Chapter 28: The Mysterious Old Beggar

"Sister Ling, why is Zhang Longtao so afraid of you?" Seeing them leave, I voiced my question.

"They aren't afraid of me; they're afraid of losing money!" Yu Manling said with a smile.

I looked at Sister Ling, quite confused, hoping she would enlighten me.

Yu Manling continued, "Eighty percent of Zhang Longtao's income comes from my establishments. If I were to cut off our cooperation, he’d be left with nothing, so naturally, he doesn't dare to fall out with me!"

I nodded. It seems that in this day and age, money and power are both important, and they basically complement each other.

"But I didn't expect you to be so popular with the ladies; you actually got involved with Zhang Longtao's sister. I've heard that his sister is a high-IQ beauty. You're quite the guy!" Yu Manling looked at me with a mischievous smile.

I shook my head awkwardly and said, "No, she and I are just ordinary classmates. We met when we were in school!"

"Alright, don't explain. I understand!" Yu Manling gave me a look that said 'I know,' leaving me not knowing how to explain myself. I decided not to bother; the more I explained, the more they would believe it.

"If you can really win over that high-IQ beauty, you'll have hit the jackpot. And if you can win over her old man, your future will be smooth sailing!" Sister Ling said with a smile.

"Her old man? Who is her old man?" I had heard Zhang Longtao mention before that his father seemed to be much more formidable than he was.

"Zhang Longtao's family situation is quite complicated. He and his sister have different mothers. Zhang Yinuo's mother was a mistress who climbed the ladder, so Zhang Longtao doesn't actually treat her very well, and their relationship is just average. His father is a pretty big shot; he was one of the top figures in the city back in the day. He’s retired now and doesn't get involved in underworld affairs, but he still has quite a few loyal subordinates," Yu Manling explained slowly while sipping her wine.

Hearing Sister Ling's explanation, I nodded. No wonder Zhang Yinuo addressed Zhang Longtao by his full name; their relationship wasn't good. But if they didn't get along, why would Zhang Longtao be angry that I was getting close to his sister?

Sister Ling saw my confusion and continued, "It's simple. Zhang Longtao is afraid that you'll gain his father's favor, which would make his own life difficult. Besides, you two are enemies now, so he wants even less for you to have any background or leverage."

"Sister Ling, I've always wanted to ask one question: Su Xueyan!"

Before I could finish, Sister Ling interrupted, "I know what you want to ask, but I can't give you the answer. You have to investigate that yourself. At the time, only a few people upstairs knew the situation. I can give you their names, but I hope you won't be too impatient, because regardless of which one it is, with your current abilities, you can't afford to provoke any of them!"

I nodded and thanked Sister Ling. However, when she paid the bill, I looked at the total and nearly fainted. A single meal had cost over thirty thousand; I felt like I wouldn't be able to survive.

Yu Manling smiled and patted my shoulder lightly, saying, "Don't worry, I said I was treating you. This is nothing to me!"

But when I saw the waiter about to clear the food away, my heart ached. I quickly said to Sister Ling, "Sister Ling, can I pack this up?"

Sister Ling was stunned by my request, and the waiter was left dumbfounded as well. The waiter had worked here for years, and the people who came here were mostly wealthy and influential; no one had ever asked to pack leftovers. Today was truly an eye-opener.

Sister Ling nodded and said to the waiter, "Pack it up for him."

The waiter nodded in astonishment. I felt quite embarrassed, but it was a real shame to throw it away. It would be great to take home for Third Brother and the others to eat.

Carrying the leftovers, I returned home. Third Brother was currently staying at my place; this apartment had been rented by Sister Shuang, who had paid the rent for several years in advance. Seeing what I was carrying, Third Brother shouted excitedly, "Damn, Fourth, did you strike it rich? These dishes can't be cheap, right?"

"What are you talking about? Sister Ling treated me to this. I thought it was a waste to throw it away, so I brought it back!" I said to Third Brother as I set the food down.

"Damn, it seems Sister Ling is pretty good to you. Is she trying to keep you as a boy toy?" Third Brother grabbed a chicken leg and started eating immediately.

"What nonsense are you spouting!"

"I think it's mostly likely true. Otherwise, why does Sister Ling always help you and not others?"

"Get lost and eat your food!"

"I'm serious, Fourth. If you get kept, we brothers can enjoy the benefits too. After all, she's a wealthy woman, and she has a great figure and is beautiful. She's in her prime; this is simply perfect. It's a pity she didn't take a fancy to me, otherwise I would have gone for it no matter what!"

"Since you want to go for it so much, then you go ahead!"

I ignored him and went into my room. Actually, I had asked Sister Ling about this more than once, but I never reached a conclusion. Every time I asked, Sister Ling would make inappropriate jokes, saying she just wanted to keep me, that she was a widow, lonely and cold, and that finding a man was normal. But I didn't understand—there were so many men, why pick me? Although I admit I look decent, I'm not that handsome. So, I have always been wary of Sister Ling, always feeling that she had some motive for helping me. But at least until now, she had never harmed me, and I was still very grateful to her.

One day, as Third Brother and I were going to school, we suddenly encountered a beggar on the road. The beggar looked very pitiful, shivering in the cold wind in thin, tattered clothes. When he saw us, he held out a bowl and begged us to give him something to eat.

Third Brother impatiently pushed him away and said, "What are you doing? No money, no money! We can't even afford to eat ourselves. You don't have any sense of judgment when begging; why don't you look for rich people? Seriously!"

"Please have pity on me; I haven't eaten for three days!" The old beggar looked at me pleadingly.

My heart softened, and I took out the last twenty yuan I had on me to give to him. However, before I could hand it over, Third Brother snatched it away: "Fourth, are you crazy? This is the last twenty yuan we have. Do you want us to starve to death for this stinking beggar?"

"He really is quite pitiful. Let's give it to him!" I urged.

"Damn, I'm pitiful too, why doesn't anyone have pity on me? You don't know these beggars; they might be dancing at a nightclub tonight. They're so good at faking it!" Third Brother looked at the old beggar with annoyance.

However, the next moment, to our shock, the old beggar's figure flashed, and for some reason, the twenty yuan was suddenly in his hand. Third Brother and I were both stunned, feeling like we were in a martial arts novel.