The story unfolds in two threads, as it were.
Let’s focus on Madam Shen’s side.
On the way back, she learned that Song Qiao had injured Pu Xu and fell into a prolonged silence.
She was utterly shocked.
The moment she heard the news, she couldn't believe it, repeatedly questioning her subordinate, "Is the news confirmed? Have you verified it again?"
Her subordinate also repeatedly assured her, "Madam, please rest assured, I personally verified it, found eyewitnesses at the scene, obtained surveillance footage, and had it analyzed by domestic martial artists. It can be confirmed that this is the truth. Pu Xu suffered a crushing defeat."
The subordinate then presented the martial artists' analysis, which stated that Song Qiao was actually toying with Pu Xu. Pu Xu had already lost at the beginning of their exchange, a fact that Pu Xu himself was unaware of.
Even the martial artists hadn't initially noticed this, believing the two were evenly matched and fighting a close battle.
Hearing this, Madam Shen had no choice but to believe it now.
It was understandable why she was so surprised.
Although she had shared hardships with Song Qiao and been saved by him several times, she still felt Pu Xu was more formidable.
There was a reason for this, of course: Song Qiao had seemed almost effortlessly competent when saving her, making her feel his opponents weren't that strong.
On the other hand, Pu Xu was well-known in China, but even more so in South Korea.
He wasn't just the proud disciple of Jang Ryong-seung, South Korea's top master, but he had also forged a formidable reputation in South Korea, building his glory on the failures of many senior martial artists.
However, she hadn't expected that upon returning to China, hoping to make a name for himself, he would fall at Song Qiao's hands, losing as soon as he entered the ring.
Song Qiao's face reappeared in her mind.
"China is truly a land of outstanding people, where talents emerge in large numbers!" she couldn't help but exclaim.
But this was a good thing, wasn't it?
After all, she and Song Qiao had a business deal worth hundreds of millions, which constituted a connection.
He had saved her, and perhaps Deng Yihan, whom she had just met, could also be of help, further strengthening her relationship with Song Qiao.
Immediately, her gaze became firm. She had to see Song Qiao again tomorrow and ask for his help. She believed that with his assistance, she could surely reclaim her Shen family's plaque.
Thinking of their family's plaque, a look of sorrow crossed Madam Shen's face, which then turned to indignation, and finally to hope.
It turned out that Madam Shen's family was also a martial arts family.
Her father had once staked his honor and fought Jang Ryong-seung, South Korea's top master, with all his might. The result was a bitter defeat, and the Shen family's plaque fell into Jang Ryong-seung's possession.
Her father suffered internal injuries from this battle, and coupled with the loss of the plaque, he became consumed by grief and passed away unfortunately a few years later.
Thus, the plaque became a persistent worry for Madam Shen.
For many years, she had strived to retrieve it.
However, her efforts had always been unsuccessful.
Even after becoming the head of her current chaebol, she was powerless.
After all, a chaebol's strength lay in capital, not in martial prowess or influence in the martial world, especially when facing a top master like Jang Ryong-seung.
Money could indeed solve many problems, but when faced with someone like Jang Ryong-seung, who embodied immense power and possessed considerable financial resources, money was insufficient.
This was because capital also had its weaknesses and could not directly influence an opponent.
Of course, settling for the status quo and waiting for death was not Madam Shen's nature.
She had tried every conceivable method, even asking Fu Ni for help.
With her influence and financial power, if she had agreed, the matter could have been resolved.
But the outcome disappointed Madam Shen; Fu Ni had not agreed.
And now, Song Qiao's one-strike defeat of Pu Xu and his playful demeanor had made her eyes light up.
Perhaps her path to breakthrough lay in China.
"I must succeed; this is the opportunity with the highest probability of success I've had so far!"
...
As for Song Qiao.
After seeing Madam Shen off, he had been indulging in intense intimacy with Deng Yihan.
After their second round, Deng Yihan also helped him with her hands and mouth, so their teamwork was seamless, leading to a hat-trick.
Finally, Song Qiao carried Deng Yihan into the bathroom for a romantic bath.
Of course, intimacy was unavoidable during this process.
It wasn't until Deng Yihan pleaded for mercy, saying she couldn't take it anymore.
After their bath, Song Qiao carried her to bed, kissed her on the corner of her satisfied smile, and instructed, "Baby, get some good rest. We'll have more fun when we have time!"
Although she was reluctant and didn't want him to leave, he also knew that news about him and Deng Yihan couldn't spread yet.
He was particularly satisfied this time.
Although Deng Yihan hadn't explicitly explained why she did what she did, wasn't it simply a matter of time?
Moreover, she had shown her deep affection for him through her actions; what more could he ask for?
He called Gao Meng, but no one answered.
He called Chen Chen again, and the call was connected quickly.
He then learned that Chen Chen and Wei Feng had accompanied Gao Meng back to their hotel and were currently resting.
The two of them were guarding the door to her room.
Leaving the auto show venue, he hailed a taxi and headed for the hotel where they were staying.
Along the way, like the drivers in Beijing, the driver here was also quite talkative.
"Sir, judging by your demeanor, this is your first time here, isn't it?"
"Oh, how can you tell?" Song Qiao asked curiously.
The other person smiled and said, "Because after you left the auto show, you stared at the road signs for quite a while..."
Hearing this, Song Qiao found it quite amusing. So, this was his criterion for judgment.
He had actually visited this place quite a few times, but it was his first time at the auto show.
So, he just smiled and nodded, "Your method of judgment is quite unique."
After that, he said no more and closed his eyes to rest.
"..." The driver, with a belly full of words he couldn't utter, could only drive on with frustration.
As the car arrived at the hotel entrance, Song Qiao suddenly woke up. He directly pulled out a hundred-yuan bill and handed it over, saying, "Keep the change!"
The driver repeatedly thanked him, and the day's frustration seemed to dissipate with the extra money.
Arriving at the room door, he saw Chen Chen and Wei Feng standing there, chatting and laughing while looking around alertly.
Heh heh, good. These two were quite diligent.
"Alright, you two go rest now!" Song Qiao told them.
"Boss, is everything okay now? Are there any other tasks?" Wei Feng asked.
Song Qiao was taken aback. Their initiative was a bit too strong.
"It's not time yet," Song Qiao said with a mysterious smile. "Go find a place to get a foot massage and relax."
As he spoke, he pulled out another wad of money, about a thousand yuan, and handed it to them.
Wei Feng was overjoyed, and Chen Chen quickly thanked Song Qiao.
After Song Qiao entered the room, he saw Gao Meng sleeping soundly.
The next day, Song Qiao and Gao Meng woke up and prepared to go downstairs for breakfast.
As soon as they opened the door, they saw Madam Shen standing there, elegant and graceful, with a radiant smile.
"Mr. Song, you absolutely cannot stand me up this time!"