Chapter 3: Mr. Kuang

Chapter 3: Mr. Kuang

Tang Yun is allergic to alcohol. It's not that he can't drink, but consuming too much makes his skin flush and his head spin. Hence, he only sipped half of the beer that Liang Song brought, leaving the rest for him.

Seeing it was getting late, Tang Yun suggested Liang Song stay the night.

The apartment has three bedrooms, spanning over 130 square meters. The master and secondary bedrooms are opposite each other, separated by a spacious and bright living room and a dining island. Another room faces north, overlooking a series of office buildings. Tang Yun's law firm is located in one of them.

Initially, this was a storage room, but Tang Yun transformed it into a study with some fitness equipment in a corner during his second year of residence.

The balcony faces south, ensuring sunlight throughout the year. This implies that the property is pricey. Yet, the rent Liang Song charges him is half the market price.

This is one reason why Liang Song has free access here; one of the rooms is exclusively reserved for him.

Perhaps due to the repeated mention of "the mute" during the day, Tang Yun dreamt of him that night.

He lounged on the balcony's sofa, smoking, legs crossed, casually flipping through a classic English novel. The way he flicked the ash off had an air of indescribable arrogance and elegance, as if reading before bedtime was his longstanding habit.

Tang Yun approached, asking if he understood the content. The mute shook his head, saying he was merely looking at the illustrations.

Tang Yun sensed a discord in him – his demeanor, his confidence, and the occasional whiff of a crisp perfume from his wrist, seemed entirely incongruent with his professed profession as a car mechanic.

Tang Yun stepped closer and removed his mask.

The vine-like wrinkles were his skin's texture. He had no eyebrows, no nose, no eyelids; his face was even more terrifying than Voldemort's.

Tang Yun gasped.

Fearing he might hurt the other's pride, he concealed his shock and discomfort, feigning nonchalance by saying, "It's not that odd." But internally he wished he hadn't taken it off.

It took Tang Yun half a minute to steady his emotions upon waking, but the visage from his dream lingered, refusing to fade.

He went online and told the mute about his dream, clarifying that the image after removing the mask was a fabrication.

[I saw a face obscured by a mosaic.]

The mute responded half an hour later: [Next time I go back to my hometown, I'll find a picture of me before the disfigurement and show you. You can imagine my appearance through it.]

Tang Yun found this idea intriguing and curiously asked, [Were you handsome?]

The mute replied, [No one brags about themselves like that.]

Tang Yun chuckled, [Have people ever told you that you were good-looking before?]

The mute: [Many have.]

Tang Yun was amused once again but felt a deep pang of sorrow afterward.

The law firm doesn't require clocking in, so Tang Yun usually avoids the rush hours. But the project manager from Heng Group added him on WeChat last night, arranging a meeting at 8:30 AM at the firm. Hence, he had to set out an hour early.

Being punctual is crucial in their line of work.

The overpass at 7:30 was jammed as if constipated, moving just ten meters every minute. Cars from adjacent lanes kept merging in, making Tang Yun frown in displeasure.

Just as he was about to play some music to relax, a loud "bang" resonated. His body lunged forward due to inertia, only to be jerked back by the seat belt!

An alarm blared from the car.

His heart rate skyrocketed, and his mind went blank. His grip on the steering wheel tightened; he was so close to the vehicle in front he couldn't ascertain if he had hit it.

It took him a few seconds to realize he'd been rear-ended, and the car had automatically initiated emergency braking and hazard lights.

Experiencing his first car accident, he was momentarily clueless about what to do. After unbuckling the seat belt, the car issued another alert – reminding him to park.

Exiting his vehicle, he looked back to see it was a chain-reaction collision. The culprit was a van, and including his Tesla, five cars were involved in the accident.

"Damn it," Tang Yun exclaimed, slamming the car door, frustrated by the ironic twist of fate.

The impact from the rear car came from his left backside, denting his bumper and shattering the taillight. The broken light dangled precariously, looking as fragile as a dry autumn leaf. The contorted rear fender pinned the wheel tightly; the damage was far more severe than he had imagined.

Among the distressed drivers was a middle-aged man with a fiery temper. He pointed at the van driver and hurled invectives. Vehicles around them moved at a snail's pace, with some drivers rolling down their windows to record the scene.

Both lanes were blocked, exacerbating an already congested road. In no time, the cacophony of voices mixed with honking horns. The van driver, looking overwhelmed, clutched his hair and repeatedly apologized.

Tang Yun didn't dwell on the cause of the accident. He first made a call to the police and then circled the vehicle, taking photos as evidence. Seeing this, several other drivers began snapping photos with their phones.

Within a minute, traffic police arrived at the scene. After uploading the photos, they instructed everyone to move their vehicles and began directing traffic.

Tang Yun tried to start his car, but it displayed a malfunction and wouldn't budge. He called customer service, and they promptly arranged for a tow truck.

He was 25 minutes away from the scheduled time, yet the estimated travel time from the overpass to the law firm was 20 minutes.

The situation looked dire.

Tang Yun sent a message in his group chat, briefly explaining the situation, hoping someone could help receive his client. But as luck would have it, today being a Saturday, there was no one in the office.

The colleague closest to the firm was still in bed, claiming he could be there in half an hour at the earliest, after brushing his teeth and washing his face.

Tang Yun said, "Never mind, I'll figure something out."

Though March weather wasn't hot, Tang Yun was sweating profusely.

The aftersales team from the 4S store arrived first— a young man and woman. They worked efficiently, immediately photographing the car and uploading evidence. The woman inquired about Tang Yun's wellbeing, asking if he needed medical attention.

Tang Yun waved it off, "I'm fine, but my car won't start. I'm really pressed for time right now. Can you handle the rest for me?"

"Of course," the woman nodded, respectfully adding, "Just hand over your car keys to us. We'll manage the damage assessment, repairs, and insurance claims. However, it might take a few days; the damage to your vehicle seems quite severe."

"Okay…" Tang Yun nodded but then realized something.

He always used a mobile phone as a key and never carried the card key. If the car couldn't detect the Bluetooth signal from his phone, it would lock automatically, preventing anyone from accessing it.

Thinking quickly, Tang Yun asked, "Can I accompany you to the 4S store? I can then arrange for someone to bring the card key over."

"Of course," the woman replied, puzzled, "But I thought you were in a hurry?"

Not wanting to further inconvenience himself, Tang Yun responded, "I'll just video call my client."

As Tang Yun had expected, Xiang Heng's project manager was punctual, arriving five minutes early. He sent Tang Yun a location pin of the office building, asking which floor the law firm was on.

Tang Yun sent a voice message to the manager, explaining his predicament, then added, "I've ordered a coffee for you. You can wait inside, and we can discuss via video call. I'm truly sorry for the inconvenience."

The project manager, a woman in her thirties named Yan Chu, hesitated for a moment, sounding quite troubled, "But our CEO is here as well. He's particularly interested in this case."

"The CEO?" Tang Yun's mind instantly retrieved the information he had researched about Xiang Heng the previous night. "Is it Mr. Kuang?"

"You know of him?"

"Of course, I do..."

Tang Yun's mind raced.

Under what circumstances would a busy CEO personally visit a law firm concerning the progress of a construction dispute?

Either the amount of money involved in this dispute is colossal, or the consequences of the project delay are severe.

Whichever the case, it implies that the lawyer collaborating with them stands to earn a significant fee.

"I recall him giving a short speech at a project launch. I remember it distinctly," Tang Yun casually lied, pretending to be keenly interested in the CEO's remarks—since he vaguely heard Mr. Kuang's voice in the background next to Yan Chu.

Though this might come off as flattery, who doesn't appreciate being remembered for a few remarks they made?

"When was that?" A young, authoritative voice suddenly chimed in.

His voice was melodious. Tang Yun momentarily lost his train of thought before quickly responding, "The specifics aren't crucial right now, Mr. Kuang. Either way, we'll get acquainted soon. I'm sorry for the earlier delay on the road. If you don't mind, can we chat via video call now?"

This was a high-stakes situation, and he was all in.

"Fine," Kuang Yanhe's tone was neutral, revealing no hint of his emotions.

At that moment, Tang Yun was seated in the back row of a service vehicle, heading to the 4S store. Fortunately, he always kept a pair of earphones in his briefcase.

Once the video connection was established, the considerate driver muted the car's music. Tang Yun expressed his gratitude.

Yan Chu first appeared on the screen. Her appearance vastly differed from Tang Yun's stereotypical image of a young female leader. She didn't have long flowing hair or a formal shirt and suit. Instead, she wore a fog-gray round-necked sweatshirt draped over her straight shoulders, exuding a casual vibe.

Her hair barely touched her ears, and she maintained a stern face, looking as fierce as a tomboy ready to rush into a gay bar to put out a fire.

"Your style is pretty cool," Tang Yun remarked genuinely.

"Hmm," Yan Chu smirked, replying wittily, "Those with taste often say so."

She positioned the phone horizontally, revealing the person seated next to her in the passenger seat.

Tang Yun locked eyes with a pair that exuded a commanding presence, hints of aggression embedded within. Kuang Yanhe appeared much younger than Tang Yun had imagined, possibly not even past thirty. His fair skin, high brow, and slightly mixed-race features combined with hair styled in playful curls, though not overly mature, caught one's attention.

Rather than resembling a corporate executive, he looked more like a disgruntled artiste hastily styled by a manager after a sleepless night and without a morning bite.

Having met countless men, Tang Yun was unexpectedly taken aback by Kuang's striking appearance. Composing his scattered thoughts, Tang Yun returned to business, "You have all the contracts and purchase orders from the construction company, right?"

Kuang Yanhe exchanged a glance with Yan Chu.

Even through the screen, Tang Yun could feel an overwhelming aura, one typical of individuals who have held power for a long time.

Yan Chu nodded, "Yes, everything is here." She lifted a bag of documents, "I brought them all today."

Tang Yun patiently listened to the sequence of events and their concerns.

Throughout the conversation, he found it hard to maintain eye contact with Kuang Yanhe. It wasn't just due to his exceptionally handsome looks but also the inherent aloofness he radiated, which inexplicably sent chills down one's spine.

There seemed to be a vortex in the depths of his eyes, threatening to pull anyone into an unfathomable abyss with a single misstep.

As they spoke, Tang Yun learned that the Xiang Heng Group had collaborated with Huan Yu Construction multiple times before, always with satisfactory results and excellent service.

Yan Chu suspected that the current issue might be related to the extensive personnel changes at Huan Yu Construction the previous year.

"The core team underwent a massive reshuffling, with many facing layoffs or pay cuts. They might have compromised on material quality to cut corners."

Tang Yun nodded in agreement, "That's a possibility."

"I don't care about their difficulties. None of it justifies subpar quality. I want a result—a satisfactory one," Kuang Yanhe's voice was icy, piercingly cold. "I don't care about the process."

Yan Chu let out a sigh, careful with her words, emphasizing, "In any case, we're demanding thirty million in compensation. The rest is up to Attorney Tang."

"For such an amount, a third-party assessment would typically be..."

Tang Yun's words trailed off abruptly—

On the screen, Kuang Yanhe was sipping mineral water. His slender neck was visible, and a patch, nearly matching his skin tone, peeked out from beneath his shirt collar.

Wasn't that similar to the patch Tang Yun used last night to cover up a love bite? Why did Kuang have one too?