It's said never to hit someone in the face, but Ren Zhong not only slapped him in the face, he even publicly humiliated him.
Wang Jinsou was on the verge of a breakdown.
His anger didn't come from nowhere.
Ever since he failed to bring back Ju Qingmeng and discovered that she latched onto a new patron who rose from obscurity, Wang Jinsou has been on the brink of losing control.
He tried to negotiate with Ren Zhong, but was instead deterred by Gao Zhengwen.
Gao Zhengwen later personally visited the Wang family and discussed the matter with his father, Wang Dingyuan.
Wang Dingyuan verbally agreed to Gao Zhengwen's advice, superficially reprimanding Wang Jinsou.
But after Gao Zhengwen left, Wang Dingyuan told Wang Jinsou not to take Gao Zhengwen seriously and to use his own judgment.
Wang Jinsou was satisfied, just waiting for the right time to deal with Ren Zhong. Who would have thought that in less than two months, instead of falling into ruin from making enemies everywhere, Ren Zhong stepped on the Mengdu Group, secured Purple Crystal Mining and Tanggu Group as allies, and rapidly rose to become a Fifth Level Citizen.
The more successful Ren Zhong became, the more Wang Jinsou's hope of achieving his obsession faded.
Even without anyone reminding him, he knew he should learn to "let go."
But every time he thought about the disparity in treatment he faced, his just-relaxed insistence would silently resurface.
Amid this repeated self-torture, Ren Zhong appeared before him with Ju Qingmeng and another woman, publicly revealing his wounds.
Boom!
Wang Jinsou slammed the table and stood up with fury in his eyes.
Ren Zhong also stood up with a smile, hugging Ju Qingmeng and Chen Hanyu on either side, saying: "What? Little Wang wants to spar with me? I heard you are a Level Six Blast Master, I'm just a mere Level Four, why don't we sign a life-and-death contract? Try killing me directly, then all your troubles would be gone."
When he spoke, Ren Zhong heavily enunciated the "little" in "Little Wang."
Before Wang Jinsou could respond, Ju Qingmeng interjected: "No, no, that's not good."
Ren Zhong frowned, "What's wrong? Don't you have confidence in me?"
Ju Qingmeng shook her head quickly, "No, everyone in Chongyi County knows Wang Dingyuan is protective of his son. If you accidentally killed his heir, even with a life-and-death contract exempting you from legal liability, he would definitely not let it go."
Ren Zhong: "What if I'm the one who dies?"
Ju Qingmeng: "Don't joke. He's just a pampered, inflated Level Six. This kind of person is not even qualified to be mentioned in the same breath as you."
Ren Zhong laughed heartily, hugging Ju Qingmeng tighter, "True, but no matter. Wang Dingyuan doesn't have just one son, if he dies, he can just choose another heir, right?"
The duo's back-and-forth left Wang Jinsou's expression changing rapidly.
But ultimately, he said nothing more, merely turned on his heel, and left in a huff.
Governor Zhao Qiang did not intervene to mediate, as it had nothing to do with him.
Though he didn't want to admit it, his relationship with the Wang family wasn't as harmonious as it seemed.
The Wang family almost bought up all the land in Nangao Town but hoarded it without developing, instead channeling most of the supply chain to Xifeng Town and Beihai Town, leaving resource-rich Nangao Town stagnating.
Zhao Qiang already had grievances but had to endure due to the Wang family's power.
Now, when a rare foreign investor wanted to invest in Nangao Town, Wang Jinsou, the incompetent rich second generation, blocked the way over a personal grudge.
As the nominal ruler of Chongyi County, Zhao Qiang at least had some temper and it was commendable he hadn't lost his composure.
"Mr. Ren, actually the county town isn't far from Nangao Town. Why don't I allocate a lot for you in the county town? No need to worry about pollution, the county town has mature exhaust and drainage systems to transport pollutants away."
Zhao Qiang approached and said this.
Ren Zhong shook his head, "The distance between Starfire Town and Nangao Town isn't far either. If I chose Chongyi County, I might as well just stay in Starfire Town."
Zhao Qiang nodded, "True, it's a pity."
"But there's no rush, I'll eventually invest here."
"Then I'll wait for you with open arms."
...
After leaving the investment meeting, back at the hotel, Ju Qingmeng rarely smiled and said, "Wang Jinsou's expression earlier was indeed amusing."
Ren Zhong slightly shook his head, "Such a vulgar tactic is probably only effective on someone like him. It lowered my standards."
Since Ou Youning had just been assigned to underground operations, Chen Hanyu resumed her secretary duties.
She opened the hotel's menu and said, "Mr. Ren, you didn't eat much at the investment meeting's dinner. You have a big appetite now, you must still be hungry, right? I'll have the hotel kitchen prepare ten dishes."
Just as Chen Hanyu finished speaking, Ren Zhong's stomach growled on cue.
"Here's the menu, see if it's to your taste?"
Ren Zhong glanced briefly, "The average price for each dish is nearly a hundred points, too expensive. I just need to be full, not picky about taste, switch to cheaper and larger portions. Each dish should top off at twenty points."
"Alright." Chen Hanyu nodded, and after changing the order, said: "It's getting late, I'll go rest in the next room."
"Alright, good night."
After Chen Hanyu left, Ju Qingmeng asked with some confusion, "Nowadays, to you, it shouldn't matter if a meal costs two hundred or a thousand points. Why not eat better? Aren't you being too frugal? Are you opposed to a luxurious life?"
Ren Zhong shook his head, "It's not about frugality, I simply have no need for such things."
"Then what are your true desires?"