Chapter 111: Everything Going Wrong

After leaving the Global Plaza, Song Bin hesitated for a moment at the entrance before saying to Wang Jia, "Wang Jia, how about I help you request a couple of days off? Zhu Hongtao might cause trouble for you after what happened today."

Wang Jia bit her lip and, after a long pause, nodded without speaking.

Li Dong frowned slightly and asked, "Doesn't your company take care of these issues?"

The property management company for the Global Plaza had a solid background, and many residential and office buildings in the university town were under their management.

If the company's higher-ups intervened and mediated, this wouldn't be a big problem.

Song Bin forced a smile and said helplessly, "Such matters are usually not handled by the company unless it happens within the company. If it's outside the company…"

Li Dong understood without further explanation. If it happened outside the company, it was naturally not their responsibility.

This was only natural. It was already considerate for the company to protect employees on their premises. If you wanted the company to stand up for you, it depended on the value you brought to the company.

Wang Jia was just a newcomer with no contributions, so naturally, no one would stand up for her.

Song Bin seemed a bit embarrassed and added, "I'll report this to my supervisor and see if he can mediate."

Li Dong didn't take this seriously, and Song Bin himself knew it was likely a futile effort.

The group fell silent, and Song Bin didn't leave.

Li Dong understood his intentions. In the world, people act for their own benefit. Song Bin had revealed Zhu Hongtao's background and was helping Wang Jia with her time off…

In the end, it all came down to personal gain. Without any interests at stake, Song Bin wouldn't be involved in such matters.

Usually, Li Dong would have granted such a favor easily.

But now, Li Dong was in a bad mood and wasn't inclined to discuss the office rental.

Song Bin noticed this and, realizing that rushing would only backfire, engaged in a bit of small talk with Li Dong before turning to leave.

Once he was gone, Sun Tao glanced at Wang Jia and said with a furrowed brow, "Li Dong, what about Zhu Hongtao?"

It wasn't that Sun Tao was afraid of Zhu Hongtao, but dealing with such petty thugs was troublesome. In business, it's usually best to avoid conflict, and dealing with a thug like this was indeed a hassle.

If they continued to encounter trouble frequently, it would affect their business.

As for hoping that Zhu Hongtao wouldn't find out their identities, that was a joke. Once Zhu Hongtao inquired, Song Bin would certainly reveal their details.

Li Dong understood Sun Tao's concern and said coldly, "Don't worry about him! We'll have the security department find some tough guys. If he dares to cause trouble, we'll deal with him. I'll cover any costs!"

Sun Tao's expression grew more serious, clearly unhappy with Li Dong's aggressive stance.

But since Li Dong was in a bad mood, it was pointless to advise him otherwise. With Wang Jia still present, Sun Tao couldn't say much more. He discussed a few more details about the rental and then left.

Once he was gone, Wang Jia hesitated and said, "Li Dong, did I cause you trouble?"

Li Dong gave her a look and replied curtly, "It's my own fault. Who told that bastard to insult me?"

Wang Jia understood that Li Dong was trying to comfort her, but she still felt frustrated. "A fortune teller said this year would be full of misfortunes. I didn't believe it before, but now I do."

Li Dong was speechless. After all, he had received decades of scientific education, and now Wang Jia was talking about fortune telling.

Not pursuing the topic, Li Dong asked, "Where are you going? Do you want me to give you a ride?"

Li Dong's offer didn't sound very sincere, and Wang Jia, feeling aggrieved, shook her head vigorously.

If it weren't for the favor she owed Li Dong today, she would have given him a piece of her mind.

Didn't he know how to be polite? Shouldn't offering a ride be phrased in a straightforward manner? How did it turn into a question with him?

Li Dong didn't think much of it. Seeing Wang Jia shake her head, he said, "Then be careful. I have something else to do, so I'll leave first."

Once Li Dong left, Wang Jia was left speechless.

Couldn't he even be polite?

Seeing herself alone and fearing another encounter with Zhu Hongtao, Wang Jia stomped her foot and hurriedly left.

---

Li Dong quickly put Zhu Hongtao's issue aside.

Compared to Baidu's billions or tens of billions in profits, a petty thug was insignificant.

Li Dong was busy preparing to acquire Baidu's initial stock and had no time to think about Zhu Hongtao.

Moreover, he was currently frustrated with how to connect with Baidu's top management, so he had even less time for these petty issues.

But sometimes, matters don't go away just because you ignore them. One day, while Li Dong was on the phone, Sun Tao burst in urgently.

Li Dong frowned upon seeing this, continued his conversation briefly, and then hung up the phone, asking, "What's going on?"

Sun Tao looked troubled and said in a low voice, "The performance has dropped a bit recently."

Li Dong knew that a drop in performance alone wasn't enough to make Sun Tao lose his composure. He frowned and asked, "Is someone causing trouble?"

Sun Tao nodded and briefly explained the situation.

Firstly, there had been a noticeable increase in petty thefts in the supermarket.

Secondly, a few thuggish-looking individuals had been loitering outside the supermarket, not causing trouble but acting as a deterrent, which scared some customers away.

Thirdly, rumors were spreading that Yuanfang Supermarket's products were of poor quality. Some people who ate Yuanfang's food had stomach issues, and others who drank their milk nearly suffered from food poisoning…

Upon hearing the third point, Li Dong kicked over a chair in frustration.

He wasn't afraid of a direct confrontation, but such insidious tactics were the most damaging.

Rumors could be terrifying. People didn't care whether they were true or not; they only believed what they heard.

If the rumors continued to spread, they could potentially ruin Yuanfang Supermarket.

Li Dong didn't need to guess who was behind this. He was just surprised that Zhu Hongtao had learned to use his brain.

The first two issues were just minor irritants to Li Dong, but if the rumors persisted, they could seriously harm Yuanfang.

After a deep breath, Li Dong thought for a moment and said, "Have you found the tough guys I asked for?"

"Li Dong, should we try talking to Zhu Hongtao first?" Sun Tao asked, looking troubled. He had actually disagreed with Li Dong's approach from the beginning.

Direct confrontation wasn't suitable for a businessman. It was more important to be amicable and make money.

Zhu Hongtao was only seeking face. If Li Dong could speak a few kind words, Zhu Hongtao might not be determined to make things difficult for Yuanfang.

Yuanfang was a company with assets worth tens of millions. If it came to a destructive confrontation, Zhu Hongtao wouldn't fare well either.

Li Dong glared at him. He was already irritated by stock issues, and now a petty thug was causing him more trouble. He couldn't tolerate it.

Ignoring Sun Tao, Li Dong directly headed for the security office.

Seeing this, Sun Tao shook his head in resignation. He found it increasingly difficult to keep up with Li Dong's way of thinking.

Earlier, they needed fifty million for stock investments, and now they were squabbling with a thug. None of it seemed necessary.

If they simply focused on steady development, with Yuanfang's current momentum, establishing a foothold in Jiangbei within three to five years wouldn't be difficult.

Thinking this, Sun Tao looked at Li Dong's retreating figure, feeling a mix of emotions.