Cherry Miller exchanged a glance with Yina Yin and said, "It's worth considering. Let's go gather some information first."
They got right to work.
That afternoon, the three of them used the excuse of buying daily necessities and headed together to Six Saints Town.
As soon as they entered the town, the trio could sense a tense atmosphere hanging in the air.
Shops that usually kept their doors open for business had all shut tight.
They managed to slip into a restaurant just before it closed.
"We're not serving today, please leave," the owner said listlessly.
"Boss, why turn away customers when your doors are open?" Ryan King pulled out a hundred yuan and placed it on the table. "We've been walking all day—just bring us whatever you've got."
Except for special purchases, a hundred yuan still went a long way here.
They'd already spent all their own RMB, so Sherry Yuan had brought over several thousand yuan as their operating funds.
If you want to get information, spending money is a must.
Sure enough, the owner’s eyes lingered on the hundred yuan, clearly tempted.
"Boss, we just need a place to rest. We'll eat and leave right after," Cherry Miller explained sweetly. "We won't stay long."
The owner finally relaxed and said, "You three, it's best not to wander around today. Go home as soon as you can."
Yina Yin feigned casual curiosity and asked, "What’s going on? Did something happen?"
The owner glanced outside with a troubled look, then whispered, "The Zhang Family is fighting among themselves. Be careful not to get caught up in it."
The Zhang Family is fighting among themselves?
Is that what they think it means?
Ryan King pulled out another hundred yuan and set it on the table. "Boss, to be honest, we're here to ask about selling a batch of sheep to the Zhang Family on behalf of our village. If the Zhang Family suddenly stops buying, our village is doomed."
The owner nodded knowingly.
Lately, people from nearby villages have been coming to sell goods to the Zhang Family.
Makes sense—only the Zhang Family can afford to buy so much.
"Word is, Zachary Zhang and his nephew Eric Zhang got into a fight. Zachary doesn’t want Eric to take part in the Shrine Ceremony, but Eric says his uncle has monopolized the Divine Blessing for twenty years and it’s time to give it back to the family." The owner clearly knows a lot of the inside story and continued, "We all know the Divine Blessing happens every twenty years. Last time, Zachary Zhang got it. Originally, it was supposed to go to Edward Zhang, but Zachary stole his chance."
"How did he steal it?"
"They say the night before the Shrine Ceremony, Edward Zhang suddenly broke his leg. If you can’t stand, you can’t perform the ritual. So Zachary went in his place and received the Divine Blessing." the owner explained.
Ryan King and the others exchanged a knowing look.
"Now, twenty years later, Edward’s eldest son Eric wants to participate in the Shrine Ceremony, but Zachary refuses. So they started fighting, and both sides have plenty of followers. If things get ugly, innocent people might get caught in the crossfire." The owner added, "You three should skip selling today. Eat, then go home. Wait until the Zhang Family sorts things out."
The owner wouldn’t say anything more.
Soon enough, their food arrived.
Ryan King lowered his voice, "This isn't about not having enough—it's about not sharing fairly. The Zhang Family is tearing itself apart."
Cherry Miller nodded. "Makes sense. Traditionally, the eldest son inherits the family business. Zachary Zhang used underhanded tactics, made his brother break his leg, and cost him twenty years of income. Of course Edward Zhang would resent his younger brother."
"So, it’s only natural that Edward’s son would want to take back the family line from his uncle," Yina Yin said with a smile. "In their minds, the eldest son is the real heir—the others are just side branches. Whatever Zachary took, he’ll have to give back sooner or later."
Ryan King and Cherry Miller both nodded in agreement.
The three quickly finished their meal and left the restaurant.
But instead of leaving right away, they circled around the Zhang Family mansion before quietly slipping away.
There are perks to living in an old-fashioned town.
No modern surveillance equipment.
It made it easy for the three of them—who were all highly skilled—to move around unnoticed.
On the walk back, Ryan King whispered, "I still think there’s something about Six Saints Town we don’t know. The Zhang Family’s old patriarch is still around, so neither Edward nor Zachary have split off. All the money they make goes to the family fund. If they’re fighting this hard, there must be something worth fighting for."
"What could it be?" Yina Yin mused. "If it’s social status, the Zhangs are already at the top. If it’s wealth, they’re the richest in Six Saints Town."
"Then maybe it’s about status in the outside world," Cherry Miller added. "Besides being able to freely travel between Six Saints Town and the outside, what if this person could also gain social status or wealth out there?"
Ryan King and Yina Yin both raised their eyebrows.
If that’s the case, then it’s something extremely valuable.
Could it be they’re in for an unexpected windfall this time?
Looks like there’s another secret waiting to be discovered.
While the trio was busy working the fields in mysterious Six Saints Town, the outside world was just as lively as ever.
But someone was starting to get restless.
That day, Miles Gu cornered Ethan Yin at the company entrance. "Ethan, where did Yina go? You said she was going to farm in the mountains, but I asked around—no one’s there! Did you hide her somewhere?"
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Ethan Yin gave him an innocent look and said, "Funny you should say that. Yina’s not a kid—she’s a board member. She doesn’t have to report every move to me, does she?"
Miles Gu held back his frustration and said, "Ethan, I know you’re mad at me. But this isn’t the time for grudges! What if something happens to Yina…"
"And what does that have to do with you? You two broke off the engagement—you’re not fiancés anymore," Ethan Yin interrupted. "If anyone should worry, it’s us, right?"
"Fine, maybe Yina and I aren’t engaged anymore, but we grew up together. That bond still means something, right? I was raised by her mom, I even took her surname—don’t I have any right to ask about her?" Miles Gu’s eyes were red with worry.
Yina Yin and Cherry Miller had vanished without a trace.
They’d been gone for over a month.
Who wouldn’t be worried—except for those in the know?
Miles Gu asked a lot of people, but no one told him the truth.
Whether it was Lucas Mu or Leo and Theo Mo, they all played dumb and acted clueless.
That’s why Miles Gu lost his patience and came straight here to corner Ethan Yin.
Technically, Miles Gu is also a board member of the Yin Consortium—there’s no way he wouldn’t know what Yina Yin was up to.
However, this time the operation was kept secret from everyone on the board—except for Ethan Yin, the CEO. No one else knew about it.
Ethan Yin handed the document to Quentin Sheng, waved for him and the others to leave, then finally answered, "Miles Gu, since Yina doesn't want to see you, why keep pushing? Can't you allow her to be in a bad mood and go out to clear her head? As for the danger you mentioned—do you really think that's possible? You've grown up with her, haven't you? Don't you know how strong she is, or how many bodyguards she has around her? In this world, no one would dare touch the heiress of the Yin Family! I'm confident about that!"
"Ethan, I..." Miles Gu wanted to say more, but Ethan Yin had already lost interest in listening.
"Is it that you think, since Yina didn't choose Winston Fan, Gavin Gao, or Shawn Yan, you actually have a shot?" Ethan Yin cut straight to the point.
Sure enough, Miles Gu's eyes flickered.
That was exactly what he thought.
He saw Yina Yin choose no one, so he convinced himself she must have feelings for him. That's why he kept clinging, again and again.
Ethan Yin let out a cold laugh. "This matchmaking banquet is just the beginning. You don't really think our parents would only look for a son-in-law in China, do you? With Yina's status, she could easily become a princess. Haven't you wondered why our parents travel abroad so much? Maybe they're scouting for suitors for Yina. Out of respect for our long friendship, I've never spelled things out too clearly. I thought you understood, but today you insist I lay it all out for you."
Miles Gu's face suddenly went pale.
"Don't bother trying to get information," Ethan Yin continued. "Even if you hear something, it won't help. If Yina doesn't want to be found, nobody will show up in front of her. I heard that, over in England, Earl Field cleaned house and left a lot of positions vacant. As the Field Family's heir, shouldn't you be back there handling things instead of wasting time here every day? Or are you planning to give up your inheritance and just be a drifter? Do you really think that kind of life qualifies you to stand beside Yina?"
Ethan Yin's words pierced Miles Gu's heart like needles.
Miles Gu's face turned even paler. "You're going too far."
"Too far? I don't think so." Ethan Yin looked at him calmly. "It's only because we've grown up together that I'm so blunt. If you were anyone else, you wouldn't even get a chance to talk to me."
Ethan Yin added silently in his heart: I'm talking to Miles Gu's primary persona, not you.