Xia Xiaolan was startled.

Tang Hongen was usually gentle and mild-mannered, but that was when he wasn’t angry.

When he truly became angry, who could withstand it?

“Uncle Tang, so you’re saying I should ignore it?”

Xia Xiaolan asked cautiously.

Tang Hongen didn’t know what to say for a moment.

What kind of people were the Xia family? Xia Ziyu was at least a university graduate, yet she went on to become Du Chenrong’s concubine.

It was both vanity and harbored resentment.

Humbling herself to serve an old man – wasn’t it just to leverage Du Chenrong’s influence?

It would be embarrassing to even bother dealing with such people.

But pretending nothing was wrong and ignoring them felt disturbing.

“I can’t directly confront Du Chenrong. You know my position, and Du Chenrong is a Hong Kong tycoon with Chenrong Group investing in Pengcheng. But with me here, no one can touch your mother. You’ve already gotten involved this much despite my wishes not to – do I need to tell you what to do next?”

Xia Xiaolan understood immediately.

He meant she could handle things as she saw fit.

Whether Xia Ziyu was collaborating with whichever branch of the Du family, their investigation of her mother had greatly displeased Comrade Tang.

Mayor Tang was displeased but couldn’t personally intervene.

Fight whom?

A Hong Kong tycoon’s concubine?

No matter which concubine, were they worthy of Tang Hongen’s attention?!

When Hong Kong merchants came to invest, Tang Hongen needed to receive them on certain occasions. But if a merchant’s mistress came to Pengcheng… let her come. How could a proper government official stoop to the level of gossip-mongering paparazzi?

No Hong Kong merchant, no matter how foolish, would bring their concubines to meet local officials on the mainland.

So it would be beneath Tang Hongen to deal with them.

Xia Xiaolan was different – she was young and not part of the system. She could fight however she wanted.

“Uncle Tang, I understand. As long as my mother’s safety is guaranteed, I’m not afraid of their schemes.”

Xia Xiaolan chuckled to herself. Tang Hongen couldn’t be bothered to watch her act smug after getting her way, so he left the study to join Liu Fen in watching Journey to the West.

Xia Xiaolan and Tang Hongen had reached an understanding.

Yet elsewhere, the deeper the investigation went, the more Ye Xiaoqiong felt it was too hot to handle.

She didn’t understand why Xia Ziyu wanted to investigate Liu Fen.

The Xia family members in Pengcheng were initially quite firm in refusing to cooperate, but after a few more visits, they agreed.

What kind of people were they?

She had thought the Xia family would have some backbone, but these people were completely different from Xia Xiaolan.

Ye Xiaoqiong wasn’t as pleased as she had imagined. Instead, she frowned and temporarily suppressed the information they had gathered.

“The news from Yunan hasn’t come back anyway. I should wait to compile everything before giving it to the Second Young Master.”

Ye Xiaoqiong quickly found a reason to convince herself.

She focused her attention on Yuan Han’s situation, just as He Shiyuan came to meet with her again.

Yuan Han and He Shiyuan were getting along splendidly, meeting frequently, and Yuan Han was becoming increasingly bold.

Ye Xiaoqiong admired Yuan Han’s thick skin.

He made plenty of overseas calls, busy maintaining his relationship with Zhou Yiwei in America while turning around to have secret meetings with He Shiyuan, wielding his bit of power… This man had tasted sweetness from her and Zhou Yiwei, did he think his charm was limitless?

He Shiyuan herself giggled, “He’s so stupid, thinking I’m the He family’s young lady. He even seriously analyzes how I should get more of the family fortune, haha!”

He Shiyuan hadn’t said anything – it was all Yuan Han’s imagination.

Yuan Han now thought she was competing with He Zhitong, He Shien, and others for the family fortune. After learning that even divided portions of the He family wealth would need to be measured in “hundreds of millions,” Yuan Han’s attitude toward her changed.

Previously it was just a casual romance, but now he wanted to help He Shiyuan strategize.

But truly, while Yuan Han didn’t understand business matters, he was quite skilled at pretending and pleasing people.

Ye Xiaoqiong sneered:

“That’s just how he is. Don’t end up getting fooled by him yourself.”

Yuan Han showed different faces to different women.

Yuan Han loved power most, but how could he not love money at all?

If he didn’t love money, how did he lose the ancestral property she returned?

Yuan Han was probably quite conflicted now – on one side was a mainland official’s family, and on the other a newly arrived merchant family. If he didn’t love small money, wouldn’t he love big money?

“Think you can fool me?”

He Shiyuan was contemptuous.

Women get deceived because they have unrealistic fantasies about men. He Shiyuan had no fantasies about any men in the world.

Of course, she liked good men too.

But did she deserve a good man?

She could only spar with scum like Yuan Han.

“I did as you said, told Yuan Han to speed up investment. Since he wants to increase his importance to me, of course, he’ll find ways to help.”

He Shiyuan winked.

Ye Xiaoqiong nodded: “Then you should properly ‘reward’ him.”

The pacing with Yuan Han wasn’t wrong – he completely believed in He Shiyuan’s identity and in Hong Kong’s merchant investment. When Yuan Han told others he was Mayor Tang’s relative if he was arrested for breaking the law, would it affect Mayor Tang?

Second Young Master hoped it would, so he supported her revenge.

Better yet to drag down Xia Xiaolan’s entire faction, cutting off Du Zhaohui’s arm… This was what Ye Xiaoqiong gradually figured out as Du Zhaoqi’s thinking.

Second Young Master was too bold.

Ye Xiaoqiong didn’t agree with this approach.

After sending He Shiyuan away, Ye Xiaoqiong set aside Du Zhaoqi’s line of thinking and slowly sorted out her thoughts. She and Second Young Master had developed a difference of opinion!

…

Xia Xiaolan couldn’t focus all her attention on others’ schemes either.

Deal with problems as they come – no matter how malicious the enemy’s intentions, they had been exposed early, allowing Xia Xiaolan to be on guard, so she wasn’t afraid.

If she became anxious and afraid over such minor matters, how could she live her life?

Life had to go on!

Although it wasn’t yet February 1st, since Xia Xiaolan had time, she went ahead and checked the accounts of the building materials stores.

Three stores in Pengcheng, one in Yangcheng – the profits from these four stores pleased Xia Xiaolan.

All five shareholders of Anjia Building Materials gathered to check accounts and distribute dividends.

Shao Guangrong hadn’t planned to come, but since Little You was in Pengcheng, he came quickly.

After learning how much money he would get this year, Shao Guangrong felt quite embarrassed:

“Aren’t I just taking money for nothing? How about I contribute something… Are we opening more branches next? Why not open one in Jingcheng or Shangdu? I can handle this.”

Shao Guangrong’s ambition had originally been in his main job, but now he suddenly took the initiative in business matters.

Did this person have financial pressure?

He could get quite a bit of money from this year-end distribution, which should be enough for Shao Guangrong.

His suggestion now either meant he felt guilty about taking money without doing work, or he suddenly had greater financial needs… was it because of Little You?

Xia Xiaolan glanced at Shao Guangrong a couple of times, surprised to see he was quite serious about Little You, actually making plans for the future.

Without exposing this, she turned to ask the others:

“What do you think about this suggestion, opening stores in Jingcheng or Shangdu?”