From rejecting the beautiful female CEO to becoming extremely powerful

As the banquet ended, Pang Wei caught up with Lu Yunzhou at the hotel entrance and patted him on the shoulder.

"Zhouzi, what's the deal with that black card? Don't tell me you really carry millions with you."

Cheng Ye also stopped and turned around, leaning on his cane.

"This dinner tonight wasn't cheap; you spent a lot of money to save face for us."

Lu Yunzhou tossed the car keys into his pocket and smiled.

"It's a company-issued business card, used for going out on business."

"A government credit card?"

Pang Wei raised an eyebrow. "You're doing so well now?"

"It's just work, don't be so formal with me."

Pang Wei stared at him for a while, then raised his hand and rubbed his nose.

"Okay, there's another old stall over at the university town, let's go get some more drinks there."

"My treat."

"Look, here we go again."

Cheng Ye tapped the ground with his cane. "Don't try to take anything from me tonight. Pang Wei repairs cars, and I do renovations. You, a retired driver, are more than enough for me."

Lu Yunzhou turned his head to look at him: "Your mouth isn't crippled, though."

"Of course, even if he's lame, his mouth is still useful."

The three of them walked out of the hotel along the street and hailed a taxi.

The old streets near the university town are still lit up.

The barbecue stall was set up between two shops, its plastic canopy yellowed from the smoke, and the tabletops bore many knife marks.

Pang Wei found an empty table, leaned his cane against the back of the chair, and ordered six bottles of beer, a plate of peanuts, two skewers of grilled meat, and a plate of fried noodles.

"How are you all doing?"

Pang Wei took a swig of beer and wiped his hands on his trouser leg. "The shop is barely enough to support my family, but my wife is pregnant. After the baby is born, we'll have to rent the room next door too."

Lu Yunzhou picked up the wine bottle and filled his glass.

"How much difference?"

Pang Wei quickly pressed down on the rim of his glass: "Don't ask, or you'll have to pay. I came here to drink, not to borrow money from my brothers."

"Who said they were going to lend it to you?"

"I know that tone of yours all too well."

Cheng Ye looked down and picked at the peanuts on the plate. After a few seconds, he spoke: "Pang Wei is just short of money, but I'm in a much bigger mess."

Lu Yunzhou looked at him.

Cheng Ye rubbed the wooden handle of his cane with his thumb, lowering his voice.

"The insulation renovation of the North Shore Cold Storage is my next project."

"The work was more than half done, but the client used the acceptance process as an excuse to delay payment."

"More than a dozen workers worked for me for two months, and their wages were withheld for two months."

"Didn't you urge them?"

"When I called, they first said the person in charge was on a business trip, then they said it was about reconciling accounts, and today they said the funds hadn't arrived."

Cheng Ye twitched the corner of his mouth. "The workers' families are all waiting for the money. I can't just tell them 'it'll be done soon' and fool them."

Pang Wei put the bottle of wine on the table.

"You're just too thin-skinned. If you should block the door, then block the door; if you should sue, then sue."

"I still have workers' livelihoods to rely on. If things get too tense, I'll lose all the work I need."

Lu Yunzhou asked, "Who has the contract?"

"The contractor is called Rongsheng, and the person in charge is called Scarface Rong."

"Scarface Rong?"

Pang Wei frowned. "The local bullies on the north bank?"

Cheng Ye nodded, the rim of the cup touching his teeth with a soft sound.

"He employs more than a dozen people who usually collect debts and clear out brothels. If I had any other options, I wouldn't be sitting here drinking alone."

Just as Lu Yunzhou was about to speak, Cheng Ye's phone, which was on the table, rang.

Old Tao was displayed on the screen.

Cheng Ye answered the phone: "Old Tao, what's up?"

The other end of the phone was filled with chaotic shouts and the clanging of metal sheets.

"Brother Cheng, come back quickly! Rong Sheng's men have broken into the workers' shed!"

"Who started it?"

"Scarface Rong! They had steel pipes and beat Old Zhao to the ground. Now they're going to demolish the dorms, and a dozen of our brothers are trapped inside. They've thrown all their belongings out!"

Did you call the police?

"I reported it, but they said they have connections in higher places. Brother Cheng, come quick, Old Zhao's head is bleeding!"

Cheng Ye's arms tensed, and the chair legs scraped against the ground with a screeching sound.

"Hang in there, I'm coming right away."

He hung up the phone, grabbed his cane and stood up. In his haste, he swayed slightly.

Pang Wei quickly grabbed his arm.

"In your current state, what could you have done in the past?"

"The workers are all inside; I can't hide."

"I'll stay with you."

Pang Wei picked up his coat and turned to walk towards the street corner.

Lu Yunzhou picked up the car keys from the table and casually pushed the unfinished drink aside.

"Stop arguing, let's take a taxi."

Twenty minutes had passed when the taxi stopped outside the North Shore Cold Storage.

The main structure of the cold storage was not yet completed, a section of the wall was missing, and a few construction lights were hanging on temporary power lines, their light swaying constantly in the wind.

In front of the shed were piles of dismantled iron frames and bed boards, several bags lay in the mud, and clothes were trampled with footprints.

A dozen or so workers were huddled against the wall.

Some people were covering their foreheads, some were supporting their backs, and Old Tao was sitting on the ground with half of his face covered in blood.

Seven or eight steel pipes were placed in front of them, and several workers who tried to approach were pushed back.

A black van was parked outside the workers' shed.

A man in his thirties stood next to the car, with an old scar across his face, running diagonally from his brow bone to his ear.

He had a cigarette dangling from his mouth and a bunch of car keys twirling in his hand as he directed his men to move things.

"Brother Rong, Cheng Ye is here."

Scarface Rong looked up, his gaze falling on Cheng Ye's cane, and he sneered.

"I thought you'd hidden in the hospital. Your leg's like this, what are you doing coming back to collect money?"

Cheng Ye stopped in front of the work shed, pressing his hand on his cane.

"Scarface Rong, the workers have done the work, so they have to be paid. Two months' wages, settle it today."

Scarface Rong spat the smoke onto the ground and rubbed it twice with the sole of his shoe.

"What are you yelling at me for? The client hasn't disbursed the funds, what am I supposed to give you?"

"That's between you and the client."

"You brought this group of people to cause trouble, and you still want to continue living here? I'm already being lenient by demolishing the sheds for you."

Lu Yunzhou walked to Cheng Ye's side, his gaze sweeping over the bed board on the floor before landing on the wound on Lao Tao's forehead.

"Who gave you permission to hit someone?"

Scarface Rong narrowed his eyes: "And who are you?"

"The person who came to collect the debt on his behalf."

"Collecting debts?"

Scarface Rong grinned, "You're from out of town, aren't you? It's none of your business what happens on the North Shore. Take those two good-for-nothings and get lost. I'm clearing this place out today."

Pang Wei stepped forward, the muscles in his arms tensing.

"Watch your mouth. You're demolishing dormitories and detaining workers. Do you really think nobody cares?"

Scarface Rong raised his hand, and several steel pipes immediately slammed into the ground.

The workers in the shed took a half step back. Old Tao tried to get up by bracing himself on the ground, but someone next to him pressed down on his shoulder.

"Look carefully."

Scarface Rong put the car keys back into his palm. "There are over a dozen people here, all brought by me. You three think you can reason with me?"

Lu Yunzhou took two steps forward and stopped just outside the reach of the steel pipe.

"Give us the money you owe the workers, and that's the end of it for today."

"Whose orders are you giving?"

"The person who does the work."

"Quite arrogant."

Scarface pointed to his chest. "I'll say it again, take your men and leave. If you dare take one step forward, I'll make sure you leave on your backs."

Cheng Ye gripped his cane tightly, and the support made a crisp sound as it hit the ground.

He straightened his body and stood next to Lu Yunzhou.

"Brother Rong, remember this."

Cheng Ye looked up and said, "My leg was injured before, but my fist is still intact."