Shen Fanyun's business van raced down the road.
Meanwhile, several miles away near the Jinding Building, one luxury car after another began to appear. The people who emerged from them were either decked out in gold and silver or dressed in sharp suits. They were clearly either rich or noble.
"I heard Mr. Shen will arrive in half an hour. At last, we'll have a chance to see the big man in person."
"If I could just discuss a partnership with Mr. Shen, my future would be set!"
This crowd of elites, men who could ordinarily make waves in Hangcheng City with a mere stomp of their foot, were now waiting as eagerly as schoolboy fans.
"Old Mr. Li Wenhai from the BioTech Group has arrived."
"Han Bin, the big boss of New Leap Real Estate, is also here."
"Tsk, isn't that Zhao Sitao from the Jiangnan Yun Chain Restaurants? Wasn't that old coot inspecting business in another province yesterday? How did he get here today? Must have rushed back overnight."
When Shen Fanyun arrived, he swept his gaze across the scene, and his perpetually stern face was, for a moment, moved.
Good heavens. The place was bustling with people, young and old, all shrouded in a haze of smoke. There was also a clear hierarchy; those of higher status stood closer to the entrance of the Jinding Building, while those of lesser standing were huddled at the outer edges of the plaza.
I really underestimated Shen Junhuan's influence, Shen Fanyun thought, silently pulling out a cigarette.
"Damn it, get out of the way! What are you doing blocking the path? Move aside! Can't you see Young Master Yanwen from the Extraordinary Group has arrived?" a sharp voice barked.
Shen Fanyun held the cigarette in one hand and rubbed his head.
Wang Yanwen? The Extraordinary Group? Ah yes, the Wang Yanwen that Su Xiyang mentioned. If his name were just Wang Yanwen, I wouldn't have given it a second thought. After all, the world is full of people with the same name. But with the prefix 'Extraordinary Group'... well, that has to be the man himself.
Taking a casual drag from his cigarette, Shen Fanyun walked over. "Wang Yanwen?"
"That's right. Wang Yanwen of the Extraordinary Group. My father is Wang Bo. You've heard of me, huh?" Wang Yanwen said arrogantly.
SMACK!
Shen Fanyun slapped him, catching him completely off guard. Wang Yanwen felt a heavy blow to his face, and before he could react, Shen Fanyun's knee slammed into him. His legs gave out, and he collapsed to his knees in front of everyone.
"You... you goddamn hit me?" Wang Yanwen was flabbergasted, and his entourage was equally stunned.
This was the young master of the Extraordinary Group, a famous and influential second-generation heir in Hangcheng City! When had he ever been treated like this? Does this guy have a death wish?
Shen Fanyun took out his phone and squatted in front of Wang Yanwen. He casually snapped a photo of the kneeling man and sent it to Su Xiyang with a simple message: "Wang Yanwen?"
Su Xiyang was getting dressed, sobbing intermittently. She cursed Shen Fanyun in her heart, calling him a bastard who had no idea how to treat a woman gently. He had thoroughly tormented her last night; even now, her legs were still aching uncontrollably.
DING-DONG.
Her phone chimed. Su Xiyang opened it nonchalantly. Seeing the sender was simply labeled "Shen," she thought, That bastard still dares to contact me!
The next second, her eyes widened. Shen Fanyun had sent a photo. In it, Wang Yanwen was kneeling on the ground, his face contorted in pain.
Su Xiyang instinctively covered her mouth. My God! What happened? How did Shen Fanyun run into Wang Yanwen and even beat him up? Doesn't he know how terrifying Wang Yanwen's status is, or how ruthless his father, Wang Bo, can be?
For a moment, Su Xiyang was a mess of conflicting emotions. Everyone else was terrified of Wang Yanwen's status and tried to persuade her to just give in. Yet Shen Fanyun, a man she had known for less than twenty-four hours, was the only one to stand up for her.
If he wasn't doing this for me, why would he have bothered to check if he'd gotten the right person? There's no way it was a coincidence. That guy must have remembered Wang Yanwen's name and gone looking for him!
As Su Xiyang sat on the bed thinking, she realized the man she'd spent the night with wasn't as much of a bastard as she'd thought. In fact... he was kind of cool. Especially when he'd slapped her to make her sober up and calm down.
Pah! Am I a masochist? Getting slapped and thinking he did a good job? Su Xiyang shook her head. She quickly replied to Shen Fanyun with a single word: "Yes!"
Shen Fanyun snapped his phone shut. He exhaled a plume of smoke, obscuring his features. "Who was it," he asked coolly, "that you said should get out of the way?"
"Kid, do you have any idea what you're doing?" Wang Yanwen gritted his teeth. He was the young master of the Wang Family! His father, Wang Bo, could crush this nobody with one hand.
He scrambled to his feet, pointing a finger at Shen Fanyun and demanding that he kneel and apologize.
RUMBLE!
Finally, a Maybach pulled up, and a middle-aged man in a trench coat stepped out. He stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze piercing. The moment he appeared, his very presence suppressed the aura of everyone there.
The crowd gasped in unison, "Mr. Shen!"
"It's Mr. Shen."
"GASP! It really is the legendary magnate. That natural air of authority... it's terrifying."
Shen Junhuan surveyed the scene, paying no mind to the crowd's reaction. He walked over to Shen Fanyun, nodded slightly, and then bowed deeply. "Master!"
The dignitaries were rendered speechless.
So was Wang Yanwen.
"What's going on? That's Shen Junhuan, the famous Nine-patterned Dragon from the Capital City! Why is he calling this guy 'Master'?"
GASP!
Wang Yanwen was dumbfounded. He had been planning to confront Shen Fanyun just moments ago, but now his legs gave out. THUD! He collapsed back to his knees, his face ashen.
Shen Fanyun shook his head and sighed. These rich kids are no challenge at all. I actually thought he might call his father, Wang Bo, for backup.
"We have matters to discuss. Get rid of this crowd," Shen Fanyun said, clasping his hands behind his back before heading into the building.
This return to Hangcheng City required a large sum of money from Shen Junhuan. He planned to make a move on Han Shaochang's company, and money was the one thing Shen Junhuan never lacked. Shen Junhuan could have ordered his subordinates to handle it, but out of respect for him, he had come to Hangcheng City personally.
By dusk, the meeting had concluded. Shen Fanyun bid farewell to Shen Junhuan and had just gotten into his car when Su Xiyang unexpectedly called.
Shen Fanyun pursed his lips. This girl is pretty forward. Didn't she say she never wanted to see me again? Truly, you'd be better off believing in ghosts than trusting a woman's words.
"Hello?" Shen Fanyun answered.
"Are you alright?" Su Xiyang asked, her voice a mix of panic and caution.
"What could be wrong with me?" Shen Fanyun asked, puzzled.
"That's Wang Yanwen, Wang Bo's son!" Su Xiyang said. "You hit him! Wang Bo definitely won't let you get away with it."
"Why don't you... why don't you run? Leave Hangcheng City! Go far away, so Wang Bo can't get his revenge on you!"
It had to be said, while Su Xiyang was a bit impulsive, she wasn't a bad person. She was actually quite caring.
Shen Fanyun leaned back in the leather seat. Remembering their passionate night together, he suddenly thought that having a steady woman by his side might not be such a bad thing.
"I just happen to be free. How about dinner tonight?"
"Hmm?" Su Xiyang hesitated. She wanted to refuse, but since Shen Fanyun had stood up for her, she felt it would be rude. "Alright. Where should we eat? Do you want me to pick?"
"Let's go to Yunxiao," Shen Fanyun said and hung up.
Su Xiyang's eyes widened. Is he joking? The Yunxiao Hotel? That's Hangcheng City's seven-star, invitation-only hotel! Even the modestly wealthy can't get in. I've lived in Hangcheng City for so many years, but I've only ever been able to admire the Yunxiao Hotel from afar, never daring to imagine actually stepping inside. I know I'm not qualified.
She stared blankly into space. Is he serious? He can't be kidding me, can he? She suddenly realized she was becoming more and more interested in Shen Fanyun.