Chapter 877 - 843: I Don’t Care
Li Changyou and two bodyguards from the Li Family rushed over and helped Li Xuanbin up from the ground. Li Xuanbin’s hands had been cut in multiple places by shattered glass. He frantically pushed away the people around him and roared, "Let go of me! I’m going to kill him! I’m going to..."
A figure rushed forward and delivered a resounding slap to Li Xuanbin. It was none other than his father, Li Changhe.
Li Changhe’s face was sullen as he said, "You worthless child! Who told you to go crazy here?"
Xu Chunliang pushed aside the police and security guards blocking him, impatiently saying, "Move aside, don’t even know which side you should be on!"
Li Yushan was panicking too. They were just in the middle of donating money, and now you’ve hit the donor’s son; this fifty million might as well be chased away by you. Actually, they hadn’t invited Xu Chunliang at all and couldn’t figure out how Xu Chunliang had a conflict with Li Xuanbin.
Bai Lan explained the situation. She spoke truthfully; it was indeed Li Xuanbin who first rushed up to attack Xu Chunliang.
Anyone with a discerning eye could see what was going on. It’s the old story of a femme fatale. It was all because of this Bai Lan. Li Xuanbin got jealous and rushed up to punch Xu Chunliang. But he wasn’t strong enough and ended up being flipped by Xu Chunliang, making a fool of himself in public. He had no one to blame but himself.
First, he was thrown around like a ragdoll by Xu Chunliang, then slapped by his father in front of everyone. And that wasn’t even the worst of it; the Bai Lan he liked didn’t even speak up for him. Li Xuanbin was utterly humiliated, but he didn’t dare retaliate in front of his father and wished he could just disappear from the scene.
With things turning out this way, Li Changhe also didn’t want to linger. He left before the donation ceremony concluded, and once he left, everyone from Lexus also left.
The folks from the Department of Culture and Tourism panicked a bit. Li Yushan and Xiao Dong went out to apologize. Many fellow countrymen are just too kind, being overly polite to these so-called foreign guests, not realizing that the more they do this, the more they encourage their arrogance.
Standing at a distance, Fan Lidada quietly gave Xu Chunliang a thumbs-up. This kid really isn’t afraid of causing trouble. The Lexus Group is now a guest of honor in Dongzhou, and Xu Chunliang beat up the financial tycoon’s treasured grandson for a woman. If this incident causes the fifty million donation to disappear, that’s a small matter. But if the China-Korea Industrial Park faces changes because of this incident, he might not be able to bear that responsibility.
Xu Chunliang left the museum under the watchful gaze of the police and security guards, and once outside, Bai Lan chased after him: "Xu Chunliang, wait a minute."
Xu Chunliang stopped: "What do you want with me? Haven’t you caused me enough trouble?"
Bai Lan said, "Who caused you trouble? Are you out of your mind or something?"
Xu Chunliang said, "Didn’t you grab my hand first, deliberately letting Li Xuanbin see it to provoke him into confronting me publicly?"
Bai Lan was furious too, "Xu Chunliang, you’re really acting like a thief accusing others. You were the one who deliberately grabbed my hand. You were the one who provoked Li Xuanbin. You were the one using me, okay?"
Xu Chunliang chuckled, "What do you have that’s worth me using?"
Bai Lan said, "You heard the land for your hospital is going to be given up for the benefit of Lexus, so you’re upset. You deliberately provoked Li Xuanbin, causing a scene in public to sabotage the China-Korea Industrial Park plan."
Xu Chunliang said, "You think I’m that simple? If I really wanted to stop you, would I need to do it myself?"
Bai Lan said, "Xu Chunliang, let me make it clear. I’m just here to collect material for a novel. I don’t care about the China-Korea Industrial Park, nor am I involved, so don’t look at me with such suspicion, thinking I’m a villain in your mind."
Xu Chunliang said, "Great Writer Bai, let me clarify something too. The reason I beat up Li Xuanbin today is because Li Changyou offended me. We are a nation known for its propriety. We welcome friends with fine wine but greet wolves with hunting rifles. Beating Li Xuanbin was my way of teaching Li Changyou a lesson, and besides, it was he who first disrespected me and attacked me."
"Li Changyou wasn’t wrong when he said you were using public power for personal revenge."
Xu Chunliang laughed, "If you say so, I can’t argue. Earlier, two outstanding men fought over you, tearing each other up. Does that make you feel a bit better inside?"
Bai Lan said, "You’re really shameless, pushing everything onto me."
Xu Chunliang said, "Most people will think that way anyway."
"That’s because you deliberately caused trouble, making others think that."
Xu Chunliang said, "Let me give you a suggestion: stay away from me. That bastard Li Xuanbin is too full of jealousy. From the first day he met me, he held a deep hostility towards me."
Bai Lan said, "I have nothing to do with him."
Xu Chunliang laughed, "You don’t need to explain to me. Whatever relationship you two have, I couldn’t care less."
At this moment, Chen Yushan and Xiao Dong came back, both of them looking displeased. Bai Lan pointed toward the exit, indicating that she would leave first.
As soon as Bai Lan left, Chen Yushan couldn’t help but lament, "Xiaoxu, why are you still so impulsive? He’s a foreign guest and it’s such an important occasion. No matter what, you shouldn’t hit someone."
Xu Chunliang said, "Director Chen, he hit me first. If I don’t retaliate, it would be like losing face for all of us Chinese. I can’t just swallow my pride and be bullied by that little Korean brat because of that fifty million donation, can I? Matters of national honor are not something I can tolerate."
Xiao Dong said, "Xiaoxu, we are not just talking about the donation. You may not know, but the Lexus Group came to Dongzhou this time for the China-Korea Industrial Park project. Li Changhe is the one responsible for this. If you beat up his son and they decide to abandon the Industrial Park plan because of this, it will have a huge impact."
Chen Yushan said, "Exactly. The city places great importance on this matter."
Xu Chunliang said, "You two don’t need to worry. I did this on my own, and I will take responsibility for it alone. I’m not with the Cultural and Tourism Bureau anymore, so even if there are consequences, it won’t affect you."
Xiao Dong said, "We’re not afraid of responsibility, it’s just that, ah, Xiaoxu, you really need to work on that temper of yours."
Xu Chunliang, knowing they are both afraid of trouble, couldn’t be bothered to continue the conversation and indicated he had other matters to attend to.
On his way, he ran into Xue Meizhen, who discreetly informed him that they had just received a notice. All media outlets were instructed not to broadcast or publish reports about Xu Chunliang hitting Li Xuanbin in public, and they were required to delete all captured images and videos. Anyone who deliberately leaked this incident would be held accountable for any negative consequences.
Xu Chunliang understood that it must have reached the city authorities and speculated that Lexus might even lodge a formal complaint against him.
In reality, many on the scene saw that Li Xuanbin was the one who attacked Xu Chunliang first. Xue Meizhen had retained some video evidence, not for news purposes, but as a precaution. It could serve as crucial evidence for Xu Chunliang if needed.
Xu Chunliang didn’t think that today’s incident would affect Lexus’s investment in Dongzhou. Firstly, Lexus’s plan to build the China-Korea Industrial Park in Dongzhou was certainly not a spur-of-the-moment decision. They had conducted multiple surveys before coming. Secondly, they were here to seek profits, not to perform charity.
If they abandoned the China-Korea Industrial Park plan because of this incident, Xu Chunliang actually considered it a good thing.
It seemed like both parties intentionally kept the repercussions under control, as the incident didn’t spread. No one from the city approached Xu Chunliang for a talk to hold him accountable. Most people who were present interpreted it as Xu Chunliang and Li Xuanbin brawling over the beautiful writer Bai Lan out of jealousy, and in the end, Xu Chunliang overwhelmingly overpowered the little Korean punk.
Rumors about the China-Korea Industrial Park were everywhere. The Lexus Group officially presented their demands to Dongzhou City. In their plan, they wanted to acquire a large tract of land that included the new site of the Dongzhou Infectious Disease Hospital within the mining area.
The overall planned area for the China-Korea Industrial Park reached fifty square kilometers, with a spatial layout divided into a central zone integrating industry and city, and an ancillary zone for port-side industries. The central zone, relying on the old mining area, covered forty square kilometers. The port-side industrial zone, relying on the canal’s inland port terminal, covered ten square kilometers. The focus was on developing automotive, new energy equipment, and electronic information industries while actively cultivating port-side industries and modern services.
The leadership of the Dongzhou Infectious Disease Hospital dreaded this most, and now it happened. The land Lexus wanted included their entire new site, which meant that if Dongzhou agreed, they would have to give up the site they worked so hard to obtain and find a new location.
This would be extremely detrimental to the future development of the Dongzhou Infectious Disease Hospital. The city hadn’t given a clear response to Lexus’s demands yet, but it had begun seeking opinions from various parties.
Since the cessation of coal mining, large areas of land in the old mining area have been vacant, lacking a comprehensive plan and systematic development. If the China-Korea Industrial Park could settle in the old mining area smoothly, it would not only revitalize the economy of the old mining area but also propel the lackluster Port District to economic prosperity, which is crucial for the future development of Dongzhou.
The leaders at the Dongzhou Infectious Disease Hospital all wore long faces, realizing that the ultimate outcome of this matter was likely that the city would cater to the Lexus Group’s demands.
The China-Korea Industrial Park project was not only being contended for by Dongzhou but also by the neighboring Hai Zhou, which had a natural advantage with its seaport. If Lexus Group’s conditions were not met, they might shift their cooperation to another city.
When Pan Junfeng went to inspect the construction site, he found the work proceeding methodically. Xu Chunliang happened to be there and greeted him, "Dean Pan, what brings you here?"
Pan Junfeng said listlessly, "Just passing by to take a look."
Xu Chunliang said, "The laying of pipeline roads is almost complete, and we can prepare for the next phase of tendering."
Pan Junfeng sighed, "No rush!"
Xu Chunliang knowingly asked, "Why the sudden lack of urgency?"
Pan Junfeng thought to himself, "You really don’t get it?" He remembered Xu Chunliang bragging to him just a couple of days ago. The Lexus Group had already formally put forward their demands, and the city was currently seeking opinions, clearly indicating they wanted them to make way.
Pan Junfeng said, "If the China-Korea Industrial Park is officially established, there’s a good chance we’ll have to vacate the land for them."
Xu Chunliang said, "There should be a first-come, first-served principle, right? The city promised this land to us first. They can’t just backtrack, can they?"