Chapter 1107: I Messed With You, So What?

Chongming Island is an alluvial island at the eastern end of the Yangtze River Delta, located at the mouth of the Yangtze; it is China's third-largest island, the largest river-mouth alluvial island, and the largest sand island, with a land-formation history spanning over 1,300 years, earning it the reputation of 'the Gateway to the Yangtze, the Immortal Isle of the East Sea.'

However, due to the island's limitations, it is not particularly developed; there are no towering skyscrapers like those in Lin Li's city, which instead allows the people here to live a slow life distinct from that of Shanghai.

The island features some tourism infrastructure: wetland parks and forest zoos built by the government, alongside resorts, homestays, coffee shops, bookstores, and other ventures invested in by private individuals, creating an atmosphere different from Shanghai's. With pastoral scenery, natural landscapes, and a touch of petty-bourgeois sentimentality, the overall experience is quite pleasant.

There are two routes to and from Chongming Island: one by water, the other by land. The water route involves a ferry, while the land route crosses the Shanghai Yangtze River Bridge.

Wang Yan and the others drove across via the bridge.

After settling into the hotel at the resort here, Wang Yan and the others had a simple lunch together; without much conversation, they rested briefly before renting bicycles, preparing to go out for a ride.

"Wang Zong, those two will likely need a while longer to get ready; let's head out first. Are you really wearing just that?"

David looked at Wang Yan's shorts, short-sleeved shirt, and athletic shoes; he was wearing nothing else but a cycling helmet.

"It's only an occasional ride; my buttocks can still handle it. No need to get so professional about it; that would be too troublesome."

"Wang Zong is truly carefree."

"I'm just unwilling to spend extra money on it; it would be a waste to discard it, yet useless if taken back home." Wang Yan smiled and waved his hand.

As they spoke, the two stepped outside and sat on the steps. Wang Yan took out a cigarette, offered one to David, who declined, so he lit one for himself.

Watching Wang Yan exhale clouds of smoke, David smiled and said, "Is it true that the richer one gets, the more frugal one becomes?"

"I can hardly be called 'richer'; you were arranged to meet Ye Zhenzhen for a blind date, meaning your family also possesses considerable strength. What little money I have amounts to nothing. How one spends money depends on the individual; I simply save where I should and spend where I should."

After chatting idly about this and that for a while, Ye Zhenzhen and Lucy finished getting ready and emerged, both dressed in full cycling gear.

"Have you two been waiting long? Let's go, let's go." Happiness was evident in Ye Zhenzhen's voice.

David replied, "Isn't waiting a while only proper? Besides, Wang Zong and I were having a good conversation; it didn't feel like long at all."

Wang Yan smiled, rose from the steps, and said, "Let's go."

"One look tells me you don't take this seriously."

"How much more seriously does one need to take riding a bicycle? Should I kowtow to the bike? Stop talking nonsense; let's get moving." Wang Yan waved his hand.

Thus, the group set off on their bicycles.

They rode relatively stable mountain bikes at a leisurely pace, maintaining an entry-level average speed of twenty kilometers per hour. The road conditions here were quite good, mostly flat, so the ride was not tiring.

If not for competition, the feeling of a truly leisurely ride is quite pleasant; one can enjoy the satisfaction of physical fatigue after exercise while also having the mind to appreciate the scenery along the way. In competition, only physical pleasure remains. Of course, this is not absolute; after all, achieving excellent results in a race or making significant progress compared to before also brings a certain spiritual joy and sense of accomplishment.

Wang Yan preferred the former. Long, long ago, when he first received the favor of his living father, he once rode a mountain bike along the Sichuan-Tibet line. He wasn't going there to purify his body and mind; rather, he had nothing else to do at the time, was in good health, and so simply wandered around. He met some people he never contacted again and saw in person many sceneries that fell short of their promotional photos online.

There was nothing particularly special about it; it was just what it was, merely killing several months of his time.

Today's ride was the same: David led at the front, followed by Ye Zhenzhen, then Lucy, while he trailed at the very back, leisurely admiring the scenery at his own relaxed pace.

They rode past the pier, past villages, past rice fields, and along the riverside, with little conversation. Because everyone was relaxed at the start, but after more than an hour, Ye Zhenzhen and Lucy began to feel unwell. David, who exercised regularly, still felt relatively comfortable, but he mainly spoke with Ye Zhenzhen.

Lucy had even fallen behind; without Lihu Qixing present this time, she was genuinely riding to exercise her body and do aerobic work, so naturally, she had no mind to flirt with Wang Yan.

Wang Yan was rather considerate; he did not rush ahead to cause trouble for David but instead followed slowly behind Lucy.

And so, after riding for more than three hours, as the sunset glow faded, the group finally returned to the hotel. After each washed up and changed clothes, they set up a barbecue in the outdoor garden.

Everything had been prepared by the hotel; if they were unwilling to grill it themselves, the hotel could have cooked it and delivered it. However, evidently, at this moment, people preferred to do it themselves. Had they truly needed to process the ingredients from scratch and thread the meat onto skewers one by one, there probably wouldn't have been much enthusiasm left.

The group ate right beside the oven; naturally, Wang Yan played the role of the barbecue chef, earning everyone's approval, though David was still struggling, wanting to show off in front of Ye Zhenzhen.

"I didn't expect your barbecue skills to be this good; I've discovered another talent of yours." Ye Zhenzhen took a skewer of meat and gave Wang Yan a thumbs-up.

"I said it long ago: you need to engage deeply." Wang Yan raised his eyebrows, earning an eye-roll from Ye Zhenzhen.

Lucy didn't care either way; she just smiled brightly as she ate meat and drank wine, utterly at ease.

David, however, found it annoying to watch. He said, "Wang Zong's skills are indeed excellent; if you opened your own barbecue restaurant, you'd never worry about food or drink. How did you develop such skills?"

"Naturally, they were honed through humbly serving others. Entertaining major clients for their leisure—they have plenty of money, and I covet the money in their hands, so isn't it necessary to provide them with excellent service? Thus, my skill level gradually improved."

"Wang Zong is being modest; you are a true elite of the financial industry, a top-tier figure."

"Not that high-level; it just sounds nice. Aren't I still just running sales? Without money or performance results, how can one be an elite or a big shot?"

David already knew Wang Yan spoke quite directly, so he wasn't particularly shocked. He said, "Wang Zong's speech remains as simple and direct as ever, yet exceptionally incisive."

"He's always been like this." Ye Zhenzhen smiled and beckoned to Lucy, "Lucy, say something too; we're out to have fun, so be happy."

"I am quite happy. Come, let's all have a drink together." Lucy directly raised her glass to propose a toast.

Everyone took a drink. Wang Yan had just finished grilling a large batch of meat skewers; he distributed them to everyone and placed many more items onto the oven.

David ate two more skewers himself, gulped down half a bottle of wine, sighed, and said, "By the way, Wang Zong, I heard from Zhenzhen that you are particularly vehement in hating evil."

"What matter is this 'vehement in hating evil' about?" Wang Yan glanced at Ye Zhenzhen.

Ye Zhenzhen paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "What else could it be but that Lihu Qixing incident? Sorry about this, Lucy."

"It's fine; that's nothing shameful, nothing that can't be discussed." Lucy waved her hand, unconcerned.

David continued, "Zhenzhen recorded a video that day; I watched it. Wang Zong, you really struck hard; watching it made me break out in a cold sweat. Wang Zong, if I have done anything wrong, you must point it out; I will definitely correct it. Please, please don't turn your hand against me."

"What nonsense are you spouting? Without cause or reason, why would he pick a fight with you?" After speaking, Ye Zhenzhen turned to look at Wang Yan. "Come, Wang Yan, let's drink, let's drink."

Wang Yan smiled, raised his glass and took a sip, then looked at David, who thought the matter was settled and was eating meat heartily, and said, "I am no fool; I can still detect the sarcasm in your words. From your tone, it seems you hold quite a grievance against me?"

David's smiling face froze. Although he knew Wang Yan was direct, he hadn't expected him to be direct to this extent.

Normally, when people go out together for fun, there is usually some familiarity; they wouldn't act like a powder keg, igniting at the slightest spark, laying everything out on the table without any of the subtlety expected of normal social interaction among civilized people.

Most people, if quick-witted, would retort with sarcasm; if not, they would likely just endure it rather than making the situation too awkward. Especially for someone of Wang Yan's stature—if he weren't smooth, he wouldn't have reached his current position.

So David felt embarrassed, but he didn't want to back down either. "I dare not say I hold a grievance; I merely think Wang Zong's behavior was somewhat inappropriate, somewhat... arrogant? Wang Zong wouldn't hold it against me, would he? You wouldn't beat me up too, would you? Let me remind Wang Zong: this is now a society ruled by law."

He said this with a smile, as if joking.

"Before I came, I told Ye Zhenzhen not to invite people whose minds aren't clear, otherwise any conflict that arises could easily spoil the mood. She said you weren't that kind of person, but now it seems your mind isn't very sharp. After only three bottles of beer, you've forgotten who you are."

Wang Yan waved his hand, suppressing David, whose face had already turned ugly, and continued, "Regarding the Lihu Qixing incident, I have no desire to debate with you; it would be meaningless. If you put yourself in Lihu Qixing's perspective, we cannot have a dialogue.

Speaking only of your dissatisfaction with me, the Lihu Qixing affair is merely an excuse. The root cause is that you view me as a rival in your pursuit of Ye Zhenzhen. This morning, upon our first meeting, you immediately tried to assert your sovereignty over her. Later, during our conversation, you repeatedly interrupted me, attempting to show off in front of Ye Zhenzhen.

Even now, bringing up Lihu Qixing is simply because you noticed Ye Zhenzhen communicating with me quite a bit. Just now, when I said 'engage deeply,' those words indeed carried some ambiguity, which Ye Zhenzhen certainly understood, exchanging a glance with me. That made you unhappy, leading you to mock me with sarcasm.

You are no different from that Lihu Qixing; you insist on stepping on me to show off. Neither of you has treated me as a human being."

David's face turned pitch black, for Wang Yan had unabashedly voiced his every thought. Though this was clear to everyone, speaking it aloud was an entirely different matter; otherwise, there would be no need for the phrase "tacit understanding."

"Wang Yan..." Ye Zhenzhen looked at Wang Yan, "We're all just out to have fun; being happy is what matters most, isn't it?"

"It's him who is utterly disgusting, speaking with such passive-aggressive whining. First, he calls me some financial big shot, building me up, only to then mock me, making it hard for me to confront him directly without appearing petty and cunning. Either come at me directly, or don't say a word; why insist on playing the middleman? Is it interesting to try gaining a verbal advantage? Look, now that I've exposed you, you don't even know how to speak anymore."

Wang Yan waved his hand, cutting off Ye Zhenzhen's words, "I don't wish to be the one who ruins the mood; it's your suitor who is simply incompetent. I'll give you face and won't beat him today. Leave now, and don't speak out of turn; you have a precedent to learn from, so let's all keep things easy."

David stared wide-eyed, his eyes slightly red. Being exposed and ignored, a massive sense of humiliation swept over his entire body, making him tremble with rage.

He stood up, pointed at Wang Yan, and shouted, "What act are you putting on? Do you think I'm afraid of you? Touch me..."

In the next instant, two slaps, one from each side, cracked against his face, followed by a kick to the solar plexus that sent him crashing to the ground. Intense pain surged through him, forcing him to curl up and cry out in agony.

"This isn't me refusing to give you face; it's him who wouldn't stop and even wanted to spar with me."

Wang Yan shrugged, walked over, and stepped on David's ankle, causing David to scream in pain, "I touched you, so what are you going to do about it?"

Ye Zhenzhen came to her senses, hurriedly stood up, walked over, and pulled at Wang Yan: "You've hit him, scolded him, and vented your anger; Wang Yan, that's enough, really, there's no need to make things too ugly. Give me one more face and let him off this time."

"Later, you should get to know Lihu Qixing; you two share the same foul odor and will get along well." Wang Yan tapped the shin of David's lower leg with his toe, "If you dare say one more word this time, I guarantee you'll be lying in a hospital bed for a month."

David was still trembling, but from pain. The slight dizziness from three bottles of beer had faded, and the anger that had rushed to his head had vanished without a trace, leaving only a sense of humiliation.

He avoided looking into Wang Yan's eyes and did not look at Ye Zhenzhen either; struggling to his feet, he refused Ye Zhenzhen's attempt to help him up and left while gritting his teeth. He only wanted to leave this place as quickly as possible.

"Wanted to act cool but lacked the ability; two slaps were enough to sober him up." Wang Yan shook his head with a smile, patted Ye Zhenzhen's arm, "I controlled my strength; it will only hurt for two days or so. Go ahead, you should still show some concern."

Ye Zhenzhen looked utterly speechless: "Why are you like a powder keg?"

"People like him and matters like this fall outside the scope of magnanimity. To put it plainly, he feels my influence isn't sufficient and my physique isn't strong enough; beating Lihu Qixing was bullying, but he thought his bulk could overpower me and that his family had no fear of me. That's all there is to it. Anyway, the beating is done; what's the point of saying so much? Go on, go on."

"I truly surrender to you." Ye Zhenzhen let out a long sigh and hurriedly chased after David as he left...

This David was truly no good; in the original drama, he stood on Lihu Qixing's side and criticized Lucy. This point alone placed him in opposition to Wang Yan. As stated before, debating right and wrong in such matters is utterly meaningless; it depends solely on one's stance.

Later, regarding that work of his which he intended to publish under Ye Zhenzhen's name, due to hype and operations, he sought out He Minhong to attack and stir up controversy. How could an editor possibly fail to coordinate with Ye Zhenzhen, who had signed the contract on his behalf, before informing him through her? Yet he behaved with absolutely no propriety; knowing that He Minhong was attacking his work, he attacked He Minhong personally instead. This put Ye Zhenzhen in an impossible position, pleasing neither side.

As for later, when his parents fell out, his father transferred assets abroad while his mother cut off the capital chain; even after she had transferred considerable assets and still possessed significant resources, she withheld employee wages and owed payments to suppliers, then sought rescue from Ye Zhenzhen's family. Although he claimed he did not want the Ye family's help, he simultaneously pulled a long face and threw tantrums, and when Ye Zhenzhen's cousin helped him resolve the issues and spoke honestly, he even tried to hit him.

Explanations could of course be offered: he was exhausted by his demanding mother yet unwilling to sever ties with Ye Zhenzhen, leaving him caught in the middle and torn. Thus, he allowed his mother to harass Ye Zhenzhen and permitted her various outrageous antics. He constantly expressed his dilemma yet never took any concrete action, always wavering back and forth.

This logic holds water, but the underlying reasons always require careful consideration; to claim he did not want the Ye family's assistance is simply a lie.

On his parents' side, it was purely the ugly visage of capitalists. His father transferred assets overseas; his family ran actual industries, yet various factories shut down, employees lost their jobs, and wages went unpaid. This was not dramatized; it belongs to the helplessness and sorrow of the working class.

His mother was the same; who in business uses their own capital? There is nothing wrong with that. In any case, the employees cannot turn the tables, and suppliers are easy to deal with; she simply has no money, so what can be done? She is utterly shameless.

In summary, there is not a single good person in that entire family.

As for this occasion, just as Wang Yan said, David believed he was capable and thus wanted to challenge Wang Yan to demonstrate himself. This stemmed from his clear assessment of Wang Yan.

Actually, there is nothing wrong with that; on the surface, Wang Yan's physique indeed does not appear robust. Lihu Qixing is indeed unable to fight and has an even more pathetic build. This stems from an awareness of one's own strength, leading him to underestimate Wang Yan; he believed he could protect himself.

Wang Yan's wealth and status are indeed high, but not to the extent of being untouchable. The sixty-plus billion refers to assets Wang Yan manages, not sixty-plus billion he can personally dispose of. Connections and relationships are not resources one can utilize at will. To ordinary people, this is impressive. However, for families like those of Ye Zhenzhen, David, and Lihu Qixing, impressive as it may be, it does not mean he is someone they cannot afford to offend.

Because their industries differ, their regions differ, their spheres of influence differ, and their areas of overlap are few, the damage that can be inflicted is consequently limited. Even officials have limits to their authority.

Li Xun has issued warnings for quite some time now, yet there has been no movement to this day; it is highly likely that after making inquiries all around, he deemed it not worth making a major fuss, thus accepting this loss. This is the actual situation.

In this regard, David ensured a higher level of security.

However, clearly, Wang Yan's strength lies not merely in these external factors; since stepping into this world, he has always relied on himself under the protection of his living father. Possessing a set of dragon-slaying skills with nowhere to apply them, how could he care about such trivial matters? Let alone the fact that his identity here carries some influence; even if he had none, even if he were merely a worker striving to make a living, he would still not fear offending anyone; if beating is required, he beats; if cleaning up is required, he cleans up.

This is something David and Lihu Qixing and the others cannot comprehend; they do not understand how Wang Yan dares to act so recklessly...

But Wang Yan is also innocent; is this acting recklessly? Is this being arrogant and domineering? This is already so gentle; he is truly wronged...