Chapter 18: A Leopard Cannot Change Its Spots

I do not know why, but even at this stage, Third Master still refused to let us stay to care for him, driving the four of us away.

Zhao Xiangbo and his lackeys were still blocking the hallway. Seeing the four of us emerge, they all wore sinister expressions, looking as if they were ready to pounce at any moment.

Blackie walked in the lead, his face dark and sullen as he glared at them.

Little Monkey looked at Zhao Xiangbo, expressionless, and said, "Master wants you and Fourth Brother to go in; he has something to say."

Zhao Xiangbo looked at me with a cold, mocking smile, drew a finger across his throat, and turned to walk into the ward. Cai Lei followed behind him, head bowed.

I scanned the surroundings. It was strange—I still did not see Deng Zhiyong. Why hadn't he come at a time like this?

After leaving the hospital, the mood among the four of us was heavy; we sat in the car in silence. When we were leaving the ward, Third Master had seemed to have something more to say to me and called my name. But when I turned around, he appeared to have changed his mind and waved me away. I kept feeling as if I had missed something, but when I tried to think it through, I couldn't find a lead.

As we neared the company, Little Monkey suddenly said, "Master said that Brother Bo might have been controlled by Pockmark."

"What?" I was taken aback. I looked at him and asked, "Are you sure? Why would Zhao Xiangbo control Deng the Lame?"

Little Monkey shook his head and said, "Master said it, and told me not to investigate. He said Pockmark has become obsessed, straying further and further down a path of no return, and that he can't be pulled back. He told me not to get involved. But I suspect Pockmark wants the men under Brother Bo's command."

I narrowed my eyes.

Sister Yan snorted and said, "Does Zhao Xiangbo want to be the underground boss of Haizhou City?"

Little Monkey nodded. "That's what Master said, too. He intended to handle it himself, but he never expected to be poisoned and hospitalized."

"It's all my fault!" Sister Yan’s eyes reddened again, and she lowered her head in guilt.

Driving the car, I didn't know how to comfort her, but Little Monkey shook his head. "Sister Yan, Master wasn't poisoned by the mushrooms, because I ate those mushrooms too, and I'm fine. The thing that truly poisoned Master was likely that bowl of kelp soup, but Master told me not to say too much. I tried calling their phones yesterday, but no one answered. It took finding many different hospitals before I finally located them. When I saw Six-Fingers, he looked off—he seemed very guilty."

I took a deep breath, looked at Little Monkey, and asked, "Little Monkey, who told you that Blackie's girlfriend was trouble?"

Little Monkey hesitated for a moment before saying, "It was Six-Fingers."

Sister Yan and I nodded. That made sense; we had clearly walked into a trap.

Returning to the shop, even before we stepped through the door, we could hear the sound of feminine chatter and bursts of laughter coming from inside.

Wait, why did this scene feel so familiar?

Sister Yan gave a helpless smile and shook her head.

I walked up the steps with a dark face and saw a large group of people gathered in front of the reception desk—they were all young girls!

Chen Yinan was holding a 90D camera, circling a girl in a floral dress, snapping photos constantly while calling out:

"Excellent! Keep that pose. Don't straighten your upper body; you must strike that reverse arc I just showed you! Yes, that's it! This is your best feature—don't hide it just because you're shy!"

The shameless scoundrel! Telling her to puff out her chest and calling it a "reverse arc!"

I was even more speechless when I looked at the girls. I recognized several of them—well, they were familiar faces. Most were employees from the shops lining both sides of Vientiane Street. We had been neighbors for two years, and we barely exchanged greetings, let alone entered each other's shops.

I had left this "butt-obsessed guy" to watch the shop for just one morning, and he had dragged in the majority of the female staff from Vientiane City!

Seeing us return, Chen Yinan clapped his hands and said, "Alright, beauties, the boss is back, and we have work to do. Let's take more photos later!"

The group of women seemed unsatisfied, pouting and glaring at us as if we had ruined their fun, before saying reluctant goodbyes to Chen Yinan.

Once they were gone, I snapped at Chen Yinan, "What the hell are you doing?"

Chen Yinan laughed, tucked his camera into its case, and said, "Idle hands, you know? Just taking some photos for the ladies. It was free today, but I'll be charging from now on!"

I yelled at him, fuming, "Are you sick? What do you think this place is?"

I was already in a bad mood, and seeing this great Casanova flirting and dallying the moment I walked in made me even angrier. This guy had just broken up with his girlfriend and been kicked out of his home, yet after a single night, he had forgotten it all and reverted to his old ways! Was he just thick-skinned, or was it a case of "a leopard never changes its spots"?

I actually find such men repulsive. Perhaps due to the psychological shadow cast from my childhood, I take relationships very seriously. When it comes to my partner, I believe that if you choose to be together, you must love, cherish, and protect her with all your heart, never letting her suffer a grievance. My greatest wish in this life is to find a reliable man for Sister Yan who can take care of her forever and keep her happy. I don't want her to end up like my mother, who married two men, both of whom were scum.

I kept Chen Yinan on because he was "clean" in his physical habits, but that didn't mean his mindset could be filthy. If someone just likes to flirt and dally, staying "clean" only to avoid responsibility, then that person is still scum.

Chen Yinan paused, seemingly surprised by my outburst, and asked with a smile, "What's wrong, Stone?"

I stared at him with a stern face and said, "Chen Yinan, I hope you remember one thing: I run a legitimate business, not a brothel! You might enjoy this lifestyle and find it casual and relaxing, but others might not see it that way, even if they aren't your girlfriend. I don't want your so-called 'charming' behavior to turn my place into a chaotic mess, forcing me to deal with this sordid nonsense every single day!"

"Stone!" Sister Yan whispered, and Blackie and Little Monkey also looked as if they didn't dare to breathe; they rarely saw me lose my temper.

I ignored them, keeping my gaze fixed and gloomy on Chen Yinan.

I had expected this guy to get angry and walk out, refusing to work here anymore. After all, the salary wasn't particularly high for Haizhou, and with his skills, it wouldn't be hard for him to find another way to make a living.

To my surprise, he simply nodded and said, "Understood, Second Boss. I'll be careful in the future. By the way, here is the morning's revenue, and here are the business cards designed and printed for free by the ad agency across the street. It's all here, keep it safe!"

Seeing the thick stack of cash he pulled from the reception desk drawer, along with two boxes of business cards, I was stunned.

What was going on?

There was at least fifty or sixty thousand in that stack. What had he done in a single morning to earn so much? And what was the deal with these business cards?

Holding the cash Chen Yinan had shoved into her hands, Sister Yan asked in astonishment, "Ah Nan, did you sell the shop?"

"Of course not!" Chen Yinan laughed and told her, "I took on a few apprentices this morning, and most of this is the tuition fee. I'm a member of our Yan Hui Company now, so this counts as company income—I didn't keep a cent for myself! Also, a few girls from nearby shops are going through breakups and are struggling to move on—they're acting like they can't go on living. They had no idea that Sister Yan is right here, specializing in psychological counseling! I went ahead and booked appointments for them. Here is the list and the schedule; you can decide how to handle it. As for the business cards, our company needs to expand, and we can't do without these! I had three boxes printed, and I already handed out one box to those beauties earlier!"