Chapter 94

Xie Wendong said politely to the young man, “There’s no need to fight anymore. Even if you win, you can’t stop us. I hope you’ll move out soon; otherwise, everyone will be unhappy. The government has assigned you new apartments, which are a hundred times better than this place. Why stay in such a shabby spot?”
The young man glared at Xie Wendong. Though he seemed young, his tone was condescending. He shouted, “We decide our own affairs. You bullies have no right to interfere. I refuse to move, and do you dare burn my house? I don’t believe there’s no law in this world to deal with you!”
Xie Wendong sneered and demanded, “Law? How dare you talk about law to me? Do you realize you’ve already violated the law? This land was ordered to be developed by the government, and new places have been arranged for you to live in. Why won’t you move?!” Then, turning to the onlookers, he said, “Let me tell you—we’re bullies, scoundrels who’ll do anything. If you don’t move, watch me burn your houses and tear down your homes!”
As he spoke, Xie Wendong exuded an overwhelming presence. Those near him felt short of breath, and even ordinary people could tell he was no ordinary person. Pointing at the young man, he added, “And you—don’t think just because you’ve learned a few tricks you’re something special. In my eyes, you’re nothing! You and all of you have three days. I’ll come back in three days. If I see anyone still here, no matter who you are, I’ll burn your house down! Don’t take my words as a joke!” With that, he waved his hand and led the group back to the car.
The young man stepped forward and said, “Wait! I want to know who you are.”
Xie Wendong opened the car door and turned back, “My name is Xie Wendong!” Then he got into the car and drove away with the others. Inside the car, Sanyan covered his cheek and mumbled, “Brother Dong, are we going too far now? Q Si used to do this all the time. It feels like we’re following in his footsteps!”
Xie Wendong shook his head. “We’re different from him. He’s arrogant and doesn’t use his brain, but we know when to be aggressive and when to stay low-key. We’ll never end up like him, getting crushed by the Communists!” He mimed beheading himself.
Sanyan trusted Xie Wendong completely. Leaning back in his seat, he groaned softly, “This kid might not be older than me, but he’s just as good at fighting as someone as experienced as me. He seems weak, but he’s actually really strong. Damn, he’s a genius!”

“Haha, I’m from a martial arts team. If you can draw with me, that’s already great!”
“Oh, I thought so! Hehe, I’ll look for him again to spar in the future!” “Yeah, there will be such a chance!”
The young man stood there for a long time, staring in the direction the car disappeared, his heart far from calm. He never expected that the man in his early twenties was Xie Wendong—the one who had caused a hundred deaths at the Fire Red nightclub and was released unharmed after being taken away by the military!
Ordinary people might not know about the Fire Red incident, but the police were well aware of it. This young man’s cousin worked at the city police station and had told him about this rising star in City H. Meeting him today filled the young man with confusion—he really didn’t understand what kind of person he was. He could kill dozens of Japanese people and their lackeys at Fire Red, and now he came to bully ordinary people… Maybe, as his cousin said, Xie Wendong was just a fanatic!
After founding the company, Xie Wendong truly understood what it meant to be busy—every matter, big or small, had to go through him. He thought Yu Chao would help share some of the workload, but this burly man dragged Xie Wendong into handling everything, no matter how big or small. When Xie Wendong protested, Yu Chao calmly said, “The old man sent me here to teach you things. Since we’re doing legitimate business, as the top director, how can you have an empty mind!?”
With Yu Chao’s words, Xie Wendong couldn’t say anything else. He was right—only what one learns belongs to oneself; what belongs to others remains theirs. Xie Wendong no longer complained and sometimes even sought Yu Chao’s advice on certain issues. When he had free time, he went back to school to study economics and bought many books on the subject. Yu Chao secretly admired Xie Wendong for his efficiency and determination. It was remarkable that someone in his position could still listen to others’ advice. It seemed the old man hadn’t introduced the wrong person—Xie Wendong indeed had great strengths. Working with him might lead to great progress!
The busy period made Xie Wendong forget his worries about Peng Ling, except at night when he couldn’t fall asleep. Turning off the light in his hotel room, he often lit a cigarette and sat on the windowsill, smoking slowly. He thought he should hate her, but when they met, his heart raced instead, and his hatred vanished into thin air.

“What should I do with you?” Xie Wendong murmured to himself, gazing at the night outside the window. Looking up at the twinkling stars in the sky, he felt too weak in matters of emotion. How could he expect to achieve great things like this? The scene of Peng Ling being led away by that damned policeman flashed before his eyes once again. He crushed his cigarette butt fiercely, and an idea formed in his mind: No one can get what I want. I will have her!

The soft moonlight from outside streamed into the room, casting a shadow over Xie Wendong’s sinister smile.

The afternoon after leaving the rural area, Xie Wendong was in his office reviewing documents when there was a knock at the door.

“Come in!” Xie Wendong said without even lifting his head.

The door opened, and a beautiful figure stepped in. She was the secretary Xie Wendong had hired—young, pretty, and professional. Though newly graduated, she had some work experience. But the main reason Xie Wendong chose her was her beauty. Although he wasn’t a lecher, he believed that since a secretary was someone he saw frequently, she had to be pleasing to look at, so as not to annoy him at work.

This young secretary was exactly the kind of “pleasing to look at” person Xie Wendong had in mind. Her name was Zhang Qing, a graduate of University H. In fact, Xie Wendong should have called her a senior. Each of her facial features was of high quality, and together they formed a perfect combination. What Xie Wendong appreciated most was that she lacked the arrogance typical of beautiful girls.

“Sis Qing, what’s the matter?” After Zhang Qing entered the office, a faint, fresh fragrance filled the air. Without lifting his head, Xie Wendong knew who it was. He sighed inwardly—he was almost addicted to this scent!

Zhang Qing glanced at Xie Wendong, who was several years younger than her yet already the boss, and said softly, “There’s a young man named Qu Fei outside who wants to see you.”

“Qu Fei?” Xie Wendong raised his head, looking at Zhang Qing in confusion. Such a familiar name. Tapping his head, he remembered—it was the young man who fought with Sanyan yesterday. But why did he come to see him? He smiled at Zhang Qing and said, “Ask him to come in.”

Zhang Qing nodded and turned to leave. Soon, she brought in Qu Fei, who looked awkward. She then left, saying, “I’ll go make some coffee!” and closed the door behind her.

After Zhang Qing left, Qu Fei breathed a sigh of relief. Being around such a beautiful woman made him feel uncomfortable. He glanced around Xie Wendong’s office before fixing his gaze on him. Xie Wendong closed the documents in his hands and said with a smile, “Brother Qu, what brings you to see me?”

Qu Fei walked up to Xie Wendong and said calmly, “I’m here on behalf of 21 residents to talk to you about the demolition!”
“Oh!” Xie Wendong had guessed roughly what he meant as soon as he entered and replied indifferently, “If you’re trying to persuade me to change my mind, I think there’s no need. This is a settled matter—I won’t give up!”
Qu Fei’s expression changed. He thought to himself, ‘Impressive. The other party saw through my intentions even before I spoke.’ Still, he tried his best and said, “Don’t you know that we’ve lived here for generations? Especially those elders—they’ve long regarded this place as part of their lives. Forcing them to leave would be worse than taking their lives…”
Xie Wendong interrupted him, “Don’t you know society is progressing? You’re young—your thinking can’t be that conservative! The country is developing, the economy is advancing. What’s wrong with leaving those shabby huts and moving into high-rise buildings?”
“That might be good for some people, but for those elders, it’s like losing their homes! I know a bit about you. Huohong did a great job and brought pride to the Chinese people. I think you’re a decent person and shouldn’t use gangster tactics on these elders!”
A decent person? Xie Wendong sneered inwardly. If it weren’t for this kid provoking him, he wouldn’t have taken such a big risk and resorted to such a desperate measure. But since he said so, he should pretend to agree. Standing up, Xie Wendong said sternly, “Huohong’s actions are insignificant. All Japanese who come to China to cause chaos deserve to be killed! Let’s talk about the demolition instead. Actually, yesterday I was just trying to scare the residents. How could I really set fire to their houses?! H City is the provincial capital, so its economy must lead the way. Building shopping malls is a benefit for both people and the government. Even if we can’t help, we shouldn’t hold back the government! I won’t say more. I hope you’ll go back and persuade the elders. That would be a good deed for the country and the government!”
After hearing Xie Wendong’s righteous words, Qu Fei felt ashamed. He had only thought of himself and was insignificant compared to Xie Wendong. Although Xie Wendong was young, his understanding of things far surpassed his own. Qu Fei began to waver.
Seeing this, Xie Wendong continued, “My background may not be honorable, but I understand what it means to be human. Even if I didn’t push for the demolition, someone else would. But since I’m handling it now, I won’t treat anyone unfairly. I’ll give each family 5,000 yuan as compensation. Of course, this money comes out of my own pocket—I can’t afford more. Consider it a small gesture to make up for the inconvenience!”

These words carried both softness and firmness. Qu Fei lowered his head after hearing them, thinking to himself that Xie Wendong was right—even if he didn’t urge them to move, someone else would come, probably someone much more forceful than Xie Wendong. If things really escalated, the government wouldn’t side with them. He said gloomily, “I apologize for what happened yesterday. You might be right; I’m not ignorant. When I go back, I’ll do my best to persuade everyone. We won’t accept this money, but I still appreciate your kindness!”
“Ah,” Xie Wendong thought, “If you’re going to play the good guy, go all the way.” He shook his head and said, “This money is purely out of my personal goodwill—it must be given!” Then he patted Qu Fei’s shoulder and said, “You’re sensible. Go back and talk to the elders properly. I think they’ll listen to you!”
Qu Fei looked at Xie Wendong with gratitude. After all, 5,000 yuan wasn’t much to Xie Wendong, but it was a significant sum for those elders. Moreover, their former workplace was struggling, unable to pay salaries for employees, let alone retirees. The government had allocated funds to City H several times to ensure retirement benefits for struggling enterprises, but the money was held back by the company leaders. No wonder it’s said that even the poorest can’t become officials! Once the money goes into their own pockets, they don’t care about others’ well-being! Small corruption harms the people; large corruption harms the nation… While corrupt officials feasted on public funds, they didn’t realize it was a feast of human flesh—drinking the blood of the people and eating their flesh! There are tears and blood beneath the neon lights!