"Haozi, don't worry about the funds, go all out."
"But you are now an original partner of the company, not just an employee. I know nothing about technology, so you must take full responsibility."
"As a manager, remember not to think of yourself as a technician anymore."
On the way back, Li Chonglou opened the conversation, "For management, I will also hire a professional manager."
"For now, the funds in my hands are enough for your estimated half-year expenditure."
"Within a month, I want to see the product go live."
Normally, they were brothers, but at this moment, he was the largest shareholder, the boss.
He knew Wu Hao's character too well – loyal, righteous, and simple-minded.
But people with such characters inevitably had major flaws in their work. Being overly cautious was one.
Another was that encountering difficulties easily led to getting stuck in a rut and eventually losing confidence.
And the most important point was the fear of owing a debt.
When the relationship between the two, or what they gave each other, was relatively balanced, it was not apparent. Once his kindness to Wu Hao exceeded a certain boundary, Wu Hao would inevitably feel indebted and want to repay him.
But his current capabilities did not allow for it.
Over time, guilt would arise in his heart, and he might even withdraw from the project before it was completed.
This was what Li Chonglou worried about the most.
Therefore, he had to push Wu Hao.
"Don't worry, Chonglou, I, Wu Hao, am not a coward. I'll get this done as soon as possible, even if I have to skip eating, drinking, and sleeping," Wu Hao replied very seriously, putting away his smile.
The attitude Li Chonglou displayed at this moment made him realize this was no ordinary meal or drink.
The subtext was that personal and business matters must be kept separate.
With his answer, Li Chonglou felt a lot more at ease.
The two talked as they walked about the progress mentioned in Wu Hao's project proposal.
Upon returning to the company, Wu Hao immediately found people to arrange the relocation to the villa.
Li Chonglou didn't even enter the office; he turned his car around and intended to return to the hospital.
This was a show of trust in Wu Hao. If he frequently showed up, Wu Hao's authority would be undermined.
During the National Day holiday, many tourists from outside Qinzhou had arrived, causing traffic congestion.
Li Chonglou, unwilling to fight through the main roads and get stuck in traffic, turned into a small road outside the city.
Just after passing two intersections, his pupils contracted slightly, and he floored the accelerator, pushing the engine speed to over four thousand RPM.
The Hongqi car's engine roared, accelerating and charging forward instantly.
The next second, a Range Rover behind him also accelerated, chasing after him.
"Following me?"
Li Chonglou glanced in the rearview mirror. It was a car with a local license plate. It had been following him leisurely since they left the company, and it sped up as soon as he accelerated.
If it wasn't following, what was it?
Who would follow him?
Li Chonglou scanned his mind. There weren't many people in Qinzhou who had a grudge against him.
The remaining few were even fewer.
Lu Weishen's people?
Or those from the underground fight casino?
Guesses were just guesses. Li Chonglou's gaze sharpened. After crossing the Linhe Bridge, he immediately wrenched the steering wheel, making a 180-degree turn and driving onto the dirt road beside the bridge.
As expected, the Range Rover hurriedly followed.
The dirt road led directly back under the bridge, to a very secluded spot.
Normally, besides the occasional fisherman, very few people came here.
Since he knew he was being followed, he decided to deal with it then and there.
Li Chonglou never had the habit of leaving trouble to fester.
Although he still hadn't even touched the threshold of the next realm, "Shen Ru Gu Zhong" (Spirit Enters the Valley), in the sheepskin scroll cultivation technique he practiced every night, it had brought him absolute confidence in his physical strength.
He parked the car in the shade under the bridge, opened the door, and stepped out, standing by the river to face the oncoming Range Rover.
Screech!
The Range Rover stopped abruptly, less than three meters away from Li Chonglou.
Li Chonglou hadn't moved an inch from start to finish, quietly watching the middle-aged man with curly hair and a sinister gaze in the driver's seat.
The man pulled open the car door and got out.
He was at least 1.9 meters tall, with a large frame. He was slightly overweight but not bulky.
His eyes resembled a wolf's stare at food before starvation.
"You've got guts," the man sneered at Li Chonglou. "Seeing my car coming, you didn't even yield?"
"No need. If you had driven any further, both you and the car would have plunged into the river," Li Chonglou replied calmly, his expression unchanged. "If you wanted to kill me, there was no need to ram me with a car; the trace would be too difficult to handle."
"Besides, I also want to know who sent you to find me?"
This man gave Li Chonglou a feeling similar to Xu Lie, yet different.
Xu Lie was a man of courage and strength. Although his methods were sometimes intense, he definitely possessed conscience and mercy in his heart.
Like a knight-errant of ancient times, even if he did things that modern law wouldn't permit at certain times, Li Chonglou believed he would never kill someone unrelated to him for money.
But this man was different. The aura around him was sinister and cold, and his eyes were even more so than those of a seasoned butcher.
He must have human lives on his hands.
Li Chonglou's eyesight was incredibly sharp.
"If you want to know, I'll tell you," the man grinned, seemingly trying to mask the ferocity in his eyes.
As he spoke, he strode towards Li Chonglou.
His right palm was held backward, facing Li Chonglou with the back of his hand.
Swish!
When he was one meter from Li Chonglou, he suddenly raised his right hand, and a small, oblique Tang knife flew from his palm.
He gripped it smoothly, holding the handle that was only a palm's length long.
He leaned forward, using the momentum to thrust the small Tang knife towards Li Chonglou's chest.
Without a word, he struck with deadly intent.
His judgment was indeed accurate.
Li Chonglou's eyes narrowed slightly, but he remained unfazed. The moment the man attacked, he also moved.
He simply raised a leg.
Crack!
This kick dominated a space of 1.2 meters.
It was only twenty centimeters more than the man, but it was enough.
Just as the tip of the knife was about to touch his clothes, the man was already sent flying.
He slammed hard into the front of the Range Rover, the reinforced front bumper denting inward.
The car, with its handbrake engaged, was even pushed back several meters.
An ordinary person would have suffered a fractured lumbar spine from such a heavy impact.
But it was clear this guy was no ordinary person. Although his face contorted in pain, he still held his stomach with one hand and used the Tang knife to support himself.
However, his face was ashen, and he stared at Li Chonglou, who seemed to have not moved, with disbelief.
The ferocity in his eyes had completely vanished, replaced by panic.
"You're not an ordinary person?"
His voice was noticeably distorted, whether from pain or fear.
"Nonsense."
Li Chonglou didn't bother with further conversation and directly asked, "Tell me who your boss is, then get lost."
He had expected this guy, with his imposing demeanor, to have decent combat skills. To his surprise, he was only slightly better than the person who caused the car accident last time, which left him somewhat disappointed.
Such assassins could be hired with money, and killing him would be useless.
He wanted to find the person hiding behind the scenes.
"No matter who you are, you're going to die today!" The man's face contorted, his murderous intent as thick as a tangible substance.
With that, the small Tang knife fell from his hand.
Immediately, he lifted his jacket, revealing a gun handle prominently at his waist.