Chapter 100: A Slap in the Face
"Zhou Fan, what do you think you're doing?" The moment Zhou Fan answered the call, the roar of a she-devil erupted from the other end, so loud that he instinctively held the phone away from his ear.
"Who pissed you off, Little Yaoyao? Why are you so angry?" Zhou Fan waited until the voice on the other end quieted down before daring to bring the phone closer.
"You, of course! You came to Divan just now, so why didn't you come up to see me? And why did you take so many people away without my permission? Didn't you say I had full authority here?" Chen Yao was furious. 'This guy tricked me into managing his company,' she thought, 'and now he either disappears for ages or shows up without even saying hello!'
"How about I treat you to a meal as an apology?" Zhou Fan rubbed his nose. 'God knows what's gotten into her,' he thought. 'She's probably just bored.'
Although she was a president now, she didn't have the freedom she used to. Before, Chen Yao could go wherever she wanted, but now, for safety reasons, she barely took a step outside of Divan.
"Fine, it's a deal. Come and get me!" Chen Yao agreed without hesitation.
Zhou Fan pursed his lips speechlessly, hailed a taxi to Divan, and then called Fan. He asked him to check how many members of the Assassination Squad were still operating in Nanjiang City and the Jiang Province area, and to try and find the one who had assassinated Zhang Long.
When he arrived at Divan, just as he stepped out of the taxi, he saw a woman standing at the building's entrance. She was elegant and slender, dressed in a tracksuit and white sneakers, with her ear-length hair fluttering in the breeze. In her hands, she carried a small purse. It was none other than Chen Yao.
Youthful, vibrant—even just standing there doing nothing, she was captivating enough to draw anyone's attention.
Zhou Fan suddenly felt a little grateful to Chen Feng. If it weren't for that guy, a woman as fiercely competitive as Chen Yao—whose business skills might even surpass Chu Yan's—would probably never have ended up working for him.
"Hey beautiful, all alone?" Zhou Fan sauntered up to Chen Yao and, as if by magic, produced a fiery red rose from behind his back.
"You're already down to taking taxis, so save the theatrics!" Chen Yao glanced at the departing taxi, accepted the rose with a charming smile, and sniffed it gently.
"Where to? I'll be your chauffeur for the day!" Zhou Fan considerately took Chen Yao's purse and offered her his arm.
"I want to go see my grandfather. I heard that Chen Feng buried him in the West City Cemetery. I've been wanting to go, but I was afraid it wasn't safe." Chen Yao looked up slightly, a hint of expectation in her beautiful eyes.
"From one side of the city to the other... Get in. I need to call my wife and check in first." Zhou Fan shrugged, walked over to Chen Yao's little red sports car, and opened the door for her like a gentleman.
"Well, well. Who knew you were such a good family man? I almost thought you were a scumbag!" Chen Yao said sarcastically. As she grabbed the seatbelt to fasten it, a handsome face suddenly appeared before her.
"Being a good family man and a scumbag aren't mutually exclusive. If you'd like, I could make an exception and be a scumbag just for you," Zhou Fan said with a wicked grin. He reached around Chen Yao, pulled the seatbelt across, and buckled it for her.
"Definitely a scumbag!" Chen Yao muttered under her breath with a soft scoff as the car started and she listened to Zhou Fan call Chu Yan to check in.
The West City Cemetery, located in the West Suburb of Nanjiang City, covered a massive area and had extensive security. At first glance, with its abundant flowers and trees, a nearby stream, and the sound of birdsong, a walk through the grounds was an intoxicating experience, full of the fragrant beauty of a mesmerizing park.
"Damn. The grind doesn't even stop when you're dead. If you hadn't told me this was a cemetery, I would've thought it was some famous tourist spot."
Zhou Fan couldn't help but complain as he walked in with Chen Yao.
A single plot here cost more than a fucking apartment in the city center. Zhou Fan just didn't get it.
What was so great about being buried here?
Did they think they'd get a better starting point in their next life?
"It's just for the living to show off and save face. For the dead, where you're buried makes no difference, does it? If they really cared that much, they should have spent more time with them when they were alive." The one who answered Zhou Fan wasn't Chen Yao, but a staff member who was guiding them.
"Damn, old-timer, you've got a point! Here, have a smoke." Zhou Fan, feeling like he'd found a kindred spirit, quickly offered the man a cigarette.
"What point? I'm just talking. I'm broke. If I had money, I'd want to be buried here too when I die. Who knows, maybe there really is reincarnation. I might get a better life next time around and not have to work so damn hard."
The old man puffed on the cigarette Zhou Fan gave him, his words a complete slap in the face to Zhou Fan.
When they arrived at Chen Shilei's headstone, the old man left. Zhou Fan, annoyed, sat down to the side, while Chen Yao almost burst out laughing.
"Grandpa..."
Just as Chen Yao was standing there, lost in her feelings of gratitude and remembrance for Chen Shilei, Zhou Fan suddenly shot to his feet. He glanced back the way they had come. "Shit, something's wrong!"