Chapter 39: We Can Help
Early that morning, Li Qinghe had specially arranged for a lavish breakfast, but Lu Yongxiu and his disciple were in no mood to enjoy it. They remained in their room and didn't emerge until the Li Family was ready to leave for the company.
When the two came out of their room, Lu Yongxiu was carrying the ancient sword on his back, wrapped in silk cloth until it resembled a club. Shen Gong's puffy eyes were even more pronounced, and a hint of disappointment flickered within them.
There was only one Divine Artifact, and it was now in Lu Yongxiu's hands. All Shen Gong could do was stare at it with envy; he had only managed to touch it a few times throughout the night. 'At first, I fantasized that Lu Yongxiu bought the Divine Artifact for me to use, but it turns out he treasures it like his own daughter.' A wave of disappointment washed over him, and his thoughts shifted from the Divine Artifact back to Li Huiran and Xia Yi.
Just as everyone had settled into their cars and was about to leave, he stepped directly in front of Li Huiran's silver Ferrari. With a wicked glint in his eye, he said, "I want to ride in the same car as my niece Huiran. All the better to protect her personally."
Chen Dong frowned and glanced at Li Huiran beside him. Seeing her equally displeased expression, he leaned out and said coldly, "You'd better move."
Shen Gong chuckled at that. He couldn't fathom where this son-in-law of the Li Family got the audacity to speak to him like that. If his master hadn't stopped him—for the sake of one Divine Artifact and two great beauties—he would have slaughtered the entire Li Family by now. And now this brat, instead of sucking up to him, dared to give him attitude? He truly had a death wish.
Just as he was about to teach the kid what it meant to respect a Grandmaster, the silver Ferrari reversed, maneuvered around him, and sped off.
Left standing there, Shen Gong licked his lips, finding the situation even more amusing. As a seasoned womanizer, he could tell Li Huiran was untouched. 'She's married to this Chen Dong, even sleeps with him, yet she's still a virgin? Could it be that Chen Dong can't perform?' He was already fantasizing about subduing Chen Dong and taking Li Huiran right in front of him, just as he had done back in Tianyazhou. The thought made his blood boil.
He glanced at Lu Yongxiu in the distance and suppressed the thought. Since Li Huiran had driven off, he had no choice but to get in another car and depart.
Inside the silver Ferrari, Li Huiran said with some concern, "You shouldn't have provoked Shen Gong. Right now, our Li Family needs him and his master. He's a Grandmaster. Starting a conflict with him won't do you any good."
Chen Dong leaned back comfortably in his seat and said mockingly, "Him? With that weaselly face of his? I could take on ten of him."
Li Huiran tried to reason with him earnestly, "I know you can fight, but you don't understand how formidable a Grandmaster is. A single Grandmaster can support a family the size of our Li Family. If it really came to a fight, you would be no match for him. There's no benefit in offending him now. Once the Li Family gets through this crisis, I'll find a way to drive him out of our house."
Chen Dong shifted in his seat. He always found sports cars too cramped and uncomfortable. After adjusting into a slightly more comfortable position, he asked casually, "What crisis is the Li Family in?"
With a worried expression, Li Huiran pursed her lips and said, "It's useless to tell you; it would only give you more to worry about. As for our marriage contract... I, Li Huiran, suppose I owe you for that. If my Li Clan doesn't make it through today's ordeal, I'll explain everything to Grandpa. You can leave the Li Family then. Since you wouldn't be part of the Li Family anymore, I doubt the Sun Family would give you any trouble."
As she spoke, Li Huiran drove with one hand and with the other, she pulled the contract for Land Plot No. 5 from her bag. "Take this. You were the one who got it signed in the first place. Consider it compensation."
Chen Dong's lazy expression slowly turned serious. "Is it that bad?"
Li Huiran shook her head without answering. Instead, she said, "Tang Dan spent thirteen billion to acquire this plot of land at auction. It's estimated to be worth twenty billion now. After you leave the Li Family, you'll be worth at least ten billion. You can live a carefree life for the rest of your days."
Hearing this, Chen Dong's eyes nearly popped out of his head. He immediately demanded, "This thing is worth tens of billions, and my bonus was only two hundred thousand? And I haven't even received it yet! Doesn't your conscience bother you?"
Li Huiran's face flushed red at the question, and she coughed repeatedly. "Ahem, ahem~ Don't sweat the small stuff. I was originally going to give it to you after the shareholders' meeting, but I don't have much faith in those shareholders. I'm giving it to you now, so just take it."
Chen Dong shook his head and casually tossed the contract back into Li Huiran's bag. "Forget it. I don't understand any of this stuff, so it's useless to me. I'd be happier if you gave me that USB drive from last time."
Li Huiran was suddenly angry, annoyed, and embarrassed all at once. She puffed up her cheeks and refused to speak to Chen Dong anymore.
The car sped all the way to the company parking garage. Li Huiran changed into her high heels, slammed the car door shut, gave Chen Dong a cold snort, and whipped her head around, striding purposefully toward the company building.
Chen Dong watched her long hair fly behind her as she walked away and let out a cold snort of his own. 'Heh! That woman!'
A ringtone sounded. Chen Dong pulled out his phone; it was an unknown number.
He swiped his thumb across the screen to answer the call. A gentle female voice said, "Mr. Chen, hello. My name is Yang Rong. Divine Doctor Xue gave me your number. I'm calling to invite you to become a Tributor for our Yang Family."
"Not interested!" Chen Dong said coldly. He had no favorable impression of the Yang Family. Even though they had given him an incredibly valuable Divine Artifact, he just couldn't bring himself to like a family that was so inhuman, driven only by self-interest.
Yang Rong's gentle voice came through again, "I've heard that you have a close relationship with the Li Family. Regarding the crisis they're currently facing, we can help..."