Although many people had heard about Qin Jiang's various legends and titles, hearing the host summarize them like this still left them deeply shocked:
Chief Young Entrepreneur of Three Provinces!
Founder of milk tea!
The Midas touch behind a viral variety show!
Planner of famous national tourist attractions!
...Each title alone was enough to astound people, enough for a person to achieve fame and success, yet all these titles appeared on the same person, and this person was a young man in his early twenties.
It was truly unbelievable! Astounding!
Hiss... Hiss... Gasps of cold air were incessant.
"Although I knew Chairman Qin was amazing, I never expected him to be this amazing? Such brilliant titles..."
"The host's introduction took so long! Most importantly, every single title was too impressive to hide..."
"I'm so envious..."
Many couldn't help but exclaim. Even some of the prominent figures in their respective schools secretly clicked their tongues. Compared to Qin Jiang's titles, their own seemed insignificant:
A certain district's youth entrepreneur pioneer!
A rising star in a certain field!
A certain university student writer!
...Normally, these would be huge halos in their respective schools, titles that would amaze countless people. But they were incomparable to Qin Jiang's titles. Qin Jiang's titles weren't just for a school; they were national, something that could be mentioned in any setting. They represented the highest honors achieved in various fields, truly:
A firefly vying with the bright moon!!!
It could be said:
The greatest dream of these prominent figures, in the eyes of others, was to achieve what Qin Jiang had today.
Even... just one of his achievements!!!
...Wu Yue couldn't help but click his tongue, "I hadn't even noticed that my student already has so many astonishing titles."
He said to Du Sen, "Elder Du! My student isn't bad, right? Every one of these titles is real, not false!"
Du Sen nodded calmly.
Didn't he agree to co-establish this research center precisely because he saw Qin Jiang's impressive track record?
One or two successful projects might just be riding a trend, but so many successful projects indicated that Qin Jiang possessed great business talent and a keen sense for finance and economics.
Especially:
That Songjiang Sleepless City!
It wasn't just a money pit; it also brought a large influx of people to the city of Songjiang, stimulating Songjiang's economy.
The leaders of Song University also couldn't help but feel a secret envy.
Qin Jiang! Such a brilliant and extraordinary talent actually emerged from Vocational University, but he also understood that throughout history, there have always been extraordinary talents who rise from the bottom: "It doesn't matter! Although he wasn't cultivated by Song University, he will soon be considered a Song University student, one of our excellent alumni in the future, and it also completes the task from above."
That's right!
The reason Song University collaborated with Vocational University on the research center was not only because they valued Qin Jiang. Although Qin Jiang was legendary, Song University's history was not lacking in legendary alumni. A Vocational University undergraduate like Qin Jiang truly hadn't reached the level where they would make an exception to offer him a guaranteed spot for postgraduate study. Instead, it was a joint effort completed through Principal Wu's hard work and the coordination of higher-ups.
The goal:
To keep Qin Jiang in Songjiang!
Song University might not lack an excellent alumnus like Qin Jiang, but for Songjiang's economy, it desperately needed an excellent entrepreneur like Qin Jiang who could make great contributions to the local economy. The higher-ups were not worried about Qin Jiang studying at other schools in Songjiang, but rather concerned that schools in other cities might have ideas, which is why today's strategy of a joint research center came about... Backstage.
Si Jiu was stunned by the host's words.
He scratched his head:
"I take back what I just said about her. She actually has some skill! She spoke very well!"
Qin Jiang: ... Immediately.
After the host's renewed call, "Please welcome! Chairman Qin!", he no longer hesitated. He straightened his clothes and strode onto the stage.
At the same time.
Si Jiu stood quietly, watching everyone below, mentally preparing to protect his Jiang Ge.
On stage!
Qin Jiang came to the center of the stage and scanned the audience. Immediately, many students felt a wave of pressure, feeling as if the person on stage was like the dazzling sun, impossible to look at directly: "Hello everyone! I am... Qin Jiang!"
Whoosh... Boom... Deafening applause echoed through the hall. Countless people looked at Qin Jiang with fervent gazes. Some bolder individuals shouted:
"Hello, Chairman Qin!"
"Chairman Qin is so handsome!"
"Chairman Qin is really so handsome..."
"..."
Handsome?
Perhaps!!!
Qin Jiang was not a handsome man in the traditional sense. His face was rather strong and firm! He exuded a powerful sense of presence. Normally, it would be hard to consider him handsome at first glance. But under the exaggerated titles the host had just announced, and bathed in countless spotlights at this moment, Qin Jiang was undoubtedly handsome!
Even:
So handsome that everyone was captivated, undeniably handsome... This was the added effect of charisma and reputation! Not to mention that Qin Jiang's face was already not bad; even if his face couldn't be seen, he would still have to be considered handsome.
In front.
Du Sen's face was bewildered.
What happened!
He just got on stage, said his name, and then people called him handsome? And there was thunderous applause? What's wrong with young people these days? Was Qin Jiang handsome? At least in his eyes, he was just average; he preferred a square face.
At this moment.
Facing the roaring applause and countless compliments from below, Qin Jiang's expression remained unchanged.
Just a small scene!
Having lived two lives: how could he not handle such a small scene!
He waved his hand to quiet the shouts from below and said, "Today! I have been invited by Song University to give a speech here. To be honest! You might not know this: even at this very moment, I have not prepared any speech, nor do I intend to give a speech here!"
As soon as these words came out.
Everyone below was stunned: What does he mean? No speech prepared? Not giving a speech? Then what is he doing here? Although confused, for some reason, they were even more excited for what would happen next. Speeches! Who really likes to listen to them? They're basically all the same boilerplate talks anyway.
But the Song University leaders' expressions turned grim.
No speech prepared?
And to say it so openly in front of such a large crowd?
What was Qin Jiang going to do? Was he trying to embarrass Song University? Did he think Song University wasn't worth his speech? Or did he look down on Song University?
His gaze turned to Principal Wu: "Principal Wu, what's going on?"
Principal Wu: (=ﾟДﾟ=)
He was also very confused! How would he know what was going on? Qin Jiang had clearly agreed perfectly? How did it turn out like this? But seeing the Song University leader's devouring gaze, Principal Wu could only steel himself and say, "Qin Jiang knows what he's doing!"
He knows what he's doing? The Song University leader glanced at Principal Wu and saw him composed: "I hope what you say is true..."
Cold sweat almost broke out on Principal Wu's forehead: "Qin Jiang! Chairman Qin! Boss Qin... please don't cause any trouble..."
At this moment.
Under everyone's watchful eyes,
Qin Jiang's tone shifted: "I, Qin Jiang! I don't believe my academic performance is good enough to give a speech at a top institution like Song University, and I disdain saying the same old clichéd things as other speakers. Either I don't accept this invitation to speak, or if I do, I must say something substantial. Therefore, I've decided today's speech will be in a Q&A format, where you, the audience, will ask the questions you most want answered, and I will provide them."
"Do you all agree?"
Whoosh... The crowd below erupted in noise again.
Many students cheered:
"We agree!"
"Chairman Qin is awesome!"
"This is the kind of speech we want to hear!"
They all wholeheartedly approved.
Who wants to listen to a dull and boring speech? The content is roughly the same every time. Frankly, in the past, not many people were willing to attend these speeches; they only came to see an impressive person.
As for what was said?
Most likely:
It was completely forgotten after the speech!
Qin Jiang planned to give a unique speech—no, to be precise, an interactive Q&A session. This format would certainly be more enjoyable for them than listening to a lecture, so how could they not agree!
...At the front.
The Song University leadership's expression softened. Qin Jiang's words just now about a 'top institution' clearly elevated Song University, and at least he hadn't disrespected it, which significantly improved his perception of Qin Jiang. He looked at Wu Yue and said, "Old Wu, your excellent student, it seems we're about to hear a special speech."
Wu Yue couldn't help but sigh in relief while also pouting.
Old Wu?
Didn't he just call him Principal Wu?
He changes his tune quite quickly...
Up on stage.
Qin Jiang didn't waste time: "Since no one objects, we will now proceed with random questions. To prevent anyone from thinking I've hired shills, please look at the big screen."
He pointed to the back.
At the same time:
Whoosh... The big screen lit up, and along with it, several cameras in front of the stage. As the cameras rotated, images appeared on the big screen: the people in the audience below.
Qin Jiang: "Alright, get ready!"
"Start!"
The big screen began to rotate rapidly.
A moment later.
Qin Jiang said: "Stop!"
Whoosh!
The image froze on a girl! Next to her was a boy; they had been standing very close. But when the girl saw herself and the boy on the big screen, she subconsciously moved away from him, then immediately stood up excitedly.
The boy: ╭(°A°`)╮
A staff member below handed her a microphone.
The girl took the microphone, highly agitated: "Chairman Qin... Chairman Qin, hello, my name is Sun Yufei! I'm honored to be the first person to ask you a question. Perhaps this is fate..."
The boy: w(ﾟДﾟ)w
What? He asked her to ask a question? What's this talk about fate? And: Isn't her name Sun Shufang? When did she become Sun Yufei? Did she change her name?
The girl completely ignored the boy's expression and looked at Qin Jiang with eager anticipation.
Qin Jiang barely glanced at her, calmly saying:
"Please ask your question..."
Sun Yufei: "Um... Chairman Qin, what kind of girl do you like... What are your requirements for a future partner?"
Many girls in the audience perked up their ears, their gazes fixed on Qin Jiang, eagerly awaiting his answer.
Amidst countless expectations.
Qin Jiang: "I like... girls who don't have boyfriends. As for my requirements for a future partner, two words: independent! Meaning financially independent, personally independent, and inherently independent!"
"Hahahaha..."
The entire audience burst into laughter!
Everyone understood the meaning behind Qin Jiang's words, and combining it with the expression of the boy next to the girl in the image, their eyes looked at the girl with a hint of playfulness, and at the boy with pity.
Sun Yufei was filled with embarrassment amidst the laughter, but she still feigned composure and quickly said before the staff member took the microphone away: "I don't have a boyfriend, and I usually like to work part-time. I am very independent both financially and personally!"
The boy: "..."
Hello? Do you even hear what you're saying? No boyfriend? Then who am I? A chump? And financially independent? Did you forget all those times you coolly swiped my meal card!
The boy felt a chill in his heart; he hadn't expected his girlfriend to say such things for an unattainable man.
After Sun Yufei sat down, she was also stunned. She hadn't even thought about why she said those things. She just felt that she finally had a chance to interact with such a top-tier individual and didn't want to miss it, even if there was only a one-in-ten-thousand possibility. As for her boyfriend?
Heh heh... What if he's dissatisfied? It's 2012! Three-legged toads are hard to find, but two-legged simps are everywhere.
Would he really dare to break up with her?
...Qin Jiang didn't pause: "Next..."
The big screen flashed rapidly again, and soon, at Qin Jiang's call to stop, the image landed on a boy.
The boy stood up, his face full of confusion: "Um... I'd like to ask: Chairman Qin, what do you think is most important for a university student?"
Qin Jiang:
"Get a girlfriend!"
"Cough cough... Just kidding. The most important thing is to attend classes! If you don't go to class, you won't get a girlfriend!"
Whoosh... The entire audience burst into laughter again.
Next.
One question after another was asked:
"Chairman Qin: Is making money more important, or is happiness more important?"
"Happily making money is more important!"
"Chairman Qin! What do people live for...?"
"Living!"
"Are you an only child?"
"Please add the word 'born.' I am an only son, but I have thousands of brothers from different fathers and mothers."
...One by one, either nonsensical or interesting questions were asked, and Qin Jiang's answers were also very amusing, often eliciting bursts of laughter. Although the speech itself had no profound meaning until now, it was very enjoyable for everyone present, and countless students were extremely excited.
However, many teachers and leaders in the front row had stiff expressions; they were clearly unaccustomed to this kind of speech.
Especially Du Sen, he frowned and said, "What kind of questions are these? They have no substance at all..."
Wu Yue was about to speak.
Just then, another boy stood up and asked: "Chairman Qin! Everyone across the country is now saying that the internet is the general trend, the economic lifeline. What do you think...?"
This question:
Immediately made the teachers and others all perk up and listen intently.
Even:
Du Sen was also drawn in by the topic and looked towards the stage.
Many other students below had already been energized by Qin Jiang's previous topics. Qin Jiang was a true business magnate, and his vision was undoubtedly ahead of its time. His answer would also influence their judgment on future employment.
Qin Jiang looked at the countless people below and said, "The internet! It will be the biggest trend in the next two decades and will change the world. In the future, countless internet giant Groups in the business world will emerge."
The entire venue subtly buzzed.
No one expected Qin Jiang to place such importance on the future of the internet!
The biggest trend!
Change the world!
Countless giants!
...Every word was so significant!
Du Sen even frowned slightly.
Wu Yue and the others, however, were quite calm. The internet was rapidly taking off, and there were many who shared Qin Jiang's views, though none had stated it as emphatically as he did.
The boy asked again: "Since Chairman Qin also believes this, then why isn't Black Dragon Group's focus on the internet?"
Yes?
Why not?
Others felt the same way.
Qin Jiang didn't give them much time to ponder, providing the answer in four words: [Industry invigorates the nation].
"Industry invigorates the nation."
Industry Revitalizes the Nation!"
These four words were like a massive stone thrown into a calm pond, naturally sparking countless discussions:
"Industry Revitalizes the Nation? How did it escalate to this level? I think I've heard this phrase in a TV show."
"Who still says that nowadays? I believe Chairman Qin isn't being honest and is just changing the subject… Maybe he's even less optimistic about the internet than you are, but he just doesn't want to oppose the bigwigs who support the internet trend…"
"I think you're right…"
Below, countless students didn't believe the four words Qin Jiang spoke. It was simply that these four words were too grand and lofty. Instead of believing that Qin Jiang intended to revitalize the nation through industry, it was more plausible to believe he thought industry had better prospects for making money.
After all:
There were not a few prominent figures who staunchly upheld traditional industries, believing the internet to be virtual and unreliable… Even the teachers who came to listen to the lecture didn't believe him. Sure enough, Qin Jiang couldn't escape the mundane, eventually resorting to the typical bombastic speech routine, forcefully elevating his own status!
Industry Revitalizes the Nation!
Who in the 21st century still shouts such an unbelievable slogan!
…Wu Yue smacked his lips and said to Du Sen, "Elder Du, this student of mine speaks a bit boastfully, but he's definitely not someone who likes to brag. It's just his tone is a little grand."
In front.
Du Sen's eyes narrowed slightly:
Boastful?
Very boastful?
The slogan "Industry Revitalizes the Nation" is not something an ordinary entrepreneur would dare to shout. Most who shout it today are mere clowns. But is Qin Jiang a clown? A person who, at a young age, is worth tens of billions and has created countless business miracles, is he really just spouting empty words? Especially since Du Sen heard an unwavering tone in Qin Jiang's words, completely unlike a lie.
So… is he really doing something to revitalize the nation through industry?
Or is he doing something he believes will revitalize the nation?
But no matter which one: perhaps there's a difference in contribution to society, but that intention is absolutely good. Du Sen looked at Qin Jiang with much softer eyes: "This student, he's good!"
Wu Yue: (=ﾟДﾟ=)
How is he good?
What the heck? You like people who brag? Who are boastful? You should have said so earlier! If I had known, I would have told you all about this kid's pretentious acts… The young man paused for a moment upon hearing this reply.
Then he asked the question on everyone's mind: "Industry Revitalizes the Nation! How can industry revitalize the nation? Why can't the internet revitalize the nation?"
Qin Jiang: "First: I want to tell you that the internet can also revitalize the nation. In the future, the internet will change society and bring countless conveniences to countless people: whether in shopping, travel, payment, entertainment, information access channels… all will see fundamental improvements, even disruptive improvements beyond current public Cognition, and will bring earth-shattering changes to people's lives. This is the general trend."
His tone was utterly convincing.
The people below were all bewildered: The internet can change society and bring earth-shattering changes to their lives? And it's the general trend?
Can it really be like that?
Why is Qin Jiang so certain? Is he just young and arrogant? Or has he truly predicted the future economy? But if Qin Jiang is certain that the internet can also revitalize the nation, why does he also say that industry revitalizes the nation?
This is indeed a bit contradictory!
Qin Jiang didn't wait for the young man to ask again and continued, "But what are the internet's drawbacks? It's virtual, it's just a carrier, it only serves as a platform. It can increase life efficiency by several, or even dozens of times, but it doesn't require many employees. This is undoubtedly friendly to internet companies, saving a lot of personnel expenses, but for workers… it's very unfriendly."
"The widespread popularity of the internet will definitely squeeze the real economy. A sluggish real economy will lead to massive layoffs. Coupled with the limited number of employees required by newly emerging internet Groups that occupy the market, this will lead to one situation: unemployment! And unemployment will lead to a sharp decrease in consumption power and an economic downturn! Therefore, only industry can revitalize the economy!"
Below.
Listening to Qin Jiang's eloquent speech, everyone couldn't help but get drawn into his logic, as if they saw a future where working would be difficult.
Developed internet!
Decline of physical businesses!
…Will that time really come?
For a moment:
The people present fell silent for a moment, then quickly shook their heads. They thought Qin Jiang's words were a bit exaggerated. Currently, the physical industry is very developed. Even though many people know that the internet is powerful and rising, they still don't believe that physical businesses can truly be suppressed to that extent by the internet. Wu Yue and others had similar thoughts.
The internet!
In their eyes, it was still a bit ethereal!
The internet defeating physical businesses!
It's a bit ridiculous… It would be hard to even achieve a balance of power! Right now, just the booming real estate industry alone can suppress all internet Groups, preventing them from raising their heads.
No matter how hard they racked their brains, they couldn't imagine that in the future, seven out of ten of China's top 100 Groups would be internet Groups.
Physical businesses… completely failing!
Real estate… even more thoroughly scrapped!
Only.
Du Sen's eyes were bright: "Only physical businesses can change the future? The internet is ultimately ephemeral. He can see so far at such a young age, he can see that future internet Groups will inevitably flourish, and he can even see the consequences of internet Groups affecting physical businesses… This young man's insights into economics are truly profound…"
…The young man: "Chairman Qin! Since the internet will bring such harm in the future, how will it develop? Why isn't it stopped?"
Qin Jiang: "Stop it! What do you think the internet will be in the future? Watching TV and playing games on your phone? No…"
"The future internet is you sitting at home with your phone, able to buy anything, and someone will deliver it to your door in a few days. It's when you're hungry, your phone can buy food, and it's delivered in half an hour. It's being able to pay with your phone when you buy things, using your phone to buy train tickets, plane tickets, even scenic spot tickets, booking hotels… Your phone can pay anywhere, and with your phone, you don't need to carry anything else! It will even develop into: self-driving cars, automated factory machines, unmanned delivery… smart robots… super AI…"
Qin Jiang described the changes the future internet would bring to humanity, and even revealed future trends.
Everyone below was stunned by the information Qin Jiang revealed.
Phones making food and goods delivered to your door!
Phones being able to pay anywhere!
Just take your phone when you go out!
…Although there are already some signs of these things, they still sound unbelievable. Furthermore: if buying everything with a phone can be explained, then self-driving cars, fully automated machine processing, smart robots… sound similar to what's shown in sci-fi movies. Could it be that Chairman Qin has watched too many sci-fi movies? Even if such situations can be realized, it will be many years from now, too distant!
The young man also asked his doubt at this moment: "Chairman Qin! How many years will it take to realize what you just said…?"
The next moment.
Qin Jiang's incredibly firm voice rang out: "Buying everything with a phone: three to five years! As for self-driving, AI, robots: as short as a dozen years, as long as twenty to thirty years!"
"Ladies and gentlemen! You will witness it all!"
Three to five years!
Twenty to thirty years!
They can all bear witness!
Hiss... sounds of gasps filled the air.
They somewhat understood the phrase "the general trend" in Qin Jiang's words. If things developed as Qin Jiang said, who could stop it? Who would dare to stop it? It truly was an unstoppable tide. They couldn't even imagine such a life. If it really developed, what did a little impact matter?
Convenient living is progress. The decline of physical businesses is merely the relentless crushing of the wheels of time; one cannot give up eating for fear of choking.
Qin Jiang concluded, "Though there are drawbacks, the benefits are far greater! It's unstoppable!" His words were full of certainty. He had seen people in later generations witness the decline of physical businesses and not even think of stopping the internet!
A male student asked his final question, "Chairman Qin! Since you know it's an unstoppable trend, why don't you go with the flow? Even if you believe in industry revitalizing the nation, why not combine industry with the internet?"
Qin Jiang smiled, "Doing business isn't child's play! Industry and the internet are fundamentally two separate lines! They will definitely have overlapping areas in the later stages, but trying to reach the peak on both legs simultaneously will increase the difficulty factor by more than several times." In later generations, internet Groups also ventured into physical industries after solidifying their positions, whether to consolidate their business empire or to integrate the upstream and downstream of the industry. Similarly, those industrial Groups would also integrate with the internet later to leverage its convenience.
These all, without exception, indicate:
The internet and physical businesses are destined to intersect!
However, those who succeed in being complementary usually share a characteristic: their commercial foundation is already very stable.
Qin Jiang: "The internet and physical businesses! A complementary situation is destined to emerge. Physical businesses need the internet to become more convenient and expand more channels, and the internet likewise relies on physical businesses to stabilize itself. But all of this must be built on one premise: a stable business empire... that is to say: theoretically, the internet and physical businesses! The best way to intersect is to choose a certain field, grow large enough, and then, with the general trend, acquire, or invest massive amounts of capital to achieve it!"
"The internet and physical businesses! Most emerging entrepreneurs choose the internet; it offers more possibilities, a larger vision, and is easier to operate in the financial market."
"But it's still the same saying: industry revitalizes the nation! No matter how difficult the path of industry is, Black Dragon Group will still start with industry."
"Industry as the foundation! The internet as tentacles!"
"This is the future development path of Black Dragon Group. Although the journey may be difficult and the future uncertain, as a member of society, Black Dragon Group inherently exists by relying on society and must contribute its share to the social economy."
Qin Jiang's words grew more and more impassioned, his voice louder and louder, echoing through the venue and exploding in the ears of countless people:
"As an entrepreneur! Earning money is instinct! But contributing to society is also an entrepreneur's duty. How can one only know the word 'money' when enjoying the benefits society provides?"
"Businesses have no right or wrong! Entrepreneurs have right or wrong!"
"Those who disregard workers shall be condemned by all!"
Buzz... Everyone felt countless thunderclaps exploding in their minds.
Initially, many people might not have understood Qin Jiang's discussion of industry and the internet, but his subsequent words about businesses and right or wrong, entrepreneurs having right or wrong... those who disregard workers... and so on.
They were completely awestruck, even if they didn't fully grasp it!
Those who understood were even more shocked!
What an absolutely grand vision!
Du Sen: "Businesses have no right or wrong, entrepreneurs have right or wrong! Good! Excellent! What a fine statement, 'those who disregard workers shall be condemned by all.' This is the sentiment a contemporary entrepreneur should have, this is the vision a true entrepreneur should possess. If all Chinese enterprises were like this, why would we worry about not prospering greatly?"
He looked at Qin Jiang, his gaze no longer scrutinizing, but filled with approval, admiration, and even a touch of respect.
Qin Jiang had just analyzed the great trend of the internet, knew that the internet had greater development prospects in the future, and understood that physical businesses would become increasingly difficult, yet he still chose to focus on physical industry despite knowing this.
It could be said:
Knowing there are tigers on the mountain, he still goes towards the tiger mountain!
This spirit is rare for ordinary people, let alone for a top entrepreneur like Qin Jiang.
At this moment:
Du Sen wished he could rush up and hug Qin Jiang and kiss him!
Wu Yue's mouth hung open:
"This... this... looks so awesome..."
...At this moment.
Qin Jiang looked at the shocked eyes of countless people below, and his own heart felt a surge. Were the words he just spoke sincere?
Truly: even if the main route of physical industry was initially for his brothers to have stable jobs and continue to conquer the world with him, in the final analysis, it would still lead to industry revitalizing the nation. Isn't that enough?
Since ancient times: judge by deeds, not by intentions!
Immediately.
While everyone was still processing his previous words, Qin Jiang spoke loudly again, "Today, I will make a promise to all of you students, all you media, and everyone watching Black Dragon Group:
I, Qin Jiang, Chairman of Black Dragon Group, promise: every year, 5% of Songjiang Sleepless City's turnover will be used for public welfare: contributing to Songjiang's education, medical care, and good deeds!
I ask all of you to bear witness!"
...: "How is that possible? Is Chairman Qin crazy?"
: "What's wrong with you? Why are you shouting? Isn't it just 5% for public welfare? Is that a lot?"
: "Is that a lot? Remove the 'is that'! That's 5% of Songjiang Sleepless City's turnover, do you understand? Based on current trends, Songjiang Sleepless City's annual turnover is four to five billion, so 5% is two hundred million. Two hundred million! To be honest, Songjiang Sleepless City's net profit is only around 30%, so donating one-sixth of that for public welfare is too generous, and it's every year..."
: "What? Two hundred million..."
Initially, some people didn't understand the significance of Qin Jiang's words, but after some insiders explained, everyone gasped:
Hiss... Hiss...: "Damn it! Stop hissing... You'll run out of oxygen..."
Shock!
Unbelievable shock!
Donating two hundred million every year? Is this the entrepreneur who believes in industry revitalizing the nation? He's actually giving things away... Wu Yue's eyes widened: Damn! Is this kid really that generous? He's truly willing to spend money!
Du Sen: "I'm taking this student! My closed-door disciple! He must be my closed-door disciple!!!"
...Qin Jiang's expression was calm.
Just a few hundred million!
Songjiang Sleepless City's original positioning was a protective charm. Since that's the case, why not use it to create an even more solid golden body... The speech ended!
...Qin Jiang descended the stage, holding the microphone.
Backstage.
The female host quickly approached Qin Jiang.
Qin Jiang couldn't help but frown: "Another one trying to cozy up?"
The host pointed to the microphone in Qin Jiang's hand: "Chairman Qin, the microphone belongs to the auditorium. Please return it to me!"
Qin Jiang: ...The host took the microphone and turned to leave without hesitation, clearly having no ulterior motives towards Qin Jiang.
Si Jiu: "Jiang Ge! She doesn't like you..."
Qin Jiang: ...Nonsense!
Did he really think he was a novel protagonist? Loved by everyone!
...After Qin Jiang left, the crowd in the auditorium still hadn't emerged from the atmosphere of shock, but they didn't know that this was just a shock to their minds; they were about to experience an even more visually impactful shock...
A long time passed.
"Hoo…" Everyone finally caught their breath: "Today really opened my eyes. This is a speech by a top boss. I benefited a lot…"
"I was a bit reluctant to spend a few hundred yuan, but he just donated hundreds of millions with a wave of his hand… and he has to donate every year… Awesome…"
"What's the big deal! If I had hundreds of millions, I'd donate too…"
"Haha… if you had ten thousand…"
"Holy crap! Did you check my bank balance?"
Many people were shocked by the news of Qin Jiang's massive donation of hundreds of millions. They were deeply moved by his spirit of contributing to the economy, willing to sacrifice his own interests, and unafraid of hardship. Even though many believed Qin Jiang wasn't entirely sincere, they were still influenced by the atmosphere of the speech and Qin Jiang's impassioned words, becoming deeply immersed in that emotion.
However, unlike the vast majority of people who were only shocked by the donation in Qin Jiang's speech, some outstanding students from Song University had shining eyes. They caught Qin Jiang's analysis of the future economy in his words.
Internet economy!
It will take off in the future, even leading to a situation where everything can be bought with a mobile phone, and even robots, autonomous driving, and so on.
The physical economy, on the other hand, will face difficult circumstances.
So… if Qin Jiang's predictions are accurate, they will need to re-plan their future career arrangements.
Some people already had ideas:
"Will the internet economy really develop so powerfully in the future? Is it possible for me to get a piece of the pie?"
"Mobile phones can do everything: pay, watch everything, buy things… then I can also start somewhere…"
"Intelligence? Robots? Autonomous driving… I can directly work in these leading industries…"
Suddenly:
Many outstanding students from Song University began to re-plan their future career paths. Qin Jiang was unaware that his speech, while not completely changing the massive landscape of the future internet, did lead to the emergence of many small industry giants in the internet sector that did not appear in his previous life.
Even… several influential figures emerged in the fields of artificial intelligence and autonomous driving. After achieving success and fame, these individuals all unanimously stated that they entered the industry because they heard Qin Jiang's speech.
As a result, Qin Jiang's speech became one of the most famous speeches in the future, a truly legendary moment.
He was called the King of Prophecy by countless people!
He was also called: The Commercial Prophet!
...At the same time, Qin Jiang's emphasis on industrial revitalization in his speech also had a significant impact, further solidifying his social status.
Of course… these are all later stories!
People throughout the venue began to leave in large numbers.
In front.
All the reporters looked excited:
"I originally thought I was just coming to film a speech, and that Chairman Qin's first speech would just be a bit of a gimmick, but I never expected to hear such shocking information. This is simply huge news…"
"This news will definitely cause countless public discussions… even the leaders above will pay attention… It's going to explode!"
"No… I need to quickly send the news back…"
News is time-sensitive: if other media outlets release it first, their own influence will be greatly diminished. Therefore, these reporters and media personnel, all highly wary of others around them, quickly rushed out of the venue.
They took out their phones and reported:
"Editor-in-chief! I witnessed big news! Qin Jiang! That Black Dragon Chairman, he said that the internet is the future trend… and he said he's going to donate hundreds of millions…"
"Boss! Qin Jiang is going to donate hundreds of millions, and he'll donate every year… Which Qin Jiang? Of course, Chen Jiang Wang…"
...Dong!
Du Sen stood up, leaning on his cane.
Wu Yue: "Elder Du, I didn't lie to you, did I? Qin Jiang is truly a good student. He definitely won't disgrace you… But, he does have a bit of a temper, you know. He's young! Has status! A bit arrogant! I'll slowly teach him to change…"
Du Sen: "Change what? Why should he change? My closed-door disciple, at such a young age, has achieved what he has today and possesses such awareness. What right do you have to teach him? And make him change…"
Wu Yue: (꒪Д꒪)ノ
No?
He's your disciple now? And a closed-door one?
Didn't you say you were still going to observe him just now? Didn't you say just now that not everyone with money was qualified to be your disciple?
He didn't realize that Du Sen was now completely won over by Qin Jiang's words. Such an entrepreneur, who not only focused on money but also took the revitalization of the social economy as his responsibility, and was even willing to pay any price.
What's wrong with him being his closed-door disciple?
Even:
Qin Jiang's insights into the economy greatly impacted him. If it weren't for the fact that master-disciple relationships were no longer popular, he would have taken him as one.
Song University Leader: "Then I congratulate Elder Du in advance on taking in your proud student…" He was also very satisfied with Qin Jiang. Being able to be with Elder Du not only allowed them to complete the task assigned by the higher-ups but also further enhanced Song University's heritage, killing two birds with one stone! Why not!
...Outside.
Qin Jiang strode out.
Si Jiu followed beside him, excitedly saying, "Jiang Ge, you spoke really well just now? Although I didn't understand it."
Qin Jiang: …Just walked out the door.
He You quietly greeted him: "Jiang Ge!"
Qin Jiang: "Go back!"
He You: "Alright!"
He quickly led the Black Dragon Personnel to clear the way ahead.
The way back!
It was much smoother than coming.
Most of the people who wanted to see Qin Jiang had already seen him. More people were still in the auditorium after listening to the speech and had not yet come out. Only a very small number of people continued to gather around Qin Jiang without obstructing his passage. Only a few persistent girls still appeared on the necessary path, standing in two rows, showcasing themselves to their fullest, naturally not attracting any of Qin Jiang's attention!
...They... despaired!
"No? My legs are numb from standing… Why doesn't he look at me… Is it not big enough? But I've padded it three layers…"
"He didn't even glance! The makeup I paid 1000 yuan to a senior makeup artist to do… was all for nothing…"
"The custom-made gown I rented… The money I got from several simps…"
...Hotel!
The boss looked puzzled: "It's been over an hour, why hasn't anyone come yet? Did the appointment fail? It's good if it failed! That scruffy beard clearly doesn't belong to a good person, saving others from harm…"
...Second floor!
Han Yu stood behind the curtains, waiting quietly. His eyes also showed anxiety. Years of inactivity, coupled with continuous setbacks just now, had made him lose his usual calmness: "Why is it so difficult to kill just one Qin Jiang? This won't work, that won't work! Such a small matter in a novel would only take a few chapters, so why is it still not over after more than a dozen chapters? Is it true that a great figure like Qin Jiang is destined to be difficult to kill?"
As Han Yu's thoughts raced.
Splash… A burst of noise came from the street ahead, and a large group of Black Dragon Personnel quickly surrounded one person and walked out.
Just by the entourage, one knew:
Qin Jiang… is out!!!
He's here…"
Han Yu's eyes instantly filled with killing intent. He remained hidden behind the curtain, but his gaze was exceptionally sharp.
Click… He cocked the gun!
Everything was ready. He was just waiting for Qin Jiang to enter his attack range. This time, Han Yu decided that no matter what happened, and no matter if anyone blocked his line of sight, he would act.
This was his only chance!
If he missed this opportunity, he wouldn't have time to wait for the next. Feifei's body might be discovered at any moment. Even though he had disguised it, current technical methods couldn't conceal it for too long.
Han Yu was like a sharp sword about to be unsheathed!
...Below.
He You was clearing the way ahead:
"Excuse me… Excuse me…"
Watching the crowd ahead gradually thin out, and seeing the Black Dragon Group getting closer, his heart settled. It seemed his first escort mission was about to be successfully completed. Although such an escort mission might seem trivial to many, it was incredibly important to He You, who was executing his first mission and was immensely grateful to Qin Jiang.
He You felt a slight daze… For a moment, he jolted and pinched himself. "He You! How can you be so complacent? The mission isn't over yet! If you can't stay calm over such a small matter, how can you achieve great things?"
Thinking of this, he focused all his attention...
Second floor.
Han Yu watched Qin Jiang gradually enter the target range. He frowned slightly at the many students shouting and following, but it was just a slight frown, with no real hesitation. If he accidentally injured someone… then they could only blame their own bad luck… One second… Two seconds… Five seconds later!
A girl, still getting no response from Qin Jiang, shouted. Wearing high heels, she could no longer keep up. She stood with her hands on her hips, her legs trembling uncontrollably. Her falling behind immediately created a gap, allowing Qin Jiang's figure to perfectly align with Han Yu's line of sight.
No hesitation!
No delay!
Step!
Han Yu shifted half a step, aimed at Qin Jiang, and pulled the trigger.
At the same time, below, He You, who was looking around, his gaze slightly froze. He subconsciously turned his head slightly again, looking at the second floor of the hotel opposite. He vaguely saw half a figure with a lowered baseball cap in front of a certain window.
The figure wasn't prominent!
At least, compared to the large number of people on both sides with their heads out watching Qin Jiang, it was as normal as could be.
But He You's body trembled! Because he was somewhat familiar with this baseball cap. He couldn't forget his first major mission: assisting the Thief King in managing the security and anti-pickpocketing operations of Songjiang Sleepless City. That time, the Thief King told him that the man in the baseball cap was suspicious. He immediately investigated him. Although nothing was found in the end, that person left a deep impression on him:
Cold!
Isolated!
Cut off from others!
...So, when he saw that unclear figure with only half a baseball cap visible behind the curtain on the second floor opposite, he subconsciously thought of that person. His intuition even told him he hadn't mistaken him. But why would that person appear here?
And on the second floor of Jiang Ge's inevitable path!
What did he want to do?
Was it really normal for someone the Thief King considered a desperado to intersect with Jiang Ge's route twice? Suddenly, he saw the baseball cap figure protrude a little, raising a hand. A black object came into view:
"Oh no…"
He You's face drastically changed. His brain instantly realized this person intended to harm Jiang Ge, and he also instantly recognized what was in his hand. But there was no time to think. His body dashed towards Qin Jiang's direct front, blocking and shouting:
"Protect Jiang…"
Bang!
Before the words finished, the gunshot rang out!
At this moment, the world seemed to fall silent!
He You was seen blocking in front of Qin Jiang in a spread-eagle shape. A bullet hole appeared in his chest, and trickles of fresh blood seeped out, staining his black clothes crimson, like a blooming flower…
"Damn it!"
Han Yu's eyes showed disbelief. His lethal shot was actually blocked, and by a young man who appeared out of nowhere. How did he suddenly discover him? It shouldn't be! Many doubts surged in his mind, but as a professional killer, he didn't hesitate. He slightly adjusted his angle and instantly fired a second shot:
But he was fast, and someone was faster than him. The moment the gunshot rang out, Si Jiu reacted. His originally calm eyes suddenly turned crimson as he looked at the second floor opposite, grabbed a nearby public trash can, and threw it out fiercely. At the same time, he charged out wildly.
Clang!
The bullet hit the wrought-iron trash can, producing a metallic clang. The trash can veered off course and crashed into the wall on the first floor.
Boom… The loud noise startled Han Yu:
The second shot missed again!
He raised his gun, about to aim for the third time. Even if he saw a monster comparable to a brown bear charging at him, he didn't care. But before he could, "Holy crap…" he saw a black object flying towards him. It was the iron ball in Si Jiu's hand. Instinct made him dodge to the side.
Swish!
Boom… The iron ball smashed into the second floor, hitting the wall, and creating a deep pit before falling down.
Clang!
It made a crashing sound on the ground.
"Damn it… Is this even human? ∑(O_O;)"
Han Yu was so shocked his mouth almost hung open, but his hand didn't stop. He continued to shoot outside: Bang! Bang!
Of the two shots, one clearly hit.
Han Yu's face lit up with joy, but the next moment, before he could check the situation outside, he saw that dark figure shatter the window and burst in:
Crash… Crackle… Boom… Si Jiu's massive body, carrying countless shards of glass, appeared before Han Yu. His crimson eyes seemed to breathe fire as he looked at Han Yu and spat out three icy words: "You! Are! Dead!"
Han Yu: (꒪ ȏ ꒪ ;)
Facing Si Jiu, this fierce god, even with a gun in his hand, he felt a chill run through him. He instinctively raised the gun:
Si Jiu was a step faster, reaching out and grabbing his wrist, twisting it:
Crack… Han Yu felt his arm being brutally broken by an iron clamp, completely losing sensation. The gun also fell to the ground.
It's over!
Han Yu knew he had no ability to resist anymore.
After all, without a gun, he was just a slightly more muscular boy. He might be able to fight ordinary thugs, but against Si Jiu, who was like a brown bear in front of him, there was no possibility of fighting back.
In fact, at this moment, he couldn't muster any resistance!
The next moment, Han Yu felt himself being lifted into the air. Si Jiu had grabbed him and fiercely thrown him out the window:
Boom… He smashed a deep pit in the car shed roof. Even with the car as a buffer, Han Yu didn't suffer fatal injuries, but his entire body felt like it was falling apart, unable to struggle, looking miserable.
Boom… Si Jiu jumped down from the second floor. Drops of blood flowed from his palm onto the ground (Han Yu's second shot had grazed his arm), coupled with his crimson eyes and extremely violent demeanor.
It was as if a God of Slaughter had descended!!!
...At the same time.
Bang!
The shot He You fell to the ground, a large amount of blood flowing from his chest. His mouth was moving up and down, his voice like a mosquito: "Uh… Pro… protect… Jiang… Jiang Ge!!"
Whoosh... A large number of Black Dragon Personnel also reacted, frantically gathering to form a human wall, protecting Qin Jiang in the center. Even with gunshots and mortal danger, no one flinched; instead, they were all incredibly furious:
How outrageous!
Someone dared to attack Jiang Ge in broad daylight? And with a gun! And they even injured one of their Black Dragon Brothers.
This was simply unforgivable. Their eyes, filled with murderous intent, watched Han Yu struggling on the car roof, wishing they could rush up and tear him apart. But they also worried if he had accomplices and didn't dare to leave their guard, watching their surroundings.
At this moment.
Qin Jiang's body trembled as he looked at He You, who had been shot and fallen, and Si Jiu's arm, from which blood continuously dripped. In his previous life, various bloody scenes, partings of life and death, constantly flashed through his mind:
(Wang Tao: Jiang Ge... hurry... hurry...)
(Zhao Shanhe: Jiang Ge, I'll follow you again in my next life...)
(Jiang Ge... our Black Dragon Brothers followed you... no regrets... it was worth it...)
(...)
His eyes instantly turned red, losing all composure. Ignoring the Black Dragon Brothers trying to stop him, he rushed towards He You. He immediately pressed down on He You's gunshot wound to stop the bleeding.
He You looked at Qin Jiang, who was so close, and smiled: "Jiang... Jiang Ge... sorry... I can't... follow you anymore... The kindness you showed me... I... will repay it in my next life... In my next life... I... will still follow you..."
His tone was filled with determination.
No regrets!
No panic!
Even though he knew he was about to die, he didn't regret taking the bullet for Jiang Ge. He owed Jiang Ge, whether it was Jiang Ge's kindness to his family or Jiang Ge's brotherhood to him, it made him willing to die for him.
It was still that saying:
[Reporting the golden intention on the lord's platform]
[Carrying the jade dragon to die for the lord]
He You... had no regrets!!!
"No..."
Qin Jiang gripped He You's hand: "You won't die... There's no next life, only this life... My Black Dragon Brother! You must follow me in this life to enjoy wealth and glory. I won't allow you to die..."
He You: "I... I don't think there's this life..."
Qin Jiang: "I don't care what you think, I care what I think..."
He picked up He You and roared frantically:
"Car..."
"Hospital... quickly..."
"Quickly..."
...Zhang Chi sped towards the Black Dragon Group headquarters, simultaneously pulling out his phone to dial 120: "Hello! I have a person who has been shot and is about to be sent to the hospital. We will be taking the ** route. We request the hospital to dispatch a corresponding ambulance in advance for roadside treatment..."
"It's not fake... It's absolutely true... Immediately... Quickly... If you delay our Black Dragon Brother's treatment... we will complain until you go bankrupt..."
Boom... He ran to Qin Jiang's exclusive car below the Black Dragon Group building and, with a stomp on the accelerator, rushed towards the scene of the accident:
The car hadn't even stopped steadily!
Lu Nan immediately reacted, rushing up to open the car door. Qin Jiang carried He You into the back of the car.
At this moment.
Whoosh... Countless people nearby finally reacted. Everything had happened too suddenly, too quickly.
They just heard a sudden gunshot!
Then a trash can flew out, followed by the sound of a gun impact!
Si Jiu jumped to the second floor and threw a person out, who crashed onto a car with a loud thud.
Then he jumped down from the second floor!
He You was lying in a pool of blood!
...And so on.
The entire sequence of events, from start to finish, took less than a minute. This plot was more intense than a movie. Several girls who were closer saw He You lying in a pool of blood and watched Han Yu, who was groaning on the car, screaming:
"Ah... someone's dead..."
"Ah... help me..."
They scattered and ran, some with weak legs collapsing to the ground and continuously moving away. The boys were slightly better but were also scared, constantly retreating with panicked expressions, fearing that danger would continue to descend.
: "Holy crap... holy crap... an attack... a shooting..."
: "Oh my goodness... what did I see..."
: "An illusion... it must be an illusion..."
Gasps of alarm rose from all directions.
At the same time, a few calm individuals immediately called the Police. Of course, they didn't even need to call; the Police patrolling nearby had already rushed to the scene at the first moment. Upon arriving, they were collectively stunned.
Someone was lying on a car struggling... Someone was covered in blood and being held by Qin Jiang... And someone else was crawling on the ground... What exactly happened? The team leader looked at Qin Jiang, who was carrying a person and running towards the motorcade, and was about to ask questions.
Qin Jiang spoke first: "Someone attacked me here. My Black Dragon Brother took a bullet for me. The attacker has been knocked down from the second floor by my Black Dragon Brother Wei Biao in self-defense, he's right there... Tell Bai Meng about this: tell him I said, no matter who is involved, I will make them pay the price..." After speaking, he ignored the somewhat stunned team leader and rushed to his car, carrying He You into the car: "Go..."
Immediately.
He shouted to Si Jiu outside the window:
"Si Jiu... go... to the hospital..."
Seeing Jiang Ge anxious, Si Jiu immediately explained: "Jiang Ge! I'm fine... just a scratch, no need to worry..."
Qin Jiang breathed a sigh of relief but still said: "To the hospital!"
Si Jiu didn't dawdle and got into the SUV. After the recent attack, he was worried that Jiang Ge was still in danger and definitely needed to protect him at all times.
Boom... Boom boom... Qin Jiang's car sped towards the hospital.
Zhao Shanhe roared: "Damn it! Where did the Security Department go? Teams One, Two, and Three, all follow me to the hospital to protect Jiang Ge! Nothing else must happen."
Whoosh... A large number of Black Dragon Security Department personnel also had red faces and quickly got into their cars, following Qin Jiang's car and rushing towards the hospital... A Police officer asked: "Captain... should we stop them..."
The Police team leader cursed: "Stop what? Didn't you see someone was shot and is going to the hospital for emergency treatment? Besides: they were attacked. Even if we need to investigate, we have to wait until they handle their affairs. The chairman of the dignified Black Dragon Group isn't afraid of not finding people."
"Damn it! How did this happen in my jurisdiction today? Qin Jiang attacked? Qin Jiang's Black Dragon Brother's life hangs in the balance. This is clearly going to cause a huge stir... It's going to get big..."
After all:
Qin Jiang was currently the most popular figure in Songjiang, and even Bei Province. He was praised by leaders above, and adorned with various honors. For such a person to be attacked, and by a gun! And with a Black Dragon Brother whose life hung in the balance... He didn't dare to imagine how things would develop, but he didn't have time to consider these things. His gaze locked onto Han Yu, who was lying on the car groaning: "Quick... get him down... send him to the hospital... control him, absolutely don't let anything happen to him, and don't let him out of sight..."
...For a time.
The Police quickly rushed up to control Han Yu...
At this moment, as the Security Captain led his men away, the crowd completely erupted.
"Oh my god! What just happened? I didn't see it wrong, did I? Someone shot Chairman Qin!"
"You didn't see it wrong! It was a shooting, but it was blocked by one of the Black Dragon Personnel…"
"Who would be so audacious in broad daylight? That's Qin Jiang… a top boss in Songjiang…"
"It's normal for a boss like him to be unsafe. Everyone in the underworld has a few enemies… I can kind of understand why he insisted on a security check during his speech; he was guarding against this… too bad it wasn't enough…"
Everyone was incredibly shocked by what had just happened and offered various opinions. Some thought it was normal given Qin Jiang's background in the underworld, while others speculated it might be retaliation from some other social group. Among the discussions, Tiger Might was mentioned very frequently.
The feud between the Black Dragon Group and Tiger Might was well-known, understood by anyone with even a slight grasp of the Black Dragon Group.
Both groups started out in the underworld!
So… such ruthless methods were perfectly normal!
Someone exclaimed, "I can't believe such a deadly blow was blocked. How did that young man (He You) discover it, and after discovering it, how did he fearlessly block it? Is there really someone who isn't afraid of death? Is this the legendary brotherhood of the Jianghu?"
As soon as these words were spoken, others also expressed their profound admiration.
He You's act of blocking the bullet had a powerful impact on them, just like in Hong Kong movies, where someone would go through hell and high water for their boss, unafraid of death, willing to die.
Before, if anyone had told them such things, they would have said they watched too many movies.
But witnessing He You's act of blocking the bullet, and how the Black Dragon Personnel fearlessly stood in front of Qin Jiang, at this moment, they couldn't help but believe it.
They could only sigh, "Chairman Qin truly has charisma. He can inspire so many people to follow him, even to the point of risking their lives…"
"Didn't you see Chairman Qin's eyes were red just now? It's the first time I've seen him like that…"
"He lost his composure, and it sent shivers down my spine… I think… something big is definitely going to happen in Songjiang…"
Many felt that today's incident would surely escalate, and Chairman Qin's style of doing things meant he would never let it go.
Songjiang… was likely to face a major storm!
"Oh, right…" a young man said, "Did you guys see how awesome Si Jiu was just now? He instantly pulled down that huge iron trash can and threw it to block the bullet…"
This immediately shifted the conversation from Chairman Qin to Si Jiu. After all, Chairman Qin hadn't done much today; the true focus of the entire scene was on Si Jiu, He You, and Han Yu.
And while He You blocking the bullet and Han Yu's assassination attempt were both astonishing, they happened too quickly for anyone to see clearly.
But they witnessed Si Jiu's actions firsthand.
That was absolutely visually impactful!
"I saw it! He climbed a three-meter-high building in a few moves, shattered that huge window on the spot… and instantly threw the assassin out. He's too fierce… not human-like…"
"Not just that! Didn't you guys see? He was shot… I personally saw him get shot in the chest… but he was perfectly fine…"
"Really? Is that true?"
"It's true!"
"I don't believe it…"
"I don't believe it either…"
"I believe it! Although I didn't see him get shot, I saw the bullet holes in his clothes on his chest."
"I saw it too…"
At first, no one believed that Si Jiu had been shot in a vital area, but then several people adamantly claimed to have seen it with their own eyes. Could it… really be true?
But if it was true, why was Si Jiu unharmed? A bullet to the chest without any blood? He didn't fall to the ground like He You; instead, he was full of vigor, throwing Han Yu from the second floor and then jumping down himself. This simply defied all logic!
"Could it be…" someone exclaimed in horror, "that there really are martial arts masterpieces in the world? Legend has it that Si Jiu is a master of the Jianghu, who once defeated a martial arts expert from Shaolin Temple (referring to Si Jiu defeating the lay disciple who wanted to open a martial arts academy). Could he be practicing some kind of Diamond Shield or Iron Shirt technique…?"
"Don't even mention it… I think I really heard the sound of metal clashing…"
"There really are martial arts in the world…"
"Si Jiu is the legendary martial arts master…"
The crowd discussed endlessly, from He You to Han Yu, then to Chairman Qin, and then to Si Jiu.
And… how much of a storm this incident would cause in Songjiang… The hotel owner was listening to music and humming a song: "We common folk… are truly happy today… happy…"
"Tsk tsk… that fellow upstairs is pretty pathetic too. In his forties and still no proper job, out on a date… and he failed…"
"If it doesn't work out, I'll give him a hand…"
He lowered his head and pulled out a card from the drawer. It depicted a seductive woman with a phone number next to her: "This is perfect for him. Although she looks good in the picture, in reality… she's probably not forty, which matches his age."
Thinking of this, he was about to take the card upstairs.
Suddenly.
Bang!
A gunshot startled him.
Hotel owner: "Damn? Who the hell is setting off firecrackers…" He heard a commotion outside and was about to go check.
Bang! Bang!
Two more gunshots rang out.
Boom… The sound of shattering glass and heavy impacts on the floor suddenly came from upstairs, as if something heavy had fallen from the second floor.
Hotel owner: (=ﾟДﾟ=)
What happened upstairs?
Damn?
Someone didn't smash my window with a rock, did they?
Boom… Another deafening crash came from outside, as if something had fallen and hit the ground. The hotel owner didn't hesitate and rushed outside.
He saw that the area outside was chaotic with a large crowd gathered. There were screams, shouts, car engines roaring, people discussing, and many Police emerging.
What happened? The hotel owner was full of questions. Before he came out, Chairman Qin had already led his people to their cars. When he emerged, he only saw the convoy leaving and a cacophony of shouts from the crowd, making it impossible to analyze the situation in such a noisy environment.
At this moment, he completely forgot about the situation upstairs and immediately ran to a few people who were discussing, quickly asking, "Brothers! What just happened…"
"You don't know? It's a huge deal… Chairman Qin of the Black Dragon Group was shot… blah blah blah a whole lot…"
Someone vividly explained it to him.
Attacked Chairman Qin!
Someone was killed!
Thrown from the second floor of the hotel!
Wait… the hotel!
He looked up at the second floor across the street and indeed saw his own broken window: "Holy crap! My window…" He had just rushed forward two steps when he saw the crumpled car on the ground, his eyes widening again:
"My car… (ᵒ ̤̑ ₀ ̑ ᵒ ̤̑) wow! *✰…"
…After a long time, as people left, the news of Chairman Qin's attack quickly spread, causing a massive earthquake throughout Songjiang.
What?!"
Wu Yue, who was just exchanging pleasantries with Du Sen, suddenly stood up and looked incredulously at the person who had come to report the news:
"What did you say? Qin Jiang was shot…"
"Yes!"
Wu Yue: "How is my student? Was he shot…?"
"No! The first shot was blocked by one of the Black Dragon Personnel, and the second shot…"
The person quickly recounted what had just happened outside.
Wu Yue: "(=ﾟДﾟ=)"
"This is outrageous! What are they trying to do in broad daylight? Who has such audacity? They must be severely punished…"
He was so angry his eyes were practically spitting fire.
Qin Jiang!
He was the future hope of the Vocational University; if anything happened to him, it would be a fatal blow to the entire Vocational University. Moreover, Qin Jiang was his most prized student. Now, someone dared to commit such a heinous act. How could he accept it?!
Bang!
Du Sen slammed his hand on the table.
Wu Yue was startled.
Du Sen: "Lawless! How can my student be treated like this? I must get an explanation."
He pulled out his phone and made a call.
Wu Yue: "…" So he's your student now? But he didn't delay and also pulled out his phone. This matter absolutely could not end easily today, no matter who was involved… it wouldn't work!
…At this moment.
Roars erupted one after another from within the Black Dragon Group:
"Someone dared to attack Jiang Ge, they're asking for death! Damn it… who did it in the end?!"
"What's the situation with Jiang Ge? He's fine! That's good… What? Si Jiu Ge is injured… A brother was shot and his life is unknown…"
"Damn it… gather the men… gather the men…"
…When Zhu Zheng received the news, his eyes immediately turned bloodshot.
Jiang Ge attacked!
Si Jiu injured!
Brother shot!
…Every piece of information was a matter of furious importance to him. If it weren't for his subordinates reporting that Jiang Ge was fine and Si Jiu's injuries were only superficial, it would have been very difficult for him to calm down completely.
"Tiger Might?" Zhu Zheng clenched his fists: "If I remember correctly, Tiger Might's Wang Wei just came out again these past two days? Who gave him the courage to do this? What trump cards does he have? Could it be that he's come up with another scheme…"
Zhu Zheng fell into confusion.
In his opinion, Wang Wei had just been released, and Tiger Might was currently in turmoil, making it difficult to stabilize itself. Such an action shouldn't have been made.
But looking at this matter in Songjiang, and even Bei Province, who would dare to do such a thing, and who would do such a thing? Tiger Might is highly suspicious.
The other party has a record!
It's not impossible that they're desperate, feeling that a head-on battle with the Black Dragon Group is hopeless and planning to go down fighting.
Or:
There's another conspiracy involved.
For a moment:
Zhu Zheng couldn't figure out the specific reason behind it. He was smart but not a god; many things couldn't be analyzed without specific information. But he didn't dwell on it. The clamor outside made it clear that he had to make a decision quickly. He immediately ordered: "Pass on my order: The Black Dragon Group is to enter a state of full alert! Security Department and Transportation Department personnel are to assemble and await orders. The Security Department is to send people to keep a close watch on every move of the Tiger Might Group. No one is to make any move without receiving orders first."
"Yes!"
Some Black Dragon Personnel quickly left to relay the order.
Zhu Zheng then issued several other orders, some to stabilize the impulsive emotions of the Black Dragon Personnel and some to prepare for unexpected situations.
Immediately after.
He composed himself and said: "Prepare the car! To the hospital! Quickly!" Although Jiang Ge was fine, a brother was shot, and he was shot for Jiang Ge, so it couldn't be taken lightly.
Not just Zhu Zheng!
Wang Tao, Feng Lin, Sun Yuan, Shen Tianci, and others also rushed down quickly, got into cars, and headed to the hospital… Meanwhile, Bai Lu called Bai Meng from the car: "Brother! This matter must be investigated to the end… Jiang Ge is such a good person, such a legitimate businessman, yet someone so deranged attacked him…"
Bai Meng: "…" He really wanted to say, Qin Jiang, legitimate?
This… probably few people in Songjiang would believe it if he said it, but he didn't refuse, replying: "I am aware of the matter! No matter who is involved, it will be investigated to the end. The higher-ups have also given similar instructions."
Actually, they didn't need Bai Lu's call; they had already received the news immediately, and the higher-ups had also given instructions: to immediately form an investigation team and solve the case within 24 hours!
Who is Qin Jiang?
A top boss in Songjiang, adorned with countless accolades, and someone who had just received commendation from the higher-ups. Such a person was attacked on the street. Although Qin Jiang was not actually injured, there was a bloodshed incident, and according to the information he received, the Black Dragon Group member who was shot is in critical condition.
This matter:
It's definitely a major event that will shock Songjiang from top to bottom!
The cause and effect must be investigated in the shortest possible time, and an explanation must be given to the Black Dragon Group and the outside world as soon as possible.
At the same time, Bai Meng was also very angry. Such an incident was simply the greatest provocation to him.
Investigate!
It must be investigated to the end!
Bai Meng: "Wang Wei! Could it be him again… Wait… why did I say 'again'… Right! He has a record… But why would he do such a foolish thing at such a crucial time?" As he thought, he quickly went out and asked: "How is the suspect?"
"He has been sent to our affiliated hospital. He has several fractures but no fatal injuries, and his condition is currently stable."
Bai Meng: "Good! Prepare for questioning and investigation. We must pry open his mouth, investigate to the bottom, and crack down on evil!"
"Understood!"
"I'll go prepare right away!"
Several companions were also filled with righteous indignation; they likewise could not accept someone doing such a thing in Songjiang.
What the hell!
They really don't take them seriously, do they?
…On the other side.
Hospital!
Wang Wei was resting in a hospital bed. He had just been released these past two days, but this time it wasn't feigning illness, but truly being ill.
After all:
The last time he came out, he was repeatedly angered to unconsciousness by Qin Jiang, and then he spent several more months inside. If he wasn't sick now, it would be strange.
"Cough, cough…"
Wang Wei coughed lightly twice.
Inside the room.
Several elders immediately expressed their concern:
"Brother Tiger, are you alright…?"
"Brother Tiger, should we call a doctor…?"
"…"
Wang Wei merely waved his hand casually. He could hear the perfunctory tone in the elders' words. After coming out this time, he could feel that his subordinates were completely restless. Obviously, facing continuous failures against the Black Dragon Group, these people were scared and had other intentions.
He had to find a solution quickly.
Currently! The only one in Tiger Might he could trust was his godson: Tian Hu! It was a pity his biological son was not presentable, otherwise the current situation wouldn't be so difficult.
Bang!
Wang Xuan pushed open the door and entered, his face incredibly excited. He swept away his despondent mood and said to Wang Wei: "Dad! Good news! That bastard Qin Jiang was shot today, it's just a pity he wasn't killed, but one of his brothers was killed, and that Si Jiu was also injured… How satisfying, how satisfying…"
Tsk tsk..."
Wang Xuan: "What a pity... what a true pity..."
He looked at his father with a face full of regret and anticipation. This time, when Wang Wei came out, he didn't even dare to show his face. After several lessons, he knew that the more he spoke, the more mistakes he made; the less he spoke, the fewer mistakes; and if he didn't speak, he made no mistakes.
However, he had just suddenly received news: Qin Jiang, the chairman of Black Dragon Group, was ambushed and shot on the road, and some people's lives or deaths were unknown. How could he possibly hold back such great news? In his opinion, this information was absolutely great news for his father, so he came to the hospital room without any hesitation to report the good news.
His aim was to make his father happy and recover a bit, and in turn, make his father value him more.
But under his expectant gaze, he saw that his father, Wang Wei, not only showed no sign of happiness but was instead filled with disbelief and panic. Even the other Tiger Might elders all looked terrified.
It was as if they had heard something terrifying... What was going on?
Wang Xuan was bewildered: "Why are they all so panicked when I just told them such good news? Did they not understand what I was saying?" He couldn't help but say again, "Dad, I said Qin Jiang was attacked? His Black Dragon Brothers were all killed, and Si Jiu was injured... Dad... why aren't you happy... Dad... what kind of look is that... Dad... Dad... why are you fainting again...?"
Bang!
In Wang Xuan's disbelieving eyes, Wang Wei's aura suddenly weakened, his eyes rolled back, and he fainted on the hospital bed.
Wang Xuan: ∑(;°Д°)
Why? Why?
"Godfather..."
"Tiger..."
"Doctor... Doctor..."
Tian Hu and the others rushed forward, calling out to Wang Wei and starting to help him, quickly calling for a doctor.
Soon, the doctor arrived in the hospital room and looked at the unconscious Wang Wei with a calm expression. He was already used to it.
Although he didn't know what was exactly wrong with Wang Wei, he strongly suspected that he had syncope syndrome.
Hmm! Fainting every day!
Without asking about the situation, he quickly went forward and pressed several important acupoints on Wang Wei, then performed a simple check:
"It's nothing! He'll wake up in a few minutes!"
...Indeed, a few minutes later, Wang Wei slowly woke up. His gaze was first confused, then turned to panic, then to anger. He looked at Wang Xuan, who was close by, and slapped him without hesitation:
Slap!
Wang Xuan: "Ah... Dad... what are you doing...?"
Slap!
Wang Wei slapped him again, yelling hysterically, "You big idiot? What do you want to do? Do you want to completely destroy Tiger Might? What good would it do you if Tiger Might was gone? Are you their spy... Ah... Speak!"
"I'm asking you... Are you going to drag the entire Tiger Might down with you? Speak up... Are you mute...?"
Slap! Slap! Slap!
Wang Wei slapped Wang Xuan repeatedly, left and right.
Wang Xuan: (╬⁽⁽⁰⁾⁾Д⁽⁽⁰⁾⁾)
My face was slightly swollen from the slaps, but I was full of confusion and grievance: "I... what should I say... Did you even ask...? Woo woo woo..."
Wang Wei: "Hold it back..."
Wang Xuan: "Gah..."
Wang Wei: "How could I, a man of such renown, have such a stupid son? Are you even my child? I seriously doubt the reliability of paternity tests..."
Lin Yue: "Cough cough... Tiger... you're getting confused... What are you saying! Paternity tests are scientifically based and definitely reliable... Wang Xuan is definitely our son, your child! There's no doubt!"
Wang Wei glanced at Lin Yue. Nonsense! I was just saying it, wasn't I? Of course I know Wang Xuan is my son. I was just angry and cursing!
Whoosh!
Wang Wei looked at Wang Xuan again: "Speak quickly!"
Wang Xuan: "Speak about what...?"
Wang Wei: "What exactly happened?"
Wang Xuan: "It's just what happened! He was attacked, but he's fine..."
Slap!
Wang Wei slapped Wang Xuan again: "Don't play dumb with me? Don't you know what you did? Do you really think you can hide it?" In his opinion, who in Songjiang would dare to touch Qin Jiang right now, besides his idiotic son.
At this moment,
the other elders also spoke up:
"Oh my, Xiao Xuan! You're really courting death. What kind of person is Qin Jiang? He's the most influential figure in Songjiang right now, someone who was just praised by the higher-ups. You... alas..."
"And it was in broad daylight. This has blown up completely. Our entire Tiger Might is finished..."
"The higher-ups will definitely be furious. I never thought that the foundation we built with Brother Hu our whole lives would be destroyed by you like this..."
...Their tones were filled with sorrow, despair, and anger... Even:
One elder said, "Well... the situation is very critical right now. How about we all go back and prepare... If things get really bad, we can temporarily avoid the limelight and find a place to stay quiet for a while... and then return when this matter has settled down..."
Other elders agreed:
"Makes sense..."
"I think so..."
"No time to lose..."
"Shut up..." Wang Wei stared intently at those few elders, making them shiver and dare not speak. He couldn't possibly misunderstand the meaning behind their words. What kind of 'avoiding the limelight' nonsense was that? They were clearly thinking of splitting up and disbanding.
How could he agree!
Thinking of this, he looked at Wang Xuan with an even colder gaze: If it weren't for this idiotic son, even if these elders had such thoughts, they wouldn't be able to implement them in a short time, which would give him a chance to slowly rectify things. Who would have thought that his stupid son would actively hand these elders a pretext.
Slap!
He slapped him hard again:
"Tell me..."
Bang!
Wang Xuan, having been hit, collapsed to the ground, covering his face, utterly bewildered.
Lin Yue was also extremely angry. She felt that all the benefits she had planned for her younger son were gradually slipping away.
What inheritance of the family business!
The family business was almost ruined by Wang Xuan. This prodigal son, instead of helping her younger son, kept squandering it. Now, he was even on the verge of tearing Tiger Might Group apart.
How could she tolerate this...? She stepped forward and pulled Wang Xuan up.
Wang Xuan was deeply moved: "Indeed! Only mothers are good in this world; Mom still loves me..."
But the next moment, Lin Yue's arm gathered momentum, she swung it around and hit him hard: Slap!
This blow was even more powerful than Wang Wei's earlier, making Wang Xuan spin around on the spot before collapsing to the ground. His right cheek immediately swelled up, and traces of blood began to flow.
Lin Yue pointed at Wang Xuan, yelling hysterically: "Speak... Speak quickly..."
Wang Xuan: (ノдヽ)
Didn't they say only mothers are good in this world? What is this? What's going on! Is it that children with younger siblings are like weeds...? And... they keep saying 'speak'... but what exactly do they want him to say...? He looked at Wang Wei, Lin Yue, the Tiger Might elders, and the others, their eyes full of angry aggression, as if they wanted to devour him. Tears streamed down his face uncontrollably, and endless grievance erupted from his heart. He clenched his fists, suddenly stood up, and let out a soul-shattering roar:
"Why don't you just ask...!"
At this moment, Wang Xuan's face showed extreme grievance.
He was concerned about his father, so he came to report the good news immediately, but his father kept slapping him, and even his mother hit him… Why?
What did he do wrong?
Wang Wei was stunned: Didn't I ask you?
No?
If I didn't ask you, don't you have a clue?
Wang Wei: "I asked you what role you played in this Qin Jiang matter? Where did you find the person…"
Wang Xuan: "Ah… You're asking where I found the person? I didn't find anyone… Who would I find… Who did I play…"
Wang Wei: "Don't pretend to be stupid with me! Looking at Songjiang, at this critical juncture, only a big idiot like you would dare to touch Qin Jiang. Tell me the whole story so I can see if there's any chance of salvaging the situation… Any later and it will all be in vain… Hurry up and speak… If you don't speak now, no one can save us…"
He was very clear about how much impact such an event would have. The higher-ups would unleash their thunderous wrath, so he had to understand the situation immediately and take countermeasures as soon as possible, otherwise, they would vanish under this calamity.
Wang Xuan: "Dad? What are you talking about? You don't think I had someone attack Qin Jiang, do you…"
Wang Wei: "If not you, then who could it be?"
Wang Xuan: "Dad! It wasn't me! It really wasn't me!"
He realized that his father and the elders were in this state because they considered him the culprit, fearing that this matter would implicate Tiger Might Group. He quickly defended himself: "Dad! Your son knows his place! I know you look down on me, and I look down on myself too. I can't defeat that Qin Jiang, and I can't get revenge for you. Facing Qin Jiang, I have no heart to resist at all, so how could I do such a thing?"
"Besides, even if I did have such an idea, I'd need the ability. With the few lazy subordinates I have, asking them to attack Qin Jiang, they wouldn't dare even with ten times their courage."
"Dad, you don't believe me? And you hit me! I thought it was good news, that's why I came to tell you immediately…"
"I'm wronged…"
Wang Xuan spoke with great emotion and a wronged tone, tears falling one after another.
The atmosphere in the ward paused.
Both Wang Wei and the Tiger Might elders could see that Wang Xuan was not lying and was indeed telling the truth.
And he was right! Even if he had the guts, his subordinates didn't have the strength.
They had just been too flustered.
Thinking about it carefully, this matter simply couldn't have been done by Wang Xuan; he didn't have the ability.
But… if it wasn't Wang Xuan, then who could it be?
Who on earth has such audacity?
Are they tired of living?
The key is, if you're tired of living, fine, but why drag them into it? They're innocent!
Wang Wei frowned: "Who could it be? Is there some hidden force in Bei Province trying to stir up trouble… framing others… or perhaps forces from other provinces acting in the dark…" He speculated on all sorts of possibilities in his mind, but he didn't think of someone like Han Yu.
After all:
No one could have imagined that the cause of this assassination incident, which shocked Songjiang and even Bei Province, was merely Qin Jiang's past remark:
"What are you looking at?"
...Wang Wei: "It seems someone is stirring up trouble in the dark. Tian Hu! Tell everyone below to calm down. Whatever the higher-ups do, Tiger Might Group has two words: cooperate! Cooperate! And cooperate again…"
Tian Hu nodded: "Understood!"
The other elders: ...Although they thought Wang Wei's actions were cowardly, they had to admit that this was the best strategy. Even if this matter had nothing to do with their Tiger Might, sometimes even if it's unrelated, you still need to show an attitude, otherwise, you'll suffer, because Tiger Might's foundation isn't clean.
Wang Wei: "The few of you, go to work, do what you need to do, don't show any abnormalities."
Several elders nodded:
"Everything as usual…"
"Since this matter has nothing to do with us, then it's easy to say. I can also appease the people below."
"Who knows what the brothers below will be like when they get the news. I need to hurry back and manage them a bit…" An elder cupped his hands to Wang Wei: "Brother Hu! I'll go down first… to avoid any trouble…"
Wang Wei: "Go!"
The other elders also bid farewell… Soon, only Wang Wei, Tian Hu, Lin Yue, and Wang Xuan remained in the ward.
Wang Xuan: "Wuwuwu… Dad… my… my face hurts…" He tearfully leaned towards Wang Wei, intending to use his extreme grievance and injured body to gain his father's affection.
Wang Wei's mind was completely occupied with Qin Jiang's attack and the internal affairs of Tiger Might's elders. How could he care about Wang Xuan? Even though he had just wronged him, he felt no guilt. He glared at Wang Xuan: "What are you yelling at me for? Am I medicine that can cure illnesses? Go find a doctor… Get lost…"
Wang Xuan: ...He looked at his mother again!
Lin Yue raised her hand: "Am I medicine?"
Wang Xuan: ...He left the ward despondently, covering his face… Tian Hu looked at the despondent Wang Xuan leaving and couldn't help but say: "Godfather! Ah Xuan is still young, and his intentions today were good; he intended to bring you good news… Is it a bit… now…"
Wang Wei felt a slight touch upon hearing this. Wang Xuan was his biological son after all, so he couldn't help but say: "Consider him filial! It seems he has grown a lot after these events. How about this… Tian Hu, you arrange some work for him, but not anything important…"
Tian Hu: "Understood!"
Immediately after.
Wang Wei no longer thought about Wang Xuan.
Now he had too many things to consider:
How to clear Tiger Might from the Qin Jiang attack incident?
How to deal with the elders within Tiger Might?
How will Tiger Might develop in the future?
...Every matter was extremely important. Compared to these, Wang Xuan, who was no longer his only son, naturally took a backseat.
Wang Wei: "Qin Jiang! What a pity… Why didn't he die? Who on earth made the move, it must be thoroughly investigated…" Thinking of this, he took out his phone and called several people to inquire about the situation, and to express that this matter had absolutely nothing to do with him, and Tiger Might was willing to fully cooperate with any investigation.
After a long while.
Bang!
Wang Wei hung up the phone!
: "Next is to deal with Tiger Might's situation. Currently, several old geezers have become disloyal and plan to go independent… Hmph! I didn't expect such deep brotherhood before, but now that they see I'm not doing well, they want to go their separate ways… How can there be such a good thing…"
"Tiger Might cannot continue like this in the future! Old Master Lin was right, we must go legitimate. Qin Jiang has already set an example in this regard, and I must follow suit. We must cut ties with the past! Perfect… Don't those old geezers want to leave? Then let them leave completely…"
A cold glint flashed in his eyes. He had decided to use this opportunity to carry out a major purge within Tiger Might.