There were reasons for such certainty. First, the ease with which Huang Yan behaved before Yang Ce; had he been someone unfamiliar, she could never have left a guest to one side and gone off to play on the computer herself.

Second, when Xuanming Zong came in, Huang Yan made no effort to introduce Yang Ce's identity, but instead had Xuanming Zong speak with him directly. One would not treat someone that way unless the relationship were especially close.

Third—and most important—was that after Xuanming Zong entered the room, he caught a certain unusual scent: the distinctive trace left behind after a man and woman have lain together. How could a man of Xuanming Zong's experience fail to notice such a thing?

And looking again at Huang Yan's face, where a faint flush still lingered, Xuanming Zong was all the more certain that this young man before him was the eldest miss's sweetheart.

That Xuanming Zong had stood firm for so many years in the Huang family's enterprises was due to a first-rate ability to read faces. So once he had deduced Yang Ce's identity, he took especial care in dealing with this future son-in-law of the Huang family.

However capable Xuanming Zong might be, he was in the end merely an employee of the Huang family. Huang Yan's father now took little part in the company's affairs, and in future the company's business would surely pass into the hands of the younger generation.

Although most of the Huang family's affairs were handled by Huang Yan's eldest brother, Xuanming Zong understood that the old man could not possibly leave all of his holdings to his eldest son. He would hand a small portion of the peripheral businesses to his second son and to this youngest daughter, whom he doted on most.

Huang Yan's share of the inheritance might even be about the same as the eldest son's, for Xuanming Zong knew the old man's character all too well; a daughter born in his old age was naturally his treasure. Even if he gave the eldest son the reins of management, the shares he left to Huang Yan would never be few.

And this Macau casino—to be honest, because of Huang Yan's work, the Huang family member he came into contact with most was Huang Yan, so there was a ninety percent chance that this casino would one day be handed to her.

Huang Yan was, after all, a girl, and one not much interested in business matters, so the one who would truly have the final say would be this son-in-law before him.

"Hello, Mr. Yang. 'Manager Zhang'—hah, we're not in the business world here. Lele calls me Uncle Zhang; why don't you do the same?" Having guessed Yang Ce's identity, Xuanming Zong shed his outward gravity, for in circumstances like these a closer, more familial tie was of more use than anything else.

"Very well, then I'll call you Uncle Zhang. And you needn't call me Mr. Yang—just Yang Ce will do." Yang Ce said this with a smile.

"Fine, I'll just call you Yang Ce." The Xuanming Sect certainly did not want things to sound too distant between them—this suited him perfectly. "Yang Ce, what is it you wanted to see me about? No need for pleasantries between us. If there's something on your mind, just say it straight."

"It's like this—I'd like to learn something about a man named Zheng Shaopeng." Yang Ce spoke bluntly.

"Zheng Shaopeng, ah. He's the consulting director at our casino," the Xuanming Sect said. "What sort of information did you want to know?"

As he spoke, the Xuanming Sect deliberately called the Huawei Casino "our casino," making a point of using the word "our."

"For instance, when did this man first come to the casino, and what was his profession before that?" Yang Ce offered by way of example.

"Why? Has he crossed you somehow?" The Xuanming Sect laughed upon hearing this. "If that's the case, I'll simply dismiss him. With the reputation of the Huawei Casino, we needn't worry about finding a good consultant."

"That's not it. I have no personal grudge against him. It's just that I've seen this man before, mixed up in some other unsavory business, so I suspect his character is highly questionable." Yang Ce shook his head.

"Is that so." The Xuanming Sect nodded. "In truth, when we hire a consultant, we mostly look at his ability. There's a saying—heroes need not be asked where they come from. Especially in the gambling trade, where these masters trained is often a secret, and it wouldn't do for us to pry too much. But I do have records of when he came to the casino—it was eight years ago."

"So he was already famous back then?" Yang Ce had not expected Zheng Shaopeng to have spent eight years at the Huawei Casino. Did he have some design on the place, after all?

"No, not at all. Back then he only applied to be a dealer—he wasn't applying for a consultant position." The Xuanming Sect said, "The requirements for a dealer aren't high. So long as you understand gambling and your hands are quick, that's enough. Zheng Shaopeng passed a simple assessment and came to work at the casino."

"After that, thanks to his exceptional hand speed, he rose rapidly to shift leader, then deputy consulting director, then consulting director, right up to the present."

A very ordinary career path. Yang Ce shook his head—there was nothing remarkable about it.

"Is he at the casino now?" Yang Yanzhou asked.

"He is. When the casino is open, unless there's some other business or he's on leave, he stays at the casino the whole time," the Xuanming Sect said.

"He took leave a few days ago?" Yang Yanzhou asked.

"Yes, he just went on leave a few days ago," the Xuanming Sect replied.

"Good. Arrange a room for me—I want a private meeting with this Zheng Shaopeng." Yang Yanzhou said, "And no surveillance equipment of any kind in the room."

"Rest easy on that account. No problem at all—on our own turf, we're the ones who call the shots." For the second time, the Xuanming Sect used the word "our."

Zheng Shaopeng had no idea why Manager Zhang had summoned him—and it was not to the general manager's office, but to another room entirely. Strange as it was, Zheng Shaopeng quickly set aside the work at hand and hurried over.

There was no one in the room except Manager Zhang's secretary. Seeing Zheng Shaopeng arrive, he rose to his feet and said, "Consultant Zheng, please wait here a moment. Manager Zhang will be right along."

"All right." Zheng Shaopeng nodded. Though puzzled, he could hardly press the manager's secretary with questions.

Yang Ce pushed open the door. The instant he stepped inside, he transformed his features into the face he had worn outside Zheng Shaopeng's villa that day, then casually shut the door behind him.

Hearing someone enter, Zheng Shaopeng assumed it was Manager Zhang. He rose to his feet, about to offer a greeting, only to find a stranger standing before him.

"Who are you?" Zheng Shaopeng asked Yang Yanzhou in confusion.

"Zheng Shaopeng, don't you recognize me?" Yang Ce gave a cold smile and took a step closer.

"You—I don't know you!" Zheng Shaopeng stared at Yang Ce in astonishment and shook his head. To be continued.

865. Investigating Zheng Shaopeng (Part Two)

865. Investigating Zheng Shaopeng (Part Two). Watching Zheng Shaopeng's reaction, Yang Jiyan was taken aback. How could this fellow not recognize him? That scuffle outside his villa the other night—could Zheng Shaopeng really have missed it?

In fact, Zheng Shaopeng had indeed been watching every move outside the villa through binoculars from within. When he saw Yang Ce appear and cut down the two experts sent by the boss, that was when he had fled in panic.

It was just that Yang Juehuan's features at that moment were so utterly ordinary that once he blended into a crowd, he might not be recognized a moment later. With such a forgettable face, Zheng Shaopeng truly had no impression of him.