Jiang Chen looked at the smug expression on Xu Peng's face and suddenly burst out laughing.
"Master Xu, look at that tail of yours wagging! Have you already forgotten how you chewed on that painting paper like a snack in the VIP room during the auction?"
The words landed like a slap across Xu Peng's face. His eyes bulged—this bastard Jiang Chen was really airing his dirty laundry in public!
If the sales assistants around here spread that story, how the hell would he show his face in social circles again?
He quickly tried to redirect the conversation back to the card. Pulling out his phone, he stared at the card number, and after searching for a moment, suddenly raised his voice.
"Jiang Chen! You've got some guts, huh!"
The chubby store manager leaned in like a cat catching the scent of fish. When he saw the name on the phone screen, he slapped his thigh and exclaimed:
"Dear Lord! You actually dared to steal the VIP card of Vice Chairman Han Yan from Tianfu Group?!"
Jiang Chen lowered his head, lips pursed, his fingers brushing the fabric of his pocket. Outwardly he looked startled, but inside he was laughing like he was watching a circus—after all, the card did belong to Han Yan.
Looks like it's about time for her to enter the stage.
Xu Peng waved the black card around like it was an imperial edict.
"You better listen up, Jiang Chen! Do you know who Vice Chairman Han is? Our Xu Group just partnered with Tianfu Group last month—she's the wife of Chairman Li Yuzhu! You dare to steal her card? Cutting off your hand would be letting you off easy!"
"What, the Xu Group and Tianfu Group are in bed together now?"
Jiang Chen's heart skipped a beat. He suddenly recalled what Zheng Qiang said before he left—about the powerful group that destroyed Jiang City's health supplement company. It had to be Tianfu Group.
Which meant Wu Feng had gone down thanks to Li Yuzhu.
"Of course!" Xu Peng sneered, nostrils flaring, spittle nearly flying into Jiang Chen's face. "It's called a power alliance, got it? You don't have to respect me, but you better watch how you talk about Chairman Li!"
Jiang Chen curled his lip. "So you're just using his name to scare people now? If you've got the guts, call the police."
"Call the police? I'll do you one better!" Xu Peng put his phone on speaker and made sure the surrounding clerks could all hear. "I'm getting Vice Chairman Han to deal with you herself!"
When the call connected, he immediately raised his voice:
"Auntie Han! It's Peng! There's this guy named Jiang Chen using your VIP card at our mall—he's a convicted ex-con! What should we do with him?"
There was a pause on the other end before Han Yan's voice replied, "Ask him his name."
"He says he's Jiang Chen!" Xu Peng held the phone right up to Jiang Chen's face.
Jiang Chen took it, turning slightly so Wen-xian could hear too.
"Auntie Han, it's me, Jiang Chen. I'm here at the Tianfu Mall with my wife."
He made sure to emphasize the word wife, just to remind Han Yan not to say anything inappropriate in front of Wen-xian.
"Oh," Han Yan replied, her tone softening instantly. "Jiang Chen, go ahead and get yourself some nice clothes. You shouldn't be dressing like a country bumpkin all the time—even a miracle doctor needs to look the part." Then she added, "Pass the phone back to Xu Peng. I want a word."
Jiang Chen could barely hold back his laughter as he handed the phone back. Xu Peng took it with trembling hands.
"Chairman Han… You know Jiang Chen? I'm so sorry, really—it was all a misunderstanding!"
"A misunderstanding?" Han Yan snorted. "You've completely embarrassed Tianfu Group! Get the general manager of the mall on the phone. Now!"
Xu Peng, flustered, kicked the store manager in the shin. "What are you waiting for? Go get Manager Wang!"
Two minutes later, a middle-aged man with a beer belly came jogging over—it was Manager Wang.
He bowed so deeply it looked like he'd snap his spine.
"Chairman Han! It's me. How can I be of service?"
"Manager Wang," Han Yan's voice floated out from the speaker, "I gave my card to my friend Jiang Chen. From now on, treat him like he's me. Got it?"
"Crystal clear!" Wang nodded so hard his jowls wobbled. "We'll provide top-tier, first-class service. I'll personally oversee it!"
"Also, raise his spending limit from one thousand to ten thousand. If that's still not enough, bill the excess to me."
"Absolutely! I'll have finance handle it immediately!" he said, shooting a furious glare at the store manager.
The fat manager looked like he'd been struck by lightning, face going pale, sweat pouring off his shiny forehead. The thickly made-up female clerk beside him was shaking like a leaf.
They'd both been abusing their tiny bit of power for far too long—today, they finally kicked the wrong hornet's nest.
Han Yan went on, "Manager Wang, Tianfu Mall is the public face of our group. You'd better tighten up staff discipline—especially middle management. I don't want to see another case of 'looking down on customers.'"
"Understood! I'll deal with it seriously and send a report to HQ by tomorrow!"
Wang ended the call and turned toward the fat manager, sweat still gleaming on his nose under the lights. Through clenched teeth, he hissed:
"You. And you. Go to finance right now, pick up half a month's wages, and get out of Tianfu Mall. If I see your faces again, you're finished!"
The fat manager dropped to his knees with a loud thump, grabbing Wang's leg and bawling, "Manager Wang! I've been with you five years! Just this once—give me another chance!"
Wang tried to shake him off, but the security chief stepped in, grabbed the man by the collar, and slapped him twice. Then he jabbed the stun baton against his rear.
Zzzzt!
The fat man howled and leapt up, only to trip and fall flat again.
Then the baton pointed straight at his groin.
"Move it! Next time I'll fry your balls!"
Terrified out of his mind, the man scrambled up and ran. He saw the thick-makeup clerk still frozen in place, and kicked her hard.
"This is all your fault, you jinx! Move your ass!"
The two of them fled the scene to the jeers and smirks of their former coworkers.
Manager Wang turned to Xu Peng, his smile now cold and stiff.
"Young Master Xu, thank you for shopping with us. But let me be blunt—please refrain from meddling in mall management going forward. Your Xu Group may be a shareholder, but that doesn't mean you run this place."
Xu Peng turned pale, then flushed red, muttering, "Got it," before yanking Ren Li by the arm and preparing to leave.
"Hey, hey, don't go so fast, old classmate!" Jiang Chen stepped in front of him with a grin. "I haven't even had a chance to check on you."
"Mind your own damn business!"
"How is it not my business?" Jiang Chen leaned in with a mock-concerned face. "Last time, after gnawing on half that painting in the VIP room, didn't you get the runs? Any indigestion? If you've got any… you know, private issues—like, manhood problems—just come to me. I guarantee a cure with one treatment!"
"You're asking for it, Jiang Chen!" Xu Peng was so enraged he raised his fist to punch, but halfway through the motion, he froze. He remembered how badly Jiang Chen had thrashed him last time—if he started something again, who knew how he'd end up?
He swore viciously, grabbed Ren Li, and stormed off without looking back.
Jiang Chen didn't let him off easy. He casually pulled a clothes hanger from the rack and flung it at Xu Peng.
It hit him square on the shoulder.
Xu Peng stumbled and went down face-first into the floor.
Mouthful of dust.
Ren Li rushed to help him up.
His face was covered in blood. He wiped it off with his sleeve, then bolted down the stairs.
Manager Wang watched the whole scene unfold, his eyes flickering with curiosity and wariness—if this young man could get a personal call from Vice Chairman Han Yan, he definitely wasn't someone ordinary.
He quickly put on a broad smile and extended his hand toward Jiang Chen.
"Mr. Zhang, on behalf of Tianfu Mall, please accept our sincerest apologies to you and your wife."
Jiang Chen shook his hand. "It's no big deal, Manager Wang. Don't take it personally."
"The staff were out of line—it's like a thorn in my heart!" Manager Wang rubbed his hands together. "Chairman Han said to raise your spending limit to ten thousand. Let me offer you an additional fifty percent discount. Please, pick out more clothes with your wife."
Jiang Chen was already calculating in his mind.
The Xu family was in league with Li Yuzhu now. That made Tianfu Group an opponent going forward—and this Manager Wang might come in handy.
Besides, it'd be a waste to turn down free stuff.
He nodded in agreement.
But Wen-xian tugged at his sleeve.
"Ten thousand plus the fifty percent—that's twenty thousand. I could never wear that much. Why don't we ask your sister Jiang Juan to come pick out a few things too? She's at that age where looking pretty matters, and if she dresses too poorly, her classmates might laugh at her."
Jiang Juan rushed over in a cab after getting the call.
The moment she saw Wen-xian, the two girls hit it off like long-time best friends. Holding hands, they gushed over each other's looks and chirped their way into the boutique.
An hour later, the three of them walked out of the mall with bags piled high.
Jiang Chen was just stuffing the last of them into the trunk when he heard shouting in the distance—
A four- or five-year-old boy was stumbling into the street while a man behind him shouted:
"Xiaozhu! It's dangerous! Come back!"
Just then, a cargo truck loaded to the brim came barreling down the road. The driver slammed the horn and hit the brakes hard—screeeeech!—but the vehicle was too heavy to stop in time.
It was going to hit the child—
The crowd gasped in horror.
Wen-xian covered her eyes in fear...