Volume Two: Anbei Corporation Chapter Nineteen: Calling for Security

"Sir, please stop causing trouble. If you continue like this, I’ll have to call security!" The store manager spoke impatiently.

"You young man, you should just go buy a toy car!" Mr. Liu mocked from the side, pulling out a black credit card from his wallet and waving it. "I'm about to pay~"

Huang Li knew the deal was already lost. Not only had she failed to earn anything, but she’d likely face repercussions afterward. The sense of grievance welled up in her, and her eyes grew red with tears.

Li Yu took a deep breath, about to say something, when suddenly a crowd bustled into the showroom.

They walked straight past, and the man in the lead glanced back, then immediately hurried over.

"Uh... Young Master Yu, what brings you here?" An Kangyu greeted him.

With his connections, he’d managed to dig up a great deal of information about Li Yu overnight. But, given their rather peculiar relationship—having just recently been confronted—he didn’t know what to call him. At first, he thought to address him as Li Yu, but that seemed inappropriate. Calling him Brother Yu felt equally off. After much hesitation, he settled on Young Master.

"It's you? Just call me by my name," Li Yu shivered inwardly; only two maids from another world called him Young Master, and now this elderly man did as well. "What are you doing here?"

"Hehe, I’ve got some investments here. Came out for a stroll and decided to order a few cars myself," An Kangyu replied, smiling benignly and chatting away as if to build rapport. He asked curiously, "Which model are you looking at, Young Master? Let me gift it to you—after all, it’s from my own business."

"No need, my car was stolen," Li Yu wasn’t one for false niceties. He pointed directly. "You see, they’re about to swipe the card over there."

"Isn’t that the big boss?" The manager finally recalled the identity of the radiant, elderly man. Seeing how warmly the big boss treated the youth he’d just been dismissive toward, he was stunned.

If memory served, this big boss had ties to some shady dealings in his early years.

Mr. Liu, too, was taken aback. He first noticed the entourage behind the elder; their attire and demeanor marked them as bodyguards or subordinates. The elder himself—

Casting a sidelong glance, Mr. Liu scrutinized him and suddenly recognized the man’s prominent identity, which sent a shock through him. He lowered his head, no longer daring to look.

Yet he heard the voice of the young man he’d just mocked. He wished desperately to slap himself, but there was no remedy for regret. Pale-faced, he looked up and met An Kangyu’s gaze.

Instantly, he trembled as if caught in a fierce wind.

"Someone dared to steal your property?" An Kangyu asked in surprise. But quickly, he sensed opportunity and scanned the crowd.

He recognized one individual as a store employee, and skipped past the manager to focus on the elderly man holding a woman. His brow furrowed.

He truly had no recollection of this man. Surely he wasn’t another upstart?

After a moment’s thought, he made his decision. "Where are you from, friend?"

Friend… How could I possibly deserve that title?

The higher he lifted me now, the harder I’d fall soon enough.

Sweating profusely, Mr. Liu hurried to reply, "Sir An, I run a company under your group, just trying to make a living."

Though their ages were similar, Mr. Liu dared not overstep in the slightest.

Sir An… An Kangyu nodded. Many addressed him thus; he’d grown used to it and could easily gauge their standing compared to his own.

He said, "Look at this, a flood has washed into the Dragon King’s temple. If you like this car, just take it!"

"I was just about to be thrown out by security a moment ago," Li Yu said with a smile, his eyes narrowed.

…

Difficult, vengeful—An Kangyu silently concluded that Li Yu was not one to cross.

"You, as manager, are finished!" An Kangyu turned to the store manager, his voice icy.

At those words, the manager who’d just been so high and mighty froze. Before he could react, An Kangyu spoke again, this time to Mr. Liu.

"And you—from today, Anbei Group will cut all business ties with you!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than the once confident, card-wielding Mr. Liu seemed to lose all his strength and collapsed to the ground.

His company had grown reliant on Anbei Group; all profits were mere crumbs from the conglomerate’s table. With An Kangyu’s declaration, he knew that once business dried up, the title “Mr. Liu” would mean nothing.

What would others call him then? Old Liu, or Little Liu perhaps…

Not much time passed before An Kangyu noticed the slight frown on Li Yu’s face, and guessed he disliked the spectacle. He ordered his men to drag the two straight out and toss them onto the street.

"This one has real capability," Li Yu remarked to Huang Li as he and the elder ascended to the second floor, his words layered with meaning.

An Kangyu nodded, "Talented people won’t be overlooked!"

He resolved to appoint her as manager, then, using the complexity of the car purchase contract as a pretext, led Li Yu upstairs.

"Ah, once the crowd grows, it’s hard to manage," An Kangyu sighed in the reception room.

Aside from those he’d personally shot, his subsequent investigation revealed several subordinates had accepted dubious payments. The implication was clear even to him, and he dealt with them decisively.

After purging the group, he finally enjoyed a restful night.

As things had unfolded, he felt a faint gratitude toward Li Yu.

Li Yu scratched his chin. He wasn’t sure how to respond, since they had little prior interaction—his only contact had been a confrontation. Yet, during the car purchase, An Kangyu had indeed helped him.

Otherwise, he’d have had no good solution; he couldn’t very well just beat up anyone who annoyed him.

"About the Black Panther incident…" An Kangyu noticed Li Yu’s wan interest and shifted the topic.

"It’s fine," Li Yu waved his hand. The elder’s response afterward had been sufficient, and with the three-star ghost he’d gained, it would guard Huang Xiu day and night, so no further trouble was expected.

It was a blessing in disguise for Huang Xiu: with the ghost present, most accidents would vanish and pose no threat.

Hearing this, An Kangyu understood that protection was already in place for Huang Xiu. He mentioned that he’d also arranged for someone to guard her secretly.

…

Li Yu quickly guessed the reason—likely his own threat that any harm to Huang Xiu would bring trouble to Anbei Group—prompting An Kangyu to assign a minder.

"As long as it doesn’t interfere with her life," Li Yu nodded.

Indeed, the ghost’s main flaw was its lack of intelligence. Having someone follow along gave him extra peace of mind.