"I actually think you should bring him along!" Zhou Xinyi said with a smile.
"Why?" Chen Xiaoran asked, her face full of confusion.
"You can let him see what your social circle is like! See how exceptional the men around you are! He isn't even qualified to touch the fringes of your world!"
"Even if you don't tell him to leave your house directly, at least you can make him realize his own standing so he stops entertaining any ideas about you!"
Hearing this, Chen Xiaoran’s eyes lit up. "That's right! That’s a great idea!"
"I need to let him know how noble my circle is—a world he couldn't reach even if he wore himself out trying for the rest of his life!"
Not long after, He Wenqian received a call from Chen Xiaoran, telling Ye Lingtian to attend the banquet.
The gathering was held at Baolixuan, a Black Pearl three-diamond restaurant ranked in the top three in Jiangcheng. The average cost per person was over five thousand! The minimum charge for the private room Chen Xiaoran and her friends had booked in advance was 180,000—a sum completely unaffordable for an ordinary person.
"If Ye Lingtian had to rely on himself, he would never be able to step foot in a Black Pearl restaurant in his entire life!"
"He could never imagine that a restaurant like this is as common as a cafeteria to me. My life is his dream!" Chen Xiaoran thought, her face full of arrogance.
Soon after, Ye Lingtian arrived.
"Go inside. Remember, don't say anything stupid!" Chen Xiaoran shot Ye Lingtian a sharp look before entering the restaurant.
Inside the private room were three men and five women, all classmates and friends of Chen Xiaoran. Not only were they all exceptional, but they also came from wealthy backgrounds. Han Xuewen, who was hosting this celebration banquet, had especially impressive connections. His family business monopolized more than half the supermarkets in Jiangcheng, and his father was known as the "Supermarket King." Han Xuewen was also incredibly gifted, having been a standout among his peers since childhood; he was also one of Chen Xiaoran's suitors.
"Xiaoran, Xinyi, congratulations on joining the Black Gold Consortium!" The group stepped forward to offer their well-wishes.
"Xiaoran! I have good news! I’ve been hired by the Black Gold Consortium, too! We’ll be colleagues from now on!" Han Xuewen, dressed in a sharp suit and looking meticulously groomed, told Chen Xiaoran excitedly.
"Oh? Really? Then you are truly amazing!" Zhou Xinyi quickly praised him.
Even Chen Xiaoran’s eyes brightened. Joining the Black Gold Consortium was an supreme honor, a mark of being a cut above the rest. Han Xuewen was only mid-tier among the successful men around Chen Xiaoran, yet even he had landed a job at the Black Gold Consortium. How could Ye Lingtian possibly compare to someone like that? He would never be able to break into her circle!
"Ye Lingtian, do you see that? Even an average suitor of Xiaoran’s is at this level!"
"Are you even worthy of being with Xiaoran? Just give up on that idea!" Zhou Xinyi spoke bluntly.
Chen Xiaoran also looked at Ye Lingtian with a haughty gaze, as if to say, "You are trash! You aren't worthy of me!"
Only then did Han Xuewen and the others notice Ye Lingtian standing behind them.
"Xiaoran, who is this?" Han Xuewen looked at Ye Lingtian with visible displeasure.
Chen Xiaoran said helplessly, "He’s a godson my mother took in years ago—I don't even know why! Now he’s come to my house to eat, drink, and live for free! My mother even wants me to marry him!"
The two girlfriends went on to describe Ye Lingtian as someone who amounted to nothing. He had no background, no assets, and no skills. He was essentially an illiterate who hadn't even finished school! But these were all facts.
"What? You live under the same roof and she wants you to marry him?" Han Xuewen’s expression changed instantly, and everyone else stared coldly at Ye Lingtian.
"Honestly speaking, my own conditions are average—my family only has a few billion in assets! And I’ve just been hired by the Black Gold Consortium! Even then, I’m only a very average suitor for Xiaoran."
"These other two brothers, Shi Xingguang and Liu Yuming, their families have two or three billion in assets! They are also exceptionally talented! Yet, they don't even have the courage to pursue Xiaoran!"
"Kid! You can't even touch the edge of our circle, yet you dare to scheme after Xiaoran? Just give up!" Han Xuewen pointed at Ye Lingtian.
Hearing this, Chen Xiaoran stood proud as a peacock. She looked at Ye Lingtian with a disdainful air, her eyes saying, "See? This is my world! It’s a world you will never touch in this life!"
Ye Lingtian looked at Han Xuewen coldly. "Whether I’m worthy or not—what the hell does that have to do with you?"
"Also, you said you joined the Black Gold Consortium? Very well, you're fired."
"Hahahaha..." As soon as he said that, everyone burst into uncontrollable laughter.
"Xiaoran, is there something wrong with his brain? Firing someone on behalf of the Black Gold Consortium?"
"Who does he think he is? The owner of the Black Gold Consortium?" The group looked at Ye Lingtian as if he were an idiot.
Chen Xiaoran was furious. What kind of nonsense was Ye Lingtian spouting? Did he really think the Black Gold Consortium belonged to him?
"Alright, Xiaoran, don't be angry! He’s just feeling inferior because he knows he can never reach your circle. He’s just trying to feel important!"
With that explanation, Chen Xiaoran’s eyes lit up. Ye Lingtian had started acting tough just to feel relevant; it meant her plan was working. It meant he finally understood what her world was like and was starting to feel inadequate!
"Xiaoran, ignore him. You are destined to join the most elite upper-class circles in the Dragon Country! He is from a completely different world than you!" everyone chimed in.
Chen Xiaoran was filled with pride. She had always had high standards, but now that she had joined the Black Gold Consortium, her standards were even higher. Even the top talents of Jiangcheng didn't catch her eye anymore! How could Ye Lingtian possibly compare?
Zhou Xinyi snorted, "Hmph, Xiaoran’s standards are high. In the future, she will most likely become the wife of the Kunlun God of War! How could he compare?"
This remark resonated deeply with Chen Xiaoran; her expectations for a partner had indeed risen to the level of the Kunlun God of War.
"Alright, let's not let him ruin our mood!"
Afterward, everyone took their seats. One gourmet dish after another was brought to the table. Each dish cost at least ten thousand, and Han Xuewen introduced them one by one, occasionally mocking Ye Lingtian for never having tasted such food. Ye Lingtian didn't touch his chopsticks the entire time, which, to Chen Xiaoran and the others, was just him putting on an act. They assumed he was dying to eat but was pretending to be unimpressed.
*What a poseur!* they thought.
Gradually, they found him boring and stopped paying attention to Ye Lingtian, turning their conversation to "high-end topics"—discussing the future of Jiangcheng and the Dragon Country’s economy and the roles they would play in it. Chen Xiaoran and her friends particularly focused on how high the Black Gold Consortium could rise in the Dragon Country. These were things a country bumpkin like Ye Lingtian couldn't understand and would never be exposed to. Little did they know, Ye Lingtian was just watching a group of clowns.
After the meal, everyone planned to go to a bar. It was Chen Xiaoran and her best friend's first time, and they were incredibly excited.
"Ye Lingtian, go home! Don't follow us!" In order not to ruin her mood, Chen Xiaoran told him to go back.
Ye Lingtian hadn't wanted to go, but he had promised his godmother he would ensure they returned home safely that night. He had no choice but to follow. "I'm going with you."
Chen Xiaoran looked deeply displeased. "Can you stop following me? It was enough to let you have dinner and see the world, but don't think about ruining the rest of my night!"
"No. Unless you go home with me right now," Ye Lingtian said, looking straight at her.
Chen Xiaoran rubbed her head. *My God, I'm going crazy! Is he really going to cling to me like this?*
Helpless, she had to bring Ye Lingtian along.
Just as they were about to head to the bar, Han Xuewen suddenly received a call from his superior at the Black Gold Consortium.
"You guys go ahead, I'll be there shortly!" Han Xuewen dared not be careless and immediately found a quiet spot to answer the phone.
"Han Xuewen, right? You're fired!" A cold voice came from the other end.
"Boom!"
At that moment, it felt like a thunderbolt struck Han Xuewen. That country bumpkin was actually right... He really had been fired? He double-checked—it was an executive from the Black Gold Consortium who had fired him! The termination documents had already appeared in his email!
"Thud!"
Han Xuewen collapsed to the ground. His phone fell and shattered with a crack.
"Chen Xiaoran!!! Zhou Xinyi!!! Didn't you say he was just a country bumpkin?"
"Are you playing me? This is a super-influential figure who controls the Black Gold Consortium!" Han Xuewen roared while kneeling on the floor.
Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Ye Lingtian’s group had arrived at the Hepburn Bar. Han Xuewen had already arranged everything, and a group of managers greeted them and led them to the best VIP booth, #1.
"Huh? Why isn't Han Xuewen here yet?"
"He isn't answering his phone, either. Did something happen?" Shi Xingguang was full of questions and couldn't help but glance at Ye Lingtian. Could he really have been fired?
"If he's not coming, we'll start without him! No need to wait!" The others started ordering drinks. Chen Xiaoran ordered ten "Shenlong" sets in one go, spending over 300,000. She tipped the waiters and managers like money was nothing. She was doing this to let Ye Lingtian see what her daily life was like—the clothes she wore, the things she used, and the money she spent were beyond his imagination! She wanted to completely shatter his delusions.
"Old Han still isn't here. Could something have really happened?" A while had passed, and Han Xuewen hadn't appeared or been reached. They finally began to panic.
"I think we should go back and check. I have a bad feeling that something happened!"
Just as they were about to go look for Han Xuewen, a group of uninvited guests appeared in the bar. They were young masters from the Southeast Asian Chamber of Commerce in Jiangcheng, followed by dozens of burly bodyguards. Anyone in their way was shoved aside or thrown out by the bodyguards. Those who dared to reason with them were beaten severely. In Jiangcheng, these Southeast Asian young masters were accustomed to being tyrants. There was nothing they wouldn't do—snatching women they took a liking to and beating anyone who displeased them. They were notorious. Everyone resented them but had no way to fight back. The influence of the Southeast Asian Chamber of Commerce was too great to cross.
Their eyes turned toward the VIP #1 booth. The bar manager was trying to explain that the spot was already taken.
"Slap!"
The lead young master, Sang Kun, slapped the manager across the face and then stomped on him several times. "Anything I, Sang Kun, want, I get! Today, I want this spot!"
At Sang Kun's command, dozens of bodyguards swarmed forward, surrounding Ye Lingtian’s booth. When Sang Kun and his men saw the beautiful women like Chen Xiaoran, their eyes widened. They went to nightclubs almost every night, but they had never seen women of such quality. They were stunned.
"Just in time, we don't have women to accompany us! They'll do!"
"Drive the men away, keep all the women!" Sang Kun was impatient. None of the women they targeted ever managed to escape.
Chen Xiaoran and her friends recognized these men and became flustered. Sang Kun and his group acted without consequences, like lunatics. It wasn't certain their own identities could suppress them.
Shi Xingguang immediately said, "Do you know who I am? My father is Shi Kaiyun!"
"Heh? Shi Kaiyun, is it? If it weren't for my Southeast Asian Chamber of Commerce, would he have risen to power these past few years? Get lost! Slap!" Sang Kun slapped Shi Xingguang directly.
As Chen Xiaoran started to announce her status, Sang Kun sneered, "I don't care who you are! Tonight, you're mine!"
*Madmen!* Chen Xiaoran, Zhou Xinyi, and the others turned pale. It was their first time at a bar, and they had encountered something like this. No wonder their families forbade them from coming to such chaotic places. What should they do?
Just as they were about to pull out their phones to call for help, the devices were snatched away by Sang Kun's men. In their panic, they didn't know what to do, and one by one, they looked toward Ye Lingtian, who was sitting in the corner.
From beginning to end, Ye Lingtian had sat there without saying a word, looking as if he were scared silly.
*Coward!* Seeing Ye Lingtian’s cowardly appearance, Chen Xiaoran was furious. *You’re so "capable"—shouldn't you stand up at a critical moment? But look at you! You’re more scared than us girls!* She looked down on him. *How could I, Chen Xiaoran, marry a piece of trash like you?*
Earlier, when she first looked at Ye Lingtian, she had fantasized that all of Ye Lingtian’s previous bragging was true, and that at this moment, he would stand up in a heroic display and save them. But he disappointed her. Trash was trash, after all.
However, Ye Lingtian felt deeply exasperated. As the majestic Dark Son of Heaven, did he really have to deal with these small-time thugs? But she was, after all, his godmother’s daughter.
"Get lost now! Or you'll all die!" Just as everyone fell into despair, Ye Lingtian's voice echoed through the room.
Hearing his voice, Chen Xiaoran’s eyes lit up, but upon seeing it was Ye Lingtian, she grew even angrier. "Do you have the ability to solve this? You just stand up to show off? What are you pretending for?" She hated it; even at a time like this, Ye Lingtian was still trying to grandstand.
"Kill him!" Sang Kun ordered. Several burly bodyguards rushed forward, intending to tear Ye Lingtian apart.
*Seeking your own deaths!!!* Chen Xiaoran didn't even dare to watch.
"Slap!"
But at that moment, another group of people appeared. The man in the lead grabbed a bottle of alcohol and smashed it into the head of one of the bodyguards, blood splattering everywhere. The sudden development stunned everyone, including Ye Lingtian, who had been preparing to crush these ants.
Sang Kun’s group was about to explode in anger, but when they saw the face of the newcomer, they immediately wilted. Their expressions changed, turning deathly pale. One by one, they lowered their heads, not daring to speak—as if they had seen someone terrifyingly powerful.
The newcomer was a young man in a sharp suit with a fierce expression. He walked up quickly.
"Slap!" "Slap!" "Slap!"... He struck the Southeast Asian young masters across the face repeatedly. His subordinates were even more brutal, breaking the legs of the bodyguards. Screams echoed through the room. Yet Sang Kun and his men kept their heads down, not daring to utter a single word of protest.
"You're all tired of living, aren't you? Running wild on my turf?"
"Seeing women and letting your impulses take over, huh? Do you know who these people are? The daughters of the Chen and Zhou families!"
"Slap, slap, slap..." The man struck Sang Kun and his group with several more loud slaps.
The entire room was stunned. Who was this person? Who could keep these "madmen" from Southeast Asia so obedient? Even Ye Lingtian couldn't help but ask, "Who is he?"
"Who is he? That's Lei Qianfeng, the son of the Jiangcheng underground boss, Lei Liehu! He's the biggest thug in Jiangcheng! A natural leader! If only I had half his charisma..." Shi Xingguang said with envy.
Liu Yuming suddenly realized, "So this bar is owned by the boss himself! No wonder!"
Hearing that he was Lei Liehu’s son, Ye Lingtian’s expression changed. *To think I’d run into the son of an enemy here!*
Zhou Xinyi also said with admiration, "Lei Qianfeng has even more methods than his father, and even more natural leadership! He’s a top talent in Jiangcheng, a future powerhouse!"
Previously, the boss had only controlled the underground world of Jiangcheng, focusing on fighting and killing. But with the help of his son, Lei Qianfeng, they had gradually moved into the light, building a commercial conglomerate.
Chen Xiaoran said directly, "Ye Lingtian, do you see that? That’s what’s called presence! That’s what’s called being a boss!"
"No matter how big the issue is in Jiangcheng, he solves it with a single slap! What do you have to compare with him?"
After dealing with Sang Kun’s group, Lei Qianfeng approached Chen Xiaoran and the others with a smile. "My apologies! Miss Chen, Miss Zhou! I’ve frightened you."
Chen Xiaoran and her friends immediately expressed their thanks. Lei Qianfeng smiled and asked, "Would I have the honor of buying Miss Chen a few drinks?"
Chen Xiaoran looked at Ye Lingtian triumphantly. The meaning was clear: *See? Even a top talent like this is showing me such favor! Why would you think you’re worthy of marrying me? You’re not!*
"You're the son of Lei Liehu?" Ye Lingtian stepped forward and asked.
"Bold! Is that a name you can just call out?" Lei Qianfeng’s subordinates immediately shouted.
Lei Qianfeng signaled for them to be quiet and looked at Ye Lingtian, nodding. "Yes! What do you want?"
"Bang!"
Without another word, Ye Lingtian delivered a violent punch! Lei Qianfeng’s face caved in instantly, blood streaming down.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
He followed up with several more punches, leaving Lei Qianfeng’s face unrecognizable.
Everyone was stunned! No one had expected this to happen. Was Ye Lingtian insane? He just hit whoever he wanted? Lei Qianfeng was even more bewildered—was he being beaten just because he was Lei Liehu’s son?
"Ye Lingtian, what are you doing?" Chen Xiaoran and her friends finally reacted, panicked. Lei Qianfeng’s men were also scrambling to respond.
But Ye Lingtian hadn't finished. He grabbed Lei Qianfeng’s hand.
"Crack!" "Crack!"... He broke each of his fingers one by one.
Lei Qianfeng let out a blood-curdling scream, writhing in pain on the ground.
"Ye Lingtian, are you insane???" Chen Xiaoran and her friends were completely dumbfounded. What had he done? He was a complete lunatic! Could he not handle a few sarcastic remarks, to the point where he had to prove himself like this? But the problem was, he had hit Lei Qianfeng! The son of the boss! Even the Chen Family couldn't handle this!
"Kill him! Kill him!"