Final Civilization

Chapter 6: Men

"Uncle, how come you're here!?"

A silvery voice rang out. Han Ming followed the sound and saw a cute little round face peeking out from behind the flower bed, looking at him with delighted surprise. The little girl then quickly ran up to Han Ming. Holding a small watering can, she turned her head to look at Yan Jing. "Mom, this is the uncle who saved me today."

"Mom knows."

Yan Jing walked over slowly. Judging by her appearance, she shouldn't be over 35. The off-white haute couture suit skirt made the femininity she exuded appear restrained and understated, making one immediately feel that beauty was her essence, not her tool.

"The most fundamental virtue a person can have is a heart of gratitude. I believe children must learn this."

She came up to Han Ming, smiled, and extended her hand, her voice sounding intelligent and refined.

"Yan Jing."

Han Ming shook her hand.

"Han Ming."

Yan Jing smiled at him in acknowledgement, then immediately knelt down on one knee in front of her daughter. She said gently, "Duoduo, this is Uncle Han Ming. You must remember that it's thanks to him saving you today, otherwise Mommy wouldn't have been able to see you again. Mommy specifically invited him here to thank him in person. You should thank him too. And promise Mommy, you will never forget Uncle Han Ming, okay?"These words directly left Han Ming a bit overwhelmed. They could even pierce his heart more effectively than if the other party had presented him with an astronomical check.

"Mhm!~"

Yan Duoduo was at the age when girls are the most adorable. With her chubby little face and big, pitch-black eyes, she raised her head, lifting her little face, and said to Han Ming,

"Thank you, Uncle Han Ming. I, I... can I treat you to ice cream?"

Seeing that cute, puffy face and those expectant little eyes made Han Ming feel, for a moment, that eating ice cream with her would surely be a very happy thing.

Han Ming also crouched down, responding with a smile.

"Of course. Can I choose the flavor?"

"Yes, yes! But the baba snow slush is the most delicious. I highly recommend it~" The little girl looked at him, her big eyes full of anticipation, with an expression that seemed to say, 'Please, please, you must choose this flavor. Trust me, you won't regret it.'

Han Ming thought for a moment. "Sounds good. That one, then."

Watching their conversation, Yan Jing's gaze lightly fell upon Han Ming. There was no deliberate scrutiny; it was just like looking at a newly met friend.

"Mhm~!"

The little girl nodded, the two little buns on her head wobbling softly. She immediately started running in one direction, but halfway there, she stopped. It seemed she realized she wasn't being very 'ladylike.' She turned her back to the two of them, patted her chest with her small hands, took a long breath, then changed to a walking pace, quickly heading off to get the ice cream.

Han Ming couldn't help but show a smile. It was unclear whether this 'walk like a princess' was taught by Yan Jing or something she learned from cartoons herself. It was unbearably cute.

Afterwards, Yan Jing invited Han Ming to dinner.

It wasn't overly grand—just a simple French dinner. Only Yan Jing and Han Ming were at the dining table.

Of course, there was also Yan Duoduo sitting next to Han Ming, who occasionally quietly placed little cherries on his plate.

"This one is super sweet..." she said to him in a milky, childish voice.

"You're super sweet too~" Han Ming replied.

"I know~" The little girl, as if fully aware of her own adorableness, kept blinking her big eyes at Han Ming, giggling.

Whether it was because Han Ming had saved her or because Han Ming naturally had a face and aura that children liked, in a very short time, Yan Duoduo had become particularly close to him. Yan Jing, who had been silently dining across from them, watched this, a trace of something strange flashing through her eyes.

Throughout the dinner, Yan Jing only engaged in light conversation with Han Ming. Apart from expressing her gratitude at the beginning, Yan Jing didn't mention anything related to the morning car accident again. The topics revolved around simple subjects like Han Ming's work as a lawyer and Yan Jing's life as a single mother.

Then, after the meal, Yan Jing politely expressed her thanks to Han Ming once more and handed him a business card, indicating he could contact her anytime if he needed anything in the future.

When Han Ming was leaving after dinner ended, the little girl Duoduo seemed a bit reluctant to see him go.

"Uncle Han, will you come play with me again?"

Han Ming's gaze swept over Yan Jing, then he gave Duoduo a faint smile. "I will."

Once outside, the secretary was already waiting. He then continued to take the elevator down and was driven back by a bodyguard.

Sitting in the car, Han Ming watched as the vehicle drove out of Tianzhou Tower. Holding a lollipop Duoduo had given him as a parting gift, he silently breathed a sigh of relief.

It felt both unexpected and yet perfectly reasonable. It had been a very... normal meeting to express gratitude.

So normal that he didn't need to be on guard or use his ability to foresee the future at all... Of course, out of caution, Han Ming did use it.

Nothing had changed.

The Maybach drove directly to the foot of the apartment building where Han Ming lived. However, after parking, he discovered the Maybach had parked in his private parking spot. His own car had been taken to a 4S shop for maintenance and repairs last week after being scratched by someone, and he hadn't picked it up these past few days. He hadn't expected the other party to have investigated even his parking spot so clearly.

"Isn't Tianzhou International a real estate group? How do they have such powerful investigative methods?"

Han Ming was somewhat surprised. But what surprised him even more was when he got out of the car, the bodyguard opened the door for him and then gestured for him to come to the rear.

"Mr. Han."

Han Ming's expression changed slightly as he followed to the back of the car. The bodyguard opened the trunk. Instantly, three standard bank money boxes appeared neatly aligned in Han Ming's line of sight. Red banknotes were stacked orderly inside, presenting an explosive visual effect under the yellow light of the trunk.

The size of these standard money boxes clearly indicated they were ten-million boxes. So, three boxes meant thirty million!

Sheer, unadulterated extravagance!

"This is a genuine, non-consideration gift in Chairwoman Yan's personal name. You needn't worry about tax or related issues."

The bodyguard's voice was calm. At the same time, he took out a small black box. Opening it revealed the key to this Maybach S680, shimmering with a glow.

"This car is also Chairwoman Yan's expression of gratitude. If it's convenient for you, the vehicle transfer can be completed first thing tomorrow morning."

Han Ming stared blankly at this scene and couldn't help but laugh. This was his genuine reaction.

Sure enough, his own level was still too shallow. So this is how rich people operate.

"TV dramas are all lies."

But upon careful thought, Han Ming found it very reasonable. One could feel a sense of security at the foot of one's own apartment building. Simultaneously, an underground parking lot without surveillance cameras eliminated the need for formalities. Plus, it was a bodyguard delivering the money; both the car and the cash could be handed over together.

However, Han Ming could sense that the emotions Yan Jing expressed in front of her daughter were very genuine. She probably also didn't want to discuss money in front of her daughter's savior.

She had even considered Han Ming's profession and specifically reminded him about the related tax issues, allowing him to accept it with peace of mind.

It was precisely hearing a bodyguard utter the line 'genuine, non-consideration gift' that made Han Ming laugh.

"Alright. Please convey my thanks to Chairwoman Yan."

*Click~*

A few minutes later, Han Ming closed his apartment door. Looking at the three money boxes the bodyguard had brought up for him, he pressed hard on his temples.

He had accepted the money, but refused the car.

The surface reason was that Han Ming knew his current status couldn't accommodate driving such a car. But the deeper logic was that his current concept of wealth was a bit... explosive.

The money in his bank card wasn't just enough to buy a Mercedes Maybach; he could buy Mercedes-Benz itself and still have more than enough left over.

But this didn't mean Han Ming had been blinded by this mysterious wealth, ignoring the danger and secrecy within it.

So, before he figured out the cause himself, flaunting excessive wealth was clearly unwise.

Yet, just a few seconds later, Han Ming clicked his tongue and sighed.

"Ah... I should have taken the car too..."

He took a deep breath, his eyes flickering.

"But it seems whether I take it or not is the same. Forget it."

...

Top floor of Tianzhou International.

Standing by the edge of the glass curtain wall, Yan Jing held a glass of red wine, overlooking the night view of Jinghai.

"Starting today, monitor all his actions, 24 hours a day."

"Understood."

The secretary's eyebrows rose slightly. Although she knew her boss's temperament, she was still very puzzled. However, her position didn't allow her to question it.

"You want to ask why, don't you?" Yan Jing glanced sideways slightly. Her gentle, unhurried tone seemed to carry an invisible pressure, completely different from the mother who had just been interacting with her daughter.

"Yes." The secretary didn't lie. She knew admitting ignorance was more preferable than pretending loyalty.

"We've already investigated his information. His background is very clean. The surveillance footage from the scene also shows he genuinely risked his life to save Miss Duoduo. So, I don't understand..."

Yan Jing swirled her wine glass, looking at the city nightscape ablaze with lights and revelry. She said calmly,

"Being grateful he saved my daughter and remaining suspicious of him are not mutually exclusive. An ordinary lawyer, who nimbly dodged that car twice, then went to work in the afternoon as if nothing happened. You brought so many people downstairs to invite him, yet he could stand before me without changing expression and chat with Duoduo."

"A person like that, if he is talented, can be of use to me, in addition to my gratitude. If he has ulterior motives... the mastermind behind the attack on Duoduo hasn't been found yet. I cannot let go of anyone suspicious."

"Understood."

The secretary lowered her head, swallowing nervously. Maintaining the highest degree of malicious speculation towards the person showing the greatest kindness... she found it hard to imagine what Yan Jing must have experienced to reach this position.

At that moment, the secretary's phone lit up. She picked it up, her expression immediately changing. She promptly said,

"Chairwoman Yan, he accepted the money, but not the car."

"Oh?"

Yan Jing's gaze sharpened. She remained silent for a while, then a trace of coldness appeared on her face. She said, "Contact his law firm. Our Tianzhou International happens to need to replace our legal advisory team."

"You mean to place him by your side for investigation?"

Yan Jing turned around and walked away briskly, leaving behind a plain statement.

"No man can refuse a Maybach!"