Chapter 23: The Inflation of Huang Tianyang

At this moment, Zhang Qi’s phone rang.

Seeing the caller ID, her expression shifted visibly.

"Brother, keep yourself entertained for a moment. I need to step out to take a call."

Stepping out of the private room and finding a quiet corner, Zhang Qi answered.

"So, you want me to give you a chance? Come to the Li family estate tomorrow to see me."

It was Li Meng on the line.

Hearing this, Zhang Qi’s heart sank. Li Qin was dead, and the Sun family must have received the news by now. They were likely already planning how to devour the Li family. Getting entangled with Li Meng at this juncture was a death sentence for her. Yet, the Li family had not fallen yet; if she refused him, she would inevitably face his retaliation. If Li Meng wanted her dead, she wouldn't survive the night.

"Are you planning to refuse me?"
"Do you dare?"
"Do you think you’re qualified to?"

Li Meng’s three questions cornered her completely. Zhang Qi had finally resolved the trouble with Liu Zhenhua, only for an even greater calamity to arise. A weight like a boulder pressed upon her chest, making it difficult to breathe.

Taking a deep breath, Zhang Qi said, "Mr. Li, I am just a nobody. I cannot play any role in the struggle between the Li and Sun families."

"Do you think the Li family will lose?"

The moment she heard this, Zhang Qi already had her answer. With Li Qin dead, what could the Li family possibly do to fight the Sun family? While Li Meng had some capability, his influence in Jiangcheng could never compare to Li Qin’s. With Li Qin gone, those who had been close to the Li family would inevitably distance themselves. When a wall is about to collapse, everyone gives it a push—this was a harsh reality. The Li family was isolated and helpless, nothing more than a plaything in the hands of the Sun family.

Zhang Qi spoke, "I don't understand why you made Li Qin’s death public. If you hadn't said anything, no one would have known."

Li Meng suddenly laughed. "Because I intend to destroy the Sun family."

Zhang Qi thought he must be insane. If even Li Qin couldn't achieve that while he was alive, how could Li Meng? No one knew that Li Meng was gambling. He was betting that his status as a servant would be of value to Tang Xuan. As long as Tang Xuan did not want him dead, he would live. However, he had no standing to set conditions for Tang Xuan, so he needed cannon fodder to hold out until Tang Xuan was willing to intervene.

Zhang Qi was one of his choices for that cannon fodder.

"I’ll give you two days to consider." With that, Li Meng hung up.

Zhang Qi felt a sense of despair. She knew her chances of survival were slim. Who could save her? In this struggle between powerful families, there was no one to help her. She took a few deep breaths, composed her emotions, and put on a forced smile. She didn't want Tang Xuan to notice anything; he had already done enough for her, and she could not let this young man get dragged into this.

Just as she was about to return to the room, three middle-aged men blocked her path.

"Beauty, why don't you keep us company tonight? We’ll pay you triple the price."

Zhang Qi said coldly, "I am not a hostess. You have the wrong person."

As she tried to walk away, the three men surrounded her. "Whether you're a hostess isn't up to you. I’m paying, so you better be obedient and play along. Do you know who we are? This is my big brother, Huang Tianyang, the head of the Huang family."

Zhang Qi’s face turned deathly pale. Was she cursed? She couldn't understand why she was so unlucky. After solving the problem with Liu Zhenhua, a bigger one followed immediately. First the call from Li Meng, now the three Huang brothers! These were people she could not afford to provoke.

Zhang Qi’s tone softened. "Gentlemen, I am the owner of this place. If you want to have some fun, I can find you even more beautiful girls. I guarantee you’ll be satisfied."

Huang Tianyang laughed. "Owner? It’s the owner I want to play with. If you dare to refuse, I’ll have this place torn down tomorrow."

"Mr. Huang, please, don't joke. I’m just a woman; I can't handle such threats."

Huang Tianyang laughed triumphantly. "You know you're a woman, don't you? Aren't women meant for men to enjoy? Don't worry, as long as you keep us three brothers happy, the Huang family will be your backing in the future. I’m sure you know the status of the Huang family in Jiangcheng."

Zhang Qi’s anger was reaching a breaking point. "And if I refuse?"

Huang Tianyang cruelly slapped her across the face. "You bitch, you dare to refuse me?"

Zhang Qi clutched her burning cheek. "Mr. Huang, you are a prominent figure in Jiangcheng. Why make things difficult for a small woman like me?"

Huang Tianyang acted with brute arrogance. "I’m making it difficult for you, so what? A lowly thing like you, what right do you have to refuse me? I’ll tell you straight: tonight, I’m going to sleep with you. Even if the heavens themselves intervened, they couldn't stop me."

Zhang Qi felt hopeless. At that moment, Liu Zhenhua walked over. Tang Xuan had sent him to check on things since Zhang Qi had been gone for so long. When Liu Zhenhua saw the three Huang brothers, he roughly guessed what was happening. Sometimes, a woman’s beauty could be a sin, especially when encountering those with high status and low morals—a sin that could drag her into an abyss.

"Zhang Qi, Mr. Tang wants you back in the room."

Huang Tianyang recognized Liu Zhenhua, but in his eyes, he was just a low-level street thug. "Liu Zhenhua, are you fucking blind? What Mr. Tang or Mr. Dog? Tonight, she’s going to keep me company."

Liu Zhenhua had seen Huang Ying kneel before Tang Xuan, but he couldn't gauge Tang Xuan’s true standing in the Tang family. "Mr. Huang, I apologize, my eyes—"

Before Liu Zhenhua could finish, Huang Tianyang slapped him across the face as well. Huang Tianyang was currently blinded by his own hubris. Having become the head of the Huang family, his elevated status made him increasingly arrogant. "Did I give you permission to speak?"

Liu Zhenhua hurriedly bowed and scraped.

"What kind of thing is this 'Mr. Tang'? This woman is staying with me tonight. Go tell that dog to get lost immediately."

Liu Zhenhua said, "Mr. Huang, Mr. Tang has a close relationship with the Huang family. Perhaps you should go take a look?"

Huang Tianyang was just looking for a way to show off his newfound power, and hearing this, he became interested. "Fine, I’ll go see what this 'Mr. Tang' is. If he dares to falsely claim a connection with my Huang family, I won't let him off tonight."

Zhang Qi glared fiercely at Liu Zhenhua. In her eyes, he was only bringing more trouble to Tang Xuan. "Mr. Huang, how about this? I’ll drink a few glasses with you, and forget about this 'Mr. Tang' business—don't let him ruin your mood."

Huang Tianyang snapped, "Get lost! It’s not your place to interfere with what I want to do."

Walking up to the door of Tang Xuan’s room, Huang Tianyang kicked it open.

"Which one of you is Mr. Tang? Come out and let me have a look."