These three words were not spoken loudly, yet they boomed through the conference room like thunder.
Madam Li swallowed, and the fury on her face froze.
Wang Chen felt a headache coming on. He was merely the owner of a small bar, not even a middling figure in Tongzhou City, yet now he had been dragged into a dispute between two wealthy families. When immortals fought, mortals suffered!
The smile on Su Rui's face grew even broader, carrying a certain confidence.
In Tongzhou City, no one dared provoke Li Ruobing?
No. Though Li Ruobing was the president of Mingzhu Company, with a net worth of one billion, there were quite a few people in Tongzhou City with strength comparable to hers.
What mattered was the giant behind her.
The Li family of Tongzhou.
Li Ruobing's relationship with her family was far from harmonious. Because of her stepmother, she had even developed a rift with her father and argued with him several times. None of this was a secret.
But no matter how fiercely the Li family fought amongst themselves, Li Ruobing was ultimately the eldest daughter of the Li family, Li Guodong's biological daughter.
If his daughter suffered such grievances outside, would Li Guodong simply turn a blind eye?
Lin Jiatao felt his palms grow damp. He knew very well that Li Guodong was extremely protective of his own and possessed an exceedingly domineering temperament.
If Lin Tianyou had truly done anything out of line to Li Ruobing last night, then when facing Li Guodong's retaliation, getting smashed with a few wine bottles would be the least of Lin Tianyou's worries.
Even having his legs broken would be getting off lightly!
Did the Lin family have the strength to contend with the Li family?
No.
More accurately, not yet.
But that did not mean the Lin family had no ability to resist the Li family. The two sides were nearly evenly matched economically. What the Lin family lacked was the foundation built up over years of operation—connections and backing, for instance.
For example, if both the Lin and Li families needed to acquire a plot of land in Tongzhou, Lin Jiatao might have to personally visit several departments, treat people to meals, and give gifts. Li Guodong, however, might only need to make one phone call to settle the matter.
The Li family truly was not to be trifled with.
But if the Li family really made a move against Tianyou and crippled him, should Lin Jiatao strike back or not?
Not strike back? Bowing and scraping as he apologized? Then Lin Jiatao's pride would be utterly trampled! From then on, he would never again have a chance to reach the top in Tongzhou, because others would see him as a man without courage or nerve, someone unworthy of support or investment!
If he feared trouble to such an extent, even the Far East Chamber of Commerce behind him would likely be deeply disappointed in him.
But if he struck back, how could he do so?
Whether in connections or influence, he still lagged behind the Li family to some extent.
If the two families went to war in Tongzhou City now, the Lin family would definitely be the one to fall. Once it came to that, there would be no turning back!
In a sense, Su Rui's actions had indeed prevented that from happening.
Lin Jiatao truly ought to thank him!
The atmosphere in the conference room became strange.
The expression on Lin Jiatao's face shifted unpredictably. After a long while, he slowly revealed a smile. "What is the relationship between Mr. Su and Miss Li?"
"Heh heh..."
Inside the conference room, the attitudes between Lin Jiatao and Su Rui had changed completely.
The two chatted with warm smiles as though they were old friends who had not met in years, while all the unpleasantness from before seemed never to have happened.
Madam Lin, who had received two slaps, was sensible enough not to continue acting arrogantly.
She knew exactly what kind of person Li Ruobing was.
For someone like her to be called a seductress, a little bitch who would sleep with anyone... if those words truly reached her ears, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Two slaps were not much.
"Does Mr. Su hold a position with the Li family?" Lin Jiatao personally brought out a Zisha Tea Set, its fragrance slowly rising.
Su Rui shook his head. "I have nothing to do with the Li family. Ruobing and I are only friends."
"Oh..." With an expression that said, I understand, Lin Jiatao smiled repeatedly. "Heh heh... Mr. Su and Miss Li are truly a perfect match."
Wang Chen sat stiffly to the side, pouring tea for the two of them.
"Please don't say that. A perfect match and all that... actually, my goal is to live leisurely off a woman." Su Rui said it as if he were joking.
Lin Jiatao rubbed his fingers together with a chuckle. He had watched last night's surveillance footage as well.
Su Rui's fighting prowess was the strongest he had ever seen.
Otherwise, he would not have deployed every one of his top men to hunt Su Rui throughout Tongzhou.
"This must be Boss Wang, right?" Su Rui said unhurriedly. "What happened last night caused you trouble."
"How could you say that? We're all friends... no trouble, no trouble at all..." Wang Chen silently wiped the sweat beads on his forehead. His attitude was humble, his posture extremely low.
Lin Jiatao lit a cigarette and seemed lost in thought amid the curling smoke.
"Boss Wang, tally up your losses and send them to my office tomorrow. I'll have Finance transfer the money to you." Lin Jiatao's voice rang out without the slightest fluctuation. "Include today's lost business as well. Go on!"
"No, no! It was just some odds and ends, nothing valuable!" Wang Chen hurriedly waved his hands. Lin Tianyou had gotten into trouble at his bar, and Wang Chen was still scrambling to make up for it. How could he dare accept money from the Lin family?
Before Su Rui arrived, he had already prepared himself to suffer a massive loss.
"Heh heh... Boss Wang, are you angry with me?" Lin Jiatao smiled brightly and handed him a cup of tea. "When I said earlier that I wanted you to compensate me, I was joking! We're all friends. You didn't take it seriously, did you?"
Wang Chen held the teacup with both hands, at a complete loss.
"All right, let's keep things separate! I'm not an unreasonable man. I'll compensate you for your losses, and we'll consider this matter settled!" Lin Jiatao spoke decisively and patted Wang Chen on the shoulder. "When I visit your place in the future, remember to give me a discount."
"Certainly! Certainly!" Wang Chen gave a dry laugh and took a sip of the bitter tea.
Lin Jiatao's smile was exceptionally sincere, with not a trace of falseness in his words.
Yet all three people present understood clearly that if Su Rui had not appeared, would Lin Jiatao have said such things?
Did he truly regard Wang Chen as a friend?
The three of them talked in the conference room for nearly an hour.
The details were unknown, but when Su Rui left, Lin Jiatao smiled broadly as he escorted him all the way downstairs.
Watching the Pagani disappear into the distance, the smile on Lin Jiatao's face gradually vanished.
His confidant stepped out from the side, holding a file. "Big Brother, this is his information. I've investigated him. He really has no connection to the Li family; as for Li Ruobing, he only met her last night. They had never crossed paths before."
Lin Jiatao had risen through the underworld in his early years. Though he had gradually gone legitimate in recent years, those brothers who had built their careers alongside him still habitually called him Big Brother rather than CEO Lin or Boss.
"So he really is living off a woman?" Lin Jiatao frowned.
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