Ding Miaoyan was taken aback and silently took over the promissory note.
"Don’t thank me, that would be too formal," Fang Yi said.
Ding Miaoyan was startled again, feeling a trace of warmth in her heart.
Fang Yi drove back to the company and after resolving Ding Miaoyan’s issue, he felt relieved. Just then, Li Xue called him, and after hanging up, Fang Yi drove away in Ding Miaoyan’s BMW and left the company.
Fang Yi drove to a hotel, entered and asked a server for a private room number, and the server immediately led him there.
Upon entering the private room, Fang Yi saw Li Xue greeting a few guests.
However, these guests seemed quite destitute.
There were four people in total, two young men in ordinary clothing. Amid the summer heat, one wore a white tank top soaked with sweat. The other young man appeared somewhat naive and chubby, smiling in a simple-hearted way.
The remaining two were an old man and a middle-aged man. The old man wore an outdated military jacket with several patches, even his wallet was patched with different fabric, which made him look very shabby.
The middle-aged man, comparatively, appeared more ’cultured’. At first glance, he seemed to have a scholarly air.
"Ah, you’re here!" Seeing Fang Yi, Li Xue immediately came running, and the four guests also turned to look.
"Grandfather Yao, Uncle Yao, let me introduce you, this is Fang Yi I told you about," Li Xue said with a smile.
Grandfather Yao had already put down his chopsticks and immediately left his seat, lunging forward and kneeling down before Fang Yi:
"My benefactor! I’ve finally found you."
"Old man, please don’t do this, stand up quickly," Fang Yi swiftly helped Grandfather Yao to his feet.
"You deserve this! You deserve my bow!" The old man was stubbornly insistent, tears streaming down, his hair already white and appearing very aged, which was a heart-wrenching sight.
Fang Yi steadied Grandfather Yao, refusing to let him kneel again, and said, "Old man, please don’t do this. Let’s talk comfortably. If you continue , I’ll have to leave."
Old man Yao steadied himself, looking gratefully at Fang Yi.
Fang Yi sighed and said, "Old man, please sit down, let’s talk while eating."
In truth, Fang Yi’s heart was somewhat bitter, as he had mostly guessed the old man’s identity.
With bitterness in his heart and not knowing what to say, Fang Yi sat down and took a couple of sips of white wine.
Li Xue called the server over and added a few new dishes. The naive young man’s eyes brightened, and he immediately began to eat again, but was reluctantly slapped on the back of his head by the middle-aged man.
"This uncle, let him eat. We can order more when he’s finished. This meal is on me," Fang Yi said with a smile.
The middle-aged man ceased his resistance, and the naive young man chuckled, saying, "Thanks, young man."
Fang Yi smiled and then asked, "I don’t know how to address everyone."
The middle-aged man responded, "My name is Yao Tai, this is my father Yao San, and these two young men are my nephews. The naive one is Yao Bo, and the thinner one is Yao Dong. We all come from Yao Village, seeking for a few abducted girls."
Fang Yi asked, "I wonder how Yao Tong is related to you..."
Old man Yao suddenly cried out, "That’s my granddaughter..."
Fang Yi was silent, imagining how the girl in the KTV would feel knowing her relatives had come for her, wondering how happy she would be.
To keep the old man’s emotions from getting out of control again, Fang Yi changed the subject, asking where they were staying now.
"We still haven’t found a place," Yao Tai said.
"We don’t have any money," the vest-wearing Yao Dong spoke up.
Yao Tai’s expression changed, and he raised his hand as if to strike, but Fang Yi quickly stopped him.
"Uncle Yao, not having money isn’t something to be ashamed of. I understand. I’ll arrange lodging for you tonight," Fang YI said.
"Thanks a lot," Yao Bo said naively.
Yao Tai shook his head, sighed helplessly, wanting to refuse but realizing he couldn’t.
Fang Yi then asked them about their circumstances. Yao Tai was well-read, giving him a scholarly air. The naive Yao Bo, it turned out, was incredibly strong, capable of lifting a huge water jar, making him the strongest in Yao Village.
Yao Dong worked in agriculture but also had a special skill; he could run very fast and was as nimble and agile as a monkey. Finally, there was the elder Yao, a former soldier who had retired after serving on the battlefield.
After three rounds of drinks and nearly done eating, Fang Yi made a phone call to Kong Qingci.
"Qingci, I need a favor," Fang Yi said. Kong Qingci had asked him not to call her ’Miss Kong,’ as it felt too distant, so Fang Yi just used her name.
"I have four folks from the countryside here. You own a hotel, right? Could you help me arrange a few rooms?" Fang Yi paused, then added, "Don’t worry, I’ll pay for it."
Over the phone, Kong Qingci’s laughter rang like wind chimes. "Look at what you’re saying. Just arranging a few rooms? No problem. Bring them over in a bit."
After hanging up, Li Xue, who was nearby, leaned in with a curious expression. "When did you and Sister Qingci become so close, even calling her ’Qingci’? When did you two get together?"
Fang Yi smiled. "Heroine, you are a guard, don’t get caught up in all this mess. Follow the path your superior has laid out."
After eating, Fang Yi drove Ding Miaoyan’s white BMW, taking the four men with him and splitting up from Li Xue, heading directly for Purple Vine Bay.
Right after the white BMW left the restaurant, a black sedan hidden under the street lamp trees started moving too, trailing behind the BMW slowly, neither too fast nor too slow.
Once they reached Purple Vine Bay, Fang Yi let the four men out of the car and led them into Purple Vine Bay.
Purple Vine Bay was definitely a place of luxury and extravagance, arguably the largest asset under Kong Qingci’s name.
A waiter came over, and upon learning Fang Yi’s name, immediately invited them to follow.
"This is too expensive, too expensive. We can’t afford to stay here..." Old Yao said distressedly, walking carefully as if afraid of breaking or damaging anything.
Yao Tai, who had some education, was a bit more worldly, but at this moment, his palms were sweaty as he watched Fang Yi leading the way, feeling both puzzled and grateful. He was puzzled about the young man’s identity and grateful for encountering such a person who was helping his family. It was their good fortune.
Originally, Fang Yi had reserved four rooms, but once they arrived, old Yao repeatedly said two rooms would suffice. Even the straightforward Yao Bo muttered:
"Fang Big Brother, you are so kind! But we can’t sleep too comfortably; this is enough. Once we find Tong, I’ll work like an ox or a horse for you," Yao Bo said heartily.
Fang Yi just smiled and didn’t say much.
After sending them to their rooms, Fang Yi breathed a sigh of relief. However, just a moment later, Yao Dong came out and knelt in front of Fang Yi.
"Yao Dong, what are you doing?"
"I’m kneeling on behalf of my grandfather, my father, and my sister. Once we rescue my sister this time, I want to follow you," Yao Dong said resolutely, his tone firm.
Fang Yi patted his shoulder. "Let’s talk about it after we rescue your sister. Go back to your room and rest."
Yao Dong didn’t hesitate and went back into the room.
Fang Yi lit a cigarette and stood on the second floor, looking down into the lobby. At that moment, two men were entering through the main door. Fang Yi’s gaze sharpened like a blade, radiating a murderous aura.