Chapter Seventy-Six: She Is Anlan!

The voice rang out, sonorous and imposing. The previously clamorous scene fell instantly into silence. Everyone turned in unison to look at An Lan, their expressions varied, a blend of surprise and uncertainty.

An Lan, though well-known, had always kept a low profile. She refused interviews and never made public appearances. If not for the gravity of this agency recruitment, she would never have presided in person. Thus, apart from Pei Huaide and his son, no one knew what An Lan looked like.

“You again, you vixen!” At that moment, seeing An Lan appear, Lan Ruoshuang was instantly enraged. If it hadn’t been for her arrival at the entrance just now, she would have already taken her revenge. She abhorred An Lan with all her heart, emboldened by Lin Dong’s support. Rising to her feet, she glared at An Lan and shouted, “How dare you make a scene here! Get out!”

“Ye Wushang is nothing but a useless wretch. How can we entrust our safety to such a coward? We demand a replacement!”

“Don’t think that just because you have some connection to the An family, you can do as you please. Let me tell you, I won’t agree, Brother Dong won’t agree, none of us will agree!”

“Miss Lan is right,” Lin Dong chimed in, hands in his pockets, gazing at An Lan with a mocking air of nonchalance. “This man is incompetent, and we don’t feel safe.”

“It’s perfectly reasonable to ask for his replacement.”

“I’ve heard of you. I believe you arranged two security jobs for him, didn’t you?”

“It seems you have a good relationship with the An family, but my relationship with President An is even better.”

“With just one word from me, not only this useless fellow, but even you would have to keep your distance.”

“So don’t try to test my bottom line.”

“You’re quite pretty, but it’s a shame your brains don’t match your looks, hanging around with someone like him—what a waste.”

With that, he licked his lips. This woman, like Lan Ruoxue, was a rare beauty. One was his ex-wife, the other seemed to be his current lover. How did this loser get so lucky? All the beautiful women ended up with him—what a waste of good cabbages on pigs!

“So you claim you’re close with President An?” An Lan smiled faintly, unruffled by anger.

Lin Dong puffed out his chest, full of self-importance. “Of course! President An and I are intimate friends who share everything—business, life, even romance, we confide in each other…”

“Huiru, tell him who I am.” An Lan, arms folded across her chest, abruptly interrupted, turning to her secretary Sun Huiru.

Sun Huiru took a deep breath, microphone in hand, and declared in a clear voice, “This is our President of An Group, and also the eldest daughter of the An family—An Lan!”

Boom! The words exploded like thunder. The crowd gazed at her in disbelief—who could have imagined that she was the head of An Group?

“How could this be?”

“She’s An Lan, the president of An Group, yet she’s consorting with that outcast?”

“But that’s her secretary announcing it herself—how could it be false?”

“No wonder she dared to speak so boldly earlier—she’s actually An Lan herself. Incredible.”

Everyone began to discuss, their voices overlapping in astonishment. Eyes turned toward Lin Dong, now tinged with mockery.

A clown. Utter nonsense. He’d just claimed to be An Lan’s confidant, yet couldn’t even recognize her standing before him. Clearly, he was all bluster and no substance. All his earlier posturing now looked utterly foolish.

“No, that’s impossible,” Lan Ruoshuang stammered, “She can’t be An Lan—she’s just a vixen, a wretch…”

Upon learning An Lan’s true identity, Lan Ruoshuang felt as if she’d swallowed a fly. She shook her head desperately, refusing to accept it. Even now, she continued to curse. An Lan’s eyes flashed coldly as she snapped, “Slap her!”

A sharp crack rang out as the bald man stepped forward and slapped Lan Ruoshuang hard across the mouth.

“How dare you hit me—”

Before she could retort, the bald man delivered a flurry of slaps, six or seven in quick succession, leaving her lips swollen like sausages. Blood trickled from her nose and mouth before Lan Ruoxue managed to shield her, barely putting a stop to it.

“Ruoshuang, stop it! Haven’t you caused enough chaos already?” Lan Ruoxue roared. She could never have imagined that Ye Wushang would be involved with An Lan. He must have known An Lan’s identity all along, understood her own bid for the An family agency. In the end, she’d been played for a fool, manipulated at every turn.

First she sought out Sun Chuanzi, then Lin Dong. All the supposed negotiations were just a sham—they were doomed to fail from the start.

But how could he do this to me? Even if we divorced so hastily, did he have to humiliate me like this? She felt an unprecedented sense of shame, wishing she could vanish into thin air. Strange to say, a surge of fury rose unbidden within her. Disappointment no longer sufficed to describe her feelings for Ye Wushang—there was now a deep, burning hatred.

“Wushang was personally chosen by me as the one in charge. Who dares object?” At that moment, An Lan instinctively took Ye Wushang’s hand and led him center stage, facing the crowd. Though these guests had been invited, they were merely witnesses. With the An family’s power, who would dare challenge her decision?

Lan Ruoshuang, after her beating, dared not utter a word. Zheng Yiren trembled with fear, clutching Lin Dong’s arm and urging him to do something. But Lin Dong was terrified himself. He’d only wanted to show off and get lucky—who knew he’d provoke the real master? Humiliation and regret gnawed at him as he desperately thought of a way out. As for helping the Lan sisters—absurd.

“I have an objection,” said Pei Qinghu, suddenly rising to his feet, hands clasped behind his back. “Though Ye Wushang is your nominee, President An, the safety of everyone present is no small matter.”

“We can’t risk everyone’s wellbeing for your personal preference. If you want him to continue as security chief, at the very least, show us what he can do.”

“The An family may be powerful, but you’re not the sole authority here in Jinghan. The Pei family will not bow easily.”

At this, An Lan’s face darkened. She hadn’t expected the Pei family to create trouble at such a moment. They were usually discreet—even when they resorted to assassination, it was done without a trace. Now, making trouble in public, they clearly intended to embarrass her.

And seeing the Pei family step forward, those who had previously been cowed by her presence now found their courage and spoke up as well.

“Yes, Miss An, we respect you, but we’re not reassured about this fellow.”

“A househusband who spends his days cooking and doing laundry—how can he be trusted with our security?”

“If you want us to accept him wholeheartedly, at least let him show us something.”

“It’s not that we’re opposing you—we just want peace of mind.”

Facing this mounting pressure, An Lan was about to rebuke them in fury when Ye Wushang stopped her, glaring at Lin Dong and shouting, “You want to replace me? Fine.”

“But you just claimed to be acquainted with Miss An, and even called yourselves close friends.”

“In my view, you have slandered her reputation. As the person in charge of An family security and Miss An’s personal bodyguard, it is my duty to seek justice for her.”

“Come here—kneel and apologize to Miss An. Only then will we discuss my position!”

Personal bodyguard? At those words, Lan Ruoxue’s pupils contracted sharply. What exactly was their relationship? Sometimes so intimate, now he was her bodyguard. An Lan’s every word and gesture hinted at a bond far beyond the ordinary. At first, she thought her sister was exaggerating, but now it seemed he really had been unfaithful during their marriage. Their divorce had just played into his hands.

“I have no time for your nonsense.” Lin Dong dared not meet An Lan’s eyes. Flustered, he muttered, “I have something to do, I’m leaving,” and turned to flee.

Swish! Ye Wushang leapt through the air in a graceful arc, landing directly in front of Lin Dong. With a loud crash, he kicked Lin Dong, sending him sprawling backward. In desperation, Lin Dong drew a pistol from inside his clothes and fired several shots at Ye Wushang!

“Wushang!” An Lan cried out. The crowd stared in shock. No one had expected Lin Dong to be carrying a gun, especially at such close range and with no warning. Surely, Ye Wushang was doomed. Though his leap just now showed impressive skill, could he survive this?

Bang! Bang! Gunshots rang out. But Ye Wushang caught the bullets with his bare hands and sent them flying back. They struck Lin Dong in the chest and abdomen, blood spurting as he gritted his teeth in agony, still trying to crawl away.

In a blur of motion, Ye Wushang swept up four fruit knives from four tables and hurled them with deadly accuracy, pinning Lin Dong’s hands and feet to the ground—rendering him utterly helpless.

“All I asked was an apology, but you tried to flee and shoot me. Everyone saw it—I was acting in self-defense.” Ye Wushang kicked Lin Dong hard and looked up at the crowd.

…