Volume 1, Chapter 26: The Call Finally Comes

Surrounded by a group of rowdy hoodlums, Fu Hantao’s face flushed a deep red as he glared at them in fury. Only two days ago, they had been fawning over him, calling him "Brother Tao" at every turn, yet today they had flipped the script and turned their backs on him completely.

It didn't take long for him to realize what was happening. He had been set up by this group, and in the most pathetic way possible.

He looked toward Brother Nan, who was standing in the crowd watching him, and asked with suppressed rage, "Nan, what is the meaning of this?"

Brother Nan was the backbone of this group, and he was undoubtedly the mastermind behind the scheme.

Brother Nan curled his lip and said, "Don't ask me. You slept with Ya and now you don't want to take responsibility—that doesn't sit right with anyone."

In truth, Brother Nan had no desire to burn bridges with Fu Hantao; after all, there was plenty of money to be squeezed out of this young master. However, the slap he had received from Li Yan was still fresh in his mind—the memory of it still sent shivers down his spine.

"Are you playing me?" Fu Hantao snarled at Brother Nan.

Brother Nan merely shrugged, signaling that he had no choice in the matter.

Just then, a girl with a bright, explosive hairdo shouted, "Fu Hantao! Ya is pregnant now. Are you going to take responsibility or not? For heaven's sake, are you even a man?"

Hearing that vulgarity, Fu Hantao’s mother’s face darkened even further. She struggled to contain her emotions, gritting her teeth as she warned them, "If you continue to spout these slanderous lies, I will call the police."

In her mind, these were just a bunch of social dregs with no education or prospects; she believed that simply threatening to call the police would be enough to scare them off. Furthermore, her family had some connections with the local authorities, and dealing with a few hoodlums would be a trivial matter. She was mortified by the public humiliation they had caused her family today, and she was determined not to let them off easy.

However, she saw no trace of panic on the faces of the group; if anything, they looked rather excited.

Another girl stepped forward, looking entirely fearless. "Fine, call the police! We’re waiting. We have the hotel records of your son checking in with our Ya. He got her drunk before he took advantage of her. I’d like to see if that qualifies as sexual assault while incapacitated!"

Fu Hantao’s fists tightened upon hearing this. Call the police? He didn't dare. While it was true that Ya had been drunk that night, he had been just as plastered, unconscious to the world.

Tan Ya, cowering on the ground, felt a surge of anxiety. In reality, she had simply spent the night with Fu Hantao; nothing else had happened.

But this was impossible to explain. A man and a woman had spent the night alone in a room together. Unless there were surveillance cameras in the room, there was no way to prove what had or hadn't happened.

Fu Hantao’s mother froze, her eyes searching her son’s face for a glimmer of hope, but his trembling, nervous demeanor said it all. If things were as the girls claimed, wouldn't calling the police be akin to handing themselves over to the law? Even with her family connections, with so many onlookers present, this situation would not be easy to resolve.

She shot a vicious glare at Fu Hantao, wondering how he could have gotten mixed up with such riffraff.

"Call the police! Hurry up! We’re waiting. Don't think that just because you have money, you’re invincible. Does having money give you the right to get a girl drunk and do whatever you want?" A young man stepped forward, his tone aggressive. He was betting on the fact that they wouldn't dare.

"Everyone, look! The Fu family thinks they can bully people just because they’re rich! They got a girl drunk and assaulted her, and now they don't want to take responsibility. Someone please help us call the police; we’re waiting!"

"Call the police! We’re waiting!"

The group of hoodlums shouted at the top of their lungs, determined to make sure everyone heard them. The crowd began to murmur, pointing fingers at Fu Hantao and his mother.

"That is a bit much. Getting a girl drunk and taking advantage of her—strictly speaking, that should be considered date rape."

Li Yan, standing in the crowd, chimed in at the perfect moment: "Exactly! What a scumbag. Bullying people just because his family has money? Do they really think people are that easy to push around?"

The whispers grew louder. Fu Hantao’s mother’s face was so grim it could have dripped ink.

Fu Hantao was just a boy who had barely graduated high school. He had never faced a situation like this before; overwhelmed by shame and annoyance, he didn't know where to put his hands or feet.

Seeing that their goal had been achieved, Li Yan turned to Zhao Zhengzhong. "Let’s go. There’s no point in watching anymore."

Zhao Zhengzhong was still intrigued. "Not waiting a little longer? To see how they wrap this up?"

Li Yan shook his head. "Nothing left to see."

"Old Li, be honest—did you put them up to this?" Zhao Zhengzhong suddenly remembered that Li Yan had pulled Brother Nan into a corner and whispered to him for a long time that night.

"Yes, it was me," Li Yan admitted candidly. "Fu Hantao paid them ten thousand to teach me a lesson, so I paid them ten thousand to teach Fu Hantao a lesson. It is only polite to return a favor."

Zhao Zhengzhong shuddered. "Old Li, you’re truly vicious. This is way more disgusting than just beating him up."

Li Yan waved a hand, feigning sophistication. "We are civilized people; violence is not our style. The world is built on interpersonal relationships and social nuance, understand?"

"Pretentious," Zhao Zhengzhong summarized precisely.

A few days later, Li Yan kept a close watch on the progress of his farm. The main structure was finished, and the workers were putting in overtime to meet the deadline.

Mr. Jin from the construction company was particularly attentive to this project. Anyone who could make even the Liqiang Group hesitate must have a background that was anything but simple. He was playing the long game, hoping to curry favor. In their line of work, business relied on connections; if he could secure a relationship with someone like this, he would never run out of projects.

"Li Yan, the progress is so fast. It should be finished by next month, right?" Luo Jiazhuang wrapped her arm around his, gazing at the farm as it took shape, her eyes sparkling. This was Li Yan’s first entrepreneurial venture, and regardless of whether it made money or not, she trusted his vision.

Li Yan smiled. "We'll see how it goes."

For the past few days, he had been waiting for a call from the Liqiang Group, though he was deeply anxious. He both hoped they would reach out and feared they wouldn't. He didn't have the money to pay the final installment, and with construction nearing completion, the truth would come out if he dragged it on any longer.

Just as he was thinking about it, his phone buzzed. It was an unknown number.

"Hello, who is this?"

"Hello, is this Mr. Li?" The voice on the other end sounded familiar.

Li Yan realized quickly—it was Zhang Wenfeng from the Liqiang Group. Finally. He suppressed his excitement, his tone calm. "Yes, this is he. What can I do for you?"

Zhang Wenfeng’s voice was polite. "Mr. Li, are you free tonight? I’ve booked a table at the Jinhaitang Hotel. I’d like to treat you to a casual meal; would that be convenient for you?"

The corner of Li Yan’s mouth curled into a smile. It was time to talk numbers.

He deliberately paused for a few seconds before answering. "Well, if there are no other arrangements at home, I’ll be there." He highlighted the "arrangements at home" once again, reinforcing the image of his supposed powerful background.

"That’s great!" Zhang Wenfeng hurried to say. "I’ve booked room 806. It will just be the two of us tonight." He emphasized those last few words.

"Understood. I’ll be in touch later," Li Yan said, hanging up the phone. A heavy stone finally lifted from his heart.

All the groundwork he had laid would come down to this dinner. If the negotiation went smoothly, he would likely become one of the youngest millionaires in the city.