Invisible Confrontation

Lin Qi, who originally planned to stay in Bu Peien for a week, ended up staying for eleven days. On his way back, he breathed a sigh of relief. The gains from this trip to Bu Peien were much greater than he had imagined before coming.

The ones who benefited weren't Herbert and his ilk, especially Herbert himself. This kind of "ruthless" capitalist, given enough profit, could turn around and sell everyone out in a heartbeat! Lin Qi got some rumors about Herbert from others, in which this refined gentleman had a less-than-pleasant name— the Dream Ripper.

Any company that he targets finds it difficult to escape being dismantled.

In recent years, the overall downturn in the real economy has not given him many opportunities to showcase his abilities, and his reputation is not as prominent as it used to be. But this is definitely not because he has become soft-hearted; it's just that the returns have not met his expectations.

Such people are often cold-blooded, indifferent, and calm. They will objectively view everything, including what happens to them, and then choose the option that is most beneficial to them.

Don't expect emotions or a small "alliance" to hold him back; he just wants to use these people.

Lin Qi's real takeaway was some inspiration he received from a small printing shop owner: bonds could be transformed into cash in an instant, a method of security that was very attractive to speculators like Lin Qi.

However, he didn't trust the small business owner and would find out the truth through other means.

"Thank you for your hard work these past few days." The two had just come out of the station when Lin Qi's luxury car was already parked outside. He had notified the community service company in advance, and they had come to pick him up in his car.

Vera shook her head. "To be honest, I also gained a lot. It was a very interesting experience. To be honest, I didn't know before that people there would talk about such things..." She couldn't help but chuckle, then chose a less intense word, "Vulgar!"

Yes, in Vera's impression, people in these high-society social circles would discuss very serious things, from literary classics to world-famous paintings, or operas or jewelry.

However, the ladies she met were not much different from the women in her current community. They always talked about eating, drinking, having fun, and being curious about the special relationship between Vera and Lin Qi.

At first she refused, but her refusal only attracted the attention of the other ladies, who discussed heatedly how Vera had managed to get Lin Qi to lie down and whether their nightlife was harmonious.

Some of the things said were so blunt that Vera felt embarrassed, but these ladies seemed to have gotten used to it, which was completely different from what she had imagined.

She didn't understand that all these ladies had left was their outward glamour.

Their husbands are rarely home, and as well as famous and wealthy capitalists, there will always be people who are eager to get involved. Sometimes, it's not that you're unwilling, but that others won't do it.

The hot offensive launched by those girls of all kinds makes it hard for those men to control themselves, especially those in their thirties and forties, who are in their prime.

Once something falls, it will fall a second time, a third time...

However, these men would not divorce their wives, because that would mean dividing their assets, and they would not want to hire a hitman to kill their wives, as that would only cause the situation to spiral out of control.

Maintaining a marriage in name only is their choice; while the men indulge in philandering outside, the women won't be so faithful either.

The driver, the gardener, the cook, and the young office worker—as long as their circles of happiness don't overlap and it doesn't cause too much of a problem, they'll just enjoy their own lives.

That's why these women are so bold as to talk about topics that Vera would find embarrassing; they've long since become fearless.

Some say this is the emptiness that comes after acquiring a lot of wealth. As for whether it is true or not, who cares? As long as you are happy and joyful, that's all that matters.

The car slowly started moving, and only then did Lin Qi's gaze shift from Vera to the roadside outside the car window. In just half a month, the situation in Sabine City had become extremely bad.

The effects of the Financial Tsunami have reached Sabine City, and there are more people on the streets who have lost their jobs and become homeless.

Because of the recent boom in Financial Market, some small factory owners put money they would have used to maintain daily operations into the stock market.

People are more inclined to invest in stocks if the return on their investment is higher than the profits they make from producing and selling them.

However, the Stock Market Crash crash destroyed them all. They lost everything, their factories couldn't pay wages, and they had no choice but to file for bankruptcy.

All assets entered the liquidation process, the land was reclaimed by the government, and the workers took to the streets.

At this moment, the scene on the street seemed to have regressed several decades or even centuries, exuding a sense of oppressive gloom.

The car first stopped outside Vera's neighborhood. This once Middle Class community seemed to have lost its vitality. There were no security guards in the guard post, and the access control barriers were raised, allowing vehicles to come and go freely.

Lin Qi had intended to leave Vera at the entrance, but after looking at the situation, he could only order the driver to drive the car inside.

Since entering the gate, Lin Qi had seen seven or eight houses with "For Sale" signs. The simple and easy-to-remember contact numbers on them made it clear at a glance that these properties were currently owned by the bank.

The car slowly stopped in front of Vera's house. Some residents who hadn't moved out yet looked over through the glass windows. Then they saw the driver, Vera, and a handsome young man.

"Come in and have a cup of coffee..." It was still broad daylight, and Lin Qi had escorted her directly to her door. It would seem impolite not to invite her in.

Lin Qi was about to refuse, as it seemed inappropriate to go in under everyone's watchful eyes, when unexpectedly the door opened first.

Gepu stood behind the door, his expression unreadable. After a couple of seconds, a smile appeared on his face. "This must be Mr. Lin Qi. Please come in and have a seat!"

After a few seconds of eye contact, Lin Qi changed his mind, nodded, and agreed.

The curious or malicious gazes from behind the glass windows around him gradually subsided, and Lin Qi entered the room.

This is a very common Middle Class family home. Upon entering the Living Room, there is a large rug, followed by an ivory-white leather sofa set. This combination of sofa and rug has almost become a characteristic of an era, a very typical decorating style.

It actually originated from the interior design style of the once-popular TV series "Middle-Class Family". It seems that following this style can instantly elevate a family's social status, so much so that these styles have not changed to this day and are still very popular among Middle Class families.

Gepu sat down with Lin Qi, while Vera went to change her clothes and serve the two men drinks and pastries. Gepu then began to assert his status as the head of the household, saying, "When I first heard that Vera had a job, I thought it was just for her to relax. It's not good for her to always be cooped up at home."

He laughed as he spoke, "I never imagined that she would become an office manager with several people under her in the blink of an eye. This is truly beyond my imagination."

"I know very well how capable she is, and I am very grateful to you for giving her this opportunity."

These words seemed harmless, but Lin Qi sensed a warning in Gepu's Vera Lin Qi his wife.

This is a very subtle warning. He uses the statement "I don't think Vera is capable of doing her current job" as a starting point, and uses facts as evidence to imply that Lin Qi's decision to give Vera current job actually stems from his greed for her.

After listening, Lin Qi smiled nonchalantly, "I never look down on anyone, whether they are a man, a woman, an old person, or a child."

"As long as a person has ideals and courage, then he/she/it has the right to pursue his/her ideals. She is your wife, Mr. Gepu."

Lin Qi launched a small counterattack, pointing out that he shouldn't belittle his wife like that. Gepu hadn't expected that his accusation, which he hadn't expected the other to understand, would actually provoke such a subtle counterattack.

He did not retaliate immediately, but instead observed Lin Qi.

It has to be said that Lin Qi has everything that Gepu, and indeed most men, envy and are jealous of.

He is young, and his tall, slender figure is still quite rare in today's society. He is also very handsome, which is the most unpleasant thing, because it is something that cannot be changed by effort.

He was also very rich, which made things even worse. Gepu's friends in Bu Peien talked about Lin Qi, which was also the reason for Gepu's unhappiness at this time.

In Bu Peien, people all assume his wife and Lin Qi are a couple, and he's furious.

However, the anger of civilized people is different from that of barbarians. Civilized people take into account many factors when they are angry, such as the law, the class difference between each other, social status, and the specific strength of the opposing side, and then choose a way to vent their anger without losing too much face.

Barbarians are different; they'll just throw a punch.

Gepu was a civilized man like that. Although he really wanted to punch Lin Qi, he knew very well what the consequences and costs would be. He looked at Lin Qi and was about to speak when Vera came over with a tray, interrupting their conversation.

"What are you talking about?" she asked as she set out tea sets and pastries for the two of them.

Gepu put his arm around Vera's waist, as if asserting his ownership, and said, "It's nothing, just chatting."

Vera looked at Lin Qi, not believing that the two men's furtive conversation was just casual chatter. Lin Qi nodded in agreement, "We talked about the female lead in the latest movie. Mr. Gepu and I share similar views."

Then she looked at Gepu, Gepu wasn't quite sure what was going on, but he had to nod at this point, "That's how it is!"

Vera pursed her lips and smiled slightly. She was certain that Gepu had been tricked, but she wasn't angry. "I heard it was an adult film..."