Chapter 171: Stealing Fragrance (26)
A group of soldiers—whom these ordinary people usually had to detour to avoid—humbly nodded and bowed as they helped Mother Xiao move.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, they invited Mother Xiao and Xiao Ran into military vehicles and drove away. This finally allowed Mother Xiao and Xiao Ran, who had endured so much frustration over the past few days, to hold their heads high.
Furthermore, once she realized that in the relationship between Xiao Ji and Pei Yinnian, Xiao Ji seemed to be the dominant one, the knot in Mother Xiao’s chest finally loosened quite a bit.
Pei Yinnian was a man of action. Having said he would open a bank, he began to pull strings and make arrangements. He didn’t show his face, letting only Xiao Ji appear.
At first, Pei Yinnian worried whether Xiao Ji could handle it, but in fact, he found he had underestimated Xiao Ji once again.
After a little over a month of working together from the inside and outside, the bank opened for business.
The once honest and law-abiding Mister Xiao had transformed into a rising star of Huating: President Xiao.
If anyone said there wasn’t someone backing him, no one would believe it.
To mislead everyone, Xiao Ji put on another show of “forgetting his roots.”
He stopped going to the Pei Residence and lived with Mother Xiao instead. He spent day and night socializing and even built a “Xiao Residence.”
On the day of the housewarming, he invited all the high-ranking officials and wealthy businessmen of Huating, but specifically did not invite Pei Yinnian.
As for Pei Yinnian, he played the uninvited guest that night.
He led a group of armed soldiers through the gates of the Xiao Residence. In full uniform, he looked at Xiao Ji coldly:
“Congratulations on your move, Mister Xiao. It seems the bank is running smoothly. Busy as you are, you seem to have forgotten some old sentiments.”
Xiao Ji gave a fake smile. “What are you saying, Young Master Pei? Whether the bank runs smoothly or not is all thanks to your blessing.”
The two of them went back and forth with hidden barbs. They seemed harmonious, but there was an undercurrent of tension.
All night long, Pei Yinnian’s men held their guns across their chests. Everyone was on edge, secretly hoping the banquet would end quickly without any incidents.
Fortunately, Pei Yinnian didn’t directly disrupt the banquet. He only smashed his glass after drinking three rounds with Xiao Ji, pointed at Xiao Ji’s nose, and left without a word.
From that day on, Pei Yinnian would frequently go to the Bishui Tea House to listen to Nan Siyan sing. Occasionally, he would wait for Nan Siyan to finish and chat for a while before leaving.
Consequently, it didn’t take long for rumors to fly once again.
Everyone in Huating knew Pei Yinnian and Xiao Ji had a falling out.
They said Xiao Ji had used Pei Yinnian to become a new power in Huating and then turned his back on him.
They said that since splitting with Xiao Ji, Pei Yinnian had taken an interest in the opera singer Nan Siyan.
They said that relationships between men really aren’t reliable; they are both ambitious types, and without mutual interest, who would be willing to be subordinate?
For most people, this outcome was far more logical.
But what no one knew was that every night when it was quiet, Xiao Ji would secretly visit the Pei Residence and spend the night with Pei Yinnian before leaving before dawn.
Despite continuing to see each other, this feeling of staying hidden made Pei Yinnian increasingly irritable.
Most importantly, word of him secretly transferring assets seemed to have leaked out.
In the current situation, the higher the position, the less one was their own master.
Sitting in Pei Yinnian’s position, one move affected the whole body.
If Pei Yinnian had a mind to defect, it would be a major loss for his current faction.
Soon after, the higher-ups sent someone to Huating for an inspection.
The first person they sought out wasn’t Pei Yinnian.
It was Xiao Ji, who seemingly had already broken up with him.
The visitor was named Fu Hui. Upon arriving in Huating, he revealed his identity and, while Xiao Ji was away, directly audited the bank’s accounts.
Xiao Ji’s bank hadn’t been open long, but because of its scale, auditing the accounts was still no easy task.
After Lin Shu got the news, he first notified Pei Yinnian, who immediately called Xiao Ji.
“The higher-ups really don’t trust me. As soon as Fu Hui arrived, he started auditing the bank.”
Hearing this, Xiao Ji was unfazed. “The bank people informed me this morning. Let him audit.”
Pei Yinnian had moved a lot of illicit funds through the bank recently, exchanging them for gold bars. Some were hidden in Huating, and some had already been moved abroad to buy estates.
He felt uneasy. “Are you sure it’s fine?”
Xiao Ji sneered. “Even if there’s a problem, it only matters if he can find it.”
As Xiao Ji expected, Fu Hui’s men audited vigorously for two days and one night without finding a thing.
Pei Yinnian had only deposited two sums when the bank first opened. Afterward, presumably because of the rift with Xiao Ji, those two sums weren’t moved, but no more transactions were made through Xiao Ji’s bank.
Xiao Ji allowed Fu Hui to audit, not showing his face for two whole days.
On the second night, Fu Hui took the initiative to send someone to the Xiao Residence to invite Xiao Ji to dinner.
Xiao Ji was now well-versed in such social engagements. He simply said that since Fu Hui had come from afar, there was no reason for the guest to pay. He booked the dinner at the Jianguo Hotel.
“I have long heard of President Xiao’s great name. Seeing you today, you truly are a paragon among men, just as the rumors say.”
Fu Hui studied Xiao Ji, who sat opposite him. Both Xiao Ji’s behavior and gaze were as still as ancient water.
Huating was a strategic political center; countless people watched this piece of fat. Any movement in Huating would reach the higher-ups immediately.
Fu Hui had indeed heard of the matter between Xiao Ji and Pei Yinnian long ago.
From his initial disdain to his subsequent admiration, he had become curious. He had always wanted to know what kind of person could step over Pei Yinnian and play the Governor of Huating like a fool.
Now that he met him, he found Xiao Ji was completely different from the glib-tongued person he had imagined.
Xiao Ji just sat there coldly. From the moment they met until now, he hadn’t said anything besides “Hello.”
He didn’t even mention the fact that Fu Hui had audited his accounts.
Most importantly, Xiao Ji was a beauty.
Xiao Ji nodded and said faintly, “You flatter me.”
Fu Hui raised an eyebrow. “No wonder you caught Governor Pei’s eye. President Xiao’s appearance and temperament are extraordinary; you truly are a sight to behold.”
Xiao Ji found this Fu Hui very strange.
Coming all this way for an inspection, the first person he met wasn’t Pei Yinnian or a city official, but him.
And now he was saying such nonsensical things; it was unpleasant.
Xiao Ji didn’t humble himself, nor did he return the compliment. Hearing this, he just frowned and looked at Fu Hui:
“Are you finished?”
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