Chapter 120 — An Elaborate Ordeal

Xu Ningning picked Ranran up from kindergarten, and unsurprisingly, she caught sight of those two sneaky men who frequently haunted the areas around the school and the Xu residence.

She gave Ranran’s small hand a squeeze and asked her a few questions with a smile. Ranran answered dutifully, and Xu Ningning leaned down to kiss her cheek before heading toward her car.

The child seat had been delivered by Si Nan’s men a few days ago, along with a massive haul of clothes, toys, and supplies—it looked as if they were moving house. However, most moving companies didn't use a fleet of identical black luxury cars; if they had just added two bouquets of flowers to the vehicles, one could easily have mistaken the procession for a wedding party.

Xu Ningning would never forget the look of utter astonishment on her parents' faces when they saw that spectacle.

Once little Ranran climbed into the car, she was already capable of buckling her own seatbelt. Xu Ningning smiled with relief and slowly started the engine.

"Auntie Ningning, is Xiaowen back yet?" Ranran blinked her large eyes and asked.

"Hmm... not yet, but she should be soon. Do you miss Mommy again, Ranran?"

"Yes!" Ranran replied, sounding a bit somber.

"Xiaowen misses you too, but she still has some things to finish up. You wouldn't want Mommy to worry, would you?"

Xu Ningning looked at Ranran through the rearview mirror. Ranran met her gaze and said, "Of course not. I'm a big girl now. I'm starting first grade soon, and I'll wait patiently for Xiaowen to come back, and Brother Yi Shu too!"

"How do you know they're together?" Xu Ningning asked, feeling puzzled.

"Hehe, I just know!" Ranran squinted her eyes triumphantly.

"Old soul in a young body!" Xu Ningning chuckled, but then her expression turned serious. "By the way, you must never tell anyone about this, do you understand?"

"Okay!" Ranran nodded earnestly. "I understand. Auntie Ning, are the bad uncles really at the kindergarten gate? Are they there to take me back to Uncle Nan?"

Ranran’s timid demeanor made Xu Ningning’s heart ache. "Perhaps they were sent by Uncle Nan to protect you, or maybe..."

"I don't want to go to Uncle Nan's!" Ranran pouted. "I hate him. Xiaowen was driven away because of him!"

Xu Ningning sighed inwardly, but she still smiled and went along with her. "Yes, he really is a bad man."

Perhaps Si Nan truly was a bad man. If not for his appearance, Xiaowen would never have been forced to leave. If not for his arrival, everyone’s lives would have continued on their orderly, predictable paths. Yet, he had shattered it all.

The former Yang Corporation had changed hands. Si Nan was not satisfied with the ostentatious design of the office, so he had ordered it to be completely redone. Mr. Yang watched Si Nan sitting in what used to be his own chair, his polite smile masking the gnashing, deep-seated hatred within.

Si Nan, however, didn't care. His fingertips tapped rhythmically against the solid rosewood desk. The sound was pleasant enough to bring a faint, pleased smile to his face.

"Is there anything else you need to discuss, Mr. Yang?"

Mr. Yang gave a hollow laugh. "Nothing else, really. It’s just regarding the long-term employees; I was hoping to personally..."

"Rest assured, Mr. Yang," Si Nan cut him off. "In my company, there is no distinction between 'old' and 'new' employees. Since the Yang Corporation is now part of the Randong Group, the Human Resources department will conduct a rigorous and thorough investigation into every single staff member regarding transfers and assignments."

Mr. Yang’s expression stiffened, and the veins on his neck began to bulge. It was said that Si Nan showed no mercy in business, and now he had witnessed it firsthand.

"President Si!" Xia Bin walked in from outside, gave Mr. Yang a cold, dismissive glance, and then remained silent.

"If there’s nothing else, Uncle Yang, you should head back. If there are any further matters to communicate, feel free to talk to Xia Bin at any time."

It was a rare occurrence for Si Nan to address him as "Uncle Yang." This was something Mr. Yang had once dreamed of hearing, but now, he looked at Si Nan as if he were a poisonous snake. Since Mr. Yang no longer held any real power, given his past ties with the Si family, a polite "Uncle Yang" was merely a formality.

"Hmph..." Mr. Yang’s chest heaved, and he stormed out, slamming the door behind him. Xia Bin stood by the desk with his hands clasped and said, "I think it’s better not to push things too far with the Yang family, after all..."

"It doesn't matter. The old man doesn't have the energy to worry about their family's business right now. By the way, tell everyone at home that without my permission, no one associated with the Yang family is to disturb the old man’s peace." Si Nan rubbed his brow wearily.

"Understood." Xia Bin hesitated, then decided to offer a reminder. "Are we really going to fire all the old employees of the Yang Corporation?"

Si Nan stopped his hand and pondered for a moment. "The Yang Corporation... I have to admit they once had some strength, but now it’s nothing more than an empty shell. That’s thanks to their management style. Nepotism and cronyism allowed anyone with a connection to land a position... Heh!" Si Nan let out a cold laugh. "Fire them all. We don't need freeloaders at Randong."

"But I heard that Miss Yang has always been in contact with people from the gray areas..."

"So?" Si Nan raised an eyebrow at Xia Bin.

"I’m just worried that those people might seek revenge and do something drastic," Xia Bin said bluntly.

Si Nan’s heart skipped a beat, but only for an instant. He then said in a chilling tone, "I wouldn't give her the courage to do so, even if she had a hundred lives."

Xia Bin lowered his eyes and said nothing more.

"By the way, have you sent people to Ranran’s kindergarten?" Si Nan asked.

"There have been people watching all along. I just received a call—Xu Ningning has taken the little miss back to the Xu residence, and our men followed them all the way to the entrance of the complex before pulling back," Xia Bin reported.

"And?" Si Nan looked up at him. "How is the rest of the investigation going?"

Xia Bin knew exactly what Si Nan was asking about. He replied in a low voice, "Miss Lin’s name is too common, so tracking her travel records has been difficult and time-consuming. Most importantly, during the period when Miss Lin went missing, the airport surveillance in the areas where she might have appeared seems to have been specially tampered with..."

Si Nan frowned upon hearing this and gestured for Xia Bin to continue.

"However, that actually helped us find some clues. After investigating Cheng Yishu’s itinerary, the results show that... Miss Lin most likely went to Yunnan!" Xia Bin finished, letting out a sigh of relief.

"Yunnan?" Si Nan’s eyes darkened.

"Yes, Wanding, Yunnan! That is where Cheng Yishu’s film crew is currently located," Xia Bin said softly.

Si Nan gave a cold, thin-lipped smile, his voice cutting through the air with a trace of frost. "I should have just looked into Cheng Yishu’s whereabouts from the start. What a waste of effort."