Chapter Thirty-Six: Has Your Conscience Been Devoured by Dogs?

As soon as Yu Wen Si finished speaking, Shen Yanlie's brows drew together ever so slightly, and a sharp, piercing gaze shot toward Yu Wen Si. Sensing the sudden tension in the air, Yu Wen Si hurriedly shut his mouth.

Mo Shaoxing seemed to sense an unspoken meaning in Yu Wen Si’s words. He paused for a moment, intending to see if Shen Yanlie had any further instructions, carefully observing the expressions of the two men.

“Don’t forget what the Lu family did to you a couple of years ago,” Shen Yanlie said coolly, turning toward his desk.

“Come on, how could I possibly forget? I couldn’t forget even if I wanted to,” Yu Wen Si quickly interjected, eager to divert the conversation lest Shen Yanlie bring up the past again.

Mo Shaoxing had only recently come to work at Shen Yanlie’s side, and there were many things he still didn’t know. Whatever had happened between Yu Wen Si and the Lu family back then was something Yu Wen Si would rather die than speak of again; just the thought of it made him want to crawl into a bag and hide.

Mo Shaoxing frowned slightly. “Though I know quite a bit about past events, I think it’s likely the Lu family was used by someone else. So instead of rushing matters with LOV, why not wait until we’ve dealt with the Lu family? When we take them down, we can also probe into LOV’s background and strength, which will give us better control over the situation.”

Mo Shaoxing wasn’t exactly analyzing on purpose, but as a market analyst and someone intimately familiar with the business world, even if he didn’t know exactly what had transpired between the Yu Wen family and the Lu family, he could tell it was something Yu Wen Si would never forget.

Business is often compared to war: outwardly calm, yet a storm rages beneath the surface. Yu Wen Si had suffered a setback at the hands of Lu Chengfeng, and the incident at the banquet, when Shen Yanlie struck Lu Chengfeng, was hardly a random occurrence—though the episode had started with Lu Chengfeng kissing someone he shouldn’t have.

“Hey, why do you always have to contradict me?” Yu Wen Si grumbled, clearly displeased.

“We’ll do as Shaoxing suggests. The Lu family is not a weak opponent. If Luo Youcong dares to help them now, we can always deal with him afterward,” Shen Yanlie said, pressing his fingers against the desk as he sat down, cutting Yu Wen Si off without hesitation.

“Well… fine, whatever you say goes,” Yu Wen Si replied, sounding somewhat put upon, but in truth, he almost always deferred to Shen Yanlie’s judgment.

“Very well, young master, I’ll take care of it right away!” With that, Mo Shaoxing gave a brief nod, opened the office door, and left. Yu Wen Si watched him go before slowly lifting his wineglass.

“Tell me, can we really trust Mo Shaoxing?” Yu Wen Si asked, a note of skepticism in his voice.

“It’s hard to say for sure. But don’t underestimate him. His data analysis skills would make anyone doubt their own eyes, and he’s the son of a top business data analyst. With a father like that, do you think he’d be lacking in ability?” Shen Yanlie said calmly, pulling open a drawer and taking out a pack of cigarettes. He lit one with practiced ease.

Yu Wen Si was surprised, but perhaps due to his own temperament, he quickly lost interest and changed the subject. “I just want to know why you don’t take down LOV while you’re at it. If you acquired them now, you’d not only crush Luo Youcong’s arrogance, but also settle an old score while the iron is hot. Wouldn’t that be better?”

Shen Yanlie shook his head. Wisps of dark green smoke curled before his eyes, his half-lidded gaze reflecting the ember’s glow. “Luo Youcong owes me too much. Taking down the Lu family now is just a warning to others.”

Yu Wen Si fell silent, seeming to understand Shen Yanlie’s intentions. “That’s not wrong, but with the Luo family backing him, if you don’t seize the chance to suppress him now, he’ll only grow stronger. Then it’ll be too late.”

Yu Wen Si spoke the truth. Shen Yanlie had considered this, but the pressing matter was to eliminate the Lu family first before dealing with LOV. This time, he would see to it that LOV was wiped out completely, with no chance of resurgence.

Years ago, that old grudge had turned Venice into a battlefield of life and death. He would never allow such a thing to happen again—never.

Shen Yanlie seemed lost in thought, falling silent. His long, phoenix eyes appeared even darker and more profound in the dim light. He held the cigarette between his index and middle fingers, bringing it to his thin, somewhat indifferent lips. He took a drag, eyes half closed, head slightly tilted, lips lightly pressed together. Smoke drifted from his nostrils, casting a faint, melancholy veil over his resolute features and devilishly handsome face.

“Tell me, you’re not actually interested in that woman, are you?” After a long pause, Yu Wen Si spoke up again, feeling the mood had grown too heavy. “Is this the real thing?”

Smack!

“Ah!” No sooner had he spoken than a stack of files came flying, landing squarely on Yu Wen Si’s head and tumbling onto the sofa. The corner of the folder struck his forehead dead-on. Yu Wen Si let out a yelp and rubbed his head, wincing as the warmth of his palm met the stinging pain.

Did this guy always have such deadly accuracy? Back in the army, his marksmanship was unmatched, but now, in this pitch-black room, with such distance between them, he could still hit the target so perfectly?

“You really know how to ruin a friend. If my brain doesn’t work right, it’ll be all your fault!” Yu Wen Si grumbled stubbornly, refusing to give up. “Come on, just tell me—satisfy my curiosity. How did you manage to escape alive from Venice?”

Gossiping a bit, as far as he knew, Shen Yanlie had nearly died at Luo Youcong’s hands in Venice. But exactly how Shen Yanlie managed to slip away under their very noses, he had no idea.

“Yu Wen Si, you must have sold your conscience to the dogs!” Shen Yanlie gave him a cool glance, his tone betraying no more emotion than his expression. With that, he turned and walked straight into the adjoining lounge, leaving Yu Wen Si standing with his mouth agape, words dying on his lips as he wavered in the breeze—dejected and bewildered.

How many years had it been now? After all this time, Shen Yanlie’s catchphrase was still the same: “Did you sell your conscience to the dogs?”

These were two utterly unrelated statements—completely missing the point! Every time Yu Wen Si asked a question Shen Yanlie didn’t want to answer, he’d get the same reply: “Did you sell your conscience to the dogs?” It made Yu Wen Si feel like he was suffering the consequences of his own curiosity.

Yet, weren’t dogs supposed to represent loyalty and courage? How did it become something else entirely in Shen Yanlie’s mouth? Yu Wen Si shook his head. After all these years, he still couldn’t fathom the meaning behind Shen Yanlie’s favorite phrase. Curiosity really does kill the cat! And now he had a big bump on his forehead—how was he supposed to face anyone tomorrow with his handsome face in such a state?