Chapter 1: The Office's Unspoken Rules...

  "Come find me for help, but what can I do?" Yang Zongbao didn't think it was shameful to refuse a woman.

  "It's also possible she had a soft spot when framing you. Come over for hot pot." Zhou Yi arranged.

  "Can we eat it?" Yang Zongbao looked at the red soup mixture boiling on the electromagnetic stove and hesitated to say.

  "Nonsense, I bought ready-made hot pot seasoning, Little Fat Sheep, it's delicious." Zhou Yi threw in a few leaves first.

  Yang Zongbao was not interested in vegetarian dishes, a few pieces of cabbage leaves couldn't satisfy his appetite. So he poured the whole bag of mutton into the pot: "You're very familiar with this, I didn't even know my family had an induction cooker, such high-end goods."

  "Master, you're also too fond of eating meat, right? How is it that you didn't eat well during the New Year?" Zhou Yi stared in shock as he watched Yang Zongbao continuously devouring the lamb from the pot. He couldn't help but exclaim, "Looking at him, no wonder he's a formidable figure - his chopstick skills are too fast and accurate!" With one swift motion of his chopsticks, a patch of empty space appeared on the surface of the soup. His eating speed was quick, but not unrefined. This made Zhou Yi's unwarranted admiration for Yang Zongbao even more intense.

  "No, I hardly smelled any meat flavor. You're pretty good."

  Because of Yang Zongbao's praise, Zhou Yi's mouth corners rose to his ears, as if he had received great affirmation: "Woo, Master, after being with you for so long, this is the first time I've heard such kind words."

  "Scram." Yang Zongbao's right hand stopped Zhou Yi from approaching, while his left hand continued to hold the chopsticks and pick up meat. The action was smooth and uninterrupted.

  "Huh? Master, you're left-handed?" Zhou Yi exclaimed as if he had discovered a new continent.

  "Hmm, but later I felt that when eating at a table, everyone uses their right hand, and only you use your left hand, it's not harmonious, so I changed to avoid chopstick fights." Yang Zongbao patiently explained while eating.

  "Wow, impressive." Zhou Yi returned to his position, dejected, and started picking vegetables with his left hand, looking rather comical.

  Yang Zongbao had no choice but to let his apprentice be and just went along with it.

  A hot pot feast with Yang Zongbao lasted for a full hour, and two catties of mutton were stuffed into his belly before he felt somewhat full. He had a cup of chrysanthemum tea, instructed Zhou Yi to clean up the remaining dishes, and sat by the floor-to-ceiling window, looking at documents.

  Zhou Yi put down his things and saw Yang Zongbao reading a book in his hand, but he didn't disturb him. He chose a book from the study room and quietly started reading, only to soon fall asleep.

  Yang Zongbao is reading human anatomy, reviewing the old to know the new. Even though he has read it countless times before, he still looks at it tirelessly. He almost remembers everything, so flipping through it only takes a few hours.

  When he finally turned over the last page, Yang Zongbao stretched his waist and exercised his stiff back. The corner of his eye caught Zhou Yi wiping away a tear.

  Hesitated for a moment, still walked towards the gate and pulled it open.

  "Please, help me." Mei Wenxin didn't leave at all, standing still at the doorway.

  "I have no money and no power, I can't help you." Yang Zongbao blocked the door, he didn't want this woman to rush in and linger in his home, that kind of annoying thing.

  "No, no, no..." Mei Wenxin hastily waved her hand: "Huang Tianpeng said that as long as you go see him, it will be written off with a single stroke."

  "Me going to see him?" Yang Zongbao felt surprised, did Mei Wenshen still have the face to come and put on a pitiful victim's posture to ask himself to jump into that trap? This conversation didn't sound good at all, was he an idiot? Go see Huang Tianpeng.

  "I'm begging you, go see him. Otherwise, he'll make my video public. Waaah, I'm begging you, help me!"

  Yang Zongbao is now thoroughly disgusted with this woman. What makes her think she can make him risk his life for her, only to shut the door on Mei Wenxin's face again without any emotion?

  "Hasn't that woman left yet?" Zhou Yi rubbed his eyes and stood up, looking like he hadn't woken up yet.

  "I'm not leaving." Yang Zongbao quickly gathered some things and said to Zhou Yi, "Where can I hide? That woman is making such a fuss, I won't be able to take it."

  "Haha, Master also has times when he can't eat his fill. Why don't you stay at my place? The two old folks in my family have gone traveling for the New Year and won't be back until after the 15th of the first month. At home, it's just your old friend Zhou Chuan. How about it? Want to go play around?" Zhou Yi smiled mischievously and said: "But that beautiful Jiao, you can't bear to part with her, right?"

  "It's not worth asking me about, let's go." Yang Zongbao carried his things and walked out the gate with Zhou Yi.

  Mei Wenxi thinks she can keep up.

  Yang Zongbao had no choice but to throw down harsh words: "Do you think you're worth any money, what value do you have that makes me want to help you? Besides, I have nothing to do with you. If there's anything wrong, it's just that I saved you. Why are you clinging to me now? You should have known Huang Tianpeng's character when you got involved with him. We're all adults, we should take responsibility for our own actions. I'm not your toilet paper, nor am I your confidant, nor am I the ghost under your skirt. At most, you're just a bit pretty, but you've already been tainted beyond recognition. What makes you think you can make demands of me? I usually don't speak harshly to girls, but please, for your own sake, save some face."

  Yang Zongbao finished speaking and shook off Mei Wenxin, following Zhou Yi down the elevator.

  "Master, your tongue is very sharp!" Zhou Yi exclaimed sincerely.

  "Hmm, not bad." Yang Zongbao replied absent-mindedly.

  "What a terrible woman." Zhou Yixi sighed.

  "It's good that she didn't follow up to prove that she still has some self-respect."

  "Master, isn't it? Are you going to help?" Zhou Yi exclaimed loudly: "You really plan on going to that date, huh."

  Yang Zongbao ignored Zhou Yi and directly dialed Bao Guo's phone number.

  "Brother Bao, after separating during Chinese New Year, I haven't heard from you. Even if you're busy, you should still accompany your brothers to have a meal."

  As soon as the phone was answered, Baoguo's endless complaints came through.

  "Alright, help me investigate something. What's going on with Huang Tianpeng and Mei Wenshen? Is there some kind of grudge between them?"

  "What's this? So, Brother Bao is interested in that kind of woman?"

  "No, hurry up."

  "Okay, but today the old lady asked me to find you for dinner, you must come, otherwise I won't help you."

  "Alright, pick me up at Zhou Yi's place in half an hour."

  "It's done. Just wait."

  Yang Zongbao put down the phone and found Zhou Yi staring at him with a look of admiration: "What's wrong?"

  "How did he know my home?"

  "Yeah, I guess he has his ways." Yang Zongbao also didn't know why Bao Guo knew Zhou Yi's home.

  "Master, you're not the son of a triad leader, are you?" Zhou Yi said with a wild guess.

  "Get out." Yang Zongbao heavily knocked his head, really wanting to knock him awake.

  "It's not like I'm lying, why are you hitting me? I didn't ask on purpose, and I don't know what you want me to ask. You didn't say anything, how am I supposed to know...?" Zhou Yi kept nagging like a mosquito until they arrived at his house, finally freeing Yang Zongbao's ears.

  Bao Guo had been waiting there for a long time, and as soon as he saw Yang Zongbao, he immediately complained: "Brother Bao, why do you live in such a shabby house? Even parking is not convenient."

  Originally, Zhou Yi's family had a good location, but the entrance of the house with limited parking spaces was destined to be expensive. Plus, Bao Guo drove an X5, so he was really anxious about parking.

  "You look at a mini and you won't have this trouble." Zhou Yi wasn't a thrifty person either.

  "Huh. Little kid from the Zhou family. Not bad, daring to talk back to his brother." Bao Guo wasn't angry either, smiling as he looked at Zhou Yi.

  "Master, he's bullying me..." Zhou Yi had finally found a reliable support and shrank into Yang Zongbao's arms for help.

  But Yang Zongbao's small body couldn't withstand a man's rough handling, and with one slap, he sent Zhou Yi flying to the side.

  "Pack up my luggage."

  Zhou Yi reluctantly took his luggage and went into the house.

  "Brother Bao, this kid needs a good scolding." Bao Guo handed Yang Zongbao a cigarette.

  "Uh-huh, some." Yang Zongbao took over the cigarette and said after taking a puff: "What's the matter?"

  "No big deal. Huang Tianpeng that kid can't afford to lose, so let Mei Wenxin that girl trick you out and then take revenge. I estimate there's a possibility of getting rid of you." Bao Guo said with a sneer.

  "Child's play."

  "Who says it's not? Brother Bao, there aren't many people around you either, it's dangerous. The manager said do you want him to arrange a few people to follow you?"

  "So exaggerated? Never mind, I won't die." Yang Zongbao was alone with his spear, and he wasn't afraid at all.

  "How's it going? Do you know how to deal with that girl now? Do you need me to help?" Baoguo asked.

  "No need, I'll go myself." Having made up his mind, Yang Zongbao prepared to enter Zhou Yi's house.

  "Brother Bao, the old lady is urgently summoning." Baoguo hastily pulled Yang Zongbao.

  "Oh yeah, almost forgot. Lead the way."

  I don't know if it's really forgotten, speechless for the country.

  "Take me with you." Zhou Yi didn't know when he slipped out.

  "Bring him along." Yang Zongbao had other plans.

  "Hmm." Bao Guo didn't say much more and after they got in the car, he stepped on the gas.

  The scenery outside the window retreated all the way, and the only sounds that could be heard inside the car were the friction between the tires and the ground outside, as well as the wind from the air conditioner at the back of the car.

  "Brother Bao, I heard you slapped Sister Xia's face yesterday." Baoguo didn't know why he brought this up.

  "I didn't dare, which means I didn't get on her car." Yang Zongbao said calmly.

  "Did the young lady ask you to get on her car and you refused?" Bao Guo couldn't believe it. Others didn't know, but he did - except for the old lady, no one had ever sat in the young lady's Hummer before. Now she was actually letting Yang Zongbao get in the car, this was a great honor! It turned out that Bao Ge wasn't an ordinary person after all.

  "Who is this 'older sister' you're talking about?" Zhou Yi finally spoke up in a discordant tone.

  "The eldest young lady of the Yang family in this capital city."

  Bao Guo threw out the identity of the eldest sister.

  "Ah, that's a fairy!" Zhou Yi was taken aback: "Master, who are you exactly?" Zhou Yi had known since he started living with Yang Zongbao in Xianglong Country that his master might have some background, but he never thought it would be related to the famous Yang family's eldest daughter.

  "It's probably Xian'er's younger brother."

  Zhou Yi never thought of this in his dreams and was speechless for a moment.

  "Bao Ge, how are you doing this alone?" Bao Guo changed the subject.

  "Everything is easy to handle from the top, but difficult to handle from the bottom. If others don't give you face, why should you give them face? It's like borrowing a knife to kill someone." Yang Zongbao opened the small refrigerator and took out a bottle of green tea.

  "Have you found a good knife?" Baoguo said worriedly: "Ordinary knives can't even cut out blood."

  "This might still require your help. Don't worry, it's absolutely a matter of cutting the cow loose." Yang Zongbao calmly took a sip of green tea.

  "What are you talking about? Why can't I understand anything." Zhou Yi found his voice again, but it was weak and lacking in energy, like someone with kidney deficiency.

  "You don't understand, just wait and see." Baoguo's mouth couldn't say it out loud, where did Bao Ge pick up this nonsense.