Qin Xiao dealing with Yunlan International was no secret to his close subordinates.
Although the online smear campaign was fierce, as long as Yunlan International could present solid evidence during the live inspection three days later, the rumors would collapse on their own.
But what if... the director responsible for testing and formulas defected? Or what if the test samples were tampered with?
Fang Ming raised his head, a hint of appropriate confusion showing in his eyes.
"Young Master Qin, is this... Dr. Liu from Yunlan International?"
"That's right."
Qin Xiao, holding a cigar, pointed at the old man in the documents.
"Liu Changqing. This old fossil is a tough nut to crack. Mu Qingxue's grandfather showed him great kindness, and he won't budge, no matter if we offer money or property. Since the soft approach doesn't work, we'll have to use the hard one."
Speaking of this, a ruthless cold light flashed in Qin Xiao's eyes.
Although he had been reborn, he would not easily commit illegal acts again, but this iron rule only applied to the protagonist and the heroine themselves. He didn't have so many scruples when dealing with others.
"Does Young Master Qin mean... kidnapping?"
Fang Ming looked at the photo on the table, his pupils suddenly contracting: "Young Master Qin, although we usually dabble in gray areas, this is completely different. What if this old man calls the police, or..."
"Shut your mouth, don't make it sound so unpleasant."
Qin Xiao waved his hand impatiently, tapping his finger lightly on the edge of the ashtray, knocking off a section of gray ash.
"I am merely inviting Elder Liu's family to a farmhouse vacation in the countryside to experience life and escape the summer heat. As long as he tells the truth and makes the right choice during the live broadcast two days from now, his wife and granddaughter will naturally return unharmed."
Saying this, Qin Xiao leaned forward slightly, his deep eyes fixed on Fang Ming, a playful curve hooking his lips.
"Besides, I'm not asking you to do the dirty work yourself. Brother Gui has already made arrangements. You just need to go monitor them, ensuring they don't mess things up. Once it's done, I can give you a million... cash!"
Hearing the words "one million cash," Fang Ming's clumsy performance began again.
His eyes darted back and forth between the yellow paper bag and Qin Xiao's face, seemingly struggling between money and his moral bottom line.
"Just... monitor them?"
"Yes, just monitor them."
Qin Xiao leaned back in his chair, regaining his composure: "I know what you're worried about. Don't worry, the people doing the job have nothing to do with our Qin Group. Even if something goes wrong, it won't trace back to you."
"Just drag this out for a week. Once Yunlan International completely collapses, the people will naturally be released. Then, you can take this million, take Chen Qian traveling abroad, or pay off your family's debts. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
Qin Xiao's voice was like the whisper of a devil, slowly eroding Fang Ming's non-existent psychological defenses.
He lowered his head, and only after a full half minute did he sharply look up.
"Alright, Young Master Qin, I'll take this job. As long as no one is physically harmed, I'll treat it as a vacation in the countryside!"
Qin Xiao nodded in satisfaction, settled back into his boss's chair, and waved his hand.
"Go ahead. I'll tell Brother Gui. You meet with him tonight. Remember, keep this buried deep inside; don't let a fourth person know..."
"Understood!"
Fang Ming grabbed the paper bag, turned, and quickly walked out of the office.
It wasn't until the heavy door fully closed that the panic and greed vanished from his face.
"I was just worried I wouldn't have a chance to interfere in this matter. Who knew the opportunity would deliver itself right to my door? Heh heh, this is quite interesting."
...Night, a Commercial KTV parking lot.
A black Buick GL8 was parked quietly in the corner. The windows were covered with dark anti-shatter film, making it impossible to see inside from the outside.
As soon as Fang Ming approached, the passenger side window slowly rolled down, revealing a spectacle-wearing, slightly effeminate face.
"Oh, Special Assistant Fang is here?"
Brother Gui pushed up his glasses, wearing his signature fake smile: "Get in, let's talk."
Fang Ming opened the rear door and got in.
Brother Gui tossed Fang Ming a bottle of mineral water, then took a tablet computer from the armrest box, swiped through it a few times, and handed it to Fang Ming.
"These are the people doing the job this time."
Fang Ming took the tablet. The screen showed high-definition scans of three wanted posters.
The man in the first photo had a fleshy face, a hideous scar across his left brow bone, and eyes as fierce as a wild beast.
[Name: Wang Hu (Nickname: Scar Tiger)]
[Crime: Armed robbery, intentional infliction of fatal injury. Class A Fugitive.]
The second was a tall, skinny man with sinister eyes who looked like an addict.
[Name: Li Qiang (Nickname: Bamboo Pole)]
[Crime: Drug trafficking, illegal possession of firearms.]
The third was a bald, fat man with a meaty face and a terrifying smile.
[Name: Zhang Dapao]
[Crime: Serial burglary, attempted rape.]
"These three are desperate criminals with homicide cases on their backs."
Brother Gui said carelessly: "The police are chasing them hard right now, and they urgently need money to smuggle themselves into Southeast Asia."
"I've already negotiated the price with them. As long as they finish this job for us, Young Master Qin will arrange a boat for each of them and give them a two million settlement fee. These kinds of people would kill their own fathers for money; their efficiency is definitely high."
Fang Ming looked at the photos on the tablet, inwardly admiring Qin Xiao's methods.
Hiring these desperate criminals, sending them abroad after the job, and ensuring that even if they are caught, the Qin Group remains completely untainted—this was a true black glove operation.
"So what... do I need to do?"
"I've already arranged a van with fake plates. This is the phone to contact them; it has no screen lock."
Brother Gui handed Fang Ming a used smartphone: "They will make their move the morning after tomorrow, taking the old woman and the little girl to the abandoned Logging Camp in the Western Suburbs. It's been deserted for a long time; there's no one within ten miles. It's perfectly safe."
"What you need to do is conceal your identity, use this phone to contact them, and then drive this van to stay there for two days."
At this point, Brother Gui's tone became somewhat serious.
"While these three are effective, they are desperate criminals and sometimes lack restraint."
"The old woman and the little girl are our bargaining chips against Liu Changqing. They absolutely cannot die, nor can they suffer any irreversible harm."
"You are going there to monitor them. One, to bring them food and drink, and two... to represent Young Master Qin and watch these mad dogs, ensuring they don't bite randomly. Especially Liu Duoduo, she's only six. What if Zhang Dapao..."
Brother Gui didn't continue, but the implication was clear.
Zhang Dapao has a history of attempted rape. Against a little girl, who knows if this animal will unleash his beastly nature?
Fang Ming's heart sank, and a sliver of imperceptible coldness flashed in his eyes.
Although Qin Xiao and Brother Gui spoke grandly, handing the grandmother and granddaughter over to these animals was essentially pushing them into a pit of fire.
If someone else had gone instead of him... the consequences would be unimaginable.
"Understood."
Fang Ming took a deep breath and nodded: "So I'm the supervisor, and I also handle food delivery, right?"
"That's about the gist of it."
Brother Gui smiled, reverting to his appearance as a refined scoundrel: "You'll go tomorrow morning, and report to me every four hours."
"If there's any trouble, or if those three guys have any second thoughts... don't try to fight them. Notify me immediately, and I'll send people to handle it."
"Don't worry, Brother Gui, for that million... oh no, for Young Master Qin's great cause, I will watch them closely!"
"The car is in Zone B 302. The key is on top of the tire. There are several boxes of instant noodles and mineral water in the trunk, plus some snacks—those are for the little girl. Remember, keep your phone accessible. If I can't reach you... you know Young Master Qin's temper."
"Understood, understood!"