Chapter 7

That lit the fuse.
Chen Shaoxuan had never been called garbage to his face. Color drained, then rage. “Bai Xu, don’t push your luck!”
“You think I won’t hit you?”
Fist already flying.
Bai Xu saw it coming. Sidestep—wind from the punch, all anger.
Miss. Chen Shaoxuan swung again.
—Bang!
Someone caught it hard.
Chen Yufei—ready—palmed the strike, twisted the arm back, shoved with brute force.
“Ah!”
Chen Shaoxuan lost balance. Face-first stumble.
“Young Master Chen—careful!”
“Ouch—”
Assistant manager and friends tried to catch him. Failed. Tumbled in a heap. Ridiculous.
Chen Yufei stayed stone-faced. Not a word the whole time.
Bai Xu pleased. Brow up. “Nice moves. No wonder Yanxiao keeps you around.”
Chen Yufei flat. “Third Young Master gave me the chance. I’m grateful.”
He’d watched from the back—Chen Shaoxuan’s crew ran their mouths, bullied, tried to throw hands first.
Chen Yufei counted heads. Low. “Mr. Bai—stay back. I’ve got this.”
Bai Xu asked, “You good?”
“Good.”
“……”
Bai Xu’s eyes flickered. One step back. Phone out again.
Real world—he’d fight himself. Here he’d only transmigrated days ago. Original’s frame wasn’t trained yet.
Still rational. Outnumbered—let the guy who could win handle it.
That’s what bodyguards were for.
Chen Shaoxuan was already up.
---
He straightened his clothes. Face red. “Where’d you crawl out from? Playing hero? I’m not leaving till you’re dead!”
Assistant manager panicked. “Young Master Chen—calm down.”
Chen Shaoxuan shoved blind rage. “Fuck off!”
Assistant manager flew back. Crack—right arm on impact.
Pain exploded. “Hss—ah—”
Associates frozen. Nobody moved.
Chen Shaoxuan didn’t care. Eyes to his two friends. Go.
Weekend warriors vs ex-military Chen Yufei?
Under a minute—down and screaming. Chen Shaoxuan got the VIP treatment—
Arms wrenched behind him. Knees on floor. Boneless. No fight left.
Chen Yufei pressed some wrist point. Pain shot up. “Stop—stop—ow ow ow—”
Bai Xu strolled back. Stopped in front of him. “That’s it? What you did to ‘me’ back then was worse.”
Bullies. Pack hunters. Same trash.
Original’s pain had been worse than this.
Pinned, Chen Shaoxuan looked up, wrecked. “Fine—fine—I lose! Tell your dog to let go!”
Folded fast. All swagger gone.
Four or five years apart—and coward Chen Shaoxuan never saw this coming—
Bai Xu wasn’t soft anymore. Sharp tongue—and he had a bodyguard?
Bai Xu signaled. Chen Yufei got it. One last twist before release.
“Ah!”
Chen Shaoxuan shrieked. Collapsed gasping.
Bai Xu didn’t blink. Turned. Chen Yufei followed.
Ten meters from the store, Chen Yufei couldn’t hold back. “Mr. Bai—don’t you want an apology?”
“Apology?”
No mood to shop. Bai Xu walked into another brand. “Their sorry means nothing. Useless to me now.”
Pointed at a few pieces he liked. Came all this way—might as well leave with clothes.
Ex-military, years with Yanxiao—revenge was reflex. Still felt unfinished.
“So—that’s it?”
“……”
It?
Hell no.
Bai Xu paid clean. “Forgot what I texted you? You filming?”
Chen Yufei blank two seconds. Oh.
From the moment Chen Shaoxuan walked in, Chen Yufei in the lounge had felt wrong. Before he moved, Bai Xu—new contact since this morning—texted:
“Stay put. Record.”
Eight characters. Chen Yufei obeyed.
Bai Xu left the store. “Got everything in there?”
Chen Yufei took bags from the associate. Followed. “Yeah. All of it.”
Bai Xu’s brow lifted. Meaningful. “Good enough.”
He didn’t want a fake sorry. One apology wouldn’t erase what they did to the original. He had no right to forgive for a dead kid anyway.
He’d already set the next move. If he remembered right, Jinbai Property went bankrupt in the book—swallowed by the hero’s group.
Chen Shaoxuan loved throwing weight around? Looking down on “peasants”?
Fine. Bai Xu would gift Jinbai and the Chen family an express ticket to broke.
…
Car back in the villa garage. Elevator to the second floor.
Xiao Deng at the master door saw them. “Mr. Bai, Fly—you’re back already?”
“Mm.”
Bai Xu calm. Target acquired. “Where’s Xie Qi? Home?”
Xiao Deng knocked the door. “Assistant Xie’s still inside. Old Master came earlier—left not long ago.”
Bai Xu nodded. “I need in. Business with him.”
Pushed the master door open himself.
Chen Yufei handed bags to Xiao Deng. “Take these to Mr. Bai’s room. You’re off. I’ve got the post.”
“Yes, sir.”
…
Xie Qi heard movement, set down his tablet. “Mr. Bai—you’re back?”
Bai Xu stopped in front of him. Eyes still on Yanxiao in the inner room. “Mm. How is he?”
Xie Qi adjusted glasses. Steady. “Same as always. Back early—get everything you needed?”
Glance at Chen Yufei in the doorway.
Bai Xu straight. “Ran into trouble. Need you to handle something.”
“Trouble?”
Xie Qi’s eyes tightened. Serious. “What happened?”
Chen Yufei told his old partner the store story. Sent the video.
---
Bai Xu picked up. “Local media, forums, national social—need heat. You know the angle.”
Paid astroturf if you have to. Controversy has to land.
“Clear. But—” Hesitation crossed Xie Qi’s brow. “Mr. Bai—you going after Jinbai Property solo? Isn’t that a little—”
Bai Xu countered. “You think I’m dreaming?”
Flat. Still pressure—boss energy.
Xie Qi blanked. For a second it felt like briefing another Shang Yanxiao.
He collected himself. “Jinbai’s been sliding two years—but it’s still a full group. PR team, ops team. Fat camel.”
Chen Yufei’s clip was ugly. Could turn consumers off. But Jinbai can buy silence. Hard fight.
One person vs a group—bad odds.
Bai Xu got the worry. Corner smile. Pale face turned harmless. “I know. Opinion alone won’t kill them.”
Enough to stain the brand. Step one. He had step two.
Pause. No hide. “I’ve got no network here—that’s why I’m asking you. If the ‘Yanxiao’s assistant’ title makes it awkward, I’ll pay someone else.”
Xie Qi and Chen Yufei traded a look. Beat. “No. Small favor. We can do it.”
“Thanks.”
Clean.
Eyes back to the bed. Another thought. “Should I visit Old Master Shang? He free?”
Marriage on paper—pay respects or people will call him rude.
Xie Qi answered. “He came this afternoon. Saturday family dinner—you go then.”
Big family, big rules—
End-of-month banquet. Everyone in Dijing must show.
“……”
Saturday dinner?
Timing worked?
“Got it.”
Light in Bai Xu’s eyes. No refusal. Tapped his phone. “Then this is on you.”
Xie Qi nodded. “Mm.”
—Click.
Door shut soft.
Chen Yufei locked. Guard inside. Eyes on the inner room.
Xie Qi poured warm water. Turned to Yanxiao, up and moving. “Third Young Master—drink?”
Yanxiao felt the numb weakness in legs after lying so long. Brow tight. Nearly six-foot frame still crushed the room. “No.”
Long coma act—lips had to look the part too.
Xie Qi set the cup down. Pushed glasses. “Third Young Master—your read on Mr. Bai just now?”
Yanxiao’s slow steps stopped. Flat. “He wants your help—give it.”
Jinbai ran mall chains—hot a few years back, saturated now, sliding.
Shang Group touched retail a little. Old Master had talked expansion six months ago. Jinbai could be partner—or prey. One word from the chairman.
For Yanxiao, who preferred war—swallow beat partner.
Xie Qi thought two days with Bai Xu. Honest. “Third Young Master—I don’t think he’s simple. No idea what he wants from Jinbai long-term.”
Yanxiao’s gaze flickered. Curiosity, tiny. “No rush. Watch.”
He wanted to know too—what game Bai Xu was playing.