The commotion of the bracelet shattering alerted many staff members in the exhibition hall. They cast their gazes from afar, but no one dared to intervene. It was none of their business, and as the saying goes, even an honest official finds it hard to settle family quarrels, so no one wanted to invite trouble. As for Xu Lie, he had already driven out for a test drive.
"Extorting you?" Li Chonglou stood up and walked over to Chen Liuqi. He directly pulled him up from the ground. "Xiao Liu, you tell them yourself, how much was this bracelet?"
Chen Liuqi held the three broken pieces of the bracelet in his hand, his eyes fixed on the ground, his head so low he couldn't lift it. Or perhaps he didn't want to. To hide his reddened eyes, he pretended to be foolish and dazed, not wanting to acknowledge Li Chonglou.
"Hmph, meddling busybody. He doesn't even know you, so who are you to interfere in our affairs?" Lin Fei saw this and, feeling emboldened, her tone became even sharper. She had been startled by Li Chonglou's words. Seeing Chen Liuqi dare not look up, she regained her confidence.
Li Chonglou frowned slightly and released his grip on Chen Liuqi's clothes. He understood. This former fellow sufferer from his school days didn't want to be seen by him in this setting, at this time. He would rather give up the bracelet than have his last shred of dignity trampled upon. But he didn't realize that some people took pleasure in trampling on others' dignity! However, he was not one to meddle in others' affairs. Since Chen Liuqi had already shown his stance, it would truly be meddling if he interfered further.
"See, he's just a sycophant," Lin Fei said smugly. "That bracelet was probably fake. It’s a good thing I cut my losses in time, otherwise, who knows how long this loser would have conned me." She then turned to the man beside her, "Darling, you're so much better. You bought me a car as soon as you arrived." She then feigned intimacy and hooked her arm around the man’s again.
This action made Chen Liuqi tremble. His eyes, hidden by his long hair, blazed with a scarlet, intense flame. His fists were clenched so tightly that the broken edges of the jade bracelet, though not particularly sharp, cut through his skin due to the force. A drop of blood slowly gathered and splattered on the floor.
"I thought it was some hotshot, but it turns out they're just two oblivious cowards," the man said with utter disdain. Stealing someone's girlfriend in front of them was a shameful act, but at that moment, it gave him an inexplicable sense of pleasure. No wonder Cao Cao was fond of such things. Every successful person has their quirks, and coincidentally, he also enjoyed this – targeting married women. And they always fell for it with just a little sweet talk. He had played with countless women like Lin Fei, and it always worked.
"Careful what you say. Your words can cause trouble," Li Chonglou’s eyes turned cold as he warned the man. The man's words didn't hurt him, but they were like pouring oil on a fire, piercing Chen Liuqi's already fragile heart.
"You still dare to threaten me? Do you know you've angered me?" The man was stunned at first, then he carefully scrutinized Li Chonglou, his eyes filled with disdain. "I'm a VIP member here. Do you believe I can have you thrown out?"
"A construction worker like you, worthy of buying a Hongqi?"
"If you know what's good for you, get out. Don't make me angry." Despite Li Chonglou's clean clothes, they couldn't escape the man's sharp eyes. Most of them were likely cheap street finds, not even worth a hundred. Coming to a 4S dealership was probably to accompany a friend. This person was a complete loser, from a different world. Not worth mentioning. Normally, he wouldn't even glance at Li Chonglou. But today, with the woman he had just won over by his side, finding fault with Chen Liuqi seemed baseless, especially since Chen Liuqi remained silent, giving him no leverage. However, Li Chonglou was a different story. If he didn't vent his anger on him today, how could he show off in front of Lin Fei?
"What if I get angry?" Li Chonglou asked, his expressionless face as his voice remained calm. He had already decided not to interfere further in Chen Liuqi's personal matters, but he hadn't expected this man to be so persistent, even showing signs of actively seeking a confrontation. He didn't like trouble, but that didn't mean he feared it. Especially not a scumbag who would steal someone else's partner.
"Are you deaf? Didn't you hear me tell you to apologize?" The man, seeing Li Chonglou's calm demeanor, inexplicably felt a surge of anger. He let go of Lin Fei's hand and walked towards him. As he walked, he said, "That's right. Idiots like you, with no money or power, aren't very bright usually."
"Otherwise, how could you not even earn money, the most basic thing? You spend all day fantasizing."
"A broken bracelet, you fantasize it to be worth a hundred thousand yuan. Does he look like someone who can afford a hundred thousand?"
"And you, if you have no ability, stop meddling. This world isn't as simple as you think."
"I feel offended today, so I demand an apology." The man, full of arrogance, walked up to Li Chonglou and menacingly locked eyes with him.
Li Chonglou glanced at Chen Liuqi. Seeing that he still had no reaction, not even a sound, a hint of disappointment flickered in his eyes. Pitiful people always had their tragic flaws. The reason a failure fails isn't due to oppression or lack of opportunity, but rather their own stagnation and the cowardice born from long-term inferiority. They simply dared not resist. He himself had been very similar in the past, but being imprisoned and the death of his mother had pushed him to the brink. If he didn't resist, death was the only option. Furthermore, meeting his master had completely transformed him. But Chen Liuqi lacked such an opportunity. Without a life-altering event, it would be almost impossible for him to shed the inferiority complex ingrained by his upbringing. Since he was willing to endure this dehumanizing oppression, what reason did Li Chonglou have to step forward for him?
"Xiao Liu, take care of yourself." After saying this, Li Chonglou turned to leave without even looking at the man.
"Stop!" A sinister grin spread across the man's face. "Are you deaf? Didn't I tell you to apologize?"
"I was in a good mood and didn't want to bother with you, but you're ungrateful."
"If I let you walk out of this 4S dealership today, where would my face go, Zhao Hongbo's?"
"Now, I'll count to three. Kneel down and apologize, or I'll make sure you regret it. For a loser like you, I have a hundred ways to deal with you." With that, he took out his phone and sent a few messages, calling over some of his buddies who were nearby. He was ready to teach Li Chonglou a lesson. Pushing his luck, with no regard for boundaries!
Only then did Li Chonglou give the man named Zhao Hongbo his first proper look. Again and again, trying to assert his dominance in front of a woman? What a fool! He didn't want to meddle further, nor did he care what others said about him. But that didn't mean he would endure humiliation like Chen Liuqi, especially from such a morally bankrupt scumbag.
Li Chonglou's eyes turned cold. Just as he was about to speak, Chen Liuqi, who had been silent all along, suddenly exploded, "You've had enough!"
"It's my own incompetence that I lost my girlfriend. I don't care about the broken bracelet, but you shouldn't insult my only friend." His voice was so loud that the entire 4S dealership could hear it clearly. Chen Liuqi slowly raised his head, his eyes bloodshot. Gritting his teeth, he glared at Zhao Hongbo.
"Chen Liuqi, what are you pretending for?" Lin Fei's sharp voice rang out again, filled with mockery. "Looking at you, a friend? You only deserve to be a dog!"
"Brother Zhao is not someone you can afford to offend. I advise you to scram obediently, or I can't stop anything that happens."
This scene made Li Chonglou, who had lost hope,'s eyes light up. It turned out that what this kid cared about wasn't material possessions at all, but rather the recognition and respect of others. Back in school, they had relied on each other for warmth, and in his heart, Li Chonglou had become his only friend. The reason he pretended not to recognize him earlier was simply that he didn't want to expose his most vulnerable and embarrassing side to him. He hadn't even complained when the bracelet worth a hundred thousand yuan shattered. But when Zhao Hongbo demanded he kneel, he couldn't help but explode. It seemed this intervention wasn't in vain.
Thinking this, a smile, uncharacteristically, appeared on Li Chonglou's lips. However, this smile was interpreted entirely differently by Zhao Hongbo, who instantly flew into a rage. "You dare mock me? You're looking for death!"
Stomp, stomp, stomp. As soon as he finished speaking, three burly men rushed into the store and strode towards them. Seeing this, Zhao Hongbo's face was once again filled with smugness. "My brothers are here. You have no chance now."
"You two are so tough, I want to see how tough you can be."
"Come on, all of you, kneel down and call me Dad!"
Upon seeing these three hulking figures, Chen Liuqi's face turned deathly pale. His eyes darted nervously towards Li Chonglou. "Louzi, I'm sorry, I've dragged you down."
"You shouldn't have stepped up for me. I'm not worth it." By the end, his voice was tinged with an uncontrollable sob. After all, he had been cowardly for so many years and had never been assertive. The outburst just now had exhausted all his courage. Seeing Zhao Hongbo's men, the psychological shadow was immediately triggered. The memory of being beaten up in college surfaced involuntarily, making his legs tremble.
"With me here, no one can touch you," Li Chonglou said calmly, glancing at them dismissively and walking over to Chen Liuqi. Just three people? As long as they weren't martial artists like Shen Yishou, he didn't take them seriously at all. If this Zhao Hongbo dared to make a move, he would make him pay dearly today.
For a moment, the atmosphere became tense. The onlookers, frightened staff members, began discussing whether to call the police, but the store manager, with a cold smile, stopped them. "Call the police for what? Mr. Zhao is an old customer. If he suffers any loss in our store, how can I explain it to the boss?"
"Let's observe the situation. If Mr. Zhao suffers a loss, then it's not too late to call the police." Although the voice was not loud, it could not escape Li Chonglou's now superhuman hearing. No wonder this Zhao Hongbo was so arrogant; he actually knew the owner of this store. He had always had a very good impression of the Hongqi brand, but even the best rice could have weevils. In that case, why be polite?
Li Chonglou spoke calmly, "Zhao Hongbo, is it? I'll give you a chance. Have your mistress, Lin Fei, apologize to Xiao Liu, then take her and get out of the 4S dealership. I can let you off the hook."
Wow. These words immediately caused a stir among the onlookers. Too arrogant!