"Boss, it's not that I don't want to do the work, it's just that I can't. Several of our workers have already died inside recently, killed by the Hong Gang Army."
"The new person in charge at Lao Jin's place is also a complete scoundrel. He takes the money but does no work. I suspect he's in cahoots with the Hong Gang Army."
Yu Qiu whispered the last sentence to Liu Yilin.
Yu Qiu had already reported these matters to Liu Yilin over the phone previously, and was now merely repeating them in person.
"Alright, I understand. I'll handle it," Liu Yilin said to him, sounding tired.
However, she herself didn't have many options. She could only try to meet Lao Jin's new manager first.
If a problem could be solved with money, then it wasn't a problem. She was afraid of cases that couldn't be solved with money, or where the other party's greed was so great that their desires couldn't be satisfied.
Ning Beichen remained silent, offering no suggestions, faithfully performing his duty as a bodyguard, which meant not overstepping his bounds.
Furthermore, Ning Beichen was completely unaware of the situation. However, he could tell from Yu Qiu's expression whether he was lying.
After Yu Qiu left, Ning Beichen quietly said to Liu Yilin, "Yilin, Yu Qiu didn't tell you the whole truth."
"How do you know?" Liu Yilin asked, looking at him with surprise.
"Observing micro-expressions is a basic skill every professional bodyguard should master. You can tell if someone is lying just by looking at their expression," Ning Beichen told her.
"You mean Yu Qiu lied to me?" Liu Yilin naturally believed Ning Beichen and frowned deeply.
"I don't know if he lied to you, but he definitely didn't tell you the whole truth," Ning Beichen said, not wanting to judge someone's character based solely on a micro-expression.
"That scoundrel! And to think I trusted him so much," Liu Yilin said angrily.
"Yilin, there's no need to get angry over someone like that. People change. No matter how loyal he was to you initially, after being exposed to this corrupt environment, anything can happen. Perhaps he had intentions, perhaps not, perhaps he was forced," Ning Beichen said to Liu Yilin. Having a better understanding of such matters, he knew that some things couldn't simply be categorized as good or bad.
Perhaps Yu Qiu had no intention of betraying Liu Yilin, but what if the other party threatened him? What if they tried to corrupt him with money? Or what if they threatened his family?
After all, Yu Qiu was alone here, and the other party had plenty of ways to deal with him, and he would eventually yield.
Just then, the bodyguard's warning sounded: "Protect Mr. Ning and Miss Liu, an armed convoy is approaching."
All the bodyguards immediately loaded their weapons, took advantageous positions, and aimed at the convoy outside. Several of them were assigned to protect Ning Beichen and Liu Yilin.
"It's the Hong Gang Army!" Yu Qiu rushed out and said to Liu Yilin.
"Boss, boss, don't confront them. These people kill without batting an eye."
After hearing Ning Beichen's words, Liu Yilin now harbored suspicions about Yu Qiu. She didn't listen to him, but instead glanced at Ning Beichen, seeking his opinion.
"No need to rush, let's see first," Ning Beichen gave her a reassuring look.
Soon, these people arrived at the entrance of the mine. Without any preamble, they rammed the gate open and drove in, a formidable force of about twenty vehicles and an estimated fifty to sixty people.
The bodyguards protecting Ning Beichen also became a bit nervous, as the enemy outnumbered them by double.
However, they were bodyguards, and they pointed their guns at these people, demanding them to stop.
At this moment, a man with a short, flat haircut waved his hand from within the approaching convoy. Dozens of fully armed personnel disembarked from the vehicles, each with a ferocious demeanor.
Ning Beichen glanced at them. He observed their sloppy stances, their disheveled clothing, and their askew hats, realizing they were not elites, but at best a ragtag group of ruffians.
He wouldn't even bat an eye at hundreds more of such trash.
However, Ning Beichen also knew that these people were the local bullies and couldn't be easily provoked.
If the matter could be resolved peacefully, that would be best. If not, then he would kill until they were afraid, until they trembled, until they dared not even think of him.
This was Ning Beichen's method of handling things, because some people couldn't be reasoned with.
"Don't be nervous. I heard the true owner of the mine has arrived, and I've come specifically to pay my respects," the short, flat-haired man said arrogantly as he stepped out of his vehicle. His men then fired their guns into the air with a series of rapid bursts, accompanied by unpleasant laughter.
These were not well-trained armed personnel; they were clearly a chaotic band of bandits.
"Who is the owner of this mine? Step out and let us see," the short, flat-haired man shouted loudly.
Liu Yilin had never expected such a situation to unfold. After all, she was just a young woman, and she was immediately frightened, pressing close to Ning Beichen's side.
"I am." At this moment, Ning Beichen stepped forward and said.
When dealing with people like this, there was no need to put Liu Yilin through suffering. Therefore, as her protector, Ning Beichen naturally had to step forward.
The short, flat-haired man looked down at Ning Beichen with contempt. He saw a look of utter disdain in Ning Beichen's eyes.
He couldn't discern anything special about this person. Apart from his adequate height, his physique was average, and he wasn't even carrying a weapon.
"Get lost. I heard from Yu Qiu that the owner of the mine is a beauty. Are you a woman?" the short, flat-haired man snarled, raising his arm and pointing his gun at Ning Beichen.
He then shifted his gaze to Liu Yilin, standing beside Ning Beichen, and licked his lips, saying, "If I'm not mistaken, this beautiful lady is the owner of this mine, isn't she?"
"I am the owner of the mine. You've seen me now, can you leave?" Before Ning Beichen could speak, Liu Yilin bravely stepped forward. She knew that if Ning Beichen got angry, this place would immediately turn into a battlefield. Even if not for Ning Beichen's sake, she didn't want these bodyguards to engage in a firefight with them.
"Leave?"
"Hahaha, of course, I'll leave, but you have to come with us."
"If you meet our demands, you can become the true owner of this mine." The short, flat-haired man looked at Liu Yilin with a mischievous glint in his eyes, speaking with ill intent.
If Liu Yilin were foolish enough to believe them and go with them, she would likely cease to exist.