Sun Yanli seemed to be at her wit's end. Desperate to acquire the land at a lower price, she resorted to personal attacks against Ye Tiancheng.
Ye Tiancheng had been polite for quite some time, but now that Sun Yanli had chosen not to believe him and was veering off-topic, he felt justified in losing his temper.
After all, he held the initiative by not wanting to sell the land, and Sun Yanli couldn't really force his hand. A buyer couldn't possibly engage in coercion, could they?
"This is quite amusing, Ms. Sun. I merely stated a reasonable price, and you've launched into all this. It's as if I'm deliberately creating trouble solely for profit. However, I genuinely believe this price is fair. As I've told you, you're not the only potential buyer; there are others who have made offers. If you're not buying, you're welcome to leave. Why waste my time here? Didn't you say when you first arrived that your time is precious and cannot be wasted? Well, let me tell you, my time is also valuable. Can we please stop this back-and-forth? Let's all disperse."
After Ye Tiancheng's barrage of words, Sun Yanli was utterly bewildered. She had encountered many difficult opponents before, but most of them were women.
Men, generally, became more manageable after a few drinks at the table. However, Ye Tiancheng appeared even more difficult to deal with than a woman. With no other recourse, Sun Yanli decided to call her husband.
Sun Yanli's husband was named Dong Weilong, commonly referred to as President Dong. He was also a developer who had developed numerous plots of land, a small-time developer, really, who relied on Sun Yanli's family, the Qi family. He was essentially a boorish man who specialized in vulgar tactics.
"Ah, Mr. Ye, I've long admired your reputation. It's such a pleasure to finally meet you. I feel incredibly honored, like a fan meeting their idol. I'm so excited that I don't know what to say. You're much more handsome in person than in the financial magazines. You appear more three-dimensional, your skin is better – I'm truly delighted."
Dong Weilong arrived in less than half an hour. During this time, Ye Tiancheng had tried several times to get rid of Sun Yanli. Sun Yanli would pretend not to hear him, and if Ye Tiancheng made any slight move, she would start shouting loudly.
Sun Yanli was an extremely troublesome woman. She clearly didn't care about her reputation. If Ye Tiancheng so much as touched her, she would cry out about indecency. Ye Tiancheng didn't want to court such bad luck, so he waited for half an hour until Dong Weilong arrived, hoping to get rid of his difficult wife.
As soon as Dong Weilong arrived, Ye Tiancheng saw that he and Sun Yanli were indeed a perfect match. He wore a large gold watch, and his entire being radiated a flashy nouveau riche aura. It was impossible for anyone not to know how wealthy he was; it felt like a grave offense not to acknowledge him as an incredibly rich parvenu.
"Mr. Dong, it's good that you're here. Please take your wife away quickly. Our cooperation will definitely not continue. We hadn't signed any contract before, it was just a simple discussion. I really can't stand your wife throwing a tantrum here; it's severely affecting my mood. I never want to see such a person again."
As soon as Ye Tiancheng finished speaking, Dong Weilong grabbed Sun Yanli and, with a swift motion, slapped her.
The slap was incredibly loud, echoing as if it could be heard in the heavens. Dong Weilong was wearing a large gold ring on his finger, so the impact on her face must have been quite painful. The sound alone stunned both Ye Tiancheng and Liu Lanying.
Sun Yanli had appeared full of spirit, the kind of woman who would likely hit her husband. However, the reality was the opposite of expectations. Ye Tiancheng hadn't expected Dong Weilong to hit her. He had found Sun Yanli extremely detestable moments ago, but seeing her being hit by her husband, Ye Tiancheng suddenly felt a pang of pity.
This woman was quite pitiful. She had risen through the ranks thanks to the influence of her maternal family, the Qi family. Yet, now that she had achieved success, she seemed to have forgotten her roots. Ye Tiancheng had heard before that Dong Weilong had affairs with other women and also engaged in domestic violence. Witnessing it firsthand now was a great shock. He hadn't expected such a scummy man to exist in this world.
Ye Tiancheng felt like a terrible scumbag, but compared to Dong Weilong, he was merely a minor player. Dong Weilong was the true progenitor of scumbags, the ultimate player. Not only did he womanize outside, but when faced with problems, he showed such little regard for his wife, hitting her in front of so many people. It was akin to throwing Sun Yanli's dignity to the ground and trampling on it ferociously.
In such a situation, both Ye Tiancheng and Liu Lanying couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Why would anyone keep such a man? He should be kicked to the curb.
Given that Sun Yanli's family was quite wealthy, why would she choose to be with this overweight man? Even if she wasn't attractive, she could use her money to date younger men. Why would she choose such an older man and suffer such humiliation?
Ye Tiancheng's mind raced with thoughts. Although he didn't voice them, his feelings were intense. He felt completely overwhelmed, wishing he could directly confront that scumbag Dong Weilong.
"Mr. Dong, this is not appropriate. As a man, you should possess basic courtesy. At the very least, you should be gentlemanly and not lay hands on a woman, especially your wife with whom you've shared your life."
"Mr. Ye, I understand my wife offended you, so I must teach her a lesson. Women need to be disciplined; otherwise, they become increasingly audacious and will eventually walk all over you. How can you manage them then? Since my wife has made Mr. Ye uncomfortable, I naturally have to discipline her a bit, to let Mr. Ye vent his anger."
Ye Tiancheng glanced at Sun Yanli. Moments ago, she had been incredibly arrogant and overbearing. Now, she was huddled in a corner, sitting on a stool and saying nothing, looking like a downtrodden victim. Ye Tiancheng's emotions were a jumble, and he didn't know what to say. As an outsider, perhaps he shouldn't interfere.
However, a man hitting a woman challenged Ye Tiancheng's bottom line. He had to speak up, even if it meant offending someone.
"You know, Mr. Dong, you seem quite formidable. But from our perspective as outsiders, we find you utterly contemptible. You hit a woman; you have no principles. I cannot do business with you. Please leave now and stop wasting my time. I have no right to comment on your marital affairs, but I just wish you would stay away from me."
Ye Tiancheng was thoroughly disgusted today. Each unfolding event wasn't exciting but revolting, revealing to Ye Tiancheng the sheer ugliness of human hearts in this world.
"Mr. Ye, please don't be angry. I was just trying to let you vent your frustration. How about I apologize to my wife? I know men shouldn't hit women, but I lost my temper for a moment. This woman always does things that provoke me; I can't even get angry. Mr. Ye, please don't be so strict with me. I'm just a rough man. If anything makes you uncomfortable, I can change. There's no need to break off our cooperation. I believe we could cooperate very well. You have the goods, I have the money, and we can have a peaceful transaction. Why look for others? Aren't they all the same? And they're not as reliable as me."
Dong Weilong's smarmy demeanor as he spoke made Ye Tiancheng extremely uncomfortable, feeling as though his very soul had been defiled. How could such a terrible man exist in this world? After hitting someone, he was now acting so flippantly. Ye Tiancheng wished he could just slap him. Such a person deserved to die.
"Mr. Dong, to be honest, I don't want to cooperate right now. I just want to slap you. I wish I could hit you. I advise you to stop lingering in front of me. It's not good for either of us."
Ye Tiancheng's hands were itching. If Dong Weilong uttered another arrogant word in front of him, Ye Tiancheng might actually resort to hitting him. If the cooperation fell through, Ye Tiancheng worried about implicating himself, as hitting someone was wrong, and he would be legally responsible. Dong Weilong was likely to be very troublesome. Ye Tiancheng gritted his teeth, telling himself to hold back.
"Yes, you should leave. I'm a woman, and I can't stand seeing you hit your wife in front of me. Although this is your family matter and has nothing to do with me or Brother Ye, don't put on a show in front of us. Whether you divorce or stay together is irrelevant to us, but don't cause these violent incidents in front of us. It's utterly disgusting to watch."
Liu Lanying had been frightened when Dong Weilong hit her. Now that she had recovered, she finally spoke. Her immediate words were to urge the departure of this scumbag Dong Weilong. As a woman, she could not condone Dong Weilong's cruel actions.
"Look, Ms. Liu, please don't be angry. I admit it was my fault, and I won't do it again. You two must give me some chances. I acted impulsively and resorted to hitting her. I won't make such a foolish mistake again. Let's talk business properly, shall we? Let's not dwell on these matters unrelated to business; they're useless."
Since Liu Lanying felt unwell and found the scumbag repulsive, Ye Tiancheng didn't want to prolong the encounter. He quickly ushered them out, along with Sun Yanli. He figured both couples were birds of a feather and he couldn't manage them all. He quickly got them all out and warned Dong Weilong not to return, stating he wouldn't do business with people like them.
Shortly after pushing the couple out, Ye Tiancheng looked outside and saw Dong Weilong still hitting Sun Yanli, knocking her to the ground before driving away. Sun Yanli lay on the ground, bruised and injured. Liu Lanying looked at Ye Tiancheng with pity in her eyes. Ye Tiancheng had indeed guessed correctly.
"Why don't we help Sister Sun inside? She looks so pitiful, being beaten like that."
Liu Lanying's heart had softened. Seeing Sun Yanli, a fellow woman, end up in such a state, Liu Lanying felt uncomfortable. This was a natural reaction, so Ye Tiancheng immediately agreed to Liu Lanying's suggestion.
"Alright. Regardless of whether we cooperate or not, when the weak are bullied, we should help if we can. Otherwise, it would seem too heartless of us."
With Ye Tiancheng's permission, Liu Lanying quickly helped Sun Yanli inside and then tended to her wounds. Ye Tiancheng watched from the side and couldn't help but comment.