As soon as the door opened, a fat face was seen pressed against it.
"Fuck!" Lin Qiang saw the shocked face of Zhang Jiaming, and a surge of anger flared up. Unable to hold back, he exploded, pointing a finger at him and cursing through gritted teeth, "You... really have some nerve!!!"
Ling Lele stood there, covering her mouth in shock. She never expected to find someone eavesdropping outside.
Zhang Jiaming was completely stunned, his expression a mix of confusion and fear. He stammered, "I... I didn't mean to..."
Breathing heavily, Lin Qiang stepped forward, grabbing Zhang Jiaming by the collar and pulling him into the room. He turned to Lele and said, "You head back to school. I'll handle this."
Lele nodded quickly and fled.
Bang!!!
Lin Qiang slammed the door shut, dragged Zhang Jiaming, and threw him against a cabinet, causing the whole room to shake.
Seeing Lin Qiang's furious expression, Zhang Jiaming was drenched in cold sweat. He had only intended to eavesdrop a little to understand the situation with Xia Xin but had ended up overhearing too much and getting caught by Lele.
"You really know how to pick the right time?!" Lin Qiang tightened his grip on Zhang Jiaming's collar. "Keep your mouth shut. If this gets out, it won't be good for anyone, understand?"
Zhang Jiaming nodded frantically like a scared chicken. "I understand... Supervisor."
The more Lin Qiang looked at him, the angrier he got. People like Zhang Jiaming, with such behavior, would be killed without mercy in chaotic times. He was like a pest, ruining everything, and Lin Qiang's anger was evident, his eyes almost spitting fire.
"If you ruin this, I'll kill you." Lin Qiang suppressed his rage, his voice low and menacing, "Don't interfere with my work again."
Hearing these words, Zhang Jiaming was almost in tears. He couldn't comprehend the hard work and effort Lin Qiang had put in to rise up the ranks; all he felt now was a chilling, murderous aura.
"Supervisor... I... I..." Zhang Jiaming, at a loss for words, slowly raised his right hand and slapped himself hard across the face!
SLAP!!!
"I'm such a bastard..."
SLAP!!!
"I deserve to die!!!"
SLAP!!!
Zhang Jiaming slapped himself several times, his face red and swollen, tears streaming down. To Lin Qiang, it was almost comical.
Just a few words, and he's already this scared?
A small-minded person, indeed.
"Get out." Lin Qiang's anger subsided as he loosened his grip on Zhang Jiaming's collar. "If this goes smoothly, I'll protect you. If it gets out, we'll go down together."
"Yes... yes... I'll pretend nothing happened..." Zhang Jiaming hurriedly retreated, stumbling towards the door, his legs too weak from fear. After a few steps, he fell to the ground again.
Lin Qiang shook his head, feeling somewhat relieved. This guy, even if he had overheard, wouldn't dare do anything.
Zhang Jiaming crawled a few steps, grabbed the door handle, and finally managed to stand up, escaping with his last bit of strength.
Just then, Zheng Shuai came in with the contracts to be filed, seeing Zhang Jiaming looking disheveled with clear handprints on his face. "Lin, did you beat him up?"
"He brought it on himself." Lin Qiang laughed, shaking his head. "He's too despicable; I overestimated him."
"Damn, I didn't see it!" Zheng Shuai felt a tinge of regret. "For fights, you need witnesses. Call me next time."
"Alright, it's time to get off work." Lin Qiang checked the clock and stretched. "I have plans tonight, so I won't be joining you for dinner."
"Okay." Zheng Shuai agreed readily, but a layer of concern appeared on his face. He patted Lin Qiang's shoulder. "Don't overwork yourself. We're in this together."
"Don't worry, I know my limits." Lin Qiang felt a wave of warmth. In this cutthroat banking world, having a trustworthy friend was more valuable than anything.
But he knew the fewer people who knew about this, the better.
Zheng Shuai, next time we'll tackle it together.
...
Lin Qiang returned to his office, locked the door, and called Ling Chen.
"How did it go? Smoothly?" Ling Chen skipped the formalities, diving straight into the question when he saw it was Lin Qiang.
"Very smoothly. Lele really liked the financial product and was very excited." Lin Qiang started gently, "I also discussed with her about managing it well and not overspending."
"Great." Lingchen sounded relieved. "Please keep an eye on her. Contact me if there's anything."
"Don't worry, Lele is my VIP client." Lin Qiang chuckled, then lowered his voice. "Lele is sensible. With this money, she's not planning to continue working."
"Really? So soon?" Ling Chen's excitement was palpable. Usually calm and composed, he was now clearly thrilled. "That's fantastic! Thank you so much!"
"It wasn't me; it's Lele's good sense."
"Right, right, it's my fault for being too strict, pushing her to rebel." Lingchen happily took the blame. "Lin, we owe you for this. If you ever need anything within the rules, just ask."
Lin Qiang knew the weight of Ling Chen's words, but he couldn't accept it just yet.
"Director Ling, we have to put this matter aside first. There's still a problem."
"Hmm? What is it?"
"The madam at the karaoke bar where Lele works might not be easy to deal with. From what Lele says, Fang Qing won't let her go easily."
"Fang Qing?! That bitch dares to touch my daughter?!"
Lin Qiang didn't expect Ling Chen to curse outright, completely disregarding his status.
"I was planning to deal with her later, but this is asking for death!!" Ling Chen's voice trembled with rage as he continued to curse. "I've already alerted my friends in the police after you told me the karaoke bar's address. It looks like we need to act sooner. Tonight, we'll take them down!"
"That's what I was thinking too." Lin Qiang heard Ling Chen's genuine anger and quickly added, "Around 7 PM, I'll go talk to Fang Qing first to see what she's up to, then we'll move in. I don't want Lele to get hurt."
"…" Ling Chen thought for a moment, agreeing with Lin Qiang's caution. Who knows what leverage Fang Qing might have. If his daughter suffered, it would all be for nothing. "Lin, you must protect Lele and make sure she's not harmed."
"Don't worry, I'll handle this perfectly."
"Hmm..." Ling Chen, having heard of Lin Qiang's capability from Xia Xin, felt assured. "I'll arrange everything and have the police contact you. Give the signal, and we'll move."
"Got it."
"Lin... we're counting on you."
"Absolutely."
Lin Qiang hung up, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.
The decisive moment was approaching.