The Tempting Road to Becoming an Official

"Nice shot, nice shot! The famous Brother Cheng from Changming County, also a great hand at pool,"

After Hong Qian finished speaking, one of his underlings pulled up a chair, and he sat down boldly.

"Wow, who do we have here with such a grand presence? It turns out to be Boss Hong."

Chen Fang chuckled.

Then he turned to Zhang Cheng and said, "Mr. Zhang, let me introduce you to Hong Qian, the chairman of the Hongze Group."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Cheng sneered and said, "Oh, it's just this little punk."

"What did you just say?"

Hong Qian hadn't made a move yet.

But his underling couldn't accept it.

He was about to rush forward when Hong Qian held him back.

"Ah Hu, don't get riled up. Mr. Zhang has been in the game for so many years here in Changming County. He's an old gun. Calling me a little punk isn't too much."

After that,

He paused, then confidently said, "Everyone says the new waves push the old waves, and the old waves die on the beach. Old guns will eventually misfire, right?"

Zhang Cheng coldly smiled.

He rested the pool cue on his shoulder, hands hooked, and glanced around before asking, "Boss Hong, I was just playing pool here, why bring all these people in, looking to stir up trouble?"

"Heh, Mr. Zhang, it's nothing major, just a business deal I wanted to discuss with you."

"A business deal? Alright, let's hear it. What business do you want to discuss?"

Zhang Cheng asked.

Hong Qian crossed his legs and lit a cigarette.

He said, "We both work in real estate. There's only so much of the pie in Changming County. If you eat more, I eat less. But this pie is too sweet, I want to swallow it all, what should we do?"

"Swallow it alone? Aren't you worried about choking?"

Zhang Cheng asked.

Hong Qian chuckled and said, "I have a big appetite, no worries. So, I'm here to discuss with Mr. Zhang, could I have this piece of the pie all to myself?"

"Let's see, how do you plan to eat it?"

Zhang Cheng asked with interest.

Hong Qian exhaled a smoke ring and said, "Sell me Tiancheng Garden, I will surely offer Mr. Zhang a good price. Also, if we unite forces, Hongze Group and Tiancheng Group could merge. I take sixty percent, you take forty. Then, not just Changming County, but even the entire real estate market of Wen'an City would be ours."

"Sixty-forty? That doesn't seem fair to me. I think ninety-ten would be more suitable," Zhang Cheng said.

Hong Qian was taken aback.

Could he be this compliant?

He said with a laugh, "That's not impossible."

"Then, there's nothing much to talk about. Where's the contract? I can sign it right away, ninety for me, ten for you. The name should still be Tiancheng Group, right?"

No sooner had Zhang Cheng finished speaking

than the underling named Ah Hu couldn't hold back anymore.

He pointed a finger and charged at Zhang Cheng, shouting furiously, "Are you freaking deaf? My boss takes ninety, you take ten!"

Zhang Cheng's expression remained cool.

He said, "I don't like people pointing at me."

Ah Hu, who came from out of town and hadn't heard of Zhang Cheng's reputation, thought he was a lanky boss who was easy to talk to. He scoffed disdainfully, continued pointing at Zhang Cheng, and said, "What if I frickin' point at you? I'm pointing right at you!"

While speaking,

he took several steps forward.

Eager to poke his finger right into Zhang Cheng's face.

Snap!

A blur of motion, accompanied by a crisp sound.

The pool cue resting on Zhang Cheng's shoulder suddenly struck Ah Hu's wrist.

The cue stick broke on impact.

Though Ah Hu's wrist didn't seem visibly injured, the sound indicated a likely fracture.

He froze, his pompous expression hardening on his face. With a clatter, he sat down on the ground, clutching his wrist and howling pitifully, clearly in bone-deep pain.

This scene.

Caused the people brought by Hong Qian to become restless.

Two underlings dragged Ah Hu back.

Hong Qian, with a sinister look in his eyes, asked, "President Zhang, do you no longer wish to talk?"

"I did talk, I gave you nine to my one, and we can sign the contract immediately."

Zhang Cheng said.

"Seeking death!"

Hong Qian muttered, then said, "President Zhang, I warn you, after tonight, there will be no more Brother Cheng in Changming County. I'm not afraid to tell you, both your Tiancheng Garden and Tiancheng Group are now in my hands. Look around you, the pool hall and downstairs, they are all my people now. Do you think you still have any bargaining chips to negotiate with me?"

Zhang Cheng extended a hand, spreading two fingers apart.

Fang Mei then placed a cigarette between his fingers.

Just as it reached his lips,

Fang Gui brought over a lighter.

After lighting it,

Zhang Cheng took a puff,

said coldly, "Hong Qian, according to my temper, I should have taught you a lesson last time you kidnapped my man. But my little brother Ah Fang told me not to act, saying you would definitely overstep your bounds. I was wondering if anyone in Changming County had the guts to provoke me twice, and sure enough, it happened just as he said. I really can't understand, who gave you the courage to challenge my bottom line again? You really don't want to live anymore?"

"Hahaha, Zhang Cheng oh Zhang Cheng, others may fear you, but do I, Hong Qian, fear you? Do you think you're the only one with backers in this world? Let me tell you, I have them too! There are more people than just me who dislike you. Today, I'll move against you, let's see what you can do."

Having said that,

Hong Qian snapped his fingers.

People who had been standing around all took a step forward, brimming with aggression, ready to act at any moment.

"Zhang Cheng, I won't make it difficult for you; one of my brothers was crippled by you. You have two choices: First, you break your own tendons, and I'll let you go. Second, my men will make a move, and once they do, the outcome will be unpredictable."

"Do you dare kill me?" Zhang Cheng asked.

Hong Qian burst into laughter.

He said, "What? Can only you, Zhang Cheng, pay someone to go to jail? Can't I, Hong Qian, do the same? Brothers, today whoever chops down Zhang Cheng, I'll give three million for you to flee, and I'll take care of your entire family."

Such a great temptation.

Made the punks around start to stir restlessly.

Looking at Hong Qian's proud face,

Zhang Cheng smiled and said, "Alright, brave words, come on! Let's see your men try!"

"Seeking death!"

Hong Qian muttered again,

waved his hand lightly and said, "Go for it!"

In his view,

after this command was given, the legend of Zhang Cheng in Changming County should have come to an end.

Afterward, he, Hong Qian, would become the "god" of Changming County by taking over all real estate businesses, and with the protection of Sun Shenru, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he was acting arrogantly.

However, just as he shouted this,

clang clang clang...

All the private room doors around the hall opened simultaneously.

From each room, about a dozen people rushed out, a total of seven or eight rooms worth burst out at once, nearly eighty people, and these people, dressed in suits and wearing white gloves, each carrying a baton, were already imposing just by their coordinated appearance.

It was originally thought that there were only four people on Zhang Cheng's side.

The twenty-thirty men he had brought should have easily taken care of them.

But suddenly the opponent produced seventy to eighty people, packing the pool hall to its full capacity.

Furthermore, about a dozen people rushed directly to Zhang Cheng's side, standing in a line to protect him.

Meanwhile, Zhang Cheng, effortlessly took another pool cue from Fang Mei's hand and started playing leisurely.

This unexpected turn of events left Hong Qian utterly shocked.

He knew, his surprise attack was absolutely confidential, up to the point of departure, these underlings he brought from other places didn't even know who tonight's target was.

But how was Zhang Cheng's side prepared?