Chapter 68 of 100

Chapter 68

14 min read3,485 wordsMature

Update Time: April 3, 2013

On the way to the bank, Zhang Yang kept thinking about what Ma Guojun had said. He couldn't deny that he was moved.

Zhang Yang knew his biggest weakness was fighting alone, without any support or a ready-made social status to inherit, and even more importantly, without a network of relationships. In this society, relying solely on one's own strength is impossible to succeed. Even if he could earn a lot of money, he would still be just a nouveau riche. Power, social status, and reliable subordinates don't come just because you have money; they require building a network of relationships from scratch.

Therefore, whether it was the greedy Liang Fat, the ill-intentioned Meng Fei, the proud Hong Yaqin, or the carefree He Linlin, he took a cautious approach. Wang Yue had once told him that there are no useless people in this world; it's just a matter of whether you can make good use of them. No matter what, these people had deeper roots than Zhang Yang, who started from scratch. Interacting with them was a process of mutual benefit, a process of mutual exploitation. In such a situation, if everything went as planned, his social circle would gradually expand. Now he looked up to them, but it wouldn't be long before they looked up to him.

Ma Guojun had his own agenda and ulterior motives, which was not surprising. Although he was also part of Feicui轩 (Feicui轩 is a name, so it's kept as is), and to some extent, under Xiao Fei's command, it was clear that he and Duan Fei were not on the same page, and he had the intention of replacing Duan Fei. Could he use this person's ambition? This person hadn't offended him; he was just a minor figure who was greedy and ambitious.

If everything went as planned, Duan Fei would fall into his trap and have no chance of a comeback. Then, would Feicui轩 be under his control in the future? By giving up some of his interests and giving him what he wanted, he could get a greater return.

It seemed he needed to spend some time on this person. Ma Guojun was just a minor figure, but such minor figures, for their own interests, would do anything. Perhaps if he offered enough, Ma Guojun might even betray Xiao Fei. Zhang Yang didn't know that Ma Guojun's conflict with Duan Fei wasn't just about ambition but also because they had different bosses behind them.

At the entrance of the Industrial and Commercial Bank, Zhang Yang carried the password-protected box containing the jade and walked in.

The hall manager recognized Zhang Yang. With tens of millions in his account and frequent deposits, such a big client was firmly remembered by the hall manager.

"Mr. Zhang, you're here. Is there anything I can do for you?" the hall manager asked as he walked over.

Zhang Yang nodded and said, "I want to rent a safe deposit box."

"Please follow me, I'll handle the procedures for you," the hall manager said.

Sitting in the VIP room, the hall manager quickly processed the paperwork with Zhang Yang's ID. Zhang Yang began to taste the changes that money brought. In Jin City, he had also handled safe deposit box business, but he hadn't received such treatment.

Leaving the Industrial and Commercial Bank, Zhang Yang couldn't help but think that with just a few million in his account, he received such good service. If he had billions, would they even come to his door with a phone call? Thinking further, if he had his own company, would he even need to handle these matters himself? Just like how Xiao Fei had Niujin handle the process of getting rid of Wang Yue without showing up himself.

Thinking about these things, Zhang Yang's ambition grew even more.

On the way home, Zhang Yang kept thinking about this. It wasn't until he was almost at the neighborhood and saw a private restaurant on the side of the road that his car slowed down. After a moment's hesitation, Zhang Yang turned the steering wheel and parked in front of the restaurant.

Pushing the door open, Zhang Yang immediately saw He Linlin playing a game at the cash register.

Seeing Zhang Yang, He Linlin sneered, "Oh, who do we have here? It's the great gambler Zhang. I wonder how your jade gambling is going. Haven't you gone bankrupt yet?"

Zhang Yang frowned and said, "Where's Hong Yaqin?"

"To see Hong Sister, you have to get past me first. I've never seen anyone like you. Hong Sister was clearly trying to help you, but you not only didn't appreciate it, you even yelled at her and hung up on her. Who do you think you are? I wonder who gave you the nerve." He Linlin said.

Zhang Yang, looking displeased, said, "This is between us. It's not your place to interfere. Is she here?"

"Not here, and even if she were, she wouldn't see you. Mr. Zhang, let me tell you, that deal is off. You're not welcome here anymore," He Linlin said.

Zhang Yang looked at He Linlin seriously, trying to guess whether this was her own idea or Hong Yaqin's. He didn't want to give up on the connection with Hong Yaqin. He had agreed to the deal with her not just for a few meals but for his own development. Given the current situation, either Hong Yaqin wasn't there or she was avoiding him. In either case, there was no point in continuing the conversation.

Moreover, Zhang Yang was confident that he now held the initiative. Unless Hong Yaqin told her parents the truth, she would come back to him. Understanding this, Zhang Yang said coldly, "Alright, I understand."

He then turned and left the private restaurant without looking back.

As Zhang Yang's car drove away, Hong Yaqin returned. Getting out of her car, she held the car keys and looked at the departing car, puzzled. She remembered the license plate number; it was Zhang Yang's car. It seemed he had just come to the restaurant. It was strange that he hadn't eaten and had left.

Hong Yaqin pushed the door open and asked, "Lingling, was that Zhang Yang just now?"

He Linlin nodded and said, "Yes, that annoying guy. I scolded him and chased him away."

"Chased away? Why did you scold him?" Hong Yaqin asked.

He Linlin, like a machine gun, said, "Who let him be so ungrateful? You were trying to help him, and he dared to yell at you and hang up on you. I hate people like that, so full of themselves. I told him the deal was off and that he's not welcome here anymore."

Hong Yaqin's face darkened, and she said coldly, "Lingling, who told you to say those things! When did it become your place to decide my affairs?"

He Linlin was stunned, not understanding why Hong Yaqin was suddenly angry.

"Hong Sister, wasn't I just trying to help you?" He Linlin said, feeling wronged.

"This is my own business, and I know what to do. And that deal was between him and me. What right do you have to cancel it?" Hong Yaqin said angrily.

She had finally found a suitable person and had just managed to deal with her parents, and now He Linlin had created this mess. What was she supposed to do? How could she explain it to her parents? Thinking about the questions she would face at home, Hong Yaqin's head ached. She angrily threw the car keys to the ground and sat on a stool, glaring at He Linlin.

"Hong Sister, what's wrong? Why are you so angry? Wasn't I just trying to help you?" He Linlin said, feeling wronged.

Hong Yaqin rubbed her temples and said, "Are you helping me or making things worse? I spent so much effort to get him to agree to the deal. Now, how am I supposed to explain to my parents? That we broke up? Or should I tell them the truth? Lingling, can't you just leave me alone?"

He Linlin finally remembered that this whole thing had been Hong Yaqin's initiative from the beginning.

"I, I was just trying to help you," He Linlin's voice grew smaller.

Hong Yaqin snorted and said, "Help, help with what! After thinking about it, Zhang Yang was right. We are just business partners, not even friends. What right do we have to interfere in his personal affairs? Now, one misunderstanding hasn't been cleared up, and you've chased him away again. What am I supposed to do now?"

He Linlin wasn't stupid; she just had a habit of being petty and not considering others' feelings. Hearing Hong Yaqin's words, she realized she had made a significant mistake.

"I'm sorry, Hong Sister. Should I apologize to him? I'll call him right now and apologize!" He Linlin said.

"No need, don't get involved anymore," Hong Yaqin said, feeling a headache.

It seemed she would have to handle it herself. She glared at He Linlin and then pushed the door open, got into her car, and drove off to catch up with Zhang Yang.

---