Chapter 396: Song Xiaotan Translator: Tim Editor: GlobeGlotter

After leaving Wu Tong Bar, Shi Xiu felt as if the day hadn't been real. He never imagined that in a few hours, he could go from having nowhere to go to becoming a deputy vice-mayor—something he'd never dared dream of.

“Ye Mo, I—” Shi Xiu was too excited to speak.

He knew Ye Mo could easily help him get revenge, but Ye Mo only arranged for his vice-mayor position, leaving the revenge to him. Shi Xiu was grateful. Though his friends had abandoned him, one remained. Taking personal revenge on his parents' killers was the best outcome anyway, and surprisingly, he wouldn't even have to manage it himself. Because of one sentence from Ye Mo, Qiu Zhongxin had already eliminated Tong Jie and his family.

Ye Mo patted Shi Xiu’s shoulder. “Don’t worry; at Ning Hai University, you were the only one who helped me. Now, it’s only right I help you. I don’t understand politics, so you need to rely on yourself, but if you’re mistreated, tell me.”

Shi Xiu clenched his fist.

“Ye Mo, I didn’t help you much. If you have time, I’d like to treat you to dinner at Ju Wei Lou again. I can pay this time.” The shadow in Shi Xiu’s heart lifted. Remembering their time at Ning Hai University, eating with a free coupon, brightened his mood.

“Of course! Regarding politics, Wu Ze is experienced. He can help, but don’t be soft on him if he gives you a hard time,” Ye Mo advised, sensing Shi Xiu’s sometimes poor political instincts.

Shi Xiu nodded. He’d been in a daze at Wu Tong Bar, unable to connect with Li Chunsheng, Zhou Ping, and the others. That could wait.

“By the way, Ye Mo, how will you bring Luo Yue into Xi Tong Town?” Shi Xiu finally asked.

Ye Mo smiled. “Because Luo Yue is my company! If you don’t want politics, join my company.”

“What?!” Shi Xiu was shocked. He knew Luo Yue Corporation—it was better than a money-printing machine.

After a long while, Shi Xiu sighed. “Ye Mo, I didn’t think you’d achieve so much so quickly. I’m proud of you.”

Ye Mo touched his chin. If not for collecting herbs, he wouldn’t have created the company, which meant little to him.

“Ye Mo, I want to go to Beijing,” Shi Xiu said, a struggle in his eyes.

Ye Mo knew he was thinking of Tan Tan, who was studying in Beijing. Even with his newfound power, he couldn’t abandon the girl he loved, despite her betrayal.

“Need me to go with you?” Ye Mo wouldn’t have tried to dissuade him before. He hated betrayal.

But now, he didn’t stop him. Tan Tan was to Shi Xiu what Ning Qingxue was to him. Though Ning Qingxue had forgotten and even detested him, Ye Mo couldn’t forget her. It wasn’t betrayal, but he understood Shi Xiu’s feelings.

“Why aren’t you stopping me?” Shi Xiu looked at Ye Mo strangely. He expected Ye Mo to dissuade him.

He knew he shouldn’t go, but he couldn’t help it. Tan Tan hadn’t betrayed him during his darkest hours. He couldn’t understand why she did so now.

“I think she might have had a reason…” Ye Mo fell silent, suddenly wanting to see Ning Qingxue. Perhaps he should talk to her.

Luo Ying seemed to have disappeared; if Ning Qingxue left him too, he’d be truly lonely. So what if she didn’t remember? He remembered her searching for him in Shen Nong Jia.

“Go check on her then,” Ye Mo murmured.

“You won’t have to go to her school. Tan Tan is in that sports car,” Ye Mo pointed to a nearby red sports car.

Shi Xiu exclaimed, recognizing Tan Tan’s car. He hailed a taxi and followed. Ye Mo, fearing for Shi Xiu, followed as well.

The red car stopped outside a bar, a familiar one—the bar he’d been to with Yun Bing, where he’d seen Nie Shuangshuang and Zhuo Yangqing.

A fat man pulled Tan Tan into the bar. Shi Xiu clenched his fists and followed, Ye Mo sighing behind him.

Before the door closed, the fat man shouted, “Song Xiaotan, you think you’re worth that much? You’re a worn-out shoe!”

Bang! The door slammed shut; a girl’s scream followed.

Shi Xiu kicked the door open. Tan Tan had a red handprint on her face, her clothes ripped.

The fat man wasn’t unscathed; he had an ashtray smashed on his head. They seemed to be arguing over money.

“Why are you here? Leave!” Song Xiaotan yelled hysterically, not wanting Shi Xiu to see her like this.

Shi Xiu smashed a nearby trash can on the fat man’s head. The fat man threw Song Xiaotan to the floor and charged at Shi Xiu.

As the fat man was about to hit Shi Xiu, Song Xiaotan went crazy, smashing the fat man’s head with the ashtray.

Ye Mo watched, speechless.

Security pulled them apart.

“Ye Mo, you’re here too?” Shi Xiu noticed him.

Ye Mo nodded silently; police had arrived.

“What happened—” A short policeman began, then quieted, recognizing Ye Mo. He remembered Ye Mo telling him to “piss off” a year ago; if not for a colleague, he might be in jail. He saw the man he least wanted to see.

The fat man wiped his head and pointed at Song Xiaotan. “This bitch cheated me out of 480,000 and smashed my head with an ashtray.”

“Tell us properly,” said the other officer, strangely looking at his partner, who acted unusually meek.

The fat man said, “She agreed to sleep with me, but before, she demanded 480,000. What woman is worth that much for one night?”

“So you were hiring a prostitute?” the officer asked casually, noticing his partner’s fear of Ye Mo, who stood by Shi Xiu, clearly involved. His questioning sided with Song Xiaotan.

The fat man screamed, “No, it was a mutual agreement.”

“If it was mutual, why are her clothes ripped?”

The fat man stammered, “Asking for that much, of course I disagreed.”

“So you were going to rape her?” the short policeman asked seriously.

“Why are you interrogating me like this? I could get you fired!” the fat man yelled.

Shi Xiu pulled Song Xiaotan up, his eyes red. “Tan Tan, did you try to get 480,000 to pay my debt?”

Song Xiaotan looked down, rubbing her eyes, saying nothing.