Chapter 183: Treating Guests

The next morning.

When Li Dong got up, Cao Fang had already prepared breakfast.

Li Dong washed up briefly, stood at the kitchen door, took a deep breath, and asked, "Mom, where did the pickled green beans come from? Did you bring them?"

"Yeah, you said you wanted to eat them last time, so I bought some and pickled a jar. I brought them all with me this time."

Li Dong smiled, "You still know how to care for your son."

He then glanced around the room but didn't see Li Chengyuan and asked, "By the way, where's Dad?"

Cao Fang, while serving Li Dong a bowl of congee, complained, "That old man can't sit still. He went out early in the morning, saying he wanted to take a walk. I'm worried he might get lost."

Just then, Li Chengyuan came in humming a tune.

Hearing Cao Fang's words, Li Chengyuan huffed, "Lost? I could walk back with my eyes closed, do you believe that?"

"Full of yourself!"

Cao Fang gave him a disdainful look and said, "Are you going to have breakfast or not? If not, then don't eat."

Li Chengyuan curled his lip, took the congee from Cao Fang's hands, took a sip, and then said to Li Dong, "Dongzi, your place is quite nice, the air is fresh, and you chose a good location."

Li Dong immediately replied, "Then you and Mom should move here to live with me. I'm focusing on Pingchuan now, so I can't take care of you in Dongping."

"Forget it. Staying here for a few days is fine, but living here long-term would be uncomfortable," Li Chengyuan shook his head.

Cao Fang also said, "We've lived in Dongping for decades. It's hard to get used to a new place. Besides, your dad and I aren't at the point where we need your care. Just take care of yourself."

Li Dong tried to persuade them a few more times but saw that they were resolute and didn't insist.

However, he finally said, "Then I'll buy a new house in Dongping later. Our current house is too old, and the neighborhood isn't safe."

Li Chengyuan shook his head again, "Why change houses? Our house is fine. We've lived there long enough to have feelings for it. The neighbors know us well. If we move to a new neighborhood, we wouldn't even know who to talk to."

Cao Fang was a bit tempted but was dissuaded by Li Chengyuan's words.

Having lived there for decades, suddenly moving was something they couldn't easily accept.

Li Dong felt helpless and didn't continue the discussion.

After breakfast, Cao Yu arrived.

Cao Fang chatted with Cao Yu for a while, then turned to Li Dong and said, "Your dad and I don't need you to accompany us. Just let Erbao keep us company. You go ahead and do your own thing."

"I have nothing…"

Before Li Dong could finish, Li Chengyuan frowned and said, "How can you have nothing to do? Can you trust leaving company matters to others? You should take care of your own business. Don't end up being deceived and not even know."

Li Dong said, "It feels like my parents are trying to push me out?"

He looked at his parents with suspicion and asked, "You're not going to look for my cousin's girlfriend, are you?"

After saying this, Li Dong glanced at the three of them, and indeed, their expressions were a bit awkward.

Li Dong was speechless. Lin Meng and Cao Feng had only known each other for less than a month. Was it really too early to start probing?

Just as he was about to say something, Cao Fang impatiently said, "Go do your work. Go out with your little girlfriend or whatever. You don't need to get involved with our matters."

Li Dong was thoroughly speechless. He decided to let them handle it themselves.

Li Dong was almost pushed out of the house by his parents.

Once outside, he decided to go check on Qin Yuhan.

Just as he was heading downstairs, his phone rang.

Li Dong glanced at the caller ID, frowned slightly, and directly hung up the call.

Not long after hanging up, the phone rang again.

Li Dong raised an eyebrow, waited for the ringing to continue for a while before answering, "Young Master Zhang, calling persistently, is there something you need?"

Hearing Li Dong's tone, Zhang Qing realized that Li Dong had intentionally hung up the call earlier.

Zhang Qing's face turned purple with anger, but he controlled his temper and said, "Mr. Li, I'd like to invite you to dinner tonight. Do you have time?"

"Sorry, I have something to do tonight. Maybe next time."

Li Dong chuckled, but his mind was racing. Could it be that Zhang Qing wasn't giving up?

However, he felt that Zhang Qing wasn't foolish enough to be this persistent. With Li Dong's current prominence—due to his donations and the boost from the Baidu incident—if Zhang Qing dared to target him now, it would be a death wish.

Hearing Li Dong's refusal, Zhang Qing wasn't surprised at all.

Before Li Dong could hang up, Zhang Qing said directly, "Mr. Li, it's fine if you don't give me face, but there are some people whose face you have to give. 7:30 PM at Baiwei Residence, Spring and Autumn Pavilion. Whether you come or not is up to you."

After saying this, Zhang Qing hung up the phone without waiting for Li Dong's response.

Li Dong stood there pondering for a moment. From Zhang Qing's tone, it seemed someone behind him wanted to meet him.

Zhang Qing had mentioned before that he was just a runner and that the real person interested in the Hua Mansion land was someone else.

Zhang Qing was relatively high-ranking in Pingchuan's circle, and if he was just a runner, the person behind him must be quite influential.

Should he go or not?

Throughout the day, Li Dong kept contemplating whether he should attend the appointment.

By evening, he slapped his forehead and muttered, "If they're so persistent, why should I be afraid!"

Zhang Qing and his group were a problem that needed to be resolved sooner or later. Whether through negotiation or a complete fallout, it was better than dragging it out.

Li Dong didn't have time to waste on them. He had better things to do, like making more money.

He made a call back to his parents, letting them know he wouldn't be coming home for dinner, and then left the company.

When going downstairs, he casually invited Zhou Haidong and Cao Hongbing to join him.

He wasn't planning to go alone. Although he thought Zhang Qing and his group wouldn't dare to act out in the open, it was still necessary to be cautious.

What if these people had a sudden change of heart?

At Baiwei Residence.

Li Dong arrived exactly at 7:30 PM.

When he entered, he looked around in surprise.

Was Zhang Qing's group hosting the dinner here?

Baiwei Residence sounded old-fashioned, but it was actually just a hotpot restaurant, which seemed out of place for Zhang Qing's group.

However, Li Dong didn't think too much about it. Regardless of where they were hosting, Li Dong had decided he wouldn't be paying for anything tonight.

He followed Zhou Haidong and Cao Hongbing with the waiter to the Spring and Autumn Pavilion. Li Dong signaled them to wait outside and pushed open the door to enter.

As soon as he entered, Li Dong's first sight was a large pot of boiling hotpot.

Then he saw four people: three men and one woman. Zhang Qing was among them.

Li Dong didn't recognize the other two men. One of them was wearing glasses and talking with Zhang Qing, while the other had strikingly white short hair.

Li Dong wasn't sure if the white hair was natural or dyed, but he didn't pay much attention to it.

What surprised him was the only woman in the private room, whom he recognized or rather, had seen before.