MLMD -Chapter 294 The Legendary Bad Guy

Seeing that this man named Liang Yong was clearly looking for trouble, and recalling what had happened at the meeting earlier, Yue Yang already knew exactly what was going on. He let out a cold snort. “Of course, you may ask questions—that’s your right. But there are some things I need to say upfront, so there’s no misunderstanding later.”

Liang Yong waved his hand impatiently. “Speak your mind, but don’t get in the way of us doing our job.”

Yue Yang merely smiled faintly at the official-like attitude he was putting on. “I don’t know what your brother-in-law told you to make you work so hard to harass me. But I want to say this: these days, doing business is not easy, and holding office isn’t easy either. Don’t act rashly and make foolish mistakes. Although I am just a businessman, I always follow the principle of ‘if people don’t offend me, I won’t offend them.’ If you think that just because you have a little power you can mess with me freely, you’re mistaken.”

“I don’t understand what you’re talking about!” Liang Yong’s expression changed slightly after hearing Yue Yang’s words. He looked Yue Yang over carefully, and the more he looked, the more puzzled he became.

As a man within the system, Liang Yong was by no means reckless. Don’t be fooled by his earlier swagger when he entered the room—that was just a facade. In fact, the reason Liang Yong had come here today was only because his brother-in-law Lin Dong had pleaded over the phone. He brought people along just to give Yue Yang a warning, not to offend him seriously. True officials act cautiously. The kind of bureaucrat who abuses even a small amount of power to trample others exists either only in online novels or would have been dealt with long ago.

The more Liang Yong observed Yue Yang, the stranger he felt this young man was. Despite his efforts to hide it, Yue Yang still exuded a faint sense of authority—a kind of authority that someone like Liang Yong, familiar with the system, instantly recognized. It was the kind of aura that only someone who has been in a position of power for a long time could radiate. Though it may sound a bit mystical or idealistic, it indeed existed. It’s like a butcher who has worked in a slaughterhouse for decades—no matter how much he dresses up in a suit and tie with flowers in hand, when he approaches an animal, sensitive creatures will instinctively feel fear and unease.

Having realized this, Liang Yong softened his tone. “Sir, we are only here today because of a report and are conducting a routine investigation. We won’t take up much of your time. If there are no issues, we will leave promptly. We hope you can cooperate with our work.”

Seeing him change his tone, Yue Yang nodded. “Of course. Cooperating with the government is our duty. But I hope you’ll be quick so as not to affect our normal work.”

“Of course. We’ll try our best.” Seeing Yue Yang remain completely unfazed, Liang Yong became even more cautious. As he spoke, he signaled his companions with his eyes.

His companions understood immediately. After casually reviewing the ledgers Zhang Xiaoxiao had delivered, they hurriedly left.

An hour later, watching Liang Yong and his team leave, Yue Yang’s face showed a faint coldness. It seemed that Liang Yong was indeed cautious in his work, not abusing his little bit of power recklessly—otherwise, Yue Yang wouldn’t have minded teaching him a lesson in regret.

At some point, Zhang Xiaoxiao appeared behind Yue Yang, and Liu Shengnan stood beside her. Watching the departing group, Zhang Xiaoxiao stuck out her tongue and asked, “Boss, they just left like that. Are we in the clear?”

“Should be fine,” Yue Yang said, turning to Zhang Xiaoxiao with a smile. “Alright, it’s almost quitting time anyway. I said I’d take you out to eat, so let’s go. Come on!”

A black Aston Martin pulled up in front of the Five-Star Shíwèi Tiān Hotel on Jinling Road, the busiest street in Mingzhu City. The doorman, dressed in a red uniform, hurried forward and politely opened the door. From the car stepped three young people—a man and two women. The man was imposing and confident; the women were young, beautiful, and clearly professional elites.

Yue Yang got out, handed the car keys and a tip to the doorman, and led the three into the restaurant. Once seated, he handed the menu to his children. “These days I haven’t been in the company, and you’ve held everything together. You’ve worked hard. Today, feel free to order whatever you like—you don’t have to worry about running me broke.”

Zhang Xiaoxiao took the menu and grinned. “That’s better. We’ve been working for you for almost two years. It’s about time you treated us a little.”

“This one’s yours,” Yue Yang said, passing another menu to Liu Shengnan.

“Thanks, I don’t need it.” Liu Shengnan placed the menu on the table. Biting her lips, she asked worriedly, “Boss, was the earlier incident really caused by Lin Dong? If so, will we have more trouble in the future?”

Looking at Liu Shengnan’s worried face, Yue Yang reassured her. “Don’t worry. The man leading the team, Liang Yong, isn’t stupid. If he tried to push me too far, it wouldn’t benefit him. Though Lin Dong is his brother-in-law, I doubt he’d risk a real conflict for him—that wouldn’t be in his interest.”

“But what if he really wants to mess with us?” Liu Shengnan still looked uneasy.

Sighing lightly at her worried expression, Yue Yang patiently explained. “Relax. Every industry has its own rules. Liang Yong may have some power, but he won’t risk his future for his brother-in-law. We’re businessmen, but we’re not someone like him to be trifled with casually.”

“Really?” Liu Shengnan looked at him with curiosity. “Does that mean you know friends in government too?”

“You!” Yue Yang laughed at the curious girl. “I just said every industry has its rules. Liang Yong could have used his power to disrupt our company, but we also have our ways. If he tried to shut us down, I could take extreme measures—hire private detectives to monitor him twenty-four hours a day, find his weaknesses. If that didn’t work, I could involve people in society—his wife, kids, or parents. He knows that if he pushes me too far, his family could be at risk—a runaway truck, a knife attack from some thug. You get my point?”

After hearing this, the two women widened their eyes in shock, as if seeing their boss for the first time.

Zhang Xiaoxiao dropped her menu without noticing, her small mouth gaping. After a long moment, she exclaimed in surprise, “Wow, Boss… I never realized you were this bad. Are you… a member of the legendary underworld?”

“You little girl, what nonsense are you talking about?” Yue Yang shook his head and tapped her smooth forehead gently. “Am I that kind of person?”

“But the things you just mentioned are exactly the methods used by the underworld,” Zhang Xiaoxiao protested, holding her head.

“You!” Yue Yang was speechless at her innocence.

It took Liu Shengnan a moment of thought before she nodded. “I think I understand.” She looked at Yue Yang. “You mean that when a person is pushed to the limit, they can do anything. Liang Yong knows this too, so he won’t go too far. Is that right, Boss?”

“Smart,” Yue Yang clicked his fingers in admiration. “Exactly. There’s an old saying: cutting off someone’s livelihood is like killing their parents. If someone with no prior conflict with you goes out of their way to ruin their company for a few words from their brother-in-law, anyone would fight back. Liang Yong is smart—he won’t do that.”

Soon, the food arrived. The three ate and chatted, enjoying a pleasant atmosphere.

When they were nearly done, Yue Yang wiped his mouth with a napkin and said to the two women, “I called you here today about the matter we discussed last time. You can notify the factory to start mass-producing those silver coins from next month.”

Liu Shengnan glanced at him and didn’t speak, while Zhang Xiaoxiao asked curiously, “Boss, you really plan to mass-produce those coins? Not many collectors buy silver coins these days. And look at the ones you’re making—‘Great Ming Victory’ on one side, ‘One Tael’ on the other. It’s so old-fashioned. Who would want them?”

“That’s not your concern,” Yue Yang said with a snap of his fingers. “What you should focus on is making sure the factory produces enough coins on time.”

“Easy,” Zhang Xiaoxiao said confidently. “The molds are ready. Just press the button, and you’ll get as many coins as you want—as long as you have enough silver to mint them.”

“That’s not a problem,” Yue Yang replied calmly. He had accumulated plenty of silver, which could be sent through the time portal to the modern era, refined, and then processed. There would be some loss, but it was entirely controllable.

Half an hour later, Yue Yang wiped his mouth, took out his briefcase, and handed two contracts to the two women.

“What’s this?” Zhang Xiaoxiao asked, puzzled. She looked at the contracts and immediately covered her mouth. “What? This is…”

“In recognition of your efforts over the past two years, I’ve decided to award each of you five percent of the company’s shares. Starting today, you’re officially company shareholders,” Yue Yang said with a smile.