Top Soldier Pursued by a Beauty

Ding Lan was completely bewildered, wondering if she was dreaming. He knew business magnates and top-tier individuals, and he even owned a first-class grand hotel. Why had she never heard about any of this before?

Beside her, Wu Tianhua was also shocked. He cast a deep glance at Zhao Dong. This hotel is one of the Han Family's properties, so how did Zhao Dong become the boss? Could it be that he has deep connections with them? The thought shook Wu Tianhua to his core, and the way he looked at Zhao Dong changed completely.

The entire private room fell silent. The rest of the classmates could only stare blankly at Zhao Dong.

Zhao Dong glanced at Han Dayou and furrowed his brow slightly. He had not expected the man to show up. "It's nothing," he said lightly. "Just a casual get-together. There's no need to make a big fuss. You can go."

"Yes, Boss," Han Dayou replied respectfully before leaving.

Wu Tianhua and Wu Tingyu also said their goodbyes and left the private room.

The reunion had reached a point where Zhang Shaowen and Lv Hao had completely lost the will to be there. Every second they had to stay felt like torture. Just as they were about to make an excuse to leave, Zhang Yao's phone rang.

Zhang Yao fished out a slightly old-fashioned phone, and a man's angry shouting immediately came through the speaker. "Zhang Yao, if you don't want to work here anymore, then just get out! Where the hell did you go today?"

Panicking slightly, Zhang Yao cupped her hand over the phone and whispered, "Manager, I came out for a reunion today. I already cleared it with my supervisor!"

"To hell with your supervisor! Who's in charge here, him or me? We have a ton of customers today and the waitstaff is overwhelmed! How dare you go out for a reunion? To hell with your reunion! Get your ass back here and get to work, or you're fired!"

Zhang Yao's family wasn't very well-off, so she worked at a restaurant. Hearing her boss's ultimatum, she instantly panicked. She stood up to leave but was stopped by Zhao Dong.

Zhang Yao gave him a puzzled look. "Zhao Dong, what is it?"

Zhao Dong had overheard the call. He gestured for Zhang Yao to hand him the phone. She hesitated for a moment but gave it to him anyway.

Zhao Dong hung up the phone and smiled at her. "Are you still working as a waitress?"

Zhang Yao gave a bitter smile. "I've failed to switch careers for years now. I was recently unemployed and just started this restaurant job. I have to get back to work, Zhao Dong."

Zhao Dong shook his head. "From now on, you can work here. Be the manager. You'll make twenty thousand a month."

Zhang Yao's eyes widened, and her body began to tremble with excitement. "Zhao Dong, are you serious?"

Zhao Dong smiled and nodded. He immediately called Han Dayou and told him to make Zhang Yao the manager here. Han Dayou agreed without hesitation and set her salary at twenty-five thousand a month.

Zhang Yao was so grateful she felt like kneeling before Zhao Dong. She was only making a little over four thousand a month as a waitress, and he had just landed her a job with a salary of twenty-five thousand!

The other classmates watched with envy, practically drooling. One by one, they rushed over, hoping to cozy up to Zhao Dong. However, a single cold glare from him was enough to make them all smile awkwardly and back off. Filled with regret, they stopped trying to make fools of themselves and dared not speak again.

As the banquet drew to a close, many of the guests, no longer wanting to embarrass themselves, left in dejection.

In the end, everyone had gone, leaving only Ding Lan behind. Zhao Dong asked, confused, "Why haven't you left yet?"

Ding Lan looked at Zhao Dong with hollow, lifeless eyes. "Zhao Dong," she asked sorrowfully, "did you ever have me in your heart from the very beginning?"

Zhao Dong's brow furrowed. "Ding Lan, you need to remember that you were the one who chose to leave. I never did anything to wrong you!"

"Then what about all this?" Ding Lan gestured around them. "This hotel, your connections... I knew nothing about any of it! Does that mean you weren't even being honest with me when we were together? Is that what you call having a clear conscience?"

"If you can just explain to me where this hotel and your money came from..."

"Ding Lan, that's enough!" Zhao Dong stood up and said coldly, "This is my private life, and you have no right to question it. Even if I owned a mountain of gold, it would have absolutely nothing to do with you now! You weren't by my side when I was at my lowest; you chose to leave me. Now you see my success and you want to come back? In what world do you get to reap all the rewards without ever taking a risk?"

"Zhao Dong, you..."

"Just go! Go have a good life with Zhang Shaowen!" Zhao Dong waved his hand dismissively.

Tears welled up in Ding Lan's eyes and began to fall. "Zhao Dong," she choked out, "you never truly understood me. You have no idea who I really am!"

Zhao Dong suddenly let out a laugh, one filled with helplessness and sorrow. "Then tell me! What is the real you like?"

Ding Lan fell silent. After a long moment, she gave a miserable, teary-eyed smile. "Zhao Dong, it's all my fault... It was my fault for suggesting we break up. It's all on me... But who could possibly know my suffering? Who understands my struggles? None of you do! In the end, I'm the only one left to bear it all in silence! Why? Why did it have to be this way?"

Ding Lan's emotions suddenly exploded. Like a madwoman, she began smashing the wine bottles and dishes on the table. Then, just as suddenly, her body went limp, and she collapsed to the floor, letting her tears flow freely.

Zhao Dong remained silent, watching her with a heavy feeling in his chest. He sighed, lit a cigarette, and averted his gaze.

Ding Lan said nothing more. With her eyes red and swollen, she gave Zhao Dong one last look, then turned and left without looking back.

After a long while, Zhao Dong also left. As he was driving through the city, a news report came on the car radio. "Breaking news: The president of the Jiang Group has gone missing, causing panic throughout the corporation. The specific cause is currently under investigation..."

Zhao Dong's pupils contracted. Jiang Nianyu is missing? Thinking back to the incident from that day, an ominous premonition stirred within him. Could it be that the mastermind, frustrated that their first attempt failed, decided to strike again?

Without a second thought, Zhao Dong rushed to the Jiang residence to find out what was going on. When he arrived, he saw a crowd had already gathered at the entrance, all trying to get information.

Several security guards were blocking the way. As Zhao Dong approached, one of them said impatiently, "Move along, kid. We don't have time for visitors right now. Come back another day!"

Zhao Dong had no choice but to explain, "I'm a friend of Jiang Nianyu's. I might be able to help with her disappearance!"

Hearing this, the guard gave Zhao Dong a skeptical look from top to bottom. "This is no joking matter, kid. Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure!" Based on what Jiang Nianyu had told him, Zhao Dong had a good idea of what was going on. It was most likely an internal power struggle within the Jiang family that she had been dragged into.

"Fine. But if you're lying, kid, the Jiang family will make you regret it!"

When the guard led Zhao Dong into the main hall, he found Jiang Nianyu's father, Jiang Hua, looking distraught with red, swollen eyes. The guard announced, "Second Master, this man says he is the Young Miss's friend and that he can help find her!"

Hearing this, Jiang Hua immediately wiped his tears away and rushed over to Zhao Dong. "Can you really find Nianyu?"

Zhao Dong nodded slightly. "Uncle Jiang, I need to know the details of Nianyu's disappearance."

"Kid, can you help or not? If you can't, then get lost! We don't have time to fool around with you!" a square-faced, middle-aged man standing nearby suddenly barked, a strange light flickering in his eyes.

"Don't mind him," Jiang Hua said. "Her eldest uncle is just worried."

Eldest uncle! Hearing that word, Zhao Dong instantly recalled Jiang Nianyu saying the voice sounded very much like her eldest uncle's. Paired with the man's slightly panicked gaze today, Zhao Dong was almost certain of the truth.

"Nianyu disappeared on her way to work," Jiang Hua explained, his voice strained. "She was supposed to be at the company for a meeting, but the staff waited for over an hour and she never showed up. No one could reach her by phone, and her car was found in the underground parking garage. When the staff went to check the surveillance footage, they discovered the cameras had been tampered with beforehand!"

"Uncle Jiang, try not to worry. I'll have someone look into it." Zhao Dong discreetly glanced at Jiang Nianyu's eldest uncle before pulling out his phone to call Han Qingtian.

Han Qingtian answered the phone cheerfully. "Dong, my boy, what's up?" Now that Han Qingtian saw Zhao Dong as his future grandson-in-law, his form of address had naturally become more affectionate.

Zhao Dong paused for a moment before saying, "Patriarch Han, I need to ask you for help. The president of the Jiang Group, Jiang Nianyu, has disappeared. She's a friend of mine, and I was hoping the Han family could help me find her."

Han Qingtian's eyes narrowed slightly, but he chuckled. "Of course. I'll have my people look into it for you right away."

Meanwhile, back in the Jiang residence, everyone was looking at Zhao Dong with suspicion. Some of the Jiang family members had met him before, so his presence was not a total surprise. Jiang Nianyu's father, however, had been away on a business trip and had only just returned home today.

Looking at Zhao Dong now, Jiang Hua finally furrowed his brow. "Young man," he asked, "are you and my Nianyu... just friends?"