Chapter Seventy-One: A New Direction

Xiao Ye explained his plan in detail, and seeing that he had so many of his own thoughts and arrangements, the Red Dragon said no more. When he returned home, he happened to run into Chen Long, who was carrying groceries he’d bought that day. Seeing Xiao Ye, Chen Long greeted him first.

Ever since his leg had improved, Chen Long enjoyed going out for walks. But when Xiao Ye saw both the groceries in his hands and his younger sister at his side, he couldn't help but feel a little curious.

“A Long, shouldn’t your sister still be in school? Even if she’s not, she should have a job, shouldn’t she? Why is it that every time you come back, you both look so free and idle?”

“Who’s idle every day? I’m just covering for my father at work. If you don’t want to see me, I’ll leave.”

“No, no, I was just asking out of curiosity.”

“It’s the winter holiday, big brother. What student goes to class during the winter break?” Chen Long’s sister puffed her cheeks in protest.

Ever since Xiao Ye had helped their family so much, he had long since become the eldest brother of the Chen household.

“And besides, if I don’t have a job, can’t I help you out here? Don’t you need extra hands these days?”

Only then did Xiao Ye feel the full force of a woman’s temper. All these years, he had mostly dealt with elders, superiors, or brothers. Even with the beautiful Red Dragon at his side, there were aspects where Red Dragon’s emotional intelligence fell short.

“All right, all right, don’t be angry. It’s my fault for not knowing,” Xiao Ye conceded after a pause.

“Xiao Rui, could you help me find a few quick and efficient construction workers? I want to build a basement on my side of the house, to store some things.”

“A basement? What are you planning to store?” In an instant, Chen Long’s sister, Xiao Rui, seemed to forget her anger and grew deeply interested in Xiao Ye’s request.

“I’m planning to store some wine and such. After all, this is a grand household. One must be prepared to entertain guests, right?”

Xiao Rui found this explanation quite reasonable and nodded, agreeing with Xiao Ye before turning to head inside.

Without delay, Xiao Ye returned to his room and began sketching out plans for his basement. He intended to design it with three levels: the first as a wine cellar, the second as an exhibition room for valuables, and the third as a storage for his equipment, providing a perfect façade for anyone who might be curious.

After tidying up for quite some time, Xiao Ye realized there was still a lot he needed to purchase. With such a large project, he knew he couldn't manage it alone in a short amount of time.

With no other choice, he decided to head out for supplies himself.

Red Dragon had other matters to attend to and couldn’t accompany him, so Xiao Ye hailed a cab on his own.

He planned to check out the black market first; though that place operated in the shadows, it always had a far more complete selection than anywhere else.

The medicinal ingredients he needed for Qin Xue’er were all rare and precious—there was no way to acquire them through official channels anymore.

The black market was not a fixed location but rather a gathering of people, a collective where strange and rare things could always be found. Before the Xiao family’s downfall, Xiao Ye, as a wealthy second-generation heir, had dealings with the black market and was quite familiar with its workings.

He washed his face, caught a taxi, and headed to a nightclub.

The acquaintance he was looking for was called “Rat.” Thanks to Xiao Ye’s help in the past, Rat had become a small-time leader, but after the Xiao family’s collapse, they hadn’t been in touch for a long time.

Xiao Ye had just arrived when, before he could even get out of the car, a frail figure yanked open the door and jumped in.

“Driver, hurry up and go—anywhere, just drive!”

Before Xiao Ye could react, the driver floored the accelerator, and the car roared away from the curb.

The man beside him, small and wiry, looked on with extreme vigilance. When he saw that his pursuers had given up, he made a mocking face out the window.

“Damn it, keep chasing me if you can!”

“Rat?” Xiao Ye looked at the man in surprise, who turned to face him at the same time.

“Young Master Xiao! Now’s not the time for catching up. Let’s head to my place first. Driver, take the next left.”

All the way there, Rat never relaxed, as though he feared something might leap out of the darkness to startle him.

About ten minutes later, guided by Rat, the driver stopped at the entrance of a narrow alley.

“Young Master Xiao, I had to rush out. Can you pay the fare for me first?” Rat grinned, and since Xiao Ye needed his help, he had no choice but to cover the cab fare.

They entered the alley, which was filthy and in terrible condition. Garbage lay in heaps by the roadside, and the ground was so blackened you couldn’t guess what had stained it. Here and there, a few rough-looking men and women leaned against the walls, casting wary glances at Xiao Ye.

“Don’t worry, Young Master Xiao—they’re all good people, just cautious around strangers,” Rat assured him.

After winding through the alleys, they finally reached a makeshift shelter built with tarps.

“All right, Young Master Xiao, this is where I’ve been staying lately. Not bad, right?” Rat declared with pride, though Xiao Ye wrinkled his nose at the stained bedding and the unknown odors drifting through the air.

“Young Master Xiao, it’s been so long since we last met—I’ve missed you, really,” Rat said, moving in for a hug.

“All right, enough with the formalities. What just happened back there?” Xiao Ye pushed him away with one hand.

“Don’t ask, it’ll only get me riled up. Since I became a small boss, trouble’s been nonstop. Just as things settled down, the Xiao family’s disaster hit, and I was thrown out—now I’m a wanted man everywhere,” Rat complained, gesturing animatedly.

“Well, at least you used to be a man of some standing,” Xiao Ye remarked.

“Seriously, Young Master Xiao, how could a family as powerful as yours just disappear overnight?” Rat grumbled. If the Xiao family hadn’t fallen, he could’ve ruled the black market a while longer.

“So, what brings you back? Judging by your looks, you must be doing pretty well.”

Though Rat wasn’t doing great, he was still well-informed. Back in the day, Xiao Ye had sought him out for this very reason. He just hadn’t expected to run into Rat so soon.

“Let’s not talk about that. I have a job for you,” Xiao Ye said.

“Oh?” Rat scratched his head, pretending to ponder. “I don’t mind helping you out, but, well…” He rubbed his fingers together in a familiar gesture.

Xiao Ye understood immediately, smiling. This guy hadn’t changed a bit.

He turned and pulled out ten thousand yuan.

“You’ll have no shortage of that. Get everything I need, and this is your deposit—plus the address.”