Chapter 192: A Chance Encounter

Jiang University's campus is vast, yet sometimes it feels surprisingly small. In a school with tens of thousands of people, meeting several acquaintances in succession made Li Dong marvel at how fate's connections are unstoppable.

However, Chen Fang didn't feel any sense of destiny between himself and Li Dong.

When Chen Fang saw Li Dong, his eyes were filled with an intense hatred.

"Li, it's said that enemies are destined to meet. I finally caught up with you!" Chen Fang gritted his teeth and said, "It's time we settled our accounts!"

Li Dong ignored him and instead looked at the man next to Chen Fang with a half-smile, "Mr. Chen, is this your relative?"

Chen Rui, with his head of white hair, stood out in the crowd. Passersby, especially young girls, occasionally cast curious glances his way.

Chen Rui, unbothered, responded to Li Dong's question with indifference, "Life is full of encounters, Mr. Li. It seems we're quite fated to meet."

Upon hearing their conversation, Chen Fang realized that Li Dong and Chen Rui were acquainted.

With a sinking feeling, Chen Fang looked at Chen Rui and asked, "Brother, do you know him?"

Anyone who knew Chen Rui was no ordinary person. Chen Fang's resentment flared up again. Was there something extraordinary about this Li?

Chen Rui glanced at him, nodded, and said, "You go ahead with your tasks. I'll talk with Mr. Li for a while."

Reluctantly, Chen Fang walked away, feeling a mix of anxiety and anger. What was Li Dong's true background?

Since the last time he was beaten by Li Dong, then tricked on the sports field, and finally had Huang Shanshan break up with him, Chen Fang's hatred for Li Dong had only grown.

Originally, he had hoped to take revenge when he met Li Dong today, but with Chen Rui present, he felt more confident. To his surprise, Li Dong was actually acquainted with Chen Rui.

...

Once Chen Fang left, Chen Rui immediately dropped his pretense.

He stared at Li Dong and sneered, "Mr. Li, playing these tricks, huh?"

Li Dong touched his nose and said helplessly, "Mr. Chen, would you believe me if I said it was a misunderstanding?"

Chen Rui snorted, clearly unconvinced.

A misunderstanding? How could inviting Shen Qian for negotiation be a misunderstanding? Chen Rui would be a fool to believe that.

Li Dong sighed, wondering why telling the truth was always met with disbelief.

Fine, since Chen Rui was convinced he had a connection with Shen Qian, Li Dong reluctantly accepted it.

Noting the busy flow of people by the roadside, Li Dong pointed to a nearby public bench and said, "Mr. Chen, let's sit for a moment and chat?"

Chen Rui actually wanted to discuss with Li Dong. He was unwilling to let go of that piece of land so easily.

Moreover, with their combined efforts, they might not be unable to compete with Shen Qian.

However, Chen Rui was still undecided about whether it was worth fighting Shen Qian for the land.

Since Li Dong wanted to talk, Chen Rui was curious to hear what he had to say.

After all, if they ended up fighting, Li Dong might not benefit, and the land might end up being cheaper for someone else.

...

The two sat down. Li Dong didn't rush into discussing the land. Instead, he asked curiously, "Is Chen Fang your brother?"

Li Dong already knew Chen Rui's status—he was the son of the Provincial Secretary and held significant influence in Jiangbei.

If Chen Fang was indeed Chen Rui's brother, and still didn't seek revenge after being beaten by Li Dong last time, it would imply that Chen Fang was not a spoiled brat but rather very magnanimous.

However, judging by Chen Rui's attitude towards Chen Fang, Li Dong thought they might not be siblings. Even if they were related, they were probably just distant relatives.

Chen Rui glanced at Li Dong, understanding his implication.

He had seen the confrontational interaction between Li Dong and Chen Fang and knew they had a grudge.

But Chen Rui wasn't interested in meddling in these personal matters and casually said, "He's my cousin's son. He's just a kid. Mr. Li, it's beneath you to hold a grudge against him."

"Why does it feel like Mr. Chen's words don't quite fit? Do you think I'm a kid too?" Li Dong asked with a smile.

Chen Rui huffed and ignored him. To Chen Rui, Chen Fang was a child, but Li Dong was not.

Especially after this incident, Chen Rui couldn't afford to underestimate Li Dong.

Few billionaires are easy to deal with. Previously, Chen Rui and others thought Li Dong's success was mostly due to luck. Now, it was clear that Li Dong's abilities were also substantial.

Having ingratiated himself with the Shen family and done so thoroughly, Li Dong was indeed quite the schemer.

Chen Fang's identity was a side note. After a brief discussion, the two got to the main topic.

"Mr. Chen, are you really ready to give up the land at Huafu?"

Chen Rui replied coldly, "Mr. Li, there's no need for pretense."

"You've misunderstood me. I truly don't know what you're thinking."

"Li Dong, let's not beat around the bush! You bringing up Shen Qian is clearly for this piece of land. You want the land, want to gain benefits, and want to avoid confrontation—where does such a good deal exist?"

"So what does Mr. Chen suggest?"

"I have no suggestions. Let's call it quits. I don't want the land anymore, and neither should you."

"Mr. Chen, there's no need to be so harsh. A failed deal can still be amicable. Win-win is the real victory. Everyone earns money, and that's what business is about. There's no need for a life-and-death struggle."

"..."

After more than half an hour of back-and-forth, Chen Rui grew impatient and said, "Mr. Li, all this talking is pointless. What do you want to do?"

"Give me the land. Shen Qian will not be involved, and you can act as if Shen Qian doesn't exist."

Chen Rui glanced at him and frowned, "How much?"

"Fifty million!"

Chen Rui laughed and then immediately changed his expression, "Dream on!"

Fifty million sounds like a lot, but in reality, they could only get around ten million.

Ten million sounds considerable, but don't forget, Chen Rui wasn't working alone.

With four people sharing, getting three million would be the maximum for him.

After putting in effort, using connections, and risking things, ending up with just three million was not worth it.

If he agreed, it would mean Li Dong quietly made a huge profit while they only got a small share.

If that's the case, why go through all this trouble for the land? They could have just asked a few real estate developers for a good commission.

Li Dong wasn't surprised. He smiled and said, "Then Mr. Chen, name your price."

"One hundred million!"

Actually, Chen Rui and the others' original bottom line was one hundred and twenty million. However, given the developments, Chen Rui took the initiative to lower it by twenty million.

"That's too much."

Li Dong shook his head, looking helpless. "If that's Mr. Chen's bottom line, then there's no need for further discussion. If necessary, I'll forgo the land. However…"

Li Dong didn't finish his sentence, but Chen Rui understood his implication.

Chen Rui was frustrated. How dare Li Dong threaten him!

But thinking of Shen Qian, the Shen family, and considering that Li Dong might be a force fostered by the Shen family, Chen Rui gritted his teeth and said, "Eighty million. If you're not willing, let's end the discussion here!"

Eighty million. After expenses, he would end up with around ten million.

He had spent nearly half a year on this piece of land, and he was not willing to walk away without at least ten million profit.

If Li Dong didn't agree, Chen Rui was prepared to call it quits!

Li Dong scanned him, sensing that this was Chen Rui's bottom line. He smiled and said, "Deal. Mr. Chen, you're indeed straightforward!"

Although Chen Rui made some money, he felt unsatisfied. He stood up and said coldly, "I'll find someone to sign the contract with you. Once this is over, let's avoid dealing with each other!"

He was now annoyed just seeing Li Dong. Previously, he might have considered cooperating with Li Dong, but now, he wouldn't even bring it up.

Even if Li Dong wasn't supported by the Shen family, he didn't want to cooperate with him. Seeing him was already unpleasant.

Li Dong didn't mind. Fewer dealings were actually better. After all, he didn't want to work with these second-generation heirs.

Using Shen Qian's name to outmaneuver them was beneficial. Fewer interactions meant fewer vulnerabilities, preventing these people from causing trouble if they learned the truth.

Of course, even if they eventually found out, Li Dong wouldn't care.

After all, they weren't making no profit. If things turned ugly, no one would benefit.