Chapter 365: You’re the One Who Should Get Out
Xu Ke gripped Zhou Yadong’s hand tightly, shaking it vigorously. His excitement was beyond description.
"You’re not late at all, Governor Zhou! In fact, your timing is perfect!"
Zhou Yadong looked embarrassed. "We agreed on ten o’clock, but it’s already five past. Late is late. I sincerely apologize, President Xu."
Xu Ke quickly shook his head. "There’s no need for you to apologize to me, Governor Zhou. They’re the ones who should be apologizing. I already told them I was here to see you, but they still tried to throw me out! It’s one thing to disrespect me, but to disrespect you, Governor Zhou...!"
SWOOSH!
The guards broke out in a cold sweat. Lin Xiaoyan turned pale with fright, cautiously backing away, hoping Xu Ke hadn’t seen her.
Zhou Yadong glared coldly at the guards and snapped, "President Xu is my honored guest! And you were going to throw him out? Is this a rebellion?"
Trembling with fear, the guards quickly passed the buck. "Governor, Young Master Lei told us to throw President Xu out!"
This only made Zhou Yadong angrier.
"That Lei Hua isn’t even an employee of our bank. What right does he have to order you around?"
The guards didn’t dare make any more excuses and promptly admitted their mistake.
"Governor, we were wrong. We are willing to accept punishment!"
Zhou Yadong said coldly, "If you want to keep working here, I’ll give you one last chance. Lei Hua doesn’t work for this bank, yet he’s here causing trouble! Throw him out immediately!"
Huh?
The guards were dumbfounded. They just looked at each other, none daring to make a move.
Zhou Yadong’s expression hardened. "It seems none of you want to work here anymore! Go to accounting, collect your pay, and leave!"
The guards’ expressions changed dramatically. How could they possibly hesitate now?
In a flash, the guards surrounded Lei Hua. "Young Master Lei, please cooperate. Don’t make things hard on us."
Lei Hua ignored the guards. He couldn’t understand why Governor Zhou, who had always been so friendly, had suddenly become so ruthless.
"Uncle Zhou, are you really going to destroy our years-long relationship over some outsider?"
"Lei Hua, don’t try to act familiar with me. What relationship do we have?" Zhou Yadong scoffed, then bellowed, "What are you all waiting for?"
Seeing Zhou Yadong erupt in anger, the guards didn’t dare hesitate any longer, no longer caring if they offended Vice Governor Lei.
"Our apologies, Young Master Lei!"
The guards swarmed him, hoisted him up, and tossed him out the front door.
Lei Hua was going insane!
’What kind of strings did Xu Ke pull to get Governor Zhou to come here personally?’
’Now I can’t block his funding!’
Lei Hua quickly called his father. "Dad, it’s bad! Xu Ke somehow got through to Governor Zhou, and he came personally to handle the loan! Our plan to cut off his funding and force him to break up with Kong Xue is ruined! What do we do now?"
Lei Yunping’s sinister voice came through the phone. "If the soft approach doesn’t work, we’ll get rough. First, teach Xu Ke a lesson. If he’s still uncooperative, then make him disappear off the face of the earth!"
Lei Hua’s eyes lit up. "Is Second Uncle going to handle this personally?"
"You don’t need to worry about that. Just lay low for a while. I’m sending you abroad tomorrow. I’ll bring you back after this blows over."
"Understood!"
...
Xu Ke had no idea that Lei Yunping and Lei Hua, father and son, were plotting to deal with him ruthlessly. Right now, he was over the moon.
With Zhou Yadong personally involved, the bank gave them the green light all the way. In less than half an hour, the one billion loan was approved at the lowest possible interest rate.
"Governor Zhou, I can’t thank you enough! You must give me the honor of treating you to lunch today."
Zhou Yadong smiled and waved his hand dismissively. "President Xu, I’m not feeling well and need to go rest. How about another time? I’ll treat you and Mr. Cheng to a meal together."
"Then please take care of yourself, Governor Zhou!"
After bidding farewell to Zhou Yadong, Xu Ke took out his phone and dialed Cheng Yuan. "Brother Yuan, you busy?"
"Not busy. Did the loan come through?"
"It came through. Governor Zhou handled it personally—one billion at the lowest interest rate."
"That’s great. Keep up the good work."
"Brother Yuan, if you’re not busy, I’d like to treat you to lunch and introduce you to my girlfriend."
Cheng Yuan had been about to refuse, but his interest was piqued when Xu Ke mentioned his girlfriend.
’Cheng Yuan wanted to see for himself just what kind of woman had nearly cost Xu Ke everything.’
’If she’s a good match, fine. But if she’s one of those fake, manipulative types, then he shouldn’t blame me for what I do.’
"Alright. I’ll come and help you vet her."
Xu Ke returned to his office and shared the good news with Kong Xue, telling her they were treating Cheng Yuan to lunch.
Kong Xue knew Cheng Yuan was Xu Ke’s benefactor and took the lunch very seriously. She changed into her favorite dress, meticulously applied light makeup, and urged Xu Ke to leave quickly so they could get to the hotel early and order the dishes in advance.
Xu Ke doted on Kong Xue and did as she said, leaving with her at once.
As soon as Xu Ke left, his assistant quietly made a phone call.
"Young Master Lei, President Xu just left with Kong Xue. They’re going to the Lanke Hotel for lunch."
"Got it."
...
Lanke Hotel was originally one of Bai Jiangbo’s properties. After Bai Jiangbo’s fall from grace, his assets were carved up by the major players in Luocheng.
Lanke Hotel was snapped up by Gao Qingyuan.
It was now managed by Gao Qingyuan’s subordinate, Brother Scar.
Brother Scar’s full name was Tan Honggang. He was one of Gao Qingyuan’s four "War Generals," fiercely loyal to his boss, and had contributed immensely to the growth of the Qingyuan Group.
Brother Scar had two knife scars on his face that looked like centipedes.
In fact, with modern cosmetic surgery, those two scars could easily be removed.
But Brother Scar insisted on keeping them. They were his badges of honor.
Xu Ke and Kong Xue were taking this lunch very seriously. They meticulously went over the menu, spending a good half an hour selecting dishes before finally settling on their order.
"Xiaoxue, you don’t have to be so meticulous. Brother Yuan and I have been like brothers since elementary school."
"We can’t do that. No matter how close you are, we have to show our sincerity and respect. As long as you leave a good impression on Brother Yuan, he’ll be even more willing to help you out in the future!"
"Having a wonderful partner like you... I must have been blessed in three lifetimes. Xiaoxue, don’t worry. I’ll be good to you for the rest of my life and never let you down."
The two returned to their private dining room, chatting and laughing.
Then, the smiles on their faces froze. Inside the room were several young men.
And surrounded by them was the very person they least wanted to see: Lei Hua.
Completely oblivious to being unwelcome, Lei Hua strode up to Kong Xue and gazed at her with deep affection. "Xiaoxue, it’s only been half a month, but it feels like half a lifetime. I’ve missed you so, so much!"
Xu Ke quickly pulled Kong Xue behind him and glared at Lei Hua. "Lei Hua! I’ve warned you! If you harass Xiaoxue again, I’ll break your legs! You’re not welcome here! Get out!"
Lei Hua paid Xu Ke no mind, shoving him aside. "This is between me and Xiaoxue," he said coldly. "You’re an outsider, you have no right to interfere! You’re the one who should get lost!"