Chapter 126: Prove This Wasn’t His First Time Doing Something Like This!

Chapter 126: Proving This Isn’t His First Time Doing This!

Who is it that ignited love only to extinguish it?
Who is it that awakened whom, only to let them die?

For some reason, Tang Zhong recalled these two lines of a little poem he had seen somewhere.

Tang Zhong did not head to the restroom, nor was the restroom located by turning left upon exiting.
To the left was the exit. Hua Ming knew Tang Zhong wanted to step outside for some fresh air.

Outside, the lights were yellow, the scent of alcohol fragrant, and the sounds of laughter and song filled the air.
Guests came here to seek pleasure and amusement; the nightclub hostesses had to maintain a joyful demeanor.

Tang Zhong stepped out of the glittering golden hall and stood under the eaves, gazing at the drizzling sky with a troubled expression.
He hadn’t brought an umbrella.

It was the club’s busiest hour, with guests streaming in continuously. The receptionists at the entrance busily welcomed VIPs, yet no one noticed the dejected man standing quietly in the corner.

Wrapping his coat tighter and preparing to dash into the rain to hail a cab by the roadside, a middle-aged man holding a large black umbrella approached him with a smile.

“May I ask if you are Mr. Tang Zhong?” the man inquired.

“That’s me,” Tang Zhong replied cautiously, scrutinizing the stranger’s face to confirm he didn’t recognize him, nor had he ever seen him before.

“Mr. Qiu wishes to see you,” the man said, extending a finely polished but unadorned ink-colored business card with the three large characters “Qiu Hongtu” and a string of numbers beneath.

There were no titles or embellishments—just the name, which spoke volumes on its own.

Tang Zhong admired such confident and commanding individuals. Those who filled both sides of their cards with titles were either insecure or outright frauds.

“Heh,” Tang Zhong chuckled, “He’s finally appeared.”

“If Mr. Tang agrees, I can call the car over now,” the bespectacled middle-aged man smiled professionally.

“I agree,” Tang Zhong said decisively. “Countless people line up daily to see Mr. Qiu; I wouldn’t miss such an opportunity.”

The man smiled and gestured. Not far off, the headlights of a black Mercedes suddenly illuminated before slowly approaching.

“Seems you’ve been waiting for quite some time,” Tang Zhong sneered inwardly, wondering why Qiu Hongtu would send someone to watch at the entrance of Leitinghui. Could he be worried that after securing his daughter’s birthday party, Tang Zhong would whisk her away to a small inn near the school for a secret rendezvous?

Alas, he had disappointed those expectations.

“That’s Mr. Qiu’s instruction,” the middle-aged man explained with a smile, unperturbed.

The Mercedes stopped before them, and the man helped open the door. Tang Zhong didn’t hesitate and promptly slipped into the back seat.

---

The middle-aged man opened the front passenger door and took his seat as the car started moving again.

Neither spoke; Tang Zhong was lost in his own thoughts. The journey passed in silence, about twenty minutes later, the car stopped at the entrance of an upscale residential area. After the driver swiped a pass, they proceeded to a small villa and parked in the courtyard.

The man swiftly got out, holding the large black umbrella to help Tang Zhong out.

Tang Zhong nodded in thanks as he was shielded by the umbrella and led inside the villa.

Upon entering, a wave of warmth greeted them.

Simultaneously, a familiar yet strangely unfamiliar face came into view—a broad, dignified visage.

Familiar because Tang Zhong had seen his photo in numerous financial magazines, newspapers, and online articles, even an issue of the university’s finance journal chronicled his rise.

Unfamiliar because this was their first formal meeting; previously, at the south gate, they had only exchanged a fleeting glance. The man in front of him looked different from the photos—then he wore glasses and a suit, smiling gently like a benevolent elder. Now, without glasses, his sharp features and piercing gaze resembled that of a man watching a thief trying to sneak into his house to steal his daughter.

It was Qiu Hongtu himself, chairman of the Hongda Group, personally greeting him at the door.

“Our meeting should have happened sooner,” Qiu Hongtu offered his large hand to Tang Zhong. “But I’ve been tied up in the US with an acquisition and couldn’t get away.”

“It’s not too late now,” Tang Zhong shook hands with him.

“Perhaps it’s a bit rude,” Qiu Hongtu said, inviting Tang Zhong to sit on the sofa. “I learned from Yihan and her mother that you would attend her birthday party today, so I sent someone to wait at the door, planning to invite you over after you finished. Didn’t expect you to come earlier than I anticipated.”

“Does that make you feel safer?” Tang Zhong smiled and asked in return.

Qiu Hongtu’s eyes burned intently as he said, “Young man, your aggressiveness is strong.”

“I just feel wronged,” Tang Zhong took a tea cup handed by a servant, warming his hands on it. “A defeated soldier in love, summoned by the girl’s father for a warning—that poor boys have dignity too, you know?”

Qiu Hongtu laughed heartily. “I’m not sure if you’re truly defeated in love, but I don’t believe you’re just a poor boy. Someone who can kill and even make the head of Mingzhu City’s police bureau come to clean up the mess—there’s no way you’re ordinary.”

Tang Zhong looked up at him. “Do you want to thank me, or do you want to get to the bottom of this?”

“If I asked, would you tell me?” Qiu Hongtu probed.

“No,” Tang Zhong answered bluntly.

Qiu Hongtu smiled. “Honestly, I do want to know more. But I also know it’s not entirely appropriate. Everyone has secrets, and everyone has the right to keep them.”

“So, this is your way of saying thanks?”

“I truly am grateful,” Qiu Hongtu nodded. “When I got the call, I was terrified. I never imagined Yihan would be in such danger. Thank you so much. Regardless of who the assassin was working for or why, you saved my daughter. Nothing is more important than that.”

Tang Zhong raised an eyebrow. “You don’t know who’s behind this?”

“At the moment I received the call, I was sure the assassin targeted me, Qiu Hongtu. Business is a battlefield; you inevitably offend people. I thought they wouldn’t attack an ordinary student. But after reviewing the case and realizing a glimpse of your identity, I began to doubt that. Do you know who’s behind it?”

“Looks like Mr. Qiu doesn’t intend to accept this favor,” Tang Zhong sneered.

“No,” Qiu Hongtu waved his hand. “I said I’m truly grateful.”

“So, just words?” Tang Zhong mocked. “When you came to pick your daughter up, and my protector hadn’t arrived yet, why didn’t you ‘thank’ me then? If you’d expressed your gratitude then, my situation wouldn’t have been so dangerous.”

Qiu Hongtu looked embarrassed. “That’s exactly why I hurried to see you afterward. At that time, only two women were home. They thought the assassin was after you, that this involved you, and Yihan was only caught in the crossfire. I’m rarely home; it’s usually Yihan’s grandmother taking care of her. They were overly protective and overlooked your feelings. Regardless, I owe you an apology.”

“Mr. Qiu sure knows how to protect his family,” Tang Zhong shot back. “You said Yihan’s grandmother is clueless, I understand. But if I’m not mistaken, Mrs. Qiu is the sales director of Hongda Real Estate, right? In today’s tough market, she managed to sell all Hongda’s properties quickly to recoup funds. You expect me to believe she didn’t think of something so simple? I don’t buy it.”

Qiu Hongtu lowered his head and sipped his tea, glancing sideways at this fearless fellow seated before him.

He was tougher and smarter than he had imagined.

“That might be a bit harsh to say,” Qiu Hongtu finally looked Tang Zhong in the eye again. “At that time, uncertain about your identity and worried you and Yihan might get involved, they chose to handle things coldly—”

Indeed, it was cruel.

Had Tang Zhong not been Tang Zhong, but some nobody; had he been just an ordinary student at Nanda University; had it not been for Jiang Tao from the city police bureau coming to protect him—his fate would have been ignored by all.

As for how the police would rule, that was his own affair. Who cares about the life and death of an insignificant nobody?

Fairy tales about a fairy marrying a scholar or a billionaire heiress marrying a poor boy exist only in stories.

Why do people love such tales? Because they’re rare, novel, and fulfill beautiful human fantasies.

“Since that’s the case,” Tang Zhong was puzzled, “why did you send someone to bring me here? Just to tell me the truth? Or do you now think my status is complicated—that I have the credentials to pursue your daughter?”

“I know this will anger you,” Qiu Hongtu said solemnly, “but it’s the truth. When you have a daughter, you won’t want her with someone who can’t give her a future—all fathers would make the same choice I did.”

“We’re not bad people, just selfish. This time, I owe you. I, Qiu Hongtu, acknowledge this debt and hope to repay it someday—”

“Saving Yihan back then was also to save myself,” Tang Zhong interrupted. “Of course, if you really want to thank me, just write me a check—no need to promise big things for the distant future. My vision is short; I only see tomorrow. Money in my pocket is the most tangible thing. I’m easy to buy off and won’t talk about pride or dignity by tearing up your check and throwing it in your face.”

“Also, be careful when choosing a son-in-law. Yihan may be a bit silly, but she’s pretty decent. Even if you don’t fancy me, whatever you do, don’t pick William Ji. That guy’s a player. For a birthday, he even went so far as to invite a monk to assist—proving he’s not doing this for the first time—”