Chapter 80: I Didn't Expect It of You, Master
The next day, Zhou Fan accompanied Chu Yan to the company, heading straight for the sales department and busying himself with the ladies there all morning.
Around noon, Zhou Fan drove off in Chu Yan's car.
He stopped by Divan for a quick look and found Chen Yao to be quite impressive. As expected of a president from a major corporation, she had already started the hiring process in such a short time, and everything was running smoothly. The only issue was, when she saw Zhou Fan arrive, her gaze was anything but friendly.
Zhou Fan could only pretend he hadn't noticed. He called Qian Rong over, briefly explained what had happened the day before, and told him to be on the lookout.
Although Qian Rong held Viper in contempt, he knew the man's strength was not to be underestimated. Otherwise, Viper wouldn't have been chosen as the captain of the Assassination Squad. If he was personally leading the team this time, they would be much harder to deal with.
"Don't worry, Boss. Qian Kun and Qian Hui are also secretly recruiting. In a week at most, we can train up a few dependable operators. These candidates already have some fighting skills and a bit of an international reputation. After going through our training, they'll be more than ready!" Qian Rong nodded gravely.
"I'll leave the recruiting to you. You three brothers are in charge. But one thing is non-negotiable: they must be trustworthy." Zhou Fan clapped Qian Rong on the shoulder and turned to leave.
Xu Ruonan, however, jogged to catch up with him.
"Master, can I go with you? Brother Qian is here, and Chen Yao is staying at the office, so she'll be safe!" Xu Ruonan looked at Zhou Fan expectantly.
"Let her go, Boss. Sister Yao will be fine here!" Qian Rong vowed.
"Qian Rong, get back here and handle the recruiting! And who are you calling Sister Yao? Zhou Fan, can't you control your brother?" Chen Yao hated being called Sister Yao—it sounded like a name for a woman in a... *certain profession* from the old days.
"Alright then, I'll leave Little Yaoyao's safety to you!" Zhou Fan said, ignoring Chen Yao's fury. He gave Qian Rong a final reminder and left with Xu Ruonan.
Chen Yao was about to lose her mind. 'What are these nicknames?'
'Sister Yao?'
'Little Yaoyao?'
"Master, where are we going?" Xu Ruonan asked, feeling a little nervous as she watched the cars whiz by outside the window.
"To kill, or be killed."
Zhou Fan replied nonchalantly. They had arrived at a bar owned by one of Wang Tianhao's companies, and he led Xu Ruonan inside.
It was Xu Ruonan's first time in a place like this, and the deafening heavy metal music was so loud she almost fainted.
"See that burly man in the corner? Go on. You have three minutes. Kill him without alerting anyone," Zhou Fan said, ordering a drink and sipping it contentedly as he assigned Xu Ruonan her first target.
Xu Ruonan nodded. She casually tied back her long hair and walked toward the man.
Zhou Fan looked away, took out his phone, and sent a message.
The reply came almost instantly, but it was just a single "1".
A knowing smile curved his lips. 'Looks like everything is still under control. No problems, then.'
"Hey, gorgeous. Looking for a date?" Zhou Fan whistled as a glamorous woman walked by, his tone completely frivolous.
"Well now, handsome. A little direct, aren't you? Not even going to buy a girl a drink first?" The glamorous woman smiled, turning and draping an arm over Zhou Fan's shoulder. Her face, caked with makeup, was so close it almost brushed against his.
"The Young Master wants me to tell you not to worry about him. But the other side has sent a lot of people lately. They're being very cautious, so the Young Master hasn't made contact yet. He says you are to protect the Young Miss," the woman whispered the instant she leaned in.
"What? You're asking for ten thousand? For someone like you?" Zhou Fan suddenly yelled, shoving the woman away with a disgusted look. "Get lost! Are you insane? For ten thousand, I could hire a model!"
The glamorous woman was stunned for a moment before her face flushed with shame and anger. She shot Zhou Fan a vicious glare. "You broke bastard! Putting on airs when you don't have a dime. If you weren't at least a little handsome, do you think I'd even be talking to you for a price of ten thousand?"
Hearing their exchange, the people around them burst out laughing. Some shot Zhou Fan a knowing look, while others simply looked on with contempt.
"Master, it's done," Xu Ruonan said, returning to him, perfectly composed. "I didn't expect, Master, that you were the type to..."
"What do kids know? Let's go. Next location," Zhou Fan said, not bothering to explain.
"I'm twenty! I'm not a kid!"
Over the course of the afternoon, Zhou Fan took Xu Ruonan to four different locations. They silently killed four people—all of them the bodyguards who had chased Zhou Fan and Chu Yan the previous day.
Only the last one was left. According to their intelligence, he was with Wang Tianhao today, so it wasn't a good time to act.
"Honey, come with me to my grandfather's. He just called and said it's urgent!" Chu Yan said anxiously, the moment Zhou Fan walked back into the company.