Zhao Ling said, "Then give me some ideas on what to send."
Tang Ziliang said, "Our bureau chief has everything he needs at home, and he doesn't smoke or drink. I think we should just give him money."
Zhao Qiang nodded: "That's what I think too, as long as he's willing to accept it."
Tang Ziliang said, "Giving cash directly is not appropriate. Let's go buy some Sunshine shopping cards." Tang Ziliang was referring to the Sunshine chain supermarket shopping cards from Haifeng Group, which are very popular in Baiyuan City and are also accepted in some large hotels.
Zhao Ling glanced at Zhao Qiang. She needed Zhao Qiang's permission for this. Zhao Qiang said, "Okay, let's go buy the cards first."
Tang Ziliang turned the steering wheel and the car turned onto another road. Li Xiangxiang said from the back, "Ziliang, how much should we give? Zhao Ling's family isn't well-off. You should make the arrangements so that we don't end up giving gifts for nothing."
Tang Ziliang said, "I think it should be at least five hundred. That's the price for treating someone to a meal. What do you think?"
Li Xiangxiang asked Zhao Ling, "Zhao Ling, what do you think? If we feel it's too much, then we won't go."
Zhao Ling chuckled: "Not much, go buy some cards."
With a squeak, the Langyi car stopped in the extremely spacious parking lot of the Sunshine Chain Building. Tang Ziliang opened the car door and got out, exclaiming, "I have to admire Haifeng Group. In less than a year, it almost went bankrupt due to poor management. Then the board of directors changed hands, and in less than a year, it rose strongly again. It is said that a powerful company called Jiayuan Investment is supporting it behind the scenes. The current chairman is only 21 years old, young, beautiful, and rich. It is said that she is still a student. Not to mention Haifeng Group's influence in various major cities, just in our Baiyuan City, this is definitely a first-class enterprise that the municipal party committee and government attach great importance to."
As Li Xiangxiang got out of the car, she said, "What, you're planning to go after her? Go ahead, I won't stop you."
Tang Ziliang laughed and said, "Isn't that obvious? Do you think I have that kind of ability? I can't even see her face, how could I possibly pursue her?"
Li Xiangxiang rolled her eyes at Tang Ziliang: "You know that's good. We go to the supermarket's main service counter, that's where they sell cards."
The four walked into the Sunshine Chain Building. A security guard behind them lowered his head and said into the walkie-talkie, "01, 01, this is 09. The target is entering the Sunshine Chain Building. They said they might need to go to the supermarket's main service desk to buy shopping cards."
"01 Understood. 09, continue patrolling the perimeter without alerting the target."
In a luxurious office in the Sunshine Chain Building, Yang Shiqi smiled and said to Luo Xiaowei, "Chairwoman Luo, Zhao Qiang has arrived on your turf. What are you planning to do?"
Luo Xiaowei blushed slightly, unsure whether it was from shyness or excitement at the prospect of seeing Zhao Qiang. "I'll go to the front desk and see if he recognizes me."
Xu Xiaoya said, "Okay, I'll go with you." The two had once been strategic allies, and usually stood together through thick and thin.
Hu Qian said, "No, who knows what might happen if you two show up together? Can't we do it one at a time? Don't forget how Xiao Wei told us to be careful. Since Zhao Qiang is safe and sound, why should we rush things?"
Xu Xiaoya said, "Okay, I'll wait a bit longer. I'll notify Wang Meng and have him take the security guards to control the area around the service desk on the first floor, so that those stinky men won't cause a ruckus when they see our Chairman Luo."
Wang Meng's security company provides security for Zhao Qiang's various businesses. His security guards are all former special forces soldiers, thanks to Yang Shiqi's power; otherwise, they would be impossible to recruit. Moreover, the equipment they use is far more advanced than that of American special forces. There's no way around it; Zhao Qiang and Xiao Wei have access to cutting-edge technology, and it would be foolish not to take advantage of such opportunities.
Li Xiangxiang entered the supermarket, which was bustling with people, but the area leading to the service counter was rather deserted. The four of them went straight there, and Li Xiangxiang tapped the counter with her slender fingers: "Buy a card."
A sweet-looking girl inside said, "Sorry, please wait a moment. We just sold out of cards, but new cards will be delivered soon."
Tang Ziliang said, "What's going on? We came to buy and they're all sold out. Don't you know we're in a hurry?"
The girl smiled and apologized, "I'm so sorry, sir. Could you please wait two minutes? I apologize for taking up your precious time. We will bring you a beautiful gift in a moment."
Since such a beautiful girl was making a request, Tang Ziliang couldn't say anything more. So everyone stood in front of the counter and waited. Before two minutes had passed, the sound of loud leather shoes rang out, and a woman who was more beautiful than all the girls at the front desk walked over. She was wearing a blue business suit, and although the outside temperature was low, her two beautiful long legs were only covered by thin stockings, leaving a faint fragrance behind her.
Tang Ziliang was somewhat dazed: "That woman's legs are fucking beautiful."
Li Xiangxiang snorted in dissatisfaction, then pinched Tang Ziliang hard: "Do you want to die? Wearing only stockings in this cold weather, you'll freeze her to death!"
Zhao Ling sincerely admired the girl; her temperament was absolutely outstanding, and her looks were top-notch. Her appearance overshadowed all the beauties at the service counter, especially her long, slender legs—even among flight attendants, she was exceptional. She truly had the right to flaunt it. Glancing at Zhao Qiang, who was staring intently at the woman in the business attire, Zhao Ling felt a pang of jealousy. However, she couldn't do what Li Xiangxiang had done. Instead, she took Zhao Qiang's hand, subtly reminding him of her presence.
In fact, Zhao Qiang only stared at the other person for a very short time before lowering his head and looking away. This girl gave him a special feeling. Zhao Qiang wanted to investigate further, but his head hurt. In this situation, Zhao Qiang did not want to freeze up, so he immediately gave up thinking about it. However, Zhao Qiang had an idea: would people he had a relationship with in his lost memories feel this familiar when they met again?
If we follow this theory, Hu Qian is someone he knew before, and the long-legged beauty in front of him is also someone he knew before. But judging from his interactions with Hu Qian, she shouldn't know him. Could it be that she's hiding the truth?
"Hello." Luo Xiaowei nodded slightly to the four people. Her gaze swept over Zhao Qiang's face, and just one glance made Luo Xiaowei's heart pound. She really wanted to rush over and hug Zhao Qiang, to pour out her longing for him, but she didn't dare. Even if it was just Zhao Qiang, even if Zhao Qiang had regained his memory, it would be very difficult for Luo Xiaowei to do that.
Tang Ziliang's eyes lit up: "Hello, you... I feel like I've seen you somewhere before."
Luo Xiaowei didn't waste time arguing with Tang Ziliang. She asked Zhao Qiang, "Do you want to buy cards?" Luo Xiaowei was holding a large box in her hand.
Zhao Qiang nodded, but before he could say the amount, Li Xiangxiang, dissatisfied with Luo Xiaowei's stunning appearance, said in an unfriendly tone, "Who are you? Do we need an approval slip to buy a card? If you don't want to sell it, fine, we'll buy it elsewhere." There are many kinds of shopping cards in Baiyuan City.
Tang Ziliang pulled Li Xiangxiang behind him and bowed and scraped, saying, "No, no, we'll buy it here. I don't know how to address you?"
Luo Xiaowei didn't answer, but smiled and asked Zhao Qiang, "How much do you want?"
Li Xiangxiang snorted: "Five hundred."
Zhao Qiang pulled out a wad of RMB from his bag: "Buy 10,000. You can always come back to buy more later. That would be too much of a waste of time."
When Zhao Qiang opened the bag, he could see it was full of banknotes, much more than Tang Ziliang had in his wallet. Li Xiangxiang stared blankly, somewhat like Tang Ziliang looking at Luo Xiaowei. She pulled Zhao Ling aside and asked, "Why...why is your boyfriend carrying so much money?"
Zhao Ling said easily and proudly, "Flowers."
"Show-off, country bumpkin," Li Xiangxiang and Tang Ziliang both cursed inwardly.
Luo Xiaowei smiled and took the money from Zhao Qiang, handing it to the girl at the service counter. She then gave them the shopping cards as well. Some people immediately counted the banknotes, while others counted the shopping cards. Each card had a face value of five hundred, making a total of twenty cards.
Zhao Qiang wasn't sure if others noticed, but he sensed that Luo Xiaowei was watching him. This wasn't wishful thinking; it was a fact. The way she looked at him was extremely similar to how Hu Qian looked at him. Normally, these subtle differences wouldn't be noticeable to most people, but with the super biochip's incredibly precise computing power, Zhao Qiang could detect even the slightest similarity.
The girl at the service desk handed twenty cards to Luo Xiaowei, who smiled and handed the cards to Zhao Qiang, saying, "Sir, these are your cards, please keep them safe."
Zhao Qiang took it, then turned and left without saying a word. He didn't understand what these girls wanted from him, nor did he know if he had ever been involved with them, so Zhao Qiang remained silent.
Zhao Ling initially thought Zhao Qiang was trying to show off by taking out 10,000 yuan in front of Luo Xiaowei, but she quickly realized she had misunderstood him. First, Zhao Ling believed that she and Chen Xinxin were not much less attractive than the girl in front of her; the key was that she and Chen Xinxin lacked the unique charm that the girl possessed. Second, Zhao Ling knew Zhao Qiang to a certain extent; he wasn't the kind of person who would forget his principles for the sake of beauty. Buying the 10,000 yuan card was partly for convenience, and partly to give more to Director Tang Ziliang. As long as he could safely find his brother, Zhao Qiang wouldn't complain no matter the cost.
No sooner had Zhao Qiang left than several girls emerged from behind the stairs. They stood with Luo Xiaowei, instantly brightening the entire area around the service desk. Many men tried to approach, but were cleared away by nearby security guards.
Luo Xiaowei was a little disappointed. She lowered her head and remained silent. Xu Xiaoya took her hand and said, "It's okay, what's there to be upset about? Zhao Qiang is still ours. That girl isn't worth being an enemy. I know you've worked hard, dressing so lightly to get his attention. We are all grateful to you."
Yang Shiqi said, "The girls around Zhao Qiang are not our enemies; you are our biggest enemy." The two of them had been competing with each other.
Xu Xiaoya argued, "No, we are all comrades in the same trench now, and the girl next to Zhao Qiang is our common enemy."
Hu Qian asked with a smile, "Everyone, guess how far their relationship has progressed?"
Xu Xiaoya recalled the scene of Zhao Qiang paying for Zhao Ling's money, and she gritted her teeth: "I don't want to know."
Only after the group of girls entered the elevator could the surrounding men approach. They desperately inhaled the lingering scent in the air, recalling the stunning beauty they had just witnessed. Any one of these girls would have been enough to make their hearts race and their blood boil, let alone several such beauties. Their eyes were filled with infatuation; who knew which man had captured their hearts? Why were such beautiful women unattainable for them? Sigh, everyone sighed and quietly left.
(Thanks to Si Ni for the 588 coins over three years, to Xin Mo Nan Qu for the 100 coins, and to Tian and Xing Kong for the monthly tickets)
Volume 2 [473] Finding Relationships
In the Langyi, Tang Ziliang said to Li Xiangxiang while driving, "Xiangxiang, your friend is something else. He's a real hidden talent. He's got plenty of money. You said you were having financial difficulties. I knew a beauty like Zhao Ling couldn't possibly be having financial difficulties." Tang Ziliang's words still implied Zhao Ling's shameful affairs, as if the bag of money Zhao Qiang was carrying was obtained by Zhao Ling through her body.
Li Xiangxiang was also somewhat surprised and reproachful: "Zhao Ling, when did you become rich? Why didn't you tell me? Are you afraid I'll borrow money from you? That's not very nice of you."
Zhao Ling said, "How could I get rich? All the money belongs to Zhao Qiang. It has nothing to do with me. I'm just a pretty face he keeps to himself."
Zhao Qiang chuckled. He liked Zhao Ling's way of saying that it wasn't unusual for men to have money and women in this society.
Li Xiangxiang exclaimed in surprise: "Opening a repair shop is so profitable? Who are you kidding? If that's the case, we'll open one in Baiyuan City too."
Zhao Ling couldn't explain it clearly to Li Xiangxiang, so she could only say, "Occasionally I might make a big profit, but most of the time it's just busywork. I withdrew all my money to go home for the New Year, and I'm carrying all my savings with me."
Tang Ziliang asked, "Have you bought the apartment?"
Zhao Ling nodded: "I just bought a place to live, otherwise it would be inconvenient to rent a house."
Li Xiangxiang said, "Okay, you've got things moving quickly. The last time we met you were still living in that shabby rented room, dealing with men just to make ends meet. Share some of your experience with me, and I'll follow in your footsteps to get rich."
Zhao Ling said, "What experience is there? Just find a good man to marry."
Li Xiangxiang glanced at Tang Ziliang and deeply agreed with Zhao Ling's words.
Tang Ziliang asked, "How big is the house?"
Zhao Ling said, "It's a small place, only big enough for two people to sleep."
Tang Ziliang said, "Yes, it doesn't need to be too big, otherwise the renovation alone will cost a lot of money. Like my 168-square-meter apartment, the renovation cost over 100,000 yuan. Add to that the purchase of the apartment and the car, and I've spent almost a million yuan. It hurts, but it's all worth it for a better life in the future." He said he felt sorry for the apartment, but his face showed a smug expression. This was a typical competitive mentality, afraid of being inferior to Zhao Ling. Li Xiangxiang, standing next to him, also felt proud. Her boyfriend's family was wealthy, and she would have a good life in the future.
Zhao Qiang interrupted Tang Ziliang's boasting: "Brother Tang, why don't you call your bureau chief and ask him first?"
Tang Ziliang took out his phone: "No problem, at this hour they're either still drinking or out having fun... Hey, Director Liu, this is Xiao Tang, where are you? I need to talk to you about something... Oh, okay, I'll be there in a bit, you guys have fun first."
Tang Ziliang put down his phone and said, "He's singing. Let's go upstairs and find him."
This was an inconspicuous KTV. Public officials would avoid such obvious public places. Tang Ziliang, familiar with the place, led Zhao Qiang and the other two directly to the third floor. It was very quiet, with only occasional singing coming from open doors; the soundproofing was excellent. Despite the KTV's unassuming exterior, the female staff inside were all beautiful women in uniforms, quite a sight to behold. One wonders, though, if they actually sang with the customers?
Tang Ziliang's phone rang, and a short, stout man opened a door and came out. He nodded to everyone, then pointed to a corner of the lounge, and the four of them went over and sat down.
Tang Ziliang pointed at Zhao Ling and Zhao Qiang and said, "Director Liu, this beautiful lady is my girlfriend's childhood friend, Zhao Ling. This is her boyfriend, Zhao Qiang. They have something to ask you, Director Liu, and hope you can offer some advice." As he spoke, Tang Ziliang slipped a 500-yuan shopping card that he had been holding in his palm into Director Liu's hand during their handshake. Director Liu understood, withdrew his hand, reached into his pocket, and the card disappeared. He wouldn't dare accept gifts from others, but Tang Ziliang was his subordinate, so he confidently pocketed it.
Zhao Ling didn't waste any words and said directly, "Director Liu, my brother's name is Zhao Mingming. I don't know why he hit Yang Peng, the son of Director Yang of the Municipal Government Enterprise Management Office. I just heard from Brother Tang that the Public Security Bureau is arresting him."
Director Liu said, "Oh, so it's about Zhao Mingming. How can you, as the older sister, not care about your younger brother? I don't know if you've been to the hospital, but Director Yang's son was beaten very badly. The case has indeed been filed. You'd better tell your brother to turn himself in as soon as possible, otherwise the next step will be a nationwide manhunt."
Zhao Ling broke out in a cold sweat: "Director Liu, it's not that we're protecting my brother, but the key is that we don't know where he is now. If he hears that the police are arresting him, he probably won't show up. What should we do?"
Director Liu said, "The case was filed by the Municipal Bureau, and my branch has no jurisdiction over it. However, it's not like there's no way to salvage the situation. If we can get Director Yang's understanding and get him to stop pursuing the matter, then your brother will be safe. Otherwise, given Director Yang's position in Baiyuan City, it's likely that your brother will be sentenced to three to five years. By the time he gets out of prison, his prime years will be gone, and his life will be ruined."
Director Liu's analysis is correct, but the key point is that we beat up Director Yang and his group yesterday, and now we're asking them for forgiveness? Isn't that absurd? Even if we could bribe Director Yang into submission, what's the truth? Was it Zhao Mingming's fault or Yang Peng's? We can't just bow down and admit fault even if we're not at fault.
Tang Ziliang said to Zhao Ling, "What are you still hesitating for? Do you really want to watch your brother go to jail?"
Zhao Ling was so worried that she lost her composure and was completely at a loss. She could only ask casually, "I don't know how Director Yang can forgive my brother."
Director Liu stared at Zhao Ling and swallowed. He had drunk a bit too much at noon, and his mind was still hazy with excitement. Zhao Ling's pretty face made his heart flutter, but as the director, he hadn't lost his composure. He said, "I can talk to Director Yang. How about I invite him out so we can all sit down and talk? We can discuss the specifics later. What do you think?"
Zhao Ling said, "Thank you, Director Liu. This matter depends entirely on your mediation."
Director Liu chuckled and went to the side to make a phone call: "It's nothing. If I really help you get it done, you'll have to treat me to dinner later."
Zhao Ling said, "That's for sure."
Director Liu went to the side to make a phone call, and Tang Ziliang stood up and said, "I'm going to the restroom." Li Xiangxiang followed, "Me too." Zhao Qiang and Zhao Ling were left sitting on the rest chairs. Zhao Qiang whispered to Zhao Ling, "That Director Liu is giving you a very lecherous look."
Zhao Ling said, "I didn't realize that. I thought he was a very kind person. Maybe the 500 yuan shopping card we gave him had an effect."
Zhao Qiang said, "Enthusiasm? I think it's lust."
Zhao Ling clung to Zhao Qiang's arm and said coquettishly, "Are you jealous? Okay, for my brother's sake, just bear with it. My body is yours, and I definitely won't let any other man touch it. Trust me, okay?"
Zhao Qiang said, "I definitely believe you, I just don't believe him."
Zhao Ling said, "He's the branch bureau chief, he wouldn't dare do anything out of line, don't worry. Otherwise, how would we save my brother? If something really happens to my brother, my parents won't be able to live."
Zhao Qiang clenched his fists. He actually preferred to solve problems with his fists, but Yang Peng's father was a municipal government official, and the matter had now alarmed the municipal public security bureau. Without understanding what had happened, it would be unwise to start a fight with Yang Peng's family. Although he could walk away after causing trouble, what would happen to Zhao Ling's family?
Director Liu put down his phone and walked over, saying, "It's settled. I'll take Xiao Zhao to the municipal government right away. What we can discuss depends on the actual situation."
Zhao Qiang also stood up, but Director Liu waved his hand and said, "You stay here, I'll take Zhao Ling with me."
Zhao Qiang was still worried and said, "I'll go check if they need me."
Director Liu laughed and said, "This isn't a fight. Having too many people will only make Director Yang unhappy. You stay, Xiao Zhao, let's go."