chapter 10 Be open and honest ===

"It's a misunderstanding, Alexander!" the policeman said with an apologetic smile. "Here's the thing: about an hour ago, someone reported a car accident on Binjiang Road that resulted in a fatality."
Understanding the situation, Alexander Xu chuckled, "Yes, that did happen. But I was the victim. My sports car worth millions got damaged, and that person died. I'm still upset about not finding someone to compensate me for the repairs…"
"We checked the surveillance footage and confirmed you're not at fault, Alexander," the officer explained. "However, the person involved in the accident was a fugitive we've been chasing for a long time. So, we need you to come with us to the station…"
The rest went without saying. What started as a regular traffic incident turned into a criminal case. Alexander couldn't believe his luck; within a day, he was heading to the police station for the third time. Talk about bad fortune!
"Sure, but my mom just made dinner, and I haven't eaten yet. Can it wait for ten minutes?"
Grace Fang and Hannah Lin, standing nearby, were shocked. When had Alexander become so polite? In the past, he would have cursed at the arriving officers. Was he changing already?
Even the policeman didn't expect Alexander to be so cooperative. He was assigned this task because nobody else wanted to deal with the notorious Alexander Xu. After all, he was the new guy at the station.
"Of course…" the policeman answered, pleasantly surprised. "Please have your dinner, Alexander. I'll wait outside."
"No need to wait outside. Come in and have some tea," Grace Fang invited the officer in, her heart swelling with joy at her son's change in behavior.
Alexander quickly finished his meal and stood up. "Let's go," he told the young officer.
Watching her son leave, Grace Fang turned to Hannah Lin, tears of joy in her eyes, "Hannah, look, Alexander really has changed…"
"Yes, he really has started to change…" Hannah's eyes also welled up with tears.
......
In the following week, Alexander's transformation astonished everyone.
The once playboy didn't go out partying. Instead, he woke up at seven every morning, went jogging around the Xu's villa, then showered, ate breakfast, and stayed in his room till noon. In the afternoon, he would accompany Grace Fang on walks and occasionally help elderly ladies cross the street. He no longer yelled at the servants and bodyguards, and his lascivious aura had disappeared, replaced by a relaxed and elegant demeanor.
William Xu and Grace Fang were thrilled with their son's transformation. The happiness of seeing their child change for the better was immeasurable. William even considered skipping work just to spend time with Alexander, only going because his wife insisted.
Although Alexander still didn't go to work at Prosperous World Group, who cared? As long as he shed his bad habits, that was enough.
After much consideration, Hannah Lin decided to work at Prosperous World Group as a vice president. William Xu delegated many of his responsibilities to her. Since the company was a family business, with William owning 60% and Alexander 20%, the remaining shares were distributed among key contributors. Therefore, there were no objections to Hannah's appointment, especially given her capabilities.
......
One morning, as Alexander went for his usual jog, he suddenly felt a pricking sensation, sensing someone covertly observing him. Was someone still after him? His pupils contracted, but he kept jogging as if nothing was wrong, remaining alert. Could Daniel Song still be unwilling to let things go? If so, Alexander wouldn't hesitate to give him a warning.
The sensation grew stronger, confirming his suspicion that the observer was nearby.
"You guys go back first. I'll take a walk around here," he instructed the bodyguards following him.
Alexander was irked by the four burly bodyguards his mother had assigned to him since his return from the police station. Despite his refusals, his mother, fearing for his safety, wouldn't budge.
The bodyguards might look intimidating, but they were of little use in a real threat. Their abilities were limited to dealing with street thugs, and they'd be the first to fall against a true expert.
"Young Master, Madam Xu instructed us to stay close to you at all times," the bodyguard answered emotionlessly.
"If you keep following me, I'll have my mother fire you!" Alexander said, resorting to his old ways to get rid of them.
The threat of losing their well-paying job at the Xu family made the bodyguards relent.
"Just don't go too far, Young Master…" Under the pressure of losing their jobs, the bodyguards finally gave in.
Alexander nodded and slowly walked in the direction he suspected. Just as he was about to sneak closer, a man appeared from behind a tree, waving at him.
Was this the person spying on him? Rather bold to reveal himself in front of Alexander Xu. With a darkened face, Alexander walked over, curious to see what this person was up to.
Seeing Alexander approaching, the man waved his hands more vigorously, shouting excitedly, “Young Master Xu, over here, this way…”
Alexander was momentarily taken aback. The man's demeanor seemed as if he was actually eager to be discovered by him. Sensing no danger from this person, Alexander quickened his pace towards him. He looked at the somewhat lean man and asked, "Who are you?"
"Young Master Xu, it's Young Master You who sent me," the lean man hurriedly explained. "He invites Young Master Xu to meet tonight at the usual place!"
Young Master You? Joseph You?
"Why didn't he come himself and send you to hide here?" Alexander frowned. Joseph You was one of the deceased Alexander's close friends. He hadn't even visited him in the hospital.
"How could I talk to you with those bodyguards around?" the lean man said with a wry smile, pointing at the bodyguards.
Alexander understood that this was probably his mother's doing, cutting him off from his old friends, fearing they'd lead him astray.
"Alright, I got it. Tell him I'll be there on time tonight."
Back at home, Grace Fang had prepared a beautiful breakfast. Seeing her son's true change, she seemed years younger, her face always adorned with a smile.
"Mom, I'm going out tonight," Alexander said while eating breakfast.
Grace's expression shifted slightly, then she smiled, "Where are you going, son? Do you want me to come with you?"
Grace Fang was a smart woman. As soon as her son mentioned it, she guessed it was probably his old bad influences reaching out to him. Not wanting to outright forbid him from going, she used these words to probe the situation.
"Mom, I'm meeting Joseph You and the others. Why would you come?" Alexander replied, putting down his chopsticks. "Don't worry, I'll be careful."
"Alright," Grace agreed, advising, "Take a few bodyguards with you. You know how chaotic the places those young people hang out can be…"
She didn't expect him to completely change his ways, just to stay safe. In her eyes, having bodyguards was the best way to ensure his safety.
"Please, no more bodyguards!" Alexander said earnestly, deciding to confront the issue. "With my skills, I can take on a hundred of them. Why bring them along?"
"You and your tall tales!" Grace Fang chided her son with a teasing glance.
"I'm not kidding!" Alexander Xu insisted earnestly. "If you don't believe me, how about we make a bet?"
"A bet? On what?"
"It’s simple. I'll take on ten of our family's bodyguards alone. If I lose, I’ll listen to everything you say from now on. If I win, I don't ask for anything else, just that you stop assigning bodyguards to me…" He truly wanted to be rid of these bodyguards. Having them around was like being watched by a row of lamp posts, preventing him from doing anything. Sooner or later, they'd have to know about his skills. Better to tell them now and save everyone the worry.
"Son, you're not joking, right? You, taking on ten? If you can even beat one, I'll count it as your win!" Grace clearly doubted his claim. She knew her son's capabilities all too well. In her eyes, letting him play the fool was one thing, but competing against those strong, well-trained bodyguards was just asking for trouble.
"You'll see soon enough!" Alexander smiled confidently, his face brimming with assurance. Despite knowing his abilities had decreased significantly, handling these bodyguards was still something he felt confident about.