Seeing the security guards approaching, Wu Hao tensed up.
With a worried expression, he turned back to look at Li Zhonglou and whispered, "Zhonglou, why don't we just leave?"
"Otherwise, we'll be at a disadvantage."
He had never witnessed such a scene before and had only managed to keep his composure by not panicking.
If there was further friction, and he ended up implicating Li Zhonglou like last time, he would feel even worse.
"Don't be afraid, we're here to buy a house. We're customers!" Li Zhonglou's expression remained unchanged. He gently placed a hand on Wu Hao's shoulder, reassuring him.
Then, he spoke loudly, "What? Is Huashan Sales Office now openly driving away customers?"
"I wonder what all the owners will think if they know about this."
The manager, who had been watching the scene, his expression changed slightly upon hearing this. He walked out and whispered to Ji Shan, "Ji Shan, know when to stop. I don't care what feud you have with him, just don't escalate things."
"Otherwise, I won't be able to explain to the boss."
"Manager, don't worry. Her mother is my best friend. This person, apart from being sharp-tongued and knowing a few hooligans, is incapable of buying a Huashan villa." Ji Shan, feeling emboldened, deliberately raised her voice so everyone could hear. "Having such a troublemaker here will only affect the reputation of our Huashan Villa."
"Are you sure?" the manager asked with a frown.
"Of course. Are you helping me or these two losers?" Ji Shan asked smugly.
Upon hearing this, the manager remained silent for a few seconds and then signaled the security guards, "These two are here to cause trouble at the sales office. Escort them out."
Receiving clear orders, the security guards immediately moved towards Li Zhonglou and Wu Hao, brandishing their batons.
Wu Hao gritted his teeth, but he was helpless.
Li Zhonglou's eyes turned cold, and he was about to speak.
Suddenly, a deep, magnetic voice echoed from the entrance, "What happened?"
Upon hearing this voice, all the staff members who had been spectating instantly stood at attention.
Their faces uniformly displayed expressions of awe as they looked towards the entrance.
The faces of the security guards changed drastically, and they quickly hid their batons behind their backs.
Even Ji Shan immediately became respectful.
A unified voice echoed through the entire sales lobby: "Greetings, Chairman!"
The next moment, a tall, middle-aged man, accompanied by several male and female attendants, entered the sales lobby.
It was Lü Chenggong, the richest man in Qinzhou.
Huashan Villa was a high-end luxury residential area meticulously developed by Lü Chenggong, a crucial cornerstone of the Lü Group's industrial chain.
After entering the lobby, Lü Chenggong walked with a stern expression towards Li Zhonglou.
All eyes followed his movement, shifting collectively.
Even his attendants behind him looked surprised.
Didn't the chairman come for an inspection? What was he doing?
Seeing this, Ji Shan's eyes revealed a hint of smugness and schadenfreude.
Lü Chenggong was a man of stature, the wealthiest man in Qinzhou, and ranked among the top ten in the entire province.
It was highly unlikely that someone of his caliber would have any interaction with a nobody like Li Zhonglou.
Li Zhonglou must have offended him in some way to warrant such a reaction.
It seemed he wouldn't even need to lift a finger to deal with Li Zhonglou. Offending Lü Chenggong, what good could he expect in Qinzhou?
It wasn't just Ji Shan; about eighty percent of the people in the sales office shared the same thought.
They all adopted a spectator's mindset.
Wu Hao's hands were drenched in sweat. As Lü Chenggong approached, he couldn't even muster the courage to look directly at him and had to lower his head.
There was an aura emanating from this person, who had long occupied a position of privilege, that ordinary people could not resist.
However, the next moment, Lü Chenggong's actions stunned everyone.
"Zhonglou, what a surprise to see you at my sales office!" Lü Chenggong walked directly to Li Zhonglou, put an arm around his shoulder, and his expression was as亲热 as if he were looking at his own child. "I was planning to have Yunxu arrange for you to come over for dinner these next couple of days. I didn't expect we'd have such synchronicity."
He had heard about the gathering that night.
Li Zhonglou's public humiliation of Gao Ming was something he didn't find excessive at all.
On the contrary, he secretly applauded him.
"I'm here to buy a house. I didn't realize this was your property," Li Zhonglou replied indifferently.
"You still haven't grasped that our Lü family is integrated in real estate construction and sales. You truly are a peculiar one!" Lü Chenggong laughed heartily. "When it comes to buying a house, come to me. I'll give you the cost price!"
"Let's go, let's go, we'll talk in my office."
With that, he took Li Zhonglou's arm and prepared to lead him away.
This scene made everyone's jaws drop, especially the sales office staff.
They were all dumbfounded, their eyes wide with disbelief.
Who would have thought that this person, dressed so ordinarily and seemingly at odds with Ji Shan, could be so familiar with the chairman?
In an instant, Ji Shan and the manager felt as if a basin of ice water had been poured over their heads.
They felt a chill run through their bodies and their legs go weak.
They almost lost their balance.
"Don't be in a hurry, I still have some matters to attend to," Li Zhonglou stopped Lü Chenggong and asked, "Uncle Lü, I'd like to ask, are your employees, as sales staff, defaming, slandering, and even trying to drive away guests? Is this company policy or a matter of character?"
As he spoke, his gaze fell upon the pale-faced Ji Shan.
"There's such a thing?" Lü Chenggong asked with surprise. "Anyone who dares to do this is not fit to stay in my Lü Group!"
"What happened just now?"
As he said this, Lü Chenggong's tone became authoritative, and his gaze swept across the surroundings.
Everyone lowered their heads, daring not to meet his eyes.
The manager's lips trembled, and he dared not speak.
"Speak up, has everyone gone mute!" Lü Chenggong suddenly raised his voice, and everyone's bodies quivered.
"Just check the surveillance footage. What's there to say?" Wu Hao, with newfound courage, interjected.
His words sent Ji Shan into despair, almost causing her to collapse.
She had never imagined that the son-in-law she had always looked down upon possessed such great influence.
To have someone like Lü Chenggong react with anger on his behalf, to the point of firing her.
What exactly was his relationship with the Lü family?
Why did even Lü Chenggong show him such great respect? And why would such a person stoop to being a useless son-in-law in the Jiang family?
She heard that the Jiang family had recently connected with the Lü family, and Jiang Yuxin had mentioned that Li Zhonglou had helped a lot, a claim she had never believed.
To her surprise, it was actually true!
And she, foolishly, had tried to manipulate him. What an extreme display of stupidity.
In an instant, Ji Shan was filled with regret.
She wished she could slap herself twice. Why hadn't she remembered the lesson from last time when her mouth was split open?
Today, she had truly committed a grave offense!
"Bring out the surveillance footage as quickly as possible." Lü Chenggong acted without delay.
After watching it, his face turned ashen, and anger blazed in his eyes.
"You two have tarnished the company's image. Go to finance immediately to settle your accounts and leave!" Lü Chenggong, true to his unwavering principles, said coldly. "From now on, in the entire Qinzhou real estate industry, no one will dare to hire you."
*Snap!*
Before he could finish speaking, Ji Shan's knees buckled, and she knelt on the ground. "Chairman, I was blind and foolish. I didn't know he was your friend."
"Please spare me this time, Chairman. I can't lose my job."
"I have elders to support and children to feed. My husband doesn't earn money, and the whole family relies on me."
As she spoke, she looked at Li Zhonglou, pleading, "Li Zhonglou, young master. I judged you by your appearance. Please be magnanimous and spare me this time."
"Considering your mother-in-law is my best friend, give me a way to survive."
"I promise I will never trouble you again. I yield, I truly yield."
By the end, she was in tears, weeping bitterly.
There was indeed a hint of pathos in her distress.
If Lü Chenggong fired her, she would truly be ruined, and her life would become incredibly difficult.
She might even be abandoned and alienated by her relatives and friends.
And now, her only chance was to beg for Li Zhonglou's forgiveness.
The manager's face was ashen, his eyes filled with utter despair.
He had worked for many years to climb to the position of sales manager.
But now, simply for speaking out of turn and supporting his subordinate, he was not only fired but also blacklisted from the entire industry.
Lü Chenggong's words were as good as his deeds; his influence was beyond the imagination of ordinary people.
His future was now definitively sealed.
"Get up," Li Zhonglou said calmly, his eyes devoid of any emotion. "You don't need to stay in Qinzhou. Get transferred elsewhere."
Li Zhonglou was not showing pity, nor was he easily swayed.
However, considering Ji Shan was his mother-in-law's best friend, she might twist things with her words.
For instance, if Ji Shan held a grudge and speculatively discussed his relationship with the Lü Group, fabricating stories about him leeching off Lü Yunxu, and such rumors reached Jiang Yuxin, how would he explain?
Some things, if the core truth cannot be conveyed, no amount of explanation will suffice.
Those who have experienced such situations should understand.
To silence her, the most effective way was not to push her to a dead end, but also not to give her the opportunity to cause further trouble.
That would be to transfer her elsewhere.
He recalled Lü Yunxu mentioning that the Lü Group had projects in several remote counties besides Qinzhou.
This would be a perfect opportunity to reassign Ji Shan.
As for whether Lü Chenggong would agree, he had no need to worry. Li Zhonglou was well aware of his value in Lü Chenggong's eyes, which far surpassed the matter of Ji Shan's fate.
Indeed.
Lü Chenggong chuckled upon hearing this. "Since Zhonglou is so magnanimous and doesn't want to pursue this matter, I'll let you off the hook."
"From today onwards, all of you will be transferred to Yushan County."
"Let's see how you perform in the future!"
Hearing this, the manager and Ji Shan felt as if they had been granted a great pardon and wished they could kowtow to Li Zhonglou in gratitude.
The next second, Li Zhonglou's voice reached Ji Shan's ears again. "Remember, if Jiang Yuxin learns even a single word of what happened today, you will be completely unemployed."
"I understand, I understand. I won't say a single word more. From now on, I'll sever ties with the Jiang family." Ji Shan spoke without reservation, her face filled with fawning subservience.
This dramatic turn of events
left Wu Hao dumbfounded, swallowing nervously, unable to utter a word.
Not long ago, Li Zhonglou was so close to him that they wore the same pants, sharing the same hardships, staying up all night playing games in internet cafes.
But now, he had grown to a height that was unreachable for him.
Engaging in conversations with influential figures, their words casually deciding life and death.
Could he still catch up to him?
A huge question mark hovered in Wu Hao's mind.
"Let's go, Haozi. Let's go check out the villa you're going to live in," Li Zhonglou's prompt voice roused him.
Instantly, all his doubts were dispelled.
That's right, no matter how much stronger Zhonglou became, he was still his brother, his partner.
As long as he focused on helping him with his work, overthinking anything else was futile!