Chapter 168: Xia Yu Bites People

"There is no need to be afraid. The reason others dare not try it is not because of the high investment, but because they do not know what to rely on to make a profit or what kind of rebate program to use. And this system happens to be something I understand."

Zhang Rui's learning ability was exceptionally strong. Whenever he had free time in the special forces unit, dedicated foreign instructors would teach them various languages. So far, Zhang Rui had mastered five languages: English, Japanese, French, Portuguese, and Chinese. He could comfortably read original foreign publications, and many books that could not be adequately translated into Chinese or English could be read directly by him. Through this, he discovered many advanced business strategies and routines of foreigners that were completely invisible domestically. If these methods were brought over to Bohai, they would definitely be many times more powerful than the conventional thinking of those local tycoons.

"Good! I agree. Let's team up and do this together, purely for your novelty and adventurous spirit."

Although Old Zhang appeared soft on the outside, deep down he was a hot-blooded man. He filled a large bowl with liquor, let out a loud shout, and drank it all in one gulp.

"Great! As for the specific details, we will sit down and discuss them slowly after we deal with Jiang Shunfa."

Zhang Rui was very pleased. His gang could not only recruit young men with brute strength; making a career nowadays required more than just raw power—it was essential to have a few capable individuals skilled in various areas. With seasoned veterans leading the way, his brothers would quickly rise. Once they had the capital and strength, venturing out into the world would be on an entirely different level.

"It's a deal, then."

Old Zhang was extremely happy and proactively picked up the bottle opener to serve everyone drinks, looking almost as if he had taken over the role of the host. He was clearly enjoying himself and felt joyful at heart.

Early the next morning.

Jiaojiao called Zhang Rui. Having been heavily drunk the last night, Zhang Rui had been sent back to his home in Honggang Garden by Liangzi. At this moment, Zhang Rui was fast asleep, deeply groggy, but he was repeatedly awakened by the ringing phone.

"What's wrong?"

Seeing that the caller was Yang Jiaojiao and not Old Zhang, Zhang Rui remained quite calm.

"You're still sleeping! The National Day holiday is the day after tomorrow, and I have slots for a trip to Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. Take me there to have some fun."

Jiaojiao spoke in a spoiled, sweet tone, eagerly looking forward to traveling with Zhang Rui, having thought about it all through the previous night.

"Huh? Southeast Asia? That's too far! I'm super busy every day and don't have much free time!"

Zhang Rui was somewhat surprised. For Jiaojiao to make such a move and take the initiative to invite him out was no small feat for her; she must have gone through a complex psychological struggle before making this call.

Thinking of this, Zhang Rui found it hard to reject Jiaojiao outright. After all, this girl was as pure as water, and the thin, fragile film of her innocence could be easily damaged if he was not careful.

Despite his rough exterior and casual demeanor, Zhang Rui was actually most afraid of seeing girls cry.

"Why? Do you want to go out and relax? It's going to be packed with people everywhere during the National Day holiday, and traveling is exhausting."

Fearing that he might hurt Jiaojiao's feelings, Zhang Rui immediately added a preliminary remark.

"Oh, a friend happened to give me two tickets, and since I figured I didn't have anyone to go with, I thought of you."

Jiaojiao sounded a bit disappointed, pouting as she replied. If Zhang Rui wasn't going, what would be the point of her going alone? She might as well give the tickets to her best friend, who would undoubtedly be overjoyed.

"How about this? Once I finish dealing with this period, I'll carve out some time to take you to Tibet. I've basically been to all major tourist attractions across the country, but Tibet is the only one I haven't conquered yet. I've always wanted to take it on! What do you say? Want to go?"

Zhang Rui could feel Jiaojiao's sincerity toward him, and he was no block of wood. If the opportunity arose, he was willing to try getting closer to her; perhaps he would discover a more complete version of her, and it might also give him a fresh perspective.

"Wow, really?"

Jiaojiao reacted like a child who had just received a colorful balloon, almost cheering with joy as she shouted, "I've always wanted to go there, too! That's the purest place in China. I'd love to see the sky there and breathe the air there."

"Of course it's true! I'll find some time right after the National Day holiday; any later and it will get too cold. Deal?"

Zhang Rui's own enthusiasm was ignited. Being accompanied by a beauty while visiting his most desired destination beat everything else.

At that moment, Zhang Rui's bedroom door was knocked on, and Wang Ping's voice came from outside, "Xiaorui, you're awake! Don't just stay on the phone, come out for breakfast before the rice soup gets cold."

"Oh! Got it."

Zhang Rui pulled the phone away from his ear, shouted toward the door, and then lowered his voice to tell Jiaojiao on the line, "My mom is calling me to eat."

"All right, go eat then. I'll go hang out with my best friend and give the tickets to her. She just got married anyway, so I'll consider it a honeymoon trip for her. I'll be waiting for our trip to Tibet."

A sweet undertone permeated Jiaojiao's tone of voice.

"Okay."

Zhang Rui wore a helpless expression. Jiaojiao was truly innocent; she took his casual remark completely seriously. If he somehow failed to go for any reason, wouldn't she be heartbroken to death?

Phew!

After hanging up the phone, Zhang Rui walked out of his bedroom in his pajamas. Just as he was about to head to the bathroom to wash up, the front door was struck by a rapid succession of heavy knocks.

Zhang Rui stopped abruptly, his instincts on high alert. With such heavy knocking, could some enemies have come to his home for revenge?

Thinking of this, Zhang Rui sprinted forward and grabbed Wang Ping, who was about to open the door. "Mom, I'll get it."

Zhang Rui peered through the peephole of the security door, but he couldn't clearly see who it was—it seemed to be a woman!

He hurriedly pulled the door open, only to find Xia Yu standing on the threshold in a disheveled and miserable state, weeping with dark circles around her eyes, looking utterly pitiful.

"Xia Yu? What on earth happened to you?"

Zhang Rui stared in astonishment. How did Xia Yu end up in such a state? Her clothes were soaked, covered in patches of dried mud, and her forehead had a reddish mark with a faint trace of blood and pus, as if she had taken a hard bump.

Hearing that it was Xia Yu, Wang Ping rushed over anxiously. Seeing Xia Yu in such a wretched condition, she became deeply distressed and hurriedly pulled her into the apartment. "Oh goodness, Xia Yu! What happened to you? How did you end up like this?"

Though intensely curious about what had transpired, Wang Ping's hands and feet did not slow down. She grabbed a dry towel and went to fetch a clean change of clothes, terrified that Xia Yu might catch a chill.

Xia Yu pressed her lips tightly together, standing at the edge of the living room, staring fixedly at the bewildered Zhang Rui before her, while tears continued to stream uncontrollably down her face.

Zhang Rui draped his own jacket—which Wang Ping had fetched—over Xia Yu's shoulders, patted her shoulder gently with kind intent, and said softly, "Don't be afraid. Whatever happened, just tell us."

Because Zhang Rui knew that Xia Yu had witnessed the despicable act perpetrated by Xia Changhai two nights prior, he assumed Xia Yu must have had a massive argument with her father. As for how she ended up in such a state, however, he could only guess.

Just as Zhang Rui rested his hand on Xia Yu's shoulder, Xia Yu suddenly tilted her head sideways, lunged forward with her teeth, and clamped down hard onto the palm of his hand, refusing to let go!

"Ow!"

Zhang Rui cried out in pain, yet he did not make any sudden movements. He could perceive a whirlwind of struggle and bitterness in Xia Yu's eyes; she desperately needed protection and care!