Zhang Liunian remained still. The noblewoman reached out and pushed Jiang Qingqing, who stumbled and nearly fell. If not for Zhang Liunian's quick grab, she would have certainly hit the ground.
"Qingqing, are you alright!" Zhang Liunian looked at his wife with concern. Only after she shook her head to indicate she was fine did he turn his gaze to the arrogant noblewoman.
Facing such repeated provocation, if Zhang Liunian remained silent, he wouldn't be a man.
"Apologize. Offer an apology to my Qingqing. This school entrance is so large, yet you deliberately chose to pass this way and then push people. Do you really think I won't hit women?" Zhang Liunian's voice was exceptionally loud, making the noblewoman's face turn ugly.
"How dare you speak to me like this? Do you know who I am?" The noblewoman, clad in a leopard-print coat, exuded an air of nouveau riche.
"Who cares who you are. You will apologize for what happened today, or this isn't over," Zhang Liunian sneered, curling his lips.
"I won't. What can you do to me? In all my life, this is the first time I've encountered a penniless scrub trying to put me down. Are you tired of living?" The noblewoman, enraged, pointed a finger at him arrogantly.
"Then it seems we'll have to resolve this with force."
Zhang Liunian, not wanting to argue further, was about to act when the gatekeeper rushed over and cautioned him, "She's the legal wife of Nan Cheng's Paper King. You'd best not provoke her; it won't end well for you."
Although this person could afford a second-hand pickup truck, he certainly wasn't excessively wealthy. Since he lacked money, he should live a low-key life and avoid offending those he couldn't afford to.
"Did you hear that? Kneel down and wipe my shoes clean, and I might consider telling Old Wang not to trouble you," Mrs. Wang said, her voice even more triumphant as she tilted her head back upon hearing the gatekeeper's words.
Zhang Liunian, unable to stand it any longer, delivered a swift kick, sending Mrs. Wang to her knees before him. "I won't do any shoe-wiping. You do it!"
"Ah! I'll rip your mouth to shreds."
Mrs. Wang knelt on the ground, screaming, and then rose to strike Zhang Liunian. But at this moment, she saw her husband approaching and immediately called out for help, "Old Wang, if you don't come now, your wife and son are about to be bullied to death."
"Who dares to touch my wife and child, I'll beat them to death! Another one who wants grass growing on their grave…"
The man, known as Old Wang, strode over menacingly, preparing to confront Zhang Liunian. However, upon seeing Zhang Liunian's face, his demeanor instantly shifted to that of an adoring fan. "Comrade Zhang, what are you doing here?"
Zhang Liunian raised an eyebrow. Another familiar face from the banquet. It was just that he remembered the woman he'd brought that day wasn't Mrs. Wang. The thought flashed through his mind for just a moment before he glanced at the noblewoman's suddenly wide eyes and replied with a smile, "I'm here to enroll my daughter."
"Oh, your daughter studies here too? My son does as well. I'll have my little Shi Tou protect her, so no one bullies your daughter." Boss Wang still hadn't realized that Zhang Liunian was the person he had just insulted.
Zhang Liunian, unwilling to let him remain deceived, reminded him, "Are these your wife and child? She was just saying I was bullying her."
"..."
Boss Wang, who had already realized the situation was not right, abruptly changed his expression. He turned and, without hesitation, slapped his wife, stunning everyone present.
Jiang Qingqing, somewhat flustered, moved behind Zhang Liunian and tugged at his clothes.
Zhang Liunian gently clasped her restless hand and smiled at her.
When he turned back, he saw Boss Wang smiling at him, "It must be that my wife was talking nonsense. How could you possibly bully her."
This sudden turn of events left onlookers bewildered, wondering if Boss Wang had lost his mind, hitting his own wife for an outsider.
Even the noblewoman, who had been hit, looked incredulous, as it was the first time she had ever been struck. And in front of so many onlookers, it completely stripped her of her dignity and face.
"Old Wang, you hit me? You hit me for an outsider. You're really something!"
With that, the noblewoman let go of her son's hand and rushed forward, wrestling with Old Wang.
Old Wang hadn't expected his wife to erupt in fury right there. Caught off guard, she managed to scratch his face, drawing blood instantly.
"You shrew, daring to lay a hand on me! It's been too long since I've had to discipline you." Boss Wang retorted, grabbing Mrs. Wang and delivering slaps from left and right, the sound echoing loudly. Everyone winced sympathetically for the noblewoman's face.
"Disgraceful woman! From now on, you stay at home and aren't allowed to go anywhere."
Boss Wang shoved the noblewoman to the roadside, then tidied his appearance and put on a smiling face. "Comrade Liunian, please don't take it to heart. She's just a woman, with more hair than sense. She's a bit unruly outside, and I'll discipline her properly when we get back. Please don't be angry and misunderstand me. Our Wang family's business still relies on your department store. Let's not damage our good relations."
Boss Wang had received word that both the Nan Cheng and the Provincial department stores had fallen into Zhang Liunian's hands. Now, this man was the benefactor of many businessmen in Nan Cheng. Not building a good relationship with him and instead antagonizing him would be pure foolishness.
Furthermore, after the business banquet the other day, anyone who had the qualifications to attend knew that Zhang Liunian was wealthy, well-connected, knowledgeable, and insightful. How could someone like him remain ordinary? Prosperity was surely just around the corner. It would be suicidal to offend such a formidable figure.
"I understand. Could this be the person my husband mentioned wanting to bid nine million for the department store the other day?"
"I also heard my husband mention him. His name was Zhang Liunian, wasn't it? That matches up."
"So, he's that influential and powerful Zhang Liunian, the foresighted new star of Nan Cheng's business community?"
"..."
The surrounding murmurs grew louder. The gatekeeper also realized he might have blocked someone very important from entering.
"I haven't taken over the department store affairs yet. The specific situation will be analyzed accordingly." Zhang Liunian didn't want to stand there being gawked at. He turned to the gatekeeper, who, without a word, shamelessly ushered him in.
They proceeded smoothly to the admissions office. The staff informed them of the tuition fees and inquired about Zhang Liunian and his wife's educational backgrounds. Upon learning that Jiang Qingqing was a high school graduate, they gladly accepted Hua Bao.
After paying the fees, Zhang Liunian and his wife emerged again, only to find Boss Wang waiting alone at the entrance.
"Comrade Liunian, I am truly sorry for earlier. I apologize on behalf of my wife. As an apology, I'd like to invite you and your wife for a simple meal. Would you be willing to grace us with your presence?" This Boss Wang had made his fortune in papermaking, with generations of his family involved in the paper industry. Their largest sales outlets were both in Zhang Liunian's possession: the Nan Cheng department store and the provincial department store. It was precisely because of these two sales points that their family could earn substantial profits. Therefore, no matter what, he could not afford to offend Zhang Liunian.
"There's no need for a meal. Those who achieve great things are not bound by trivial matters. As long as your products are good, I will certainly continue to cooperate with you." However, the manner of cooperation might not be the same as before, Zhang Liunian's unspoken words.
Upon hearing this, Boss Wang felt a bit more at ease. "You can rest assured about our paper; it's absolutely top-notch. We have a hundred years of heritage, unlike those who enter the trade midway and resort to passing off inferior goods as superior. I also have one small request, which I hope Comrade Liunian will consider carefully: I hope you won't increase our rent. We are all small business owners and don't earn much." It would be even better if they didn't have to pay rent at all, as they had just paid a few months prior.