C14 He Had to be Responsible for What He Had Done

Wan Lixiang and the four men in black were taken aback by the scene unfolding before them.

They had never expected the unremarkable student before them, who had bullied Zhou Tianlin's girlfriend, to not only escape Zhou Tianlin's wrath but to also be on the receiving end of his eager camaraderie.

It was as if the sun had risen in the west.

Wan Lixiang, stunned by Zhou Tianlin's subservient behavior, was a mix of shock, confusion, and resentment.

She stepped forward, wrapping her arms around Zhou Tianlin's arm, her ample chest gently caressing his arm as she looked up at him with tear-filled eyes and pouted, "Brother Lin, don't you love me anymore? Why didn't you stand up for me and beat him? Why are you being so friendly with him?"

"I love you to death," he retorted.

In a swift motion, Zhou Tianlin delivered a slap to the other side of Wan Lixiang's face.

[Ding! You've earned a shock from the crowd, Exclamation Point +130.]

The men in black stood agape, having never witnessed Zhou Tianlin strike his girlfriend before. It was clear he was truly at his wit's end this time.

The slap left Wan Lixiang utterly dumbfounded; she clutched her face, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Drag her away. Don't let her disturb the peace here," Zhou Tianlin commanded, tossing a stack of hundred-dollar bills at Wan Lixiang and addressing the bodyguard with impatience.

Afterward, he turned to Chiang Hao, his voice laden with self-pity.

"Yesterday, I got back to the company only to discover that the Han family had canceled all their orders with us. Moreover, they've forbidden other companies from doing business with us. The Zhou family is just a small clan in B City; we can't survive this kind of hit."

The Zhou family's entire enterprise, the fruit of Zhou Tianlin's father's lifetime of hard work, was on the brink of collapse before Zhou Tianlin had barely enjoyed its benefits. This was an outcome he desperately wanted to avoid.

"Please, I'm begging you, talk to Han Xun'er on my behalf. Ask her to spare me. I only accepted the five million from Young Master Bai because I lost my way."

"That's between your Zhou family and the Han family. How can I intercede for you?" Chiang Hao responded icily.

One must face the consequences of their actions.

"Master Chiang, you're so influential. Han Xun'er surely values your opinion. If you plead on my behalf and she forgives me, I'll do anything you ask."

Zhou Tianlin continued his pleas. "Let's set aside that issue for now and focus on resolving my sister's situation first."

Moved by Zhou Tianlin's appeals, Chiang Hao decided to judge his performance before determining how to handle the subsequent matters.

"Your sister? What's happened to her? Did that lowlife Wan Lixiang bully her?"

Zhou Tianlin sensed a possible shift in the tide and kept up his ingratiating tone. "Wan Lixiang has been spreading slander about my sister online, even paying trolls to circulate lies. I need to know, did you put her up to this?"

Chiang Hao stood with his hands clasped behind his back, assuming the air of a grandmaster. "What? She did something so vile? That's utterly reprehensible. I'll certainly help you get to the bottom of this. But rest assured, I had no hand in it. I wasn't even aware you had a sister," Zhou Tianlin declared, his voice thick with righteous anger.

Then, the car door swung open, and Wan Lixiang emerged. Zhou Tianlin's furious outburst had frightened her to the point where she was too scared to cry, so the bodyguard hadn't taken her far, just left her in the car.

"What in the world is going on? What have you done to Master Chiang's little sister?" Zhou Tianlin demanded.

"My sister doesn't know you at all. Why would you claim her livestreaming equipment was a gift from her 'godfather'?" Chiang Hao pressed.

"I have no idea who provided her livestreaming gear. All I know is her family can't afford such expensive stuff... I saw so many of my fans flocking to Tang Qingjing's streams, and in a fit of jealousy, I concocted some rumors," Wan Lixiang admitted, her voice faltering.

Zhou Tianlin had never been this enraged, and Wan Lixiang was visibly shaken. "Great, you two are quite the pair. One acts on a whim, the other out of spite. Do you really think you can just act on impulse, do whatever you please, and not be accountable for your mistakes?"

Chiang Hao, hearing Wan Lixiang's feeble defense, was at a loss for words and pressed on with his questioning.

"With me as her brother, would she ever be reduced to being supported by a sugar daddy? I was the one who gave her the live broadcasting equipment."

"Absolutely not! My initial intention was just to divert my fans from Tang Qingjing's live streams. I never anticipated it would escalate to this extent. The significant harm it caused Tang Qingjing is my fault."

By now, Wan Lixiang had regained her composure, fully aware of the trouble she had stirred up. She dropped her coy demeanor and began to own up to her mistakes.

"When you make a mistake, it's only right to face the consequences. I'm a forgiving person; I have no desire to cause you undue harm. Here's what we'll do: if you issue a public apology to my sister online and explain the whole story to the water friends, I'll let the matter rest."

"This..." Wan Lixiang wavered.

It was clear that if she followed Chiang Hao's directive, her reputation would be in tatters, and the fanbase she had painstakingly built would likely halve.

"What's this hesitation for? Get moving and do as Master Chiang instructs!"

Zhou Tianlin's stern gaze bore into Wan Lixiang as she hesitated.

To Zhou Tianlin, Wan Lixiang's fan following was insignificant compared to the Zhou family's empire.

"Fine, I'll do it right away."

Wan Lixiang cautiously looked up to meet Zhou Tianlin's furious expression and dared not delay any longer.

After all, Zhou Tianlin had purchased the costly attire she was wearing.

By complying, Wan Lixiang would essentially clear Tang Qingjing's name. With that settled, Chiang Hao shifted his focus away from the incident to prepare for Han Xun'er's wedding in two days.

"In two days, make sure you're at the Hilton Hotel in the city for the engagement ceremony," Chiang Hao directed.

"I wouldn't dream of it. I swear I'll never pose as Han Xun'er's boyfriend again," Zhou Tianlin declared, raising his hand as if taking an oath.

"I'm not suggesting you impersonate her boyfriend. But you must still attend; I have plans of my own," Chiang Hao said, his smile brimming with confidence.

"Understood, Master Chiang, with your brilliant strategies and exceptional intelligence, I'll follow your instructions to the letter," Zhou Tianlin said with a slight bow and a placating smile.

At this moment, his sole focus was on salvaging his family's enterprise, which meant adhering strictly to Chiang Hao's directives.

"Should the Bai family inquire about your dealings with Han Xun'er, you know the appropriate response, correct?" Chiang Hao added, his tone laced with caution to prevent Zhou Tianlin from inadvertently spilling any secrets.

"Rest assured, I've got it under control," Zhou Tianlin assured him.

"Very well, you may leave now." With a dismissive wave, Chiang Hao dismissed Zhou Tianlin.