Chapter 112
Chapter 112
The marriage alliance between the richest man and some eighteenth-rate, no-name little family caused a huge stir in the city.
Some said he was lowering himself.
Others said Bo Suihan must have been cursed.
There was no way to verify any of the gossip. Bo Suihan’s business presence in the city was already enormous; he had monopolized resources and connections across every industry, and no one in the city had a death wish strong enough to offend him.
On top of that, he had swallowed up the Han Family’s business empire, linking up domestic and overseas industrial and supply chains from end to end. He alone had raised the city’s GDP by ten points. The Bo Suihan of today was no longer the same man as before.
Anyone who saw him had to admit it-his momentum was overwhelming.
So the rumors remained just rumors. No one actually dared to run up to Bo Suihan or Wu Xiaojiu to ask questions or secretly photograph proof. Because of that, the two of them were not too deeply affected by the outside world.
With the richest man as their backer, the Wu Family finally began to enjoy smooth sailing in the business world.
Father Wu had originally been an upstart, and the upper-class elites had never thought much of him. No matter how much money he had, no one was willing to bring him into their circles.
But times had changed.
Father Wu and Mother Wu were now being fawned over wherever they went. A cocktail party today, a banquet tomorrow-their schedule, which had once been fairly free, was now a dizzying whirl of social engagements.
Wu Xiaojiu had also been busy these past few days. After completing its mission, the System unbound from him and left this world, leaving him alone to remain permanently by Long Aotian’s side.
Maybe when a person’s luck turned good, everything really did start getting better.
Although Wu Xiaojiu had been terribly busy lately, many things had gone exactly as he wished. In all these days, there was only one thing that truly weighed on him.
His own elder sister, Wu Yuting, was still tied to the Village Chief’s foolish son because of that wager agreement.
Because of this, Wu Yuting had been depressed and listless. Though she forced herself to smile every day and helped him manage his affairs, the envy and exhaustion in her eyes could not be hidden.
Wu Xiaojiu was helpless about her situation. For two or three days in a row, that frustration showed plainly on his face.
The situation continued until Wang Qiang finished dealing with matters related to the case, received an invitation, and came running to the villa in utter confusion-only to see Wu Xiaojiu, precious as gold and jade, being pampered like a treasure.
Their eyes met. In that instant, a thousand words surged up between them.
“You!”
“I!”
They spoke at the same time with perfect tacit understanding. Wang Qiang was so worked up that before Wu Xiaojiu could continue, he shouted first, “What is the meaning of this?! Did you rise up from serfdom and start singing, or was everything about who you were back when we first met under that gentle apricot-blossom rain a lie?”
Wu Xiaojiu looked at his gritted teeth, his twisted expression full of envy, unwillingness, and stubbornness, then said awkwardly, “Listen to me explain. I never meant to hide it from you back then. It was Bo Suihan, that beast, who answered everything vaguely. I originally wanted to fix it, but then a lot of things happened afterward. I thought we were just passing acquaintances, so I figured there was no need to waste my breath. That’s why I kept you in the dark.” After saying this, Wu Xiaojiu gave an embarrassed smile, beckoned to Wang Qiang in a fawning manner, and stood up devoutly to respectfully offer him his seat.
“But no matter how you put it, I did wrong you. Wang Qiang, Qiangqiang~ Please, this way. Have a seat.”
Wang Qiang stormed forward in a huff. The matter of Wu Xiaojiu and his partner had caused an uproar throughout the city. As someone who stood at the very front line of gossip consumption and loved gossip dearly, Wang Qiang had naturally heard about it.
He still remembered the first time he heard that Wu Xiaojiu’s family, no matter how one phrased it, could at least be considered a wealthy family in the city-though one so eighteenth-rate it did not even rank. At the time, his scalp had practically exploded, and his fists had clenched so hard they cracked.
He had been afraid his brother was suffering, yet also afraid his brother was driving a Land Rover.
Thinking back, he, an intern earning 1,200 yuan a month, had actually pitied a rich second-generation heir who could spend tens of thousands on a single outing. He had even boldly cursed out Bo Suihan, the city’s living emperor.
Wang Qiang broke out in goosebumps.
How could a person be that bold? That was his assessment of his past self.
Fortunately, though, Wu Xiaojiu and Bo Suihan were both easy to get along with.
Wang Qiang strolled over casually, plopped down on the bench, pointed straight at his right shoulder, and gave a cold snort.
“Back then, you were partly playing the victim too. Rub here for me. It’s sore.”
Wu Xiaojiu put on an ingratiating smile, massaging his shoulder while serving tea and water, waiting on Wang Qiang until he was perfectly comfortable. Only when Wang Qiang’s stiff expression gradually eased did Wu Xiaojiu speak.
“There’s something bothering me, and I wanted to talk to you about it. I can’t make up my mind, so help me think of a solution.”
Wang Qiang blinked twice and gave a hum of acknowledgment.
Wu Yuting’s situation was not complicated. From start to finish, she had done nothing wrong. She had been dragged down entirely by her family.
As Wang Qiang listened, he couldn’t help sucking in a breath. From the bottom of his heart, he felt quite sorry for the girl.
“So what you mean is, you want your sister to get divorced?”
“That’s what I mean. But the problem is, back then, my family really did lose the wager agreement. Strictly speaking…”
Wu Xiaojiu’s confidence faltered, and as he spoke, his eyes began darting around.
Wang Qiang understood what he meant and let out a scornful chuckle.
“What ‘strictly speaking’? People out there are already calling Bo Suihan a local emperor, and you’re still sitting here talking about ‘strictly speaking’? What status does your cousin have? What status does your sister have? If you really can’t stand seeing your sister suffer, then just have Bo Suihan put pressure on your cousin’s family.
“This is simple. Worst case, toss that idiot’s family a few tens of thousands and settle it with money. In the end, it wouldn’t count as making them lose out.”
The more Wang Qiang spoke, the more excited he became.
“Bo Suihan can blot out the sky with one hand. As his… well, isn’t it normal for you to have a few special privileges? What are you being so timid for? Worst case, if trouble really does come of it, just call Bo Suihan over and have him cover for you. Problem solved.”
The more Wu Xiaojiu listened, the more tempted he became. He immediately slapped the table, a fierce look flashing across his face.
“Right! What you’re saying makes sense. So what if there was a wager agreement? Right now, in the capital, Bo Suihan’s word is law. Besides, my cousin was the one who took the money back then. If something really happens, we’re the ones with more reason on our side.”
As soon as he finished speaking, he made a call, telling Wu Dan to come over so they could settle this properly.
While he was at it, he also called his sister, as well as the Village Chief’s son. Wu Xiaojiu had had enough of seeing his sister depressed and miserable every single day.
He planned to cut through the mess today and sever things cleanly. Whether he had to spend money to avert disaster or waste some breath arguing, he was determined to draw a clear line between them and Wu Dan. From then on, the two families would never have anything to do with each other again.
When the call went through, Wu Dan sounded like he was playing mahjong and had been drinking.
His voice was drunken, and there was no sense of restraint in the way he spoke.
“Wu Xiaojiu, what are you calling me for?”
Wu Xiaojiu got straight to the point. “Back then, our two families made a bet. According to the contract, my family lost once. But now, I’m not satisfied with how things were handled after the loss. Come over and let’s discuss it again. See if we can cancel or offset that one agreement.”
Wu Dan laughed on the other end, followed by the sound of him spitting.
“Pah. You fucking made a bit of money, and now you really think you’re an emperor? Whatever’s written in the wager agreement is final. There’s no room to turn it around. Even if your sister hates that idiot with every fiber of her being, she’ll have to endure it for me.
“Besides, isn’t a woman’s worth just in marrying a husband and bearing children? Your sister being used like this counts as making use of waste. You should be thanking me.”