Is it hard to chase the school beauty?It doesn't matter, she still has roommates

Qin Luo pondered for a moment, then said.

"Now that you mention it, he is indeed an extraordinary person. I'd like to meet him if I have the chance."

Fu Yichen sighed and shook his head.

"Unfortunately, Brother Qin, it's probably difficult to see him now. Old Master An has been seriously ill and bedridden for about three years and has not made any public appearances. There are rumors that the old master probably doesn't have much time left, and there are undercurrents within Anbang Group as well."

"Who is in charge of Anbang now?"

Qin Luo asked.

"The two are the nominal and actual leaders."

Fu Yichen replied.

"One is Old Master An's adopted daughter, named An Ruoxi, who is about twenty-six or twenty-seven years old this year. The old master has no biological children, and he dotes on and trusts this adopted daughter immensely. It is said that he began to cultivate her to get involved in the group's affairs very early on. After the old master fell ill three years ago, she made many of the overt decisions. I met her once, and she was truly..."

Fu Yichen paused, seemingly searching for the right words.

"Her looks, temperament, and figure are all impeccable; she's almost unrealistically beautiful, but she has a very strong aura, is cold and aloof, and not easy to approach."

"The other one is Qiu Qinyun, the lover whom Old Master An favored most before he fell ill. She should be quite a bit older than An Ruoxi, I don't know exactly how much older, but she still has a lot of charm and is very shrewd."

After the old man fell ill, she wielded considerable influence within the group, leveraging her past favor and accumulated connections, especially regarding established figures and traditional businesses. Currently, a power struggle is subtly emerging within Anbang, with these two individuals seemingly leading the charge.

The Ferrari had now left the main road and turned onto a paved road leading into the mountains. The trees on both sides of the road gradually became denser, and the outline of the mountains in the distance came into view. The Western Hills were just ahead.

Qin Luo silently digested the information about Anbang Group, a behemoth deeply rooted in Fujian, whose origins lay in their destination. And Fu Kangxiong, whom they were searching for, might very well be hiding in this mountainous region, the very heartland of Anbang's power.

Is this a pure coincidence, or is there some subtle connection?
The car drove up the winding mountain road, the engine sound echoing in the quiet forest.

Qin Luo's gaze drifted to the lush green mountains outside the window, his eyes deep and thoughtful. While the goal of the trip to Xishan was indeed to find Fu Kangxiong, the unintentional encounter with the past and present of the Anbang Group seemed to cast a more complex shadow over their upcoming actions.

The Ferrari continued its journey along the winding mountain road, and Fu Yichen's narration did not stop.

"When he was young, Grandpa An fought for territory and engaged in fierce battles, which left him with many hidden injuries. As he got older, his health was never very good."

Three years ago, he suffered a serious illness, reportedly a relapse of an old ailment. It came on so suddenly that he was bedridden, and for the past few years, he's been kept alive only by expensive medications and a top-notch medical team. The group is such a large operation; it couldn't be left unattended, so it was gradually handed over to An Ruoxi and Qiu Qinyun.

“An Ruoxi was adopted and raised by the old man from a young age. She returned from Cambridge with a master's degree at the age of twenty-two. She has a high IQ and an impressive academic background, having studied financial management. The old man intends for her to succeed him and has exposed her to core business operations from an early age. As for Qiu Qinyun…”

Fu Yichen paused.

"This woman hasn't read many books, let alone studied business management systematically, but you can't deny that she has a natural intuition and skill in doing business, dealing with people, and reading trends. She's exceptionally good at it. Many of Anbang's early, low-profile but incredibly profitable businesses were managed and even expanded with her help. The old man probably relies on her as well as dotes on her."

Qin Luo frowned slightly.

"Old Master An has no biological children? Such a large business, just handed over to an adopted daughter and a mistress with no official status?"

To outsiders, this arrangement does seem somewhat illogical and has sown the seeds of huge hidden dangers.

Fu Yichen nodded affirmatively.

"That's right. It's said that Old Master An never formally married or had any publicly acknowledged biological children until his death. An Ruoxi was the orphan of one of his brothers from his early years, whom he adopted and treated like his own daughter. Qiu Qinyun was with him for almost twenty years, and was his most favored and longest-serving wife, but she was always just 'Mrs. Yun'."

Currently, these two jointly lead Anbang, maintaining a facade of harmony and working together to keep the group running. However, in reality, they are already locked in fierce infighting. Each wants to gain more influence and resources while the old man is still alive, preparing for the future. Once the old man is truly gone, Anbang will likely experience a major upheaval.

Does Qiu Qinyun have children?

Qin Luo asked.

"Yes, I have a son named Li Guanghui, who takes his mother's surname. People outside call him 'Prince Hui'."

Fu Yichen's tone carried a hint of barely perceptible contempt.

"This guy used to be the president of our Mindu Supercar Association. All he did was play with cars and chase girls. He was very arrogant. But last year, he lost to Zhou Lin in a private racing competition and lost his position as president. He quieted down for a while."

He wasn't Old Master An's son; he was Qiu Qinyun's child with another man. But the old master didn't seem to mind and treated him quite well. The fact that the old master could accept a 'crown prince' with no blood relation to him shows just how extraordinary Qiu Qinyun's methods were.

Qin Luo listened silently, gaining a clearer understanding of the intricate relationships and potential power struggles within the Anbang Group.

A fading tycoon, two exceptionally capable yet incompatible women, an incompetent "crown prince," plus a vast conglomerate and a deeply entrenched network of interests... this is indeed a very deep pool.

The car traveled a little further and the outline of a luxurious complex of buildings could be vaguely seen among the mountains ahead.

Qin Luo suddenly spoke up.

"Yichen, pull over."

Fu Yichen followed instructions and slowly parked the car on a relatively spacious sidewalk.

"What's wrong, Brother Qin?"

Qin Luo unbuckled his seatbelt, opened the car door, and got out. The fresh mountain air rushed towards him, carrying the faint fragrance of grass and trees.

He turned to Fu Yichen, who had also gotten out of the car, and said this.

"That's enough for now. I'll walk the rest of the way myself. You can turn back."

Fu Yichen was taken aback.

"Brother Qin, what do you mean by that? We agreed to come together to find clues."

Qin Luo looked at him, her tone calm but serious.

“Yichen, Fukangxiong’s matter is ultimately my responsibility to handle. Xishan seems to be more complicated than it appears, involving Anbang Group. You are a wealthy young master with a family and business; there’s no need for you to get involved in such potential risks. If something goes wrong, it could easily cause trouble for you and your family.”

Fu Yichen understood Qin Luo's concerns, and a warm feeling welled up in his heart, but then an even stronger determination surged up.

Instead of backing down, he stepped forward, his tone resolute.

"Brother Qin, you're being too polite! Now that I, Fu Yichen, have acknowledged you as my brother, your business is my business! What's with all this talk of risk? If I were afraid of that, I wouldn't have gone to the Minfu Hotel with you in the first place! Today, I'm going to accompany you to Xishan!"

After saying that, he rushed back to the driver's seat first.

He slammed the car door shut, then quickly leaned over to the passenger side, locked the door, and shouted to Qin Luo outside, "Brother Qin, get in! Either we go in together, or you knock me out and leave me here! The choice is yours!"

Qin Luo looked at Fu Yichen's stubborn yet somewhat roguish expression in the car and shook his head helplessly.

He knew Fu Yichen was sincere, and further refusal would only seem hypocritical. Fine, since he insisted, having more people around wasn't always a bad thing.

He opened the car door again and got back in.

"You're quick to lock the door."

Fu Yichen chuckled and restarted the car.

"That's right, otherwise how could I show my determination? Brother Qin, don't even think about shaking me off. Let's go!"

The Ferrari started moving again, continuing uphill along the mountain road.

Fu Yichen explained as he drove.

"Xishan is actually very close to the city center, only a seven or eight-minute drive away. Although it looks like a mountain, it's been heavily developed and is one of the top luxury villa areas in Fujian. The environment is impeccable. Look at that area on the right—"

Qin Luo looked in the direction he pointed and saw a magnificent and resplendent complex of buildings hidden among the mountains and forests. The buildings were a blend of European luxury and Chinese grandeur, and they shone brightly in the sunlight.

"That's Xishan Entertainment City, one of Anbang's flagship businesses. It has a wide variety of attractions. There's a dedicated racetrack, a large live-action CS field, and various outdoor adventure activities. It's connected to a hot spring resort in the back, and I heard that the hot springs there are drawn from fresh water, which is quite nice. However, these aren't the most important features."

Fu Yichen lowered his voice.

"At the very back, I heard there's an underground arena where some shady 'matches' occasionally take place, which are quite exciting. Of course, the most famous and lucrative place in the entire Xishan area is the casino. It's located in the basement of the main building of the entertainment complex. It's huge and extremely luxurious, attracting many wealthy locals and tourists."

The car drove into a spacious parking lot. Just as Fu Yichen had said, the parking lot was like a luxury car exhibition. Bentleys, Rolls-Royces, Lamborghinis... all kinds of top-of-the-line vehicles that you could name were everywhere, and the license plates were also varied, showing that the guests were all rich and powerful.

“However,” Fu Yichen said as he looked for a parking space.

“Real important figures sometimes don’t drive such flashy cars, or they simply ride in very ordinary cars, just to avoid attracting too much attention. After all, many people who come here don’t want their faces to be remembered.”

After parking the car, the two got out.

Qin Luo looked at the magnificent, palace-like main building of the entertainment city in front of him and said to Fu Yichen.

“We’ll split up. Casinos are crowded and chaotic, a good place to hide and gather information. I’ll go check out the casino. You’re familiar with this place, or if you have any other channels, you can go and scout other places, like that underground arena, or other entertainment areas. Keep your phone on, and contact us immediately if you find anything.”

Fu Yichen nodded.

"Understood! Brother Qin, be careful. Anbang's people are keeping a close eye on things in the casino, and there are a lot of rules. I'll go check out the arena area; there are even more people from all walks of life there, and maybe I can overhear something."

The two agreed on their plans and then went their separate ways.

Fu Yichen walked towards a passageway on the side of the main building that was marked "Extreme Competition Zone".

Qin Luo straightened his clothes and walked calmly toward the huge, gilded gate of the main building, which required a membership card to enter.

Before Qin Luo even reached the door, he saw a young man in a floral shirt, who was overweight, being "invited" out of the door by two burly security guards in black uniforms, one on each side of him.

"How many times have I told you! No membership card, no entry! Mr. Wang, you're a regular customer, can you please stop making things difficult for us?"

One of the security guards said impatiently, though his tone was relatively restrained, his actions left no room for argument.

The chubby young man tried to struggle, but he was clearly no match for the well-trained security guard. He was pushed so hard that he stumbled and almost fell.

His face flushed red, both ashamed and angry.

"I...I forgot my membership card! I know your manager! Let me in!"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Wang, rules are rules. If you have a membership card, or have a guest with a card show you in, we will not stop you."

Another security guard repeated the standard lines expressionlessly, clearly not the first time he had dealt with this situation.

The overweight young man was stuck at the doorway, unable to go in or back out, looking quite embarrassed.

The occasional curious or disdainful glances from other customers who entered with their cards made him feel even more uneasy.

Just then, he saw Qin Luo walking straight towards him. Seeing that Qin Luo was dressed plainly and had a calm demeanor, but was a complete stranger, the fat young man's eyes darted around as if he had grasped at a straw, or rather, wanted to drag someone down with him, and he took the initiative to strike up a conversation.

"Hey bro, first time here too? Don't have a card? These gatekeepers are so arrogant, they won't let you in without a card!"

Qin Luo didn't stop walking. He glanced at him and said calmly.

"This is indeed my first time here. I don't have a membership card either."

The chubby young man was taken aback, not expecting Qin Luo to admit it so readily. He had originally wanted to encourage the other party to make a scene or think of a solution.

"Huh? You don't have any either? Then how did you get in?"

he asked subconsciously.

Qin Luo had already walked up to the two security guards who had returned to their posts, standing like gatekeepers.

The two men immediately reached out to stop them, their eyes sharp.

"Sir, please show your membership card."

Qin Luo stopped and calmly glanced at the two of them without saying a word.

The chubby young man watched from a few steps away, muttering to himself.

This guy probably wants to say nice things or act high and mighty like me, right? Judging from his cold demeanor, he's likely to get a cold shoulder too.

However, what happened the next moment made his eyes widen instantly, and his mouth gape open enough to fit an egg!
The moment the security guard finished speaking, Qin Luo suddenly moved! So fast that it was almost impossible to see his movements! His left hand shot out like lightning, his five fingers spread, and he grabbed the carefully combed hair of the security guard on the left. Without giving him any time to react, his arm burst out with amazing strength and swung him violently to the side!
"boom!!"

A muffled thud, followed by a short, painful groan.

The security guard's head slammed solidly into the hard, smooth Roman column next to the gate. His eyes rolled back, and without uttering a second groan, his body slumped down the column and he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

The security guard on the right reacted extremely quickly, his expression changing drastically, and he shouted angrily. (End of Chapter)