Clenching his fists tightly, Xu Zhi's mind was filled with Jiang Cheng's face—seemingly gentle, yet actually sinister.
In a situation where he was filled with hatred but unable to take revenge, he instantly lost all strength in his body from anger.
Finally, he collapsed heavily into his chair.
The cigarette at his fingertips rolled onto the expensive carpet, burning a charred black hole, yet he was completely oblivious to it.
His chest heaved violently, every breath bringing a burning pain, but that towering hatred did not diminish in the slightest; instead, it grew more intense under the catalysis of despair.
At this moment, his expensive custom suit was wrinkled beyond recognition.
Bloodshot streaks filled his eyes, making him look like a cornered beast driven to a dead end.
Elder Zhao's threat was still ringing in his ears.
Those powerful figures who had lost money following him would not let the matter rest.
He had drained 15 billion from the Xu Family's industrial cash flow; his father would find out sooner or later.
His only remaining chip now was the intricate web of connections in Kyoto—those hidden powers that could suppress Jiang Cheng.
He jerked his head up, a flash of crazed ruthlessness in his eyes.
"Jiang Cheng... if you won't let me live..." He clenched his fists so hard his nails dug into his flesh, drawing blood, "Then don't even think about having it easy!"
He turned and grabbed the satellite phone on the desk. His fingers trembled slightly from excessive excitement, yet he precisely dialed a string of numbers.
"Immediately! Get a private jet ready for me right now, destination Kyoto! In ten minutes, I want to see that plane on standby on the tarmac! If anyone dares to delay for a single second, I'll skin them alive!"
After giving the orders, an extreme and dangerous thought surfaced in his mind.
He grabbed another phone that he almost never used and dialed a number with no saved name and a noisy background.
"Hello? It's me. Over at Kyoto's Rear Sea area, Jiang Cheng's Courtyard House. The specific location, the security situation... Yes, I want it tonight."
"Find a few more 'clean-handed' and 'gutsy' fellows... Wait for my word."
His roar echoed in the empty office. The burn mark from the cigarette on the carpet grew larger and larger, much like his currently shattered life.
Hanging up the satellite phone, he stumbled to his feet.
The roar of the private jet would soon resound across the tarmac, but—
"Jiang Cheng..." Xu Zhi gritted his teeth, chewing the name to pieces, "You think winning for a moment means winning for a lifetime? You haven't seen just how deep the waters of the beijing circle are!"
He grabbed his coat from the back of the chair and rushed out of the office without looking back.
At this moment, the screen in his hand was still lit up.
On it was the final notification from the brokerage: Forced liquidation complete. Account debt is 23.7 billion, reported to the credit system.
At nine o'clock in the evening, Wang Yuyan returned to the Courtyard House.
As she walked toward the indoor pool, she happened to see Xia Li standing quietly by the poolside, her gaze fixed on the person in the water.
Following Xia Li's line of sight, she saw Jiang Cheng lying on his back on the water's surface, his arms stretched out as he paddled.
Water droplets slid down his well-defined shoulders and neck, and the smooth lines of his abdomen were faintly visible through the ripples.
His firm abdominal muscles rippled slightly with his movements, exuding a lazy yet powerful sexiness.
Wang Yuyan lightened her steps as she walked over to stand side-by-side with Xia Li.
Neither spoke; only the sound of the water in the pool flowed gently through the quiet space.
However, before long, Wang Yuyan noticed her ears were burning.
Mainly because Jiang Cheng was simply too well-endowed.
These swim trunks were a bit tight.
It wasn't just a matter of size anymore.
It was practically sticking out... So how long had Xia Li been standing here watching?
From the corner of her eye, she noticed Xia Li's profile was also quietly tinged with a faint red. In that cold temperament of hers, there was a rare, nearly imperceptible trace of awkwardness.
It wasn't until Jiang Cheng flipped over and swam toward the other end of the pool that Wang Yuyan snapped out of it. She smiled to break the silence and took the initiative to speak: "Butler Xia, thank you for your hard work."
Hearing Wang Yuyan call her 'Butler', Xia Li's brow couldn't help but twitch.
She wasn't a sensitive person, but she tended to overthink things when facing Wang Yuyan.
Perhaps it was because Wang Yuyan's scope of work overlapped with hers; when Wang Yuyan was around, she felt her own role became somewhat diminished.
"You're back? Do you need me to prepare some food for you?"
The moment Xia Li turned around, Wang Yuyan's eyes somehow landed on the Bvlgari necklace above her V-neck maid outfit.
Upon seeing it, her pupils even contracted almost imperceptibly.
Almost simultaneously, Xia Li noticed her gaze. Her body instinctively shifted to the side, and her shoulders dropped slightly, as if trying to hide the necklace on her neck more discreetly.
The tips of her ears also turned a faint red.
Her fingers hanging at her side moved almost imperceptibly.
She was someone who had emerged from a world of blades and shadows; she was long accustomed to hiding all emotions beneath an icy surface.
So even if she was flustered inside, there was no sign of panic or avoidance on her face.
Her back remained ramrod straight, with only a very slight flicker in the depths of her eyes.
This was the first gift she had ever received in her life.
Although Jiang Cheng had said she was worthy of it, for some reason, now that the gift had been discovered, she couldn't help but feel a sense of flustered unworthiness in her heart.
This was probably an inferiority complex rooted in her bones...
After Jiang Cheng put it on her yesterday, she had taken it off once she returned to her room.
However, when Jiang Cheng came back just now, he asked her why she wasn't wearing it.
In order not to make Jiang Cheng overthink it, she had put it on tonight.
This small dodging movement instantly made everything clear to Wang Yuyan.
As someone who had served as a high-end villa butler herself...
She naturally had to have a certain amount of research into luxury goods.
While those in their line of work might not easily afford luxury goods, they had to understand them.
After all, most of the people they served were high-end individuals.
Not only did they have to manage the clients' daily needs, but sometimes they even had to help them safeguard valuables.
So with just one look, Wang Yuyan recognized that this wasn't a common Bvlgari necklace worth twenty or thirty thousand.
It was the Bvlgari Divas' Dream collection from their brand.
The necklaces in this collection are embellished with gemstones and diamonds, so they are generally designed to be quite magnificent.
It wasn't an everyday piece, so its price was relatively high.
Generally between fifty thousand and two hundred thousand yuan.
Those working as high-end butlers in their industry valued being low-key and appropriate above all else.
Given someone of Jiang Cheng's caliber, Xia Li's salary would certainly not be low.
Wearing a twenty-thousand-yuan Bvlgari wouldn't be much of an issue.
But even if one's salary was generous enough to buy luxury goods, they would never wear such a lavish necklace starting at over a hundred thousand yuan while working.
For Xia Li to openly wear this necklace while acting as a butler, there was only one answer.
Thinking this, Wang Yuyan's gaze accurately shifted to Jiang Cheng, who was currently swimming back and forth in the pool.
A complex look of scrutiny flashed quickly through her eyes, but she immediately returned to her gentle appearance. She withdrew her gaze and said calmly, "No need to trouble yourself, I already ate while I was out."
After saying that, Wang Yuyan naturally reached out and took the bath towel Xia Li had prepared.
"Has Jiang Cheng eaten?"
Following Wang Yuyan's gaze, Xia Li glanced at Jiang Cheng in the pool, then nodded slightly.
Her voice was clear and calm, devoid of any emotion: "Young Master Jiang has eaten. I'll go and rest then. If you need anything, just call me."