They surrounded me right after the breakup.

At seven o'clock on Wednesday morning, Zhao Xiulan went out carrying a cloth bag.

The farmers' market is a ten-minute walk from her residential area.

She goes there every Wednesday and is familiar with several of the vegetable vendors.

The morning breeze was cool, and there weren't many people in the market yet.

Zhao Xiulan first went to the vegetable stall she usually bought vegetables from and picked out some greens and radishes.

Then I went to the butcher shop and bought half a pound of pork ribs.

After leaving the butcher shop, she stopped to rest at the breakfast stall at the market entrance, as usual.

The breakfast stall owner's surname was Zhou, and she was about the same age as her.

"Sister Zhao, you look great today."

"I slept okay last night."

"The usual? A bowl of soy milk and a fried dough stick?"

"right."

Zhao Xiulan sat down near the door.

The soy milk was still steaming when it was served.

A man in his early forties, wearing a dark gray jacket, walked in through the door.

He sat down opposite Zhao Xiulan and ordered a bowl of soy milk.

Then he turned to look at her and spoke very softly.

"Are you Zhao Xiulan?"

The spoon in Zhao Xiulan's hand stopped in mid-air.

"Who are you?"

The man did not answer.

"Your daughter, Liu Meng, is doing a good job with Wangyue Culture."

"The MCN industry has developed rapidly in recent years."

"She manages dozens of people all by herself; it must be very tough."

Zhao Xiulan put the spoon into the bowl and looked up at the man opposite her.

She had met this type of person in her life, including when she worked at Jiang Yuantao's company.

"Just say what you have to say."

"It's nothing serious, just a reminder to be careful."

"You're getting on in years, so please be careful when you go out to buy groceries."

"My daughter is busy with work, so don't distract her."

The man's tone was calm, even with a hint of a smile.

But those eyes were like two blocks of ice.

After the man finished speaking, he paused at the door.

"Ms. Zhao, you are a smart person."

"Some things are better forgotten."

"It's not easy to live to your age, think more about your children."

Zhao Xiulan sat there, the steam from the soy milk still rising.

Her hands were resting on her knees.

The owner of the breakfast stall, Mrs. Zhou, came out of the kitchen carrying a steamer of buns.

Seeing that her expression was off, he walked over and asked her a question.

"Sister Zhao? What's wrong? Was that someone you know just now?"

Zhao Xiulan looked up at her, her lips trembling.

"I don't know him."

Zhao Xiulan had no appetite for breakfast at all, and packed her things and headed out the door.

She remembered many years ago when someone came to her house and blocked the door.

She had just gotten off work when two men were standing at the top of the stairs.

What he said was similar to what the other person said.

"Think it through. Think about yourself. Your daughter is still young. Don't let her suffer because of you."

That's why Zhao Xiulan didn't step forward.

She wasn't afraid, but she couldn't bear to leave her only daughter.

For many years after that, Zhao Xiulan often woke up in the middle of the night in fright.

I dreamt of Jiang Yuantao turning around and walking away.

Zhao Xiulan returned home carrying a cloth bag and stood in the living room for a while.

She put the vegetables and ribs into the kitchen and wiped her hands.

I walked to the coffee table, picked up my phone, and didn't hesitate.

She didn't call Liu Meng, but dialed Jiang Han's number directly.

"Aunt?"

"Xiao Jiang, it's me."

Zhao Xiulan gripped her phone and took a few deep breaths before speaking.

"Someone was looking for me at the market just now."

"The Chiang family told me to forget what happened back then."

"Tell me to dream more."

There was silence on the other end of the phone.

Zhao Xiulan continued.

"I failed to stand up for your father back then and backed down at the last minute. I'm sorry to him."

"Someone came to block my door again today."

"I don't want to back down this time."

"Give testimony when you should, and appear in court when you should!"

Jiang Han's voice came through the receiver.

"Auntie, don't worry!"

"I'll contact someone right now to ensure your safety."

After hanging up the phone, Zhao Xiulan placed her phone on the coffee table.

She sat on the sofa for a long time.

The last time something like this happened, she stood alone in the living room until dark.

This time it's different!

Zhao Xiulan spoke up, and someone responded.

In the living room of the Beverly Manor.

Jiang Han took the phone away from his ear, stood up, and walked to the window.

Liu Meng peeked out from the kitchen, saw his expression, wiped her hands, and walked over.

"What's wrong?"

"The Jiang family has sent people to look for your mother."

Liu Meng's face turned pale instantly.

"How is my mom?"

"She's fine, don't worry, leave her to me!"

Jiang Han picked up the phone and dialed Xia Guodong's number.

"Director Xia, there's something I'd like to ask you."

"Can you recommend a few security companies with strong professional backgrounds that can be directly acquired?"

"We need to be able to arrange a close protection team in the shortest possible time."

"What I want is absolute control!"

Xia Guodong's voice was calm.

"No problem, I have a few old comrades-in-arms who work in the security industry."

When are you free to come over and chat?

"The sooner the better."

"Okay, I'll contact them right away."

After hanging up the phone, Jiang Han dialed Fang Chongwen's number again.

"Teacher Fang, could you please compile a list of local security companies in Jingzhou?"

"Star Moon Media is going to conduct a round of security bidding."

"But it wasn't outsourcing, it was an acquisition."

Fang Chongwen was taken aback: "Acquiring a security company?"

"Yes, a full acquisition."

"From today onwards, they shall be responsible only for me and my family."

"I don't take on any other clients; I dedicate all my energy to this one thing."

"Okay, I'll take care of it right away."

Jiang Han returned to the sofa and sat down.

Liu Meng sat beside her, her eyes still red.

"Mengmeng, starting today, your mother will have professional bodyguards on duty 24 hours a day."

"Your mother didn't stand up back then, not because she was a coward."

"It's because no one is there to support her; she can't handle it all by herself."

"Things are different now. I'm here for you and your daughter."

"The Chiang family can't touch her!"

Liu Meng looked at him, tears welling up in her eyes.

Then she lowered her head, wiped her eyes, and smiled.

My mom says you look like your dad.

"Maybe..."

"She said your father was like that too, he never let anyone bully the people below him."

……

At 2 PM that day, in Jingzhou High-tech Zone.

Jianghan's Maybach stopped in front of a gray three-story building.

Xia Guodong was already waiting at the door, with a man in his early fifties standing next to him.

He had a buzz cut, wore a dark blue jacket, and stood ramrod straight.

Jiang Han got out of the car and glanced at the company sign in front of the door.

"Front Security."

The man's handshake was short and firm.

"President Jiang, I've heard so much about you. My name is Zhou Zhengguo, and I'm the head of Fengxing."

Jiang Han noticed a thick callus on the web of his right hand, which was caused by years of holding a gun.

Zhou Zhengguo stepped aside to let the door open, and the three of them entered the lobby on the first floor.

The furnishings in the hall were extremely simple.

White walls, gray floor tiles, and a line of words on the wall directly opposite the entrance.

"When entrusted with a task, one should be loyal to that task."

Passing through the hall leads to the training ground, which is covered with dark blue anti-fall mats.

A dozen or so men in black training uniforms are training.

"More than 80% of our team members are veterans."

Zhou Zhengguo stood at the edge of the training field, his tone calm.

"After retiring, I didn't want to waste my skills, so I brought them together."

He pointed to a man in the corner who was instructing a young team member.

"Old Zheng, after retiring, worked in overseas security for a few years. I recruited him last year."