"Don't ask things you shouldn't!"
Zhu Jian glared at the manager and demanded, "Who was it that offended Xiao Chu just now? Fire him immediately! Also, call the emergency center and get that fellow Chang out of here right away. Lying in my store like a dead dog is an eyesore!"
"Yes, President Zhu!"
The manager offered an awkward smile, personally escorted Zhu Jian out of the store, and then turned back to the pretty saleswoman. "Li Li, you're fired!"
"Huh? Manager, why are you firing me? President Chang just ordered a 3 Series through me!" The pretty saleswoman was dumbfounded.
"3 Series your foot!"
The manager glared at her fiercely and snapped, "You have no eye for people! Go to finance right now, settle your accounts, pack your things, and get lost! Don't drag yourself around in my sight!"
"......"
Li Li felt like crying without tears. It was all Chu He's fault. Clearly a big shot, yet he had to dress so low-key—wasn't this setting people up?
***
Chapter 24: An Xiaomeng
Osha Group.
At noon, the white-collar workers in the office building came out one after another to get lunch.
Chu He parked his car by the side of the road and dialed An Chuxia's number.
"Chuxia, let's grab lunch together!"
"I'm sorry, Chu He, I won't be able to join you for lunch. Xiaomeng is on her monthly break, and I promised to go to her school and pick her up," An Chuxia said apologetically.
"Xiaomeng?"
"Yeah, did you forget I have a younger sister?"
"An Xiaomeng?"
Chu He slapped his forehead, finally remembering that An Jie indeed had a younger sister; it seemed he had even met her before.
"Come downstairs. I'll go with you to pick up Xiaomeng, and after lunch, I'll drive you both home," Chu He said after a moment of thought.
"This... alright then!"
After hanging up, it wasn't long before Chu He saw An Chuxia walk out of the office building. She had changed into a professional office lady outfit, giving her an entirely different aura, and her shapely figure stood out even more!
"Chuxia!"
Chu He rolled down the car window and waved at An Chuxia with a smile.
"Chu He? Did you buy a car?"
An Chuxia walked over and looked at Chu He in surprise. The BMW in front of her couldn't have been cheap, right?
"Get in and we'll talk!"
"Mm!"
An Chuxia gave a gentle smile, slid into the front passenger seat, and casually fastened her seatbelt. The two 'lofty peaks' on her chest became even more prominent, instantly drawing Chu He's gaze.
Gulp!
Chu He swallowed hard, unable to help himself. He hadn't expected An Chuxia to have such a great figure—how had he never noticed before?
"What are you looking at?"
Noticing Chu He staring at her chest, An Chuxia couldn't help blushing.
"Hehe, Chuxia, you've grown up!"
"......"
An Chuxia was left speechless. Why did those words sound so strange?
"Let's go!"
Chu He gave an awkward smile, asked for the directions, and drove at top speed toward North City No. 1 High School...
Along the way, Chu He also asked An Chuxia about An Xiaomeng. It turned out that after the An Family incident, An Wenjing had worried that the youngest, An Xiaomeng, might also be harmed, so he had secretly sent her to study in North City.
Although the North and South cities were separated by just a river, the spheres of influence were clearly divided. Even the underworld bosses ruled their respective sides of the river, making it nearly impossible for the South City forces to meddle in North City!
"Xiaomeng is in high school now, right?" Chu He asked after thinking back.
"Mm, she's a senior this year, her studies are super intense!"
An Chuxia nodded, a worried expression on her face. "But Xiaomeng's grades aren't very good, I'm always fretting over her!"
"She's just a kid, take it one step at a time!"
Chu He smiled faintly. The members of the An Family were all very smart, and he believed An Xiaomeng would be no exception.
Soon, Chu He drove up to North City No. 1 High School.
A large crowd of students had gathered at the school gates, boys and girls chatting, scuffling, and laughing, carefree like little birds released from a cage.
Looking at the youth and vitality radiating from the students before him, Chu He thought back to his own student days. Youth was truly wonderful!
"I see Xiaomeng!"
An Chuxia pushed open the car door and stepped out. Seeing this, Chu He also got out and followed her.
"Xiaomeng!"
An Chuxia walked over to a cluster of chattering schoolgirls and tapped one of them on the shoulder.
The girl turned her head and said in pleasant surprise,
"Sis, the shuttle bus hasn't even arrived yet, how did you get here?"
"Chu He brought me!"
"Chu He?"
Hearing that name, An Xiaomeng's expression noticeably shifted. Only then did she notice a handsome man, both familiar and unfamiliar, standing behind An Chuxia.
"Xiaomeng, long time no see. Do you remember me?" Chu He smiled slightly, revealing two rows of white teeth.
At the same time, he was sizing up An Xiaomeng. The little girl was tall with fair skin, wearing a pink crop top and a pair of blue jeans.
Her slightly baby-faced face looked both cute and exquisite. She was biting her lip, shooting him a smiling sideways glance, and a tiny black mole at the corner of her mouth added even more charm.
"I remember!"
An Xiaomeng adjusted her emotions quickly, blinking as she broke into a wide smile. "You're my older brother's best friend! I met you when I was little!"
"Wow! Xiaomeng, is he your brother-in-law? So handsome!"
"Your brother-in-law's car is nice, huh? Looks like a BMW X7!"
"Xiaomeng, you're so ungracious. With a brother-in-law this rich, you still keep freeloading meals off us."
"......"
Seeing the handsome Chu He, the female classmates began to tease An Xiaomeng.
"Fine, next semester I'll have my brother-in-law treat everyone to a meal!" An Xiaomeng stuck out her tongue playfully and said with a grin.
"It's a deal!"
"And we want to go singing too. Can brother-in-law arrange that?"
The schoolgirls cheered, completely treating Chu He as her brother-in-law...
An Chuxia blushed furiously at these words and hurriedly tugged on An Xiaomeng's sleeve, frowning as she said,
"Xiaomeng, stop messing around!"
"Sis, I already promised my classmates. You wouldn't want me to break my word, would you?" An Xiaomeng pouted and acted spoiled.
"But..."
"Alright. When the next semester starts, I'll drop you off and treat your classmates to food and karaoke!"
Chu He smiled faintly. Seeing An Xiaomeng's cheerful personality, he felt a genuine sense of comfort.
"Let's go, time to go home first!"
Not knowing what else to say, An Chuxia hurriedly pulled An Xiaomeng into the car. Just as Chu He was about to leave, a sweet-looking female student grabbed him, lowered her voice mysteriously, and said,
"Brother-in-law, since you seem like a good guy, I'll let you in on a secret!"
"What secret?"
Chu He looked at the girl with a faint smile.
"Xiaomeng offended Xiong Bo. The day before the break, Xiong Bo put the word out that once school starts again, he's definitely going to sleep with An Xiaomeng!" The girl's expression was dead serious, not looking like she was joking at all.
"Who is Xiong Bo?"
"A bad student at our school. His older brother is a gangster around these parts, super fierce!"
"Got it."
Chu He nodded, his expression turning gloomy. "Thanks, classmate, I understand."
With that, he turned and got back into the car. An Xiaomeng was sitting in the back seat and, seeing Chu He get in, asked with a gossipy smile, "Chu He, what were you and Zhang Yuan talking about? You didn't fall for her, did you?"
"Xiaomeng, Chu He is your elder! Don't just address him by his full name!"
An Chuxia glared at An Xiaomeng. This girl's carefree personality was truly a headache.
"An elder? Wouldn't calling him that make Chu He sound old?"
An Xiaomeng chuckled and said to Chu He, "How about I call you Brother Chu He?"
"Call me whatever you like. Let's find somewhere to eat first!" Chu He smiled faintly, not minding An Xiaomeng's form of address in the least.
"Brother Chu He, are you treating?"
An Xiaomeng put on a pitiful expression, looking at Chu He and saying sweetly, "If Sister is treating, we'll only be able to afford Shaxian snacks. Please, say the answer I want to hear!"
"......"
Hearing this, An Chuxia felt a secondhand embarrassment attack coming on. This girl had no modesty at all—why was she demanding Chu He treat the moment they met?!
"Alright, my treat!"
Chu He was almost amused to laughter by An Xiaomeng. Her personality was even more like An Jie's—both of them utterly carefree!
Thinking of An Jie, the smile on Chu He's face gradually solidified. Since An Jie was gone, he would protect the An Family from now on...
***
Chapter 25: Tingyuxuan
"Yay! I knew Brother Chu He wouldn't be that stingy. Then I want to eat at 'Tingyuxuan' in South City!" An Xiaomeng was extremely happy.
"No way!"
Who would have thought that the moment An Chuxia heard that name, she would reject it on Chu He's behalf.
"Xiaomeng, do you have any idea how much a meal costs there? Your Brother Chu He just got back to Jiangzhou and doesn't even have a place of his own yet. How can you ask him to treat you at Tingyuxuan?"
"No way? Brother Chu He drives an X7. A guy like that wouldn't have a place to live?" An Xiaomeng blinked her big eyes in skepticism.
That single sentence left An Chuxia completely speechless. In truth, she was also curious: since Chu He had just returned to Jiangzhou, where on earth did he get so much money to buy such a nice car?
"Chuxia, don't worry, I have a place to stay! Let's just go to Tingyuxuan!" Chu He said.
"Sigh, this girl Xiaomeng has been completely spoiled!"
Helpless, An Chuxia figured that if worst came to worst, she would just chip in and pay her share when the bill arrived.
Before long, the group arrived at Tingyuxuan.
This was one of the most luxurious private restaurants in South City, Jiangzhou. Just looking at the high-end cars parked at the entrance made it obvious that this was definitely not a place for ordinary folk to consume.
"Wow, I never thought that in my lifetime I'd actually get to eat at Tingyuxuan!"
"Brother Chu He, have you ever eaten here before?"
After getting out of the car, An Xiaomeng exclaimed in admiration as she looked at the magnificent restaurant exterior.
Looking at this familiar plot of land before him, Chu He felt a mixture of complex emotions!
Because the location of Tingyuxuan happened to be the grand estate of Chu He's maternal grandfather. After his grandfather passed away, it was left to his mother, but because his mother feared seeing things that reminded her of the past, she rarely returned here. Who would have thought it had now turned into a restaurant?
"An Xia, I need to make a phone call, you guys wait a moment!" Chu He said from inside the car.
"Okay, we'll wait for you!"
An Chuxia was very sensible and immediately pulled An Xiaomeng's hand to the side.
Inside the car, Chu He dialed a number, and soon Yegui's voice came through the phone:
"Holy Lord, what are your orders?"
"Do you know who the owner of Tingyu is?" Chu He asked.
"Seems to be someone surnamed Liao, though the Xu Family also holds shares," Yegui said after a moment of pondering.
"Indeed it's them!"
A chill flashed in Chu He's eyes, and the temperature inside the car plummeted.
"Holy Lord, what would you like your subordinate to do?" Sensing Chu He's killing intent, Yegui hurriedly asked.
"Not for now, that's all."
With that, Chu He hung up the phone, pushed open the car door, and stepped out. He said to An Xiaomeng and her sister not far away, "Chuxia, Xiaomeng, let's go inside!"
"Yay, we finally get to eat Tingyuxuan's food!"
An Xiaomeng had fantasized about eating at Tingyuxuan long ago. Now that her dream was coming true, she jumped for joy.
"Welcome, distinguished guests!"
At the entrance stood two rows of pretty women dressed in Hanfu. Seeing Chu He and the others, they bowed in unison, their sweet voices soft enough to make a person's bones melt!
Once Chu He and his group stepped inside the restaurant, they discovered a whole new world within!
The restaurant covered an immense area, built entirely in the style of Qing Dynasty imperial architecture, complete with an antique charm. Even the waitstaff wore ancient Qing Dynasty attire, giving one the momentary illusion of time-traveling.
And Chu He could see that besides his grandfather's plot of land, it seemed the neighbors' land had been bought out as well!
"Sir, I am the manager of this establishment. Which private room have you reserved?"
Right at that moment, a man dressed in imperial court attire walked up to Chu He and asked with a smile.
"Reserved? We don't have a reservation," Chu He shook his head.
"I'm sorry, if you don't have a reservation, our establishment has no private rooms available!"
Hearing that there were no rooms, the three of them were dumbfounded. So dining at Tingyuxuan required booking in advance.
"Unless you are members of our establishment, in which case reservations aren't necessary!" the man explained upon seeing their reaction.
"How does one become a member?" Chu He asked.
"Junior membership fee is two hundred thousand, senior membership is one million!"
The man sized Chu He up, maintaining a professional smile on his face as he asked, "Sir, would you like to apply for a membership card with us?"
"Two hundred thousand?!"
An Xiaomeng gasped upon hearing this and said to Chu He with a face full of disappointment, "Brother Chu He, let's just go eat Shaxian snacks instead..."
Without a word, Chu He took out his Black Knight card, handed it to the man, and said flatly,
"Issue a senior membership card."
The man's eyes widened. Because Chu He was dressed very ordinarily, nothing about him looked like a wealthy person!
"Hurry up and arrange a private room right away!"
Too lazy to talk nonsense, the man gritted his teeth and hurried toward the cashier. In no time, he came trotting back, using both hands to present the Knight card to Chu He while saying with a beaming smile,
"Sir, congratulations on becoming a senior member of our establishment. This way, please!"
"Sis, I told you Brother Chu He is a tycoon! Driving an X7 and everything, how could he not have money?" An Xiaomeng said with a grin.
"......"
An Chuxia was also taken aback. Had Chu He turned into a nouveau riche after not seeing him for a few years?
The group followed the man and quickly arrived at a spacious private room, its interior similarly decorated in an antique and high-end style!
"Mr. Chu, what would you like to order? Do you have any dietary restrictions?" The manager personally hosted Chu He and his party, respectfully presenting a menu wrapped in yellow silk cloth—it looked extremely high-grade at a glance.
"Xiaomeng, order whatever you like!" Chu He smiled and handed the menu to An Xiaomeng.
"Alright!"
An Xiaomeng didn't stand on ceremony. However, the moment she opened the menu, she turned to stone. After a long while, she swallowed her saliva and looked timidly at An Chuxia.
"Sis, maybe you should order instead. The stuff on here is too expensive!"
An Chuxia took the menu and looked. Sure enough, every single dish was absurdly priced; even the most ordinary tomato and scrambled eggs were listed at 800 RMB!
"Chu He, why don't we go somewhere else to eat? This is too expensive!"
An Chuxia couldn't bear to order; after all, nobody's money fell from the sky...
Seeing this, Chu He said to the manager, "Manager, bring out all your specialty dishes!"
"Very well, sir!"
After a brief exchange with Chu He, the manager turned and left the private room.
As soon as he was gone, before An Chuxia could even speak, An Xiaomeng chimed in with a grin:
"Brother Chu He, why are you so rich?"
"I went into business with some friends on a small venture and made a bit of money," Chu He made up a random excuse.
"What kind of business makes that much money? You're not trafficking organs in northern Myanmar, are you?" An Xiaomeng stared at Chu He with wide eyes.
"Xiaomeng!"
An Chuxia frowned slightly, her expression visibly displeased.
Seeing this, An Xiaomeng stuck out her tongue and obediently shut her mouth.
"Chu He, I'm sorry!" An Chuxia said apologetically.
"It's fine."
Chu He shook his head and smiled at An Xiaomeng. "Organ trafficking is technical work. I don't have those kinds of skills."
"Hehe, Brother Chu He, I was just joking with you!" An Xiaomeng said with a giggle, then took out her phone and snapped a flurry of pictures, saying she wanted to post them on Moments to show off.
As the three of them were chatting and laughing merrily, suddenly, the door of the private room was kicked open with a loud bang from the outside!
***
Chapter 26: Young Master of the Liao Family
"Ah!"
An Xiaomeng was so startled that her phone dropped to the floor.
Chu He turned his head to look and saw a flashily dressed young man storming into the room with a furious expression, flanked by two men in black. Following closely behind was the restaurant manager from earlier.
"Who the hell dares to snatch a private room from me, Liao Zihao? Tired of living?!" the young man roared as he barged in.
"Young Master Liao..."
"Get lost!"
The manager tried to intervene, but the other party backhanded him across the face with a slap, cursing, "What kind of thing are you? Do you have a right to speak here? Get out!"
The manager, having taken a beating, didn't dare utter a single word of complaint. The young man before him was the eldest young master of the Liao Family and also a major shareholder of the restaurant—he was someone the manager couldn't afford to offend!
In Jiangzhou, the Liao Family's strength was no less than that of the Xu Family; they were an absolute first-tier family!
"Brat, stand up!"
Liao Zihao walked up to Chu He, looking arrogant and overbearing. "You dare snatch my private room? Do you know who I am?"
"We booked this room first! Who snatched it from you?"
To everyone's surprise, An Xiaomeng actually stood up. She glared angrily at Liao Zihao, scolding, "You scared me so much my phone broke! I haven't even made you pay for it yet!"
"Oh? There are two beauties here too?"
Liao Zihao's eyes lit up. In his rage just now, he had actually failed to notice there were beauties in the room.
Especially the woman sitting next to Chu He—she was way too gorgeous. If he were to 'handle' her right here in the private room, it would definitely be thrilling, wouldn't it?
At this thought, Liao Zihao couldn't help swallowing hard. He glared viciously at Chu He and warned:
"Brat, if you know what's good for you, get lost! But these two women stay!"
Chu He put down his teacup, turned to glance at Liao Zihao, and said coldly,
"Are you tired of living?"
"Asshole!"
Hearing this, Liao Zihao flew into a rage. Although he had just returned from studying abroad, he was still a member of the Liao Family. Who in Jiangzhou dared talk to him like that?
"Give this brat a thorough beating! Let's see if he dares act tough after that!"
The moment the words fell, the two muscular bodyguards lunged straight toward Chu He in unison.
"Courting death!"
Chu He's figure flashed, vanishing from his seat in the blink of an eye. The next second, like a ghost, he appeared directly behind the bodyguards and brought his hands down in a pair of chopping strikes!
The bodyguards felt their vision go black, and immediately afterward, they lost consciousness and collapsed cold.
"Wow! Brother Chu He, you're so cool!" An Xiaomeng's jaw dropped in shock at the sight.
"How... how could this be?"
Liao Zihao was dumbfounded, not expecting his opponent to actually be a martial artist.
"What did you just say? Got the guts to say it again?"
Having dealt with the bodyguards, Chu He walked step-by-step toward Liao Zihao, a sharp, icy glint flashing in his eyes.
Liao Zihao broke out in a cold sweat of terror. As he retreated step-by-step, he put up a bold front and warned in a shaky voice:
"Brat, you... don't you dare mess around! I'm from the Liao Family..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Liao Zihao was grabbed by the neck by Chu He and hoisted into the air like a little chick.
"Let... let me go..."