Top Soldier Pursued by a Beauty

Zhao Kangyou and Zhang Cuimei stared at their son in utter shock. How could our son possibly know such an important person?

Zhao Dong glanced at Wang Dahai and raised an eyebrow. How does he know my last name is Zhao?

The moment the question arose, Zhao Dong figured it out. He hadn't paid attention earlier, but he now recalled that the developer behind this property seemed to be owned by the Han Family. Connecting Wang Dahai's respectful demeanor after being given the card, Zhao Dong figured the man had most likely realized his identity.

Zhao Dong looked at Wang Dahai and asked coolly, "Are you the finance manager here?"

Wang Dahai nodded eagerly, like a chick pecking at rice. "Yes, Mr. Zhao. I'm also the lobby manager. Please feel free to come to me if you have any problems."

Zhao Dong's gaze shifted to Wu Lei. "Your employee has repeatedly insulted my parents and me. What are you going to do about it?"

A chill ran down Wang Dahai's spine; he knew Wu Lei was finished. "Mr. Zhao, I will give you a satisfactory explanation right now!" he said immediately.

With that, Wang Dahai slapped Wu Lei across the face again and kicked her in the stomach, sending her sprawling to the floor.

Tears of pain welled in Wu Lei's eyes. "Manager Wang, I..."

"To hell with Manager Wang! I don't know you! Pack your things and get out of here now! Oh, and apologize to Mr. Zhao and his parents! If they don't forgive you today, you can forget about ever staying in East Sea!"

Wu Lei looked at Zhao Dong, her eyes filled with terror as tears of regret streamed down her face. She wanted to kill herself. Who could have imagined that this ordinary-looking man would command so much respect from Wang Dahai?

Wiping her tears, Wu Lei knelt before Zhao Dong. "Mr. Zhao, I was wrong. I shouldn't have been so snobbish and judged you by your appearance. Please forgive me..."

Zhao Dong said dispassionately, "Apologize to my parents."

Wu Lei turned to the older couple, snot and tears covering her face. "Sir, Ma'am, I know I was wrong! It was my fault for speaking to you so rudely earlier. I deserve a beating!"

She then raised her hand and slapped herself hard across the face, again and again. Zhao Kangyou and Zhang Cuimei couldn't bear to watch and rushed forward to stop her.

"Dad, Mom, stay out of this!" Zhao Dong said. "If I didn't know someone here, do you really think she'd be apologizing to us?"

His parents, helpless, swallowed the words they were about to say. Soon, Wu Lei's face was swollen like a pig's head, a patchwork of purple and black that was pitiful to see.

Zhao Dong gave her a cold look. "Do you understand your mistake now?"

Wu Lei sobbed, "I understand, Mr. Zhao, I really do. I'll never look down on people again."

"Get lost."

Wu Lei didn't dare to linger, limping away in disgrace.

After she left, Ding Lan and Zhang Shaowen swallowed hard, their faces still etched with disbelief. What is Zhao Dong's background? Why is the manager looking at him with such awe?

Zhao Dong glanced at Zhang Shaowen and said flatly, "Her business is settled. Now it's time to settle yours."

Zhang Shaowen's scalp tingled, but he forced himself to speak. "Zhao Dong, don't throw your weight around just because you know the manager. I'll give you that much, but you still can't afford a house here. You're still just a broke loser, so what's with the act?"

Zhao Dong turned to Wang Dahai and said calmly, "Tell them if the money in my card is enough to buy a house here."

Wang Dahai replied respectfully, "Mr. Zhao, your funds are more than sufficient!"

The color drained from Zhang Shaowen and Ding Lan's faces. He was the finance manager here; he obviously wouldn't lie. Can Zhao Dong... really afford a house here?

Zhao Dong looked at them. "So, do you still think you're the only ones who can afford a house in this place?"

Ding Lan's face burned. Recalling her earlier comments, she wished she could find a hole to crawl into. It turns out I was the clown all along...

Zhang Shaowen's face darkened, and he snapped in frustration, "So what if you can buy a house? What else do you have besides this house?"

Zhao Dong shrugged. "Why should it matter to you what I have? You haven't forgotten what you said earlier, have you?"

Zhang Shaowen flinched, then forced a smile. "Zhao Dong, I was in the class next to yours. We were basically classmates. There's no need to be so harsh, right? Let's just forget about this."

"Forget it? Who said anything about forgetting it?" Zhao Dong said coolly. "Your choice is simple. Either strip naked and run, or get on your knees, call me 'Grandpa' ten times, and slap yourself ten times."

Flushed with anger and humiliation, Zhang Shaowwen yelled, "Zhao Dong, don't push your luck! The Zhang Family is not someone you can afford to offend!"

Zhao Dong's expression turned frigid as he kicked out viciously at Zhang Shaowen's legs.

With a cry of pain, Zhang Shaowen's knees buckled, and he fell to the ground.

"You're not leaving this room until you do it," Zhao Dong stated flatly.

Zhang Shaowen gritted his teeth. The next second, he raised his hand and began slapping his own face, his voice choked with a mixture of rage and helpless frustration. "Grandpa..."

"Louder. I can't hear you."

"Grand... Grandpa!"

"There you go."

After slapping himself ten times, his face was swollen. He asked resentfully, "Can I go now?"

"Get lost. And try to behave in the future, or what you'll suffer will be much worse."

Swallowing his humiliation, Zhang Shaowen limped out of the sales office. Ding Lan looked at Zhao Dong, wanting to speak but hesitating. "Zhao Dong..."

Zhao Dong's expression was indifferent. "Aren't you going to go check on your man?"

Ding Lan's face went white and her lips began to tremble. Zhao Dong gave her a final glance, then said no more, turning to leave with his parents. He left all the housing matters for Wang Dahai to handle.

Watching Zhao Dong's retreating back, Ding Lan's eyes reddened. She closed them and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.

Outside, Zhao Dong's family was already gone. Zhang Shaowen was limping toward his car. After a moment's hesitation, Ding Lan followed him.

Once they were in the car, Zhang Shaowen slammed his fist on the steering wheel, his face a mask of fury. "That bastard Zhao Dong! He's just a discharged soldier, so how could he know the manager here? I refuse to accept this!"

Ding Lan sighed softly. "Zhang Shaowen, let me give you some sincere advice. Try not to provoke Zhao Dong in the future. At the very least, we all went to the same school. There's no need for things to get this ugly."

"Impossible!" Zhang Shaowen roared. "I'm the young master of the Zhang Family! What is he? He thinks he can step on me now? To hell with that! I already have a plan. He'll pay for this soon!"

Ding Lan froze, then frowned. "What plan?"

Zhang Shaowen shot her a cold look and sneered, "Why are you asking? Planning to tip him off?"

Ding Lan's expression stiffened. Before she could reply, Zhang Shaowen continued in a menacing tone, "Ding Lan, let me give you some sincere advice as well. Your man can only be me. Your parents, your entire family, they all depend on my Zhang Family for the life they have today. Furthermore, just as I can use my connections to make you a chief physician, I can also have you transferred to some backwater village clinic. You'd be wise to know your place."

Ding Lan's face turned extremely grim. Clenching her teeth, she said coldly, "Are you threatening me?"

"So what if I am?" Zhang Shaowen retorted. "The most important thing for a person is to be self-aware. You need to get your position straight! Zhao Dong is nothing but trash, and I'll soon make him pay the price he deserves. You'd better not harbor any ideas about him. Also..."

He paused thoughtfully. "He may be able to afford a house here, but that means nothing. Soldiers get a severance package when they're discharged. He probably used that money to buy the house. He's still a broke loser!"

Ding Lan bit her lip and fell silent. Zhang Shaowen snorted. "The school reunion is in a couple of days, and a lot of our old classmates happen to be in town. I'll set up a gathering for tomorrow night. You make sure to invite Zhao Dong."

Ding Lan frowned. "What are you trying to do?"

Zhang Shaowen gave a sinister laugh. "What could I be trying to do? It's just a get-together for old classmates. Zhao Dong was our classmate, after all. We should invite him."

Ding Lan remained silent. She wasn't a fool; she knew exactly what malicious thoughts were brewing in the minds of Zhang Shaowen and his friends.

Meanwhile, Zhao Dong had already taken his parents home. It occurred to him that he hadn't seen his wife, Lin Qingyun, in several days. He decided to pay a visit to the Lin Corporation and see what it was like.

Just then, his phone rang, displaying an unknown number.

Zhao Dong frowned and answered. After three seconds of silence, a man's hoarse laugh came through the line.

"Zhao Dong?"

Zhao Dong was startled. "Who is this?"

"Hong Wu."

Zhao Dong's pupils constricted as a sense of foreboding washed over him. Why is Hong Wu calling me?

On the other end, Hong Wu chuckled faintly. "Nervous, are we? Don't be. I just want to meet and discuss something."

Zhao Dong scoffed, "You're not important enough to make me nervous. Besides, if you have something to say, say it over the phone."

"I'm not asking, I'm informing you," Hong Wu replied coolly. "You don't have to come. But your parents... you can't be with them around the clock, can you?"

Veins bulged on Zhao Dong's forehead. "Shameless!"

"Hehehe. I'll be waiting for you at Juyi Teahouse. You have half an hour to get here."

The line went dead. Zhao Dong clenched his teeth, a bitter frustration rising in his chest. If only I were more powerful, I wouldn't be threatened like this.

Taking a deep breath, he hesitated for only a moment before hailing a taxi and heading for Juyi Teahouse.