Chapter 1303 - 1298: Beautiful Neighbor
Thousands of miles away in the Middle East.
Li Qiang, along with Monk and a newcomer named Zhuge Ming, was tidying up the house.
Ever since Li Qiang was sent to the Middle East, Sichuan University Group's business here had been going smoothly. However, his wife, that American woman Dalis, left him quietly after living with him for a while.
The reason for Dalis's departure was actually quite simple: there were large cultural and lifestyle differences between the two of them. Although she impulsively married Li Qiang because he had saved her.
But after marriage, the strong cultural and lifestyle incompatibilities made it very hard for Dalis to adapt, so she decisively left Li Qiang.
Li Qiang didn't tell the other brothers in the Jvyi Gang about this, and he urged Monk not to mention it either. The reason was simple: he didn't want his brothers to worry about him.
Sichuan University Group's business in the Middle East mainly revolved around seafood sales, and they've opened several chain supermarkets.
Recently, however, the business of the chain supermarkets has taken a major hit, primarily because of the unstable political situation in the Middle East and also because of a businessman from China named Li Gongming, who seems to be intentionally targeting Sichuan University Group.
Speaking of this matter, it is directly related to Zhuge Ming, the newcomer.
Li Qiang's personality would never allow such matters to rest, so he found some local hoodlums to smash up Li Gongming's shops.
Unexpectedly, this stirred up trouble, as Li Gongming's backing was quite powerful, and he began to retaliate against Li Qiang's side. In the end, Sichuan University Group's chain supermarkets were all forced to shut down by Li Gongming.
Li Qiang originally planned to make his mark in the Middle East, but now it's come to this, he felt somewhat guilty towards Lin Chuan, so he didn't inform the group about the situation here.
So far, no one in the Sichuan University Group knows what happened in the Middle East.
Pursued by Li Gongming's people and with the chain supermarkets closed, Li Qiang and Monk had to rent a house outside, partly to evade Li Gongming, partly to figure out how to deal with him, and partly to find people to quickly resolve the issue and reopen the supermarkets.
The rented house was in a secluded location, and Li Qiang wasn't in the best mood, so he walked out of the room alone.
Once outside, Li Qiang saw a woman next door carrying a basin of water and coming out. She looked like she had just washed her face. When the woman reached the railing, she casually poured the water down to the first floor, then walked back indifferently. Upon seeing Li Qiang, she gave him a coy smile.
This woman had black hair, and it was clear she was Chinese.
Li Qiang was stunned and immediately said, "How long have you lived here?"
Li Qiang had a knack for flirting with beautiful women.
The woman unexpectedly smiled and said, "Not that long, just a few months. How about you, have you recently moved in?"
Li Qiang nodded and said, "From now on, we'll be neighbors, we should look out for each other."
The woman smiled and said, "Since we're neighbors, I invite you to come to my place and sit for a while."
Li Qiang was taken aback; he had been in the Middle East for some time now and rarely encountered Chinese people, especially Chinese women. He certainly wouldn't pass up such an opportunity, so he smiled and walked inside.
The woman's room was the same size as the one next door, but she had decorated it warmly, giving it a homely feel.
"What do you do?" Li Qiang asked after sitting down, smiling.
"I do temporary work nearby; without much education, that's all I can do. After a few months, I'll head back to China," the woman said as she put down the basin.
Li Qiang smiled and said, "That's true, it's a lot safer back home."
After swallowing hard, Li Qiang said, "Your room is very cozy."
The woman laughed warmly and charmingly, "It's alright."
Li Qiang was startled and awkwardly said, "Alright?"
Li Qiang laughed, suddenly finding himself at a loss for a topic. He turned and left the woman's room.
After leaving the room, Li Qiang leaned against the railing and lit a cigarette, suddenly thinking that bastard Li Gongming must have sent many people to look for him. As he was thinking this, his phone rang – it was Ji Xiaohong calling.
Talking about Ji Xiaohong, she was not simple.
Ji Xiaohong wasn't simple because her father was no ordinary person.
Ji Xiaohong's father was also Chinese, and he'd lived in the Middle East for nearly forty years, knowing the ins and outs of this place very well, and he was quite influential.
Li Qiang got to know Ji Xiaohong entirely because of business matters.
Ji Xiaohong's father was Chinese and came from the coastal area; he seemed especially fond of these seafood products processed in China, frequently going to the supermarkets to order seafood.
Over time, Ji Xiaohong got to know Li Qiang.
To be honest, Ji Xiaohong did have some feelings for Li Qiang, but since Li Qiang hadn't separated from Dalis yet, although Li Qiang also quite liked Ji Xiaohong, he still didn't dare to step over the line.
The issue between Li Qiang and Li Gongming was the talk of the town here; of course, Ji Xiaohong was well aware of it.
"Li Qiang, where are you? Li Gongming is looking for you all over the world." The voice was somewhat urgent, evidently showing that Ji Xiaohong was very worried about him.
Li Qiang smiled helplessly and said into the phone, "Something happened yesterday, but don't worry, I'm still very safe now."
"I think this time Li Gongming seems genuinely angry; he definitely won't let you go. Do you want me to ask my father to help you solve this problem?" Ji Xiaohong's voice was full of concern, making Li Qiang's heart feel warm. Every time he talked to Ji Xiaohong on the phone, he would feel this way.
Li Qiang smiled and said, "No need, thank you. I'll handle this myself."
"Are you sure you don't need me? Li Gongming has changed; he's not like he used to be. You must be careful, and if anything happens, call me."
After hanging up the phone, a comforting smile appeared on Li Qiang's face. He felt it was all worthwhile as, evidently, Ji Xiaohong had developed feelings for him.
Li Qiang took a few deep drags from his cigarette, then sat on the railing to ponder over things.
The only way now to make Li Gongming stop is to find leverage against him for an exchange. However, Li Qiang thought for a long time and couldn't come up with anything. Nowadays, Li Gongming is indeed very cunning and leaves no traces in what he does; it seems this person will definitely be a ruthless figure in the business world in the future.
You could say that Li Qiang and Li Gongming are now irreconcilable adversaries. Once this game begins, it will absolutely not end, and considering all aspects, it's certain that Li Qiang will lose.
Money—Li Qiang felt that all this trouble was because of money. He couldn't understand why those big shots, who were already so wealthy, still cared so much about money. Li Qiang was poor, so he didn't know what the key was.
Li Qiang was very helpless. For him now, moving forward wasn't an option, and neither was retreating. But he couldn't just be on the run for a lifetime like this; how could he face Sichuan University Group, Lin Chuan, Zhou Kai, and the others?
"Sigh," he sighed deeply. Li Qiang muttered to himself, "Li Qiang, oh Li Qiang, being so kind-hearted, you'll never get a share in the business world. All those at the top are ruthless and merciless."
Li Qiang shook his head to try and sort out the chaotic thoughts in his mind. He suddenly realized he couldn't calm down, as if everything was rushing into his mind at once.
But when a well-dressed and very beautiful woman walked past him, his chaotic thoughts vanished without a trace.
The woman seemed to feel someone watching her. She turned around and, rather than getting angry, said charmingly to Li Qiang, "You're new here; I haven't seen you before."
Li Qiang remained seated on the ground without standing up and said, "I just arrived today; from now on, we'll be neighbors, so we should look out for each other."
The woman covered her mouth and giggled, "I'm not your neighbor; I live on the other side of the corridor."
"What kind of work do you do?" While speaking, Li Qiang accidentally placed a hand on the woman's high-heeled foot, although he actually did it on purpose.
The woman didn't object. She stepped forward, pressing her beautiful legs against Li Qiang, and said, "I just work at a nearby factory. What about you, are you here for work as well?"
Li Qiang smiled, stroking the woman's smooth thigh, and said, "No, I just came with a friend to have a look; I might leave soon."
The woman's face showed a hint of regret as she said, "You should stay a few more days; the women here are all very gentle."
Li Qiang was taken aback and said, "Really, are the people here as gentle as you?"
The woman giggled and said, "I have to go to work now."
Watching the woman's graceful figure slowly disappear from view, Li Qiang couldn't help but swallow hard. Damn, is this a dream? How many Chinese women live here, all so charming and alluring.
Li Qiang suddenly felt as if he had entered a land of women, and if it were possible, he'd rather stay here forever.
"What's up with you?" Monk came out at some point, noticing Li Qiang's longing expression and asked somewhat confusedly.
Li Qiang was startled and looked at the sleepy-eyed Monk, saying, "Nothing, why did you get up?"
Monk cursed, "I have no idea what kind of place this is, there's not even a bathroom."
Li Qiang pointed to the first floor and said, "There's a patch of grass there; if you want, you can take care of your needs there."
Monk shrugged helplessly and quickly headed downstairs, clearly unable to hold it any longer.
After Monk left, Li Qiang also felt a bit sleepy. Stretching lazily, he watched the cigarette butt extinguish on the ground, then returned to the house to sleep. Suddenly, he noticed the door to the neighbor woman's room was open. After hesitating, he walked in.
The woman wasn't in the room, but there was a fragrant smell. Li Qiang glanced around, didn't say a word, and just lay on the woman's bed.
Undressing and lying on the bed, Li Qiang soon fell into a deep sleep, his even breathing proving he was sleeping very soundly.
The room gradually darkened as the sun started setting, but Li Qiang remained sound asleep on the bed. Perhaps Monk and Zhuge Ming in the neighboring room were also asleep.