The restaurant was still the same one as last time!
Even as Tang Xinwan walked into the restaurant, her mind was still replaying the scene of the girl who had just sought out Ye Cangtian.
That girl was truly strange!
Her attire was peculiar, her behavior odd, and most importantly, she bore a striking resemblance to Gu Yue.
Furthermore, why was she looking for Ye Cangtian?
Tang Xinwan frowned slightly. Seeing Xiao Yurong waving at her from a distance, she relaxed her brow and broke into a smile.
“Yu Ru, it’s been so long!”
“I know you, President Tang, are busy. I couldn’t get a hold of you!” Xiao Yu Ru replied with a faint smile. Then, her eyes flickered, “Where is Mr. Ye? Why didn’t he come with you?”
Tang Xinwan put down her bag and sat down, shaking her head with a wry smile. “Him? He seems even busier than I am. He went to the capital today!”
Xiao Yu Ru was slightly taken aback but didn’t say much.
She recalled a scene she had witnessed at the mall yesterday and then looked at her best friend. For a moment, she hesitated, wanting to say something.
“Xinwan, I…”
“Hm? Yu Ru, what’s wrong?” Tang Xinwan asked with a smile.
“Nothing, I just wanted to ask how you and Mr. Ye are doing?” Xiao Yu Ru asked hesitantly, worried that her words might upset her best friend.
Moreover, she was unsure about yesterday’s incident. If she had misunderstood Ye Cangtian, wouldn’t she have inadvertently broken them up?
Although, in her opinion, the chances of a misunderstanding were slim given what she had witnessed with her own eyes!
Tang Xinwan couldn’t help but chuckle. She smiled and said, “We’re doing alright! Besides being lazy every day and not helping with anything, he’s quite good to me! Especially a few days ago…”
She never hid anything from her best friend and quickly recounted the events of the election assembly a few days prior.
Especially the part where Ye Cangtian stepped in at a critical moment, saved all the wealthy members of the Yangzhou Chamber of Commerce, and apprehended the criminals.
Xiao Yu Ru gradually became engrossed in the story.
After a long pause, she exclaimed, “I never imagined such a significant event happened just days ago. But congratulations on becoming the president of the Yangzhou Chamber of Commerce!”
The news of the presidential election of the chamber of commerce had spread, but it was mostly confined to the circle of the wealthy.
Therefore, this was the first time Xiao Yu Ru was hearing that Tang Xinwan had become the president, and she couldn’t help but feel happy for her best friend.
Especially when Tang Xinwan mentioned Ye Cangtian, the smile and happiness on her face made Xiao Yu Ru doubt herself.
She could sense that their relationship seemed to be good, but what she had seen yesterday left her conflicted, unsure whether to speak up.
Tang Xinwan also noticed that her friend’s expression seemed off, and she asked with a hint of strangeness, “Yu Ru, is there something you want to tell me?”
“No, I… I just envy you two!” Xiao Yu Ru took a sip of water and shook her head to hide her thoughts.
“There’s nothing to envy. But Yu Ru, you’re not getting any younger. You should find a boyfriend!”
“I’m not in a hurry! Let’s order food.”
…
The capital!
As the lights came on, the bustling night view was also a part of the city’s scenery.
Compared to the prosperity of the city center, the family compound area was much quieter and more filled with the atmosphere of daily life.
A group of elderly people were dancing to square dance music under the locust trees at the entrance of the family compound.
Ye Cangtian walked directly in, all the way to the last courtyard.
The two guards at the entrance were unfamiliar, but they didn’t stop Ye Cangtian, indicating that Old Master Xu had been informed of his arrival and had made arrangements in advance!
“You’re here?”
Under the grape trellis in the courtyard, Old Master Xu narrowed his eyes, yet he could still discern Ye Cangtian’s footsteps with keen senses.
Ye Cangtian chuckled sheepishly. “It’s cool tonight. Aren’t you afraid of catching a cold staying out here, Old Master?”
“Sit down!”
Old Master Xu opened his eyes and surveyed Ye Cangtian, then said with a smile, “It seems you’ve had quite a harvest from your trip to the island ruins!”
Only a few days had passed since Ye Cangtian left the Saudi royal family and returned to China.
Ye Cangtian moved a small stool and sat opposite him. Hearing this, he smiled and said, “Not much of a harvest! I almost lost my life saving those researchers. Shouldn’t the higher-ups reward me with something?”
Old Master Xu was speechless.
He had come here just to ask for benefits?
The old man gave a wry smile but still nodded. “There can be rewards. Secretary Liu will make arrangements tomorrow.”
Ye Cangtian’s eyes lit up. He had actually just asked casually, and he hadn’t expected any reward!
Afterward, Old Master Xu also inquired about the island ruins.
Although Ye Cangtian had reported the situation over the phone last time, he hadn’t gone into much detail about the specifics.
After finishing, Ye Cangtian asked with some suspicion, “By the way, there’s a fat guy named Xuan Jiu in the Dark Association. Do you know who he is, Old Master?”
Xuan Jiu knew Ye Cangtian’s true identity, but instead of exposing him, he had repeatedly made things convenient for him.
Ye Cangtian was very sure that this guy was also an undercover agent.
Old Master Xu didn’t seem surprised. He just shook his head. “I don’t know this person either. At least, there are no undercover agents from the Dragon Group in the Dark Association. The Xuan Jiu you mentioned should be arranged by the Hidden Group!”
Ye Cangtian nodded, as that was his guess as well.
He didn’t dwell on it and asked again, “Old Master, can you tell me about the ruins?”
This was also one of his main reasons for coming to the capital!
He had personally visited the ruins. Although he hadn’t reached the deepest part, it was undoubtedly a magical and incredible place for Ye Cangtian.
“You want to know about the ruins?”
Old Master Xu’s expression instantly became much more solemn. After a long pause, he sighed. “Originally, this secret was only revealed to those who joined the Hidden Group, but it’s not a problem to tell you in advance now!”
“The ruins! They were first discovered possibly a hundred years ago, or even earlier!”
“A hundred years ago, information about the ruins was leaked, and then the Hidden Group was established. Later, there were some wars, and even a series of indelible disasters were triggered.”
“Because of the ruins?”
Ye Cangtian raised an eyebrow. Could the events of several decades ago be related to the ruins?
Old Master Xu didn’t answer directly but continued to narrate. “China was the first to discover the existence of ruins. A few years later, a second ruin appeared in the West!”
Hearing this, Ye Cangtian understood!
The dark times of decades ago weren’t just in China, but throughout the entire world, originating from—the ruins!
“The Dark Association was also most active during that period, but they ultimately failed! In fact, it wasn’t a complete failure, because they discovered a third ruin, which was the last one discovered at that time!”
“So the third ruin was occupied by the Dark Association? The first major ruin is in China, controlled by the Hidden Group? What about the one in the West?”
Ye Cangtian became more interested as he listened.
The three major ruins, the earliest discovered ones, had actually been found a hundred years ago, and he had never heard of them!
Old Master Xu nodded. “The first major ruin is indeed controlled by the Hidden Group, though the Hidden Group has also paid with countless lives! The second major ruin is more complex. Western powers created an organization called the Guangming Hall. They have been in control of it ever since!”
“As for the third major ruin, it’s only what the Dark Association has revealed. No one knows its exact location!”
The Dark Association originally orchestrated many events behind the scenes to compete for the first major ruin, engaging in a mutually destructive struggle with the Hidden Group.
It wasn’t until they discovered the third major ruin that they eventually disappeared from the public eye, only to gradually re-emerge in the past two years.