Soon, Yao Jingtai recovered his composure. He chuckled, "Mayor Ding, it's like this. I'm planning to invest in Qingyun City, you see. I heard that this Doctor Li is quite knowledgeable in the art of Feng Shui, which is why I wanted to invite him to take a look for me. Mayor Ding, as you know, I'm a firm believer in Feng Shui."
Ding Peng nodded slightly and looked at Li Se. "Doctor Li, since Mr. Yao has this need, please assist him. Rest assured, Mr. Yao is very generous and the remuneration will not be lacking."
This time, Ding Peng spoke.
A smug smile played on Yao Jingtai's lips. He couldn't believe that this Li Se would dare to disregard even the Mayor's request.
Zhang Ruishan, standing by, even cast a provocative glance at Li Se.
This was power, this was influence!
Li Se shook his head and said, "Mayor Ding, I cannot help with this."
The moment these words were uttered, many people present were stunned.
The focus of this gathering was undoubtedly on Ding Peng and Yao Jingtai. Now that they had met, everyone's attention was primarily on them. Therefore, upon hearing Li Se's refusal, they found it hard to believe. Who was this young man, so ungrateful, to not even grant the Mayor's request?
Ding Peng, however, did not seem angry. He looked somewhat surprised. "Doctor Li, is there some misunderstanding between you and Mr. Yao?"
He knew Li Se's character. This wasn't a major issue, and there would be remuneration. Moreover, he himself had made the request, so Li Se should at least give him some face.
Yet, Li Se had refused without a second thought, which made Ding Peng suspect. Could there be a misunderstanding between Li Se and Yao Jingtai?
"Mayor Ding, you are unaware..." Wei Lao San sneered and recounted Yao Jingtai's methods of pressuring Li Se.
Upon hearing this, Ding Peng's expression shifted slightly. He looked at Yao Jingtai and asked, "Mr. Yao, did such a thing truly happen?"
Yao Jingtai clearly hadn't expected Ding Peng to react so strongly, which perplexed him. Did this Li Se possess some hidden capabilities or status? After a moment of hesitation, he explained, "Mayor Ding, it was just a small misunderstanding, nothing major."
He then looked at Li Se and continued, "Master Li, let the past misunderstanding go. There's no need to dwell on it. If you have any needs, feel free to state them, and I will do my best to compensate you."
"An apology!" Li Se uttered two words.
"Hm?" Yao Jingtai was taken aback.
"Insolence!" Zhang Ruishan shouted, "You dare demand an apology from Mr. Yao? Who do you think you are?"
These were the very words Yao Jingtai wished to say. He was, after all, the richest man in Hong Kong. Apologizing to Li Se was utterly out of the question.
While Yao Jingtai might consider financial compensation out of respect for Wei Lao San and Ding Peng, demanding a personal apology was another matter. Did he, as the richest man, have no pride?
The moment Li Se spoke, Ding Peng's expression also changed. As the leader of Qingyun City, he had to host Yao Jingtai properly. This was the richest man from Hong Kong, and he was here to invest. If the investment succeeded, Qingyun City would develop further.
However, with Li Se on one side and the investor on the other, Ding Peng found himself in a difficult position.
Wei Lao San, on the other hand, had no such qualms. He stated calmly, "Yao Jingtai, perhaps you should manage your subordinates better."
His words were not as harsh as Li Se's, but he knew that if Zhang Ruishan continued to interject, things would become truly unmanageable.
Yao Jingtai nodded, shot a glare at Zhang Ruishan, and then turned to Li Se. He truly hadn't expected a young man to challenge him. He said in a deep voice, "An apology is impossible. As I said, if you require other compensation, I will try my best to satisfy you!"
He paused, then continued, "Furthermore, everyone present here is influential in Qingyun City, and even Mayor Ding has spoken. If you take a step back, I will also take a step back. I am here to invest in Qingyun City, so why should we make things so unpleasant?"
Li Se glanced at Ding Peng. He understood that Ding Peng was in a predicament, but what did that have to do with him? He smiled and said, "Heh heh, whether you invest or not, what does it have to do with me? You asked me to look at your Feng Shui, and I refused. It's as simple as that. If you still want me to look at your Feng Shui, then my requirement is simple: apologize. Is it so difficult to apologize?"
Difficult?
For an ordinary person, it would not be difficult. But this was Yao Jingtai, the richest man in Hong Kong!
Yao Jingtai's expression turned somewhat grim. He could only look at Ding Peng, his meaning clear: he hoped Ding Peng would pressure Li Se.
Ding Peng, however, shook his head. "If Doctor Li is unwilling, then we should not force it."
Many wealthy individuals were shocked by Ding Peng's attitude. After all, Ding Peng was undoubtedly attaching great importance to Yao Jingtai's investment. Yet, he was unwilling to pressure Li Se. With his status as Mayor, pressuring a young man should be a simple and pleasant matter, shouldn't it?
Not far away, Lin Tianrui and Hong Zhixue were stunned, as were their fathers. Their expressions were incredibly complex. Was this Li Se really that formidable?
Yao Jingtai felt his dignity severely challenged and also became angry. He snorted coldly, "Since that is the case, I will reconsider the investment matters."
Ding Peng gave a wry smile. He wanted to say something, but ultimately said nothing. Ask him to pressure Li Se? Putting aside the fact that Li Se was his wife's savior, even without that connection, Li Se was an Imperial Physician. He truly couldn't exert any pressure.
Ding Peng's attitude displeased Yao Jingtai, but at the same time, it made him more serious. Just who exactly was this Li Se, that even a dignified Mayor was so wary of him?
Tap, tap, tap…
Footsteps echoed at this moment.
It was Song Yushan who had arrived.
"Secretary Song!"
"Secretary Song!"
Many people present respectfully called out.
"What's going on here?" Song Yushan asked, noticing the unusual atmosphere.
Ding Peng walked over and recounted everything that had happened at the gathering. He then added, "Now Mr. Yao wants to withdraw his investment, and I don't know how to salvage the situation."
Song Yushan frowned slightly.
Yao Jingtai smiled. Since Ding Peng was unwilling to exert pressure, he would let this Secretary handle it. He said calmly, "Secretary Song, I merely asked this young man to look at my Feng Shui. Compared to an investment of several hundred million, or even billions, Feng Shui is naturally important. But since this young man demands an apology from me, isn't that going a bit too far?"
Now that the Secretary had arrived, Yao Jingtai didn't believe Li Se would dare to refuse the Secretary's request.
Zhang Ruishan also wore a look of provocation, as did everyone present. They all believed that Secretary Song would definitely pressure Li Se for the sake of the investment.
But in the next second, Song Yushan calmly stated, "An apology is appropriate."
Upon hearing this, everyone in the room found it unbelievable, almost unable to comprehend what they had heard.
"Why?" Yao Jingtai also found it hard to believe.
"Because he is an Imperial Physician!"