Capítulo 25: Chapter 25: The Prey Appears
Ye Qiu always held a sense of admiration for Tang Buyi.
Having lost his wife early on, Tang Buyi remained single, whether due to his career or to protect his daughter from any potential stepmother mistreatment. Despite his status and wealth, he avoided romantic entanglements and instead focused on growing the Tang Group into a prominent business empire.
His behavior had always been upright, so why was there suddenly a close woman by his side?
This thought quickly passed through Ye Qiu's mind. Tang Buyi was a man, after all, and having a private romantic relationship wasn't unusual.
Given the situation, Ye Qiu decided not to approach and greet him. Besides, he was monitoring Jin Haili. Interacting with Tang Buyi now could arouse suspicion and potentially harm Tang Buyi.
As Ye Qiu hesitated, Tang Buyi and his companion walked past without noticing him through the transparent glass.
Finishing his latte, Ye Qiu prepared to order another when a waitress timely brought him a fresh cup, exactly the same as his previous ones.
Puzzled, Ye Qiu looked up at the waitress, who handed him a note with a teasing smile. It read: "You look so lonely and sad drinking coffee. Don't let trivial matters weigh you down; there are many things in life to look forward to."
Frowning? Ye Qiu instinctively touched his face, realizing he must have been lost in thought about Tang Buyi.
"Hehe---"
A soft laugh caught Ye Qiu's attention. Across from him, two girls were watching. One, with wavy hair, covered her mouth as she giggled, perhaps amused by his unintentional expression. The other, with straight, wine-red hair, looked at him shyly, her face slightly flushed.
Both wore light-colored business suits, white collared shirts, and flesh-colored stockings, embodying the office OL (Office Lady) style. This financial district, home to foreign and large domestic enterprises, likely employed them.
Are they interested in me? Ye Qiu wondered.
Dressed in his high-end clothes with an air of nonchalance and the subtle aura from his ring, Ye Qiu knew he was quite a sight. His aura, though faint, was intoxicating to women.
An encounter so soon after arriving in Beijing? This surprised even the self-confident Ye Qiu. Maybe they found his focused gaze attractive?
They say a serious man is the most handsome.
Since he had already started acting mysterious, he decided to continue. He tried to recall a line from Hugo's poetry or Hegel's philosophy that suited the moment.
Before he could settle on one, a black Audi emerged from Jinhai Building's garage, followed by a black Mercedes with the distinctive license plate YAN 111666. Ye Qiu's heart raced—the prey had appeared.
Ye Qiu scribbled "Until we meet again" on the note, instructed the waitress to deliver it to the girls, paid both his bill and theirs, and hurried out.
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean? I admired him, and he runs off like he saw a dinosaur---did I make it that obvious?" a girl's voice called out in frustration, but Ye Qiu had no time to respond.
Hailing a taxi, he instructed the driver to follow Jin Haili's convoy. Jin Haili was cautious, his convoy consisting of an Audi in front and another behind, making him a tough target.
The driver, a burly middle-aged man with a scruffy beard, was reluctant. He knew the cars ahead belonged to someone important and feared the consequences. However, seeing the stack of cash Ye Qiu placed on the dashboard, he swallowed his objections.
"Just follow them from a distance. It won't be dangerous," Ye Qiu assured.
Glancing at the money, the driver reluctantly agreed, not daring to tell Ye Qiu to get out.
Jin Haili lay back in his comfortable seat, his mind restless. Jinhai Group's growth had hit a bottleneck. Land in Beijing was scarce, and competition from well-connected real estate companies was fierce. The government's recent release of 300 acres of land for development was a rare opportunity. Jin Haili needed this land to sustain his company's growth for another two or three years, buying time to strengthen his political connections before expanding further.
His biggest competitor in this bid was Tang Group's subsidiary, Greentown Real Estate. Whether in terms of political connections, company strength, or experience, he wasn't confident of winning.
"I must win," he muttered, his expression darkening.
Suddenly, his secretary, Mr. Qian, received a call. After a brief exchange, he turned to Jin Haili, "Boss, our men have noticed someone following us."
Jin Haili's face darkened further. "Tell them not to alarm the pursuers. We'll cancel our meeting with the client for now. Head to Jinxiu."
"Yes, boss," Mr. Qian replied, dialing the bodyguards behind them.
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