Chapter 372: Strange Woman
"Of course not! How could I joke about something like this?" Qian Qiang said, his face etched with worry.
Upon hearing this, the members of the Su Family felt their legs go weak and their heads spin. Zhang Fang trembled and cried, "It's over... A great disaster is about to befall the Su Family!"
"Su Tian, what should we do? Should we summon our men?"
"Summon them for what?!" Su Tian despaired. "The Xiang Family will surely bring people from the Blood Sect. In front of them, our experts are nothing! The Xiang Family is close with the Mo Family. They've been looking for an excuse to move against us for a long time, and this time, I'm afraid they'll try to wipe us out completely!"
As his words fell, Zhang Fang collapsed into a nearby chair. Su Yurou's mind also went blank. I should ask Zhao Dong for help... but I'm afraid of getting him into trouble. For a moment, the entire Su Family was engulfed in sorrow.
Just then, Qian Qiang suddenly spoke up. "Uncle, Auntie, don't panic. I didn't just come to deliver this news; I came to help."
"You have a solution?" Zhang Fang asked excitedly.
Su Tian and Su Yurou immediately turned to him, their faces full of expectation. The three of them stared at him with such hope, as if he were a deity. This instantly satisfied Qian Qiang's vanity.
He cleared his throat and said smugly, "Since things have come to this, I won't hide it from you any longer. My second uncle is actually a member of the Blood Sect—and an Outer Sect Elder, at that!"
"What?!" Su Tian's body trembled with excitement as he gripped Qian Qiang's shoulders. "Young Master Qian, you... you're not joking?"
"How could I dare to joke about something so serious?" Qian Qiang said proudly. "My Qian Family prefers to keep a low profile, so we normally wouldn't let outsiders know about this. But now that the Su Family is in crisis, as Yurou's friend, it's time for me to step up!"
"Wonderful! This is wonderful!" Zhang Fang wept with joy. "The heavens have blessed us! The Su Family is saved, we're saved!"
Zhang Fang, being a simple woman, didn't overthink it. Su Tian, however, wasn't so blindly optimistic. Who is Qian Qiang? I know his type all too well. The young masters of these great families never lift a finger unless there's a profit in it. Even if Qian Qiang has connections, appeasing the Xiang Family's wrath will come at a steep price. Why would he help us for free?
Thus, Su Tian asked gravely, "Young Master Qian, you are helping the Su Family so generously. Do you have any conditions?"
"Come on, Uncle Su, that's too formal." Qian Qiang pulled out a card, placed it on the table, and said with a grin, "You know I've always had feelings for Yurou, and I've been pursuing her for years. I don't think I'm such a bad catch, and I believe I'm worthy of her. This card has three hundred million in it. Consider it my betrothal gift. If our Qian and Su families were to be joined by marriage, wouldn't that be a wonderful thing?"
As he finished speaking, everyone in the Su Family stared with wide eyes. This Qian Qiang was actually after Su Yurou?
"No!" Su Yurou reacted instantly, snatching the card and shoving it back at Qian Qiang. "I already have someone I love! I can't possibly marry you!"
"Someone you love?" Qian Qiang's expression changed drastically. "Is it that kid from last time?"
"Who it is has nothing to do with you!" Su Yurou adopted a posture of seeing him out. "If you plan to use this to threaten my family, you can leave now! I would rather die than marry you!"
"You!" Qian Qiang was furious, but he restrained his anger and turned to Su Tian. "Uncle Su, Yurou is being childish. Surely you understand the stakes here, don't you? A marriage alliance between the Su and Qian families would not only solve this crisis but also create a powerful union for the future, allowing us to reach new heights."
"Well..." Su Tian looked embarrassed. As the head of a great family, he naturally knew that an alliance with the Qian Family was a good opportunity. But she's my only precious daughter! Since she's unwilling, how can I force her?
Su Tian sighed. "Young Master Qian, although I am her father, I can't interfere with her marriage. If she were willing to marry you, I certainly wouldn't object. But since she is not, I cannot approve."
"You!" Qian Qiang's face flushed with anger. "Fine! Fine! Fine!" The respectful facade on his face twisted into a furious madness. "So the Su Family thinks it's so high and mighty! In that case, you can all just wait for death!"
With that, Qian Qiang stormed out, leaving the Su Family frozen in terror.
"Su Tian... What do we do now?" Zhang Fang asked, so frightened her tears flowed freely.
Su Tian glanced at his daughter. In the end, he couldn't bring himself to ask her to make such a sacrifice. He sighed again. "I managed to become acquainted with Commander Xiang last time. At this point, he might be the only one who can help us. I'll go find him tomorrow and try pleading with him."
"This... sigh... I suppose it's the only way..." Zhang Fang was too drained to speak, her face seeming to age ten years in an instant.
It was destined to be a sleepless night for the Su Family.
「Meanwhile...」
Zhao Dong returned to his hotel, took a shower, and was preparing for bed. Old Master Lin's grand birthday celebration was tomorrow. I need to be well-rested so I can try to change Old Master Lin's opinion of me. After all, the Lin Family is Lin Qingyun's family, and I don't want things to get too ugly between us.
Just then, a series of urgent knocks sounded at the door. KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK... Not thinking much of it, Zhao Dong got up and opened it.
As the door swung open, an overpowering scent of alcohol washed over him, mixed with a faint hint of perfume. Before he could get a clear look, the source of the smell started to pitch forward.
Zhao Dong quickly reached out, catching the figure and pulling her into an embrace. He saw that she was wearing a black leather jacket over hot shorts, which revealed a pair of impossibly long, snow-white legs ending in a pair of fiery black combat boots.
Looking up, he saw she had long hair cascading over her shoulders and almond-shaped eyes. The drunken flush on her pretty face, rather than diminishing her beauty, added a seductive allure. The woman was stunningly beautiful. Her perfectly oval face reminded Zhao Dong of a top celebrity named Reba.
Before Zhao Dong could react, three men rushed to his doorway. Seeing the woman in Zhao Dong's arms, two of them became enraged. Just as they were about to shout, the man in the lead stopped them and spoke politely to Zhao Dong, "Buddy, that's my girlfriend you're holding. She's had too much to drink, sorry for the trouble."
"Nonsense! I'm not your girlfriend!" the woman suddenly straightened up, staggering behind Zhao Dong. She looked nervously at the man in the lead. "I already have a boyfriend! Stop pestering me!"
"My dear girl, please stop making a scene, alright?" the man said with a pained expression. "I know I shouldn't have gone out drinking without telling you, but it was for business. Just forgive me this once and come home with me, be good."
Without waiting for the woman to reply, he turned back to Zhao Dong and said politely, "Buddy, I'm really sorry for the trouble. My girlfriend throws a fit when she drinks. You can hand her over to me now."