“Look, that up ahead is the military faction we’re cooperating with this time. Their base is in Beiping.” Jiang Zijin was discussing matters with Ye Shaohua. “But it depends on what you think.”
Jiang Zijin was referring to one of the major warlords in the north.
Their power wasn’t much weaker than the Tang family’s either.
The Tang family could only provide Ye Shaohua with so many machines for her research—mainly because she was moving a bit too fast. And precisely for that reason, the warlords, who were usually anything but united, had actually managed to pull themselves together for Ye Shaohua’s sake.
“I have no objections.” Ye Shaohua had been observing the people in the hall for quite a while.
She knew that in the near future, this land would face a great war.
This world was just a mission world, yet the people in it were very much alive. She had no intention of stopping the war—some conflicts were simply unavoidable.
Survival of the fittest—no one could escape that.
She couldn’t change the course of fate, but she could leave behind some of the weapons she’d developed. At the very least… it would mean they wouldn’t have to grovel before others, and they’d have some leverage to stand on.
At that moment, Ye Junjin’s husband happened to spot someone from the bureau.
He was busy chatting with them.
“Director Xie, look, about this matter…” He was in the middle of speaking when Ye Junjin and Ye Junwan, standing beside him, suddenly gasped sharply.
Ye Junjin’s husband couldn’t help but frown.
He’d just reminded them not to be rude—how could they forget so quickly?
Jin’er had always been a renowned socialite of Shanghai; she would never do anything so improper.
This was rather strange. He tilted his head and looked in that direction—and naturally, he saw Ye Shaohua.
Xie Jingshan also noticed Ye Shaohua at that moment. Seeing her, he asked, “You know her?”
“You know her too, Director Xie?” Ye Junjin’s husband caught the key point in his words.
“Of course,” Xie Jingshan said, pausing as if unsure how to phrase it. “In just a few short months, she became my superior. Truly, the younger generation is formidable.”
Though he sighed as he spoke, there was no trace of displeasure in his tone at being outranked by a newcomer.
Ye Junjin’s husband could even see the smile on Xie Jingshan’s face.
It proved that Ye Shaohua could navigate the political arena just as easily.
She was a researcher, but no one had ever risen as fast as she had.
Ye Junwan and Ye Junjin naturally heard Xie Jingshan’s words as well. They both looked at Ye Shaohua—if not for the fact that she was still wearing her school uniform and still had the same face, they would have thought she was a completely different person.
But even so, they didn’t dare approach her rashly.
Because the Ye Shaohua before them now was not the calmly composed one they were used to; she was moving through the crowd of dignitaries like a fish in water, her face carrying a confidence they simply couldn’t comprehend.
The three of them momentarily forgot about Xie Jingshan, exchanging glances instead, all seeing the shock and disbelief mirrored in each other’s eyes.
Throughout the entire banquet, they tried several times to get a word in with Ye Shaohua, but there were simply too many people vying for her attention, and she had dedicated guards around her—they couldn’t find an opportunity at all.
“Who is that?” Gu Shuang, the sole son of the northern warlord, had been a troublemaker since childhood.
He’d come to Shanghai with his father this time, also for the city’s famed beauties.
But he’d already seen the so-called famous beauty, Ye Junwan—she was just average, draped in a Western-style dress that looked utterly tiresome.
He’d been completely disinterested, until he spotted another figure at the banquet, and his eyes lit up instantly.
“Who is that?” He tilted his chin up and asked the chief of staff beside him.
The chief of staff knew his young master’s temperament well. He didn’t recognize Ye Shaohua, and in this era, women’s status wasn’t as high as men’s—such matters were common.
“Don’t know,” he shook his head. “But I’ve already sent someone to find out.”
Gu Shuang’s eyes brightened even more. He leaned down and whispered something in the chief of staff’s ear.
The chief of staff, well-accustomed to these kinds of errands, showed no surprise at the request.
Meanwhile, Ye Shaohua had finished her discussions about the research and was escorted out by dedicated personnel. Jiang Zijin and the Jiang family personally saw her to the door and offered to send someone to take her home, but Ye Shaohua declined.
She wasn’t made of clay—she felt the organization was being overly protective.
Ye Junwan and the other two finally found a chance to speak with Ye Shaohua. She looked at her with a strange expression and spoke in a tone that was neither warm nor cold: “Second Sister, so you’re actually this familiar with all these people.”
Just now, when Jiang Zijin had passed by her, he hadn’t even recognized her.
It had suddenly dawned on Ye Junwan—the man didn’t know who she was at all. He’d only paid her bill because she was Ye Shaohua’s sister. All the charm she’d thought she possessed…
In reality, they’d only been looking at her because of Ye Shaohua!
At the thought, anger churned in Ye Junwan’s chest. Especially after everything she’d said last night—no wonder Ye Shaohua had given her that surprised look!
She must have been mocking her, right?
Ye Junjin reached out to take Ye Shaohua’s hand, pretending to be affectionate. “Really, you kept this hidden for so long.”
“No,” Ye Shaohua coolly dodged her hand and looked directly at her. “I didn’t hide it. I told you I was working outside.”
It’s just that no one in the Ye family had ever bothered to ask.
Realizing this, a flash of astonishment crossed Ye Junjin’s face too—who would have thought that what she meant by “working” was this?
Ye Shaohua turned and walked away.
Unbeknownst to her, a group of people had just arrived at the Ye household as she was leaving.
When Ye Shaohua returned home, she found Father Ye and Mother Ye both standing by the gate, looking as if they’d been waiting for her to come back.
A group of soldiers was standing at the entrance too.
Ye Shaohua glanced at them—they weren’t Tang family soldiers.
Aunt Hong, standing nearby, kept signaling her with urgent looks. After all their days together, Ye Shaohua understood—Aunt Hong was telling her to leave immediately.
Ye Shaohua looked away, pretending not to notice.
“Shaohua, you’re just in time. Young Master Gu just came by—he wants you to be his third concubine…” Father Ye immediately stepped forward.
The Ye family had never faced such a situation before, but Gu Shuang’s status was too special. He wasn’t like Tang Qiyun—Gu Shuang was the only son of the northern overlord, and that overlord doted on him endlessly. He was destined to take over the northern territories in the future.
But that wasn’t the main reason Father Ye was wary. The bigger issue was that the north had the First Army Corps.
Although the Tang family was Shanghai’s premier warlord force, that First Army Corps was something he didn’t dare provoke.
Father Ye also hadn’t expected that his second daughter, whom he’d never thought much of, could be of such use. He couldn’t help but feel a complicated mix of emotions.
Ye Shaohua curled her lips in amusement, a hint of mischief glinting in her eyes.
Just as she was about to speak, a chilling voice came from behind her: “Third concubine?”
Father Ye was about to say more to Ye Shaohua when the voice cut him off.
Up close, Gu Shuang found himself even more drawn to Ye Shaohua; the more he looked, the stronger the fire in his chest grew. She felt different from any girl he’d seen before.
Before he could say anything, a fist hard as iron slammed into his jaw.
Gu Shuang let out a startled cry as he reeled backward, blood immediately spilling from his mouth.
The Ye household members, including Mother Ye, were startled by the commotion.
When they saw who had thrown the punch, their jaws dropped even wider.
The guards protecting Gu Shuang immediately rushed to shield him—he was the northern overlord’s only son, and any mistake on their watch would be unforgivable.
Another group moved to restrain Tang Qiyun, but he swept his military cap off his head with one hand and shoved the men aside with the other. Stepping forward with a cold smirk, his voice laced with menace, he said, “Now, say that again. What did you just say?”
Gu Shuang was no coward either—he’d never suffered such a loss in his life.
“Her! That girl! I want her as my third concubine!” He shoved aside the men holding him up and declared outright.
He’d always gotten what he wanted and never knew the meaning of restraint.
In his mind, aside from his father’s orders, there were very few people in this world he couldn’t afford to offend.
Surely he wouldn’t be so unlucky as to run into one of those few just for some unknown woman, would he?
At that, Tang Qiyun didn’t waste another word. He pinned Gu Shuang to the ground and beat him half to death.
He moved so fast that by the time he finished, Gu Shuang’s chief of staff finally snapped out of it.
Now, there was no question—his men had to detain the one who’d injured their young master, or they’d have no way to answer to the northern overlord.
But how could a few ordinary soldiers stand a chance against Tang Qiyun?
“Do you even know whose son our young master is?” the chief of staff asked as he had the barely conscious Gu Shuang carried away.
Having done this sort of thing many times before, they didn’t see anything wrong with their actions.
Most importantly, in these chaotic times of war, who talked about human rights? Whoever had the bigger fist was the law.
The chief of staff looked at Tang Qiyun as if he were already a dead man.
Father and Mother Ye, standing nearby, were dumbfounded too. They never expected Tang Qiyun to resort to violence directly.
And he’d beaten that menace’s son to a pulp—this was going to spell serious trouble for Tang Qiyun…
Tang Qiyun sneered and smoothed down his clothes. “Is that supposed to matter?”
“Matter? You’ve dared to lay a hand on the northern overlord’s only heir,” the chief of staff said, covering his mouth as he glared coldly at Tang Qiyun. “You’re asking for death!”
“Northern overlord?” Tang Qiyun used his cap to pat the dust off his clothes. “Tell Gu Changsheng to come find me. And tell him I’m Tang Qiyun. If he wants revenge, he’s welcome anytime!”
He didn’t say, “My name is Tang Qiyun.”
He said—
“I am Tang Qiyun!”
