Li Yulin's body trembled, and he was almost enraged. How could he, a prominent figure of one of the four great families, ever be treated like this? Even the Zhantai family, several times stronger than them, showed him respect. How dare a mere commoner speak to him in such a tone?
Li Yulin's face instantly darkened, and he said coldly, "Hmph! I am not just anyone, I am Yanran's maternal uncle. She just said you were her boyfriend. I wonder what gave you the courage. Do you think someone like you is worthy of entering our Li family's doors?"
"Exactly. Why don't you take a look in the mirror? Not to mention anything else, do you know how much this chair you're sitting on costs? And the teacup you're drinking from. Just these two items would require a lifetime of effort for you. Isn't it all about money? Dad, give him some money as a tip, hehe." Li Xiuyan, standing beside him, chimed in with a sarcastic laugh.
The Li family's relatives gradually joined in the verbal assault. Li Haochen's temper flared up, and he clenched his fists and slammed them down.
"Bang~"
A loud noise silenced the entire hall. Li Haochen glared at the Li family members and roared, "Who the hell are you people? What business is it of yours? As an in-law, what right do you have to interfere? Why are you so concerned? Do you have some unspeakable secret?"
"A joke! Do you think we, commoners like you, would have any intentions towards you? How amusing, hahaha..."
While the situation was tense, Murong Yanran, inside the room, was completely unaware. At this moment, she was being held by her grandparents, who were asking her questions here and there, all revolving around Li Haochen. "Yanran, tell your grandma about you two."
"Oh, Grandma, what's there to talk about..."
Murong Yanran's cheeks flushed, but Yang Yunfang and Li Bin kept asking, so she had to briefly explain the process from their acquaintance to their falling in love.
"Alas... she's a child with a difficult fate. However, Yanran, I hope you will be cautious. After all, you are still young, and your family backgrounds do not match..."
"Grandma, how can you have such a view? We are very good."
Yang Yunfang was about to say more when Li Bin, standing beside her, stopped her. "Yanran, your grandma just wants the best for you, she means nothing else. Alright, the banquet is about to begin, let's go out."
"Where is Hao Chen?"
As Murong Yanran came out, she couldn't find Li Haochen in the hall and was very puzzled when her phone rang. It was him calling. "Why aren't you here?"
"I'm sorry, a classmate of mine who studies here has encountered a major problem, and I have to go help him. I've already given your uncle the gift."
"Is that so? Do you need any help?" Murong Yanran could tell Li Haochen sounded a bit anxious but didn't doubt his sincerity.
"I'll go check first, I'll talk to you later..."
After hanging up the phone, Li Haochen breathed a sigh of relief. Telling lies was truly difficult. He had already clashed with the Li family, so naturally, he wouldn't stay. Moreover, he didn't want to put Murong Yanran in a difficult position. He directly threw the gift away and slammed the door shut as he left. He was now walking out to find a car.
"Damn that Li family."
Li Haochen walked and cursed, his vocabulary quite extensive. He had to walk for half an hour before he could hail a vehicle, which only fueled his anger. "Why the hell do they live in such a remote place? Damn it."
After a car ride of about half an hour, Li Haochen got out at Taikoo Li in Yanjing. He had no interest in shopping, so he directly found a hotel, completed the check-in procedures, and went down to find something to eat nearby.
Being annoyed by the Li family, he was in a bad mood and decided to vent his frustrations through food.
As expected of the capital, the prices were indeed exceptionally high. A simple set meal cost 68 yuan, and the taste was not great, yet the business was not bad. It was hard to believe.
Back in the hotel, just as he had taken off his clothes and was about to take a shower, his phone rang.
"Who is it? What a precise time to call."
There was no other option, so he wrapped a towel around himself and walked out.
"Uncle Liu? What's the matter so late at night?"
Li Haochen thought for a moment and then pressed to answer with a smile, "Uncle Liu, long time no see. How have you been lately?"
"It has indeed been a long time. What have you been busy with recently?"
"What else could I be doing? Just bored to death, hehe!"
"Is that so? Well, there's something that will definitely keep you from being bored, hehe!"
"Is it another competition again?"
"Great minds think alike, hehe!" Liu Changhe chuckled and continued, "This is not a small competition this time; you'll be representing the country. What do you say? Interested?"
"Representing the country? Uncle Liu, are you referring to the Hawaii International Sea Fishing Competition?"
"That's right. It's a rare opportunity, and I hope you'll participate."
"I'll give you an answer after I think about it. By the way, didn't you say you resigned? How come you're doing this kind of matchmaking?"
"You rascal, my old leader asked me to stay a few times. I couldn't refuse, so I continued. Alright, I won't chat anymore. I have other calls to make. Don't keep me waiting too long."
As soon as he hung up, Murong Yanran's call came in. As soon as he answered, she anxiously asked, "What was that busy signal? Is everything alright with your classmate?"
"Uh, I was on another call just now. It's nothing serious, it's all handled. By the way, I'll stay here overnight tonight, just in case anything unexpected happens, and it's too far to go back to your grandma's house."
"Alright, take care. Call me if anything comes up. How about we go climb the Great Wall tomorrow?"
"Okay."
After ending the call, Li Haochen quietly looked out at the bustling city view. After a long while, he called Liu Changhe back. "I accept."
The reason for his acceptance was not because he wanted to compete for the honor, but because he had his own agenda. Li Haochen wanted to use this opportunity to stay in the United States for a period of time to prepare for a massive harvest of its abundant and expensive seafood. His primary targets would naturally be the famous king crabs, California red abalones, and Maine lobsters. As for other crabs and sea urchins, he wouldn't miss them if he had the time.
"I need to plan this carefully. If this trip goes smoothly, it will increase my net worth tenfold in a few years. When I have a net worth of trillions, I'll see if I don't go and give you all a good slap in the face."
The next day, Li Haochen, acting as if nothing had happened, accompanied Murong Yanran to climb the Great Wall, experiencing the "good man" journey. Afterward, they went to Panjiayuan, where he spent 800 yuan to buy a Yuan dynasty blue and white porcelain piece. Although they didn't understand antiques, they knew it was fake. For 800 yuan, you expected to buy a Yuan dynasty blue and white porcelain? What a joke... It just felt like the trip would be incomplete without buying something.
Another day passed, and Li Haochen went to the Li family mansion to pick up Murong Yanran. He hid the previous day's sarcastic remarks from the Li family members deep within himself. The Li family also acted as if nothing had happened. However, this time it was different. They not only served him tea but also chatted with him merrily, making it seem as if they had a very good relationship.
"Wait for me for a moment, I'm going inside to say goodbye to Grandma and the others."
"Yes, go ahead."