The rain intensified, pouring down as if the heavens had opened. As Ren Yuanhao's body was hoisted onto a jeep by a group of people, they headed directly towards the Qiu family building.
Moments later.
In the main hall of the Qiu family building, a melodious and joyful sonata played. The opulent crystal chandelier and the golden floor shone in harmony. Several scantily clad dancers gracefully weaved like lotus leaves around a stout,胖子 (fatty).
"Mmm, so fragrant!"
The fatty's desire was piqued. He immediately grabbed one of the well-proportioned women, completely unfazed by the onlookers. He kissed her passionately and was about to grope her chest when she resisted.
*Slap!*
The fatty struck the woman across the face. Barefoot a moment ago, he quickly put on his pointed shoes and kicked her twice in the abdomen, his ample flesh jiggling. The crowd, though indignant, dared not speak, forced to tolerate the fatty's temper. The dancers, terrified, retreated to a corner, huddling against the wall.
"Ptooey!"
The fatty spat on the woman's face and then pressed the sole of his shoe onto it, rubbing it around a few times before snarling, "I want to get intimate with you, and you're being difficult?"
"Young Master, don't stoop to the level of a mere girl. She's new here and doesn't know the rules, doesn't know the rules."
A man with glasses and an oily pompadour stood by the crystal chandelier, bending his body like a bow.
"Steward Mo, if the new girl doesn't know the rules, do you not know them either?" The fatty, still seething, sat down on the spacious, soft sofa. With a gesture, a nearby servant respectfully handed him a cigar and then a lighter to ignite it.
"Damn it, screw you! My Cuban cigar, and you're using a lighter? How many times have I told you, use matches, matches, understand!"
The fatty slapped the servant across the face, leaving five distinct finger marks.
"It seems you won't learn unless I administer a little punishment."
The fatty took a deep puff of the cigar, the glowing tip emitting wisps of smoke like a ball of molten lava.
He blew the smoke into the servant's face and then, with a cold laugh, said, "Give me your hand!"
"Yo-Young Master, please spare me. I remember this time, I really remember!"
The servant fell to his knees with a thud, his head bowed like a frostbitten eggplant.
"Did I tell you to kneel?" The fatty's anger flared. He directly thrust the smoldering cigar onto the servant's head. The moment the sparks touched his hair, a scorched smell arose. The servant hastily tried to brush away the fiery ash, but the fatty took another deep puff and pressed the burning cigar onto his hand!
The servant gritted his teeth, enduring the pain of his skin being seared, for he knew all too well that if he resisted further, with the capricious nature of this young master, he would face even more terrifying punishment.
The air was filled with the aroma of roasted meat and burnt hair. The onlookers' faces were ashen, yet not a single one dared to utter a sound. Even the steward had given up.
At that moment, lightning flashed across the sky, and thunder boomed, making the entire building seem to tremble under the might of heaven.
And then, six jeeps stopped steadily in the plaza in front of the building. A burly man emerged from the lead jeep. He walked to the tailgate, hoisted the object wrapped in a sheet onto his shoulder, and strode into the luxurious hall, braving the downpour.
"You're back! What fun did you bring this time?"
The fatty rubbed his hands together, having forgotten his previous displeasure. He quickly moved to the sheet, his excitement like that of a child, gesticulating and saying, "Quick, quick, unveil it and let me see."
"Young Master, this— this isn't quite right, is it?"
The man in the lead was Li Dan, and his expression was somewhat unusual. But the fatty shot him a glare, ignored his advice, and reached out to lift the sheet.
The moment the sheet was lifted, the dancers' faces turned deathly pale, and they shrank back even further.
"Holy cow! You, why did you bring back a dead person!" The fatty roared in anger. "I heard this morning that several beauties of unparalleled allure had arrived in town. You made such a fuss, and all you brought back for this young master is a corpse? Was your brain kicked by a donkey?"
"Young Master, you wouldn't know, but as long as this corpse is here, those beauties will definitely come our way."
Li Dan pointed mysteriously at Ren Yuanhao's body and said.
"Nonsense, is this corpse some kind of delicacy?" The fatty was bewildered.
"Yes, he is indeed a delicacy. If you don't believe me, Young Master, just wait and see." Li Dan grinned slyly. The fatty seemed to trust him implicitly, his face lighting up with anticipation.
"Alright, throw him into the cellar and have people guard him properly. You are fully in charge of this matter. Once it's done, you'll be rewarded handsomely."
As they were speaking, a man in his fifties or sixties hobbled in, leaning on a dragon-headed cane. His voice preceded him. The fatty jolted and immediately waved to everyone, then bounced with excitement and threw himself into the embrace of the man who was about to appear from the right passage.
"Dad! You're here!" The fatty's huge body blocked the man's view, giving Li Dan and the others the chance to quickly carry Ren Yuanhao's body and escape.
"Rascal, as soon as I arrive, those guys scurry off. Did you do something illicit again?" The man's voice sounded even more ancient than his appearance. His words seemed like a reprimand, but the doting in his eyes was obvious to anyone.
This man was the head of the Qiu family, the man who controlled most of the town's economic lifeline, Qiu Guodong. And this fatty was his only child, Qiu Yang.
"Dad, how could I possibly do anything illicit? Rest assured, Dad. Look, the weather is so stormy outside; you shouldn't be going out." Qiu Yang's ears twitched twice. The movement behind him seemed to have ceased, and only then did he release his father.
"You, if you could just put in some effort, I wouldn't have to run around so much trying to drum up business."
"Yes, yes, yes, I will double my efforts and inherit your mantle soon."
"I'm tired of hearing that. Alright, remember to stay put at home. Don't lust after any girl, don't cause trouble. I might be delayed a bit longer this time when I go to Yun Jin City."
Qiu Guodong patted his son's shoulder earnestly. These were routine words; every time he returned from an outing, his first task was to clean up after his son.
Thinking of this, he was about to launch into another long lecture before leaving, but Qiu Yang diverted the topic with a single sentence.
"Dad, remember to bring me some pine nut wine from Yun Jin City."
Qiu Guodong nodded, then, led by his servants, got into the car and drove away.