Ling Hong knew that many of Qiao Dalong's businesses involved providing protection for hotels and bars, and Shengdu Hotel was among the establishments he was responsible for, naturally including the security guards and doormen under his employ.
"Ling… Brother Ling, don't, just call me Xiao Qiao, please," Qiao Dalong stammered.
"Such a big 'Xiao Qiao'?" The little one was surprised to hear Qiao Dalong call himself Xia Qiao, remembering the story of Xiao Qiao his mother had told him.
The formerly tense atmosphere instantly dissolved with the innocent words of the child.
Song Yuwei felt like laughing but dared not, while Qin Han and Ling Hong held back their laughter.
"Yes! Yes! Such a big 'Xiao Qiao', hehe, hahaha!" Qiao Dalong hastily laughed in an ingratiating manner, grinning foolishly at the child.
Having nearly caused offence to Qin Han in the hotel and finally resolving it with difficulty, he had no sooner stepped out than his underlings stirred up trouble again.
This little girl was truly his savior! Caught in a bind and unsure what to do, a few words from her brought smiles to the faces of both men.
Realizing how much Qin Han doted on the little girl, he pinned all his hopes on her, grinning at her like a fool.
"They smashed my electric scooter…" The child fluttered her large eyes while speaking to Qiao Dalong.
"Hmph, Wang Lun, do you have the heart of a bear and the gall of a leopard? Daring to damage Mr. Qin's property! Xiao Hai, beat him." Qiao Dalong commanded coldly to one of his men behind him.
Xiao Hai, the referred underling, lifted Wang Lun effortlessly and slapped him hard several times. Wang Lun was beaten bloody, spitting out blood and even a few yellow teeth, his screams echoing across the square.
Qiao Dalong couldn't care less to even look at Wang Lun, but instead approached Qin Han with a smile, "Mr. Qin, my earlier conduct was poor and abrupt towards both Mr. Qin and Ling Hong. Here I am offering my apologies to you both."
"You did not wrong me. It was someone who underestimated me because of my shabby clothes, a dog looking down on people!" said Qin Han indifferently.
"Blind fools, drag them aside and beat them."
Having said this, Qiao Dalong once again approached, smiling as he continued, "As for your electric scooter, I deeply regret it. How about I offer this hotel to you as an apology? What do you think?"
At these words, the bystanders' mouths fell open in shock, wondering if they had heard him wrong.
A mere electric scooter—worth how much? Offering a hotel as compensation?
Qin Han simply shook his head, saying briskly, "I don't want it!"
Qiao Dalong was baffled. His mouth twitched, and then, gritting his teeth, he made an even more astonishing offer.
"Mr. Qin, if it will calm your anger, I am willing to kneel if necessary," said Qiao Dalong.
"Sss!"
Who is Qiao Dalong? A notorious figure in Zhongzhou City, now groveling before Qin Han.
Song Yuwei was dumbfounded. Was she dreaming?
Since when was Qin Han so powerful that even Qiao Dalong was so servile to him, just because of the Zhou family?
Qin Han did not even acknowledge Qiao Dalong's plea, just standing quietly, seemingly lost in thought.
Seeking help, Qiao Dalong looked towards Ling Hong, and seeing Qiao Dalong in this state, Ling Hong had no choice but to speak up, "Mr. Qin, could you forgive him for my sake? After all, his men acted without his orders, don't you think?"
In fact, Ling Hong did not want to intervene, but they all lived in Zhongzhou City and someone like Qiao Dalong, though contemptible, was still someone you had to network with, so he had to plead for Qiao Dalong.
"Forget it, I'm not that petty. I just want my electric scooter back. He actually wanted to give me the whole hotel, sigh…"
Song Yuwei was taken aback—this guy actually turned down a hotel for a mere electric scooter.
This doesn't seem like him at all, such a large sum of money laid before him, and he's actually indifferent?
"Fine, how about I accompany Mr. Qin with a Rolls-Royce then?" Qiao Dalong tentatively said.
"Brother Qiao, you might as well go buy a new electric car instead," Ling Hong interjected. Qin Han hadn't even wanted the hotel, would he want a car? Why was Qiao Dalong being so dense today?
How could such hermits covet his trifling wealth?
"Hmm, just deliver the electric car to my home when the time comes," Qin Han said placidly.
"Alright, please wait a moment, Mr. Qin. I will have someone take care of it immediately and send it straight to your residence. You still have a banquet to attend; I will send Mrs. Qin and the little princess home first."
"That would be much appreciated!" After Qin Han spoke, he nodded at Song Yuwei, signaling that it was okay for Qiao Dalong to take her home.
Then he got into the car with Ling Hong and headed straight for the Zhou residence.
Song Yuwei watched as the car drove away, her heart in turmoil. Could this time be for real?
From the things Qin Han said at today's family banquet to everything that had happened since, it all proved that Qin Han had changed. Although she was somewhat happy, the change made Qin Han seem somewhat unfamiliar to her…
Soon, Qin Han arrived at the Zhou family villa with Ling Hong.
Zhou Bingchen had already been anxiously waiting in the living room, seated on the sofa alongside a middle-aged beautiful woman and a young man in his twenties.
Seeing Qin Han enter with Ling Hong, Zhou Bingchen stood up excitedly.
"Divine Doctor, thank you so much for saving my life last time!"
"The old master's recovery is not too bad," Qin Han remarked with a faint smile upon seeing that Zhou Bingchen could now walk on his own and had basically recovered to his former state.
"It's all thanks to the Divine Doctor's extraordinary medical skills that I was able to recover so quickly," Zhou Bingchen said as he motioned for Qin Han to sit down and have some tea.
Qin Han nodded towards the middle-aged beautiful woman and the young man, then sat down on the sofa, taking in the villa's decor.
The villa's interior was decorated with an antique style and a full set of rosewood furniture showcased the rich atmosphere of the Dragon Nation. It was clear that the Zhou family had good traditions, and the young man sitting on the sofa was behaving properly, without any semblance of a spoiled rich kid.
Noticing that Qin Han was silent and just observing the surroundings, Zhou Bingchen had no choice but to speak.
"Mr. Qin, I have always wanted to express my gratitude for the Divine Doctor saving my life, but last time it seemed you had urgent matters and left in a hurry. That is why I had Little Ling invite you over. I hope you don't mind."
"It's fine," Qin Han responded nonchalantly, but his next sentence stunned everyone present.
"Old Master Zhou, let me take your pulse," he offered.
Zhou Bingchen looked at Qin Han in amazement and asked, "How did you know?"
Qin Han smiled faintly, "I thought that Old Master Zhou inviting me here wasn't just to share a meal and thank me. It had to be for something else. When I treated you last time, I noticed there seemed to be some other issues with your health, but it wasn't the right moment to discuss it in detail."
Zhou Bingchen's hands trembled with emotion as he hastily said.
"You really are a Divine Doctor, detecting it with just a glance. Can my illness be cured?" he asked, looking nervously at Qin Han.
"Let's take the pulse first," Qin Han said, gesturing for Zhou Bingchen to sit beside him as he placed his right hand on Zhou Bingchen's wrist.
After a moment, Qin Han let go of his hand and looked at Zhou Bingchen. Everyone in the Zhou family villa also looked at Qin Han with hopeful faces, longing for him to say, "It can be cured."
"Old Master, you must have been a soldier when you were young, right?"