Wasn’t Qin Jin supposed to be a hunched, shifty little creep?
He and Qin Jin had come from the same neighborhood; both families ran small businesses.
The man was a sycophant, a fence-sitter. After his company went bankrupt, he still went to the casino every single day.
Because of that, Qin Jin had borrowed tens of thousands from him.
And still hadn’t paid it back.
The more Liu Daqiang thought about it, the angrier he got.
“Brother Qiang, you’re just going to let him off? We’re not Ri Tinglong’s people.”
He wasn’t one of Ri Tinglong’s men, but offending Ri Tinglong meant a beating. They’d beaten him so badly that his hands and feet were now in casts.
He couldn’t even call the police. He had to swallow the bitterness alone.
To think that a good-for-nothing like Qin Jin could climb his way into connections.
How could he possibly swallow that?
“He’s in Nanguang, he won’t run. Find out who he’s been close to lately. If it’s a lie, I’ll skin him alive!”
He spat after saying it.
Just then a call came in. 『Get a few brothers to pick up some things. I’ll send you the list. Deliver it to Qingfeng at 7 p.m. sharp.』
The club again.
Liu Daqiang agreed in a fawning voice, forcing a smile.
That place scared him most.
He’d once fought tooth and nail to get in, spent money and pulled strings, and still failed the vetting.
Whenever he went to Qingfeng, he was always treated as a servant.
Sometimes he envied ordinary people.
Ordinary people could freely choose their friends, without dragging a whole crowd of family into trouble just because they’d offended someone.
The richer you were, the more rigidly the circles were drawn.
Even with a cast on, Liu Daqiang had to go handle things himself.
He arrived at Qingfeng at 7 p.m. sharp.
The “multi-purpose lounge” was really just a large private room.
Anyone who didn’t know would think it was somebody’s house.
The moment Liu Daqiang went in, he hurriedly called out “Brother” in a soft voice.
And then nobody paid him the slightest attention.
At noon he had rushed by high-speed rail to a mansion in another city to pick up several boxes of things, then rushed straight here.
Now that he was here, he could only stand like a block of wood, listening to them discuss the Hawaii trip.
The boxes were full of custom surfboards, plus some high-end custom professional protective gear.
“I forgot to bring them last time. Everything you wanted is here.”
“They’re all custom-made to everyone’s requests. Take a look and see if you like them. If not, I’ll have them redone.”
“You all go. I can’t fly anywhere right now, and I have to report to the butler every day.”
“I’ve already chartered a commercial flight. I have experience with reporting, I’ll handle it for you.”
“…”
The group exchanged a few words, until two people came in through the entrance.
The room instantly fell silent.
Shao Gaoyuan especially, his face went dark at once, but only when his gaze touched the other person did he show any reaction.
“Muyu, sit here.”
Several people patted the sofa.
Xiao Muyu had grown handsomer and handsomer, but after several years apart, a sense of distance had appeared.
Especially now, the skin under his eyes was dark and bruised, as if he hadn’t slept for days and nights.
“None of you bother him today. He hasn’t left the company for days; I dragged him out.” Ri Tinglong swept his eyes over the people present.
They were all from Ningyang, and by pure coincidence, all had been packed off to Nanguang City by their families.
Everyone knew what had happened to Xiao Muyu.
“Which company?”
“My uncle’s. A small company, not big.” Xiao Muyu sat on the sofa, restless.
Someone patted his shoulder, making him flinch.
“Your mental state isn’t right. How did you suddenly get like this?”
“What about your little boyfriend abroad? Why not bring him back?”
Family opposition didn’t mean he couldn’t secretly bring the person home.
The group chatted on, and the more they talked, the more listless it became.
Xiao Muyu’s face practically had the words “don’t come near me” written all over it.
When it came time to play board games, all the companions came in, men and women, each one better-looking than the last, and they knew how to chat and keep the mood going.
The room quickly livened up.
Ri Tinglong came over with a glass from the small bar counter. “It’s the board game you like, isn’t it? Why not join them?”
But the person beside him still looked utterly uninterested, even a little too dazed.
“They want to send me to a conversion therapy center. Are they insane?”
Xiao Muyu pinched the bridge of his nose, his eyes bloodshot. “They have people tailing me every day, as if I don’t know. Today they even went through my computer.”
Ri Tinglong looked at the person beside him in silence.
He had no advice to give.
Because he was worse than Xiao Muyu: he slept with both men and women and was promiscuous. If any of that got out, his half-brother would be even more firmly seated in the company.
“Forget it. I’m going out for some air.”
Xiao Muyu had just gotten up and gone out.
The door closed.
The people playing board games over there immediately flipped over their identity cards.
The board game was Avalon. The companions had done their best to stir up the mood; clearly the atmosphere was good, but the customers suddenly threw down their cards one after another, obviously not wanting to play.
“Tinglong, what’s wrong with him?”
They had even picked the board game to match what the other liked.
And today’s ordered food was chosen according to the other’s taste.
It was entirely out of friendly concern, and yet he wouldn’t give them the slightest consideration.
“Probably a wounded heart.” Ri Tinglong joked casually.
“By the way, why did you have someone beat up his younger cousin?”
“Beating Muyu’s younger cousin is the same as slapping Muyu’s face.”
The topic turned to beating people.
Only then did Shao Gaoyuan remember the underling still standing in the corner. “Beating his younger cousin is one thing, but why beat my man too?”
Liu Daqiang could be said to be the handiest underling he’d used in years, and he hadn’t found a replacement yet.
You don’t beat a dog without considering its master. Ri Tinglong sending men to beat Liu Daqiang clearly meant he didn’t give him any respect.
Shao Gaoyuan glanced at the corner.
Liu Daqiang understood at once, and with a fawning smile, deliberately walked over holding his cast in a comical way.
Drawing everyone’s attention onto Liu Daqiang.
Someone said to Shao Gaoyuan, “Did you two have a fight last week?”
“Yes. He and I took part in a debate competition. My dad even flew over that morning to watch, and then I lost. Ri Tinglong not only mocked me, he struck first, and even hit my people! I don’t even know how I offended him.” Shao Gaoyuan shrugged innocently.
“Struck first?” Several people egged him on.
Shao Gaoyuan nodded rather aggrievedly. “I was teaching a disobedient underling a lesson, and then he stepped in and caused trouble.”
The group talked about it jokingly.
And they spoke of Ri Tinglong’s faults with shared indignation.
Ri Tinglong said nothing, his mind inevitably recalling that day’s scene.
Not only had he seen the state Xiao Muyu was in afterward, there had also been a brat who dared to talk back to him.
A bottle spinning rapidly flashed through his mind.
He turned his gaze to the companion trying to come near.
“Can you mix drinks?”
The question came out of nowhere; the companion who’d been singled out nodded quickly.
And then an unopened bottle flew over.
The bottle wasn’t caught steadily, nor did it spin into any flourish; it landed directly beside the companion’s feet.
The bottle shattered into pieces, and liquor spilled all over the floor.
Everyone present was frightened.
The companion who took the brunt of it was so scared he wet himself, all color draining from his face, and he sank to his knees on the floor.
The air was silent for a few seconds, then Shao Gaoyuan cursed loudly, “…Ri Tinglong, are you fucking insane?!”
And the man on the sofa seemed to be conducting some kind of experiment.
One could even hear him say, “That’s the right reaction.”