Zhao Qiang said, "I haven't been to the university for a long time. I do some repair work myself, and I make more money in some months and less in others."
Dong Zhibo said, "It's not stable. I suggest you go back to work. Although you won't make money, the key is a stable life. Save some money, buy a house in Beijing, and you'll be a Beijing resident. This is a good thing that benefits future generations."
Zhao Qiang said, "That makes sense, but houses in Beijing are very expensive, and it's not easy to save money."
Dong Zhibo and Zhong Dayuan said in unison, "Who can argue with that? It would be best if you could suddenly win the lottery, otherwise you can forget about living the life of a rich person in this lifetime."
Liu Xiuxiu was already waiting at the company entrance. When she saw Dong Zhibo's car approaching, her ample breasts jiggled so hard it hurt Zhao Qiang's eyes. He vaguely remembered her; she didn't used to have this figure. Had she gone to South Korea for plastic surgery? Or had she simply improved her appearance due to a better life?
"Zhao Qiang?" Liu Xiuxiu extended her hand to Zhao Qiang in a friendly manner. Girls are more observant, and although she had hardly interacted with Zhao Qiang at school, she recognized him quickly. Zhao Qiang gently shook her hand and said, "Liu Xiuxiu, it's nice to see you."
Liu Xiuxiu said, "Me too. It's been so many years since we graduated, and we're all scattered all over the place. It's not easy to meet up." As she spoke, Liu Xiuxiu got into the car and sat next to Zhao Qiang. A light perfume scent wafted into Zhao Qiang's nose. All girls smell nice, no matter what.
Dong Zhibo turned to Liu Xiuxiu and asked, "Beautiful lady, where should we eat?"
Liu Xiuxiu said, "Today we are the hosts, so we should ask Zhao Qiang where he wants to eat."
Zhao Qiang said, "I think we should find a barbecue stall and grab something to eat. You all still have work to do this afternoon, right?"
Liu Xiuxiu said, "We do have work, but we won't have any work now that you're here. Although you didn't have much of a relationship with us in school, we were all classmates, so we're closer than those friends in the workplace. It's only right that we spend an afternoon with you."
Zhao Qiang was touched by Liu Xiuxiu's kindness, but Dong Zhibo was a little more distant, while Zhong Dayuan was very enthusiastic. Zhao Qiang couldn't refuse, so he said, "Alright, since everyone is willing to take time out of their work to accompany me, then I'll cover all the expenses for today."
Liu Xiuxiu chuckled: "Forget it, it's not easy for you to save up for your college tuition. Let us treat you."
Finally, Dong Zhibo parked the car in front of a mid-range hotel. He got out of the car and went into the hotel. Zhong Dayuan ordered the dishes, and Zhao Qiang estimated that this meal would cost at least ** hundred yuan. With the salaries of these three classmates, they should be able to afford it, so Zhao Qiang didn't say anything and sat down in the main guest's seat.
Liu Xiuxiu refilled Zhao Qiang's tea. The waiter had already been asked to leave. It's classmate-to-class to have someone serve you while you're having intimate conversations, but it's also awkward.
"Zhao Qiang, I heard you spent a long time with the class monitor after graduation?" Liu Xiuxiu asked, women always love gossip.
Zhao Qiang said, "Yes, I'm working for her." Zhao Qiang couldn't very well say that the class monitor was working for him. Putting aside whether his classmates would believe him or not, Zhao Qiang wanted Xu Xiaoya to look good. He would be extremely happy if Xu Xiaoya was doing well, after all, she was his woman.
"Are you working for her now too?" Liu Xiuxiu asked.
Zhao Qiang shook his head: "I haven't gone for a while. I'm too busy with my work, and the repair business at the class monitor's place has almost stopped, so there's no need for me to go anymore." Shunfeng Technology hasn't expanded to a very large scale. It's mainly because Hongwang Technology has replaced most of its business. Currently, Shunfeng Technology is only doing business in Donghai City. Several classmates are there, and some who were promoted by Xu Xiaoya have already entered Jiayuan Investment. However, these people don't know about the relationship between Zhao Qiang and Xu Xiaoya. After becoming a senior executive, Xu Xiaoya's whereabouts became very secretive.
Liu Xiuxiu said, "I heard from my classmates who stayed in Donghai City that you have shares in Shunfeng Technology?"
Zhao Qiang said, "Yes, we used to have some tech stocks, but we hardly participate anymore."
Liu Xiuxiu asked, "So, it's true that she's dating the class monitor?"
Zhao Qiang found it difficult to answer this question, mainly because Xu Xiaoya hadn't given him any instructions. If he made his relationship with Xu Xiaoya public, his classmates might not necessarily have any bad intentions, but what about the others? After all, Xu Xiaoya was currently the center of attention, while Zhao Qiang remained unknown.
Zhao Qiang remained silent. Liu Xiuxiu assumed the two had broken up, and she said apologetically, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked you that question."
Zhong Dayuan picked up his chopsticks and said, "Let's eat some food, let's fill our stomachs first, and then we'll drink more wine."
Dong Zhibo said, "Now that the class monitor has a special status, why don't we contact her sometime and ask her to arrange a good job for us?" Xu Xiaoya's name is very well-known, so Dong Zhibo and the others couldn't possibly be kept in the dark.
Zhong Dayuan said, "Forget it. You might earn more money following the squad leader, but you know his temper. I reckon he'd be less free than we are now, and might be working himself to death every day."
Liu Xiuxiu said, "Actually, having a more fulfilling time isn't a bad thing, but we don't have the class monitor's phone number."
Dong Zhibo asked Zhao Qiang, "Do you have it?"
Zhao Qiang shook his head. Since he had already said that he had broken up with Xu Xiaoya, there was no need to mention that he had her phone number.
Zhong Dayuan said, "Let's talk about this later, let's drink."
Dong Zhibo said, "I'll drive. You guys keep Zhao Qiang company and have a few more drinks."
When Zhao Qiang met his old classmate, he opened up completely, but he dared not get drunk, because the external environment might turn into a life-or-death struggle at any moment.
Looking at the time, Zhao Qiang realized he had been drinking for quite some time. He raised his glass to end the meal when his phone rang. He had to apologize and go to the side to answer the call. Before Zhao Qiang could even ask who it was, the other person spoke first.
"Zhou Wan is in my hands. If you don't want her to die, come to Jiayuan Building right now."
Volume 2 [620] Challenge
[62o] Challenge
Zhao Qiang's expression changed, and he snorted and hung up the phone. Now that those people couldn't catch the people around him, they were actually targeting peripheral figures like Zhou Wan. Zhao Qiang wasn't too worried because they wouldn't dare do anything to Zhou Wan. If those people dared to make a move against the people around Zhao Qiang, Zhao Qiang could do the same to them. Zhao Qiang had already proven his strength in previous assassinations. If it came to playing dirty tricks, Zhao Qiang was no less capable than them.
Zhong Dayuan stood up and asked, "What's wrong?"
Zhao Qiang said, "Yes, there was a slight accident. I'll go and handle it. Thank you all for your hospitality today, my three old classmates. I'll treat you all to a meal another day."
Liu Xiuxiu said, "Why are you being so polite with us? Since you have something to do, we can't keep you here. Let's exchange phone numbers and see if we have time tonight to get together, sing some songs, and go to a bar. We need to relax too."
Zhao Qiang said, "Okay, I'll call you again this evening." It's not easy for old classmates to meet, and Zhao Qiang didn't want it to end like this.
Liu Xiuxiu was about to pay the bill when Zhong Dayuan stopped her, saying, "This meal is on me, no one can take it from me."
Dong Zhibo opened his mouth but didn't say anything. Zhao Qiang could naturally tell that Zhong Dayuan was a generous person and Liu Xiuxiu was also an outgoing person with a good temperament. Dong Zhibo was a little angry, but everyone has their own ambitions, and Zhao Qiang couldn't force him to do that.
After declining Zhong Dayuan's offer to drive him there, Zhao Qiang slipped into an alley, looked around to make sure no one was watching, activated his anti-gravity device, and leaped onto the rooftop. He then traversed between skyscrapers, arriving at the still-under-construction Jiayuan Building in just a few minutes. In fact, the main structure of the skyscraper was already completed; the work was now focused on installing supporting facilities and interior decoration.
The rooftop was a large plaza big enough to park several helicopters. Several people were standing there; in the center, one was tied to an iron frame, spread out in a large "大" shape. Seeing Zhao Qiang, she struggled desperately, crying, "Save me!"
Zhao Qiang wasn't in a hurry. Zhou Wan seemed unharmed. Considering she had been following him the whole time and hadn't been gone long, these people probably just wanted to use her to lure him to the Jiayuan Building. They figured they wouldn't harm her for the time being. Actually, they knew Zhao Qiang was there. They only needed to say a word, and he would definitely come, without having to kidnap someone to threaten him.
There were three people standing in front of him, all with very ordinary, common faces; Zhao Qiang had never seen them before. The three men stared nervously at Zhao Qiang, as even the slightest, excessive movement from him could be interpreted as an attack signal, given his infamous reputation; everyone feared him. In truth, Zhao Qiang was equally nervous. After all, people with superpowers were not ordinary people, and dealing with them wouldn't be easy.
"This is the last time," Zhao Qiang said, pointing to Zhou Wan, who was tied up in a spread-eagle position. "If there is a next time, I will storm into the Wang family and kill Wang Yipeng first, then Wang Zhaoqiang, and then Wang Shihui." Zhao Qiang coldly threatened the three of them, fearing that if he didn't give them a warning, there would be a next time.
One of them said, "We mean her no harm, we just want Mr. Zhao to come here." The other party neither admitted to being instructed by the Wang family nor denied it.
Zhao Qiang said, "I'm already here. Hurry up and say it, then we can start fighting as soon as possible."
The other man said, "Our purpose today is not to fight. We just want to advise Mr. Zhao that when two tigers fight, one will surely be injured. Although you are very powerful, our men are even more powerful. If anyone else is harmed, we will also target your men."
Zhao Qiang said, "Is that so? Then we'll see."
The third person said, "Mr. Zhao, if you don't know what's good for you, don't blame us for being impolite."
Zhao Qiang said, "You draw a line."
The third person said, "Good, that's quick enough. Tonight at midnight, if Mr. Zhao can kill the last four people on the list, you win. If you can't, we hope that Mr. Zhao will leave Beijing, and preferably go abroad and never set foot in China again." It would be foolish to say something like "the loser commits suicide to atone for his sins." The best outcome is to force Zhao Qiang out of the country.
So they came to issue a challenge. Zhao Qiang said, "Fine, tell them to wash their necks clean tonight and wait for me. I will definitely cut off their heads and use them as footballs."
The three said, "Then we'll meet again." After saying that, they walked downstairs without looking back. They were betting that Zhao Qiang wouldn't attack from behind, otherwise it would be dangerous to leave their backs to the enemy.
Zhao Qiang considered it for a moment but didn't make a move. First, these three people were all quite strong, and there was also an innocent Zhou Wan by their side. Second, Zhao Qiang had already accepted the challenge, and if he made a move now, he would be at a disadvantage.
"Put me down!" Zhou Wan cried.
Zhao Qiang went over to untie the ropes binding her hands and legs, saying, "Don't follow me anymore, it's dangerous."
Zhou Wan asked, "How did you come to have a grudge against them? It seems to be the Wang family, who are very powerful."
Zhao Qiang said, "Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask, or you'll get nowhere."
Zhou Wan's hands and feet were numb from being tied up. After the ropes were loosened, she sat down on the ground with a thud. Zhao Qiang ignored her and leaped away from the Jiayuan Building, startling Zhou Wan. She thought that such a tall building would surely kill someone if they fell. However, she then realized that Zhao Qiang had actually leaped hundreds of meters to the roof of a nearby building. Zhou Wan's mouth was wide open. She was too scared to see when Zhao Qiang landed earlier, but now she realized that Zhao Qiang had fallen from the sky.
On the rooftop across the street, a woman in black sat on the railing. Zhao Qiang stared at her for a while, until she grew angry and demanded, "Am I ugly and affecting the city's appearance?" Only girls care about their looks.
Zhao Qiang said, "No, I just want to ask you a question."
"What?"
Zhao Qiang asked, "Do you like repairing cars?"
The man in black seemed a little stunned: "Repair the car? I don't understand, what do you mean?"
Zhao Qiang chuckled: "It's nothing, let's get down to business. Is it really impossible to copy your invisibility ability?"
The invisible man said, "Of course."
Zhao Qiang pondered: "That's going to be a bit troublesome. Those guys are afraid I won't go, so they're deliberately trying to provoke me. This is going to be a tough hurdle."
The invisible figure said, "I'm going to enter the military camp and kill those four?"
Zhao Qiang nodded: "That's necessary, and the Chen family has already sentenced the four of them to death. I'm going to collect their heads."
The invisible man sneered: "You should know that even without superpowered experts, you can't just barge into a military camp. The combined strength of those soldiers is not to be underestimated, not to mention their advanced weaponry."
Zhao Qiang said, "I understand the problem you're talking about, but I've already accepted the challenge. How about you do me a favor?"
The invisible man considered for a moment: "Okay, but what do you plan to do after you kill those four?"
Zhao Qiang said, "We'll take it one step at a time. The Wang family dared to lay a hand on my parents, so I have to teach them a lesson."
The invisible man said, "What you're doing is only escalating the conflict further."
Zhao Qiang said, "Yes, that's why I want to resolve this as soon as possible, so that we can settle things into a life-or-death struggle."
The invisible man sighed: "The Wang family has been plotting this for a long time; they won't let you disrupt their plans."
Zhao Qiang said, "Whether they want to or not is their business. In fact, their plans have already been disrupted, otherwise they wouldn't be so furious. Sigh, I've been used as a pawn again."
The invisible man asked, "You mean the Yang and Hu families?"
Zhao Qiang smiled without saying a word; he knew what was going on.
In the evening, Zhao Qiang arrived at the International Hotel early, where Dong Zhibo, Zhong Dayuan, and Liu Xiuxiu were already waiting at the entrance.
Zhao Qiang said, "You guys arrived way too early."
Zhong Dayuan said, "Since the squad leader is treating, how could we not come earlier?"
Liu Xiuxiu said, "You should thank me. I asked a classmate who stayed in Donghai for her phone number. Otherwise, how would you have contacted the class monitor, and how would you have been able to invite her to dinner?"
Dong Zhibo said, "Okay, thank you. But if you're really capable, ask the class monitor to find us some easy jobs. I heard that the headquarters of Jiayuan Investment Company is about to open in Beijing. Maybe we can get in and become department heads."
Liu Xiuxiu said, "I can't guarantee anything about this. We'll ask the squad leader when he gets here."
Actually, Zhao Qiang was driven here by Xu Xiaoya, but considering that the two of them were not suitable to come and go together in front of outsiders, Zhao Qiang had to be discreet and got out of the car early to walk over.
Xu Xiaoya appeared shortly afterward, followed by Wang Meng and four bodyguards. This was quite a formidable lineup; even if a superhuman came, they could hold them off for a while. Besides, since they had arranged to meet at midnight, there was no need for the other party to attack Xu Xiaoya at this time. This was why Zhao Qiang felt comfortable letting her out.
"Class monitor!" Dong Zhibo shouted as he rushed forward. Xu Xiaoya was even more beautiful than she was in college, and she also had the charm of a mature woman.
Xu Xiaoya giggled and squeezed Dong Zhibo's hand: "I didn't expect you guys to come to Beijing too. You even secretly got together at noon. I'll have to punish you."
Dong Zhibo said, "Didn't I not know your phone number at noon? Now I've contacted the class monitor, and I'll bother you every day from now on."
Xu Xiaoya smiled and said, "Okay, I'll come out whenever I have time. It would be best if I could gather all the classmates in our class so we can have a good get-together."
Liu Xiuxiu said, "Squad leader, you're a big shot now, you have to take responsibility for this."
Xu Xiaoya said, "I don't have time. How about this, I'll entrust you with organizing the party. I'll cover all the expenses."