Chapter 505 - 249: Trying to Poach My Men Again?

Chapter 505: Chapter 249: Trying to Poach My Men Again?

At the entrance of the courtyard house, Xiao Chen’s eyes flickered with confusion when he saw the five-man treasure-hunting team laden with bags.

"What are you all doing here? Didn’t I tell you to go home and rest for a while?"

After the five of them returned from Irkutsk, Xiao Chen had arranged a month-long vacation for them, but only half a month had passed.

’And... why have all five of them shown up at Su Chen’s place? They’re back in the Imperial Capital and didn’t even give me a heads-up?’

"Chief," the leader of the five-man team stepped forward and answered. "It was Brother Fei who called us here. He told us to prepare our passports, said we might be going on another trip abroad."

Hearing this, Xiao Chen’s face fell. ’That son of a bitch Su Chen,’ he grumbled internally, ’he’s not trying to poach my men again, is he?’

Never mind Chen Fei and Xiao Peng, whom he had been "forced" to give to Su Chen. But the subsequent Xuanhuang Four were a different matter; Su Chen had shamelessly pestered him until he took them.

But from the looks of it now, it seemed he was about to lose the five-man treasure-hunting team, too.

His training camp had fewer than a hundred people in total, yet Su Chen had managed to poach all his top-ranking elites.

An absurd thought popped into Xiao Chen’s head: ’My training camp might as well be a personal talent farm for Su Chen.’

CREAK~

The gate to the courtyard house opened, and Chen Fei walked out with a smile.

But when he saw Xiao Chen standing off to the side, the smile on his face instantly froze.

"B-Boss! What are you doing here!" Chen Fei suddenly felt like a thief caught in the act.

Yesterday, Su Chen had asked him to contact the five-man team. Without a second thought, Chen Fei had called all of them and summoned them back from their respective hometowns.

When the five-man treasure-hunting team learned that Mr. Su himself had made the arrangements, they didn’t delay for a second. They packed their bags and flew directly back to the Imperial Capital.

What could they do? Su Chen was famously generous. Plus, considering his close relationship with their own leader, they couldn’t find any reason to refuse. They just figured they’d take a little trip with Su Chen during their time off.

They never expected to run straight into Xiao Chen. What could the treasure-hunting team say? All they could do was lower their heads and cower like quails.

"Hmph." Xiao Chen shot Chen Fei an irritated glare, glanced at the five men standing with their heads bowed, and then strode quickly into the courtyard. He looked ready to march in and settle accounts with Su Chen.

Only after Xiao Chen disappeared from sight did the five-man treasure-hunting team let out a collective sigh of relief, though their faces remained troubled. "Brother Fei... what... what do we do now?"

"Haha, don’t worry about it. Didn’t you see? The Boss didn’t say anything. The worst that can happen is he’ll put you through some extra drills for a few days when you get back."

At the mention of extra drills, the five men could only manage wry smiles.

"Alright, stop overthinking it and come on in," Chen Fei said, knowing how to offer comfort. "Who knows, maybe Mr. Su will just poach you all for good after this trip!" Whether it was a real possibility or not, he was good at dangling a carrot.

The expressions on the faces of the five-man team brightened considerably at his words. After all, there were plenty of precedents.

Besides, things had already progressed this far; there was no point in worrying about it. Tightening their grip on their luggage, they followed Chen Fei inside.

Meanwhile, Xiao Chen searched around and finally found Su Chen in the living room of the back courtyard, lounging on a sofa and playing on his phone.

"Uh... Brother Cheen, what brings you here!" Su Chen said, looking up as Xiao Chen stormed in. He got the distinct impression that this was not a friendly visit.

"If I hadn’t come today, I would never have known my men were being targeted by a certain someone," Xiao Chen said, sitting on the sofa opposite Su Chen and fixing him with a stare.

Su Chen, of course, knew exactly who this "certain someone" was. He let out a dry laugh. "Brother Cheen, you’re making us sound like strangers. What’s all this ’your men’ and ’my men’? Aren’t we all family here?"

With that, he picked up the teapot from the table and poured Xiao Chen a steaming cup of tea.

Xiao Chen gave Su Chen the side-eye, took a sip of tea, and then asked, "Where are you planning to go? I heard you’re preparing to leave the country. You only just got back, why are you heading out again?"

Su Chen didn’t hide his plans, explaining the whole situation from start to finish. He even included the messy business involving his big brother, Chen Fan.

When Su Chen finished speaking, Xiao Chen’s brow furrowed slightly. "You still need to be careful. But with Chen Fei and the five-man team going with you, I can rest a little easier."

"Also... here’s a piece of advice. When you’re in Southeast Asia, whatever you do, don’t trust other people from back home. You must remember that."

The saying goes that a thief from within is hardest to guard against. When you’re abroad, meeting someone from your hometown naturally makes you feel a sense of familiarity, causing you to unconsciously lower your guard. This creates the perfect opportunity for those with ulterior motives.

"Hahaha, don’t you worry," Su Chen laughed, not taking Xiao Chen’s warning to heart. "Do you really think I’m the type to be easily deceived? With Chen Fei and the other five by my side, plus my own backup plans, I’m really not afraid of whatever might happen."

If something did happen, he would just treat it as a bit of added excitement for the journey.

Seeing the confident look on Su Chen’s face, Xiao Chen didn’t press the matter.

"By the way, Brother Cheen, you must be here today about that matter we discussed yesterday."

’He must have news about the rubidium ore.’

Xiao Chen shook his head. "I’m not just here about the rubidium ore. There’s something else I need to discuss with you."