Jiang Hai took the insulated lunchbox and immediately opened it. Inside, there was indeed porridge. Jiang Hai sniffed it and didn't detect any strange smells. It was just ordinary red date and Job's tears porridge, which nourishes qi and blood. It's generally good for women to drink this, and Jiang Hai's superhuman sense of smell didn't detect anything unusual in it, which made his brows furrow.
Could it be that he guessed wrong, and it wasn't due to food, but simply because she hadn't eaten his meat that triggered the illness? Thinking of this, Jiang Hai became even more confused. But just then, footsteps sounded, and then Qi Jie and Qi Ya quickly ran in from outside the hospital. They had only flown from New York at around five in the morning.
After flying to the Imperial Capital, they waited several hours before boarding a plane back to Ice City, so they had just landed.
When Jiang Hai went to buy breakfast, Qi Li had already asked Du Ning to pick them up. Now, the three of them were walking over quickly.
Seeing Qi Jie, the professional, arrive, Jiang Hai immediately handed her the porridge. Qi Jie's expertise was quite reliable. And when Qi Jie sniffed the porridge, her face instantly changed, and she uttered a word: "Digitalis."
Hearing Qi Jie's words, Jiang Hai looked at her in confusion. She immediately took out her phone, opened an encyclopedia, found a plant, and put it in Jiang Hai's hand. Jiang Hai then read the introduction to this item.
"Digitalis, its Chinese name should be Yangdihuang. It originated in central and southern Europe. This plant was originally a medicine for heart disease, but if a healthy person eats it, or takes an overdose, it can cause atrial fibrillation. Coupled with some stimulation, it can easily induce heart attacks." While Jiang Hai read the encyclopedia, Qi Jie explained, looking at Zheng Xiue as she spoke. Hearing Qi Jie's words, Zheng Xiue retreated a few steps in surprise, leaning against the wall.
"No, no, no, I didn't mean to harm Madam, eldest young lady, you must believe me, I didn't mean to harm Madam!" Hearing Qi Jie's words, Zheng Xiue was completely panicked, her legs went soft, her eyes went black, but she kept shouting loudly.
"Alright, alright, we know. For all these years, you've been like our fourth sister. If you wanted to harm her, you would have done so long ago. It's impossible for you to choose this time. Tell us, what exactly happened, or who made you do this?" Hearing Zheng Xiue's words, Qi Li's eyes grew cold. Both from a humanitarian perspective and from the perspective of sisterly affection, she trusted Zheng Xiue very much.
Moreover, Zheng Xiue couldn't possibly know about something like digitalis, so even though she was the one who administered it, the person behind it was definitely not her.
"It's, it's, it's Third Madam." Hearing Qi Jie's words, Zheng Xiue managed to catch her breath and then whispered.
The "Third Madam" she referred to was actually Zhang Yu, Qi Yuanlong's wife. Jiang Hai also knew a bit about this person—a former third-tier celebrity who thought she had climbed to a high branch by marrying Qi Yuanlong. She probably hadn't been having a good time these past few days.
"Explain in detail." Hearing her words, Qi Li's eyes turned cold. She hated traitors the most, and this time, these people even dared to harm her mother. These guys were truly courting death.
"During Chinese New Year…" Hearing Qi Li's words, Zheng Xiue slowly began to speak. She had been startled earlier and hadn't fully recovered, so she was still timid as she spoke, but fortunately, Jiang Hai and the others could understand her.
During Chinese New Year, after Qi Yuanlong's family and Qi Song's family came and were thoroughly humiliated by Jiang Hai, Qi Song's family went back, deciding to treat them as if they weren't relatives anymore. They really had no other options; they couldn't bring themselves to humble themselves.
But Qi Yuanlong was different; he had been a rogue since childhood. Not long after Jiang Hai and Qi Li left, they went to plead again, but this time, it was just Qi Yuanlong and Zhang Yu.
Originally, when they went, they just talked about everyday family matters, and Jiang Hai's mother-in-law didn't pay much attention.
After all, this was her deceased husband's younger brother. She was truly afraid that if she were to pass away one day and meet her old man in the underworld, he would ask her, and she wouldn't know how to answer. So, she also intended to mend fences.
Because Zhang Yu was younger, she also went to help when Zheng Xiue was directing others to prepare the family meal.
The first thing she did was badmouth Jiang Hai. Directly speaking ill of him probably wouldn't work, as Jiang Hai was now the pillar of the Qi family. So, she specifically nitpicked, saying that the things Jiang Hai sent were no good.
She claimed that seafood had excessive heavy metals and that foot-and-mouth disease was prevalent in beef in the Western world.
If it were someone with normal intelligence, they would laugh. Even if they believed it, they would go to an agency to have it checked.
But Zheng Xiue didn't understand these things. She wanted to report it to the old lady, but Zhang Yu told her not to tell the old lady, saying it would look bad. Their family was rich now, so they could just buy new things.
As a result, the beef and fish Jiang Hai had sent over the past six months were either thrown away by Zheng Xiue or frozen in the refrigerator.
Hearing this, Jiang Hai couldn't help but sigh. He finally understood what it meant to have good intentions mistaken for ill will. How much were those things of his worth! Qi Li was also so angry that she clicked her tongue, but there was nothing she could do. Zheng Xiue was just like that, and she really couldn't say anything to her.
After Zhang Yu and her husband visited a few times, Zhang Yu and Zheng Xiue gradually became familiar with each other. One time, they were talking and the topic of heart disease came up. Zhang Yu said that heart disease was mostly hereditary, and since Qi Li's father died of heart disease, her mother might also have it. If Jiang Hai had been there, he would have slapped her. Can spouses transmit heart disease to each other? But Zheng Xiue believed her. Zhang Yu told Zheng Xiue that digitalis could treat heart disease and that she should give some to the old lady every day. If she wasn't sick, it would serve as prevention. Besides, it was Chinese medicine, and putting it in food wouldn't cause any problems; it would treat illness if there was any, and strengthen the body if there wasn't. After hearing her words, Zheng Xiue secretly went out to inquire and, after confirming that digitalis could indeed treat heart disease, bought some to take home. She stopped using Jiang Hai's ingredients and started giving digitalis to the old lady when cooking. Of course, she ate those things too, but she was young! Qi Li's mother was already over fifty, how could she compare to a young person?
Coupled with the fact that yesterday morning, while she was eating porridge, Qi Yuanlong called, crying, and told her that his son had gone out gambling and was being held by others, demanding ten million for his release, or else they would kill him.
This news, combined with an overdose of digitalis, caused the old lady to suddenly become enraged and suffer a stroke.
This scared Zheng Xiue, who immediately called Qi Li, leading to Jiang Hai rushing back from Paris overnight.
"Oh, you, you really meant well but caused harm. Do you think Jiang Hai's fishery and manor are like the river in front of our house? Where would there be excessive heavy metals? If there were, could Jiang Hai still sell them for so much? And foot-and-mouth disease, I really don't know what to say to you. How could you believe what that Zhang Yu said!" Hearing Zheng Xiue's story, Qi Li was truly furious, but looking at the pathetic Zheng Xiue, she didn't know what to say. Knowing that this silly girl had been used by others, what could she say?
And hearing Zheng Xiue's words, Jiang Hai and the others remained silent. There was a 99.9% chance that what Zheng Xiue said was true, but Jiang Hai and the others seemed to have no way to deal with Zhang Yu, who had instigated her.
Firstly, this matter seemed unrelated to her; she merely spoke. Secondly, she didn't buy the digitalis; she just mentioned it casually. If such a matter were brought to court, Jiang Hai and the others would have no recourse.
However, this person nearly killed the mother of Qi Li, Qi Jie, and Qi Ya. There was no way this matter could simply be let go.
"I really can't swallow this!" Thinking of this, Jiang Hai couldn't help but punch the wall in front of him.
"Otherwise, should we go?" Seeing Jiang Hai's expression, Azalina hesitated before speaking. Since the law couldn't do anything, it was time for them to act. However, hearing her words, Jiang Hai shook his head.
"No, there are many people in China watching me and the Qi family. The coverage of'Skynet' in China is much higher than in the United States. If anything goes wrong, this branch of the family in China will be finished." Shaking his head, Jiang Hai said helplessly. He didn't care about the money he invested in the Qi family, but he knew the Qi family's feelings for it.
They couldn't just let the Qi family perish with Zhang Yu, so for a moment, everyone in the corridor fell silent. Seeing their expressions, Jiang Hai was the first to shake his head and stand up.
"Forget it, let's not think about it for now. This matter cannot end like this. Leave it to me. Let's go eat first. After eating, you all figure out how to arrange shifts here. Tell me what you need, and I'll go buy it." Staying here in silence together was not the answer. Zhang Yu and Qi Yuanlong's family would definitely not be let off, but the question of how to deal with them still needed discussion. Looking at the somewhat haggard faces of Qi Li's three sisters, Jiang Hai clapped his hands. This was a time for a man to step up. Hearing Jiang Hai's words, everyone nodded. They also felt relieved entrusting this matter to Jiang Hai.
Thinking of this, Wallace Shelley, carrying the breakfast Jiang Hai bought, also walked into the room with the breakfast. Everyone started eating there. Halfway through, Qi Li's mother also woke up. It seemed like today should be a very good day. (To be continued.)
Striking First
"Hurry up, what are you two dawdling about?" Standing in front of the wardrobe, Qi Yuanlong was adjusting the tie on his suit with a smile, while his son and his wife were still sitting motionless in the distance.
Qi Yuanlong could understand why his son wasn't moving, but Zhang Yu, who was usually quite proactive, was also unusually silent right now.
"What's going on? Get moving!" Qi Yuanlong frowned as he looked at the two of them and spoke loudly.
"Tch, why should I go see that old woman!" Hearing Qi Yuanlong's words, Qi Zhengtao said with a look of annoyance.
"Don't be an idiot! Haven't you messed up enough outside? Do you not realize how you managed to return this time? If you weren't the young master of the Qi family, could you have come back? When those people find out you're not the young master of the Qi family, who do you expect to pay off your ten million in gambling debts!" Hearing Qi Zhengtao's words, Qi Yuanlong couldn't help but curse loudly.
Since being driven out of the Qi Corporation, Qi Yuanlong's family had truly not been doing well. Although the saying goes that a starving camel is still bigger than a horse, the problem was that the camel was already dead, and its flesh would slowly rot, while the horse's flesh would grow back as it ate.
After leaving the Qi Corporation, they essentially had nothing left except for some money.
Their big scene at the Qi family mansion during the New Year was useless; instead, it completely offended Jiang Hai and his family.
After returning, Qi Yuanlong felt they couldn't just sit around and watch their savings dwindle. Although they still had money, they used to spend a million a day, and now they could only spend ten thousand, which naturally caused a huge psychological gap for him.
So he thought about it and decided to try a roundabout way to save the situation: first, establish a relationship with Qi Li's mother, put in a good word, and then use Qi Li's mother to approach Qi Li and Jiang Hai. With the mother's connection, even if they couldn't return to their former life, they could at least get some money for "soup," since he was, after all, her biological uncle.
That's why he kept bringing Zhang Yu along to Qi Li's house. Zhang Yu performed well, and gradually the relationship between the two families grew closer.
He wasn't sure what happened yesterday; his call was suddenly hung up. Only later that evening did he learn through a friend at the hospital that his sister-in-law had been hospitalized, and Jiang Hai and Qi Li had returned.
His eyes lit up; this was a perfect opportunity for him to brown-nose. So, he demanded that his entire family go to the hospital to visit his sister-in-law, but his son and wife clearly disagreed.
"I was originally the young master of the Qi Corporation! That wealth was mine to begin with! Jiang Hai and that bitch Qi Li just stole my things! Now you want me to beg them for a meal? Dad, where is your backbone?" Qi Zhengtao straightened his neck, glared at Qi Yuanlong, and shouted. Hearing his son's words, Qi Yuanlong didn't know how to respond.
He was truly speechless because these were the exact words he had used when educating Qi Zhengtao since childhood: that the Qi family assets were passed down to males, not females; that his uncle's three daughters would eventually marry out; and that this massive Qi Corporation would someday belong to him.
Qi Zhengtao believed Qi Yuanlong's claims. Furthermore, Qi Li's paternal grandparents favored boys over girls, and if they were still alive, Qi Li taking over the Qi Corporation might have been complicated. However, the current reality was that Qi Li was the one in charge of the Qi family.
Qi Zhengtao failed to recognize the current situation, and Qi Yuanlong had nothing to say in response; indeed, he had no good argument.
"What about you? What are you doing?" Qi Yuanlong sighed as he looked at his stubborn son, then turned to Zhang Yu.
"Well, there might be something I need to tell you." Seeing Qi Yuanlong look her way, Zhang Yu offered an awkward smile.
"What is it?" Qi Yuanlong frowned as he looked at her face, sensing that something bad might have happened.
"It's like this: you know that when we used to go to the Qi family mansion, I would help that girl Zheng Xiue cook. At first, I just badmouthed Jiang Hai, saying his beef and fish weren't good, and Zheng Xiue believed it. Then, I didn't watch my mouth, and I mentioned that digitalis could treat heart disease—Big Brother died of a heart condition, so maybe Big Sister-in-law had it too. Only after I checked when we got back did I realize that heart disease isn't contagious between spouses, and eating too much digitalis can actually cause heart disease..." Zhang Yu spoke softly as she looked at Qi Yuanlong, her voice growing quieter the more she explained.
Hearing Zhang Yu's words, Qi Yuanlong's head immediately swam. Since he had friends feeding him information from the hospital, he naturally knew what had happened to his sister-in-law: a sudden heart attack. He had originally thought it was a natural disaster, but now it seemed it was man-made!
"You, you, how could you... Oh my god, what do we do now?" Everything went black, and Qi Yuanlong plopped down onto the floor. He didn't have the presence of mind to get up; because this wretched woman couldn't keep her mouth shut, all their previous efforts were now wasted.
Realizing this, Qi Yuanlong's face instantly flushed red. He scrambled up from the ground, darted over to Zhang Yu, and slapped her hard across the face. His entire plan was ruined because of her; their family was finished!
"You, you, hitting me won't help! Even if you beat me to death, will Big Sister-in-law's illness get better?" Covering her face, Zhang Yu didn't dare fight back. She could only look pitifully at Qi Yuanlong and shout.
"Exactly, Dad, why are you hitting Aunt Zhang? I think Aunt Yu did a pretty good job." At this point, Qi Zhengtao spoke up with a smile. Hearing his son's words, Qi Yuanlong shot him a fierce glare. Was that something he should be saying?
"It would be better if all those people who stole my things died. Dad, if Qi Li's whole family died, who would the Qi Corporation belong to?" Ignoring his father's glaring look, Qi Zhengtao remained seated on the sofa, grinning as he spoke.
"How dare you even think that!" Hearing his words, Qi Yuanlong grew furious and roared.
"What's the big deal? Those things were mine to begin with. They stole them from me, and now I'm just making them give them back. If they don't, I'll just have to resort to violence. What's more, Jiang Hai is the one running the Qi family now. I don't need to remind you how ruthless and vicious he is, do I, Dad? If he finds out Aunt Yu was responsible for this, do you think he'll let it go? It's true that Aunt Yu only spoke some words, and even in court, they couldn't win a lawsuit, but do you think he won't resort to some underhanded tactics?" Looking at Qi Yuanlong, Qi Zhengtao showed no fear; instead, he sat there smirking, speaking with indifference.
Hearing what his son said, Qi Yuanlong's initial anger slowly subsided; clearly, he was considering the idea.
Indeed, just as Qi Zhengtao had suggested, if Qi Li's family were to die, who would the Qi Corporation belong to? Although Qi Song was his elder brother, they were cousins, and there was no doubt that he was the primary heir.
Leaving aside Jiang Hai's assets, just considering the current market value of the Qi Corporation—ha ha, it was impossible to say he wasn't tempted.
If he had money and power, he might very well get another chance to rise.
"What are your thoughts?" Hearing Qi Zhengtao's proposal, Qi Yuanlong looked at him and asked seriously.
"Heh heh, if Jiang Hai had stayed in the U.S. and Qi Li had stayed in the Capital, I might not have many options. But now that they've come to Bingcheng, I can let them know what it means to be far from the central authority." Seeing that his father was showing signs of compromise, Qi Zhengtao replied with a smile.
Of course, Jiang Hai was currently unaware of these schemes, but even if he knew, he would probably just scoff.
Are you kidding? Who does Jiang Hai have on his side in terms of force? Not to mention Jiang Hai himself, who has eight times the physical limit of a normal human, there's Aza Rina, one of the top twelve agents from a certain European espionage agency, Wallis-Shelley, and Du Ning—all first-rate experts.
Forget about the fact that Qi Zhengtao could only hire thugs at best; even if he managed to hire special forces soldiers or professional assassins, they would be no match for these four. They would kill one if one came, two if two came, and if ten came, it would alert the central government. Would he dare?
Getting back to the main point, after learning that Zhang Yu was the one behind the incident, Jiang Hai and Qi Li discussed a plan. Starting today, Qi Li's mother's meals would be handled exclusively by Qi Ya. Qi Jie and Qi Li would take turns caring for Qi Li's mother. During the day, Jiang Hai would come over to see what assistance he could provide while simultaneously figuring out how to deal with Zhang Yu and the Qi Yuanlong family.
Aza Rina and Du Ning would split duties: one would stay in the hospital room, and the other would stay at Qi Li's home. If Qi Ya needed to deliver food, the person at the house would drive her. As for Wallis-Shelley, she would stay home to collect all the necessary information.
As for Zheng Xiue, although she was merely used by others and caused harm with good intentions, she still caused harm. She would not be allowed to leave the house for the next few days. Other punitive measures were unlikely to be used; Qi Li's mother genuinely treated her like a daughter, and Qi Li and the others sincerely treated her like a younger sister. Naturally, they couldn't send her to prison, and they couldn't bring themselves to hit her. Therefore, they could only keep her confined at home; the best outcome right now was for her not to cause any more trouble.
At the same time, Jiang Hai immediately called Ai Xiaoxi to have another batch of beef and fish sent back to Bingcheng; this was their food supply.
After all the duties were assigned, Jiang Hai breathed a sigh of relief. At least for now, he didn't need to worry about security issues.
As for how to deal with Zhang Yu and Qi Yuanlong, honestly, he was still completely clueless. (To be continued.)
Is This a Staged accident?
"Phew!" Wiping the water from his face, Jiang Hai let out a long breath. Looking at the guys soaking in the pool in the distance, Jiang Hai walked over and slowly stepped into the massive, warm water pool.
After sitting down, Jiang Hai couldn't help but exhale deeply, draping a towel over his forehead at the same time.
Since Jiang Hai was back in Ice City, it was impossible for him not to hang out with his buddies. When going out to have fun, a trip to the bathhouse was essential. Jiang Hai loved soaking in the baths, especially with his friends. Of course, he didn't come here just for the soak; his manor had a natural hot spring, and not many bathhouses in the country could compare to it, especially in Ice City, where there were no natural springs. Jiang Hai came to the bathhouse primarily for the body scrubbing service.
However, that would have to wait until he had soaked for a while. After sitting down, Jiang Hai watched the television in front of him while feeling the hot water wash away his fatigue.
"Now that you're back this time, when do you plan on leaving?" Fu Yuan turned toward Jiang Hai and asked.
"I don't know yet. I'd guess at least a month. After all, my Mother-in-law's condition isn't great. If she needs surgery, a month is a conservative estimate." With his eyes half-closed, Jiang Hai made his estimation. In reality, with his Spiritual energy to nourish her, it wouldn't matter whether she had the heart bypass surgery or not. But this was China, and Jiang Hai didn't want to expose too much. He could forgo the bypass, but he needed to take things slowly. Moreover, there was still the matter of Zhang Yu and Qi Yuanlong's family waiting for him to deal with.
"You know, as people get older, they get more illnesses. Plus, the temperature difference here is so large; the transitions into winter and spring really do trigger cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases easily." Hearing Jiang Hai's words, Xu Wei, who was beside him, also sighed.
Not long ago, his grandmother had passed away during this same season. However, she went peacefully, passing in her sleep at home at the age of over eighty. This was considered a good end, as there were certain sayings about it in ancient times.
A person should die at home rather than in a hospital or elsewhere; otherwise, it was considered a violent or unnatural death. However, few people care about such things nowadays. Since everyone is cremated after passing and the body cannot be preserved, there aren't as many superstitions. But in Ice City, it is true that the most elderly pass away during the onset of winter and spring.
"Have you thought about moving your Mother-in-law somewhere else to live?" Hearing Xu Wei's words, Fu Yuan nodded and asked Jiang Hai. However, after hearing the question, Jiang Hai looked at him as if he were an idiot.
If he moved his Mother-in-law, there were only two places she could go. One was Qi Li's place, but that was out of the question. Everyone knows the current air quality in Beijing; if his Mother-in-law went there, she might pass away even faster.
Some say that things like smog are products of industrial progress and are unavoidable, and that developed countries had it even worse.
Indeed, that is the truth. If you look at newspapers from forty years ago, you'll find that papers from the seventies reported extremely severe smog issues in the US. Yes, the US also went through this during its development.
However, the US is different from China; the wealthy there have the final say. When the wealthy felt that things couldn't continue like that, they forced the US Government to clean up the environment. It took forty years, and as everyone knows, that problem no longer exists in the US today.
Of course, the air in some major industrial cities might not be much better—like New York or Detroit—but at least once you leave the cities, the air is quite good, like in Winthrop.
But China is a bit different. As for exactly how it's different, to ensure Jiang Hai doesn't disappear, it won't be explained further.
Of course, different countries have different advantages. For instance, China is still much stronger than the US in certain aspects.
During the US presidential election last year, the one who eventually took office said that US infrastructure was like that of a third-world country. This wasn't actually a joke. Public transportation in the US consists almost entirely of cars and planes. People drive because gasoline is cheap and there are no tolls, but to be honest, driving is exhausting. So, most families choose to fly when traveling. However, flying requires checking luggage, going to the airport, and waiting; compared to planes, trains are much more convenient.
But as for American trains... well, let's just say China's High-speed rail might not be number one in the world, but it's definitely in the top three, and even a contender for the top spot. It's fast, smooth, and the ticket prices are very affordable. If you're used to taking High-speed rail in China, it's truly hard to get used to the US, because American trains are really slow. They do have High-speed rail, and it's faster than regular trains and cars, but not by much. Most importantly, the price will make you feel like you might as well just buy a plane ticket.
In the US, interstate High-speed rail tickets are generally over 150 USD, which converts to over a thousand rmb.
And that's just for a simple interstate trip; if you're crossing several states, it can even reach two or three hundred USD. It's very expensive.
Aside from High-speed rail, the urban infrastructure like subways isn't great in the US either. Take New York, the largest metropolis in the US, as an example. If you walk through New York City, almost none of the subway entrances have escalators; people have to walk up and down themselves. Of course, it's not ruled out that some places have them, but most do not.
At a subway entrance in China, you'll see a row of automatic ticket machines—four or five is the baseline—and there are also manual ticket windows. But in New York, there are only three ticket machines. One only takes coins, one is for recharging something similar to a US bus card, and only one is for normal transactions. So, you often see long lines at the automatic ticket areas during morning and evening rush hours. The only benefit is that there are no security checks.
But for those who are afraid of dying, they don't feel very safe without security checks.
Another major difference between the US and China is that the US rarely uses online payments. Things like Alipay in China are very rare in the US. They exist, but the places where you can use them are few. When eating out or shopping, you can swipe a card or pay cash, but there are very few places where you can use something like Alipay.
Perspective is determined by position. Capitalist countries in the US and Europe prefer to have cash circulating in society to keep wealth among the people. If people have money but don't spend it, how do the capitalists live? They rely on these things to make money.
The situation in China is somewhat different. The state has the final say, not the capitalists. They need to keep more money in the banks for construction rather than printing more money. Everyone knows that inflation is caused by printing too much money.
China has always been quite cautious in this regard, constantly controlling all exchange rates. Once the exchange rate between the USD and rmb gets too low—approaching 6.0 or even 5.0—the country will suppress it, causing it to rise back toward 7.0.
This is extremely important for maintaining foreign exchange reserves. That's why virtual currency is so prevalent in China. Who hasn't used WeChat transfers? Who hasn't used Alipay to eat or pay for things? It looks like the money is still yours and it's very convenient, but the state's money in the bank remains untouched. For the state, it's just moving money from the left hand to the right; it doesn't matter who holds it.
Alright, the topic has drifted. In short, Jiang Hai's Mother-in-law cannot go to Beijing.
Then go to Jiang Hai's place? Heh heh heh... besides an awkward chuckle, there's no other way to describe it.
Go there for what? To see how debauched her son-in-law is? Don't be ridiculous. That's why Jiang Hai looked at Fu Yuan like he was an idiot. Fu Yuan also seemed to realize he had misspoken and couldn't help but give an embarrassed laugh.
After soaking for a while, the three of them went to get scrubbed. After scrubbing off all the grime, getting a salt rub, and steaming in the sauna, Jiang Hai and the others rinsed off and came out. They weren't in a hurry to leave, however, and went upstairs for a sweat steam and a massage. Don't misunderstand; it wasn't any kind of'special' service, just a normal massage. Jiang Hai just got a foot massage.
Once everything was finished, Jiang Hai and the others left the bathhouse. Since they had just finished eating skewers before bathing, they didn't plan to gather again and just headed home. Jiang Hai walked over to the flashy red Ferrari he was driving.
He had no choice; the Qi family only had three cars in Ice City. One was a rolls-royce, the main car, kept at the main residence.
There was also a bmw, currently left at the hospital so that if anyone had business there, they could use it.
The last one was Qi Li's Ferrari, so Jiang Hai had no choice but to drive this car back. Fortunately, Jiang Hai could pull off the flashy red color; it wasn't like he was using the car to pick up girls anyway.
After chatting for a few more moments, the three of them climbed into their respective vehicles, started their engines, and headed toward their homes.
While driving, Jiang Hai was thinking about how to solve the problem of Zhang Yu. But while he was lost in thought, a person suddenly lunged out from the roadside and lay down directly twenty meters in front of Jiang Hai's car.
"Crap!" Seeing the person suddenly lunge out, Jiang Hai slammed on the brakes. The car was indeed a high-quality machine, and since Jiang Hai wasn't driving particularly fast to begin with, it came to a stop after sliding forward four or five meters.
Seeing that Jiang Hai had stopped a bit far away, the person actually started scuttling closer. Watching the person's actions on the dashcam, Jiang Hai couldn't help but be amused. He then pulled out his phone, preparing to call the police. What else was there to say? (To be continued.)
A Handle Delivered
However, just as Jiang Hai was about to make a call, a group of people suddenly emerged from the distant bushes. There were more than twenty of them, all carrying wooden planks and pipes, aggressively surrounding him.
Seeing this, Jiang Hai knew what these people meant without having to think. He didn't stand on ceremony. Although he didn't know who was plotting against him, he was certain these people were coming for him.
Without another word, Jiang Hai shifted gears, ready to drive off. But when he looked back, he saw a minivan speeding towards him from behind. It looked like these people were going for the kill.
With a minivan blocking the road behind, people lying in front to stage an accident, and others surrounding him, it was clear that the police station must have been arranged as well. If he drove straight through and ran someone over, he would undoubtedly be arrested.
It seemed these people had planned their scheme against him in great detail! But if it truly came down to a fight, Jiang Hai wasn't worried. There were no guns in China. Without guns, these rotten potatoes and stinky eggs wanted to deal with him? Heh!
Thinking of this, Jiang Hai activated the recording function on his glasses, then pushed open the car door and stepped out.
"Oh, you dare to come out? I thought you'd be hiding inside like a turtle." Seeing Jiang Hai emerge, the minivan also stopped, and six or seven people got out. Among them was a Fat, wearing a thick gold chain and sunglasses even in the dark. He grinned at Jiang Hai and said with a smile.
"Hiding like a turtle? Heh, if you had hit my car, I'd have to get it repaired, which would be a lot of trouble!" Hearing the man's words, Jiang Hai chuckled lightly and replied calmly.
"Heh heh, I don't think you'll have a chance to repair it. Go! Beat him up first!" Hearing Jiang Hai's nonchalant tone, the Fat waved his hand, and nearly forty of his subordinates, both inside and outside the circle, all rushed forward, cursing.
However, Jiang Hai merely chuckled. He took a step, flashing in front of one person, deliberately letting the man's hand brush against him. Then, Jiang Hai delivered a direct punch to the face. The immense impact instantly smashed the man's nose into his face, causing blood to gush out instantly. His body, like a sandbag, flew backward into the people behind him, knocking down a whole group. Jiang Hai, however, did not stop. He immediately turned to the other side, dodging a metal pipe swung by the person in front of him. Jiang Hai's leg swept horizontally, directly hitting the man's stomach. The kick sent the man flying into the air, his eyes and tongue bulging out. By the time he landed, he had already lost his ability to fight, and Jiang Hai had already leaped over him, disappearing into the crowd behind him.
Jiang Hai's combat power was inherently extremely strong, and coupled with professional training, these untrained individuals were no match for him.
As soon as they came up, Jiang Hai was like a tiger entering a flock of sheep, taking down many. Although they all had weapons in their hands, they were completely defenseless against Jiang Hai's fists, feet, elbows, and knees. Truly, merely touching him meant losing the ability to fight; broken bones and torn tendons were common occurrences. In a flash of lightning, about a third of this group of forty had already lost their fighting ability, either directly knocked unconscious or clutching their stomachs, arms, or legs, screaming on the ground.
It is said that the soft fear the hard, the hard fear the reckless, and the reckless fear those who are not afraid to die. Jiang Hai was not reckless, but his martial prowess was simply too high, to a degree these people could barely imagine.
So the remaining twenty or so people hesitated at this point, including those hooligans who were initially knocked down by that person.
They had personally witnessed the miserable state of the first person Jiang Hai beat; they probably wouldn't be able to continue their hooligan ways in the future, and just surviving would be a blessing. So now these people were scared. They were all hesitant and held back.
"What are you afraid of? He's only one person. We'll exhaust him to death! Grab your weapons!" The Fat hiding behind the crowd immediately roared when he saw the situation. Hearing his words, these people also threw away the water pipes and wooden planks they were holding, then pulled out gleaming switchblades from their pockets.
Seeing these people daring to use sharp weapons, Jiang Hai smiled. If that was the case, he would leave them with a profound impression.
Watching these people charge with knives, Jiang Hai instead used his foot to kick up two water pipes. What followed was a torrential barrage of strikes. The water pipes were metal, not plastic, and even an ordinary person could smash a head with them. How much more so when Jiang Hai wielded them? In an instant, the iron pipes rained down on these people.
Unlike raindrops, however, these iron pipes, once they fell, inevitably resulted in broken bones and tendons, whether on the head, shoulder, or chest. Jiang Hai, alone, furiously beat down on these twenty-plus people, who had not expected him to be so violent.
The first five or six people who rushed forward were instantly smashed to the ground by Jiang Hai. Seeing their caved-in heads or clearly bent arms and shoulders, these people were scared again. In street fights like this, courage is the most important thing.
These people weren't soldiers; they had no convictions. They were just bullies who picked on the weak and feared the strong. The courage they had just managed to muster with their small knives now completely drained away. Some of the more timid ones in the back even retreated continuously.
But even as they retreated, Jiang Hai had no intention of letting them go, continuing to fight his way through.
Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang—the sound of the water pipes hitting flesh ignited Jiang Hai's blood and also ignited these people's fear.
Someone let out a scream, the first to do so, and quickly ran backward. The others followed suit, also running away.
But even if you ran, Jiang Hai wouldn't let you go. Don't pursue a cornered foe? That saying didn't apply to Jiang Hai.
He went after them, still hitting. By the time Jiang Hai reached the minivan, there were only two thugs left.
One was the Fat, and the other was the minivan driver. The Fat was now completely stunned.
He had only ever heard of one person fighting a hundred, and he would always scoff at it, thinking it was nonsense. How could there be such a terrifying person in this world? One against a hundred? One against ten doesn't even exist, okay?
But today, Jiang Hai taught him a lesson. Although he hadn't fought a hundred people today, those forty-plus were very real.
Now, they all lay on the ground, either their lives unknown or clutching their injuries and screaming. That scene was like an asura's battlefield.
The Fat and the driver were completely terrified, standing there at a loss, but Jiang Hai wasn't going to be polite.
He went up and swung the pipe, directly breaking the Fat's right hand. The Fat screamed like a pig being slaughtered.
"Speak, what happened today!" Another iron pipe was placed in front of the Fat's left hand, and Jiang Hai said calmly.
"I, I, I don't know..." Covering his right hand, the Fat tried to be tough, but unfortunately, Jiang Hai's iron pipe came down again with another crack, and the Fat's left hand involuntarily drooped.
"Ah, ah, ah..." With both hands crippled, the Fat could only scream loudly and helplessly.
Jiang Hai had no intention of asking again. He picked up the iron pipe once more, and with two more cracks, the Fat's legs were instantly broken. He lay limply on the cold asphalt road, his voice hoarse from screaming.
"The next blow will be to your head. Whether you live or die depends on your fate. Now I ask you a second time, what happened!" Jiang Hai's foot pressed down on the Fat's head, grinding it as he spoke.
"I, I really don't know. I'm under Brother Zhao, Big Bro, Big Bro, I didn't recognize your importance, Big Bro, please spare me..." Hearing Jiang Hai threaten to smash his head, the Fat was truly terrified. A foul smell emanated from his pants as he stammered out his words. Hearing him, Jiang Hai was amused.
"I don't know any Brother Zhao. You came to pick a fight with me for no reason? You think you can just dismiss me with that excuse?" Jiang Hai's eyes narrowed as he looked at the Fat, and the iron pipe swung down directly.
It instantly smashed onto the Fat's head, and he stopped screaming immediately, having passed out.
Then Jiang Hai lifted his foot and looked at the driver in the distance. The driver instantly knelt down.
"Big Bro, Big Bro, I'm just the driver. They originally told me to hit your car, but you see, I didn't hit it. This has nothing to do with me, Big Bro... Oh, right, I, I, I might know who wants to deal with you." Looking at Jiang Hai, the driver slapped his own face while speaking. Hearing his words, Jiang Hai's eyebrows raised.
"I'm Brother Zhao's driver. I remember this afternoon, someone named Qi came to see Brother Zhao. That Qi owed Brother Zhao ten million. I don't know what they talked about, but Brother Zhao arranged this tonight. It really has nothing to do with me, Big Bro!" The man shouted loudly, meeting Jiang Hai's gaze. Hearing his words, Jiang Hai's brow furrowed. Suddenly, a person and an event came to mind: Du Ning, or perhaps Qi Li or Zheng Xiu'e, had mentioned that on the morning his mother-in-law was hospitalized, Qi Yuanlong had called his mother-in-law, saying that Qi Zhengtao had been detained by someone and would only be released for ten million. Ten million, surnamed Qi. Jiang Hai's eyes narrowed. It seemed the person behind this had been found! (To be continued.)
Qi Family's Influence
"Woo-woo, woo-woo, woo-woo, woo-woo…" A series of alarms sounded. Hearing them, the driver collapsed powerlessly to the ground. He knew he had narrowly escaped death, while Jiang Hai pulled out his phone and called Qi Li and Azalea. He called Qi Li, of course, to protect himself with the weapon of law.
These people dared to dispatch forty individuals directly onto the street to ambush him. Jiang Hai himself wouldn't believe it if they claimed there was no one protecting them from above. It's always been like this in China: officials hold the most power. No matter how wealthy someone is, they're merely a fat sheep in the eyes of officials. This is precisely why Jiang Hai never considered doing business in China. Because if things go wrong, his business could become someone else's, and he could end up losing his family and everything. The old saying, "A prefect who breaks families, a magistrate who destroys clans," isn't just for show.
It goes without saying that the first batch of police officers who arrived must have some connection to these people. Jiang Hai couldn't escape, because if he did, something that wasn't a problem would become one. So, he called Qi Li, asking her to find a lawyer to handle it.
He called Azalea to have her and Wallis-Shelley track down this Brother Zhao. Although they didn't know whether the mastermind behind this was Qi Yuanlong or Qi Zhengtao, Brother Zhao definitely knew. These two father and son seemed to be digging their own graves!
They had put their weakness into Jiang Hai's hands, so would Jiang Hai still be polite? They were thinking too much.
After making the calls, the police arrived. When they saw the scene, like a slaughterhouse, they all gasped. Upon seeing them, Jiang Hai cooperatively threw the iron pipe to the ground and lay down. The police came over, equally cooperatively, and arrested both Jiang Hai and the driver. As for the others, they were naturally sent to the hospital. Afterward, the police quickly escorted Jiang Hai and the driver towards the police station.
They didn't speak on the way. Upon arriving at the police station, all of Jiang Hai's belongings—ID card, passport, green card, phone, keys, etc.—were searched and confiscated. Then he was handcuffed in the interrogation room. However, these police officers were indeed not good people; they didn't shackle Jiang Hai to a chair but rather to a nearby heating pipe, making it impossible for Jiang Hai to stand or squat. This was a common tactic of theirs, a show of force, perhaps. But Jiang Hai hadn't been cuffed for even five minutes when two police officers walked in, cuffed him to a chair, and prepared to interrogate him.
It goes without saying that Qi Li must have started to exert her influence, even though she had panicked when she heard her mother had fainted.
But don't forget, she is an out-and-out strong woman by nature. The moment she received Jiang Hai's call, she immediately made a call, directly to the headquarters, exerting pressure on the Ministry of Public Security in the capital in the name of the Qi family, even alarming the National Security Bureau. After all, Jiang Hai was also on their list there.
After receiving the news, the Ministry of Public Security was truly baffled. What did they mean, "our police have detained the largest shareholder of the Qi family"?
You have to understand, the one who detained Jiang Hai was just a police station. Although Bingcheng is a provincial capital city, there are still the district public security bureau, the municipal bureau, the provincial department, and then the ministry. To appeal across four levels, that's truly reaching for the sky.
But this was the Qi family. After all, the capital was under the emperor's feet, and the Qi family's power there was quite solid. No official dared to act against the wind there. This was different from Bingcheng, where the sky was high and the emperor was far away, and Jiang Hai's identity was important enough.
So, after learning about this matter, the head of the Ministry of Public Security immediately called the provincial department. The head of the provincial department called the municipal bureau, and the people from the municipal bureau skipped the district level and called this police station. They immediately gave a good scolding, at least to let the people at this police station know who they had arrested!
Upon learning of the situation, the director of the police station was also startled. While secretly cursing Brother Zhao, he also felt some trepidation, fearing that this matter would implicate him. But now that the arrow was on the string, it had to be fired. Even so, those shows of force, physical actions, and so on, were out of the question. The other party's identity was clear; if a single hair was lost, his political career would be over. So he immediately sent people to interrogate, and could do nothing else.
"Name…" The two police officers who came to interrogate Jiang Hai were a somewhat imposing middle-aged man and another man who appeared to be around thirty years old. They took Jiang Hai off the heating pipe, cuffed him to a chair, then turned on the video recording and began the interrogation. Unfortunately, after they finished asking, Jiang Hai still didn't speak.
"Kid, I'm asking you, what's your name!" The police officer around thirty years old tapped the table and said with a furious expression.
"I won't speak until my lawyer arrives." Hearing the man's words, Jiang Hai merely smiled and said calmly. As the old saying goes, officials have two mouths, both inside and out. Another old saying goes, "The yamen gate faces south, if you have reason but no money, don't come in." Although Jiang Hai had both reason and money, if these two mouths were impolite to him, he had heard of cases where right and wrong were inverted. To prevent Jiang Hai from disappearing mysteriously, he wouldn't speak too clearly.
"Lawyer? You kid must watch too many Hong Kong movies. Where would you get a lawyer?!" Hearing what Jiang Hai said, the middle-aged police officer sneered. However, just as his voice fell, a commotion erupted outside.
Then the door of the interrogation room was pushed open, and a captain from the police station was seen bowing and scraping, accompanying a man in a suit who walked in. After this man entered, he saw Jiang Hai handcuffed there.
"Hello, you must be Mr. Jiang!" Seeing Jiang Hai sitting there, the man in black immediately walked over with a smile, wanting to shake Jiang Hai's hand. But when he saw Jiang Hai was handcuffed, his expression darkened a little.
"Hello, my name is Qian Zhengwen, from the legal department of the Qi family, and I am your current lawyer… I would like to ask everyone, what crime has my client committed, and why is he handcuffed here?" Looking at the people in front of him, Lawyer Qian Zhengwen said with a serious expression. Hearing his words, the surrounding police officers looked at each other, unable to answer.
"He was detained by us on suspicion of involvement in a brawl." At this point, it had to be said that the old police officer was composed. He calmly looked at the lawyer and said, and his words were not wrong; Jiang Hai had indeed been in a fight.
"Okay, I request to observe the interrogation." Hearing the reason given by the other party, and seeing that it seemed unassailable, the lawyer didn't mind and simply stood beside Jiang Hai, stating calmly.
Hearing his words, the two officers looked at the captain who had opened the door and entered. The captain merely smiled and then retreated. Just kidding, he wasn't with those people; he didn't need to be buried with them.
He heard that Jiang Hai had already alarmed the Ministry of Public Security, and both the municipal and provincial bureaus were sending people over. This small police station couldn't suppress him. If he didn't choose to protect himself now, then he must be sick.
Seeing that the captain was gone and no longer in charge, the two couldn't help but feel a headache, but they still had to bite the bullet and question Jiang Hai. However, this time, Jiang Hai answered very straightforwardly. With a lawyer present, he wasn't afraid that they would set any traps for him.
Jiang Hai recounted his situation and what had happened that night, and he also provided evidence: the footage recorded by his glasses, to prove that he had indeed acted in normal self-defense.
Although the two police officers really wanted to ask him, "You call that normal self-defense, putting thirty-eight people in the hospital?" Among them, twenty-three were seriously injured, fourteen had minor injuries, and one, the leading fat man, was destined to be disabled.
The only one completely unharmed was the driver, but he was also somewhat dazed from fright.
But they couldn't say that, because they couldn't question why Jiang Hai was so powerful. The dashcam footage and Jiang Hai's glasses provided two pieces of undeniable evidence: it was indeed these people who first stopped Jiang Hai and then surrounded him, preparing to attack him.
If there hadn't been a lawyer present, they might have been vague about who attacked first, defining the incident as mutual combat.
But with a lawyer present now, they couldn't say that. They could only quickly finish the transcript, and during this time, people from the provincial and municipal bureaus had already arrived and fully taken over the case. Jiang Hai's special status allowed him to have such authority.
After the transcript was confirmed to be accurate, Jiang Hai signed it. Because he was the victim, he was allowed to leave.
"Mr. Jiang, how do you plan to resolve this incident?" As they walked out, the lawyer quietly asked Jiang Hai how he wanted to handle the matter. Of course, it was up to Jiang Hai to decide whether to pursue a thorough investigation or to downplay it. After flexing his somewhat sore wrists from being cuffed, Jiang Hai smiled. Downplay it? How could that be?
"Sue them for kidnapping, attempted murder, robbery, oh, and also for staging an accident." Jiang Hai said calmly, looking at the lawyer. Hearing Jiang Hai's words, the lawyer nodded; he understood what Jiang Hai meant: to pursue them relentlessly.
"I understand!" Looking at Jiang Hai, the lawyer smiled calmly. He knew that this incident was also a "certificate of allegiance" from Jiang Hai and the Qi family to him. If he handled it well, he wouldn't need to worry too much about his future prospects… (To be continued.)
Brother Zhao
"Zhao Chen, Zhao Chen, you bastard! Are you trying to kill me?! You motherf*cker, get out here!" In Ice City during the early hours of the morning, before the sun had even risen, a man in plain clothes burst into a high-end club and began shouting loudly. This club had quite a reputation in Ice City.
It was usually a place where minor celebrities, second-generation rich, and their ilk would spend the night partying. You could say that whatever you wanted to play with, they had it. But even so, it was currently the time for those who had played all night to rest. Hearing someone shouting, some people poked their heads out grumbling, but when they saw the security guards in the distance not daring to move, they pulled their heads back. After a while, a man in casual clothes walked slowly down from upstairs.
This man looked to be thirty-five or thirty-six years old. His hair was combed meticulously, and he wore a circle of beard. His appearance was somewhat like the Axe Gang boss from Stephen Chow's Kung Fu Hustle, but he was more handsome and had a good physique. Currently wearing a black shirt and trousers, he walked over from a distance with a smile on his face. Anyone active in Ice City's underworld would find it easy to recognize him; his name was Zhao Chen. Compared to those on the streets who called themselves 'Tiger', 'Dragon', or 'Flood Dragon', this man played at a much higher level. He was a retired special forces soldier. After returning from service, he followed a boss, but because of his good looks and physique, he had an affair with the boss's woman. When the boss found out, he struck first and took the boss out. The boss's wife held all the assets, so the two of them immediately recruited men and started their own business.
After incorporating his former boss's territory and using money to pave the way—along with training a group of thugs using professional methods—he gradually gained a reputation. However, once he became famous, he scaled back his business and opened this entertainment club.
It was a place specifically for rich people's amusement—gambling, dog fighting, finding the most professional 'fallen women', and so on. This place was the best for such things, so many second-generation rich, second-generation officials, and celebrities liked to come here to play.
As the years passed, he had subtly become a very influential presence in this area.
As for this Director Liu, he was an official under the Municipal Bureau—cough, it's better not to be too explicit, but anyway, he was connected to Zhao. This time, regarding Jiang Hai's arrest, he was the one in charge on the police side. But now, he was likely panicking!
"Director Liu, it's so early in the morning, and I'm not even open for business yet," the man said with a chuckle, looking at the middle-aged man in front of him. Hearing his words, Director Liu's eyes looked like they were about to pop out of his head.
"Open for business? Open your mother's business! You turtle-spawn, you actually dared to play me! What the hell is going on with that Jiang Hai?!" Pointing at the man, Director Liu cursed loudly, shouting at him with a face full of rage.
"Nothing's going on, just a common nouveau riche," Zhao Chen smiled back. He hadn't been in this world for just a day; he naturally knew there were some people he could never afford to provoke.
So usually, he was all smiles with everyone. If he hadn't clearly investigated someone's background, he wouldn't make a move.
Jiang Hai's background was quite easy to check. From childhood to adulthood, he was just an ordinary loser. His grades weren't great as a kid, his parents died early, and later he just stayed at home as a shut-in. Although there were rumors that he had some marital connection to the eldest miss of the Qi family...
But according to his understanding, that eldest miss probably never took him seriously.
If she had ever taken him seriously, he should have been staying in the Imperial Capital instead of Ice City. Later, he heard that three years ago, he went to America to start raising cattle. Maybe he made some money from ranching? But in Zhao Chen's eyes, he was nothing more than a common nouveau riche.
"Nouveau riche? Nouveau riche my ass! Is a nouveau riche the largest shareholder of the Qi Corporation? Can a nouveau riche alarm the Public Security Bureau? Can a nouveau riche make the Provincial Department and the Municipal Bureau take over the case directly within an hour and conduct a thorough investigation? Look at the charges against your subordinates: robbery, murder, kidnapping! Haha, and you tell me he's a nouveau riche!" Hearing Zhao Chen's words, Director Liu instantly exploded, jumping and pointing at Zhao's nose while cursing.
Hearing what he said, a flash of surprise crossed Zhao Chen's face, but he quickly masked it.
"Let me tell you, this person you're trying to trouble is named Jiang Hai. That'small ranch' of his has a market value of tens of billions of dollars. He does business directly with entire countries. He has business dealings in Europe, the Middle East, Australia, South Korea, Japan, and even China. Even the Imperial Court has to ask for his favor to get things done! And you tell me 'nouveau riche'? Haha, I'm telling you, if I'm finished, you're dead too! Your whole family will die!" Director Liu said, pointing his finger at Zhao Chen.
"Heh, no need to be so anxious. No matter how strong his influence is, it's all abroad. Even if he has some domestically, it's in the Imperial Capital. A powerful dragon cannot suppress a local snake. I have plenty of ways to settle this. Just go back and be your Director Liu with peace of mind. If anything happens, you won't need to act—I'll deliver my own head!" Zhao Chen said with a light laugh, looking at Director Liu.
"Just keep courting death!" Seeing Zhao Chen's confident look, Director Liu had no other choice but to believe him. He pointed a finger at Zhao, then turned and left. It would be a problem if someone saw him entering and leaving such a place. After Director Liu left, Zhao Chen still kept the smile on his face as he walked into his room.
But as soon as he entered the room, he slumped to the floor. His previous composure was all an act. He never imagined he would offend such a major figure. The cause of everything was Qi Zhengtao.
After the conflict between Qi Song and Qi Zhengtao during the Lunar New Year, only Qi Zhengtao's wife, Lü Si, returned to the Qi Corporation to work.
Qi Zhengtao's family stayed in Ice City; they had nothing to do back in the Imperial Capital anyway. Without his wife to keep him in check, Qi Zhengtao was even more free, spending all day in high-end clubs with a group of fair-weather friends.
He also came to this entertainment club often. In the past, he was only lecherous and didn't touch gambling. Although being lecherous harms the body, compared to the other two of the 'three vices', it wasn't that expensive. Even for a higher-end girl, one night including drinks would be thirty to fifty thousand; he could afford that. Plus, after playing once, he'd definitely need the next day to sober up, so he couldn't play the second day, and might feel a bit light-headed on the third day, so he'd play twice a week at most. For Qi Yuanlong's family, spending sixty or seventy thousand a week was nothing. But recently, Qi Zhengtao probably wanted more excitement and got into gambling—that's where the trouble started.
This was on a much larger scale; sometimes eighty or a hundred thousand would be thrown in in a single hand.
However, he couldn't get the money from Qi Yuanlong. Gradually, over these few months, he came to owe this club ten million. After he finished playing the night before last, he was detained here by Zhao Chen. Of course, there was no hitting or cursing; they just called Qi Yuanlong. Only then did Qi Yuanlong find out his son was gambling. He stated he was a shareholder of the Qi Corporation and his son was the young master of the Qi family, so they shouldn't worry about the money. Only then did he call Jiang Hai's mother-in-law, which triggered her illness.
Yesterday, Qi Zhengtao came over and paid off the ten million directly. This was scraped together by Qi Yuanlong, nearly depleting his family savings.
Once the ten million was paid, Zhao Chen's attitude improved significantly, and he truly believed Qi Zhengtao was a young master of the Qi family.
Then Qi Zhengtao told Zhao Chen that ten million was just a drop in the bucket for the Qi Corporation, which was worth tens of billions. However, he had been a bit annoyed lately, which was why he kept coming here to gamble. He said Jiang Hai was Qi Li's little husband, had no skills at all, and was constantly making trouble for their family by relying on his wife's status. He wanted to fix Jiang Hai, so he told Zhao Chen he wanted to capture Jiang Hai or give him a severe beating—at least to stop him from interfering. If it succeeded, he could let Zhao Chen buy in, and everyone could make money together. After checking the Qi Corporation's situation, Zhao Chen was quite tempted.
No matter how successful he was now, he was still just a hoodlum who couldn't be presented in polite society. Even a local police station director could lock him up. But if he became a shareholder of the Qi Corporation, it would be different. However, being cautious by nature, he still checked into Jiang Hai's situation.
But where could he possibly check Jiang Hai's high-level connections or the situation abroad? At most, he sent some lackeys to find people Jiang Hai knew. They couldn't find his close friends, only distant classmates, former colleagues, and neighbors from his old apartment complex. What the hell did they know? His classmates only knew Jiang Hai went to America to buy a manor and raise cattle. The internet says every day that you can buy a farm in America for a few hundred thousand; they estimated Jiang Hai was at that level. At this age, what Young Man would respect a guy who didn't rely on his father? Even if Jiang Hai told them he made over ten billion dollars a year, they wouldn't believe it, let alone the fact that Jiang Hai wouldn't tell them. As for neighbors and colleagues, they knew even less.
It was precisely because he understood things this way that Zhao Chen dared to make a move on Jiang Hai. Who knew? It was over; he had kicked a steel plate.
The words he just said to Director Liu were only to stabilize him; he was actually already panicking. After a moment, he hurriedly stood up, then quickly went to his safe, took all the cash and jewelry, and went directly from the back door to the underground garage. He planned to flee in an inconspicuous Chevrolet.
However, his car had barely turned out and driven less than two blocks when, on a narrow road, two cars—one in front and one behind—blocked him directly. Then, two foreign girls stepped out of the cars with disdainful expressions on their faces. (To be continued.)