Chapter 32: Study Materials
At first, when Xu Qing said Chen Dong knew Xiao Shishou, no one believed her, not even Brother Hu. Now that the man himself had appeared and was acting so humbly, it was enough to make them question their very existence.
After Xiao Kun finished the drink, Chen Dong said, "Mr. Xiao, there's no need for all this. I really didn't take it to heart. It's getting late, so I'll be taking my leave."
Xiao Kun didn't press him to stay. They just exchanged phone numbers. Today wasn't the right occasion; he would have to wait for another chance to properly get on Chen Dong's good side.
Chen Dong left first with Xu Qing, and seeing this, the group of classmates quickly followed them out.
After Chen Dong and the others had left, Brother Hu, still indignant and unable to vent his frustration, said, "Big Brother, what was all that about? So what if that kid can fight? There are tons of us. How many could he possibly take on? We didn't need to be afraid of him. Why apologize like that?"
Xiao Kun snorted coldly. "Hah! I was saving your lives! Do you know of Huang Wenlong and Huang Tao from the Huang Family?"
Brother Hu nodded. "I know of them. But aren't they..."
Xiao Kun said with a grave expression, "Mr. Chen decided they were too much trouble and killed them all. And along with them, two experts that Huang Wenlong had hired."
Brother Hu's face instantly turned deathly pale. Huang Wenlong was an expert that even his own Big Brother was wary of. This wasn't a problem that could be solved with sheer numbers. 'To think I actually provoked this god of death!'
Snapping back, Brother Hu gritted his teeth. "It's all that damned fatty's fault! If it weren't for him, I never would have provoked him!"
Xiao Kun said solemnly, "Throw that fatty out. From now on, he is banned from all of our establishments. And cancel all our collaborations with him!"
Brother Hu nodded. "Yes, Big Brother!"
Chen Dong and his group walked out of Silver Glow KTV. Although the classmates felt as if they had just survived a disaster, their eyes shone with admiration when they looked at Chen Dong. The girls, in particular, were jealous of Xu Qing.
Zhou Wei, who was Xu Qing's best friend, teased, "Qingqing, your boyfriend is so handsome! Where'd you find him? I'll dump my current one—how about you let me have your boyfriend?"
A few other girls chimed in, "He's so charismatic, and he can fight, too. It makes you feel so safe!"
"Qingqing, does Chen Dong have any brothers? Introduce me to one!"
Hearing this, the boys could only shake their heads and smile bitterly. Even the most arrogant one, Yang Chao, didn't dare say a word. Their performance today had been utterly pathetic.
The original plan was to go out for a meal, but Chen Dong made his excuses, saying he had something to attend to. Once he left, no one else was in the mood, and they all went their separate ways. After this incident, it was likely that several couples among them would be breaking up.
Meanwhile, in a magnificent, traditional-style manor in the suburbs far from Jiangzhou City, Huang Biehe was led by the steward into the main hall.
A white-haired old man with the air of a sagely immortal had been waiting for a long time.
The moment Huang Biehe entered, he bowed and said, "Patriarch Sun!"
The old man was Sun Yuanliang, the patriarch of the Sun Family, one of the four great families of Jiangzhou.
"Patriarch Huang!" Sun Yuanliang replied with a smile.
Huang Biehe's face was etched with worry. Without even waiting for tea to be served, he said directly, "Patriarch Sun, I accept your Sun Family's proposal. Not only do I accept, but I will also offer half of the Huang Family's assets in exchange for your protection!"
Sun Yuanliang's eyes widened slightly. The Sun Family had initially only sought to enter the construction industry by financing the Huang Family to jointly take over the Qingtian International project. The Huang Family, who had adamantly refused just a short while ago, was now not only willing but was also offering up half of their fortune.
The Huang Family was the most economically powerful family in Jiangzhou. Half of their fortune was an immense sum. Wealth is naturally tempting, but for him to make such an offer, 'the Huang Family must have gotten into some serious trouble.'
Sun Yuanliang immediately asked, "Patriarch Huang, why the sudden change?"
Huang Biehe glared, his teeth clenched. "The Li Family has gone too far! Backed by a Grandmaster named Chen Dong, they're trying to swallow my Huang Family's fortune."
Sun Yuanliang burst out laughing. "Just a single Grandmaster is enough to corner the Huang Family to this extent?"
"Even Grandmaster Cui Hong died at his hands. I have no other choice!"
Sun Yuanliang paused. "To be able to kill Cui Hong, he must have some skill. But my Sun Family is not afraid of him. When it comes to strength among the four great families of Jiangzhou, my Sun Family is supreme. Patriarch Huang, rest assured. My Sun Family will protect yours."
Huang Biehe's eyes burned with hatred as he said, "Patriarch Sun, my eldest brother, Huang Wenlong, and my youngest son, Huang Tao, both died at Chen Dong's hands. I implore you to help me get revenge! From now on, the Huang Family will follow your lead completely!"
"He's merely a Grandmaster. If my Sun Family wanted to kill him, it would be as easy as chopping vegetables. Patriarch Huang, you needn't worry! My second brother, Sun Yuanjing, is at the pinnacle of the Grandmaster realm. He is invincible among Grandmasters, and if he takes action, capturing Chen Dong will be effortless!" Sun Yuanliang declared with immense pride.
A flicker of change crossed Huang Biehe's eyes. "Thank you, Patriarch Sun. That would be for the best!"
Having settled the matter of dealing with Chen Dong, Sun Yuanliang asked, "As for Qingtian International, does Patriarch Huang have a firm grasp on it?"
Huang Biehe's face filled with pride. "When it comes to construction, besides the Li Family, no one in Jiangzhou can compete with the Huang Family."
A sinister light glinted in Sun Yuanliang's eyes. "Then, while we're at it, let's take care of the Li Family and their Li Group all at once!"
Hearing this, Huang Biehe let out a sinister laugh.
He thought to himself, 'For now, I have no choice but to swallow my pride and use the Sun Family for protection against the Li Family. But when the time comes, and my son, Cheng, arrives with his martial brothers... The fortune I 'gave' to the Sun Family? They won't dare to touch a single coin of it.'
Sun Yuanliang also burst into hearty laughter. 'Let the Huang and Li families fight. In the end, it's my Sun Family that will reap all the benefits.'
And so, the two patriarchs, each with their own secret schemes, began to discuss the details.
「Meanwhile, at the Li Family Manor」
Xia Yi and her daughter, Li Huiran, were chatting in the bedroom.
Daily life, clothes, makeup—they chatted idly about one thing after another.
Seeing the time was right, Xia Yi decided to reveal her true intentions. A sly look on her face, she said to Li Huiran, "Huiran, you and Chen Dong don't actually sleep together, do you?"
Li Huiran jumped in shock.
She panicked. 'It's over! Mom's already seen through it! And my useless dad still hasn't managed to win her back over yet. What do I do?'
Seeing Li Huiran remain silent, Xia Yi assumed she was just shy and continued, "Are you two both just too shy? You know, sometimes a girl can take the initiative."
Li Huiran felt that something wasn't quite right. She stared at her mother, her eyes wide with a strange expression.
"What's with that look? Your mother is speaking from experience!"
Li Huiran was taken aback. 'What experience?'
Xia Yi continued calmly, "You two are probably still young and don't understand a lot of things. Mom is just worried about you!"
As she spoke, she took out a USB drive.
Xia Yi looked a little flustered and embarrassed. "These are... important study materials. You need to study them carefully."
Then, with a couple of dry coughs, she walked out of the room, giving Li Huiran her "space to study."
Li Huiran held the USB drive, utterly baffled. 'Study materials from Mom? I've already graduated from college. What do I still need to study?'
Driven by curiosity, she opened her laptop and plugged in the USB drive.
Holy cow. It was a full terabyte of "study materials."
She clicked open a folder, which was filled with video files.
She clicked again. Li Huiran's face turned beet red. She was both furious and mortified. 'My own mother actually gave me this kind of stuff!'
'And she had the nerve to call it "study materials"! What am I supposed to be studying?'
Li Huiran couldn't help but feel a surge of anger, but then she found that the video was... somewhat captivating.
She wanted to close it immediately but couldn't resist watching for just a little longer.
She was so absorbed that she didn't notice Chen Dong had returned and was standing right behind her.