Chapter 161: Old Zhang’s Schemes

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It was true that the reputation of a deputy mayor could make one’s life more comfortable than that of ordinary people and earn one more admiration than ordinary people received. But at the same time, it also meant losing much more.

The more time Jiao Jiao spent with Zhang Rui, the more she felt that their lives were truly carefree and comfortable. They did whatever they pleased, following their hearts without restraint.

And once she returned home, what else did Yang Tianhe do besides demanding that she behave like a proper young lady and remain at home awaiting marriage?

He was so afraid that she would cause him trouble. If she was such a burden, why had he even brought her into this world?

These were the words Jiao Jiao had screamed in her heart time and again.

“No, I still have a lot to deal with. You heard them just now—one of my brothers was beaten, and we still don’t know who did it. I need to go over there.”

Zhang Rui was already growing irritated. Last night had been going perfectly. The brothers had been enjoying hot pot and discussing the construction project with Tian Xing. He should have been able to spend a pleasant night with Xia Yu, enjoying each other’s company. But now, because he had gone looking for Jiao Jiao, he had left Xia Yu waiting and failed to look after his brothers. Even Chen Qiaoman, such a good girl, had been sent back to the police station because he was afraid something might happen to her.

What a mess.

And in the end, he had even caused Wang Kewei to misunderstand him. Although Wang Kewei was no good person and Zhang Rui was not afraid of him, they had only just begun making their way in society. It was better to provoke as few people as possible. Now that everything had become such a tangled mess, who knew how they would deal with it later?

Zhang Rui was no brute, nor did he make a habit of bullying others. After leaving the army, all he wanted was to return home to Bohai, take good care of his parents, and help his brothers earn some money so they could live comfortable lives. They would not bully anyone, and no one else would be allowed to push them around. That was enough.

Zhang Rui had no grand ambitions. He had always believed that, in this life, being happy was all that mattered. Whether one possessed immense wealth or rose to great heights, those were merely external things. One could neither bring them into the world nor take them beyond the grave. As long as a person had enough to spend, was well-liked, had good relationships with others, and had a wife who knew how to care for him, that was enough.

The plainer life was, the more satisfying and interesting it became. To live with one’s feet on the ground and one’s conscience clear—that was the life worth pursuing.

“Then just take me with you.”

After being tied up for an entire night, Jiao Jiao seemed to have grown bolder. She had spent the night alone in a tent out in the wilderness, tormented by the chaotic roar of the howling northern wind. The only thing that had enabled her to hold on was the belief in her heart that her hero would come.

“Absolutely not. Your father is worried sick about you. He didn’t sleep at all last night and sent countless people to search the entire city. You’re being far too disobedient.”

Zhang Rui said no more. He drove the Golf straight toward the villa compound where the city’s leaders lived, reaching the entrance in less than ten minutes.

“You drive inside. I’ll take a taxi.”

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With that, Zhang Rui got out of the car and ran straight toward the mouth of the alley.

Jiao Jiao hurried out as well and shouted, “Zhang Rui! Don’t go!”

But Zhang Rui ran off without hesitation. He did not even look back. He sprinted to the main road, dove into a taxi, turned around, and left.

Jiao Jiao stood beside the Golf, tears of disappointment slipping from the corners of her eyes. Two soldiers from the People’s Armed Police stood nearby on guard. Though puzzled, they remained rooted to the spot without moving an inch.

Jiao Jiao had actually been frightened out of her wits. She wanted someone beside her to protect her, and Zhang Rui was the best candidate. Whenever she thought of the way Bighead had treated her in the tent the previous night, a lingering terror seized her.

!!!

Zhang Rui took a taxi straight to the used-car dealership. As soon as he got out, he hurried into Old Zhang’s office.

At that moment, Old Zhang was anxiously smoking, wondering how he would deal with Zhang Rui, who was certain to come and demand answers.

What if Zhang Rui brought people from Tianhua Industries over for a face-to-face confrontation?

Wouldn’t the truth be exposed immediately?

No, that couldn’t happen. It definitely wouldn’t!

It was a fact that Zhang Rui had beaten people from Tianhua. How could they possibly have made peace so quickly?

At a time like this, the two sides ought to be completely at odds. There was no way Tianhua’s people would come to help Zhang Rui expose him!

Just as Old Zhang was pondering this, Zhang Rui burst through the door. His expression was ferocious, startling Old Zhang so badly that the cigarette between his fingers fell to the floor.

“Oh! President Zhang came all the way here himself. There was no need for you to trouble yourself. Once Guo Tao wakes up, I’ll have someone send him back.”

Old Zhang rose courteously and hurried to offer Zhang Rui a cigarette, putting on an oily, ingratiating manner while his heart pounded with anxiety.

Zhang Rui did not even take the cigarette. He barked, “Where are your surveillance recordings? Turn them on! I’ll look at them myself!”

Whoosh!

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Zhang Rui was not so easy to fool. On the way there, he had already figured it out. Dozens of used cars awaiting sale were parked in Old Zhang’s lot year-round, many without proper paperwork. How could there possibly be no surveillance cameras on the premises?

Facts spoke louder than words. Whatever had happened, taking one look at the surveillance footage would be far more useful than listening to Old Zhang talk himself hoarse for an entire day.

“The surveillance system broke down ages ago, and I never got around to repairing it. Since I live here most of the time, I figured I might as well keep watch myself. I’ve gotten used to it. Those few cameras in the yard are really just there to scare outsiders. In truth... they don’t work at all.”

Old Zhang swallowed and spoke with complete frankness. He had prepared those words long ago and now delivered them without hesitation.

Old Zhang had even moved the surveillance equipment from the back room and hidden it in the trunk of one of the dilapidated cars in the yard. Once he had dealt with Zhang Rui, he could put it back.

The surveillance system could not be abandoned altogether. It was linked directly to the emergency services, and if anything happened, the police could be alerted immediately. That was far more useful than relying on his own hundred-plus pounds to guard the place.

Someone would certainly sleep here and keep watch at night, but Old Zhang, the owner, would definitely not stay here to suffer.

“Is that so?”

Still unconvinced, Zhang Rui hurried into the back room. Dust covered everything, and the monitors and equipment were nowhere to be seen. Beside the back room was a small bedroom, and the bedding inside looked clean. Someone clearly did live there.

“Oh, come on, brother. How could I possibly lie to you? All right, I’ll take you to the clinic to see Guo Tao. He was seriously injured. At the time, I was in my office writing up the transfer papers for him. Who could have expected them to start fighting in the yard in the blink of an eye? By the time I came out, they had all fled, and the car was gone too. In the end, they even claimed to be from Tianhua Industries and said that Zhang Rui should go to Tianhua if he had the nerve to find them. They also said...”

Old Zhang’s voice faltered toward the end, and he put on an expression of embarrassment, as though the words were too difficult to repeat.

“What else did they say?”

Zhang Rui’s eyes blazed. By now, he had clenched both fists and was struggling to resist the urge to strike someone.

“They said that you, Zhang Rui... were nothing but a little bastard, yet you still wanted to challenge Brother Hua. Really... you don’t know your own limits! They told you to watch yourself in Bohai from now on.”

Old Zhang was an old hand who understood how to manipulate people’s minds. From the moment Zhang Rui entered the room, he had known that the conflict between Zhang Rui and Tianhua had not yet been resolved. Since that was the case, he might as well add fuel to the fire and shift the blame for the whole affair onto Zhang Rui’s beating of Brother Hei. That way, both the dealership and Old Zhang himself could wash their hands of the matter.

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