The next morning.
After washing up, the two took a taxi straight to Libaozhai.
Tong Zhaolin had already arrived but was not waiting at the entrance.
The entrance was lined with luxury cars, and the people entering and exiting were either rich or noble. Men and women were all dressed exquisitely, radiating a metropolitan aura.
Li Chonglou, amidst these people, looked a bit rustic in his attire.
However, although he was thin, his demeanor far surpassed that of ordinary people, and his sharp eyes made it difficult for others to meet his gaze.
Coupled with the company of Bai Jing, a beauty with a cold and elegant temperament, no one dared to look down on him.
The two walked to the entrance, verified the electronic invitation sent by Libaozhai that morning, and entered the premises.
Li Chonglou was no stranger to this place.
In his previous life, after establishing his name in Zhonghai Modu, he was a frequent visitor to Libaozhai, either accompanying his boss to inspect goods or coming to learn.
Thus, he was familiar with the layout.
However, times had changed. The current Libaozhai had not yet been renovated and looked quite ancient.
The first floor was entirely paneled with rosewood on its walls and staircase, a distinct late Qing Dynasty to early Republic of China style, exuding a sense of historical vicissitude.
In the hall, every few steps, a young, beautiful female guide directed them upstairs.
Just as they stepped onto the two-tiered rosewood staircase, someone suddenly blocked their path, and two gazes like burning torches shot towards Li Chonglou.
Immediately, a teeth-gnashing voice followed: "It's you! Li Chonglou!"
Hearing this, Li Chonglou looked up, a cold smile appearing on his face as he recognized the person.
It was Chen Yulin, the executive from Douyin who had gone to Qin Prefecture to discuss the acquisition with Wu Hao.
The unfortunate fellow who had been slapped and later severely beaten by Lu Yunxu's men.
He hadn't expected to run into this person here; as fate would have it, their paths crossed again.
But it made sense, after all, Douyin Group's headquarters was in Zhonghai Modu.
However, what was a high-ranking executive of a new online media company doing at Libaozhai?
"It is me. Your memory is quite good," Li Chonglou replied calmly, his expression unchanged.
Seeing this, Bai Jing's beautiful eyes showed a hint of concern. She lowered her voice and said, "Tong Zhaolin is upstairs. Don't cause any trouble now."
Judging by Chen Yulin's expression, it was clear they had a past conflict.
The specifics of their enmity were unimportant at the moment.
What mattered was not to let Tong Zhaolin see any flaws, given this excellent opportunity.
Especially since Chen Yulin was an acquaintance of Li Chonglou; if their past was exposed, it would be quite troublesome.
Li Chonglou nodded.
He looked at Chen Yulin and said, "I'm here for the auction. If you have something to say, let's discuss it after it concludes."
With that, he prepared to lead Bai Jing away.
However, Chen Yulin was not about to let him leave so easily.
Last time in Qin Prefecture, being publicly humiliated by Li Chonglou in front of so many people had filled him with immense hatred.
He had intended to retaliate, but was then beaten up by people sent by Miss Lu, the young lady of the Lu family, the local power broker, resulting in new injuries compounding the old.
Most importantly, upon returning to Zhonghai, his company learned of the incident.
As a result, he was directly fired on the grounds of damaging the company's reputation.
A high-ranking executive earning nearly a million a year, dismissed just like that.
This blow had left him bedridden in the hospital for days, unable to sleep at night, wishing he could skin Li Chonglou alive.
After finally recovering, he started his own company with the help of a friend. Now, he was helping Libaozhai with its online promotion, and unexpectedly, he encountered his nemesis here.
How could he possibly let him go?
"Stop!"
Chen Yulin flicked his slickly combed hair, a venomous glint in his eyes as he once again blocked Li Chonglou's path. His expression contorted into a ferocious grimace as he shouted, "Did I say you could leave?"
"Kid, if you have anyone to blame, it's your bad luck. Why come to Libaozhai of all places?"
"Back then in Qin Prefecture, you relied on being a local, and I couldn't do anything to you."
"Now the tables have turned. You're in Zhonghai, and you still think you can just walk away?"
He deliberately raised his voice.
Immediately, several people rushed down from upstairs and stood beside Chen Yulin.
With menacing glares, they asked, "General Manager Chen, what's happening?"
Seeing his men arrive, Chen Yulin's face showed a smug expression.
"Da Bao, this is the local thug from Qin Prefecture I told you about. He's the one who hit me, and he's also the one who caused me to lose my job!" Chen Yulin said hatefully.
"So, it's you, you little bastard! I'll kill you!" The man called Da Bao, who seemed to be on very good terms with Chen Yulin, raised his thick arm as if to strike Li Chonglou.
But in the next second, he was stopped by Chen Yulin.
"Da Bao, on our turf, why worry about not getting this revenge?"
Chen Yulin said with a sinister smile, "Beating him isn't worth it. I want him to kneel down and kowtow to me, to apologize, in front of everyone!"
Originally, he had wanted nothing more than to stomp on Li Chonglou's head and trample on it without end.
But as the moment arrived, he changed his mind.
This was a society governed by law, especially a major international city like Zhonghai, where laws were strictly enforced.
Furthermore, Libaozhai was covered with surveillance cameras everywhere. If he made the first move to assault someone, his company would be finished.
No matter how angry he was, he didn't have the courage to act as Li Chonglou had towards him, to strike directly.
Because he couldn't afford the consequences.
But he still wanted revenge, so what could he do?
The best way was to humiliate Li Chonglou, this bumpkin, making him lose all face and be unable to show himself.
What kind of place was Libaozhai? A gathering place for celebrities, a money-burning furnace. Those who came here were all rich and noble, practically representing half of Zhonghai.
If Li Chonglou was disgraced, these people would surely not tolerate him being in the same auction.
Once he was driven out of Libaozhai, he could then have someone find a secluded spot to deal with him in secret.
"Just you? In your next life." Li Chonglou had not intended to pay him any mind, but hearing his words, a smile crept onto his face.
Back in Qin Prefecture, this fellow had been incredibly arrogant, treating Wu Hao and the company employees with contempt.
To retrieve their self-respect, Li Chonglou had unhesitatingly delivered that slap.
Even if time were reversed and he went back to that moment, he would not change his mind.
Some people deserved to be hit.
But after venting his anger, it was over. Lu Yunxu's mediation was intended to settle the matter with some compensation.
However, he hadn't expected Lu Yunxu to be even more resolute, sending people to beat Chen Yulin up again.
If he hadn't encountered him today, he might have forgotten about the incident entirely.
Yet, Chen Yulin was still so arrogant and overbearing, seemingly having learned nothing from the previous incident. It seemed that slap had been in vain.
Seeing that Li Chonglou showed no sign of backing down, Chen Yulin's anger flared further. He deliberately raised his voice and shouted, "You good-for-nothing son-in-law who lives off women, what makes you so arrogant in front of me just because some woman gives you money?"
"This is Libaozhai, not your garbage place in Qin Prefecture. Everyone here is a socialite."
"You dare say they aren't even worthy of licking your feet. What right do you have?"
"Apologize quickly!"
In an instant, Chen Yulin had fabricated a baseless accusation against Li Chonglou, making sure that everyone on the first and second floors could hear him clearly.
Immediately, many people were drawn to the commotion and gathered around the staircase on both levels.
They all looked displeased and accused him.
"A bumpkin dares to cause trouble in our Zhonghai. He doesn't even look at the place when he acts wild. Whose dog is untied?"
"The more narrow-minded people are, the more arrogant they speak. Being around such a person makes the very air feel foul."
"He might be covered in bacteria and viruses. Hurry up and kick him out!"
"Libaozhai's vetting process is too lax these days. Can any stray cat or dog get in?"
...
Many people, speaking with distinct Zhonghai accents, denounced Li Chonglou.
Their words were utterly vile.
Seeing his scheme succeed, Chen Yulin, who had managed to rally the uninformed masses to his side with a single sentence, began to get carried away.
His gaze brazenly swept over Bai Jing, and he sneered, "Li Chonglou, I already investigated you thoroughly."
"Your wife's name is Jiang Yuxin. What? You're a useless gigolo who married into the family!"
"And now you're using your wife's money to come to Zhonghai and have a good time, even changing to a new woman. You're nothing but scum..."
He had spent a fortune investigating Li Chonglou completely, planning for the day he could get revenge.
Now that he had found an opportunity, he naturally wanted to destroy Li Chonglou.
Labeling him with the accusation of insulting Zhonghai's elite was not enough; he also wanted everyone to see him as faithless, spending his wife's money to find a mistress on the side.
Although such behavior was common and widespread in high society, everyone tacitly understood that it should not be brought into the open.
Li Chonglou's exposure by Chen Yulin hit a nerve with many of the celebrities present, exposing their own hidden agendas.
To show that they were different from scum like Li Chonglou,
They all joined the chorus of condemnation.
Bai Jing's face turned extremely grim, her heart pounding in her throat.
She feared Li Chonglou's identity being exposed, especially since this was Tong Zhaolin's territory.
As if her fears were coming true, this annoying, greasy man had exposed Li Chonglou's identity in public.
If this reached Tong Zhaolin's ears, and he investigated along these lines, Fan Da's fabricated identity for Li Chonglou would immediately crumble.
The consequences would be unimaginable.
She couldn't let the situation escalate further. Bai Jing's pretty face turned cold, and she sternly rebuked, "That's enough!"
"Do you know why I never liked you back then? Because you're not like a man; you gossip too much."
"To smear Li Chonglou, you'll go to any lengths. You had people beat Chonglou in Qin Prefecture, and now you're spewing lies in front of so many people just to regain your pride?"
"Stop dreaming, I will never like you!"
In an instant, Bai Jing transformed into Chen Yulin's former pursuer, righteously accusing him.
This was a last resort. If Chen Yulin continued his baseless accusations, Li Chonglou's identity would inevitably be exposed.
Not only would the mission fail, but his life could also be in danger.
She could not allow such a thing to happen.
If it's an act, who couldn't perform? Since Chen Yulin had framed Li Chonglou, couldn't she frame him back in the same way?
Using his own methods against him.
Chen Yulin was stunned by her words, his eyes widening in confusion.
The celebrities watching the spectacle also changed their expressions, letting out a wave of boos.
So, it was just a dispute over a woman. Fabricating facts to suppress a rival was something they could easily understand.
Many began to look at Chen Yulin with contempt.
"No... that's not true. Don't listen to this bitch, I never loved her... No, I don't even know her!" Chen Yulin argued, his face flushing red.