She had initially thought the other party might fear the other's influence and seek to de-escalate the situation, bowing her head in submission.
To her surprise, she was so resolute.
And she even displayed a bit of chivalrous spirit, letting Li Chonglou go first while she took the blame.
Truthfully, Li Chonglou hadn't thought highly of Tian Lingli, even finding her distasteful before.
But it was only now, because of her words, that he completely changed his mind.
"What's there to fear from those who bully others with their power?" Li Chonglou, who had intended to leave, suddenly didn't want to anymore. He said, "I'd like to see how this Manager Zhang makes me kneel to him."
The antique trade was, by its nature, a high-end industry that transcended all others.
Historically, it had been associated with emperors and generals.
What kind of important figures hadn't they seen?
Conversely, the more capable people were, the higher their social status, and the more humble they would typically appear.
Unless their interests were touched, they rarely acted without regard for their dignity.
For instance, even when Lu Weishen and Tang Guanghe had openly fallen out at the dinner table, they had never uttered such harsh words as making him kneel.
This Zhang Cheng was truly beyond ridiculous.
"You truly don't know your limits. Manager Zhang's capabilities are beyond your imagination. I look forward to seeing you beg for mercy on your knees," Mo Mo clearly relished seeing Zhang Cheng teach Li Chonglou a lesson, preferably even getting Tian Lingli blacklisted, thus reducing her competition.
The other onlookers also chimed in.
"This person is too clueless. How did he offend Manager Zhang? He's the sugar daddy here."
"He even dared to slap him. He's truly ignorant of the consequences. That slap might just land him in jail."
"That streamer named Lili will definitely be banned after today. She's too stupid."
Many people recognized Zhang Cheng and Tian Lingli, so the focus naturally shifted to them.
As for Li Chonglou, he was too ordinary, so ordinary that if he hadn't slapped Zhang Cheng, no one would have cared about his existence.
"Hillbilly, you just wait. I'll make it so that begging for mercy is useless for you!" Zhang Cheng, after finishing his call, touched his swollen face and said with a sinister smile.
His smile carried a perverse sense of pleasure.
He hadn't encountered someone as arrogant and ignorant as Li Chonglou in a long time.
Well-mannered people generally wouldn't resort to physical violence.
But it was effortless to crush a bumpkin like Li Chonglou.
Thump, thump, thump.
The hotel security guards, who were there to maintain order, rushed out in full force, at least seven or eight of them.
Each holding a riot baton, they menacingly surrounded Li Chonglou and the others.
Seeing this display, Tian Lingli's forehead broke out in nervous sweat, and she was at a loss.
Li Chonglou glanced at them, his expression unperturbed.
If this had happened a few days ago, he might have been hesitant, but times had changed.
Since he had healed his injuries using the sheepskin and fur heart technique, his control over his body had advanced significantly. Not to mention a few ordinary people with batons, he would even dare to test his skills against martial artists.
This confidence stemmed from his increasing physical awareness, not a true disparity in strength.
"Kneel down and apologize to me in front of everyone, and I'll tell them to go easy," Zhang Cheng grinned like a duck, his face a picture of absolute control. "Otherwise, you'll have to crawl to the hospital today."
Saying this, he even reached out to stop a security guard and snatched a riot baton from his hand.
It seemed he intended to personally teach Li Chonglou a lesson and vent his anger.
"The Chairman and several shareholders have arrived..." at this moment, someone shouted.
The crowd stirred, and everyone turned to look behind them.
A convoy of Mercedes-Benz and Maybach S600s slowly pulled up to the hotel entrance, more than a dozen cars in total, with one person alighting from each.
There were old and young individuals, as well as an elegant and capable woman.
Seeing this scene, Zhang Cheng's expression instantly froze.
He hesitated to swing the baton in his hand.
His face twitched with anger as he sneered, "You little bastard, you just wait. Let you be smug for a while longer."
With that, he threw down the riot baton, tidied his clothes, and hurried towards the motorcade.
Mo Mo, seeing this, quickly followed behind, jogging.
"That's the chairman of Yueyu Interactive and some shareholders. I didn't expect them to all be here today. They must have something important to announce," Tian Lingli said, secretly relieved and patting her chest.
Fortunately, these people arrived in time, preventing Zhang Cheng from laying hands on Li Chonglou.
However, she couldn't stay at this banquet anymore.
A hint of resolve flashed in Tian Lingli's seductive eyes. She grabbed Li Chonglou's hand and prepared to leave, "Let's go."
But Li Chonglou immediately pulled her back, "We're already here, why should we leave?"
"Let's go inside and see. Zhang Cheng can't stir up much trouble."
These words were spoken with absolute confidence.
It wasn't that Li Chonglou was naturally bold, but he saw someone among that group of shareholders.
With that person present, Zhang Cheng wouldn't have the opportunity to seek revenge on him today.
Tian Lingli hadn't expected Li Chonglou to be so stubborn, wanting to go inside at a time like this. Wasn't he courting death?
"Li Chonglou, they're not like Jiang Tao. They're all influential figures in Qin Zhou. While not as powerful as the richest Lü family, we can't oppose them," Tian Lingli said, her expression dimming with self-reproach. "It's my fault. I shouldn't have asked you to come."
"I beg you, don't be so stubborn..."
Before she could finish speaking, Li Chonglou had already followed the shareholders into the hotel.
Tian Lingli bit her lip fiercely, and finally, she chased after him.
Zhang Cheng, with a fawning expression, led the way for Bai Tianya, the chairman of Yueyu Interactive, bowing and scraping like a dog, a stark contrast to his arrogant demeanor moments before.
Li Chonglou's gaze remained fixed on Bai Tianya.
This renowned leader of Qin Zhou's new media, only thirty-six years old this year, was in his prime and full of vigor.
Although his wealth temporarily lagged behind the Lü family, his reputation certainly surpassed Lü Chenggong's, as the internet connected people nationwide and even globally, far beyond the scope of just Qin Zhou.
However, what Li Chonglou cared about was not this.
It was that he knew Bai Tianya, and in his past life, they had had significant dealings.
Thanks to him, he had almost lost his life.
That incident was one of the few major events that Li Chonglou had always remembered.
He hadn't expected to meet him so early in this life, and in such a setting.
The hotel lobby had been entirely booked by Yueyu Interactive. It was already filled with handsome men and beautiful women, all elegantly dressed, clinking glasses.
Upon seeing Bai Tianya enter, all eyes turned to him.
Envy, jealousy, admiration – a multitude of emotions.
Especially the female streamers, who were doing their utmost to showcase themselves, hoping to catch the attention of this diamond bachelor.
"Have you had any contact with Bai Tianya?" Li Chonglou asked Tian Lingli, who had caught up to him, standing behind the crowd.
"Me? How would I have such an opportunity?" Tian Lingli gave a bitter smile. "Do you know how many people want to curry favor with him? He's one of the hottest post-eighties figures nationwide."
"If I could latch onto him, wouldn't I immediately become Yueyu's top sister?"
No woman dislikes a successful man, and she was no exception.
But her self-awareness told her this was impossible.
"Then tonight, I'll let you latch onto him," Li Chonglou said with a faint, enigmatic smile.