Chapter 41 A Dangerous Night

These men clearly knew the terrain much better than Ming Leyao—several times, they nearly caught her.

“Damn it, this little b*tch runs way too damn fast. When I catch her, I swear I’ll beat her to death.”

“Exactly. Gazi, don’t worry, your brothers will find you a new wife. This one doesn’t listen, forget her.”

The men were running out of patience, their faces twisted with malice. The veins on their arms bulged as they chased her closely.

Ming Leyao spotted a corner ahead and picked up her speed. After gaining several dozen meters on them, she turned right, and in the cover of the wall, she suddenly disappeared from sight.

The men behind her, still thinking she was ahead, kept cursing as they ran after her.

Only Fu Wencheng sensed something—that familiar aura… disappeared??

Though suspicious, Fu Wencheng didn’t intend to dig deeper. As long as Yaoyao was safe, that was all that mattered.

While she stayed in the space for a few hours, only a few minutes had passed outside. Ming Leyao wasn’t about to give up her purpose in coming here because of those men. As soon as she came out, she ran back and soon arrived at the black market courtyard. She knocked on the door and slipped inside, quickly locking it behind her.

Ming Leyao had done a big deal with Boss Wan before, which had earned him a hefty profit. His men had shared in the spoils too, so their attitude toward her was practically worshipful.

“Comrade, you’re here! Come in, sit down. It’s so late—are you tired? Thirsty? Hungry? Should I have someone cook you some noodles?”

“No need. I’m short on time. Get your boss out here, quick.”

“Right, right—on it.” The man at the door didn’t dawdle. After bringing Ming Leyao in, he ran to knock on Boss Wan’s room. Though originally annoyed to be woken up, the moment he heard it was the big client, Boss Wan didn’t even bother with clothes or shoes and dashed over.

“Brother, brother, I’ve been waiting for you!”

Ming Leyao wasn’t in the mood for small talk. Since Fu Wencheng said this man was decent and trustworthy, she got straight to the point.

“I heard there’s another black market in Nanxing City, run by someone named Qiu?”

“Brother, what do you mean by this? You think I’ve short-changed you? We’ve done business just fine—don’t tell me you’re jumping ship halfway!”

“Just listen first.”

“Alright, alright, go on.”

The brothers behind him were inwardly baffled—when had their boss ever been this obedient?

“Damn it, on the way over, I ran into a few of Qiu’s men. They tried to block me. Took everything I had to get away. The more I think about it, the more pissed off I get. I’ve been running deals all over the place for years—when have I ever been treated like that? Besides the deal tonight, I want to ask a favor.”

“You… go ahead.”

Boss Wan didn’t want to go up against that Qiu guy—not because he was afraid, but because Qiu was reckless and ruthless. Wan had a bunch of brothers with families to think of, and even if he could send them charging into battle, he couldn’t bear to see their families suffer.

“Tomorrow, leak some news. Say a big merchant from Gangcheng is coming to do a huge deal with you. Then lend me a few of your men just to pose as my bodyguards and act accordingly.”

“You… you’re trying to lure Qiu out?”

“Heh, not just lure him—I want him to get down on his knees and apologize to me.”

“Brother, you’re hardcore…” Boss Wan gave a sincere thumbs-up. He truly respected this young guy’s boldness.

After thinking for a few minutes, Boss Wan realized it wouldn’t cost him much. He’d only be spreading a rumor, and the end result wouldn’t fall on him. As for lending a few guys…

Seeing his hesitation, Ming Leyao knew what he was thinking.

“Relax. They won’t need to fight—just back me up. I guarantee Qiu won’t recognize them as your men.”

“You swear?”

“I swear.”

“Alright. I’ll help you out this time. But you’ve got to make a big deal with me after this.”

“Deal. Once we deal with Qiu, I’ll sell you all the grain I brought.”

The two reached an agreement, and Boss Wan happily went back to bed.

The reason he didn’t doubt Ming Leyao was because he knew Qiu had a hideout near his black market. Essentially, Qiu was spying on him. Most likely, that bastard had discovered the big deal Wan had made with the young man, which was why he sent his people to block him today.

Heh, Qiu, you’ve kicked a steel plate this time.

Ming Leyao returned to the guesthouse at around 3 a.m. She hadn’t made a single cent that night and had been chased all over the place. Naturally, her mood wasn’t great.

Sitting on the bed, she began planning based on what Fu Wencheng had told her.

First, she rummaged through her storage space and found a deep wine-red velvet dress. Though retro and slightly mismatched with this era, no one would question the fashion of someone from Gangcheng.

Next, she pulled out a chestnut-red curly wig and held it up to her head.

Hmm… fair skin really does hide a thousand flaws. Can’t believe I can actually pull off this spicy look?

She also dug out a pair of shiny black heels and a genuine leather handbag.

Perfect. The outer appearance was done. Now for self-defense…

She had never received formal training. Though physically capable, she couldn’t exactly be throwing punches as a high-society beauty from Gangcheng.

After some thought, Ming Leyao remembered a box of small knives she’d bought during a “heroic” phase in her youth. Back then, she idolized martial arts heroes, dreamed of being a gallant heroine.

Looking back, all she could think now was… Forget being a heroine. Can I just start with shrimp-sized courage?

She rummaged through her grandfather’s hidden stash and actually found the box of sharpened throwing knives.

They used to seem cool as hidden weapons. Now, they felt barely big enough to cut fruit.

Still, while not a master, she knew the basics. With time to spare, Ming Leyao immersed herself in practice, training her knife-throwing skill mechanically for several days in the space.

She wasn’t perfect, but she could hit her target 80% of the time—good enough.

She returned to the guesthouse in the afternoon of the next day. Seeing she still had time, she rushed to complete the other task she had come to Nanxing City for.

After several bus transfers and carrying many things, she finally arrived at the Cui residence after passing multiple checkpoints.

She knocked lightly.

The door was opened by Grandma Cui, who had just woken up from her afternoon nap.