Ethan felt thoroughly exasperated. This was definitely not just about someone trying to take his trophy. Even someone at Uncle Kun's level, when taking a trophy from Jack Zhao, would do it either at The Dynasty or inside Zhao's own establishment.
Attacking someone openly on the street, causing public panic—this was no longer something that could be settled by the circle's internal rules.
"Feels like you can't even eat at a night market safely anymore."
After seeing Serena back to The Summit, Ethan returned to the hospital.
On the way, Wade Qi kept glancing at him in the rearview mirror, seeming to hold something back.
"Wade Qi, you have something to say to me?"
Seeing Ethan had noticed, Wade Qi didn't hide it.
"Mr. Chen, I feel that someone of your intelligence should be able to guess who was behind the attack."
Outside the car, traffic flowed and lights glittered.
Inside, silence reigned.
As the car drove out of the bustling downtown area, a heavy sigh came from the back seat.
"I do have a guess. But I can't figure out the 'why'... By the way, Wade Qi, can you teach me a few moves?"
"Hmm..." Wade Qi pondered for a moment. "Today's incident scared you, didn't it? Teaching you is no problem, but it's hard to see results in a short time."
Ethan was skeptical. "No crash course?"
"No," Wade Qi shook his head. "Strength has to be built up bit by bit. As for technique... there aren't that many secret techniques. It's mostly about experience. Your opponent isn't going to follow a choreographed routine with you. It's like the saying, 'Read ten thousand books, and your writing will flow effortlessly.' Fighting is the same."
Ethan grew interested. "Aren't there prodigies? Young people who are incredibly strong, who master everything instantly?"
"Probably," Wade Qi replied. "But I've never seen one."
"Wade Qi, that's such a diplomatic answer. You didn't deny the possibility, but you made your own position clear."
Ethan felt somewhat helpless. Today's events had indeed shaken him. He wanted to learn some countermeasures. But wasn't it the same for everyone in the world? Even the US President could be successfully assassinated.
"Your physical ability can't be improved quickly, but your sixth sense... that can be trained. You know that feeling when someone stares at you for a long time? You can sense it, right?"
"Yeah," Ethan nodded. "You can actually practice that?"
"You can. But how much you improve, I can't say. Feelings like that... they depend entirely on the individual. Tell you what, starting tomorrow, I'll train you. I'll teach you a few practical tricks on the side. You never know when they might come in handy."
"Deal."
Back at the hospital, Ethan chatted with his mother. He usually shared the day's events, letting his experienced mother analyze them for him. But he didn't mention today's incident, just said everything was normal.
That night, as Ethan lay down to sleep.
"Goodnight, Mom."
For the next week, Ethan attended classes during the day, learned self-defense skills from Wade Qi after school, and went to the casino in the evening.
Wade Qi's training method was straightforward: he ambushed Ethan constantly. While eating, while using the restroom, even while teaching Ethan countermeasures, he would suddenly attack.
"Wade Qi, isn't this just training my vigilance?"
"It's all connected. Depends on how you look at it. People with high vigilance usually have a stronger sixth sense too. No scientific basis, but that's how it is."
At the casino, the flirty woman in red came looking for Ethan once, but he wasn't there in the evening. By the time Ethan arrived, she had already been called home by her husband.
Serena told Ethan that the woman had been practically drooling over him, and when she found out Ethan was still a virgin, she got even more excited, her legs going weak, and offered a sky-high price.
No need to guess who told the woman that piece of information.
Nothing particularly eventful happened until Friday after school.
Serena said Fridays were very busy at the casino, so Ethan skipped his training with Wade Qi and went straight there.
The moment he walked in, Serena found him.
"The floor is packed today, but there's a more pressing matter that needs your attention."
Serena handed Ethan a file.
"Cao Yuan. Third son of the Hongshun Group. Family assets: 3.7 billion. He's the one who stayed in the Imperial Suite recently. He's been here ever since, never left. He's run up a tab of 120 million. But now, his assets can't be liquidated."
Ethan frowned. "Was due diligence not done beforehand?"
"It was. His assets are sufficient on paper, but they're all illiquid—real estate. And besides Cao Yuan, there's another co-owner listed on all of them. His fiancée. Her info is on the next page."
Ethan had already guessed. He flipped the page and, sure enough, saw Mulan's information.
"Cao Yuan is a notorious womanizer, a total playboy," Serena explained. "The marriage was arranged by his family. It's with Mulan."
"Under normal circumstances, we could just go to Mulan directly for the money. But the problem is, Mulan's status prevents us from using strong-arm tactics. I told you, her invitation was sent by The Boss personally. She's the youngest daughter of the Mu Family."
"The Mu Family carries significant weight across the entire Northwest region. You've had contact with Mulan. At the very least, she seems favorably disposed towards you. This matter... only you can handle it."
Ethan flipped through the rest of the file. "It's a bit strange. The Mu Family is much more powerful than the Hongshun Group, right? Why would they marry their youngest daughter to Cao Yuan?"
"How much is a marriage worth? Besides, an alliance like this allows the Mu Family to directly place people within the Hongshun Group. It's a hugely profitable deal."
"The Mu Family has connections in official circles. Branching out like this is the fastest method. This isn't about the Mu Family 'marrying off' a daughter. The Chairman of Hongshun came begging for this match. Why do you think Mulan's name is on all of Cao Yuan's property deeds? These big families are shrewd. Normally, they wouldn't even put their own son's name on the deeds, let alone the daughter-in-law's, so she gets nothing in a divorce."
Ethan was still puzzled. "Cao Yuan messes around like this, and the Mu Family doesn't care?"
"Care about what?" Serena scoffed. "In the face of interests, what does Cao Yuan's philandering matter? Besides, if Cao Yuan weren't such a useless playboy, the Mu Family might not have agreed. If they got a shrewd son-in-law, how would the Mu Family maintain control over Hongshun? Marriage is just a tool fortying interests together. Everyone plays their own game."
Ethan nodded. The mindset of these powerful families and their figureheads was something he hadn't fully grasped before.
"120 million is a huge deal. Think it over. Whether you want to handle it or not. If you don't, I'll have to report it to my father and The Boss. They'll understand. Even they have to treat the Mu Family with respect, let alone us."
Ethan thought for a moment. "We should at least try to communicate with her first."
He walked to the office, looked at the phone number on the document, the image of the woman appearing in his mind, and dialed the number.