"Don't worry, it's absolutely fine," Li Se said confidently.
"You only say such things, I suspect you won't be able to get out of bed when the time comes," Zhang Aimin chuckled.
"I can make you unable to get out of bed right now!" Li Se flipped over and pinned Zhang Aimin beneath him.
After the storm had passed, Zhang Aimin put on her clothes and tried to stand up, but her legs went weak, and she collapsed back onto Li Se. She looked at him with a wronged expression, but she dared not say what she had just said, lest she be tormented again.
"I plan to go home for a couple of days. Do you want to come with me?" Li Se had long planned to return. He wanted to build a villa for his mother, and Yao Jingtai was currently developing his hometown. He could entrust the villa project entirely to Yao Jingtai.
"Me..." Zhang Aimin was tempted, but then she thought of something and shook her head. "Perhaps not. You should take your other girlfriends back."
Li Se understood Zhang Aimin's concerns and didn't press further. The next day, he drove to Fuxi County. It wasn't far from the city, only about half an hour's drive. He hadn't been back in two years, and now that development had begun, many people had become resettlement households.
After parking his car, Li Se had only walked a few steps when he ran into an acquaintance.
"Li Se?" The other person exclaimed in surprise, seeing Li Se. "I didn't expect you to be back."
This was Li Se's former elementary school classmate. He had only left Fuxi County after junior high school, as the county only had schools up to junior high; for high school and above, one had to go to the city. The person in front of him was his former classmate, Yuan An'an. Their relationship wasn't particularly close; at most, they would greet each other when they met.
"I heard you were getting married. Why didn't you bring your wife back?" Yuan An'an looked around. She actually knew that Li Se's wedding hadn't happened, but she still asked deliberately.
"I'm not married," Li Se replied calmly.
"What happened? I heard you borrowed a lot of money from relatives?" Yuan An'an asked with feigned suspicion.
Li Se knew exactly what Yuan An'an was thinking. Her parents and his parents had wanted to set them up, but he hadn't thought much of Yuan An'an back then, which led her to still hold a grudge against him. He smiled and said, "If it's not a good fit, we won't get married. It's not that complicated."
Not wanting to engage further with Yuan An'an, Li Se decided to go inside.
"Wait!" Yuan An'an called out to him. "I brought my boyfriend back today. He's involved in major projects, and he's hosting a lunch. You should come too. Many old friends will be there."
Li Se was about to refuse, but Yuan An'an seemed to be afraid he would refuse. She waved her hand and said, "Then I'll be waiting for you at the Mingri Hotel. Twelve o'clock sharp. Don't forget to come."
After saying that, she turned and left, giving Li Se no chance to refuse.
However, Li Se didn't pay it much mind. Shaking his head, he went inside. As soon as he got home, he saw a man who had gained some weight entertaining his mother, Chen Xiulian.
"Why are you back? You didn't let us know!" Chen Xiulian exclaimed in surprise.
"Mom, who is this?" Li Se asked.
"You child, you've been away for only two years and you've forgotten? This is Uncle Shen," Chen Xiulian said.
Li Se then remembered who the portly man in front of him was. He was considered a landlord-level figure in the village. He recalled that Uncle Shen wasn't fat two years ago, so how did he get so plump now? Looking at his complexion, it was clear his health wasn't great.
"Li Se, you're getting more handsome," Uncle Shen said with a smile.
"Uncle Shen, what brings you here?" Li Se asked with a smile.
Uncle Shen explained, "It's like this, I plan to buy your land. Don't worry, I'll offer a fair price, five hundred yuan per square meter. How about that?"
"Old Shen, I'm not planning to sell for now," Chen Xiulian replied, shaking her head. "If I sell, where will I live?"
"Don't worry, I'll arrange accommodation for you, and the rent won't be high," Uncle Shen said with a smile.
"Why do you suddenly want to buy our land, Uncle Shen?" Li Se narrowed his eyes.
Uncle Shen explained, "I see that you're developing in the city and probably won't be back. Land in this county is cheap. At the old prices, it was only two or three hundred per square meter. I'm just looking out for you and your son, seeing as you're having a tough time, aren't I?"
Li Se sneered, "Uncle Shen, it was two or three hundred yuan per square meter before, but now it's more, isn't it? I heard the richest man in Hong Kong is going to invest in our county. Aren't you planning to buy our land and then wait for demolition compensation?"
As if his intentions had been exposed, Uncle Shen's expression changed slightly. He was surprised, wondering how Li Se knew this, as he had only learned about it through his own connections. However, he quickly regained his composure and said with a smile, "Who told you that? This place is so desolate, how could anyone invest here? Don't listen to all this fake news. I'm purely doing this for your own good."
"No need!" Li Se said flatly. "Shen Degui, please leave!"
He stopped calling him Uncle Shen and used his full name.
"How dare you speak to me like that?" Shen Degui said, annoyed.
"That's how I speak," Li Se said indifferently. He wouldn't be too polite to people like this.
"Heh..." Shen Degui let out a cold laugh. "I offered you five hundred per square meter out of pity for you and your son. Since you're so unappreciative, don't blame me."
With that, he took out his phone and dialed a number. About five minutes later, several thugs walked in.
Seeing this, Chen Xiulian's face changed. "What do you mean by this?"
"What do I mean?" Shen Degui sneered. "Of course, I mean to buy your land. You're selling today, whether you want to or not. Sign here, or don't blame me for being ruthless."
These thugs were all carrying weapons and looked arrogant. They even banged on the table, intimidating Li Se and Chen Xiulian. In any other family, they would have been terrified, but Li Se remained calm throughout.
Chen Xiulian was naturally frightened. "I'm calling the police!"
"Calling the police?" Shen Degui chuckled disdainfully, speaking without fear. "Go ahead and call. I have contacts inside."
Chen Xiulian's face turned pale, and she was at a loss for what to do.
"Shen Degui, you really have a lot of nerve," Li Se said coldly.
"If I didn't have nerve, how could I make money?" Shen Degui said carelessly. But as soon as he finished speaking, Li Se slapped him across the face.
*Slap!*
Shen Degui felt dizzy from the blow and then became furious, shouting, "Grab this kid and beat him! How dare he hit me? He clearly hasn't been toughened by society. Today, I'll make you pay!"
Li Se looked at him with disdain. "Based on you?"