"Let me do your nails?
So stinky!
Whoever wants to do this kind of rotten business can do it, I won't.
Li Qianfan sneered, casually tossed the nail clippers aside, and strode out.
He did leave, but he didn't dare to stray more than ten meters from Su Nanyin.
Ignoring her treating a chicken feather as a royal decree was one thing, but Li Qianfan had to carry out Director Zhao's mission.
That was to personally protect her safety twenty-four hours a day while in Modu.
It was fine during the day.
But at night?
Was he supposed to sleep on the floor, guarding her side?
'This job of guarding her twenty-four hours a day seems like something that could be easily done with a bit of effort. But why did Grandpa and Director Zhao specifically assign it to me?'
Li Qianfan leaned against the doorframe and lit a cigarette.
Who was it that sent a full twelve death warriors to assassinate Su Nanyin this morning?
It definitely wasn't people from the Dark Web.
One.
Dark Web experts were all masters of the 'frog jump' maneuver.
But none of the twelve death warriors, captured by Helan Tingmei herself, performed a 'frog jump' in their death throes.
Two.
If it were really people from the Dark Web, even if Jiao San couldn't trace their origins, he'd have some suspicions.
But after hearing the news, Jiao San could swear on her mouth that it was definitely not people from the Dark Web.
Three.
If it wasn't from the Dark Web, then who would go to such lengths, dispatching so many death warriors, to assassinate Su Nanyin?
The 13 Great Families?
The Seven Surnamed Great Families?
They didn't have the guts, nor the need to do so.
'Could they be from overseas?'
Li Qianfan was baffled. 'If they were truly from overseas, besides the useless War Demon Hall, who else would have a reason to target her? The Rhode family? Unlikely. Why do I always feel like Old Master (Li Nanfang) and the others are hiding something from me?'
After thinking for a long time, Li Qianfan couldn't figure it out.
Li Qianfan had no choice but to return to the room.
Su Nanyin had already fallen asleep.
She had just fallen asleep last night when she was woken by Yaoyao's call and immediately rushed to Modu.
From the moment she set off until now, her mind had been racing.
She was indeed tired.
Li Qianfan took a blanket from the bedroom and gently covered her. Only then did he notice a few lines of delicate handwriting on the desk.
'Qianfan, I can only rest until 11 o'clock.'
'You must wake me before 11 o'clock.'
'If you're not sleepy, then think about how we can use this opportunity to completely destroy the Ma family in the shortest possible time.'
After reading these lines, Li Qianfan turned and waved his fist in front of Su Nanyin.
This was truly a venomous beauty.
Even in her dreams, she was probably plotting schemes.
'I'm sleepy too. I'll sleep for five minutes.'
Li Qianfan walked to the sofa opposite her and lay down.
His brain had also been overused; a nap would be beneficial.
Soon, Li Qianfan was fast asleep.
Time ticked by second by second.
Twelve o'clock noon.
A courtyard house at the westernmost end of Jinling Road in Modu.
In Director Chen's study.
Director Chen had finished work early this morning and was listening to the news that Chen Er had brought back from the Ma family.
Chen Er recounted, in great detail, what he had analyzed with others at the Ma family.
"Your analysis is very accurate."
Director Chen frowned and nodded. "Su Nanyin has gone too far. Sigh. Old Zhao, Old Zhao, your reach has become too extensive."
"Big Brother."
Chen Er seized the opportunity to add fuel to the fire. "If we don't teach Su Nanyin a painful lesson this time, Jiangbei will think we're easy to bully. With this one incident, there will be a second, a third, and countless more."
"Leaving aside whether she will be taught a lesson for allowing her subordinates to break the law in Modu."
Director Chen picked up his teacup and looked at Chen Er. "Second Brother, how painful is this 'painful lesson' you speak of?"
Chen Er didn't answer immediately.
He took a deep breath before slowly saying, "Vow to kill Su Nanyin. To achieve the greatest effect of killing the chicken to scare the monkeys, and solve the problem once and for all!"
What?
Kill Su Nanyin?
You dare to say kill Su Nanyin?
Director Chen was stunned for a moment, then his eyebrows shot up.
Bang!
Director Chen slammed his hand heavily on the desk and cursed in a low voice, "Bastard! Who gave you the guts to try and kill the Standing Deputy of Dark Blade?"
"Big Brother—"
Chen Er hadn't expected his elder brother's reaction to be so strong and was startled, quickly getting up.
"You damn fool."
Director Chen berated him. "I think your heart must be clouded with mud for you to speak of killing Su Nanyin!"
Chen Er quickly said, "It wasn't my suggestion."
Director Chen's expression softened slightly. "Then who was it?"
Chen Er obediently replied, "As I just said, it was Ma Benyong. You were listening so intently just now, you didn't notice."
Ma Benyong?
Heh heh.
Director Chen chuckled faintly and asked Chen Er, "Second Brother, tell me. Why did Su Nanyin choose that Ma Qiang as the catalyst for this incident?"
Chen Er shook his head, puzzled.
"Because he deserved to die."
Director Chen said sternly, "If I were Su Nanyin, I would also choose to make an example of him."
Chen Er was still full of confusion.
"I'm swamped with work and usually don't know about the misdeeds Ma Qiang has committed. But now I know."
Director Chen said with some self-reproach, "To be honest, I'm truly ashamed! I didn't know that Ma Qiang, under the protection of certain individuals, had committed so many wrongdoings and yet remained at large."
Chen Er didn't dare to meet his elder brother's gaze.
Because in his opinion, what Ma Qiang did was quite normal.
"And Chen Canghai, that incompetent fool. Hmph."
Director Chen snorted coldly. "Who gave him the authority to arrest Su Nanyin's two subordinates without asking for any details?"
Chen Er said softly, "Perhaps it's habit?"
"Habit? Yes, it's habit."
Director Chen continued, "If that idiot hadn't actively handed over leverage to Su Nanyin's subordinates, how could they have smoothly proceeded with their subsequent plans?"
Chen Er quite agreed with his elder brother's assessment.
Director Chen said, "Second Brother, remember what I'm about to say very carefully."
Chen Er adopted an attentive posture.
Director Chen spoke slowly—
"We common folk often say, 'Flies don't land on a seamless egg.'"
"To adapt this saying, it means Su Nanyin would never indulge her subordinates in killing someone who shouldn't be killed!"
"If you yourself have no issues, then no matter how insidious, cunning, or calculating Su Nanyin is, she wouldn't dare to commit innocent killings in Modu."
"If she truly dared to—"
"Then I would truly bring her to justice!"
Director Chen's aura was majestic, each word like a thunderous bell.
Chen Er trembled, his lips tightly shut, not daring to utter a word.
"You actually dared to assist the Ma family in trying to put Su Nanyin to death. Heh, hehe."
Director Chen became increasingly angry, laughing in his rage. "Second Brother, would you like to take my position?"
Thump!
Chen Er fell to his knees heavily before his elder brother.
Sigh.
Seeing his younger brother, at his age, being so frightened after being reprimanded, Director Chen sighed, bent down, and helped him up.
He even poured him a glass of water himself.
Only then did he say softly, "Second Brother, you must always remember this. Struggle is indeed unavoidable. People may die in struggle, and families may decline; it's normal. But all struggles must have a bottom line! That is, it must never harm the overall interests of our Dongtu!"
Chen Er still didn't dare to speak casually.
"Su Nanyin is currently the Deputy Manager of Dark Blade and shoulders the important task of eliminating corruption. There are still many bad people who want to see her dead."
Director Chen explained with earnest persuasion. "If our Chen family, when our own interests are threatened by Su Nanyin, causes her death, then this would not only go against our Chen family's ancestral instructions to prioritize Dongtu's interests above all else, but it would also be a foolish act that aids our enemies! The more the bad guys want to kill someone, the more we should protect her! This is the bottom line, not to be crossed!"
Chen Er asked, "Then, are we just going to allow Su Nanyin, who represents Director Zhao, to encroach upon Modu?"
"Under the premise that the bottom line cannot be crossed, struggle requires strategy and artistry."
Director Chen said lightly. "As long as we can maintain a calm mindset and not be led by the nose by Su Nanyin, we actually have many ways to make Su Nanyin return empty-handed."
Chen Er understood.
He asked, "So, we'll turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to the Ma Qiang incident?"
"How can that be?"
Director Chen smiled. "We still have to make passionate speeches and strong condemnations against Su Nanyin's despicable behavior of trying to escalate the conflict."
Passionate speeches and strong condemnations!
The meaning of this phrase was: 'Our Chen family will only use words, not actions. Whatever others want to stir up, as long as it doesn't endanger Su Nanyin's life, we will cheer them on.'
Chen Er suddenly understood.
He looked at his elder brother with admiration.
He then asked, "Then how should Chen Canghai be dealt with?"
"Hmph, that incompetent fool."
Director Chen's expression immediately turned grim. "Old Feng at the Modu Senior Cultural Center will be retiring next month. That place is most suitable for an incompetent person like him to hone his skills."
Chen Er understood.
It meant kicking the powerful Chen Canghai out of his position and sending him to the Senior Cultural Center to drink tea and read newspapers.
"In addition,"
Director Chen said slowly. "You will now represent my Chen family and go to the Great Wall Hotel to apologize in person to Su Nanyin for Chen Canghai's foolish actions last night."
Ah?
Chen Er was stunned for a moment and blurted out, "Big Brother, are we really going to apologize to that viper, to Su Nanyin?"
"We must."
Director Chen said calmly. "Because someone from our Chen family made a mistake last night! Since a mistake was made, one must apologize. As for him being injured last night, that was his own doing! Only by doing so can we sever Su Nanyin's hand that she is using to drag our Chen family into the quagmire of the Ma Qiang incident."
"But—"
Chen Er was full of confusion. "Big Brother, our Chen family is supposed to advance and retreat with the Ma family!"
"Alas, Second Brother, Second Brother. Our father passed away early, and I, as the elder brother, have doted on you too much over the years. This has led you to develop the bad habit of rarely thinking when faced with a situation."
Director Chen shook his head with self-reproach and asked softly, "Since you already know that Su Nanyin is a terrifying, venomous beauty, and you have accurately analyzed every step of her plan in creating the Ma Qiang car accident, then why didn't you realize that when she locked onto Ma Qiang and planned the specific actions, she had already prepared a plan to completely collapse the Ma family using this incident?"
What?
Chen Er was shocked. "Big Brother, are you saying Su Nanyin intends to destroy the Ma family this time!?"