C19 Selling
Xia Hao was momentarily stunned before it dawned on him that Gu Dongchen was angling for a cut of the Jade Hill project.
Thirty percent!
Once he grasped the implications, Xia Hao's forehead broke out in a cold sweat. Gu Dongchen was audacious indeed, aiming for a thirty percent commission, which amounted to more than a billion yuan.
"Mr. Storms, you can't be serious?" Xia Hao forced a smile, more pained than amused. The Jade Hill project was indeed profitable, but with the Xia family's hundreds of members, the profits, once distributed, wouldn't amount to much for each person. Exaggerating a bit, even he and his father wouldn't see thirty percent.
"Do I look like I'm joking with you?"
Gu Dongchen gave Xia Hao a cool glance, sending a shiver down his spine.
Gu Dongchen was no ordinary thug; he had blood on his hands. Xia Hao was beginning to regret partnering with such a ruthless character.
Humiliated publicly by Chen Feng, Xia Hao was obsessed with revenge, eager to disgrace Chen Feng at the first opportunity. That's why he had sought out Gu Dongchen without delay. He hadn't anticipated that in the eyes of someone like Gu Dongchen, he was nothing more than a sacrificial lamb.
"Mr. Storms, thirty percent is excessive. I can't come up with that much," Xia Hao said feebly.
Gu Dongchen let out a laugh, clapping Xia Hao on the shoulder. "Relax, Xia Hao, I'm not that greedy. I was just pulling your leg!"
Xia Hao offered a strained laugh in response. "Mr. Storms, you really have a great sense of humor."
"Now, tell me, how should I handle Xia Mengyao?" Gu Dongchen asked, getting down to business.
Xia Hao snickered, "Use your favorite method."
"My favorite method?" Gu Dongchen looked puzzled for a moment before it clicked. "You mean to tell me you want me to sleep with her?"
"Exactly, Mr. Storms. You've been fixated on Xia Mengyao, haven't you? I had someone bring me a few bottles of 'Divine Water' from the Thai black market recently. It's potent stuff. Anyone who drinks it, whether they're chaste or not, will become utterly uninhibited and completely at your mercy. They'll do anything you want!"
"Xia Mengyao, that deceitful woman, always parading around like she's the epitome of virtue. I'm curious to see if she can maintain that facade of chastity in front of Mr. Storms," sneered a voice with venomous intent.
Gu Dongchen couldn't help but rub his hands together in anticipation, not bothering to hide the lecherous glint in his eyes. He had his fair share of conquests: students, nurses, office workers, married women... a veritable assortment. They were all beautiful, but none possessed the innocence he craved.
None of them satisfied Gu Dongchen quite like Xia Mengyao could. Her beauty and figure were flawless, but it was her cool, ethereal aura that set her apart, making her seem like a celestial being descended from the heavens. Gu Dongchen had longed for her, even in his dreams.
Previously, he had been wary of the Xia family's influence and hadn't dared to touch Xia Mengyao. But now, it was as if the Xia family had delivered her to him on a silver platter. If he didn't take this opportunity, he'd be doing himself a disservice.
"What would happen to me if I slept with her?" Gu Dongchen inquired.
"Mr. Storms, rest assured, you won't face any consequences!" Xia Hao assured him, then added, "You could record the encounter. With that video, you could easily keep that little witch in line. She wouldn't dare speak up. And as for her pathetic husband, Mr. Storms, you might be unaware, but just yesterday, he discovered Xia Mengyao had been with Lin Zongwei and didn't even muster the courage to object," Xia Hao informed him.
"What a damn waste!" Gu Dongchen cursed. "If my wife ever cheated, I'd break her legs and leave her lover crippled."
"Mr. Storms, not every man has your resolve. Between you and me, that good-for-nothing has been married to Xia Mengyao for three years without consummating their marriage. Up until yesterday, Xia Mengyao was still untouched," Xia Hao revealed.
"Damn it!" Gu Dongchen swore. "What's the point of him even being alive? He should just drop dead!"
The thought of Xia Mengyao, such an exquisite beauty, untouched for three years while another man got to her first, filled Gu Dongchen with a murderous rage towards Chen Feng. How could such spineless men exist in this world?
Seeing that he had successfully provoked Gu Dongchen's ire, Xia Hao's lips twisted into a triumphant grin, revealing his true motive for the visit. "Mr. Storms, wouldn't you like to meet this loser?"
"Why would I want to see him? Just looking at that kind of trash would dirty my eyes," Gu Dongchen retorted.
"Mr. Storms, you're missing the point. It's precisely because Chen Feng is worthless that you should see him."
"Just imagine, when you're with Xia Mengyao, let Chen Feng watch. If he sees his wife, who he hasn't even kissed in three years, transform into a harlot before you and be at your mercy, can you picture how he'd feel?"
"And as for Xia Mengyao, that self-righteous woman, what do you think her face will look like when you're with her in front of her husband?"
Xia Hao's laugh was sinister, believing this to be the most satisfying way to exact revenge on Chen Feng and Xia Mengyao.
Chen Feng, you should've stayed a nobody. The cost of your rashness is far beyond what you can handle!
Gu Dongchen was stunned. Xia Hao was truly rotten to the core, devising such a malicious plan.
Yet, it was undeniably thrilling...
A flush crept over Gu Dongchen's face. He had been with many women, but never in front of their husbands.
Feeling a surge of excitement, Gu Dongchen agreed, "Fine, we'll do it your way. Haha, once this is done, you'll be my brother-in-law, and I'll make sure you're well taken care of."
"Thank you, Mr. Storms." Excitement flickered across Xia Hao's face. With Gu Dongchen in his corner, no one in the Xia family would dare cross him, not even Xia Yunsheng!
"Moreover, Mr. Storms, Chen Feng still has some brute strength. For safety's sake, I suggest you disable him first before bringing him over. That way, he won't interrupt your fun with Xia Mengyao," Xia Hao proposed maliciously, still feeling the sting of Chen Feng's slaps. He was eager for Gu Dongchen to give Chen Feng a taste of his own medicine.
"Alright, no problem," Gu Dongchen said with a dismissive wave of his hand. His men were hardened and ruthless, inflicting harm on others as casually as one might step on an ant.
"I'll call Xia Mengyao right now and have her come over." Xia Hao declared before stepping out of the room to take out his phone. He had done his homework; Xia Mengyao was currently at home, while Chen Feng was out making deliveries.
Once Xia Mengyao was there, Gu Dongchen would handle Chen Feng.
Xia Hao dialed Xia Mengyao's number.
"Xia Mengyao, you have half an hour to get to Golden Age!"
Upon recognizing Xia Hao's voice, Xia Mengyao promptly hung up the phone.
Xia Hao clenched his teeth in anger. The nerve of her, not obeying his command.
"If you're not here in half an hour, don't blame me for not being nice to Chen Feng!" he texted her in a final warning.
Xia Mengyao's brows knitted together. She couldn't afford to take Xia Hao's threats lightly.
Still, what could he possibly want from her at Golden Age?
After much deliberation, Xia Mengyao decided to go. She doubted Xia Hao would harm her; it was more likely he was after the construction team she managed.
Xia Mengyao quickly hailed a taxi and arrived at Golden Age.
Once inside the private room, ushered in by a woman in a cheongsam, she saw Xia Hao sitting alone with a bottle of red wine on the table.
"What do you want?" Xia Mengyao asked icily.
"Sit," Xia Hao replied coolly, barely glancing at her.
With a slight frown, Xia Mengyao took a seat on the couch.
Xia Hao poured a glass of wine and slid it across the table to her.
"Just get to the point, Xia Hao."
"Mengyao, I'm your cousin. Is it too much to ask for a little civility?" Xia Hao replied with a forced smile.
Xia Mengyao eyed him warily. Something was off about Xia Hao's demeanor.
"It's really nothing major. Mengyao, Chen Feng slapped me twice in front of a crowd of relatives at lunch. Surely, we can't just let that slide, can we?" Xia Hao said with a nonchalant shrug.
"What do you propose we do?"
Xia Mengyao clenched her jaw, fully aware of Xia Hao's vindictive nature. Xia Hao was bound to seek revenge. If she couldn't make it up to him for Chen Feng's slap, he would never let it slide. He might even concoct some scheme to get back at Chen Feng.
"Just give back my father's construction crew," he demanded simply.
"That's out of the question!"
"Out of the question?" Xia Hao scoffed. "Aren't you worried that Chen Feng might get hit by a car while walking down the street one day?"
Xia Mengyao's face turned pale. She knew Xia Hao was threatening her, and she couldn't risk Chen Feng's life on a gamble.
"Fine, I'll give you the construction crew, but you have to promise not to trouble Chen Feng ever again!" Xia Mengyao said through gritted teeth. Handing over the construction crew to Xia Hao meant she'd be relinquishing her last bargaining chip, severing her ties with the Jade Hill project. But when weighed against Chen Feng's life, it was a sacrifice she was willing to make.
"I assure you, as long as you hand over the construction crew, Chen Feng won't hear a peep from me," Xia Hao replied with a grin.
"You'd better stick to your word!" Xia Mengyao gave Xia Hao a frosty look.
"Relax, Xia Mengyao. Who would pick a fight with money? Here, let's drink to this—our past grievances will be settled with this toast," Xia Hao said cheerfully, pouring a glass of wine and sliding it across to Xia Mengyao.
Without suspicion, Xia Mengyao lifted the glass and downed the wine in one gulp.
Once finished, she got ready to take her leave.
However, just then, the door to the private room swung open, and a man with a floral shirt and a scarred face entered.
Xia Mengyao sensed trouble immediately.
"My dear, how's the wine?" Gu Dongchen approached with a sleazy grin.
"Xia Hao, who is this man?!" Xia Mengyao demanded angrily.
Xia Hao stood, approaching Xia Mengyao with a smug smile. "Cousin, meet your future husband, handpicked by me. Don't you think he's ten, no, a hundred times the man Chen Feng is?"
"You're despicable!" Xia Mengyao seethed, her chest heaving with fury as she raised her hand to slap Xia Hao across the face.
But Xia Hao was quicker, striking her cheek first, leaving her fair skin flushed with a sudden crimson mark.
"You wretched woman!" Xia Hao sneered viciously. "Did I show you too much respect? Chen Feng hit me, and now you, you wretched woman, think you can hit me too?"
"Xia Hao, you'll pay for this!" Tears swirled in Xia Mengyao's eyes as her legs gave out, leaving her unable to stand.
"Xia Hao, how could you strike your sister-in-law? Such a pretty face she has; it would be a shame to mar it," Gu Dongchen interjected with a sly grin.
"Mr. Storms, I apologize," Xia Hao said, bowing hastily.
Gu Dongchen dismissed him with a wave of his hand. "No matter, you go on with your business. I'll take a moment to cozy up to your sister-in-law."
"Yes, Mr. Storms, take your time," Xia Hao replied, bowing respectfully before closing the door behind him as he left.
"Hello, gorgeous, I've arrived!"
With a lecherous laugh, Gu Dongchen lunged toward Xia Mengyao, who stumbled backward in terror, only to be tripped up by the sofa behind her.