This girl was utterly ferocious, with an overpowering desire to conquer. The contest between Yang Ce and her over who would be on top had already escalated to being settled by rock-paper-scissors.

"Fine, then I'll let you have it this once," Wang Yanqiu said, covering her mouth with a giggle. She had never expected Yang Ce to use that as a punishment, though she was not averse to it either—only, the relationship between the two of them was growing ever more peculiar. Was it really just cooperation? Wang Yanqiu sighed. If she truly fell in, what was she to do?

If Yang Ce made the assassin group the strongest in the world, that would be all well and good—then she could enjoy her own life. But if Yang Ce failed to make it the strongest, what then? Was she to submit to the fate her father had arranged, return to the family, and marry the disciple of the so-called king of assassins—a man she did not like, or had perhaps never even met?

At this thought, Wang Yanqiu grew vexed, and her brows knitted of their own accord.

"What's wrong?" Yang Shuoxuan could tell something seemed to be weighing on Wang Yanqiu's mind, and asked.

"Nothing," Wang Yanqiu said with a faint sigh, shaking her head. "I just suddenly thought of some unhappy things. It doesn't matter."

"How about I let you have tonight's chance?" Yang Ce coaxed, trying to cheer Wang Yanqiu up.

"Heh, you said it yourself," Wang Yanqiu said, accepting without even a token protest. Yang Lanxu thought: do you not know the meaning of modesty? But words once spoken were water spilled—there was no taking them back now, and he could only accept it.

"Fine, I said it," Yang Hengye said. "Happy now?"

"Mm, more or less," Wang Yanqiu said with a smile. "Yang Ce, when will we get a big assignment—the kind recognized by the international assassin ranking system?"

"Soon, I expect." Yang Shuoxuan did not know whether there was any word from Fang Tian's side. "No need to rush it. Wait a while—school starts soon, and it wouldn't be good to leave at a time like this."

To be continued

1035. Acquiring Dekang Real Estate

"That works too. Once school starts I'll be moving to the main campus, so it'll be easier to keep in touch after that," Wang Yanqiu said.

Just as they were talking, Yang Juehuan's phone rang. It was Bao Lin calling back.

"Hello, how did it go? Got the results?" Yang Ce answered, asking with some impatience.

"Yes, the preliminary assessment is out. Dekang Real Estate and its property management subsidiary have a total market value of roughly two hundred million, but it still owes the bank over a hundred million in loans. The exact figure isn't clear yet—I'm having someone look into it," Bao Lin said.

"So that means Dekang Real Estate's real value is only a few tens of millions?" Yang Xutang asked afterward. Whether the price was high or low made little difference to him, but he had to be clear on the figure so he could quote Wei Jin a price.

"That should be about right, but the specifics—I'll need to wait for the data to come out before I can give them to you," Bao Lin said.

"All right. Contact me the moment you have the concrete results," Yang Yanzhou said.

"How is it?" Once he hung up, Wang Yanqiu asked anxiously from the side. Matters concerning the assassin group were, after all, of particular concern to her.

"The company's worth a few tens of millions or so. The exact figure isn't out yet—once we have it, we'll find someone to negotiate with Wei Jin," Yang Yanzhou said.

Bao Lin called again. The investigation into Dekang Real Estate's bank loans had yielded results: the company's total value currently stood at around seventy million.

"Good, I understand," Yang Yanzhou said. "Look into it and prepare seventy million, then draft a letter of intent for acquisition. I intend to take Wei Jin's company off his hands."

"What?" Bao Lin was clearly taken aback. "Would Wei Jin really sell the company? Would he agree to seventy million?"

"He'll probably agree. You go ahead and get things ready," Yang Ce instructed.

"Understood." Bao Lin found it odd, but he said nothing more and quickly did as Yang Juehuan had instructed.

After hanging up, Wang Yanqiu could not help but marvel: "You're ruthless. Seventy million for a single job, and you plan to use that seventy million to buy his company."

"One's willing to strike, the other's willing to take the blow. Who cares about the rest?" Yang Hengye said. "All right, it's time to talk price with Wei Jin."

Yang Ce called Li Qiang and told him to come to Wang Yanqiu's villa along with Jinniu. Li Qiang had never been there, but Jinniu had, so the two of them went together.

Half an hour later, Li Qiang and Jinniu arrived at Wang Yanqiu's villa. Seeing both Yang Ce and Wang Yanqiu there, they knew something major must be afoot. The two silently changed their shoes and settled onto the sofa in the living room.

After a while, Yang Ce and Wang Yanqiu came over carrying a laptop. Yang Yanzhou said, "Jinniu, I hear that in the old days, all the jobs Black Widow took on were negotiated by you. Is that right?"

"Yes, Brother Yang. I handled all the phone and online business negotiations back then," Jinniu answered with a nod.

"Good. Take a look at this job." Yang Ce slid the laptop over to Jinniu and Li Qiang, and the two of them immediately bent their heads to read.

Jinniu and Li Qiang read carefully and attentively. Wei Jin's requirements were simple, and the two finished in a few glances, but Yang Ce said nothing, and so neither of them dared to speak up either.

"What do you make of it?" Yang Ce raised his head and looked at Jinniu.

"Brother Yang, in the past, when we got a job like this, we'd first investigate the target's identity and circumstances, see whether there was any room to maneuver, and then give the client our answer," Jinniu said.

"There's no need to investigate this target. We can take it," Yang Yanzhou said. "You just need to handle meeting with the applicant."

"Understood, Brother Yang. So how much should we charge for this one? In the past, jobs like this went for around five million." Jinniu was seeking his opinion. After all, the assassin team had been reorganized, and the price might not be the same as before.

"Seventy million. That's the price. Tell him not a cent less," Yang Yanzhou said.

"Huh?" Jinniu was stunned for a moment, thinking, No way, did I hear that right? Seventy million for such an unremarkable job? Won't that scare the client off?

But since it was Yang Yanzhou's call, and Wang Yanqiu had no objection either, Jinniu could only nod and say, "All right."

"Li Qiang, learn the procedure here from Jinniu. As for who to send, you decide," Yang Yanzhou said.

"Don't worry, Brother Yang. Leave it all to me," Li Qiang said with a nod.

After the two had left, Yang Ce and Wang Yanqiu went upstairs. There was nothing else to do, so naturally they went back to cultivating their rapport as partners.

But they had barely finished their showers when Yang Ce received a call from Wei Jin. It seemed the fellow really could not wait any longer.

"Hello, Wei Jin? Why are you calling me so late?" Yang Ce asked, feigning a tired tone.

"Yang Ce, I've got something important to discuss with you. If it were anything ordinary, I wouldn't be disturbing you this late," Wei Jin said. "That matter has taken shape. Now all that's left is for me to sell the company."

"I see. Can't we talk about this tomorrow?" Yang Ce said, deliberately pretending to be less than enthusiastic.

"Yang Ce, I really am anxious. Can we settle this today?" Wei Jin said, somewhat urgently.

"All right, then let's talk now." Yang Ce sighed. "I just got out of the shower and was about to sleep. Go ahead, then."

"Yang Ce, about the company—can we agree on it now?" Wei Jin was so afraid Yang Ce might go back on his word that he ignored the hour and called him right away.