The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 426 - 428. Plan

Chapter 426: 428. Plan

Jin Enxi snapped her fingers, "It’s just amazing, she’s clearly a peerless beauty, An, I now think your son’s eyes actually look more like Fu Hengyi’s. Look at them, they’re exactly the same." Her eyes were filled with surprise.

"Have you looked enough?" Fu Hengyi asked coldly.

Jin Enxi shook her head regretfully, "Without speaking, she’s a peerless beauty, but once she opens her mouth, all the beauty vanishes." Fu Hengyi’s voice was deep and magnetic, unmistakably a man’s voice.

"Fu Hengyi, I have a suggestion for you—just play mute. That way you’ll be more convincing. Otherwise, as soon as you open your mouth, you’ll give yourself away." Jin Enxi felt that this suggestion was truly from the heart.

Fu Hengyi took a mirror from the box and looked at his reflection. His face turned as black as the bottom of a pot, but seeing the satisfied look in Shen Qinglan’s eyes, he ultimately resisted the impulse to tear off the clothes he was wearing. However, the look he gave Shen Qinglan conveyed a message that only she could understand.

Shen Qinglan picked up on the hint in Fu Hengyi’s eyes and unconsciously wanted to reach out and rub her own sore back.

"Fu Hengyi, I think what Jin Enxi said makes sense. It’s better for you to remain silent," Shen Qinglan said, barely suppressing a smile and speaking seriously.

Fu Hengyi looked steadily at Shen Qinglan, then his mouth curled into a light smile, "Whatever the wife says goes. I’ll listen to my wife," he said in a deliberately falsetto voice, causing all three people in the helicopter to shiver.

Thankfully, they soon arrived at their destination. Shen Qinglan had already changed into a men’s casual outfit, with shoes that increased her height standing next to Fu Hengyi, she was still half a head shorter.

Jin Enxi and Eden hadn’t made any disguise.

Leader Lane came personally to pick them up this time. Seeing Fu Hengyi and Shen Qinglan, he raised his eyebrows ever so slightly, "Who are these two?"

Eden spoke up, "This is Jesse, this is his wife, Bain. They are friends of mine, here to help out this time. This gentleman is Leader Lane of KA." The former referred to Shen Qinglan, and the latter to Fu Hengyi.

Although Lane had seen Fu Hengyi once before, he did not make the connection between the woman before him and Fu Hengyi. He just found the couple odd with the husband appearing much smaller in front of his wife. However, that odd feeling was quickly forgotten.

Shen Qinglan spoke, "Pleased to meet you, Leader Lane." She lowered her voice, which had a hint of huskiness, making it difficult to discern if it was feminine.

Fu Hengyi simply nodded to Lane and didn’t speak. Shen Qinglan explained, "My wife is mute, please don’t take offense."

Lane understood and smiled kindly at Fu Hengyi, "Let’s get in the car first. Once we get to the base, I will explain the specifics to you."

When everyone arrived at the base, Lane dismissed his subordinates, and then he began, "I’ve already been in contact with Mrs. Jin. Tomorrow night at seven, we’re meeting at the Carter Hotel to discuss the details of our cooperation."

As he said this, Lane took out a map to show Shen Qinglan and the others the location of the Carter Hotel, which was in a busy district and not under the control of any armed forces, but rather under the local government’s jurisdiction.

"Mrs. Jin chose this place?" Shen Qinglan asked.

Lane nodded, "Yes, I chose the time, and she chose the location." This was the rule in the underworld—when two parties met, one chose the time and the other chose the location.

Shen Qinglan surveyed the surrounding terrain, crisscrossed with paths—an excellent place to escape. Surrounding the area would require a large number of people. It seemed that Qin Yan had really gone to great lengths to choose such a location.

"Ryan, I’m going to have to trouble you again," said Doctor Eden.

Ryan laughed heartily, "Eden, there’s no need for such formality between us."

"The last time I got into a lot of trouble because of you," Eden continued. The previous time they’d rescued Shen Qinglan, Ryan had also been retaliated against by King. If it hadn’t been for Ryan’s good fortune, he would have died then. That he would still proactively reveal Qin Yan’s whereabouts and offer assistance this time was beyond Eden’s expectation.

"Eden, I’ve told you, you’re my forever friend. Your business is my business, and that stands as long as I live. Last time I ran into trouble, sure, but it wasn’t without its benefits. By dealing with someone who would have betrayed me, I can rest easier. Is it just the four of you this time?"

"Two more are on their way, not arrived yet."

Ryan nodded, "Alright. I’ve prepared the weapons you’ll need, and I’ve got a hundred men ready for you. Is that enough?"

"That’s plenty. Ryan, I’ll skip the excess pleasantries. I owe you one," said Shen Qinglan. Ryan didn’t really have much of a relationship with her, but he had helped them time and again. Even Shen Qinglan felt rather embarrassed.

"There’s no need to be so polite. I’m friends with Eden. When I was in danger last time, he helped me out," Ryan explained.

Fu Hengyi watched this exchange and gained a new understanding of the people from this underworld. Among them, there were also those who would go to great lengths for a friend, not just desperate fugitives.

Andre and Cissily arrived at night. Upon seeing Fu Hengyi and Shen Qinglan, they were stunned for a long time, especially at the sight of Fu Hengyi in women’s clothes. If it weren’t for Ryan being there, Cissily might have burst out laughing on the spot.

Cissily and Andre exchanged glances as amusement danced in their eyes, turning Fu Hengyi pale with embarrassment. Shen Qinglan reached out to hold Fu Hengyi’s hand.

The group confirmed the plan for the next day. Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi would stay close to Ryan as his personal bodyguards during the meeting with Qin Yan. Jin Enxi would be in charge of the hotel’s surveillance. Eden and Cissily, along with another, would pose as Ryan’s subordinates and accompany them.

That night, after the planning was over, Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi returned to the room that had been arranged for them. Shen Qinglan looked at Fu Hengyi’s women’s attire and finally couldn’t help but laugh out loud. The color of Fu Hengyi’s face darkened with each laugh, eventually becoming as gray as the bottom of a pot.

He looked at Shen Qinglan, whose body shook with laughter, with dark and menacing eyes, "You find it funny?"

Shen Qinglan waved her hand, "No... it’s not funny. It’s just that you look so stunning... so... breathtaking..."

Fu Hengyi smiled, "I didn’t expect my wife to have such a taste. It seems that I didn’t understand you well enough before. After this matter is settled, we can play some role-playing behind closed doors."

Shen Qinglan was rendered speechless by his laughing gaze and didn’t respond immediately. Fu Hengyi stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her, planting an irreverent deep kiss on her lips. When the long kiss ended, Fu Hengyi looked at the lipstick smeared on Shen Qinglan’s lips, licked his tongue, and said, "I’m keeping this in mind, we’ll settle it when we get back."

An indignant Shen Qinglan pushed against his chest, then suddenly furrowed her brows. Fu Hengyi, noticing her discomfort, asked, "What’s wrong?"

Shen Qinglan rubbed her chest, "I’m feeling a bit engorged." She unbuttoned her front; the cloth binding her chest was already a bit damp. Not having breastfed Anan today, the milk accumulation made her very uncomfortable.

She didn’t hide her actions from Fu Hengyi, who watched as two little white rabbits dangled before his eyes. Knowing it wasn’t the right time or place, his body still responded honestly, his breathing becoming heavier.

By the time Shen Qinglan realized something was wrong, she had already been pinned down on the bed by Fu Hengyi, who said as he buried his head, "I’ll help you."

A trace of crimson tinted Shen Qinglan’s cheeks, and it remained even after Fu Hengyi had finished everything that was meant for Anan. Despite feeling uncomfortably swollen, he refrained from going any further due to the poor timing and held Shen Qinglan in his arms, "Wife, you must properly reward me when we get back."

Shen Qinglan’s voice, slightly hoarse, agreed, "Okay."

The next morning, Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi got out of bed early. By the time Jin Enxi came to wake them up, they had already changed their clothes.

After breakfast, Ryan brought in the weapons, his expression somewhat grave. Doctor Eden looked at him, "Ryan, what’s wrong?"

Ryan nodded, "Hmm, just received news. Mr. Yamamoto from Country R has come to MD with a group of people." Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi exchanged glances—this visit did not bode well. Rumors had already been circulating on the streets that Mrs. Jin and Mr. Yamamoto were close, and now at this critical juncture, Mr. Yamamoto’s arrival clearly had an unquestionable purpose.

"Do we know how many people Mr. Yamamoto brought with him?"

Ryan shook his head, "Not sure yet, but it won’t be less than a hundred."

Shen Qinglan immediately realized that the partnership between Qin Yan and Ryan was a ruse from the beginning. She must have known about Ryan and Doctor Eden’s relationship and used Ryan to bring her here. But hadn’t she considered that Ryan might help them?

This was Ryan’s turf, if he was willing to make a move, even if Mr. Yamamoto’s group outnumbered them, they might not all leave unscathed, unless Qin Yan held some kind of trump card that would stymie them.

With these thoughts, Shen Qinglan’s face showed a hint of change. However, she restrained any action out of respect for Ryan’s presence.

Once Ryan had left, Shen Qinglan immediately called Chu Yunrong, "Qinglan."

Hearing Chu Yunrong’s voice showing no signs of distress, Shen Qinglan felt slightly relieved, "Yes, it’s me. Mom, was Anan good today?"

"Anan was very well-behaved. He was crying a bit last night when it was time to sleep, probably because he didn’t see you, and he just wouldn’t fall asleep. Then I took one of your shirts that you wear often, and after he took it, he fell asleep. Are you okay there by yourself?"

"I’m fine, I’ll be back after I finish things here in two or three days," Shen Qinglan said.

"Alright then, focus on your work. I’ll take good care of Anan."

Shen Qinglan faintly heard her son’s babbling and, knowing that nothing was amiss at home, quickly hung up the phone.

Shen Qinglan looked at Fu Hengyi, "What do you think Qin Yan’s trump card is that she is so confident?"

"Could it be Ya Xi?" Fu Hengyi speculated.

Shen Qinglan immediately called Ya Xi. Ya Xi and Doug were on holiday in Europe, safe and sound, meaning all the people who could threaten Shen Qinglan were fine. Then where was Qin Yan’s confidence coming from? Or did she believe she had grown powerful enough to stand up to MD’s local snake?

"Let’s not worry about it for now," Fu Hengyi consoled her. "It will become clear in time."

Shen Qinglan nodded. They had no choice but to wait and see, ready to deal with whatever may come.

At six in the evening, the group set out. Jin Enxi had arrived at the hotel early, opened a room, infiltrated the hotel’s security system, and installed a bug in the meeting room.

Shen Qinglan and her party arrived at the hotel before Qin Yan. She surveyed the room briefly—it was large, which would make it convenient for them.

Qin Yan arrived on time, her face behind sunglasses. After scanning the room, she swiftly looked over Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi, then turned to Ryan.

"Leader Lane, it’s a pleasure to meet you for the first time. I am Qin Yan, also known as Mrs. Jin in your discussions."

Ryan held his gaze on Qin Yan, did not reach out for a handshake, and spoke indifferently, "What’s the meaning behind wearing sunglasses here, Mrs. Jin? Do you think little of me?"

Qin Yan chuckled and removed her sunglasses, "You’re misunderstanding, Leader Lane. How could I look down on you? Is this better?"

Ryan sized up Qin Yan, "I didn’t expect Mrs. Jin to be such a beauty."

"Heh, I’m not worthy of being called a beauty. It’s this lady beside you who is the real beauty," Qin Yan remarked, her eyes lingering on Fu Hengyi for a few seconds, quite taken by such a "strapping" beauty.

Fu Hengyi remained expressionless, his face cold as if he hadn’t heard Qin Yan at all, seriously playing the role of an ice-cold beauty.

"I’m surprised Mrs. Jin shows an interest in the people around me," Ryan said with a feigned smile.

"Leader Lane, you really know how to joke. I was merely admiring the lady’s beauty, nothing more. Please don’t misunderstand," Qin Yan explained with a smile, oblivious to Shen Qinglan’s chilling gaze.

Ryan laughed heartily, "Who knew Mrs. Jin had such a sense of humor? It’s a pity I didn’t get to know you sooner."

"It’s not too late now." Qin Yan sat down, her eyes briefly scanning everyone in the room. Not seeing Shen Qinglan, a flicker of confusion crossed her eyes. Could it be that Ryan truly wanted to partner with her and hadn’t disclosed her whereabouts to Shen Qinglan?

"Mrs. Jin, I understand you want to partner with me this time. Can you explain what kind of partnership you have in mind?" Ryan initiated the conversation.

Qin Yan didn’t directly answer but smiled as she looked around the room, "Leader Lane, I believe the less people who know about this matter, the better. Don’t you agree?"

Ryan laughed openly, waved his hand, and everyone except Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi left. Qin Yan also kept only two people with her, one man and one woman, her most trusted individuals.

"Mrs. Jin, shall we talk now?" Ryan asked.

Qin Yan wasn’t actually there to discuss business, but since she had initiated this, it would be hard to explain herself to Ryan without mentioning business.

They hadn’t alerted Shen Qinglan, which indicated a genuine desire to partner with her. She didn’t want to offend Ryan; fewer enemies was always better.

"Not to hide from you, Leader, but I do not need much. Only merchandise worth a billion, but I need the latest models you have," Qin Yan adopted a business-like manner since they were discussing business.

Leader Lane frowned. "One billion is indeed a bit low. Mrs. Jin wants the latest model, and it’s not impossible, but the price can’t go much lower. After all, there’s high demand for this new model, and many of my items have already been reserved by regular customers."

"Of course, I already feel bad for making the leader take risks over these goods. I definitely won’t press for a lower price again. I’ll just take the market price."

"No, Mrs. Jin, you misunderstand me. This market price is what I offer to major buyers," Lane said gently.

Qin Yan’s smile faded slightly, and she looked steadily at Lane, "Leader Lane, being too greedy isn’t good. There’s a saying in Z country, ’Avarice leads to disaster.’ I came here sincerely to negotiate this deal, but your current attitude is putting me in a difficult position."

Lane still smiled, "Mrs. Jin must be joking. If you truly want to do business with me, then why did you ask Mr. Yamamoto to come? I’ve received information that Mr. Yamamoto’s men have already surrounded the hotel."

Qin Yan was slightly stunned, not expecting Lane’s intelligence to be so accurate. For the sake of secrecy, she had specifically asked Yamamoto to sneak in quietly last night. But from the looks of it, Lane seemed to have received the news already? It seemed she had underestimated KA; this Lane was stronger than she had thought. She just didn’t know where he stood.

"Leader Lane, I don’t quite understand what you’re saying. I came here alone, apart from the few people you’ve just seen, I didn’t bring anyone else."

Mrs. Jin, everybody’s a clever person here. Since I’ve said this much, it naturally means I’ve got definitive information. Why bother denying it? I just want to ask, now that Mr. Yamamoto has surrounded this hotel, what do you intend to do? Kill me?" Lane’s face retained its smile.

Qin Yan smiled faintly, "Leader Lane is mistaken. Why would I do such a thing? Alright, I admit, I invited Mr. Yamamoto to come with me. But we mean no harm to Leader Lane. My manpower is after all limited, and I tend to value my life quite a lot, so I asked Mr. Yamamoto to ensure my safety. This kind of request isn’t too much, is it?"

"These are private affairs between you and Mr. Yamamoto. Naturally, I won’t concern myself with them. But now that Mr. Yamamoto has surrounded the hotel, how do you intend to explain that?"

Qin Yan’s eyes grew colder, but the smile on her face remained unchanged, "Leader Lane, please be assured that Mr. Yamamoto only wishes to ensure my safety and will not take any excessive actions against you. Surrounding this hotel was a move made out of necessity since we are on your terrain, aren’t we?"

"Mrs. Jin, I’m afraid your intentions aren’t so ’simple,’ are they?" Lane’s face suddenly darkened. He clapped his hands, and the door opened, with a dozen people rushing in and surrounding Qin Yan and her two companions.

Qin Yan could no longer smile, and she looked coldly at Lane, "Lane, what do you mean by this?"

"I’m also quite fond of my life. These people are all here to protect me. Now, we can continue discussing the deal."

Lane returned Qin Yan’s earlier comment, filled with a sarcastic undertone.

Qin Yan stared straight at Lane, and after a long moment, her smile slowly returned, "I have been overthinking it. Leader Lane is a big businessman. I presume you wouldn’t be bothered with a small player like me. I’ll call Mr. Yamamoto now to leave. Can the leader then sincerely discuss business?"

Lane smiled slightly, "Of course. I’m a businessman. If Mrs. Jin shows sincerity, I will naturally offer mine. I can give you the goods at 5% below market price. Is that sufficient as a sign of sincerity?"

Qin Yan looked at Lane, not speaking, seemingly pondering the truthfulness of Lane’s words. An order of one billion, when considered in the grand scheme of things, was a decent deal for most people, but for Lane, it wasn’t very attractive. His current willingness to negotiate sincerely and close the deal was indeed a favorable outcome for Qin Yan, but she still harbored distrust toward Lane.

"Of course, if Mrs. Jin is not reassured, you can leave right now. I absolutely won’t stop you." Lane said this calmly; their plan was to first draw Mr. Yamamoto away from the hotel and leave Qin Yan alone. This would allow them to take down Qin Yan at the lightest cost. That’s also why, after being here for so long, Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi had not made a move, and Lane kept engaging Qin Yan in a battle of wits.

A man behind Qin Yan whispered a few words in her ear, roughly suggesting that Qin Yan should leave now. After all, their objective this time was merely to draw out Shen Qinglan. Since Shen Qinglan hadn’t shown up, there was no need to stay any longer.

But Qin Yan didn’t see it that way. The best goods on the streets, over sixty percent, were in Lane’s hands. She indeed wanted the weapons he had. With these items, she could then cooperate with more people and gain more benefits.

Qin Yan, though lacking in combat ability, had a sharp mind. She had coordinated with many big shots in the underworld, maintaining partnerships which lasted a very long time. Besides leveraging her own assets, it was also because she knew how to make money.

"Leader Lane is kidding. I genuinely want to cooperate with you. To show my sincerity, I’ll call Mr. Yamamoto right now to ask him to leave," Qin Yan was indeed greedy and harbored a stroke of luck in her heart. Since she hadn’t seen Shen Qinglan, it seemed better to take a gamble and secure the deal. If she could establish a long-term cooperation with Leader Lane, it would benefit her in the future.

Although the partnership with Yamamoto had always been smooth over the years, Yamamoto was very domineering, leaving her with little profit margin. If she could find a new source of supply, she would have a bargaining chip to negotiate with Yamamoto and possibly secure a larger share of the market. With that in mind, Qin Yan made a call to Yamamoto, asking him to leave for the time being.

"Mrs. Jin, I can leave, but what about Mei? You said you would tell me Mei’s whereabouts."

"Mr. Yamamoto, don’t worry, when have I ever not fulfilled my promises? I said I would tell you, and I will. Once I’m done here, I’ll come to find you and tell you where to find Mei."

She spoke in the language of R country, which Lane didn’t understand, but that didn’t mean Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi couldn’t. Hearing the name Mei, Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi’s gaze flickered, and a hint of killing intent flashed across the depths of Fu Hengyi’s eyes. It seemed this time they absolutely couldn’t let Qin Yan leave here alive, otherwise, it would be difficult to keep Shen Qinglan’s identity secret.

Shen Qinglan’s eyes swept over Qin Yan and quickly retracted her gaze.

Qin Yan and Yamamoto spoke at length, barely managing to pacify Yamamoto’s emotions. This time, Yamamoto had come specifically for Mei, and it would be difficult to satisfy him without providing Mei’s whereabouts.

Soon after, Lane received news of Yamamoto’s men withdrawing. He waved his hand, and his subordinates immediately understood his gesture and stepped out.

Qin Yan looked at Lane, "Leader Lane, I’ve shown my sincerity, now you see..."

Lane smiled and waved his hand again. The people in the room left, leaving only the five of them. At this moment, Qin Yan did not realize that the communication signals in the room had been jammed as these people left, meaning Qin Yan was now unable to contact the outside world.

************

Outside the hotel, Yamamoto hung up the phone with a dark, eerie expression, "Let’s go."

His subordinate hesitated, "Big brother, are we leaving now? I thought we came to avenge our second-in-command?"

Yamamoto’s face was cold, "We’ll talk about that when we get back." A fire was burning in his heart; he felt like he had been played by that damned woman, Qin Yan. And soon, Yamamoto’s suspicions were confirmed.

Yamamoto, facing a group that outnumbered his men more than twice over, his expression darkened completely, "Who are you?"

"Mr. Yamamoto, long time no see," Eden emerged from the crowd.

Yamamoto was slightly taken aback, not recognizing the person before him, "Who are you?"

In Eden’s hand was a scalpel, which even in the dark night, gleamed with a chilling luster, "Mr. Yamamoto seems to forget the past easily. We met in R country four years ago. You had someone invite me, and after I refused, you sent people to kill me. Do you remember now?"

Yamamoto’s eyes still held confusion; he had pursued too many people to remember this particular one.

Eden was not surprised at all. He had altered his appearance slightly, so it was understandable that Yamamoto didn’t recognize him, "Let me remind you, four years ago, Tokyo, Noda Miko."

Mr. Yamamoto immediately remembered, "You’re Doctor Eden."

"Correct, that’s me. Unexpected to see me here, isn’t it? I suppose you regret not having killed me back then? For all these years, I’ve been seething inside. Just for refusing to save someone I didn’t want to save, I was hunted down, nearly costing me my life, it feels like such an injustice. Every time I think of it, I still grind my teeth in hatred. Mr. Yamamoto, how do you think this matter should be resolved?"

Noda Miko was Mr. Yamamoto’s wife, who, four years prior, was targeted for revenge and teetered on the brink of death. At that time, Doctor Eden’s medical skills were well known in the underworld, and he happened to be in country R for some business. Upon learning that Eden was in country R, Mr. Yamamoto sent for him to treat Noda Miko, only to be rejected by Eden.

As Noda Miko died because she didn’t receive timely treatment, Mr. Yamamoto blamed her death on Doctor Eden for not saving her and harbored a murderous intent towards him, sending people to assassinate him. After a great deal of effort, Eden managed to escape from country R and hadn’t set foot there for many years.

Mr. Yamamoto wanted to take revenge on Doctor Eden, but regrettably, though famous for his medical skills in the underworld, Doctor Eden was elusive and difficult to find. After searching for some time, Mr. Yamamoto gave up, only to unexpectedly encounter him here.

"Doctor Eden, are you delivering yourself to my doorstep now?" Mr. Yamamoto’s lips curled up slightly.

Eden smiled, "Mr. Yamamoto, I should be saying that to you. Look at your current situation. My men outnumber yours by twice. To wait for you, my brothers haven’t had a good rest in days."

Mr. Yamamoto’s eyes narrowed slightly. "knew I was coming?"

"Of course I knew. I not only knew you were coming, but I also knew when you arrived, how many men you brought, and what weapons you’re equipped with," Eden said with a smile.

Mr. Yamamoto felt a sudden sinking feeling in his heart. His trip had been completely confidential, with nobody within their organization aware of it. How could Eden possibly know, and be waiting for him here? Was this a coincidence or was there a traitor among them?

Soon enough, Eden unveiled the answer for him, "To be able to meet Mr. Yamamoto in such a manner, I must thank Mrs. Jin. If she hadn’t informed Leader Lane about Mr. Yamamoto’s visit, how could we have properly hosted Mr. Yamamoto?"

Mr. Yamamoto never expected this person to be Qin Yan. He had collaborated with Qin Yan for many years, their interests deeply intertwined. What could Qin Yan possibly stand to gain by doing this?

"I know Mr. Yamamoto finds it hard to believe, considering your many years of collaboration with Mrs. Jin, but we all make our living from the same bowl. Mr. Yamamoto surely understands that there are only eternal interests, no eternal friends. Mr. Yamamoto, you’ve dominated the market of country R for so long and provided such little profit margin, Mrs. Jin has long felt resentful. This time, she partnered with Leader Lane, and one of her conditions was to hand over half of the market of country R to Leader Lane. Why wouldn’t Leader Lane agree?"

Eden’s words also served to explain the reason for Qin Yan’s actions. Mr. Yamamoto’s face darkened as he clenched his teeth in anger against Qin Yan. He had come in good faith to help, and this woman dared to scheme against him from behind.

Mr. Yamamoto believed Eden’s words immediately. In this underworld, it’s difficult to truly trust someone, especially for people like Mr. Yamamoto and Qin Yan, whose relationship was bound by mutual interests.

The rift between Qin Yan and Mr. Yamamoto had been widened by a phone call Qin Yan made just before, mentioning Mei. Eden and Jin Enxi had decided on the spot to exploit that. Only if the relationship between the two collapsed would Mr. Yamamoto no longer believe what Qin Yan said. So even if Qin Yan had the chance to reveal Shen Qinglan’s identity to Mr. Yamamoto, he might not believe it.

"So you intend to hold me here now?" Mr. Yamamoto looked at Eden and said in a deep voice.

"Uh, you could say that."

Mr. Yamamoto laughed, "Do you think with just these people you can hold me?"

"You could try." Eden smiled as the scalpel in his hand suddenly flew towards Mr. Yamamoto, who instinctively dodged. The man standing in front of him was pierced through the heart by the scalpel.

Gunshots rang out in the dark night. Mr. Yamamoto dodged while returning fire. This was Leader Lane’s stronghold, outnumbering and better armed than Mr. Yamamoto’s men. Mr. Yamamoto was quickly overwhelmed.

Subordinates protected Mr. Yamamoto as they retreated, with their losses accelerating swiftly. By the time Mr. Yamamoto escaped to a safe place at the cost of most of his men, only three were left by his side. He clutched his own arm, where Doctor Eden had shot him, and blood was seeping out. His shoulder was also bleeding at that moment.

"Boss, let’s hurry and leave now. If they catch up to us, we’ll be in trouble," one of the subordinates urged anxiously.

Mr. Yamamoto’s face darkened with anger. The losses this time had been heavy, and he had Qin Yan to thank for it all. Thinking of her, his face turned ashen. He took out his phone to call Qin Yan, but the call wouldn’t connect, which further confirmed his suspicions of Qin Yan conspiring with Leader Lane to set him up.

"Damn woman, we’re going back right away, and then I’ll have all the forces under this woman’s control within R country completely eradicated," Mr. Yamamoto said viciously, but the movement aggravated his wound, and blood flowed out even faster.

"Yes."

****************

In the hotel room, Qin Yan was still waiting for Leader Lane’s response. Leader Lane smiled, "Mrs. Jin, you are quite daring. To show my sincerity, I will do this deal with you, and the price will be half of the market value."

"Leader Lane is truly generous. I wonder if we’ll have the chance to work together again in the future?" Qin Yan pressed her advantage.

Leader Lane smiled lightly, "That will depend on Mrs. Jin’s sincerity going forward." He did not give Qin Yan a definite answer.

Qin Yan was not in a hurry. Leader Lane clapped his hands, and the door was pushed open again. A woman came in, carrying several glasses of wine.

"Mrs. Jin, now that we’ve reached a collaboration, we should still celebrate. This champagne I just acquired is perfect for today’s occasion. Surely you won’t refuse, will you?" Leader Lane stood up, taking the lead to lift a glass from the tray.

Qin Yan laughed lightly, picking up a glass and just as she was about to clink glasses with Leader Lane, he pressed her hand down, "Wait a moment, Mrs. Jin. Today is a joyful day, so let’s let these two share in our happiness as well." Leader Lane was referring to a man and a woman following behind Qin Yan.

There were four more glasses on the tray, clearly prepared for the remaining people. Qin Yan smiled, "Of course."

With Qin Yan’s approval, the two of them then picked up their glasses.

"You two, come over as well," Leader Lane called Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi.

Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi approached, their fingers barely touching the glasses when Qin Yan narrowed her eyes and spoke, "Wait."

Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi froze in place.

"Is there a problem, Mrs. Jin?" Leader Lane asked.

Instead of answering him, Qin Yan looked at the hands of Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi, "How rough are the hands of this beauty, looking just like a man’s."

Shen Qinglan’s hands had been treated to look rough, and even though they were made smaller, at a glance, they still looked like a man’s. But Fu Hengyi was different; his hands were calloused from years of handling guns. No amount of disguise could change it much, especially when next to Shen Qinglan’s hands, his appeared even larger.