Chapter 131

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Protagonist:

Lin Xiyu

The taxi started up and soon drove out of the alley, merging into the crowded avenue.

Neither of them noticed that on the first floor of the Lu cuisine restaurant, in a private room with its window open, the person inside had heard their entire conversation clearly.

"These two people are really fucking shameless."

Wang Fan was so angry his lungs were about to explode, wishing he could rush out right now and beat them up.

"Tiancheng Advertising Model Company has no need to exist anymore."

Guben held a book in his hands, doing two things at once, appearing not to care, but the words he spoke were extremely cold.

"At a time like this, you can still read?"

Seeing him speak while casually flipping a page of a textbook on computer applications, Wang Fan truly felt impressed.

"Huh, Wang Fan, why are you here too?"

Just then, the door of the private room was pushed open from outside, and Li Zhi walked in with a cigarette in his mouth.

"I was going to ask you the same thing?"

Wang Fan retorted unhappily: "It's late at night, why not go street racing, and come here to drink?"

"I came for Burning Gu's sake."

Li Zhi was much older than the two of them, and didn't dare act big in front of Guben; he respectfully called out "Burning Gu."

"I was wondering..."

Wang Fan suddenly realized: "With your status in the circle, that kid Liu Ye can't even get close to flattering you."

"Burning Gu asked me to come, to help the younger sister-in-law hold the field."

Li Zhi pulled out a chair, crossed his legs, leaned back comfortably against the chair back, and sat opposite Guben.

"What did Ma Tiancheng and Zhang Ji say?"

Guben only now closed his book, looked up, and seriously looked at him.

Li Zhi dared not hide anything, and recounted everything that happened in the private room in detail.

"This girl..."

Guben's brows relaxed, and he gave a fair comment: "Performance is not bad, not too stupid."

"What do you plan to do next?"

Wang Fan frowned tightly: "You're not just going to keep watching like this, are you?"

"Why not?"

Guben was calm and composed: "A rare opportunity to let them see the treachery of society; if they want to cause trouble, let them cause it themselves."

Wang Fan was anxious: "Aren't you afraid that if..."

"There's no if..."

Guben was confident: "Since I dare let go, I have a hundred percent certainty that no one can hurt her."

"What are you worrying about for no reason?"

Li Zhi couldn't stand Wang Fan's chatter, and glanced at him sideways: "Aren't I still here? I'm watching them; on our own turf, could we let the younger sister-in-law be bullied? If Burning Gu didn't have other plans, I could find people tonight to torture those two scumbags to death."

"You're capable, you've got guts..."

Wang Fan gave a thumbs-up to express admiration: "Not afraid of jail, go ahead and do it, I won't stop you..."

"This matter is confidential; don't talk nonsense outside."

Hearing about jail, Li Zhi got scared; he actually didn't dare kill anyone, it was just mouth boasting.

"Am I sick?"

Wang Fan laughed angrily: "Why am I saying this, afraid of bringing trouble on myself?"

"Liu Ye wants Ma Tiancheng to introduce him to a young model?"

Guben ignored the two men's chatter, lightly tapped the tabletop with his hand, his thoughts turning quickly: "We can start with him."

"How do you want to do it?"

Wang Fan found Ma Tiancheng extremely displeasing to the eye, and became energetic upon hearing this.

"The models of Tiancheng Advertising Model Company are chips they use to make money."

Guben's eyes were cold and stern: "A company like this hides filth in private; who knows how many unspeakable scandals there are. We don't know, but surely someone does. To get evidence, we must break through from an insider."

"You want Liu Ye to date a young model?"

Wang Fan suddenly understood: "Have the young model be our inner support to investigate Ma Tiancheng?"

"Smart."

Guben gave him an approving look: "However, this can't be done recklessly; we need help. Ma Tiancheng started from nothing and has a place in the industry, surely he has unknown methods. Once exposed, that woman might be in danger."

"Why not just call the police?"

Wang Fan had an idea: "Don't you know the captain of the criminal police brigade? Let them investigate."

"Calling the police is necessary..."

Guben thought deeply: "But we need the right timing; we can't startle the snake by beating the grass."

"Can that kid Liu Ye do it?"

Liu Zhi was a bit worried: "With his cowardly look, playing with women is fine, but if he really has to testify in person, he'll probably piss himself."

"He can't do it; I will."

Wang Fan slammed the table, his imposing aura leaking out: "Ma Tiancheng and Zhang Ji, those two scumbags, I won't let either of them off..."

"I don't think you want to play the hero..."

Liu Ye laughed and teased him: "You just want to make a scene and take the opportunity to hit on some fresh models, right?"

"Brother Zhi understands me best."

Wang Fan chuckled, not ashamed but proud: "Picking up women is what I'm best at, playing my true role. Even if that scumbag Ma Tiancheng is shrewd, he won't see through it."

"Call Ma Tiancheng right now."

Li Zhi couldn't stand his showing off, threw his own mobile phone on the table, and hurriedly urged him: "If you can get someone out of his hands, I'll serve you."

"Fine, I'll call..."

Wang Fan couldn't resist the provocation and actually picked up the phone to call Ma Tiancheng.

Li Zhi, at the wine table, deliberately got close to Ma Tiancheng and asked for his phone number.

Not long after Wang Fan dialed, the call connected smoothly.

"Manager Ma, I've long admired you..."

Wang Fan didn't beat around the bush, getting straight to the point: "I heard the models at your advertising company are quite pretty. When will you bring them out to let us broaden our horizons?"

"Our models aren't so easy to meet..."

Perhaps the signal was bad in the taxi, Ma Tiancheng's voice came through the earpiece, a bit muffled.

Wang Fan spoke with him for a while, then hung up the phone in frustration.

"Damn, this bastard grandson says he wants to cooperate with them, spend money to shoot an ad, before he'll arrange for us to meet the models."

"I told you so."

Li Zhi slapped his thigh, very pleased: "How many pimps have a clean heart? You want to get something for nothing, how is that possible?"

"That kid Liu Ye is still dreaming."

Wang Fan was unhappy and vented his anger on Liu Ye: "Thinking that flattering Ma Tiancheng a few times will get him the fresh models."

"He wants to rope in clients, so we'll just give him what he wants."

Guben tapped his finger lightly on the tabletop, thinking intently.

"What do you mean?"

Wang Fan's eyes showed surprise: "You really want to spend money to feed that bastard?"

"What's most important now is the models."

Guben had a plan: "As long as we can pump information from them, spending some money doesn't matter."

"Shooting an ad, just the broadcasting fee on the television station costs several hundred thousand..."

Wang Fan winced: "Is it worth it?"

"Don't you want to make your decoration company bigger and stronger?"

Guben laughed and teased him: "How easy is it to squeeze into high society? Without fame, trying to expand into major cities and seize the market is nothing but a pipe dream."

"Tsk."

Wang Fan clicked his tongue and said nothing more.

"You can do it like this..."

Li Zhi offered an idea: "Have the ad specifically feature the younger sister-in-law to shoot it, using our own people, the cost can be lower."

"Hmph."

Wang Fan laughed in anger: "You're quite good at playing the good guy, the wool comes from the sheep, treating me as a sucker."

"I'm just thinking of you."

Li Zhi smiled black-belliedly and gave him an ambiguous gaze: "You can shoot an ad and hit on fresh models at the same time. Maybe you'll expose Ma Tiancheng's crimes, rescue the minor in distress, and even be rated an excellent citizen for a heroic deed..."

"Get lost..."

Wang Fan laughed in anger: "Am I someone who cares about those empty names?"

"What you said hits the nail on the head."

Guben was sharp-minded and caught the key point from Li Zhi's words: "This should be our breakthrough. Ma Tiancheng squeezes the models under him, making them sleep with clients. At most it's a power-sex transaction, but if they're minors..."

"He's dead meat."

Li Zhi understood perfectly, gritting his teeth as he spat out the word "dead."

"It seems..."

Wang Fan also got excited: "This ad, we have to shoot it."

"You can't catch a wolf without letting go of the child."

Li Zhi patted his shoulder, speaking earnestly: "Just remember one thing: anything that can be solved with money isn't a problem. Heaven-born talent must be useful; a thousand gold spent can be earned back."

Wang Fan rolled his eyes at him: "So you only say cold words when it's not your money being spent."

"Looking at Burning Gu's face, I'll pay half the ad money."

Li Zhi had his own calculations. Second-generation heirs come in different ranks; Guben's status was clearly not on the same level as these nouveau riche who made their fortunes through business.

If it weren't for Liu Ye treating everyone tonight, he wouldn't have had the chance to flatter Guben and form a connection with him. In the circle of the Second Generation Heirs, that was quite a face-giving thing.

—

"This is what you said..."

Wang Fan secretly gloated: "No going back on your word."

"Who are you looking down on?"

Li Zhi sneered: "You think I'm you? This bit of money doesn't even catch my eye. Several hundred thousand isn't even enough for me to buy a sports car..."

Li Zhi was the only second-generation rich person in the area who owned a sports car.

Porsche 911, worth over a million.

Wang Fan genuinely admired him; he had to admit that real estate developers were all nouveau riche.

Once he had money, he wanted to buy land and build buildings; just doing renovations wouldn't satisfy his ambition.

One day, he would enter the true upper class and become one of the top tycoons on the Forbes Rich List.

"Then it's settled."

Guben settled it with one word: "You two keep your mouths shut; this must be kept secret, and no one can be told."

"Understood."

Wang Fan made a gesture of sewing his mouth shut with his hand.

"Burning Gu, rest assured."

Li Zhi patted his chest and guaranteed: "I know what's at stake; this is a matter of life and death—whoever it happened to, no one would dare blab."

"Good that you understand."

Guben saw Lin Xiyu and her sister leave the restaurant through the window crack, closed his book, and stood up from his chair.

"When do we contact Ma Tiancheng?"

Seeing him about to leave, Wang Fan asked hurriedly: "About discussing the advertisement filming?"

"No rush."

Guben was meticulous: "Wait until Liu Ye hits a wall."

"Fine."

Wang Fan had no objection and silently lit a candle for Liu Ye.

"You two go first; I'll go out later."

Li Zhi, as if doing underground work, poked his head out to look outside the window: "To avoid raising suspicion..."

"Is that necessary?"

Wang Fan sneered disdainfully: "As if we three have some shameful secret."

"Isn't that so?"

Li Zhi asked back, puzzled.

"Idiot."

Seeing he didn't understand, Wang Fan gave him a white-eye in his heart.

"I'm going out first."

Guben couldn't help but laugh: "You two continue; don't stay too long. Two men alone in a room is bound to seem abnormal, and it wouldn't be good if people misunderstood."

"Pfft."

Li Zhi spat a mouthful of spit.

Only now did he realize what Wang Fan had meant by "shameful secret."

"Hey, where are you spitting?"

Wang Fan happened to be standing beside him, and unluckily, got spat in the face.

"Didn't you say we have something going on?"

Li Zhi was also black-bellied and deliberately provoked him: "First I spray your face with pearl cream, for beauty and skincare..."

"Damn, you... you really..."

Wang Fan was thinking about half the advertising fee and didn't want to fall out with him; a curse was about to escape his mouth, but he swallowed it down hard.

"Do you like it?"

Li Zhi continued black-belliedly: "Want more? Big brother has plenty, guaranteed to satisfy you."

Wang Fan could bear it no longer and gave him one word: "Scram."

Guben ignored the two's clamor, left the restaurant, rode his bicycle neither far nor close behind the two sisters, watched them return home and enter the door, then turned and left.

—

Lin Xiyu's mother, Chen Xiulan, as Guben had expected, could not resist the temptation of the bride price.

When Guben produced the sky-high bride price of eighty-eight thousand eight hundred, a single sentence swayed her heart.

Owning a house of her own was not only a mother's confidence but also the reliance for her future son to marry a wife.

For her son, Chen Xiulan compromised; her change in attitude was so great it left people speechless.

Afterward, both kept the conversation strictly secret and revealed no details.

Lin Xiyu probed indirectly and acted coy and cute, but couldn't get a single bit of news from either side.

Chen Xiulan felt guilty toward her daughter and was too embarrassed to speak; Guben, out of concern for her feelings, didn't tell her the truth.

Preferring sons over daughters, raising sons to prevent old-age hardship—it sounds heartbreaking, but that is the fact.

Some people's old-fashioned ideas are rooted deep in their hearts; changing them is by no means easy.

Lin Xiyu couldn't get an answer, and after a while she gave up.

Guben helped mediate and bought the house with a small courtyard that Wang Fan had, changing the house purchase contract to Chen Xiulan's name.

With a house, Chen Xiulan had confidence and formally sued Xu Weiguo for divorce.

The couple refused to yield to each other, fighting in court over property division and custody of their son.

Guben hired a lawyer skilled in divorce litigation for Chen Xiulan.

With the lawyer's help, after several months, Chen Xiulan finally won the lawsuit, obtaining half of Xu Weiguo's property and custody of her son.

—

Setting aside the divorce for now, Guben and the others' game with Ma Tiancheng was also proceeding quietly.

With advertising fees as stakes, their plan was successfully implemented.

Lin Xiyu, accompanied by Guben, participated in the advertisement filming.

Wang Fan played himself, using his deeply ingrained playboy image to successfully make Ma Tiancheng lower his guard, and taking advantage of the opportunity to pick up models to dig up plenty of dirt on advertising companies.