The Secret of the Yoga Club: The Women's Identity is Not Simple

Zuo Ning put the photo back on the table, and to Ma Jinli's surprise, neither asked any further questions nor got angry.

He stepped back, leaning back against the edge of the desk, and nodded to Ma Jinli. "Take him away. Change him into clean clothes, give him a shower, and let him stay at a hotel for now. Just find an empty room for him."

Ma Jinli was taken aback for a moment, then blurted out that he wanted to stay. Zuo Ning said he would stay, as he might need him in the future.

After saying that, he turned away and ignored them, indicating that they could leave.

As Wan Jingquan was led out of the office, he glanced back at Zuo Ning. That look was brief, almost imperceptible amidst his submissive expression.

The corners of his mouth curved slightly, not the grateful smile of someone who had been taken in, but a curve that was hard to describe.

The expression only lingered on his face for less than a second before disappearing, and he reverted to his timid, homeless appearance.

Zuo Ning was looking down to light a cigarette and didn't see it, and Ma Jinli was pushing Wan Jingquan's shoulder towards the door and didn't notice this fleeting, subtle change either.

In the corridor, Ma Jinli handed Wan Jingquan over to a subordinate and instructed him to take him to the staff shower room to take a shower, find him a clean set of clothes to change into, and then arrange for him to stay in an empty room in the staff dormitory area for the time being.

The subordinate acknowledged and led Wan Jingquan to the other end of the corridor. Ma Jinli stood in the corridor and let out a long breath; the back of his shirt was completely soaked with sweat.

Regardless, he managed to get through today's ordeal. As for what use this homeless man might be in the future, he didn't know, but judging from Zuo Ning's expression just now, the other party seemed to have some plans.

Zuo Ning lit another cigarette in the office and sat back down in his chair. Smoke billowed from his nostrils, spreading into a pale blue haze under the light.

I propped my feet up on the desk and stared blankly at the crystal chandelier on the ceiling for a while.

That kid surnamed Lin was more troublesome than he had anticipated. But that wasn't his biggest worry right now. What bothered him were those old guys in the gang.

In the past month or so, one after another, the places under Zuo Ning's name that were making money have been shut down.

Most of the card and chess rooms are closed, nightclubs are shut down for rectification, and even the casino in the basement of the Keda Hotel dares not open due to the recent tight security.

His illicit income has plummeted, but the gang's daily expenses remain unchanged. He has to support dozens of people, pay rent for various venues, and those small fry who have taken his bribes still ask for money every month.

The numbers on the books got worse month by month. Last week, he called the finance department over and asked them a few questions. The finance department stammered and pulled out a stack of reports. After reading them, he almost flipped his desk over.

What angered him even more was the attitude of the gang's elders. Uncle Kun, who was in charge of the eastern part of the city, said to him in front of him at the meeting last week, "Business has been tough lately, Young Master Zuo." His tone was indifferent, but after he finished speaking, he picked up his teacup and slowly took a sip. The meaningful look in his eyes almost made Zuo Ning lose his temper on the spot.

Uncle Kun is an elder from his father's generation, with his own team under his command, and he cannot be easily touched.

However, Zuo Ning had already heard from his informant that he had been in frequent private contact with people in the west of the city recently.

On the other hand, in Longlin, the billiard hall and foot massage parlor are thriving, Shuntong Logistics' transport team is running around on the provincial highway every day, and Baijinhai's nightclub is packed every night.

Shangguan Jinghong is gaining momentum, with more and more businesses under her control. If she continues to develop like this, she will eventually dominate the western and southern parts of the city.

Zuo Ning stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and ground it a few times, tapping his fingers on the desk. He had to find a way to suppress Shangguan Jinghong's momentum.

Sending people to disrupt the business would be too stupid; the last surprise inspection didn't even manage to hurt her fundamentally.

We need to find a more effective strategy, a way to fundamentally cut off her expansion momentum.

His gaze fell on the map of Hehai City on his desk, where he had circled the locations of the western and southern parts of the city several times in red. Those circles were all the addresses of the Dragon Scale Group's recently opened stores.

He stared at those circles for a long time, his finger hovering over the location of "Shuntong Logistics" on the map, and then he picked up his phone and dialed a number.

……

At the other end of the corridor, Wan Jingquan was led to the staff shower room. His subordinate found him a clean set of work clothes and threw them on a bench, saying, "Change into these after you shower. Someone will take you to your dormitory later."

Wan Jingquan nodded and waited for his subordinate to close the door and leave. He picked up the clean work uniform, looked at it, touched the fabric with his fingers, and then put it down again.

He walked to the sink in the corner of the shower room, turned on the tap and washed his face with cold water. The water flowed down his neck and into his collar. He wiped it with his hand and looked up at himself in the mirror.

The timid expression he had shown in the office was gone, replaced by an indescribable composure.

He lowered his head and rubbed his neck with cold water again, then began to take off his clothes. His dirty coat was thrown on the bench, revealing his thin but still fairly muscular body.

He stood under the showerhead and turned on the hot water; the rising steam obscured the expression on his face.

The sound of rushing water echoed in the small space, and soon cheerful humming filled the air.

Two days later, the wound on Lin Feng's foot had scabbed over, and he could walk without much difficulty.

He has been staying in Baijinhai for the past few days, handling Longlin Group's affairs in Sister Hong's office during the day and staying in the guest room on the fourth floor at night.

Sister Hong had three meals delivered every day, and Kui Zi would come over from time to time to report on the situation outside. There was no follow-up on the skinny guy's matter, and the fat guy hadn't appeared again. Zuo Ning didn't seem to be making any new moves for the time being.

After two days of adjustment, that uncomfortable feeling has finally passed.

Although he still occasionally feels a bit dazed, at least it doesn't affect his normal thinking and actions anymore.

That noon, he called He Qianwen and invited her to have lunch at a private restaurant near Tianlong Group.

He Qianwen told him on the phone not to eat out, but to come to her office, as she had something to discuss with him.

Lin Feng changed into a clean shirt and took a taxi to the Tianlong Group headquarters. The young lady at the front desk already recognized him and led him directly to the top floor.

He Qianwen sat behind her desk, wearing a beige silk shirt with the top two buttons undone, revealing a section of her fair collarbone and the pearl necklace around her neck.

Her hair was piled up at the back of her head, and she wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses. Several open documents were spread out on the table in front of her, along with a map of logistics routes around Hehai City.

Seeing Lin Feng come in, he took off his glasses and put them on the table, leaned back in his chair, smiled at him, and pointed to the sofa opposite him, asking him to sit down.

"What happened to your foot? You're limping when you walk."

"It's nothing. I twisted my ankle a couple of days ago while moving some goods." Lin Feng sat down on the sofa and put his feet up on the edge of the coffee table to relieve the pressure.