Inside the Huang Family Villa, Huang Biehe had been waiting for a long time.
When he saw Ke Si being carried in, he was still startled.
Ke Si managed to force out the words, "That man is very strong," before fainting.
'This was a high-level True Qi expert I spent a fortune and called in favors to hire! And he was crippled just like that.' It was only a test, but his lower spinal cord had been severely shattered. There was no hope of recovery.
At the same time, he also confirmed who had murdered his son and elder brother.
Initially, he couldn't believe that some young punk who came out of nowhere could have done such a thing. But Huang Tao's surviving subordinate had told him that Chen Dong was the one who took Huang Tao away at the end of that day.
Out of skepticism, he had sent Ke Si—a man even his brother, Huang Wenlong, couldn't have defeated. And now, with Ke Si lying here, the conclusion was self-evident.
He casually ordered his subordinates, "Take him away and get him the best treatment." A hateful glint surfaced in his sinister eyes.
'I'll have to ask Grandmaster Cui to step in!'
'Chen Dong, I don't care what your background is or how strong you are! And the Li Family too... once Grandmaster Cui arrives, you will all die!'
「Tianjiang City, with the Tang Family.」
Tang Dan, a man in his forties, was tall and stately. He wore a designer black suit, his jet-black hair was combed back smoothly, and his broad forehead gave him an air of authority. He had just hung up the phone, his expression one of joyful excitement.
"Haha, Wan Jun, let's go! We're leaving for Jiangzhou right now."
A beautiful woman in her twenties asked, "What's the rush? Didn't we agree to go tomorrow?"
Tang Dan paced back and forth in the room. "Mr. Chen is in Jiangzhou right now! If we hurry over, we can see him first thing tomorrow morning."
The woman, Wan Jun, smiled sweetly. "Look at you, so eager. You're acting like a little kid."
Tang Dan was ecstatic. "How could I not be? If this is possible, we can finally have our own child!"
Mu Wanjun's eyes filled with anticipation. "Really? Is he as miraculous as you say? You've seen countless famous doctors over the years, and none of them could help!"
Tang Dan was full of confidence. "Mr. Chen is different. I was sure I was going to die in that car crash, but here I am, alive and kicking. Not only that, but he identified my medical problem with a single glance. I didn't even get a chance to befriend him before he disappeared without a trace."
"When he called this time, I was too embarrassed to ask for help right away. I wanted to build a better relationship first. But now that he wants Lot 5, it gives me the perfect opening to ask him to help me."
Mu Wanjun said excitedly, "Let's leave right now!"
「Li Family Manor.」
Chen Dong was brewing Elder Li's medicinal soup when Li Huiran walked in and asked worriedly, "Do you think Tang Dan will sell to us?"
Without turning his head, Chen Dong replied, "You've already asked that twice. He said he's coming tomorrow to discuss it in person. My two-hundred-thousand bonus is riding on this."
Li Huiran felt Chen Dong was being dismissive and said haughtily, "I'm telling you, if you can't close this deal, not only will you lose the bonus, I'll dock your salary too."
Chen Dong's expression changed at her words. 'I already got docked fifty thousand last time. If she docks me again, how much will be left? Even Zhou Bapi wasn't this exploitative!'
That night, as they were getting ready for bed, Chen Dong had already made his pallet on the floor, and Li Huiran was lying on the bed.
A knock came from the door.
"Huiran, are you asleep? Mom brought you some fruit, and I have something to tell you!"
Li Huiran's expression instantly tensed. Chen Dong was sleeping on the floor; if her mother came in and saw him, she would definitely become suspicious.
If she found out about the fake marriage, given her mom's temper, she wouldn't just scold Li Huiran; she'd pack up and leave her husband again.
'No, Mom just got back. I can't let her find out. Otherwise, who knows how long it'll take to get her and Dad back together.'
So, Li Huiran shot Chen Dong a desperate look and whispered, "Quick, put the bedding away! My mom will get suspicious if she sees it!"
Chen Dong remained motionless on the floor and said calmly, "That'll cost you extra."
Li Huiran was instantly so furious she could spit fire. "This costs extra too?"
Chen Dong replied with infuriating calm, "Otherwise, why should I help you lie to your mom?"
Li Huiran finally understood: this guy was getting back at her for threatening to dock his salary. Seeing his completely unbothered expression, she really wanted to kick him.
But with the situation so urgent, she had no choice but to give in.
"Fine! I'll give it to you tomorrow. Now hurry up."
Chen Dong flashed a brilliant smile and quickly gathered up his bedding.
Seeing that nothing was out of place, Li Huiran opened the door.
At the door stood Xia Yi, holding a plate of grapes, her eyes constantly darting into the room.
"What took you so long to open the door? Were you and Chen Dong getting intimate?"
Li Huiran's face instantly turned crimson. "Mom, what are you talking about!"
Xia Yi rolled her eyes at her. "You're married now. It's perfectly normal. What's there to be shy about?"
Li Huiran turned her head away. "Mom, what is it you really want to say?"
Xia Yi handed over the grapes with a smile. "These are Sunshine Rose grapes I picked out just for you. I washed them and brought them over."
"Is that it?"
Xia Yi nodded.
Li Huiran was mortified. She'd just been blackmailed again, all for a plate of grapes. 'But then again, maybe it's for the best,' she thought. 'It's better to have a clear agreement with Chen Dong. Otherwise, with his awful attitude, he might refuse to cooperate one day, and if Mom finds out, it's all over.'
She took the grapes, closed the door again, and had barely been back in bed for a few minutes when the door knocked once more.
It was Xia Yi's voice again. "Huiran, I didn't pack many clothes for this trip. I'm going to see if you have anything I can wear."
Li Huiran looked at Chen Dong, who had just finished remaking his pallet, and gestured frantically with her eyes.
Chen Dong lowered his eyelids, a little speechless. He had no choice but to pack away his bedding once more.
This time, Xia Yi walked into the room. Seeing Chen Dong sitting on the edge of the bed, she said apologetically, "Oh, Xiaodong, you're not asleep yet! I'm sorry, I just need to find an outfit."
Chen Dong smiled. "It's no problem, Aunt Xia."
"I'll get angry if you call me 'Aunt Xia' again. Call me Mom!" Xia Yi said, feigning anger.
Li Huiran was already starting to feel something was off. Her mother claimed she was looking for clothes, but instead of looking in the closet, she kept staring at the bed.
With that, she began pushing Xia Yi toward the door. "Alright, I'm going to sleep now. We'll buy you whatever clothes you need tomorrow."
After closing the door again, Li Huiran frowned. "I think my mom might be onto us."
Chen Dong spread his hands and said innocently, "I was perfectly cooperative."
Li Huiran rubbed her forehead, feeling a headache coming on.
In the living room, Elder Li was waiting for news.
Xia Yi came downstairs with her report.
"Dad, it really doesn't seem like they're sleeping together."
Elder Li let out a soft sigh. "Hah..."
Xia Yi tried to comfort him. "That child, Huiran, has never even dated before. It's normal for her to be shy."
Elder Li's expression turned serious. "That boy, Xiaodong, is a True Dragon emerging from the mountains. When the time is right, he is destined to become world-famous! This marriage is a blessing for our Li Family. I'm just afraid Huiran won't be able to seize this opportunity and keep him."
Xia Yi nodded slightly, a bright glint in her eyes.
"Dad, I have a plan. You can rest easy!"
At the crack of dawn, Lu Dian and Lu Chunqing were already waiting in the lobby of the Jiangzhou Hotel.
He had received word that Boss Tang had rushed to Jiangzhou the previous night and was staying at the Jiangzhou Hotel.
Around eight o'clock, he held the prepared contract in his hand, ready to call Tang Dan and inform him they had arrived. But just then, he was shocked to see Li Huiran and Chen Dong walk into the Jiangzhou Hotel as well.
Lu Chunqing immediately walked over to block their path.
With an arrogant expression, he said, "What are you two doing here? Trying to sabotage our contract signing? I'm warning you, Li Huiran, if we don't get this land, you'll be traitors to the corporation, and those old men on the board of directors won't let you off the hook!"
Li Huiran furrowed her elegant brows, not having expected to run into the Lu father and son here.
Nearby, Lu Dian finished his phone call and walked over, a delighted look on his face.