Two days later, a long black car slowly stopped in front of Huo Corporation.
Liang Zhen sat in the driver's seat, steady and expressionless as always. Four other black vehicles were positioned in front of and behind the main car in neat formation, forming an imposing convoy.
The car doors opened.
Shen Mingshan stepped out first.
Right after him, Shen Yueran came down from the other side.
Grandfather and granddaughter stood side by side in matching black suits. Shen Mingshan looked calm and dignified, carrying the air of an old man who had seen countless storms in life. Beside him, Shen Yueran was young, beautiful, and sharp. Her black suit outlined her figure cleanly, making her look both elegant and dangerous at the same time.
The two of them walked forward together with natural swagger, as if they were not here to discuss business, but to inspect their own territory.
The doors of the cars behind them also opened one after another.
Several men in black and white suits got out and followed behind them. Some of them had tattoos visible on their necks or the backs of their hands. They were veteran members of Mingxiao Hall. In the past, they had followed Shen Mingshan through the underworld. Now, on the surface, they were the security staff and bodyguards under Mingxiao Security.
Even so, the fierce aura in their bones had never truly disappeared.
Just one glance was enough for others to know that these men were not ordinary bodyguards.
Xu Chen had already been waiting there since morning.
The moment he saw the convoy arrive, his back straightened immediately. He quickly stepped forward and greeted them politely.
"Old Master Shen. Miss Shen. Welcome. I am Xu Chen."
Shen Mingshan gave him a calm glance and nodded lightly.
Shen Yueran, however, looked at him from head to toe without the slightest restraint. Her lips curved into a lazy smirk.
The smile was not wide.
But the meaning behind it was enough.
Xu Chen's face stiffened at once.
The moment he saw that smirk, the memory of being ruthlessly scolded by her before instantly flashed through his mind.
That scene had already become something he would never forget in this lifetime.
He silently told himself to stay calm.
He absolutely could not offend this woman again.
"This way, please," Xu Chen said respectfully.
Under his lead, Shen Mingshan and Shen Yueran walked toward the entrance of Huo Corporation.
The moment they stepped inside, they immediately attracted countless gazes.
Xu Chen's status inside Huo Corporation was extremely high. As Huo Chengye's right-hand man, almost everyone in the company knew him. It was already rare enough to see him. Yet now, not only was he receiving them, he was doing so with obvious respect.
Naturally, this was enough to shock the employees.
But that was not the end of it.
Behind the old man and the young woman followed several intimidating men in suits, all with the kind of presence that made people instinctively want to keep their distance.
Some even looked like gang members rather than normal security staff.
The entire lobby became strangely quiet for a moment.
Then whispers began spreading in every direction.
Who are these people?"
"Why is Assistant Xu personally bringing them inside?"
"Are those bodyguards? Why do they look like they came straight out of some underworld movie?"
"And that woman… she's so beautiful."
Curious gazes swept over Shen Mingshan, the men behind him, and most of all, Shen Yueran.
Her face was dazzling, her black suit was neat and sharp, and the way she walked carried a wild confidence that stood out completely from the refined office environment around her.
Xu Chen naturally noticed the commotion around them.
His mouth twitched slightly.
For a second, he could not help but think, Are they here to discuss a business deal… or are they here to buy the whole company?
Still, he kept those thoughts buried in his heart and continued leading the way with a straight face.
Soon, they arrived outside the meeting room.
Shen Yueran stopped and turned toward the men following behind them.
"Stand by here," she said calmly. "Wait for us to return."
"Yes, young leader" the men answered immediately.
Shen Yueran opened the door and stepped aside.
"Grandpa."
Shen Mingshan walked in first with his hands behind his back, and the others followed.
Inside the meeting room, Huo Chengye was already there.
He sat at the main seat like a man who was born above everyone else. His face was cold and his entire body carried a powerful oppressive aura. Behind him stood Han Rui silently.
Another one of Huo Chengye's subordinates. He usually handled security, protection, and other miscellaneous matters.
From the moment Shen Yueran stepped into the room, Huo Chengye's eyes had already settled on her.
Xu Chen silently stood to one side after entering.
As usual, Shen Yueran did not care in the slightest who was sitting in front of her.
Whether it was Huo Chengye or anyone else, it made no difference to her.
She walked directly ahead of Shen Mingshan, pulled out the chair for him, and waited for him to sit down first.
Only after the old man sat did she stand by his side, straight and quiet, looking as if she had no intention of sitting at all.
A pair of cold eyes watched the entire scene.
Then Huo Chengye finally looked at Shen Mingshan and spoke in his low, calm voice.
"Old sir, you raised your granddaughter well."
His gaze shifted briefly toward Shen Yueran before returning to the old man.
"Look at how disciplined she is. As I thought, the conditions proposed before were reasonable. I also heard she is very capable at this job."
He paused slightly, then continued, "I also heard about what happened at the club. It was our people's mistake first. So, I apologize for it."
The meeting room became quiet.
Xu Chen widened his eyes and tried to control his expression
Han Rui remained expressionless, but his heart was not calm either.
Only Shen Yueran looked completely unmoved, as if the apology had nothing to do with her.
Shen Mingshan's mouth twitched slightly. Disciplined? For a moment, even he found it hard to connect that word with Shen Yueran.
Still, hearing someone praise her in front of him naturally made him feel a little pleased.
No matter what, this was the child he had raised with his own hands.
The old man looked at Huo Chengye again.
His impression of the young man improved slightly.
At least this boy knew how to speak. He also knew how to take responsibility instead of pretending nothing had happened.
After a moment, Shen Mingshan said, "Young man, it was also this girl's fault. She should have handled things in a different way instead of directly using violence."
His gaze swept once more over Shen Yueran, who still stood there without shame or guilt, as if he was talking about someone else entirely.
Then the formal discussion finally began.
Once the apology was out of the way, both sides shifted to the actual matter of cooperation between Huo Corporation and Mingxiao Security.
Shen Mingshan spoke steadily, his voice carrying the sharpness of age and experience. Huo Chengye replied with calm precision. The two of them moved through the discussion cleanly, one question and one answer, quickly touching upon the important details of future cooperation.
Throughout the discussion, Shen Yueran remained quietly by Shen Mingshan's side.
From time to time, her eyes swept across the room, but her expression remained casual, almost bored. Yet anyone with eyes could tell that although she looked lazy, she had heard every single word clearly.
Huo Chengye noticed this too.
The more he watched her, the deeper the strange interest in his eyes became.
This woman was truly different every time he saw her.
Outside, she could beat people half to death without blinking.
In front of Shen Mingshan, she could stand there obediently like a well-behaved junior.
But no matter which side of her it was, none of it felt fake.
It was all her.
Once the important points were almost settled, Huo Chengye finally spoke again.
"Xu Chen."
"Yes, Boss."
"Bring the contract."
Xu Chen responded immediately. He stepped forward without delay, took out the contract that had already been prepared in advance, and respectfully handed it over.
The thick document was placed in front of Shen Mingshan.