Chapter 660: A Sense of Security, Camellias in Full Bloom

A little past one in the afternoon.

Inside a spacious and bright private ward.

Cheng Cheng Qiuqiu sat on the sofa by the window, a laptop open before her.

The screen was filled with dense text—the legal clauses regarding unfinished building rights protection and personal injury lawsuits that she had just searched for. Li Aunt Meihua opened her mouth several times, wanting to say something to ease the tension.

But Cheng Cheng Qiuqiu remained silent.

The intimate atmosphere that had been so hard to build between mother and daughter instantly turned icy again.

At some unknown moment.

"Knock, knock, knock—" A sudden, urgent rapping at the door rang out.

Before anyone inside could respond, the ward door was pushed open from the outside.

Three figures appeared in their line of sight.

Cheng Cheng Qiuqiu immediately stood up, watching them with vigilant eyes.

Besides Zhou Yan from the Legal Force of [Xuyuan Real Estate] and Zhang Zhang Zhanpeng, the person in charge of [Lion Security], there was also a middle-aged woman in her forties.

She wore a well-tailored dark gray women's suit dress, her hair pinned up neatly behind her head without a stray strand, her face adorned with exquisite yet sharp professional makeup.

Li Aunt Meihua got straight out of bed, glaring at them and shouting loudly, "What are you lot running over here to do again?!"

Zhou Yan wore a formulaic smile, gesturing toward the middle-aged woman in the center as he introduced her: "Ms. Li, Miss Cheng, allow me to introduce you. This is our Deputy General Manager of [Xuyuan Real Estate], who also serves as the Head of Public Relations, General Manager Zhao Zhao Manlin."

Zhao Zhao Manlin nodded calmly at them, her tone carrying an overpowering aura that brooked no argument: "I have come today to discuss with the two of you the matter of our company's reputation rights."

Cheng Cheng Qiuqiu took a deep breath, pressed her lips tightly together, and said coldly, "What do you mean?"

Zhou Yan pulled a document from his briefcase.

With a serious expression, he stated: "Ms. Li, we have preserved evidence regarding the videos you recently posted on Douyin and multiple other platforms. They contain a large amount of false content that has caused extremely serious negative impacts on our company's commercial credibility."

"General Manager Zhao is here today primarily to engage in a formal communication with you both regarding this matter of 'reputation infringement'."

Li Aunt Meihua's temper flared instantly. "Bullshit! How did I post false content?! Where did I say anything wrong?!"

Zhou Yan pushed up his glasses. "In your videos, you claimed that due to rights protection activities, our [Xuyuan Real Estate] colluded with the Heishe Society to beat you until you were hospitalized and threatened you and your daughter. First, both of these accusations are untrue. Second, the party responsible for security at the scene that day was [Lion Security], which signed a 'Security Service Outsourcing Contract' with our company; legally, their entity is completely independent from our [Xuyuan Real Estate]."

Li Aunt Meihua was so bewildered by his convoluted words that she trembled all over with anger, yet she didn't know how to refute him.

Cheng Cheng Qiuqiu, however, immediately stepped forward and retorted coldly, "What you're saying is incorrect. According to national law, if staff cause damage to others while executing work tasks, the employing unit bears tort liability; you likewise bear undeniable responsibility for selection and supervision!"

She had spent the last two days searching online and consulting on many details, so she was not entirely ignorant of these matters.

Li Aunt Meihua chimed in as well: "Right! It is your responsibility!"

Zhou Yan pushed up his glasses again, a hint of confidence unique to professionals appearing on his face. "Miss Cheng, you may not know. What we signed was not a simple 'employment' or 'agency' contract, but a contract for work. According to legal provisions, in a contractual work relationship, unless the ordering party is at fault regarding the ordering, instructions, or selection, it has nothing to do with us, the ordering party."

Only then did Zhao Zhao Manlin speak lightly: "Our [Xuyuan Real Estate] has been actively seeking solutions; currently, we are in contact with several large asset management companies to discuss the possibility of project restructuring. Ms. Li, by now joining with some homeowners to spread these so-called 'false information' on a large scale online, causing vile social repercussions, you are only making it impossible for our self-rescue plan to proceed normally. When that happens, who will bear the losses of all the homeowners?"

Cheng Cheng Qiuqiu gritted her teeth, clenched her fists, and said: "You claim to be actively seeking solutions, but then how have you treated us?"

Zhao Zhao Manlin's tone remained calm: "We understand the emotions of the homeowners, but we also hope everyone can remain rational. Extreme rights-protection behaviors will not solve any problems."

Zhang Zhang Zhanpeng, who had been watching the show from the side, stepped forward.

First, he swept his ill-intentioned gaze over the startling curves of Cheng Cheng Qiuqiu's body wrapped in jeans, before speaking loudly and brazenly:

"We [Lion Security] are a legitimate security institution; our actions certainly do not break the law. Moreover, our company has long-term security service cooperation with some official institutions in the city, and our relationships are quite good."

His coming here in the first place was specifically to play the bad cop.

When dealing with insignificant figures like Li Aunt Meihua who had no background, he had plenty of methods and means.

Seeing the aggressive demeanor of these three people, especially Zhang Zhang Zhanpeng who reeked of underworld influence.

Li Aunt Meihua, who had originally intended to continue making a scene, involuntarily shrank back slightly.

Back when she used to run her own small snack shop, the people she feared most were exactly this type, and she had been bullied by them more than once.

Just then, the door to the private ward was suddenly pushed open.

Su Su Wenxuan, wearing a white coat, hurried in.

"Auntie Li, Cheng Cheng Qiuqiu."

Seeing him, Li Aunt Meihua seemed to instantly find her backbone and quickly said: "Doctor Su! Is Lawyer Fang arriving soon?"

Su Su Wenxuan checked the time and nodded. "Mm, I just spoke with him on the phone; he should be here in about half an hour."

Li Aunt Meihua shouted loudly: "Did you hear that? We've already hired a lawyer! And a big lawyer from [Quanjing Law Firm] at that!"

Upon hearing the two words "Quanjing."

Zhou Yan's expression instantly became somewhat solemn, and he quickly exchanged a glance with Zhao Zhao Manlin beside him.

Of course, they knew what "Quanjing" meant.

But it wasn't enough to frighten them just because of that.

After all, [Quanjing]'s scope of business was extremely broad; they had dealt with their Rongcheng branch before. Hiring a litigation lawyer would at most make things a bit more troublesome, that was all.

Zhou Yan pushed up his glasses, regaining his composure. "That is just as well; communicating with professionals will make our efficiency higher."

Zhang Zhang Zhanpeng off to the side chuckled "Heh," rotated the gold watch on his wrist, and teased in a tone full of underworld flair: "A big lawyer? Oh my, looks like you're about to play a 'deadly hand' against us Lion Security, hahaha."

Li Aunt Meihua trembled all over with anger, yet she dared not easily make a scene again.

Cheng Cheng Qiuqiu watched them coldly; although her surface appeared calm, in her heart, she was actually fearful. After all, she was just a fresh college graduate, and her growth experiences over these years had made her personality quite extreme. Facing this situation, she felt fear, but because of her mother and that house purchase money, she could only hold firm. Just then, the ward door was pushed open again.

A young duty nurse poked half her body in, her face carrying a mix of nervousness and awe: "Excuse me, Ms. Li, Miss Cheng, someone is outside looking for you. It's a lawyer from Quanjing Law Firm; they're asking if you are convenient to meet now?"

Hearing this, Su Su Wenxuan instantly froze.

He knew the developers had sent people over, so he had specifically called his classmate Fang Qihua, who said he had just finished lunch and that driving over would take at least half an hour.

How could they have arrived so quickly?

Li Aunt Meihua, however, felt as if reinforcements had finally arrived; she instantly straightened her spine and said with full vigor: "Convenient! Very convenient!"

"Okay, then I'll let them come over." The little nurse replied, then quickly turned and left.

Hearing the word "them," Su Su Wenxuan froze again, completely baffled.

Zhao Zhao Manlin and Zhou Yan opposite them exchanged a subtle glance.

Very soon.

"Tap, tap, tap—"

A dense, rhythmic sound of footsteps came from the corridor.

Everyone's gaze involuntarily turned entirely toward the ward entrance.

Through the small square glass window on the door, figures dressed in suits and leather shoes could be seen.

Indistinctly appearing outside the door, they blocked out the light at the entrance.

"Knock, knock, knock."

The rapping sounded, neither light nor heavy.

It startled everyone awake.

Immediately after, the room door was fully opened from the outside.

Everyone involuntarily held their breath.

Leading the way was a handsome man around forty, with a tall and straight figure, wearing a custom-made dark gray double-breasted suit, carrying a black leather briefcase in his hand.

His eyes were bright and sharp, as if capable of piercing through the human heart.

He emitted a powerful aura.

On the left side of his chest, a small and exquisite LOGO was carefully embroidered in silver thread.

Li Aunt Meihua instantly froze in stupor, subconsciously looking at Doctor Su beside her.

Her face was full of confusion: What kind of situation is this?

Isn't this... isn't this the Chief Partner of that Quanjing Law Firm that Doctor Su showed her on his phone earlier?!

How could he suddenly appear here?!

Cheng Cheng Qiuqiu and Su Su Wenxuan were equally dumbfounded.

After all, they had only seen the other party's encyclopedia entry and news on their phones that morning; this was a veritable VIP.

For him to suddenly appear in this small ward at Rongcheng No. 2 People's Hospital seemed incredible no matter how one looked at it.

"Tap, tap, tap—" Steady footsteps sounded again.

The group walked in one after another.

Behind Luo Bin followed four or five middle-aged men and women with solemn expressions, the [Quanjing] LOGO similarly embroidered on their chests.

...the LOGO.

Behind them were four burly men wearing black suits, with eyes as sharp as eagles, wearing invisible earpieces.

All the light in the room seemed to be swallowed up instantly by the aura of this group.

Zhang Zhang Zhanpeng, who had just been wearing an arrogant expression, instantly froze, his eyelids twitching repeatedly.

He realized something was wrong.

Luo Bin's gaze swept calmly across the small ward, his eyes quickly landing on Cheng Cheng Cheng Qiuqiu.

A faint smile appeared on his face. "Hello, may I ask if this is Ms. Cheng Cheng Cheng Qiuqiu?"

"Y-y-you... hello—" Cheng Cheng Qiuqiu nervously rubbed her hands. "It's me, you are—"

"I am Luo Bin from Quanjing Law Firm; you may call me Lawyer Luo." His voice was steady and magnetic, brimming with a sense of security. "I have been entrusted by General Manager Tang to come here and handle some legal troubles for you and your mother, Ms. Li Aunt Meihua."

"General Manager... General Manager Tang? Tang Song?" Cheng Cheng Qiuqiu widened her eyes, her face full of disbelief.

Luo Bin nodded slightly. "Yes. General Manager Tang specifically instructed that from now on, during your stay in Rongcheng, all your and your mother's legal affairs, regardless of size, will be fully represented by us at Quanjing, and I personally will be responsible for following up on these matters."

Cheng Cheng Qiuqiu instantly became at a loss, her face flushing red.

Li Aunt Meihua stared blankly at her daughter, then looked at this man before her whose aura was terrifyingly powerful.

Her mind went completely blank, utterly unable to comprehend everything happening before her eyes.

President Tang? Which Tang Song?

How could he cause the boss and lawyer of this [Quan Jing] firm to personally come and handle his affairs?!

She still remembered that Doctor Su had specifically introduced him, saying his classmate was a lawyer at [Quan Jing] and describing just how incredibly powerful he was.

But that classmate was merely an ordinary litigation lawyer at the Rongcheng branch office.

Su Su Wenxuan's face was covered in question marks, feeling as though his worldview had suffered a violent shock.

Zhou Yan, who worked in legal affairs, turned deathly pale the moment he heard Luo Bin announce his identity.

Leaning close to Zhao Zhao Manlin's ear, his voice trembling, he whispered, "President Zhao, t-this is Luo Bin, Director Luo, the managing partner of [Quan Jing]!"

As a lawyer holding a concurrent post himself, how could he possibly not recognize this top-tier attorney who stood at the pinnacle of the domestic legal world.

It was just that he never dreamed he would meet the man in person here, in this manner.

Zhao Zhao Manlin gasped sharply, feeling a boundless chill instantly rush from the soles of her feet straight to the crown of her head.

An ordinary lawyer from [Quan Jing] merely signified "trouble" to them.

It meant they would need to invest more legal resources to maneuver, meaning that amidst their already overwhelming bankruptcy crisis, they now had another distracting worry to deal with.

Although tricky, that was all it was.

But for the managing partner of a top-tier domestic red-circle firm to personally lead a legal team, this was no longer just trouble.

Their company, [Xuyuan Real Estate], was currently teetering on the brink of life and death during bankruptcy reorganization; the chairman was mobilizing every personal connection to conduct the most difficult negotiations with several potential investors, attempting to secure a final sliver of hope for the company.

These were all facts.

But once a legal giant like [Quan Jing] began to intervene with full force, then—

Their already fragile loan extension agreement with the banks would instantly become void.

Those potential investors who were still waiting on the sidelines would immediately strike them off their cooperation lists entirely.

o￠〇

Every legal flaw and gray-area operation hidden within their company's accounts could be exposed.

This was not an equal contest at all.

The other party did not even need to truly "win" this lawsuit.

As long as Luo Bin stood here, as long as the golden signboard of [Quan Jing] was displayed, their [Xuyuan Real Estate] would never have any chance of turning things around.

This was not on the same level at all as the petty rumors Li Aunt Meihua had spread online.

Thinking of this, cold beads of sweat instantly formed on the foreheads of Zhao Zhao Manlin and Zhou Yan, their hearts trembling with fear.

Just at this moment.

A burly man in a black suit standing behind Luo Bin stepped forward twice and bowed respectfully to Cheng Cheng Cheng Qiuqiu:

"Miss Cheng, hello. I am Wang Kui from the Rongcheng branch of [Shengtang Security]. Entrusted by Mr. Tang, from now on we will be responsible twenty-four hours a day for ensuring the personal safety of you and your family."

Immediately, the other three men in black suits following him also bowed, saying, "Miss Cheng."

Invisible earpieces beneath their collars flickered with a faint red light; their eyes were sharp as eagles', and their entire beings radiated a well-trained, suffocating sense of oppression.

Zhang Zhang Zhanpeng's black and fat body suddenly shivered, all color draining from his face.

He abruptly straightened his body, his pupils contracting violently from extreme shock.

Were these special guards from [Shengtang Security]?!

As someone who had struggled for years in the gray zones and even ran his own security company, he naturally knew exactly what this group represented.

Ordinary special guards only served top-tier wealthy elites and celebrities.

For instance, even those top-tier domestic movie stars usually had at most two or three such "door gods" following them.

But now, four of them had appeared here simultaneously.

Moreover, they were here to protect this mother and daughter who had no background whatsoever?!

Watching their statue-like figures, Zhang Zhang Zhanpeng's legs began to tremble uncontrollably.

Li Aunt Meihua was stunned into silence by this surreal series of events unfolding before her eyes.

She looked at those black-clad bodyguards seen only in movies, then at that overwhelmingly powerful team of great lawyers, then at her own daughter, her heart beating faster and faster.

Her weather-beaten face flushed completely red.

Cheng Cheng Qiuqiu, standing at the very center of the crowd, looked at the great lawyer Luo Bin, who was smiling gently at her, and then at those four security guards in black suits.

Her full chest began to heave violently.

Tang Song, Tang Song—

Wasn't he in Yancheng?

How could he know about the troubles I am facing right now?

How could he send these people here to protect me?

Am I dreaming?

She bit down hard on her tongue; a clear sensation of pain arrived.

It was not a dream...

She thought of the sudden caring text message she received that morning, and of her chat with him.

An indescribable sense of happiness, like a volcanic eruption, instantly swept away all her rationality.

Tang Song—he has been, he has always been silently watching over me?

When I didn't even know it?

She had always been a timid person, and especially so over the past few days.

Her mother was injured and hospitalized; facing threats from the developer and the security company, she still had to fight lawsuits and struggle against them.

She was truly afraid.

She was just accustomed to putting on a facade, unwilling to show her true self in front of her mother.

And Tang Song, as if he had heard the deepest cry for help from the bottom of her heart.

Had descended from the heavens in this most incredible, most powerful manner.

All unease and fear vanished into thin air at this moment.

In its place came an unprecedented sense of security.

Overhead, the [Dream Realm Flower Seed] swayed violently.

Emerald green glimmer transformed into streams of fragmented light, sprinkling down upon her like spring rain.

A pure white camellia quietly bloomed within the halo of light; its petals were crystal clear, emitting a soft and holy radiance.