Chapter 1081: Xu Damao's Usefulness

Xu Damao took half a step forward, a cynical, roguish air hanging on his face: "Young lady, if you follow me, I'll give you one million US dollars."

The string in Su Ying's heart went "hum" and tightened instantly.

Her brain turned faster than an abacus.

Working as a commercial spy, her annual pay was only one hundred thousand US dollars, yet the man before her could toss out a million with a single word.

For an instant, the thought of giving up her job as a spy for the pharmaceutical factory even popped into her mind.

She pursed her lips, putting on a coy, coquettish look: "Uncle Xu, you are too direct... it makes me feel quite embarrassed."

Xu Damao, unhurried, took a check out from the inner pocket of his suit.

Su Ying's gaze instantly glued onto it—a check from the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, with the amount of one million US dollars written clearly.

Her heartbeat suddenly accelerated, her small hands clenched tightly into fists, and her palms even broke into a sweat.

But the next second, her superior's cold poker face surfaced in her mind; she sighed softly, her tone softening: "Uncle Xu, actually... I'm really not worth you treating me like this."

Xu Damao smiled and took the check back: "Fine, let's just say I was being wishful."

He tucked the check into his pocket, grinned, and said in a low voice: "I am a person who plans things well; I calculate exactly how much money I spend each month. I don't have children, so if I save so much money, who else could I leave it to?"

Su Ying felt a shock in her heart and made up her mind to bite this bait.

She cursed herself internally for being spineless, but the corners of her mouth lifted uncontrollably: "Then... Uncle Xu, shall we have a cup of coffee together another day?"

A hint of cunning flashed in the depths of Xu Damao's eyes: "Don't wait for another day; I'll take you to a good place right now."

Su Ying subconsciously scanned left and right, lowering her voice to ask: "What about Yan Yan? He said he was going to pour me some hot water..."

A wicked smile hooked the corner of Xu Damao's mouth: "Him? He won't be back for a while. I just had the Secretary find him to talk about a film investment, to help that kid realize his director dream."

Su Ying rolled her eyes at him: "You're truly annoying; so you had a trap set for me all along, right?"

Xu Damao leaned into her ear and whispered: "There's no such thing as a trap here. From the first moment I saw you, I was hooked by your figure and this little waist of yours, and I couldn't look away."

Su Ying glared at him: "This is Elder He's birthday, after all, with so many people watching... where exactly are you taking me?"

"Just follow me and you'll see."

Xu Damao stood up, walked straight through the corridor, and turned into a side room in the Houyuan.

This was the only place that hadn't been touched when the He Family renovated the residence; the room was piled with bricks, tiles, and ceramic tiles left over from the yard repairs.

This Erfang had been built back when Xu Damao's family hadn't moved out yet.

He squatted down, pulled hard on a brick, and a pitch-black hole immediately appeared on the ground.

"This is the cellar where our family used to hide Big Ocean back in the day." He raised an eyebrow at Su Ying, lit a Lighter, and stepped onto the stone stairs to lead the way down.

Su Ying bit her lip, her heart pounding wildly, but her feet followed uncontrollably.

The cellar was kept fairly tidy, about fifteen or sixteen square meters, with brick walls on all four sides.

Xu Damao lit a Candle, and the dim lightbulb overhead swayed and flickered to life.

Before Su Ying could even look around, Xu Damao had already turned around and pulled her into his arms.

Half an hour later, the two of them climbed out of the cellar one after the other.

The stray hairs at Su Ying's temples were dampened by sweat and stuck to her forehead, and her cheeks were still flushed with a lingering redness.

Xu Damao, however, looked completely satisfied; he fished a key and a small slip of paper out of his pocket: "There's a small courtyard over by Qianmen, it's very quiet. If you don't have a place to stay, you can move there."

Su Ying circled from the Houyuan back to the Zhongyuan, acting like a thief, looking around in all directions.

She searched the Zhongyuan for a long time, but couldn't see a shadow of Yan Yan at all.

A surge of anger flared in her heart: He said he was going to pour hot water, but ended up getting hooked by an investment project. A man like this, better to break up with him sooner rather than later.

Sulking, she turned and walked away.

The vermilion gate of the Ninety-five Courtyard slowly closed behind her.

Xu Damao climbed up from the cellar, didn't see He Yuzhu, and dialed his phone directly, grinning as he waited for the other side to answer.

"Zhuzi, where are you? I performed a scene according to your script; shouldn't I get an Oscar for Best Actor?"

"Your grandfather's! I only asked you to play a small supporting role, but you, you insisted on grabbing the lead, and even crawled into a cellar—you really have talent!"

Xu Damao scratched the back of his head and chuckled: "Zhuzi, you didn't arrange the scenes that followed, so this counts as my own improvisation. Besides, after drinking that Immortal Water you gave me, my body is truly top-notch."

He Yuzhu spat on the other end of the phone: "Stop talking nonsense with me! I'm asking you, are you confident you can turn her? Otherwise, I'll have her captured, use chili water, and put her on the Tiger Bench."

"Don't!" Xu Damao said confidently: "Once definitely won't be enough, but if we do it a few more times, we'll definitely be able to take her down. However, the expenses won't be low; you'll have to reimburse me for this money."

He Yuzhu sneered: "She's a female spy, you kid, be careful, don't get your throat slit in the middle of the night!"

Xu Damao shook his head, completely unconcerned: "Zhuzi, I think your judgment is wrong. Although this woman is greedy for money, she doesn't seem like the type who is rotten to the core; she can still be saved. You can safely leave her to me."

He Yuzhu laughed on the other end, his voice carrying a hint of mockery: "That depends on who you compare her to. Compared to you, she really doesn't count as a bad person."

Xu Damao stiffened his neck and shouted at the receiver: "Zhuzi, your grandfather! I did such a big thing for you today, and you're squeezing me instead?"

He Yuzhu reined in his laughter, his tone becoming serious: "Don't get it wrong, you have a part in this too; don't get so into the role that you start believing it yourself."

Xu Damao said with a smile: "Only today did I realize that spending money is actually such a delightful thing."

He Yuzhu cautioned: "Take care of your health!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Damao hurriedly said: "I'm not talking to you anymore, I have to hurry out and chase her now."

He Yuzhu reminded: "Be extra careful; if you really encounter danger, shout at the top of your lungs. I've arranged for people to keep watch all around."

"Understood!"

Xu Damao rushed out the gate in a flurry, started his car, and sped off.

He Yuzhu stared at Xu Damao's receding back on the monitor and laughed, cursing: "This old thing, the older he gets the less promising he becomes; he can't control himself when he sees a pretty girl."

Ershuan, standing to the side, chimed in: "Brother Zhuzi, Xu Damao has always been like this; it's not like today is the first day you've known him."

He Yuzhu smiled: "His oily, slick skills are something most people really can't learn. This time, he might actually come in handy. Maybe it can save a lot of trouble."