tell you—I do have money.”

“You have money?” Gu Qinghan shot Yan Fengjia a sharp glance. “If you had money, why would you go become a kept man?”

“Listen to me, Yan Fengjia: a man can have nothing else, but he must never sell his soul or body.”

“Anyway, just don’t worry about it—come with me.”

The two entered the main hall, where Gu Cangfeng’s laughter rang out.

“Fengjia’s here! We’ve been waiting for you a long time. You really have no sense of time. Here, let me introduce you.”

Gu Cangfeng stood and introduced the two men beside him.

But when Yan Fengjia caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye, his expression darkened instantly.

One of them he recognized—the very Liu, the bank manager of Huaxia Bank in Qinghai City, whom he had thrown from the fourth floor just yesterday.

“You, fatso, you’re still alive?”

Liu exchanged a glance with Tiger Ye beside him, his bandaged body radiating fury.

“Boss Gu, how could this kid be so rude? I kindly helped his Yan family secure a loan, and he curses me like this?”

“Fengjia, don’t be rude. This is Manager Liu, a highly influential figure at Huaxia Bank, and a long-time business partner of mine.”

Yan Fengjia smiled coldly. “Uncle Gu, thank you for your trouble today, but the Yan family isn’t short of money. Even if we were, we wouldn’t come to him.”

“You...” Gu Cangfeng had begun to see Yan Fengjia in a better light, which was why he had personally intervened, lowering his pride to help the Yan family out of their current predicament.

And yet now, Yan Fengjia cared so much about this shred of dignity?

For a man striving to rise, what harm is there in lowering one’s status a little?

Tiger Ye beside them grinned ambiguously, his knuckles cracking as he clenched his fists.

Is this bastard the one who beat my brother?

Tiger Ye poured a cup of tea with a smile, dropping a pill from his sleeve into the cup without anyone noticing.

“Manager Liu, it’s normal for young people to have pride; after all, not long ago, the Yan family was one of Qinghai City’s top noble families.”

“Kid, you personally offer this tea to Manager Liu, and then let’s quickly discuss that loan contract for over 800 million.”

“Fengjia, don’t make trouble. It took my father quite a bit of effort to get him here,” Gu Qinghan gently nudged Yan Fengjia’s arm.

Yan Fengjia smiled, glanced at Gu Cangfeng, then at Gu Qinghan, and immediately picked up the tea cup.

“Manager Liu, to be honest, I suppose we’re acquainted now despite a rough start yesterday. That unpleasant incident—I deeply regret it.”

Liu adjusted his golden-rimmed glasses. “Young man, don’t be so impulsive. Drink this tea, and I won’t hold it against you.”

“What happened yesterday?” Gu Qinghan asked, puzzled.

“Drink up,” Tiger Ye squinted his eyes, full of anticipation.

Yan Fengjia smiled faintly and raised the cup to his lips.

Yet just as their eyes exchanged a flicker of malice, Yan Fengjia suddenly paused and changed his tone.

“I regret not having beaten you to death yesterday, you fatso, so you wouldn’t have the nerve to come here and put on airs.”

“You... you insolent wretch!” Liu’s fat cheeks trembled as he angrily stood. “Boss Gu, I came here specially to help the Yan family out of respect for you.”

“You see, I’ve been patient, but he’s utterly disrespectful, humiliating me like this.”

Gu Cangfeng shouted angrily, “Yan Fengjia, what are you trying to do? Why have you become so unruly and rude?”

“Qinghan always told me how good you are, but now it seems you’re incorrigible.”

“Prison didn’t do you any favors—it only gave you a bad temper.”

“Uncle Gu,” Yan Fengjia’s tone turned serious, “you helped my Yan family, and I thank you for that.”

“But blaming me without knowing the facts—isn’t that prejudice against me?”

Gu Cangfeng was taken aback, blushing as he said solemnly, “Who is Manager Liu? How could someone of his status clash with you? This must be your reckless doing.”

What a preconceived notion.

Yan Fengjia no longer cared. “Fatso, you poisoned me, didn’t you?”

“Do you really think I wouldn’t notice?”

Yan Fengjia was a descendant of the Medical Saint of Huaxia; one sniff was enough to detect poison.

Liu panicked. “You... you’re talking nonsense!”

“Am I? Manager Liu, you can prove it by drinking this tea yourself.”

Liu’s eyes darted to the burly Tiger Ye, visibly alarmed.

Tiger Ye kept his gaze on Yan Fengjia, surprised at the young man’s keen nose, then burst into loud laughter.

His laughter echoed through the hall like thunder.

But in the next moment, Tiger Ye’s face darkened.

“I’ve looked into you.”

“A labor camp inmate, five years in prison. Kid, now that you’re free, you should behave, but you’re far too arrogant.”

“Do I owe you a grudge?”

“Of course,” Tiger Ye sneered. “At the Starlight Bar, someone was beaten by you. That person is still in the intensive care unit. Remember?”

“Too many pests have tried to cause me trouble. Sorry, I can’t remember.”

“I’m Lei Hu, known as Tiger Ye. Li Tianchen is my brother. In Qinghai City, even if you don’t show face to me or my brother, you owe Li Tianchen some respect.”

Yan Fengjia was surprised. “So you’re Li Tianchen’s lackey?”

“That’s right. Now you know what kind of people you’ve provoked.”

Behind them, Gu Qinghan recalled something—the commotion at Starlight Bar was indeed significant that day.

It turned out Yan Fengjia was the cause.

And the one involved was the brother of the underground emperor of Qinghai City?

Gu Qinghan didn’t understand why Yan Fengjia was always so impulsive.

Everything was originally heading in a good direction, yet he always managed to mess things up.

“Enough,” Gu Qinghan snatched the tea cup from Yan Fengjia’s hand, shielding him behind her.

“Manager Liu, Mr. Lei, Fengjia has only recently been released from prison and may still have some bad habits.”

“I’ll drink this tea on his behalf. Please don’t take it to heart or stoop to his level.”

“You can’t drink this tea,” Yan Fengjia grabbed Gu Qinghan’s wrist.

“Yan Fengjia, have you caused enough trouble? Do you really want to trample on all my efforts? Is that what makes you happy?”

Gu Qinghan felt aggrieved. “Do you know I haven’t slept these days trying to help pay off your debt?”

“Please face reality. The Yan family is on the brink of bankruptcy. Why are you still clinging to your pride?”

Yan Fengjia said calmly, “This tea is poisoned. I’ve already said so.”

“Poisoned?” Gu Qinghan laughed bitterly. “Are you crazy? Do you think you know Manager Liu better than our Gu family?”

“He wouldn’t do such a thing. Let go, don’t cause trouble.”

Yan Fengjia ignored her, snatched the tea cup, and suddenly grabbed Liu’s chin.

“Poisoned or not, I’ll prove it to you right now.”

With that, Yan Fengjia forced the poisoned tea down Liu’s throat.

Seeing this, father and daughter Gu’s hearts sank to the bottom of a valley.

It was over. Everything was over.

Now they had completely offended someone—and even implicated their own family.