"Yes, I've tried it too. My mom especially loves their durian pastries. I'd give them a hundred and eight thumbs up!"
"Thanks, brother!"
Lu Chen waved and turned to leave.
Building a relationship with these thugs might come in handy later.
Lu Chen, after all, came from a martial arts family. Although his kung fu skills weren't great, he had a knack for dealing with people. Sometimes you have to strike at your enemies, sometimes you have to befriend them—it depends on the situation. Ultimately, whether dealing with enemies or adversaries, don't let hatred blind you; always dig out what's advantageous for yourself first.
What Lu Chen didn't notice was that in the newly built command center at the other end of the construction site, a man in a sharp suit, with a sinister face, around thirty years old, had witnessed everything through binoculars.
Soon after, the thug leader was summoned.
"Who's that kid?"
"Reporting to Mr. Xin, he's one of Gong Jiu's brothers, the guy who nearly beat us to death with a belt last time."
"Oh, beat you to death, and you still drank with him?"
"Yes... he brought the beer, and even gave us snacks. Mr. Xin, that guy has this inexplicable aura about him, but we just feel... it's best not to mess with him."
Mr. Xin snorted, turning to a burly bodyguard beside him, and said, "A-Dao, that kid can open a bottle with a flick of his finger. You can do it too, but not as easily as him. Plus, the way he whips people with a belt, he's ruthless. And he's very capable too. Get two people to investigate his background!"
A-Dao said, "Young Master, it's just a kid, why go to so much trouble? Just have someone teach him a lesson, isn't that enough?"
"If your brain still can't keep up with my pace, I might really have to replace you!" Boss Xin sighed slightly. "Don't underestimate anyone. Starting today, search online for stories of people who have tragically failed in their endeavors throughout history, and show me three every day!"
"Yes!" A-Dao quickly replied.
On the way back, Lu Chen felt truly lost. Where had Gong Jiu moved to? How were her family doing now? Yunzhou City was quite large, with five or six million people. Finding someone in such a vast sea of people wasn't easy!
Lu Chen shook his head. As long as he was still in this city, he would run into her sooner or later. Gong Xiaoyi's charming appearance still lingered in his mind. That girl would definitely be a great beauty in a few years.
Lu Chen returned to his residence. No one was home; Dong Qingqing had gone to work.
For the past three months, Lu Chen and Dong Qingqing had gotten along fairly well.
This beautiful landlady is the deputy director of the gynecology department at CITIC Yunzhou Hospital. She doesn't come home for lunch, only for dinner. So, although Lu Chen is very busy, he can usually manage to cook dinner.
However, about a week later, Dong Qingqing asked Lu Chen to cook an extra portion of dinner and freeze it. She would bring it to the hospital the next day, and he could reheat it for lunch.
"Even though it's leftovers, it's still very fresh after reheating, much tastier than the cafeteria food. Xiao Chen, you're amazing! Sometimes I think meeting you is my blessing."
Once, Dong Qingqing said this very sincerely, but seeing the gleam in Lu Chen's eyes, she quickly added, "Don't get the wrong idea! I won't reduce your rent!"
Lu Chen got home close to noon. He cooked himself a bowl of noodles, ate it, and then went to his bedroom, collapsed into bed, and fell asleep. He slept for the entire afternoon; it had been a long time since he'd taken a nap.
Around 5:30 PM, Lu Chen got up and went straight to the kitchen, bustling around with activity.
Around 6:15 PM, the door opened, and Dong Qingqing was greeted by a delightful aroma. Instantly, a happy, even blissful, smile lit up her tired face.
Lu Chen was humming a tune as he stir-fried a dish of beef with wood ear mushrooms and scallions when he suddenly felt someone watching him. Turning around, he saw Dong Qingqing standing in the doorway.
He smiled brightly: "You're back?"
Those three simple words made Dong Qingqing's heart flutter. She felt a surge of happiness, watching Lu Chen busy in the kitchen. She felt this was what she had always wanted.
"What a pity! We met before I was married! I already have a child."
Dong Qingqing thought, feeling quite melancholic.
A smile returned to her face: "You've made so much delicious food again! Look at me, you've fattened me up! My belly's all rolled up!" She bent down and pinched her stomach through her clothes.
Lu Chen didn't notice and casually said, "Lift up your clothes so I can see."