Chapter Forty-Six: The Breaking Point

Chai Yan had absolutely no idea what was happening with the Little Prince, nor could he understand why the Little Prince’s demeanor had changed so suddenly. Though it was said that serving a ruler was like serving a tiger, the Little Prince had never before shown such a face to Chai Yan; after all, Chai Yan was essentially the Little Prince’s cash cow.

Recalling the cold, stern look the Little Prince gave him before leaving, Chai Yan felt a chill run down his spine, and he lost all desire to enjoy the party. He only wished someone would come and explain what had happened.

What unsettled Chai Yan further was the way people around him began to look at him differently; some whispered among themselves, glancing his way. It made him feel as though he were sitting on pins and needles. He could not fathom what had occurred, nor why everyone’s attention had suddenly turned to him.

Watching as the party guests lost interest in the festivities and started checking their phones, Chai Yan was bewildered. He couldn’t resist taking out his own phone and scrolling through it, but he found nothing unusual. Then he noticed a girl in a swimsuit nearby, staring at him while holding her phone. Chai Yan stood, walked over, and snatched the phone from her, lowering his head to see what was on the screen.

His heart began to pound violently as he saw the contents: it was clearly the financial accounts of his own company. But how could such sensitive information appear on her phone? Gripping the girl’s arm, he demanded, “Who sent this to you?”

The girl answered, terrified, “I don’t know. Someone sent me a text message with this link. I was just curious!”

Chai Yan checked her phone and indeed found the link in a text message. He released her and pulled over others nearby, grabbing their phones as well. After checking two or three, he realized every single one displayed the same company accounts.

Standing there, stupefied, Chai Yan wondered why someone would send out mass messages, why he hadn’t received one himself, and how his company’s accounts had been leaked. Did the Little Prince’s final cold stare have something to do with these accounts? His mind swirled with questions.

Looking over the stolen phone more carefully, Chai Yan felt the hairs on his body stand on end; his hand trembled as he held the phone. Now he finally understood why the Little Prince was angry. Though the accounts were indeed from his company, the amounts were incorrect. This was the real reason for the Little Prince’s icy attitude.

Chai Yan’s illicit business had granted the Little Prince a twenty percent stake, yielding about seven hundred million a year. But according to the figures on the accounts, he should have been giving the Little Prince over three billion annually—a staggering difference. No wonder the Little Prince was furious.

Chai Yan was terrified; he had no idea who was targeting him. He wanted to explain to the Little Prince, but without the Prince’s permission, there was no way he could enter the Prince’s room. Chai Yan grew anxious. At that moment, the Little Prince’s men came to fetch him.

Chai Yan hurried to the Little Prince’s room. Upon seeing him, Chai Yan blurted, “Little Prince, about those accounts…”

The Little Prince raised a hand to stop him, speaking slowly, “I’ve always liked you—you’re smart, capable, and full of ideas. The girls you brought me were excellent; I enjoyed them. That’s why I’m willing to be your friend and help you out. As for your business, I never really cared. Giving me a stake was your idea, not mine, right?”

Chai Yan replied, “Yes, it was my idea. But Little Prince, those accounts…”

The Little Prince interrupted again, “How much you earn is your own ability; it has nothing to do with me. How much you share with me is your prerogative. I don’t care about the money. What I do care about is loyalty. I don’t like being made a fool of, and I don’t like being deceived by friends.”

Chai Yan, desperate as a cat on hot bricks, tried repeatedly to explain, but was always cut off by the Little Prince’s fierce glare.

Finally, the Little Prince glanced at Chai Yan, seeing him trembling with fear. He said, “Say what you want. I’d like to hear your explanation.”

Given permission, Chai Yan quickly said, “Those accounts aren’t real company accounts. The figures are wrong. Someone is trying to sow discord between us.”

The Little Prince asked, “You’re saying these aren’t your company’s accounts? Because they look exactly like your accounts to me.”

Chai Yan replied urgently, “They are company accounts, but the numbers are incorrect.”

The Little Prince asked, “What do you mean?”

Chai Yan explained, “The figures have been exaggerated. Someone is clearly trying to create a rift between us.”

The Little Prince continued, “How did someone get hold of your company’s accounts? Why would they want to divide us?”

Chai Yan answered, “I don’t know, but there’s definitely something wrong. Let me show you our real accounts.”

Frantically, Chai Yan pulled out his phone, intending to show the company database, but he couldn’t open it no matter how hard he tried. Sweat began to bead on his forehead—at such a critical moment, the database was inaccessible. It was a disaster.

The Little Prince watched Chai Yan’s anxiety and grew calmer, his expression softening. He said, “Don’t worry. I’ll find someone to look into it and see what the real problem is. There’s no need to panic. Honestly, I don’t care how much you make or how much you give me; what matters is your sincerity. As long as you have that, it’s enough. But I will never tolerate being deceived. If anyone tries to fool me, I’ll throw them into the river to feed the crocodiles.”

Hearing this, Chai Yan realized that the previously smiling Little Prince was not so benign after all. If he couldn’t clear things up, his life might be at risk.

The Little Prince summoned a trusted aide, and Chai Yan left the villa with him, returning to his own company. The offices were pitch black. Chai Yan called for Wu Jing and the entire finance team. Under the watchful eyes of the Little Prince’s man, they began to review the accounts. To his surprise, the company database was now accessible, and the correct accounts were visible on his phone.

Chai Yan showed the accounts to the Little Prince’s man, who copied them for the Prince. Once he left, Chai Yan finally breathed a sigh of relief and collapsed into his chair.

Wu Jing, seeing Chai Yan’s state, asked, “What happened today? Weren’t you at the Little Prince’s house for a party? Why are you suddenly back checking accounts?”

Chai Yan gave a bitter laugh. “I almost ended up thrown to the crocodiles by the Little Prince today. Just being alive is a blessing.”

Wu Jing asked, “What exactly happened?”

Chai Yan shook his head. “Don’t ask. Starting tomorrow, gather our men and investigate everyone who has access to our accounts. There’s probably a mole in our midst!”

Wu Jing was confused. “A mole? What mole? Our guys don’t even understand the accounts; bringing them in won’t help!”

Annoyed, Chai Yan snapped, “Then call Qian Ning and let them handle it.”

Wu Jing nodded. “Alright, I’ll get Qian Ning and the others to check.” He then shook his head, adding, “If only Zhang Dongfeng were here. He’s clever; maybe he could figure out the accounts.”

Wu Jing’s words suddenly jolted Chai Yan. He realized he hadn’t seen Zhang Dongfeng in some time. Was it possible Zhang Dongfeng was the one who leaked the accounts? He asked Wu Jing, “Where’s Zhang Dongfeng now?”

Wu Jing sighed. “He went back to the country. It’s my fault, really—I knew he couldn’t handle his liquor, but I took him drinking with the Little Prince’s men. They got him drunk, deliberately pushing him to embarrass himself. When he refused to keep drinking, they wouldn’t let up, even pulled out a gun and put it on the table.”

Wu Jing paused. “Dongfeng is a tough guy; he wasn’t intimidated. Probably drunk, he felt insulted and threw the gun straight into the river. The Little Prince’s men were furious, wanted to kill him. I had no choice but to send Dongfeng back home.”

Wu Jing added, “I wanted to give him some money, but he refused, just left.”

Wu Jing then complained, “What are the Little Prince’s men, anyway? A bunch of useless bullies, relying on their master to oppress others. We give the Little Prince so much money, yet still have to endure their abuse. What kind of logic is that?”

Chai Yan gave a bitter smile. “What choice do we have? This is Dayan. Without the Little Prince’s protection, how could our business survive? We might lose our heads. We don’t even have guns.”

He paused, then asked, “Zhang Dongfeng never saw our accounts, did he?”

Wu Jing replied, “You suspect he leaked them? Don’t worry—he never touched the books. He was always with me. If he’d accessed them, I’d have noticed. It definitely wasn’t him.”

Chai Yan said, “Good. We must be cautious now; one misstep and we’re dead.”

Wu Jing left, still confused. He didn’t understand what Chai Yan had gone through or why he was suddenly so concerned about the accounts. What had the Little Prince done? Wu Jing’s mind was full of questions, but since Chai Yan didn’t volunteer any answers, he kept them to himself.

Chai Yan remained slumped in his chair. The place no longer felt like paradise, and the Little Prince was no longer a close friend. For the first time, Chai Yan felt Dayan was more terrifying than his homeland; one careless move and he could lose his life in a foreign land. For the first time, he thought about going home.

No one ever discovered who leaked the accounts, but after the Little Prince saw the real figures, he didn’t pursue the matter further and continued to treat Chai Yan with the same cheerful friendliness. Chai Yan resumed his happy life in Annan, and on the surface, everything seemed back to normal. But it was only superficial.

The Little Prince’s friends began borrowing money from Chai Yan, and his men started harassing Chai Yan’s company. The common folk were no match for Chai Yan’s own men, but against these armed soldiers, his ragtag crew stood no chance.

Wu Jing, Qian Ning, and the others began complaining to Chai Yan. At first, Chai Yan didn’t pay much attention, thinking it was just petty cash. But soon he realized these people were taking large sums each time, not pocket change, and it was hurting his company’s operations. His men could barely work anymore; if things continued, his business would collapse.

Helpless, Chai Yan went to the Little Prince for support, but each time he was brushed off. Growing desperate, he tried to reach Teacher Song, hoping for advice, but Song was nowhere to be found, as if vanished from the earth.

Just when Chai Yan thought he had reached a dead end, he remembered Jiang Bin. He sought him out, gave him a large sum, and begged Jiang Bin to intercede with the Little Prince. Jiang Bin, being a decent man, quickly got things done once he received the payment.

Not long after, the Little Prince issued orders forbidding his men from harassing Chai Yan and telling his friends not to borrow money from him. Only then did Chai Yan’s business stabilize again, though only superficially.

Chai Yan still couldn’t reach Teacher Song, and the Little Prince was no longer the friend he once knew. Once a rift had formed between people, it was nearly impossible to repair—a broken mirror cannot be made whole, spilled water cannot be gathered again. This was the truth.

Chai Yan no longer trusted the Little Prince, and began to worry about his own safety, planning his retreat. He no longer wanted to stay in these small countries, believing none would be truly friendly to a foreigner like him; they regarded him as a lamb to be slaughtered, ready to drain him dry. Without someone like Jiang Bin to introduce him, he had no protector, and those coveting his wealth could kill him at any time.

The developed countries seemed a decent choice, but Chai Yan still didn’t want to go. Years abroad had taught him that home was better, with superior food and no racism. After much consideration, he decided it was best to return to his homeland. Though he had lost contact with Teacher Song, the false identities Song left him were enough for Chai Yan to return openly.

He could not understand what had gone wrong these past days—why had everything suddenly turned against him? Teacher Song ignored him, the Little Prince was estranged, and he had no idea who was working against him. Had he used up all his luck?

Suddenly, Chai Yan recalled Teacher Song once mentioning Haifeng. Could all this be orchestrated by Haifeng? He shook his head, dismissing the idea. If Haifeng was behind it all, he was too formidable—not a man, but a god. Chai Yan refused to believe such an opponent existed, someone who could bring him down without ever showing his face. He decided it was just a coincidence.

The Little Prince had initially planned to deal with Chai Yan for daring to deceive him, but the accounts brought back by his aide made him hesitate. Perhaps someone really was manipulating things, or else Chai Yan wouldn’t have volunteered the accounts to prove his innocence.

Jiang Bin’s intervention made the Little Prince abandon any murderous intent. After all, cooling down, he realized that a vice business generating twenty billion annually was exaggerated; Chai Yan’s operation wasn’t that large. Jiang Bin also pointed out Chai Yan’s greater value: finding “toys” for the Little Prince. If he eliminated Chai Yan, not only would he lose millions each year, but finding someone to gather so many “toys” would be difficult.

After considering, the Little Prince agreed with Jiang Bin and resumed support for Chai Yan, ordering his men and friends to cease harassment. But the Little Prince knew that the matter would not be easily forgotten; Chai Yan had been thoroughly frightened, and without some compensation, he would never again be as loyal.

The Little Prince decided to give Chai Yan some benefits, to reassure him that he was still considered family. He planned a grand party in Chai Yan’s honor and intended to present him with a gift he had always dreamed of—a batch of firearms to arm his men.

Unbeknownst to Chai Yan, all these changes had been closely observed by the White Tiger Squad. This was only the first step in their plan. Seeing their initial phase succeed perfectly, Haifeng and his team celebrated their victory. Liu Zhiyang sang Haifeng’s praises, believing only Haifeng could bring a wicked scoundrel to such a state of exhaustion and terror, and was delighted to witness it.

The members of the White Tiger Squad knew that they were now one step closer to victory, and saw the dawn of hope ahead—the future where Chai Yan, the demon, would finally be brought to justice.