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"Hey, hey, hey, Little Tiger, wait up!" Li Qiang panted as he ran, struggling to catch his breath.
Wang Xiaohu turned around at the sound of his name being called, a scowl forming on his chubby face. "What do you want, Qiang Zi?" he snapped. Wang Xiaohu was one of the more prominent figures in the village and didn't think much of Li Qiang. If it weren't for their shared roots, he wouldn't even bother acknowledging him.
Seeing Wang Xiaohu's expression made Li Qiang seethe with anger. That little brat, what's he so smug about? Sooner or later, I'll make him lick my shoes. But Li Qiang knew he couldn't afford to offend him just yet; he needed something from him. "Little Tiger, did the deal for the fish pond fall through?"
"Hey! What did you say? You think you can just talk like that? Do you want me to beat you up?" Wang Xiaohu glared at him, his small eyes filled with menace. He was already in a foul mood, and now Li Qiang was adding to his frustration.
Li Qiang scoffed and replied, "Little Tiger, it's not that I look down on you; it's just that you can't beat me. You've tried before."
Wang Xiaohu couldn't deny it; he had fought Li Qiang before and lost. But admitting defeat wasn't an option for him. "Sure, I can't beat you, but I've got money. I can hire someone to take care of you. I know a guy in the county who's tough; as long as the price is right, he'll break your arms and legs."
Li Qiang was eager to make money and didn't want to get into a pointless argument with this guy. "Little Tiger, you're really pathetic. I'm genuinely trying to discuss business with you. If you're not interested, then forget it." With that, Li Qiang turned to leave. Honestly, he didn't think much of that small sum of money anyway; it barely compared to what he could earn from a single acre of watermelons.
Seeing Li Qiang walk away, Wang Xiaohu's eyes darted around before a sly smile crept onto his face. He quickly caught up to Li Qiang and pulled out a pack of Red Nanjing cigarettes, offering them to him. "Here, Qiang Zi, have a smoke. Ever tried Red Nanjing? Twelve bucks a pack."
Li Qiang looked at Wang Xiaohu's awkward demeanor and then at the cigarettes he offered. After some thought, he accepted them; after all, even though it wasn't much money, it was better than nothing and would help improve his meals after school.
After taking a puff from the cigarette Wang Xiaohu handed him, Li Qiang grimaced. "Why does this taste so bland? It has no kick at all."
Wang Xiaohu chuckled inwardly; this kid is just a country bumpkin who knows nothing. But he still hoped Li Qiang would say something useful for him. With a grin, he said, "Qiang Zi, you don't understand! The better the cigarette, the lighter the taste—it's healthier." After a pause, he directly asked, "By the way, Qiang Zi, what do you want to talk about?"
Once Li Qiang finished the cigarette, he found it quite enjoyable—much better than the cheap ones he usually smoked. With a grin, he said, "Little Tiger, why don't you just give me this pack? It's pretty good!"
Wang Xiaohu was taken aback, his chubby face twitching. Damn, he had seen shamelessness before, but never to this extent. However, there was no other way; suppressing his anger, he forced a smile and handed over a freshly opened pack of cigarettes to Li Qiang. "Is this enough? I’m telling you, if you dare to play tricks on me, don’t blame me for being rude."
"Of course not! How could I, Li Qiang, be that kind of person?" Li Qiang replied, tucking the cigarettes into his pants pocket and patting it with satisfaction. He then asked seriously, "Do you need to talk to Qin about this?"
"Really? What’s up? Can you actually talk to Qin?" Wang Xiaohu looked at Li Qiang with a hint of disdain.
"Of course! Do you know what kind of background Qin has?" Although Li Qiang enjoyed reading some light novels filled with ellipses, he also read various other genres, including those about politics and business. His words carried an air of mystery.
Wang Xiaohu was genuinely confused by Li Qiang's confident demeanor and asked, "Qiang Zi, tell me more."
"Hmph! The Qin family has a deep background in the county. Do you know why Secretary Ge and Manager Zhu are so eager to curry favor with her? It’s because they both want promotions, and it’s all up to the Qin family’s word," Li Qiang said seriously. In truth, he had a rough idea but was clever enough to deduce Qin Su Yan's identity based on Ge Tianbao and Zhu Jiarong's attitudes.
"Is she really that impressive?" Wang Xiaohu felt as if his jaw might drop. A city official? That used to mean the county magistrate—someone who could decide life and death.
"Absolutely!" Seeing that Wang Xiaohu believed him, Li Qiang smirked inwardly. "Did you know that Qin will be staying at my house for a while?"
"Your house? Haha, Qiang Zi, don’t tell me Qin has taken a liking to you and listens to everything you say?" Wang Xiaohu scoffed again.
Li Qiang didn’t mind at all; he smirked coldly. "Little Tiger, I may not have slept with her, but she has recognized me as her godbrother. Did you know that?"
This revelation shocked Wang Xiaohu greatly. Having connections with county officials was no small matter. "Qiang Zi, my good brother, you must say some good words for me in front of your godbrother! You see, I rely on this little fish pond for my livelihood. If I can’t get a contract for the pond, it would be the end of me! I’m counting on you to help your old brother out."
Li Qiang had always been well-liked in the village, but now things were different. Not only did he possess considerable strength that made women reluctant to part with him, but he also had some extraordinary abilities that would surely lead to financial success. Now he even had a godbrother with connections in the county. He felt that his good days were just beginning.
"Ah, Xiao Huzai, I want to help you, but you know how it is. This society is quite realistic, and life isn't easy," Li Qiang said, puffing on his cigarette and putting on a serious demeanor, looking older than his years.
In the past, Wang Xiaohu wouldn't have given him the time of day. But now things were different; he needed to think about how Li Qiang could help him get in good with the Commissioner in the county town. After all, she was his half-sister, wasn't she? Wang Xiaohu was a stingy guy, but now that Li Qiang had laid it all out like this, he could only grit his teeth and say, "Good brother, as long as you can help me with this fish pond matter, anything you want is just a word away."
Seeing the wealthy and influential Wang Xiaohu bowing to him like this made Li Qiang feel pleased. He held his head high, feeling quite proud.
"Hehe, there's no rush on this matter. I need to go home and talk to my half-sister first. As for whether it will work out or not, that's another story," Li Qiang thought to himself. He needed to handle Qin Su Yan first. But just the thought of her being so compliant with him eased his mind significantly. He figured they could have a good talk about it later that night.
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