Zhou Fei finally burst into loud tears, unable to accept this outcome. She glared at the security guards and screamed, "You stood there and watched me get beaten without lifting a finger! Watch out, or my boyfriend will get you all fired!"
The security guards gritted their teeth, just about to move against Chu He, when a furious shout echoed from the lobby:
"Stop right there!"
The guards turned around and broke out in a cold sweat. A young man in a tailored suit, wearing gold-rimmed glasses and looking every bit the refined intellectual, was striding toward them.
It was Zheng Ze, the personnel manager of Osha Group!
"Manager Zheng, what brings you here?" The guards hurried over, their faces plastered with ingratiating smiles.
"Honey! Sob, sob... Someone hit me!"
Catching sight of the man, Zhou Fei threw herself into his arms and wept bitter tears.
"What on earth happened?"
Seeing his girlfriend battered and bruised, Zheng Ze felt a pang of heartache, and his face instantly twisted with rage.
"Manager Zheng, it's like this..."
The head of security recounted the whole incident, though he cleverly shifted all the blame onto Chu He and An Chuxia.
"Outrageous! To beat someone in broad daylight with no regard for the law! Call the police right now and have this criminal arrested!" Zheng Ze roared with fury after hearing the guard's account, shooting Chu He a venomous glare.
"That's right! Arrest him and throw him in prison!"
Backed by her boyfriend, Zhou Fei regained her confidence. She glared at Chu He through clenched teeth, "You little punk, just wait to eat prison food!"
"No, please don't!"
Hearing that they were going to call the police, An Chuxia panicked and blurted out, "This is all my fault. Zhou Fei, why don't you slap me twice and we can call it a day?"
"In your dreams! Are you even in my league? Slapping you would just dirty my hands. Don't forget you live in the slums!" Zhou Fei said with utter disgust.
"Feier, who is this?"
Seeing An Chuxia's striking appearance, Zheng Ze's eyes lit up. What a stunner!
"She's my cousin, An Chuxia. Have you never heard of her?" Zhou Fei sneered. Zheng Ze's gaze at An Chuxia made her furious.
They were both women—why did men's eyes light up the moment they looked at An Chuxia? What did she lack compared to her?
"You mean that An Chuxia who offended Shen Man and the Xu Family and has been suppressed ever since?"
Zheng Ze was startled, and any lingering thoughts he had about An Chuxia vanished instantly. He had no desire to be dragged down by this woman.
"That's her!"
Zhou Fei pouted and complained, "Darling, you have to avenge me!"
"Don't worry. Whoever hit you, I'll send them straight to prison!"
Zheng Ze sneered. But before his voice even faded, a rhythmic clicking of high heels echoed from behind him, making the hair on the back of his neck stand up.
Everyone in the group recognized that sound—it was President Leng Muxue!
He turned his head, and sure enough, Leng Muxue was walking toward them briskly, flanked by several senior executives.
"President Leng, what brings you here?"
Zheng Ze quickly pushed Zhou Fei out of his arms and hurried forward with a ingratiating smile.
"President Leng!"
The head of security felt as though he were walking on thin ice. Leng Muxue was notoriously cold and ruthless in her work. If anyone gave her an excuse, there was only one outcome: packing their bags and getting fired.
That was why she had another nickname in the company: the Ice Queen!
Leng Muxue was about to greet Chu He when she caught him giving her a slight shake of his head. She instantly understood that her master did not want their relationship exposed.
"Manager Zheng, what is going on here?"
Seeing Chu He surrounded by security guards, Leng Muxue's face darkened instantly.
Zheng Ze was startled and quickly shot a look at the head of security.
"President Leng, this punk tried to force his way into the building, and when we wouldn't let him, he started hitting people..." The head of security caught the hint and gave a brief summary of events, laying all the blame squarely on Chu He.
"That's not true!"
An Chuxia hurriedly interrupted, "President Leng, I can testify that Zhou Fei started insulting Chu He first!"
"An, shut your mouth!"
Hearing that, Zhou Fei panicked. Saying such a thing in front of the president of Osha Group—wasn't that trying to ruin her future?
"Are your skin itching for another beating?"
Chu He's voice suddenly turned cold. He glanced at Leng Muxue and frowned, "Osha Group is supposed to be a major corporation. Why do you let any trash in here?"
"Asshole, who are you calling trash?"
"You... Honey, he's bullying me!" Zhou Fei was frantic, but having been beaten once, she could only turn to Zheng Ze for help.
"President Leng, this kid really did hit my girlfriend..."
"What position is Miss An here to apply for?"
Before Zheng Ze could finish, Leng Muxue cut him off.
She stole a glance at Chu He, and receiving a subtle nod from him, she turned back to look at An Chuxia with a smile.
An Chuxia's mind went completely blank. Were executives of major corporations always this friendly?
"President Leng, a person like this has no concept of time. The company must not hire her!" Zheng Ze quickly chimed in.
"Since when do you get to decide who gets hired?"
Chu He looked at Zheng Ze with amusement. "Anyone who didn't know better would think you were the president of the company!"
"No, no, no! That's not what I meant!"
Cold sweat poured down Zheng Ze's face. He gritted his teeth, glared at Chu He, and snapped, "Kid, stop stirring the pot here. Just wait until the police arrive and see what happens to you!"
"Shut up!"
Leng Muxue gave Zheng Ze a warning glare, then turned back with a completely different expression, smiling warmly at An Chuxia as she said,
"Miss An, I happen to be in need of an assistant. If you don't mind, would you join the company as the president's assistant? Mr. Chu, do you have any objections?"
"Sounds good, I have no objections!" Chu He smiled faintly. Aside from her top-notch cooking skills, Leng Muxue's acting wasn't half bad either. It was a pity this woman always wanted to sleep with him, otherwise they could have been friends.
"As long as Mr. Chu has no objections!"
Leng Muxue let out a sigh of relief. She had long since gathered that An Chuxia and Chu He's relationship was unusual, so the position she arranged certainly couldn't be too low.
"President's assistant?"
As soon as those words left her mouth, not only Zheng Ze, but even the executives accompanying Leng Muxue were stunned!
This position was far more powerful than an ordinary manager. With just a single word from the president's assistant, a departmental manager like Zheng Ze could be driven out of the company!
"President Leng, isn't this inappropriate? The position of president's assistant is of vital importance; please reconsider!"
Everyone tried to dissuade Leng Muxue, with Zheng Ze offering all sorts of objections. After all, if this An woman became the president's assistant, would he ever have another easy day?
"Enough!"
Leng Muxue's pretty face chilled as she said sternly, "I have made my decision. No one is to say another word!"
Dead silence fell over the scene. No one dared to defy Leng Muxue's decision—crossing her would bring nothing but trouble!
"Why does An Chuxia get to be the president's assistant? What about me?" Hearing that An Chuxia had secured the position, Zhou Fei grew anxious and demanded angrily.
"What do you think you are? Security, throw her out!"
Leng Muxue shot Zhou Fei a cold glance, her eyes filled with disgust.
"You wouldn't dare!"
Driven out of her mind by anger, Zhou Fei barked at the security guards right in front of Leng Muxue. "My husband is a manager in this company! If any of you touch me, I'll have him fire the lot of you!"
"Such a big manager!"
Leng Muxue let out a cold snort, a sharp, icy glint flashing in her eyes.
"President Leng, let me explain..."
"No need to explain. You're fired. Go to the finance department to settle your accounts! Don't waste my breath, or I'll have you blacklisted across the entire industry!"
Blacklisted across the entire industry?
If anyone else had said that, Zheng Ze would certainly have scoffed, but Osha Group had Knight Group backing it. Across the entire country, how many companies dared to offend them?
Zheng Ze was utterly dumbfounded. Because of his girlfriend's job hunt, he had gotten himself fired too?
"Hmph, it's just a job, what's the big deal? My husband will do even better once he leaves Osha!" Zhou Fei flew into a rage out of embarrassment. To vent the grievances in her heart, she barked sarcastically at Leng Muxue.
Slap!
Driven mad with fury, Zheng Ze delivered a heavy backhand across Zhou Fei's face. Furious and desperate, he cursed, "Bitch, I'll teach you to run your mouth!"
"You... you hit me?"
Zhou Fei clutched her bruised face, staring at Zheng Ze with wide, disbelieving eyes.
"Hitting you is nothing! I could kill you right now!"
Zheng Ze's teeth itched with hatred. Osha Group's compensation was the best in the entire industry; even if he managed to find another job, his income would plummet significantly—and all of it was thanks to this idiot of a woman!
"An Chuxia, you just wait! This isn't over!" Zhou Fei cried as she turned and ran off.
"Kid, I'll remember you!"
Zheng Ze shot Chu He a venomous glare before fleeing the scene in disgrace.
"Assistant An, I'm Old Zhang from the finance department. Please look after me from now on!"
"I'm Old Lee from the logistics department. Welcome Assistant An to Osha Group!"
The corporate executives were all cunning veterans. Seeing that An Chuxia had become the president's confidante, they naturally stepped forward to butter her up.
"Captain, truly life is unpredictable—one moment you're up, the next you're down!" a subordinate muttered to the head of security.
"Get lost!"
The head of security wanted to cry. He never expected the plot to twist so quickly; he could just wait to be laid off!
"Master, are you satisfied with my arrangement?" Leng Muxue seized the chance to move to Chu He's side, lowering her voice to ask.
"Chuxia is my sister. Take good care of her!"
"Understood!"
Leng Muxue smiled radiantly and said softly, "Master, what would you like for dinner tonight?"
"You figure it out!"
Only then did Chu He remember that he was living with Leng Muxue. Who would have thought that a career woman like her would be so interested in cooking?
Most girls these days wouldn't even touch water with their fingertips, let alone cook. Asking them to wash a dish was probably too much to ask!
The matter had finally come to an end. The head of security was fired, just as expected, and An Chuxia would be able to start work tomorrow.
"Little An, keep up the good work. I'm rooting for you!"
Leng Muxue smiled knowingly, said goodbye to Chu He, and walked back into the office building.
"Chu He, am I dreaming?"
An Chuxia was a mix of surprise and joy. She still suspected she was dreaming, murmuring, "President An actually wants me to be her assistant! But, but she didn't even look at my resume!"
"Perhaps it's what they call chemistry at first sight!"
Chu He casually tossed out an excuse to brush it off, smiled, and said, "It's getting late. Let me see you home!"
"Chu He... aren't you afraid my dad will yell at you again?"
An Chuxia bit her lower lip apologetically. "Or I can just go back by myself!"
"Then be careful on your way. I'll go treat your uncle's leg ailment in a bit!" Chu He thought for a moment and said.
"I'm sorry, my dad, he..."
"Silly girl, An Jie died to save me. I'm the one who should be saying sorry! By the way, isn't your birthday coming up soon?" Fearing that An Chuxia would feel awkward, Chu He steered the conversation toward her birthday.
"That's right! You still remember my birthday?"
An Chuxia's eyes lit up. After her brother An Jie, Chu He was the first man to proactively bring up her birthday—sometimes even her dad forgot!
"Of course. Tell me what birthday gift you want, and I'll get it for you!"
"I don't expect much. I just hope we can all stay safe and healthy!" An Chuxia said.
Chu He smiled upon hearing this. Just then, a taxi happened to drive by, and he raised a hand to flag it down, helping An Chuxia settle into the backseat.
"Get a good rest so you have the energy for work tomorrow!"
"Mhmm!"
An Chuxia nodded, fighting hard to keep from crying. In truth, ever since An Jie died, she hadn't been cared for like this in a very long time...
As the taxi drove away, Chu He finally took out his phone and made a call.
"Yegui, investigate a man named Tiger for me right away!"
"Understood, subordinate obeys!"
An icy voice came from the other end of the line.
Meanwhile, Chang Hu rushed into the hospital in a frenzy. Upon seeing his son lying in the hospital bed with both hands twisted into the shape of "dough twists," he flew into a rage!
After conducting a thorough examination, the chief physician in a white coat sighed and said:
"The patient's arm bones are completely shattered, and his bladder has also been ruptured. I suggest the family transfer him to another hospital for treatment as soon as possible; there is nothing more we can do here!"
"Are you doctors eating shit? You can't even treat my son's injuries!" Chang Hu pointed straight at the doctor's nose and cursed.
"I'm sorry, we are truly powerless..."
Knowing Chang Hu was not a man to be trifled with, the chief physician could only swallow his anger and leave the ward.
"Outrageous!"
With bloodshot eyes and a face full of murder, Chang Hu paced back and forth in the ward like an enraged lion.
"Who hurt my son? I want him dead!"
"Lord Hu, according to the men who came back, it was the boyfriend of that girl from the An Family—sounds like his name is Chu He, and he knows martial arts!" a subordinate nearby reminded him.
"Chu He?"
Chang Hu frowned upon hearing the name. He had been one of the participants in the tragic Chu Family massacre all those years ago!
"Judging by Young Master Wei's injuries, the opponent must be a martial artist," said a man in green robes standing behind Chang Hu.
"Dad, you have to avenge me! Kill that brat!" Chang Wei roared furiously from his hospital bed. Not only were both his arms crippled, but he was also suffering from urinary incontinence—he had never been so humiliated.
"Don't worry, son. Whoever he is, he's going to die!"
Chang Hu gritted his teeth in hatred and instructed the man in green, "Old Jin, handle this. Chop that brat surnamed Chu into pieces!"
"Understood!"
The man in green expressionless, nodded, and turned to leave the ward...
...
North City, Zhong Family Villa.
A document lay on Zhong Mingfeng's desk. Flipping it open, a photograph of Chu He stared back at him.
Zhong Mingfeng sat behind his huanghuali wood desk, sipping tea as he reviewed the files.
Before long, however, Zhong Mingfeng's brow furrowed tightly. Seeing this, Ou Hui by his side couldn't help asking:
"Old Zhong, is there a problem with Chu He's background?"
"Sigh!"
Zhong Mingfeng let out a long sigh, his expression grave. "Wife, do you remember the Chu Family massacre from back then?"
"Of course I do!"
Ou Hui nodded, then suddenly seemed to realize something as she gasped:
"Heavens! Could Chu He be..."
"Indeed. He is Chu Wentian's son!"
"Then why on earth would he dare return to Ningzhou? No, Chu He saved Ling'er. We can't just watch him die; we must find a way to save him!" Ou Hui was kind-hearted, and upon learning Chu He's identity, she grew deeply anxious.
Back then, various factions had coveted the Chu Family, ultimately leading to the tragic deaths of Chu Wentian and his wife, with only Chu He narrowly escaping. Who would have thought this kid would run right back here?
"Heh, Chu He isn't as weak as you think!"
Zhong Mingfeng gave a bitter smile as he said, "Just yesterday, this kid turned the Xu Family's wedding upside down, killing not only Xu Jinshan and his son, but also Zhao Bin, the chief instructor of the Martial Guards. Even Yan Zhe of the Ancient Martial families had his wrist snapped by him!"
"What?"
Ou Hui stood stunned into silence after hearing this. Was Chu He trying to defy the heavens?
Whether it was the Xu Family, Zhao Bin, or the ancient martial Yan Family, the Zhong Family wouldn't dare lightly offend any one of them on their own—and Chu He had already killed two?
"Good thing he called off his engagement with Ling'er, otherwise it would have dragged the Zhong Family down with him!" Ou Hui patted her ample chest, still shaken with lingering fear.
"Typical short-sighted women's view!"
Zhong Mingfeng glanced at Ou Hui and smiled meaningfully. "Chu He's background record has been a complete blank for the past few years, yet the moment he returns, he starts a bloodbath. Don't you find that strange?"
"Old Zhong, what are you trying to say?" Ou Hui shook her head.
"Let's wait and see. I want to see how Chu He handles what's coming next. If this boy truly has the strength, we might just honor that engagement after all!"
Zhong Mingfeng was truly an old fox. After accepting the betrothal document, he had never torn it up; perhaps he had been waiting precisely for this moment...
Bang!
Just as his voice fell, the study door was pushed open from the outside.
"Ling'er?"
Recognizing the newcomer, Zhong Mingfeng smiled faintly and asked, "Ling'er, why didn't you knock before coming in?"
"Dad, I heard everything you two were saying!"
Having recently recovered from her severe illness, Zhong Ling'er's delicate and pretty face still bore a trace of pallor as she declared, "Chu He saved me. Now that he's in trouble, the Zhong Family must step in to save him!"
"Silly child!"
Ou Hui hurriedly tried to persuade her, "The trouble Chu He caused is simply too big. Even if the Zhong Family wanted to protect him, we couldn't! If you really want to repay him, we can give him money... In short, stay out of this business!"
"No!"
Zhong Ling'er coughed a few times, her tone resolute. "Dad, even if Chu He and I no longer have an engagement, he is still my savior!"
"My girl, is that really how you feel?"
Zhong Mingfeng's eyes rolled in thought. After a moment of silent reflection, he nodded and said, "I support whatever decision you make, but you must keep a sense of proportion and not bring trouble upon yourself, understand?"
"Dad, I'm going to South City right now!"
Only then did Zhong Ling'er smile radiantly, leaving the study fully satisfied.
"Old Zhong, you... weren't you rather opposed to Chu He earlier?" Ou Hui asked, a trace of grievance in her voice since her husband wasn't backing her up.
"That was before I saw his file. Now, I believe this boy is destined for greatness! Just wait and see—sooner or later, Chu He is going to soar to the skies!" Zhong Mingfeng smiled with absolute confidence. He had built his fortune as the richest man in North City from scratch; his keen eye was far beyond that of ordinary men.
Emerald Garden.
Just as Chu He returned to the villa, he noticed several police cars with flashing red and blue lights parked right outside his door...
Female Police Officer Han Tong
"Hey, Officer, Mr. Chu is back!"
The security guard of the residential compound caught sight of Chu He and hurriedly spoke to the police officer beside him.
"Are you Chu He?"
A dark-faced police officer walked up to Chu He, looked him up and down, and asked.
"That's right. Something I can help you with?"
"You are suspected of fighting and causing a disturbance in the shantytown district, as well as injuring multiple men. Come with us now!" With that, the dark-faced officer pulled out a pair of handcuffs, preparing to slap them onto Chu He.
"I'm not running anywhere. There's no need for handcuffs, is there?"
Realizing this was about the An Family incident, Chu He decided to cooperate and go along with the police.
"Get in the car!"