"Mingxi—"
Chen Xiao's face paled in alarm. He shouted and immediately tried to chase after her, his expression filled with anxiety.
He was naturally anxious, as the old district had always been unsafe, and it was nighttime.
"Chen Xiao, don't go yet!"
Wang Xiaoxia was frantic. She instinctively grabbed Chen Xiao's arm tightly.
"Good nephew, my dear nephew, I really need money urgently. Please, just lend it to me? I'll kneel down for you, is that okay?"
As she spoke, she indeed pulled Chen Xiao's arm and knelt on one knee.
Chen Qing trembled with anger.
"Wang Xiaoxia, are you even human? Didn't you see your own daughter being angered away by you? It's late at night. If she encounters any unsavory characters, how will you have the face to live on!"
Chen Xingwen was clearly blinded by greed. Not only did he not help, but he also knelt down, following suit, grabbing Chen Xiao's other arm and wailing.
"Little sister, if you don't want Mingxi to meet bad people, then let Chen Xiao return that two hundred thousand to me. If I don't have money, how can I support my family?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he impatiently pleaded with Chen Xiao again.
"Chen Xiao, since you have such a good relationship with Zhang Liugian, could you trouble him to arrange a departmental manager position for me? If I can get a promotion and a raise, Mingxi will definitely be able to live a better life..."
"Heh."
Chen Xiao laughed in anger. He unceremoniously kicked Chen Xingwen and Wang Xiaoxia away, his tone suddenly turning as cold as a knife.
"I won't give you a single cent, because my mother has already given you enough! If you insist on making trouble, don't blame me for making a call right now and getting you both fired. Get out!"
Wang Xiaoxia worked in the cafeteria of the Central Hospital, under Bai Su's supervision.
Chen Xingwen worked at the Juxian Branch of Wealth Bank, under Zhang Liugian's supervision.
Given Chen Xiao's relationship with both of them, a casual phone call could indeed get Wang Xiaoxia and Chen Xingwen fired.
In an instant, this eccentric couple was completely stunned. For a moment, they didn't even dare to breathe, and without thinking, they hurriedly and obsequiously fled out of Jishi Tang.
Chen Qing was still worried about Chen Mingxi and anxiously urged Chen Xiao.
"Son, hurry and find Mingxi. She absolutely cannot have an accident!"
"Mom, don't worry. With me here, Mingxi will definitely be fine."
Chen Xiao nodded heavily and rushed out the door. Although he had made many enemies recently, Chen Qing was accompanied by Daphne and had people arranged by Leng Shan and the Northern Border Army protecting her in secret, so he wasn't worried about Chen Qing's safety.
In just a moment, Wang Xiaoxia and Chen Xingwen had already driven away. It was unclear if they were going to find Chen Mingxi or somewhere else, but Chen Xiao didn't care. His only concern now was Chen Mingxi's safety. He dashed out the door, got on his small electric scooter, and searched everywhere, while also freeing up one hand to call Chen Mingxi.
However, Chen Mingxi's phone was turned off, and he couldn't reach her at all.
Moreover, the old district had a complex terrain, especially around Jishi Tang, which was filled with night market stalls. There were many people coming and going, a dense crowd. Finding someone without any clues was like searching for a needle in a haystack.
Unconsciously, more than ten minutes passed, but Chen Xiao still hadn't seen even a shadow of Chen Mingxi, and his anxiety grew.
Just then, a group of drunken strong men suddenly approached Chen Xiao. The leader, who was shirtless, holding half a bottle of unfinished beer, and staggering as he walked, was Song Wanliang, disguised.
Song Wanliang looked around and, seeing that no one was paying attention to him, quickly lowered his voice and said.
"Doctor Chen, are you in some kind of trouble?"
"Uh..."
Chen Xiao was somewhat taken aback.
"Brother Longya, the bullet in your head was removed this afternoon. You should be resting more. Why are you out here protecting me and my mother?"
Despite his surprise, Chen Xiao knew it wasn't the time for pleasantries. As soon as he finished speaking, he quickly found a photo of Chen Mingxi on his phone and handed it to Song Wanliang.
"Brother Longya, the situation is like this. My cousin left Jishi Tang angrily about fifteen minutes ago. I've searched everywhere and couldn't find her. Can you have your brothers help?"
"Of course, no problem!"
Song Wanliang readily agreed without hesitation, then quickly sent Chen Mingxi's photo to a group chat named "Team One for Protecting Our Doctor Chen" and briefly explained the situation.
Chen Xiao glanced at the group chat and saw that there were over fifty members. He was stunned.
"Brother Longya, are the brothers in the group here to protect me and my mother?"
Song Wanliang first nodded, then shook his head, and said with great reverence.
"The fifty-plus brothers I'm responsible for are just one of them. I'm not very clear about the other teams. Conservatively, there should be more than a dozen teams. Our teams don't contact each other to prevent any spies from infiltrating and threatening your and your family's lives..."
As soon as he finished speaking, a message came from the group chat. Song Wanliang's eyes lit up, and he quickly said.
"Doctor Chen, we found her. Your cousin is currently drinking alone and dejectedly at 'Liu Ji Grilled Fish' not far ahead."
"Thank you."
Chen Xiao didn't have time for further pleasantries. He got on his small electric scooter and headed straight for Liu Ji Grilled Fish.
Song Wanliang also quickly got into a van parked nearby, his expression serious.
"We'll follow discreetly as well. According to two brothers at Liu Ji Grilled Fish, Doctor Chen's cousin has been targeted by a group of street thugs!"
...
At the smoky Liu Ji Grilled Fish stall, inside the low rain-proof tent, Chen Mingxi was crying and chugging beer alone, completely unaware of how many male eyes were drawn to her.
After all, at just over eighteen years old, she was exceptionally beautiful and pure, appearing utterly out of place in her surroundings. It was as if a piece of gold weighing twenty to thirty pounds had suddenly fallen onto the street, which was usually frequented by petty thieves.
Suddenly, surrounded by five or six drunken men stumbling around, a shifty-eyed man wearing a floral shirt, shorts, and flip-flops unceremoniously sat down at Chen Mingxi's table, his greedy gaze openly appraising her.
"Beautiful lady, drinking alone must be boring. Brother Little Elephant is here to keep you company, hehe..."
As he spoke, regardless of whether Chen Mingxi agreed, he poured the beer he was holding into the disposable cup in front of her.
The other men around them clearly feared the man who called himself Brother Little Elephant and continued to drink with their heads down.
However, Chen Mingxi was deeply saddened and had already drunk two bottles of beer. She had no sense of fear. Noticing Brother Little Elephant's lewd gaze, she unceremoniously cursed.
"Get lost!"
As she said this, she defiantly tilted her head back and drank every last drop of the beer Brother Little Elephant had poured.
"Hey."
Brother Little Elephant, instead of getting angry, became even more animated. He shuffled closer and sat next to Chen Mingxi.
"Beautiful lady, are you drunk? Let me take you to a hotel!"
As he spoke, he reached out his hand towards Chen Mingxi's chest.