Chapter 130: This Is Flirtation

"Huo Feng, are you ready yet? What is wrong with you today?" Tang Bing and little Gege had been waiting outside for nearly half an hour, and Tang Bing finally couldn't help but call out.

From inside the room, a voice retorted angrily, "What's the rush?"

Tang Bing looked down at his watch, then turned to little Gege and asked, "Little Gege, do you think Sister Huo Feng has something wrong with her head today? How can changing clothes take so long? It never used to take more than five minutes."

Little Gege, acting like a miniature adult, was spinning and shifting a gun between her hands. Hearing Tang Bing, she scoffed, "Brother Tang Bing, you really are slow."

Tang Bing immediately protested, "Hey, didn't we agree not to call me slow? Even if my IQ isn't exceptionally high, it's perfectly normal. We had it tested the other day, didn't we? The doctor said I was just sheltered for too long and lacked exposure."

Little Gege nodded hurriedly. "Fine, I won't call you slow anymore, okay? Hehe, you forgot that Brother promised to take us out to play today!" Over the past few days, whenever they went out, Tang Bing would act like a mentally challenged adult, making a fool of himself over things even little Gege understood, leading her to tease him about his intelligence. Eventually, the three of them—Huo Feng, Tang Bing, and Gege—actually went to a doctor to get their IQs tested, and the results confirmed he wasn't slow.

Tang Bing scratched his head, still confused. "I don't get it. What difference does it make if Brother Xiao joins us compared to us just going out on our own? And what does that have to do with changing clothes?"

Little Gege’s gun vanished in a flash. After skillfully stowing it away as the Chief Steward had taught her, she hopped off the chair and said, "That’s complicated. What are you going to trade for the answer?"

Clearly, this wasn't the first time this had happened. Tang Bing thought for a moment and said, "Fine, I’ll teach you three more footwork techniques."

Little Gege countered, "Brother Tang Bing, you’ve already taught me twenty-seven of the thirty-two footwork moves. There are only five left; why don't you just teach me those too?"

Although Tang Bing didn't understand many things, he wasn't slow, as the doctor said. He chuckled and shook his head. "No, I have to save those for next time." Tang Bing’s past life had consisted only of training and executing missions, or staying at headquarters. He knew very little about the outside world.

"Tch, stingy," little Gege said, but she leaned over to his ear and whispered, "Sister Huo Feng likes Brother, get it? Hehe, that's why she’s dressing up because she knows Brother is coming along today!"

"Ah... really?" Huo Feng’s voice came from inside, having evidently heard them. "What is it? Just wait a little longer, I’ll be ready soon..."

Little Gege quickly covered his mouth, hissing, "Keep it down!"

Tang Bing nodded hastily. Little Gege removed her hand and scolded him like an adult, "You really are something. You said yesterday you had enough patience, and now you're shouting over such a small thing. I’m telling you, you aren't allowed to tell anyone, or else I... I..."

Little Gege couldn't immediately think of a punishment, but after a moment, she declared, "I will never give you any more of my snacks!"

Tang Bing nodded quickly. "Don't worry, I won't say anything. But..." He cupped his chin, finding this incredibly interesting. *Sister Huo Feng likes Brother Xiao? Haha, what would it be like if they got married? Wait, no, didn't Brother Xiao say he was already married? What would they do then?* Just as Tang Bing was about to ask, a delicate fragrance wafted over, and he looked up.

Huo Feng emerged in a pink short skirt paired with long boots. With a bit of light makeup, her silhouette was accentuated, making her look even sexier and cooler than usual.

"Let’s go." She slung her small bag over her shoulder and started walking ahead. Tang Bing was momentarily stunned, until little Gege pulled him along. "Let's go! What are you staring at?"

As they hurried to catch up, Tang Bing remarked, "She does look a bit different..."

Before the negotiations with Ivanov and Reges, Xiao Tianci had finally settled the affairs regarding Xiao Family No. 1 and No. 2. He had completed the restructuring of the senior management, and both companies were now officially undergoing reorganization.

There was nothing left for him to oversee; he only needed to occasionally check the company's financial statements and the rankings he had established.

Much like being a market maker in stocks, you want to be the one controlling the game, not just a shareholder. You must understand who the real primary force is. The market maker guides the trend and then exits. Xiao Tianci had exited, leaving the rest for them to play with.

Tomorrow was the meeting with Ivanov and Reges. Although he believed it wouldn't be a major issue, he had been busy for days and wanted to relax. He hadn't seen little Gege and the others much lately, so he had called them over.

It was only from little Gege that he learned Huo Feng and she had been accompanying Tang Bing lately. He asked about Tang Bing’s progress and his marksmanship; little Gege was now learning both martial arts and marksmanship.

Xiao Tianci had been worried she wouldn't be able to handle it, but according to reports from the Chief Steward, Lin Jian, little Gege was clever and had no trouble learning, which put his mind at ease. As for playing, he never interfered. Even if she spent an hour studying well and the rest of the time playing, he didn't mind—as long as ten hours of studying didn't yield worse results than one hour.

Little Gege had mentioned in passing, "When Brother has time, please take us out to play." Since Xiao Tianci happened to have time, he agreed immediately, which delighted little Gege so much she ran to tell Huo Feng and Tang Bing. That was exactly why Huo Feng had spent an hour changing clothes that morning.

In truth, one couldn't blame Huo Feng; she hadn't been able to decide which outfit looked best, trying them on and checking the mirror again and again until so much time had passed.

When Xiao Tianci saw the three of them approaching, his eyes brightened. Huo Feng looked incredibly cool today. She was always cool, but today she seemed even more so. The subtle makeup made her look different from her usual self.

"Come on, little Gege, where are we going today?" Xiao Tianci asked, reaching out to take her hand.

Xiao Tianci’s gaze swept over, making Huo Feng feel a bit nervous. But when he only glanced at her and turned to hold little Gege’s hand, she felt a sense of disappointment.

*Ah... what is wrong with me today?* Huo Feng thought. *Why do I care what he does? I should just be happy for myself and ignore everyone else.*

Little Gege was thrilled that her brother could take them out. "Hehe, Brother, we’ve already picked the place! We're going to the World Gourmet Street. I heard they have delicious food from dozens of countries!"

"Ba... da..." Xiao Tianci wondered why he heard a smacking sound before they had even started eating. He turned to look; Huo Feng was already by the car, with Chief Steward Lin Jian and King Kong behind her, and Tang Bing to the side. No one seemed to have moved. Xiao Tianci’s heart skipped a beat.

"Ba... da... Hmph... this kid gets to go eat, and we have to stand guard here."

"Clack..." Someone quickly turned off an open communication device, having been tuned to Xiao Tianci’s frequency. "What are you doing? Didn't you see the comms were on? What if Xiao hears us? You, really..."

"Hmph..." the other voice grumbled, unconvinced. "So what if he hears? He gets to go eat delicious food from all those countries, and I want to go too! Hmph, even just looking would be nice."

A voice stroked its beard and said firmly, "No, absolutely not. It's too dangerous. We cannot move."

"Hmph..."

World Gourmet Street was lined with restaurants of all sizes and various street stalls. Even stepping out of the car at the entrance, one could smell the mixture of aromas floating in the air, tempting the appetite.

While called "World Gourmet Street," it essentially gathered the specialties of a dozen or more countries. With a dozen dishes per country, there was truly a lot to eat.

Even if one only tasted a little of everything, one would likely be stuffed. Xiao Tianci walked with Huo Feng on one side, holding little Gege’s hand. Tang Bing had become much quieter, his eyes darting between Huo Feng and Xiao Tianci as he pondered the nature of their relationship.

Eating indoors would have been less fun. A real foodie like Xiao Tianci preferred the outdoor stalls; you could eat more, the food was authentic, and most importantly, it was a different atmosphere than eating inside.

The street was crowded, with many tour groups present, so their group of six didn't stand out too much.

After eating at four different places, they were already quite full. Xiao Tianci smiled and said, "Everyone, listen up. From now on, just take a bite of something good, and if you like it, eat more. Actually, no, if you find something you like, eat as much as you want. If you don't like it, don't force it. Let’s try to eat as much as we can, okay?"

Chief Steward Lin Jian and King Kong remained silent, while Huo Feng, Tang Bing, and little Gege chimed in enthusiastically, "Okay!"

They were currently at a Danish stall, eating Denmark’s national dish, "Devil’s Sun." Danes loved cakes and desserts, having created the world-famous Danish pastry. Because of the cold climate, Denmark was a natural freezer, so meat could be eaten raw without fear of spoilage. The most famous national dish involved mincing raw beef, mixing it with a raw egg yolk, and scooping it up with a spoon. This dish, called "Devil’s Sun," was expensive. People with weak stomachs might vomit for three days just looking at it, but the Danes considered it a delicacy.

These outdoor stalls consisted of tables under large umbrellas. Xiao Tianci, after reading the description and watching the preparation, knew his own limits and immediately realized he wasn't cut out for it. Tang Bing and King Kong ordered a portion each, while the Chief Steward and little Gege ordered cold drinks—it seemed they had the smallest appetites.

Xiao Tianci smiled at Huo Feng. "What about you? Are you going to eat it?"

Huo Feng shook her head and turned away. "You eat it. I'm not touching that... it looks nauseating."

Xiao Tianci shrugged. "I can't do this one either. How about this Brazilian roast beef?"

Roast beef was a national dish for high-class banquets in Brazil and also a favorite among the common people. It was prepared without seasoning, just a sprinkle of salt on the surface. The fat rendered out, leaving the outside crispy and the inside tender, with a unique aroma. Depending on the cut—thigh, rump, sirloin, etc.—there were over a dozen styles. You told the server what you wanted, and they sliced it onto your plate.

Normally, before the roast, one would have sausages, chicken hearts, chicken legs, pork ribs, and so on. But since they were at an outdoor stall, they could choose whatever they liked.

Having already eaten quite a bit, Xiao Tianci had the server slice some sirloin, while Huo Feng ordered some steak and thigh meat. They only took a few thin slices.

The taste was decent, but both realized something at the same time. They were both sitting with their backs to Tang Bing. They couldn't help but laugh.

Xiao Tianci said, "Beauty, you're usually so tough. I thought you could handle it?"

Huo Feng rolled her eyes. "Don't talk to me. You’re a grown man and you didn't even dare to look at the raw beef."

Xiao Tianci said, "Don't worry, I support gender equality. How about this: we both watch them eat while we eat our own."

Huo Feng’s competitive nature flared. "Who's afraid of whom? Fine, let's do it!"

Xiao Tianci thought it should be fine just to watch, but then he remembered the preparation process he had read about, and his stomach began to churn.

Before they could even watch, a dozen Japanese men walked over, stopping at every stall. They would tap on the table twice, and the vendors would immediately hand over money. Tang Bing, who was busy eating his "Devil’s Sun," looked up at them and asked curiously, "What are they doing?"

Little Gege sighed helplessly. "Brother Tang Bing, you really are... hopeless. You don't even know that?"

As long as she didn't call him slow, Tang Bing didn't mind. He shook his head and said, "I don't understand what they're doing." Then, he added cleverly, "That's the last two moves."

Little Gege, holding her iced rose milk tea, said triumphantly, "You don't know this? I’ll tell you: they're collecting protection money."

Just then, the men noticed them. Seeing Huo Feng’s striking appearance, the young thugs, acting in their usual rowdy manner, whistled at her.

Tang Bing looked at the group, confused. "They don't seem to know you. What does that mean?"

Little Gege gritted her teeth. "That... is... ha... rass... ment..."