Feeling Cao Mengās irritation, he wanted to snap back on the spot, but he held it in.
"When youāve taken someoneās money, your hands get tied!"
Muttering that to himself, he thought for a moment, then said softly, "About that sixty million we sent out before, can you think of a way to claw it back? As long as we can get that back, things shouldnāt be too bad."
Hearing him, Cao Meng narrowed his eyes.
Cao Meng had to admit, what he said was one way to solve it, it was just that right now, the odds looked very, very low.
Because the other party wasnāt someone he could afford to mess with.
"Looks like itās going to be real hard to get it back. If thatās the case, then he really is dead this time."
After reading a lot of information from Cao Mengās expression, he was even happier.
Because if even Cao Meng couldnāt handle it, that meant his Family Head was really at the end of the road.
Reining in that smugness and delight, he spoke up again, "Thereās absolutely no chance?"
"I donāt think so!"
With a sigh, Cao Meng got ready to give it another shot.
Thinking that, he quickly pulled out his phone.
After finding Lin Yaās number, he glanced at it and quickly dialed!
...
On the island, Hu Xiaobei and Lin Ya were chatting.
Just then, the phone Lin Ya had left to the side started ringing.
A bit drained, she cast a silky, flirtatious glance at Hu Xiaobei and said softly, "Xiaobei, little brother, help me see whoās calling!"
Glancing at Lin Ya, Hu Xiaobei deliberately teased in a very soft voice, "Youāre just letting me look like that? Arenāt you afraid Iāll see something I shouldnāt?"
"You little bastard, what are you talking about? Iāve got nothing to hide, whatās there to be afraid of!"
By the end, Lin Ya huffed and gave Hu Xiaobei a big, dramatic eye-roll.
Right after that, she grabbed an apple Xiaobei had just washed, and took a quick bite.
Laughing, Hu Xiaobei reached out and picked up the phone. Seeing the name on the screen, he said casually, "Itās that Cao Meng who left earlier."
"Whatās he calling for? Donāt tell me he wants to keep giving us money?"
Throwing that question out, she quickly got excited.
As her excitement rose, that oversized jade rabbit jiggled lightly, making Hu Xiaobei involuntarily sneak a few more glances.
"What are you looking at, you little bastard!"
After another huge eye-roll at Hu Xiaobei, she said directly, "Alright, just put it on speaker, letās hear what heās trying to say."
"Okay!"
Giving a light reply, Hu Xiaobei tapped the speaker button.
"Hello, is this Lin Ya? Itās Cao Meng, I just left."
"Itās me. I actually thought you dialed the wrong number. Looks like you didnāt, huh."
Taking a bite of the apple, Lin Ya teased softly...
Just now, Lin Ya really had thought heād called the wrong number...
In Lin Yaās eyes, he was petty and narrow-minded, so right now he should be calling up his cronies to lick his wounds.
Turned out he apparently hadnāt done that.
"No, how could I call the wrong person?"
"Then go on, what do you want?"
"Hereās the thing, weāve known each other for a while now. Might not count as friends, but at least we recognize each otherās faces. I want to borrow some moneyādonāt know if youād be willing?"
Hearing Cao Mengās request, Lin Ya chuckled lightly. "Borrow money? Youāre the head of a family. You need to borrow from me?"
As soon as she finished, she heard a helpless voice come through the receiver, "Donāt mock me. A so-called Family Head like me often doesnāt get to call the shots either! But I promise, as long as I get through this crisis, Iāll definitely pay you back double! And in the future we might even form an alliance and look out for each other. How about it?"
"Not interested."
Lin Ya rejected him on the spot.
Lin Ya knew he was trash, so she had no interest in working with him, because she knew a guy like that could turn on you any time. Cooperating with him was way too risky.
Hearing Lin Yaās refusal, Hu Xiaobei smiled to himself...
Hu Xiaobei had no interest in that piece of trash either, so seeing her turn him down made him genuinely happy.
"Then what would it take for you to lend me the money?"
Hearing that anxious question, Lin Ya looked toward Hu Xiaobei.
Hu Xiaobei knew she wanted him to give his opinion now.
Smiling faintly, Hu Xiaobei said calmly, "Simple. From now on, you do everything my way, and Iāll lend you the money."
"No way! Iām aå å Family Head, how could I take orders from you!"
"If thatās how it is, then thatās that."
With a light smile, Hu Xiaobei directly hung up.
...
"Xiaobei, little brother, you really did throw out a condition he could never accept!"
"Canāt accept it? Heāll accept it."
"Xiaobei, little brother, youāre kidding, right? With that kind of condition, heād really agree?"
Lin Ya stared at Hu Xiaobei in disbelief. She felt there was no way the other side would accept it; the condition was just too over the top.
If he agreed to that, heād basically be giving up everything.
"Heās got no other options right now, so he can only choose to say yes."
Hu Xiaobei had already run all the calculations...
Hu Xiaobei knew perfectly well the guy really had no way out, so he could only choose to cooperate with him.
That way, heād lose a lot, a whole lot, but at the very least, heād be able to keep his seat as Family Head.
So weighing the two, heād definitely choose the one that favored him more...
"I still think itās unlikely."
"Then letās bet on it."
"Deal!"
As they spoke, the two of them started setting the terms of their bet...
...
"He actually wants me to take orders from him from now on, thatās way over the line!"
Listening to the beeping busy tone on the line, Cao Meng roared in fury.
He thought the other guy was really opening his lionās mouth wide.
Hearing Cao Mengās crazed roar, the man whoād been standing silently beside him for a long time finally spoke. "Family Head, I think you should agree."
Hearing him, Cao Meng glared hard at him. "Agree? If I agree, Iāll have to do whatever he says!"
"Family Head, sometimes you really arenāt thinking sharp enough. Right now the most important thing is to get the money back. Once weāve gotten the money and fully settled things on the family side, we can just flip the table on them, right?"
Hearing that plan, something stirred in Cao Mengās heart.
He felt the plan was indeed pretty good...
But thinking it over more carefully, he still felt it wasnāt quite sound. "But their side isnāt exactly weak."
"So what if theyāre strong? We just donāt leave the family compound for a while. You really think he can storm all the way into our familyās turf? I donāt buy it."
"Youāre right!"
Cao Mengās eyes grew brighter and brighter.
Looking at this man now, he found him extremely pleasing to the eye.
"Iāve been missing someone by my side to scheme and strategize. I think youāre a perfect fit. From now on, you stay with me."
Hearing Cao Meng extend the olive branch, he smiled faintly and handed the watch in his hand back. "Family Head, I feel this watch suits you better, so you should have it back."
Giving it a glance, Cao Meng quickly waved his hand. "Haha, itās just a watch. Since I gave it to you, Iām not taking it back. Just stick with me and do a good job."
"Mm, got it!"
He nodded, thrilled.
Earlier, heād treated Cao Meng poorly because he thought Cao Meng couldnāt possibly get through this crisis. Now his attitude had changed, because he realized Cao Mengās luck hadnāt run out yet...
Cao Meng took a deep breath, ran through everything one more time in his head, and after confirming there were no problems, he dialed Lin Yaās number again...