Chapter 7: Paying with the Flesh (Seeking Support for the New Book)

When Wei Xueying saw Hua Tianyu burst in at the critical moment, her impression of him immediately improved, and she felt an unexpected surge of confidence. “Hua Tianyu, let’s go. There’s nothing more to discuss!”

Just as the swan he’d set his sights on was about to fly away, Qiu Jinghao was seething with anger. Who was this man? Where did he come from? From what he’d just heard, was he the driver?

Unexpectedly, Hua Tianyu said, “Boss, don’t be in such a hurry to leave. Business is always about negotiation. By the way, what were their terms?”

Hua Tianyu asked, but Wei Xueying couldn’t bring herself to say it aloud. She simply glared furiously at Qiu Jinghao from beside her seat.

Qiu Jinghao, seeing Hua Tianyu so cluelessly pose that question, felt his earlier rage subside slightly. He looked at Hua Tianyu with a mocking half-smile and replied, “Repay with your boss’s body.”

“With her body? That’s great! Not a high demand at all, perfectly doable!” Hua Tianyu answered cheerfully.

Qiu Jinghao’s eyes flashed with scorn. “Doable? You’re just a driver. Your monthly salary probably can’t even cover the cost of this plate of peony shrimp sashimi. We’re talking about a deal worth billions here—who do you think you are? Do you even have the authority to speak for your boss?”

Hua Tianyu patted his chest and said, “No worries. I wouldn’t presume in other matters, but in this case, I can make the call! So, how many bowls do you want?”

“How many nights? Ha!” Qiu Jinghao exchanged glances with the other young men, their eyes filled with barely concealed desire. “How about two? One for me, and one for my friends here.”

“Sure thing! Waiter!” Hua Tianyu turned and called out toward the door, raising his voice, “Two bowls of braised pork, please! One for Young Master Qiu, and one for his friends.”

Wei Xueying couldn’t help herself—she burst out laughing.

Hua Tianyu turned back, scratched his head, and smiled broadly at Qiu Jinghao. “Young Master Qiu, do you prefer your braised pork lean or fatty?”

For a moment, Wei Xueying found Hua Tianyu’s mouth rather adorable, though just a moment ago she’d wanted to tear it apart.

Qiu Jinghao was so thrown off that his thoughts became completely disjointed. Where did this glutton come from? Is eating all you know? Do you really think two bowls of braised pork will buy you entry into the Shangjiang Business Alliance? Why not ask for three?

“Young Master Qiu… Young Master Qiu?” Hua Tianyu called twice, seeing Qiu Jinghao fall silent, then grinned, “Are two bowls not enough? Should I have them bring three? The third one’s on me.”

Qiu Jinghao suddenly realized that today’s negotiation was hopeless—this gluttonous fool had completely derailed everything.

“Ah, what a pity! I just got a raise today and now it’s all going to braised pork—totally wasted on dogs!” Hua Tianyu seemed to be talking to himself, but his voice carried clearly throughout the private room.

“Who are you calling a dog?” Qiu Jinghao’s eyes widened in rage.

Ignoring him, Hua Tianyu escorted Wei Xueying to the door of the room under Qiu Jinghao’s glare. “Boss, you go wait in the car. I’ll just pack up a couple of dishes and be right out.”

Wei Xueying opened her mouth as if to say something, but seeing the calm, carefree smile on Hua Tianyu’s face, she eventually said nothing and turned to leave.

Qiu Jinghao, so furious he laughed, spat out, “Is your driver even qualified to interrupt our conversation? And now he’s ordering braised pork for us? How dare you stay behind?”

Hua Tianyu’s lips curled into a sly smile. “I’m staying to beat the dogs.”

“Looking for death!”

By now, Qiu Jinghao’s bodyguards had just managed to stagger to their feet, still dizzy, but Zhuang Wei had conveniently brought along two new bodyguards his father had recently arranged for him.

These two were well-known: Sha Jin and Sha Yin, real brothers. According to his father, they hailed from the famous Juyi Martial Arts School in the northern district. While they might not be able to wrestle tigers or leopards, taking on seven or eight men was child’s play for them.

Zhuang Wei waved at the Sha brothers. “Go on, hit him!”

Qiu Jinghao’s rage erupted fully. He pointed at Hua Tianyu, teeth clenched. “Hit him! Don’t hold back! If you kill him, I’ll take responsibility!”

He shouted at his two bodyguards, who’d just managed to stand up, “What are you waiting for? Am I paying you for nothing? All of you, attack! If you can’t take him down, don’t bother showing up tomorrow!”

The other members of the Shangjiang Business Alliance took two quiet steps back. They could see Qiu Jinghao was truly enraged, and now actually felt a twinge of pity for Hua Tianyu.

Perhaps “kill him” was an exaggeration, but breaking an arm or a leg would be considered mild. And if he really did die, so be it—the Qiu family had enough clout in Shangjiang City to smooth things over.

Really, as a driver, why not just do your job? Stirring up trouble here, ruining Young Master Qiu’s plans—you were simply courting death.

The four bodyguards, seeing their orders, charged at Hua Tianyu without hesitation.

But as they moved, all four suddenly felt the air in the private room turn icy cold. Qiu Jinghao’s bodyguards merely sensed a chill down their spines, but Zhuang Wei’s were trained fighters—they could clearly feel a murderous aura, one that seemed to roll off a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.

Yet the man before them didn’t look the part. The driver simply stood there, his lips curved in a faint, indifferent smile, watching them quietly.

The Sha brothers exchanged glances, steeling themselves against a sudden, inexplicable fear. Sha Jin leaped forward, his fist slicing through the air toward Hua Tianyu’s throat, while Sha Yin shifted his left shoulder and lashed out with his right foot in a lightning-fast kick at the side of Hua Tianyu’s knee.

Their attacks were clearly the work of seasoned fighters—powerful, swift, perfectly coordinated, their moves meant to kill.

Qiu Jinghao’s bodyguards, though less trained, were tall and strong. Working in concert with the Sha brothers, one aimed a punch at Hua Tianyu’s face, while the other targeted his chest.

Hua Tianyu’s smile never faded. With a sidestep, he caught Sha Jin’s fist in his right hand and twisted it backward, while his left foot shot out and landed squarely on Sha Yin’s kicking knee.

A pair of sharp cracks resounded—Sha Jin’s arm bent ninety degrees the wrong way, and Sha Yin’s knee shattered instantly.

Without pause, Hua Tianyu dragged Sha Jin forward with uncanny speed, just as Qiu Jinghao’s two bodyguards’ fists landed squarely on Sha Jin instead. Before they could react, Hua Tianyu closed in, seized both their heads, and crashed them together with brutal force.

In a blink, Qiu Jinghao’s two bodyguards were back on the floor—this time, completely unconscious. The Sha brothers lay writhing and howling in pain.

“Hit—” Qiu Jinghao’s next word caught in his throat, dying off as if he were a duck strangled mid-quack.

What in the world had just happened?