Chapter Seven: The Forceful Negotiation in the Hotel

Qin Hao stared at Wu Guangde in utter disbelief, rendered speechless as if struck dumb. Not a word came from his mouth.

Suddenly, Wu Guangde grabbed Qin Hao by the collar and shouted, "I just asked you something, didn't I? Cat got your tongue?"

Terrified, Qin Hao swallowed hard, thought for a moment, and then said aggrievedly, "Brother Wu, did I hear you right? He's just a delivery guy."

Smack!

Wu Guangde slapped him across the face again, raising his voice, "So what if he's a delivery guy? You think you're better than delivery guys?"

"No, no, that's not what I meant at all," Qin Hao protested, his expression twisting with grievance.

How could he possibly understand what was going on? How had Chen Yang suddenly become Wu Guangde's big brother? Qin Hao was filled with bitterness, suffering in silence like someone forced to swallow a bitter pill.

Wu Guangde dragged Qin Hao by the collar to stand before Chen Yang and said coldly, "Hurry up and apologize to Brother Chen."

Qin Hao looked at Chen Yang, whose face was beaming with smug satisfaction. The bitterness in Qin Hao's heart was beyond words.

He had never thought much of Chen Yang before, and now he had to apologize to him? The words stuck in his throat.

But with Wu Guangde looming behind him—it was no joke. Qin Hao knew all too well that Wu Guangde could be ruthless with his enemies, and he dared not anger him. He had no choice but to say to Chen Yang, "Brother Yang, I'm sorry. I was wrong just now. I didn't recognize who you were."

Chen Yang patted Qin Hao's cheek with disdain and asked, "So, was I right to smash your sister's car?"

"Yes, you were absolutely right. Honestly, I've told her before to keep a low profile, but she never listens. This time, you smashed her car and taught her a lesson—I should be thanking you," Qin Hao replied obediently.

Hearing this, Chen Yang couldn't help but laugh. "Wow, I never realized before, but you've really got a silver tongue, don't you?"

Qin Hao forced an awkward smile, his heart still full of grievance.

"Get lost. And next time you see me, don't act like you're some big shot with money. Are you really that rich? Ridiculous," Chen Yang scoffed.

Qin Hao nodded obediently.

Sensing the timing, Wu Guangde saw Chen Yang had delivered enough of a lesson. He grabbed Qin Hao's collar, forced him to look at him, and said coldly, "Did you hear what Brother Chen said? Next time you see him, you better behave yourself."

Qin Hao frowned and nodded. "Understood."

"Get out."

Wu Guangde shoved Qin Hao to the ground. Qin Hao landed hard, scrambled back to his feet, forced a smile at Wu Guangde and Chen Yang, then hurried off with his men, getting into his car and driving away.

Even after he got in the car, Qin Hao couldn't take his eyes off Chen Yang.

He couldn't understand how Chen Yang had ended up with Wu Guangde. Even more absurd was that Wu Guangde called Chen Yang "Brother Chen"? It was simply unbelievable.

Qin Hao even wondered if he was dreaming. To be sure, he bit his own tongue. The pain was real—he wasn't dreaming.

After Qin Hao slunk away, Wu Guangde walked up to Chen Yang with a broad smile. "Brother Chen, was my handling of things just now to your satisfaction?"

"Not bad," Chen Yang replied with a slight smile.

Wu Guangde smiled as well, then his brow furrowed. "Brother Chen, I was going to wait a few days before asking for your help, but since we've run into each other today, maybe it's fate. There's something I hope you can help me with."

"What is it?" Chen Yang asked at once.

After all, Wu Guangde was someone Lin Qianyao had personally cultivated. He worked diligently for Lin Qianyao, and Chen Yang regarded him as a younger brother.

Wu Guangde took a Chinese cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and began to explain, "Actually, in Linhai, the competition in the bar, KTV, and bathhouse business has always been fierce. In recent years, there's been a local boss named Li Sanyi, nicknamed Scarface Li, who's my fiercest competitor.

"Over the past two years, we've clashed more than once over business. My business is mostly in the north of the city, his in the south. But Li Sanyi is ambitious—he wants to wipe me out so he can become the undisputed leader of Linhai's entertainment scene.

"We've been wearing each other down for years, and frankly, I don't want to keep it up. If we both just minded our own business, there wouldn't be any conflict. But he insists on opposing me.

"So, Brother Chen, you have some standing in Linhai. Do you think you could step in and mediate for me?

"I really don't want this fight to drag on. I've tried making peace with Li Sanyi, but he looks down on me. He says he grew up in Linhai, knows everyone, and despises me as an outsider. He's determined to crush me.

"So, Brother Chen, would you..."

Chen Yang listened attentively and understood exactly what Wu Guangde wanted from him.

After thinking it over, Chen Yang looked at Wu Guangde. "You've been at odds with Li Sanyi for years. Haven't you told President Lin?"

Wu Guangde shook his head. "Honestly, I saw it as a minor issue, so I didn't want to trouble President Lin."

"But you have no problem troubling me," Chen Yang joked.

Wu Guangde was immediately embarrassed. "No, Brother Chen, please don't misunderstand. President Lin is far away in the provincial capital and so busy. I really don't want to bother him. But you—you're right here with me."

"Alright, I'll take care of it. Find a time and set up a meeting with Li Sanyi," Chen Yang agreed with a faint smile.

Wu Guangde's face lit up. "Brother Chen, so you'll help me?"

"You've done so much for me—can I not handle this little thing for you?" Chen Yang smiled at him.

Wu Guangde grinned with satisfaction. "Great, I'll arrange a time and bring Li Sanyi out for a talk with you present."

"Good. I'll head back now," Chen Yang said.

Wu Guangde offered eagerly, "Brother Chen, should I have someone drive you?"

"No need," Chen Yang waved him off. "Just call me when you've set up the meeting with Li Sanyi."

"Alright," Wu Guangde replied, his chubby face wreathed in smiles.

Chen Yang flagged down a taxi by the roadside and returned to Huading Company.

On the way, he took out his phone and called Lin Qianyao to tell him about Wu Guangde's situation, and at the end, asked if they could find an even bigger figure to lend some weight.

Lin Qianyao laughed and said that getting a big shot to back them up was no trouble at all.

In truth, Chen Yang's understanding of Huading Group was still limited. Huading was a hundred-billion-yuan conglomerate, a true behemoth in the provincial capital. Lin Qianyao was someone at the very top, with countless underworld figures and business bosses eager to curry favor with him.

So, with a single word from him, there was no telling how many powerful men would be willing to step up.

Lin Qianyao immediately sent Chen Yang a phone number, telling him the man's surname was Zhong and that he could get in touch with him.

Chen Yang, having received Mr. Zhong's number, felt deeply satisfied.

With money, there really wasn't anything you couldn't solve.

In the blink of an eye, another day passed.

At six in the evening, Chen Yang returned home right on time. He had spent the whole day at Huading Company, but his mother-in-law, father-in-law, and even Qin Muxue had no idea. They still assumed he was out delivering takeout.

As soon as Chen Yang walked through the door, Han Qin, who was sitting on the sofa watching TV, immediately looked over and asked, "Chen Yang, I heard you pulled off another earth-shaking stunt this morning?"

Chen Yang grinned at that. "Mom, what are you talking about?"

Han Qin's eyes narrowed. "You smashed the new Mercedes that Qin Yan bought, didn't you?"

Chen Yang burst out laughing. "Mom, you already heard about that? Who told you?"

"Who else? The whole neighborhood's talking about it—half the old neighbors saw it happen," Han Qin replied.

Chen Yang chuckled, then said, "Mom, it's because Qin Yan was being obnoxious, mocking me and Muxue. Of course I had to smash her car—if you can't win the bread, at least win some dignity, right?"

"You... you really are something," Han Qin said, rendered speechless.

On one hand, she felt Chen Yang had done the right thing. On the other, the image of him smashing Qin Yan's car just seemed so out of place. In her eyes, Chen Yang was still a loser who might spend his whole life delivering takeout. How could he have the nerve to pull off something so bold?

She didn't quite know how to feel—there was something odd about it all.

In a flash, it was noon the next day.

Chen Yang was passing the time at Huading Company when he suddenly received a call from Wu Guangde, who informed him that the meeting with Li Sanyi had been set for the second floor of Juxianlou Hotel.

Chen Yang simply replied, "I got it," and hung up.

At noon, he made his way to private room 209 on the second floor of Juxianlou Hotel.

As soon as he entered, he saw a bald man with a two-centimeter scar running down his right cheek. Supposedly there for a negotiation, the man had eight burly subordinates standing behind him—clearly there to show off his might.