It was Li Bin's unfortunate timing that was to blame. Normally, Wu Zhiming wouldn't have dealt with Li Bin so directly and bluntly, but Li Bin had shown up when Wu Zhiming was already in a bad mood. Having walked right into the line of fire, Li Bin could only blame himself.
Li Bin's screams echoed throughout the entire community. Many people, hearing the noise, came out to see what was happening and witnessed Wu Zhiming pressing a lit cigarette to Li Bin's forehead. The sight of the smoke rising from his forehead made everyone wince.
Finally, the eighth-ranked martial artist reached Wu Zhiming. Wu Zhiming smiled faintly and shoved Li Bin towards the martial artist, who had no choice but to catch Li Bin and abandon his attack on Wu Zhiming.
"If I see you in Haixia City again, I'll leave more marks on your forehead," Wu Zhiming said, tossing the cigarette butt aside and walking away.
Li Bin leaned against the eighth-ranked martial artist, his face pale. He raised a hand as if to touch his forehead but didn't have the courage. He could smell the scent of burnt flesh, coming from his own head.
"Wu Zhiming! This isn't over between us!" Li Bin roared in anger, but Wu Zhiming didn't even glance back at him.
As Wu Zhiming walked away, Yao Jing emerged from the building. Seeing Yao Jing, Li Bin rushed over excitedly.
"Yao Jing, look at what Wu Zhiming did!" Li Bin shouted, pointing at his forehead. The round mark looked somewhat cute, reminiscent of Nezha.
"Get lost," Yao Jing said without looking back and walked away.
Li Bin was stunned.
"Young Master, what should we do next?" the eighth-ranked martial artist beside Li Bin asked.
"Take me to the hospital first!" Li Bin gritted his teeth. "I will avenge this! Wu Zhiming, you just wait!"
Today was destined to be an eventful day. While the Song family's issues had not yet been resolved, news of Wu Zhiming beating up the eldest son of the Li family from Tianlu City quickly spread throughout Haixia City. This news shocked many people, as Tianlu City was a top-tier city in the country. The Li family's status in Tianlu City was similar to that of the Wu family in Haixia City, but the Li family was far more influential.
Wu Zhiming's assault on the eldest son of the Li family meant that the Li family would undoubtedly seek revenge. The recently stabilized Wu Group was likely to face new turmoil soon.
In Wu Group's office, Wu Zhiming sat in his office.
"Boss, this is the new assistant to the Chief Financial Officer we hired," Wang Hai said, handing a document to Wu Zhiming.
Wu Zhiming glanced at the document and asked, "Not Zhou Shaojun?"
"No," Wang Hai shook his head.
"He knows his place," Wu Zhiming nodded. He had long been aware that Zhou Yanqiu wanted Yao Jing to arrange for Zhou Shaojun to join the company. Therefore, he had given Yao Jing the authority to appoint the CFO's assistant to see what she would decide. If Yao Jing had shown favoritism like those in Tianjiao Group, her career would have been limited to Wu Group.
"Boss, the lady is quite capable," Wang Hai said.
"Yes, I know," Wu Zhiming nodded, not intending to say more.
"By the way, boss, Yao Shanchuan spent over a million yuan at Playhouse Bar last night, using thousand-yuan bottles of Armand de Brignac as wash water. This money likely came from a recent payment Tianjiao Group received for a project. Since Madam left, the internal chaos of Tianjiao Group has been rapidly surfacing. It won't be long…" Wang Hai said.
"Keep an eye on our cooperation with Tianjiao Group. Any quality issues or other problems, terminate our collaboration immediately," Wu Zhiming instructed.
Wang Hai shivered slightly and said, "But, boss, that might not sit well with Madam."
"I gave Yao Jing face, so I gave Tianjiao Group a chance. If they can't seize it, they'll be eliminated. I think Yao Jing will understand," Wu Zhiming said calmly.
"Yes!" Wang Hai nodded respectfully, then asked, "Young Master, what about the Li family?"
"The Li family... Dong Jian will handle it," Wu Zhiming said with a smile. "Nearly a century of accumulation isn't easy. It depends on whether Li Bin wants to continue his misdeeds."
"Understood!"
As night fell, the sky over Haixia City seemed more somber than usual.
In Zhou Yanqiu's home, only Zhou Yanqiu, Yao Jianrong, and Yao An were present.
"What? You want to buy a house in Rongjin City?" Zhou Yanqiu exclaimed, shocked by what Yao An had just said.
"Chuying said she can't leave Rongjin City. So, I have to buy a house there. Moreover, I need to buy it soon. She's interested in a villa in a development that will open for sale in a few days. I need to secure the down payment quickly, or she'll break up with me!" Yao An said.
"You know that houses in Rongjin City are the most expensive in the province! The average price is over thirty thousand yuan per square meter, and some areas are forty to fifty thousand. A villa could cost over ten million!" Zhou Yanqiu said excitedly.
"I don't care," Yao An said firmly. "I like Chuying and want to be with her. I don't mind staying in Rongjin City for that."
"How can you say that? You're a member of the Yao family. How can you stay in Rongjin City? That's like becoming half a son to someone else!" Yao Jianrong said angrily.
"Dad, times have changed. I'm just living and working in Rongjin City. It's only about a hundred kilometers away, very close. I can come back anytime if needed... Mom, you've always told me to keep my eyes open and make wise decisions. This time, I did just that. I've found a girlfriend from a well-off family, and you should support me, right? Her family is wealthy, and now they're watching my attitude. If I don't show the right attitude, how can they respect me in the future? Do you want me to be like my brother-in-law, looked down upon by his wife's family?" Yao An asked.
Zhou Yanqiu was speechless. She hadn't expected Yao An to compare himself to Wu Zhiming at this moment.
"Of course, Mom can't let anyone look down on you!" Zhou Yanqiu took a deep breath. She could look down on her son-in-law, but she would never allow Yao An's future in-laws to look down on him.
"Look at the life my brother-in-law leads in our family. Now think about me. If I end up living like that at their place, I'd rather be dead. I can't tolerate it like my brother-in-law!" Yao An said.
"Don't worry, An An. You're different from your brother-in-law. You're Mom's precious one. How much do you need for the down payment? Mom will help you gather it," Zhou Yanqiu said.
"Thirty percent of the down payment, around five million," Yao An said.
"Five million?! That's asking for my life! Where am I supposed to get five million? I've scraped together two or three million at most over the years," Zhou Yanqiu said, exasperated. Five million was no small sum.
"If it's not enough, sell this house!" Yao An suggested.
"Sell the house?" Zhou Yanqiu frowned and thought for a moment. "It's not impossible. If you buy the villa, we can move in with you and help take care of our grandchildren."
"Who said you would live with us? Chuying doesn't like living with others. If we buy a villa, it will be just the two of us," Yao An shook his head.
"Then where will your father and I live?" Zhou Yanqiu asked.
"Didn't you say my brother-in-law bought a new house recently? You can live with him!" Yao An suggested.
"Why did I raise a son like you!" Zhou Yanqiu angrily slapped Yao An's head. "I'm your mother. You've seen how your brother-in-law is treated. Do you think I can live with him? Now that you have a girlfriend, you forget your mother? What's wrong with me staying with you? Why do you listen to everything a woman says?"
"Doesn't Dad listen to everything you say?" Yao An retorted.
Once again, Zhou Yanqiu was speechless. She suddenly realized that Yao An's behavior was entirely influenced by her.
"Mom, you need to sort this out immediately. Chuying and I are leaving the day after tomorrow, and you need to have the money ready by then. Otherwise, you'll see your son being looked down upon," Yao An said, standing up to leave.
"See? This is the example you've set for our son all these years!" Yao Jianrong said angrily.
"What did I do wrong? I'm doing it all for this family. If he wants a villa, we'll get him one. We'll sell this house and give him the down payment. We can't let An An be looked down upon, like Wu Zhiming," Zhou Yanqiu said.
"Where will we live then?" Yao Jianrong asked.
"Isn't there our daughter? She can't let us be homeless, right? Wu Zhiming is a big company boss. He can't let his mother-in-law be homeless; it would be embarrassing for him. We'll find a place to stay. I'll talk to Wu Zhiming. Tomorrow, put the house on the market, and let's gather the down payment for An An as soon as possible," Zhou Yanqiu said.
"Spoil him all you want. I'm done talking," Yao Jianrong sighed and walked away.
Two days later.
At the station, Zhou Yanqiu handed a bank card to Yao An.
"An An, this is everything Mom has saved over the years, plus the deposit from selling the house. I'm giving it all to you. Make sure you marry Chuying," Zhou Yanqiu said earnestly.
"Don't worry, Mom. Chuying and I truly love each other. Thank you, Mom. We'll go see the villa as soon as we get back," Yao An said happily.
"Okay," Zhou Yanqiu nodded, then sent Yao An off.
"What now?" Yao Jianrong asked.
"What else? We'll go to my daughter's place," Zhou Yanqiu said.
"Sigh," Yao Jianrong sighed deeply, feeling quite uneasy.