Chapter 103: Little Li Gets Beaten Up Again

In the eyes of ordinary people, Shang Keqing is not an ordinary person.

In other people's offices, there are usually hung four-character maxims like "Virtue bears all things", "Tranquility leads far", "Heaven rewards diligence", "The highest good is like water", "The sea embraces a hundred rivers", full of pretentiousness.

Shang Keqing is relatively non-mainstream.

On the wall of his office hang the four characters "Expel the Turbid, Promote the Clear", which he himself wrote in his own hand, and each character lacks vigor and strength.

"Expel the Turbid, Promote the Clear" is a kind of integrity obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Incurable.

In his mind, every day he thinks, "All the world is muddy, I alone am pure," refusing to sink into the mire with fellow cultivators, even fantasizing about pressing all the impure masses to the ground and looking down on them.

He seems to have forgotten that he is neither the Leshan Giant Buddha nor the Holy Mother of Yao Chi.

Neither Buddha nor saint.

Just an ordinary mortal.

So his colleagues drove him into utter disgrace, forcing him to quit his official post and go into business.

Yet he remains a pure heart turned toward the bright moon, regardless of whether the moon shines on a ditch, and he has always upheld those four characters—"Expel the Turbid, Promote the Clear"—as his life's creed.

This world has tormented him a thousand times, yet he treats it like his first love.

A middle-aged man who loves watching the official Calabash Brothers is truly terrifying; you think he's admiring the snake spirit in front of the TV, but he's just trying to regain his childhood innocence and live simply.

Lin Dongfan doesn't understand his world.

Ye Jiaying doesn't understand his world.

Now Li Hengbo, sitting before him and speaking fluently, understands his world even less.

He looked doubtfully at Li Hengbo:

"You mean I was played by Lin Dongfan, and he's treating me like a monkey?"

"Boss Shang, what kind of guy is Lin Dongfan, you really don't know? He's not a monkey trainer; he himself is a mangy monkey."

"What breed is a mangy monkey?"

"Let me tell you this: back when I worked in the political and legal unit, I ordered him to sweep the toilets, and he didn't dare sit in the office. With his lowly position, what qualifications does he have to play tricks in front of you? Back then, he begged and pleaded for me to let him off."

"There's more to this?"

"That's nothing—do you know how shameless he was when he chased Chu Lingxi? When she returned from an overseas performance, he ran to the airport holding a sign and kneeling to welcome her, just like a grandson."

"The Chu family's resources are worth a fight."

"The key is, at that time Chu Lingxi truly wanted to marry me; if I hadn't looked down on her, how could Lin Dongfan today have married into the Chu family? I was the one who made it possible for him."

"Why did you help him?"

"He's just a jumping clown; I could hardly be bothered to stoop to his level. I never expected that bastard to burn his bridges after I helped him—he turned around and sent me to the countryside to fill pits."

"So, you hate him?"

"No, he's not worthy of my hatred. I came today to tell you he's trash—don't let him fool you."

To prove he's more trustworthy than Lin Dongfan, Li Hengbo threw his integrity to the winds without hesitation, not caring whether the heavenly deities above approve.

But he seems to have forgotten one thing:

If a person lacks integrity to guard them, it's hard to hide the stench of a scoundrel.

Now he clearly doesn't realize that the stench of his own scoundreliness is already suffocating Shang Keqing, who wants to wear a gas mask to avoid infection.

Shang Keqing pointed backward at the signboard behind him:

"'Expel the Turbid, Promote the Clear'—these four characters I wrote. What do you think of my penmanship? Doesn't it have an aura that refuses to coexist with shameless scoundrels?"

"We must not share the sky with shameless scoundrels!"

Li Hengbo grew more excited as he spoke, seemingly forgetting that he himself is the true shameless scoundrel.

He also couldn't tell that Shang Keqing was mocking him.

Heedlessly fanning the flames, he said: "Your son accidentally offended him at the KTV, and he actually slapped a 'intentional murder' charge on your son, facing a heavy sentence. Now he's also inciting your company's executives to betray you, spreading wild rumors online that Little Boss Shang isn't your biological son. He's trying to ruin your reputation and destroy your family! Boss Shang, can you swallow this anger? As the old saying goes, even a mud Buddha has three parts of earthiness."

"This anger is indeed hard to bear."

Shang Keqing glanced left and right; there was nothing handy on the desk.

He then grabbed the crystal ashtray in front of him.

He struck a pose as if to hit someone: "I finally got rid of that green hat, and you picked it up again to disgust me! Do you believe I'll give you a Little Red Riding Hood and teach you to sing the blood‑stained style?"

"Boss Shang, what do you mean? I came here today to wake you up!"

"Get out or not?!"

The desk is too big and wide; he can't reach Li Hengbo sitting opposite.

In a fit of rage.

Shang Keqing, uncaring about his image, climbed straight onto the desk, raising the crystal ashtray, which frightened Li Hengbo into jumping up from his chair in a panic.

Li Hengbo retreated to a safe zone, still unwilling to give up.

He even shouted a warning at Shang Keqing: "Boss Shang, if you insist on being cozy with Lin Dongfan, don't blame me for being rude later! Mess with me, and you're messing with Gao Lu!"

"You little brat, your energy is impressive—you can even handle a 160‑jin old woman—but I can still smack you to death!" Shang Keqing stood on the desk holding the crystal ashtray, looking down at Li Hengbo three meters away: "Stick your head out and try."

Li Hengbo glared angrily: "I warn you, Shang! If you collude with Lin Dongfan, you'll be an enemy of Boss Xiao and Boss Gao! Beware……"

"Beware of what?"

Before Li Hengbo could finish his shout, Lin Dongfan walked out of the lounge.

This sudden scene instantly pushed Li Hengbo's anger to its peak.

He thought, "I've miscalculated—no wonder Shang Keqing won't buy my account; it turns out that dog Lin Dongfan got there first!"

Seeing that more talk was useless, Li Hengbo gritted his teeth in anger.

He pointed at Lin Dongfan, then at Shang Keqing standing on the desk: "You've got guts! Well, we'll see—Boss Shang, get ready for the industry and commerce and tax bureaus to inspect you! I reckon your company isn't far from closing."

"What official authority!" Lin Dongfan pointed at the camera in the upper‑right corner, laughing: "Blind man, everything you said is recorded—go ahead and have Boss Xiao send the industry and commerce and tax bureaus over if you dare."

Li Hengbo lifted his head to look, and in an instant his face turned ashen.

That camera's installation angle is so tricky—who'd look in that corner normally? The tricks in this world are damn many; one slip and you're stuck in a dead end.

But it's fine.

I still have a 160‑catty big nose!

Just relying on that big nose's weight and financial power, I don't need to use any official connections—I can crush Shang Clan Media in a split second.

Thinking of that, Li Hengbo regained his confidence, and with a smug grin he snapped at Lin and Shang: "Don't rush—you'll have your time to cry! This Spring Festival I'll give you a big surprise; I hope you can take it in good humor…"

"Don't wait for the Spring Festival—I'll give you a surprise now: five, four, three…"

Lin Dongfan stretched out five fingers to count down.

He had just counted to one.

Two security guards suddenly rushed in and, with lightning speed, pressed Li Hengbo face‑down on the ground.

Li Hengbo struggled desperately: "What are you doing? Let go of me!" The harder he fought, the harder the two bodyguards pressed, pounding him with fists as big as sandbags.

His anguished howls startled Shang Keqing, who was standing on the desk, making him jump.

Shang Keqing glanced at Lin Dongfan, about to ask what was going on—I didn't call the security, so why are my guards obeying your orders?

At that moment Ye Jiaying walked over and said, "Li Hengbo, this is the price you pay for spreading rumors and causing trouble!"

"Bullshit! When did I ever—" Before he could finish, a kick to his belly sent Li Hengbo curling up like a shrimp.

Ye Jiaying coldly ordered the guards: "Throw this lump of trash out and give him a day‑long tour of the garbage bin!"

Ten minutes later.

Li Hengbo was stuffed by the guards into a reeking trash can.