Chapter Seventy-Four: A Flock of Fools Afflicted by Malady

Hong Chen booked a room in a convenient hotel and slept until ten in the morning before waking up. He called Gao Tianxiong, Tank, and Qiu, arranging to meet them all for lunch.

At half past eleven, Hong Chen arrived at Cao Fu Restaurant, three streets away from the Hongcheng Group. Led by a waiter, he entered a private dining room and found the three already there.

The cold dishes had been served. Hong Chen took the head seat without ceremony, and Gao Tianxiong instructed the waiter to bring out the hot dishes in ten minutes before dismissing him.

“This is Gao Tianxiong, President of the Hongcheng Group. This is Tank, the masked man from last night, and this is Qiu, whose strength is on par with Tank. Qiu has a vocal cord issue and can’t speak for now. From now on, these two will be responsible for training the security staff. President Gao will personally oversee the selection, ensuring they are trustworthy and at least possess inner strength potential. Also, President Gao will arrange proper identities for them.”

Hong Chen introduced them to one another and explained the tasks. Gao Tianxiong’s eyes flickered with surprise, but he didn’t put on any airs as president. Instead, he stood up and respectfully extended his hand to Tank and Qiu.

Tank and Qiu remained calm, neither giving nor taking offense. They stood up in turn and shook hands with Gao Tianxiong.

Hong Chen smiled. “From now on, Tank and Qiu are employees of the Hongcheng Group. President Gao will handle work assignments. If there are any issues, you can contact me directly. President Gao will also arrange their accommodations. They currently have one car; President Gao, please provide another. Set their base salary at one hundred thousand—if they need more, just ask President Gao. There’s no upper limit.”

After these brief instructions, they began their meal. As expected, Qiu was silent, and Tank said nothing either, leaving only Hong Chen and Gao Tianxiong to converse.

When it came time to pay the bill, Gao Tianxiong handed over a set of keys. In just one day, the villa Hong Chen had requested was already purchased—fully furnished and ready to move in. The speed was astonishing.

Initially, Hong Chen had considered having Tank and Qiu live with him, but he reconsidered. Firstly, as their boss—even, in a sense, their master—it would make them uncomfortable. Secondly, he had to take Gao Tianxiong into account. In the company, Gao Tianxiong was their direct superior. If they lived with Hong Chen, the “boss’s boss,” it might cause Gao Tianxiong unnecessary concerns.

Leaving the restaurant, Hong Chen jumped into his old Santana and drove straight to the Mercedes dealership. Jiang Tao had already invited him to race at Xifeng Mountain over the weekend. Frankly, Hong Chen found it absurd. After nearly dying in a drunk-driving accident, Jiang Tao was already back to his old tricks just days later.

He couldn’t show up to the race in a beat-up Santana. He considered visiting the Porsche or Ferrari dealerships but decided it wasn’t worth it. Participation was what mattered. A Mercedes sports car would do just fine, and he also wanted a Mercedes sedan to replace his nearly scrapped Santana.

Half an hour later, Hong Chen parked by the roadside and walked into the dealership. A saleswoman in her thirties greeted him enthusiastically. Hong Chen didn’t know much about Mercedes models—just a few S-class executive cars—so he asked her to show him around.

In the SUV section, Hong Chen gave a quick glance before heading to the sedan area. He was about to open the door of an E63 to check out the interior when a surprised voice called out, “Hong Chen.”

He turned and saw two men and two women approaching. His brows furrowed—among them was a familiar face: Lin Tianhao, eldest grandson of the Lin family. Unlike Lin Meimei, who took pleasure in mocking him, Lin Tianhao’s contempt was deep-seated. He always looked down on Hong Chen, eyes full of disdain as if regarding an ant.

The woman beside Lin Tianhao was unfamiliar—likely his new girlfriend, with the typical internet celebrity look. The two held hands intimately.

The other couple looked ordinary but were well dressed. The man wore a stylish casual suit, his belt’s LV logo conspicuously displayed, while the woman was clad in a trendy floral dress, dripping with jewelry—earrings, pendants, anklets, rings—none missing.

Hong Chen nodded casually in greeting. Lin Tianhao stepped forward, sized him up with a patronizing air, and said, “I heard you found a job. Slipping out during work hours—if your boss finds out, you’d better watch out for your severance.”

“Who’s this, darling?” his girlfriend, Sun Li, asked with curiosity. Lin Tianhao smiled and gestured to Hong Chen, “He’s the useless son-in-law I told you about, from the Lin family. Even the dog at home has a higher status than he does.”

Sun Li’s gaze grew more contemptuous. “What’s a useless son-in-law who’s not even as good as a dog doing in a Mercedes dealership? Just here to window shop?”

Lin Tianhao nodded, making a show of difficulty. Then he tapped his temple. The man beside him, Wu Yu, caught the signal and sneered, “An idiot coming to browse at Mercedes. Miss, you really thought he was a real customer?”

He cast a mocking glance at the saleswoman, whose face stiffened awkwardly.

Wu Yu’s girlfriend, Wei Feng, now pointed at Hong Chen with disdain, lecturing the saleswoman, “What’s wrong with your eyes? Letting in this kind of trash pollutes the air. No wonder I smell something disgusting.”

The saleswoman blushed deeply and looked to Hong Chen, who met her gaze with a slight smile. “Just a bunch of disease-ridden fools—why bother?”

At these words, Lin Tianhao and his friends’ faces darkened. Before they could retort, Hong Chen pointed at Wu Yu. “You’ve had your gallbladder removed, your immune system is half that of a normal person, and you have asthma attacks every autumn. You’ll be plagued by illness all your life—a short-lived soul.”

He then pointed at Wei Feng. “You’ve had at least three abortions, causing a malpositioned uterus. Your chances of conceiving again are less than ten percent. You’re a hen that can’t lay eggs.”

Finally, he pointed at Sun Li. “Your lifestyle is chaotic, your body full of dampness. Don’t be fooled by your decent face—your back is covered in acne, as disgusting as can be. That’s not all: you have abdominal pain and irregular periods. I won’t say more, except…”

A devilish smile curled Hong Chen’s lips as he shifted his finger to Lin Tianhao. “He has gonorrhea—and you’ve been infected as well.”

The four of them looked absolutely mortified, and if one looked closely, there was a hint of shock and terror on their faces.

“Go to hell! You’re the one who’s short-lived!” Wu Yu exploded, kicking at Hong Chen. Calmly, Hong Chen sidestepped, and the kick landed squarely on the Mercedes’ door, denting the panel more than half an inch deep.

The saleswoman gasped and quickly signaled for security. Two guards, having heard the commotion, saw her gesture and rushed over.

“Sigh, was that necessary? This car isn’t cheap—the lady here told me it’s over a million. That kick just cost you tens of thousands,” Hong Chen said with a helpless shrug, looking at Wu Yu.

Wu Yu’s face went dark as rage shook his entire body. At this moment, Wei Feng screeched, “Get your manager! You let a lunatic in here barking at customers—so much for customer service! If you don’t give me a satisfactory answer today, I’ll file a complaint and expose you online!”

She pulled out her phone, switched to camera mode, her face taut with fury and resolve.

Lin Tianhao glared at Hong Chen with icy eyes. “Hong Chen, today you won’t even know how you died.”

Sun Li, her face livid, echoed, “Tianhao, I want him to pay for what he said—I want his tongue cut out!”