Peng Hui immediately clutched his face and curled up on the ground, groaning incessantly.
Song Qiao's slap had shown no mercy, knocking out seven or eight of his teeth.
"Song Qiao!"
"Don't be impulsive, stop!"
Wu Meng never expected Song Qiao to act without a word.
Her already pale face was now filled with utter despair.
She had thoroughly offended Peng Hui this time. With that slap, she might really have to consider changing careers.
After all, a scoundrel like Peng Hui would never let this go.
"Song, I'll make sure you have a miserable death today."
In extreme anger, Peng Hui scrambled up from the ground, ready to fight Song Qiao to the death.
Song Qiao wouldn't back down just because Wu Meng spoke.
He dodged the swung fist and slapped Peng Hui across the face again.
"You dog, how dare you lay a hand on me."
"What, your dog didn't serve you well, so now you're coming to lick another woman?"
As Song Qiao spoke, he grabbed Peng Hui by the collar and lifted him up.
"Bastard, let go of President Peng."
"Or I'll kill your woman."
Gu Yanli, standing nearby, cursed and lunged at Wu Meng.
She intended to threaten Song Qiao into releasing Peng Hui.
"You're asking for death!"
To her surprise, Song Qiao remained unfazed. Holding Peng Hui with one hand, he stepped aside, blocking Wu Meng.
Then, with a powerful kick, he sent Gu Yanli flying several meters away.
Caught off guard, Gu Yanli screamed, spitting out a mouthful of blood and seeing stars before losing consciousness.
Song Qiao had shown restraint with that kick. Otherwise, with Gu Yanli's frail body, it could have been fatal.
"Incompetent fool. Hitting you would dirty my hands."
Song Qiao didn't even spare a glance at Peng Hui. He turned and rained several more blows on Peng Hui's swollen, pig-like face.
Then, as if discarding trash, he threw Peng Hui onto the ground.
"Disappear from my sight immediately. If I find out you dare to trouble Wu Meng's company, I'll knock out every single one of your teeth."
Song Qiao warned him, then delivered a swift kick to Peng Hui's backside.
He then looked up, meeting Wu Meng's eyes.
He spoke word by word, "Dealing with people like this requires fists to make them understand reason."
"If you want to be my Chairman's secretary, you need to show some assertiveness."
"Don't let anyone think you're easy to bully. From now on, I'll have your back whatever happens."
Wu Meng stared blankly at the serious Song Qiao.
Her heart felt as if it had been struck hard in that instant. She stood there, completely lost and bewildered.
Dominant, assertive!
Song Qiao, whom she had always overlooked, now towered above everyone else in her heart.
Unknowingly, she had completely fallen for this feeling of reliance.
"Did you hear me?"
Seeing her lost in thought, Song Qiao couldn't help but ask again.
"Ah."
"I heard, I heard."
Wu Meng, snapping back to reality, blushed and quickly replied.
"Song Qiao, is it? I'll be waiting. You think you're so capable. You'd better watch yourself during this time."
"Clean your neck and wait for my revenge at home."
Peng Hui left a parting threat, then woke Gu Yanli. The two left the scene filled with extreme resentment.
As she left, Gu Yanli shot Song Qiao a venomous glare. The malice in her eyes made Wu Meng shiver.
But remembering Song Qiao's earlier words, her eyes did not flinch. She stared directly at Gu Yanli.
This made the usually garrulous Gu Yanli, after uttering just that one sentence, flee in panic.
Song Qiao, on the other hand, seemed unconcerned by these hollow threats.
After everyone had left, Wu Meng timidly reminded him:
"Peng Hui threatened revenge just now. This guy hangs around the docks a lot and knows many triad bosses. You really need to be careful and don't get caught in a gutter incident with someone like him."
Song Qiao nodded slightly, a dismissive look on his face.
"These two garbage can't stir up much trouble for me. If they dare to come, I'll make them taste the pain of my Soul Seizing Divine Needles."
"What you need to do now is be assertive when facing such situations. The more assertive you are, the more your opponents will fear you, and no one will dare to bully you."
Song Qiao was still somewhat uneasy, and he went on to explain at length to Wu Meng.
Wu Meng's gaze towards Song Qiao had already changed.
In the few months since returning to the country, Song Qiao had helped her in many ways, both openly and discreetly.
Song Qiao's image in her heart had grown increasingly noble.
"Let's go, we need to go back to the company first. I have some matters to attend to."
Song Qiao clearly wasn't bothered by the minor incident. He waved his car keys, signaling Wu Meng to get in.
"Okay, we've reached a cooperation with the Su family today. I'll go back and help you organize the information on the Su Corporation."
Wu Meng agreed, which brought a warmth to Song Qiao's heart.
It seemed he hadn't misjudged Wu Meng as his Chairman's secretary. Despite all the troublesome events of the day, this woman still prioritized work.
If nothing else, her business acumen alone would make most secretaries feel inferior.
As soon as they returned to the company, Song Qiao's phone rang.
Song Qiao picked up his phone and saw that the contact was Guo Jun, which made him look puzzled.
He handed his keys to Wu Meng, waved her upstairs to wait,
and answered the call himself in the lobby.
"Hello, Young Master Guo. Long time no see. What made you think of calling me today?"
Their relationship was such that they didn't need pleasantries; their words came out naturally and without any embarrassment.
"Yes, Brother Song, do you have time? Let's get together for a drink or two somewhere."
"I also have some matters I need to discuss with you."
Guo Jun's voice on the other end of the line was hearty as he directly invited Song Qiao.
Song Qiao hesitated for a few seconds, unsure what Guo Jun wanted.
However, he happened to be free that evening.
"No problem, Young Master Guo. Why wait? Let's do it now. You pick the place."
"You'll have to drink with me until we're both thoroughly intoxicated."
"Alright, let's go to the Dark Night Club. We'll meet there."
Guo Jun laughed heartily upon hearing this and readily agreed.
They exchanged a few more pleasantries before hanging up.
Song Qiao rushed to the club without delay. As he was about to head upstairs to the private room,
he failed to notice someone in a corner of the lobby watching him with venomous eyes…