Chapter 75: The Counterattack of Yida Group

After the plane landed at Mingzhou Airport, Zhong Yun was awakened by a flight attendant. Lately, he had been particularly prone to sleep; the moment he lay on the soft seat, his eyelids felt impossibly heavy.

As Zhong Yun opened his eyes, he was met with a dazzling flash of white. For a moment, he thought he must be dreaming, and stared fixedly at the sight. When his shoulder was nudged again and a soft, nasally female voice whispered at his ear, "Mr. Zhong, Mr. Zhong…" he snapped awake with a start. Looking up, he saw the beautiful face of the flight attendant tinged with a faint blush. Her lovely eyes met his, then instantly darted away like a startled rabbit, yet lingering in her gaze was a subtle trace of flirtation. The mixture of embarrassment and allure in her expression was enough to set any man's heart racing.

Zhong Yun felt a surge of desire roiling up from his abdomen, spreading like wildfire throughout his body, leaving him breathless and parched. She was seducing him—blatantly, unreservedly. Having just awakened with his body still responding, Zhong Yun nearly lost his composure. Fortunately, at the crucial moment, the plane's announcement sounded: "Dear passengers, we will be arriving at Mingzhou Airport in three minutes. Please prepare for disembarkation..."

Springing up from his seat, Zhong Yun hurried into the restroom. The flight attendant sat down, her face filled with regret. So close. She shot an annoyed glance toward the restroom, thinking irritably, Even when a beauty offers herself, he refuses. What a blockhead.

She had always been confident in her looks—rarely did a man meet her gaze without being captivated. Zhong Yun's indifference delivered a blow to her self-esteem, but then she reconsidered. Perhaps it just proved her taste was good; this young man was clearly not the frivolous type. If she were to find a wealthy patron, she would at least choose someone with loyalty and heart.

Soon after, Zhong Yun emerged from the restroom, appearing outwardly composed, as if nothing had happened. The two acted as though the incident had never occurred, but just before disembarking, the flight attendant slipped him a note. "I have seven days of vacation and will be staying in Mingzhou City."

Holding the note, Zhong Yun left the airport, reflecting, "Women these days are truly bold and direct." Stepping once more onto the soil of Mingzhou, he felt a sense of surreal dislocation. With advanced technology, the ends of the earth were now within reach, but who would have thought he had spent over a month living dozens of light-years away?

At that moment, a man in his thirties approached him respectfully. "Are you Mr. Zhong Yun?"

"And you are?" Zhong Yun asked, puzzled.

"I'm sent by Mr. Yang the Second." The man remained deferential, undeterred by Zhong Yun's youth.

"Oh," Zhong Yun realized. Yunqi's brother was quite considerate, he mused, then gestured, "Lead the way."

"Zhong Yun!"

He had barely taken two steps when someone called his name loudly. Zhong Yun stopped and turned, delighted. "Manager Ou! What a coincidence."

It was none other than Ou Feng, general manager of the Mingzhu Building.

Ou Feng strode over with several others, smiling. "It's no coincidence; I've come here to wait for you specifically."

"To wait for me?" Zhong Yun was surprised. "How did you know I was on this flight?"

"Let's get in the car—it's not convenient to talk here," Ou Feng invited.

"But..." Zhong Yun glanced at the man sent by Yang Yunrong, momentarily at a loss. On one hand, there was Yunqi's brother; on the other, his business partner. It was a difficult choice.

Ou Feng ignored Zhong Yun's indecision. Fixing his gaze on the silent man, he said, "Tell Mr. Yang the Second that I'm taking Mr. Zhong. If there's any issue, he can come find me."

The man seemed to realize the situation was irretrievable. With an impassive expression, he replied, "I will certainly relay Manager Ou's message." With that, he turned and left without another word.

Once inside a large shuttle car, Zhong Yun sat facing Ou Feng. Suddenly, he asked, "Are you with Yidao Group?"

Ou Feng deftly opened a bottle of red wine, and at Zhong Yun's question, he chuckled. "The Mingzhu Building has always been a Yidao Group property."

"No wonder," Zhong Yun remarked, realizing he hadn't paid attention before. It seemed Yidao Group, unwilling to lose face after their debacle at the Voll Airport, had sent Ou Feng to Mingzhou Airport to retaliate, snatching him back. He found it both amusing and exasperating to be the object of their tug-of-war.

"You big shots, always competing and clashing—just don't drag me into it. I'm just an ordinary citizen. If I get caught in the crossfire, I've nowhere to complain," Zhong Yun half-joked, half-serious.

Ou Feng gave him a knowing look and poured half a glass of red wine for him. "Tell me, 'ordinary citizen,' where have you been this past month? The whole world couldn't find you."

Zhong Yun's heart skipped a beat—the very situation he had feared was now upon him. Before leaving, he hadn't made many arrangements, only telling those close to him that he'd be away for a while. He hadn't anticipated that Liu Yunqi and Xiao Ruo would worry and send people searching for him, nor that both sides wielded such tremendous influence.

His cover story about a desert expedition could fool his parents and friends, but never the powerful Yidao Group or the Yang family. When he encountered those two who claimed to be police officers, he had sensed trouble; later, seeing Zhao Dai from Yidao Group and Yunqi's second brother, he knew suspicion was inevitable.

Still, it made sense for Yang Yunrong to look for him—but why was Yidao Group so interested in him?

Zhong Yun took a sip of wine and set his glass down gently. "There's something I don't understand," he said.

Ou Feng made a gesture for him to continue.

"Why are you looking for me? I did help you repair a piano, but you also procured many rare items for me. I thought we were even."

Ou Feng smiled mysteriously. "Curiosity. A high schooler who can repair a Jialan Piano—who wouldn't be curious?"

Zhong Yun flicked the rim of his wine glass, producing a crisp "ding," his expression suggesting he accepted the explanation. But was it really just curiosity?

"I only went to take care of a very personal matter," he replied in kind.

Ou Feng shrugged, understanding he didn't wish to elaborate, and changed the subject.

Ten minutes later, the driver's voice came from the front: "We've arrived."

After bidding Ou Feng farewell, Zhong Yun stepped out of the shuttle and saw a familiar figure standing at his own doorstep.

"Where the hell have you been, Ah Yun?" A chubby figure barreled toward him.

ps: Still 2,000 votes short of the weekly recommendation leaderboard—such a big gap, but I won't force it.