Chapter 42: The Three of You Come Home With Me
However, the expected scene of Jiang Chen being knocked down did not materialize.
Jiang Chen didn't even glance back at the two bodyguards.
He merely shifted his body slightly, and the fist aimed at his face grazed past the tip of his nose. Simultaneously, the hand gripping Wang Zifeng's wrist gave a pull and a push.
Using borrowed force.
Wang Zifeng, like a marionette, uncontrollably crashed into the bodyguard who was kicking out.
"Bang!"
A dull thud.
Wang Zifeng cried out miserably, kicked in the thigh by his own bodyguard, and the two tumbled into a heap.
The remaining bodyguard who had swung his fist hadn't stopped his momentum before Jiang Chen was already closing in.
No flashy moves.
He stepped into the center line, sank his shoulder, and leaned in.
The Mountain-Leaning Strike.
That bodyguard felt as if a speeding truck had slammed into his chest. The entire man was lifted off the ground, sent flying three meters backward, and smashed heavily onto the hood of the Ferrari, denting the expensive aluminum alloy panel.
It took less than three seconds in total.
Two professional bodyguards: one was howling on the ground, the other couldn't get up from the car.
Wang Zifeng lay wretchedly on the snow, his expensive trench coat covered in mud and water, and his hair was a mess.
He stared in terror at Jiang Chen looking down at him from above, his legs trembling uncontrollably.
Was this even human?
"You... Don't come any closer!" Wang Zifeng scrambled backward using his hands and feet, shouting with false bravado, "My father is the Chairman of the Wang Group! If you dare touch me..."
Jiang Chen walked up to him and squatted down, bringing his gaze level with Wang Zifeng's.
"Young Master Wang," Jiang Chen pulled out the black bank card from his pocket and lightly tapped Wang Zifeng's well-maintained face. "Did Wang Daqiang and the others fail to tell you something?"
Wang Zifeng froze, the icy sensation on his cheek making him jump.
"The small amount of money CEO Su owed, I've already paid it for her," Jiang Chen's voice was soft.
"Th-This is impossible!" Wang Zifeng's eyes widened. "Thirty million! Where did you get the money?..."
"To you, it's thirty million," Jiang Chen stood up, his gaze indifferent. "To me, it's just a number."
He turned around, no longer sparing a glance at the clown on the ground, and simply dropped a casual remark:
"You are insignificant in my eyes. Get lost. Don't force me to throw you into that broken car."
That contempt emanating from his bones was more humiliating to Wang Zifeng than the earlier punches.
He gritted his teeth, struggled to his feet with the help of his bodyguards, shot a venomous look at Su Qingge and Jiang Chen, but ultimately dared not utter any more threats.
The three sports cars started up sheepishly and fled the scene with a harsh screech of friction.
The plaza returned to silence.
Only the sound of falling snow remained.
Su Qingge looked at Jiang Chen's back. His broad shoulders and upright posture seemed incredibly tall at this moment.
"Let's go," Jiang Chen turned around, the fierce look on his face already gone, replaced by his familiar gentleness. "Let's go see your office. It's cold outside."
Lin Wan then dared to release the hand covering her chest, her eyes full of starry adoration as she looked at Jiang Chen: "Xiao Jiang... You are amazing! What kind of martial art was that just now?"
"I practiced some Sanda in school for a few years," Jiang Chen casually lied, as explaining the skills granted by the system was complicated. "Let's go."
The group entered the building.
The elevator went straight to the top floor.
When the familiar glass door was pushed open, Su Qingge finally relaxed completely.
The company was empty, only the emergency lights were on.
Computers and documents were neatly arranged at the workstations; the money tree was already somewhat withered.
This place held the effort of her past few years and witnessed her embarrassment of the last six months.
She walked into her private office, her fingers lightly brushing over the large solid wood desk, her eyes growing slightly moist.
"I'm back," she murmured softly, as if speaking to herself, and also to this space.
Jiang Chen stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the city lights below.
The immediate crisis was resolved.
But a new problem lay ahead.
"CEO Su," Jiang Chen turned around and leaned against the windowsill. "Although the debt is paid, it's the New Year holiday, and there's no one in the company, no food in the cafeteria. What are the three of you planning to do?"
This question instantly solidified the previously warm atmosphere.
Lin Wan lowered her head, twisting the corner of her clothes with her fingers.
Go home? That cold home, the mother-in-law who treated her like a nanny, the husband who preferred men... What was she going back for?
Chen Man shrugged, sat on the sofa, and lit a slim cigarette: "Don't look at me. I don't want to go back to deal with my crummy little shop. It's depressing."
Su Qingge was silent for a moment: "I can make do in the office for a few days. After the New Year..."
"Enough."
Jiang Chen interrupted their attempts at stoicism.
"Since none of you have anywhere to go," Jiang Chen waved his hand decisively, "then come back to my hometown for the New Year."
"Go... Go to your hometown?"
The three women asked in near unison.
Su Qingge adjusted her glasses; the usually decisive female CEO seemed somewhat flustered. "Jiang Chen, this isn't appropriate, is it? There are so many of us, and besides... that's your family."
"Nothing inappropriate about it," Jiang Chen jingled the car keys in his hand. "My parents are very nice people; they just love a lively atmosphere. Besides, I already told them you were friends carpooling with me. With this much snow, if I leave you here in the cold company, I'm afraid I'll have to collect your bodies after the New Year."
Lin Wan's eyes lit up, the warmth of 'being taken care of' sending a tremor through her heart. But immediately, a deeper worry surfaced: "But... what if Auntie and Uncle misunderstand?"
"Misunderstand what?" Jiang Chen looked at her with a half-smile.
Lin Wan's face instantly flushed red, and she lowered her head, not daring to speak.
Misunderstand what? She was already associated with Su Chen; what else was there to misunderstand?
"Then it's settled," Jiang Chen didn't give them a chance to back out. "Pack your necessities and a few changes of clothes. We have enough supplies in the car; we'll leave tonight. Given the current road conditions, driving the black knight, we can reach my county town by tomorrow evening."
This kind of unquestionable dominance left the three women without a counter-argument.
After the bumpy ride and the previous commotion, they had subconsciously begun to view Jiang Chen as their anchor.
Half an hour later, the black knight started moving again.
Leaving the High-tech Zone, the car entered the highway entrance leading out of the city.
It was late at night.
The atmosphere inside the cabin, however, was far more subtle than when they arrived.
Su Qingge sat in the passenger seat, watching the snowy landscape rush past the window, feeling uneasy. She wasn't afraid of negotiating multi-million dollar contracts with employees, but the thought of meeting Jiang Chen's parents gave her an unprecedented sense of nervousness. What was this? The ugly daughter-in-law meeting the in-laws?
In the back cabin.
Chen Man swung the half-finished glass of red wine in her hand, her eyes looking vague.
She looked at Jiang Chen's back in the driver's seat ahead, then at Lin Wan beside her who was peeling an orange for Jiang Chen, and a strong sense of crisis arose spontaneously.
Su Qingge was the official 'creditor turned boss,' sharing a deep financial and physical bond with Jiang Chen; one could even say Jiang Chen had saved her life.
Although Lin Wan had a weak personality, her gentle, wife-like quality was the most likely to evoke a man's protective instinct.
The way Jiang Chen looked at her when he ate what she fed him just now was unusual.
Only her.
Chen Man gave a self-deprecating smile.
Aside from that one sneak attack in the bathtub that night, she seemed to be the most distant from Jiang Chen.
"Stop the car," Chen Man suddenly called out.