Chapter 215: Gathering in Dongping

Li Chenghui's passing was initially something Li Dong hadn't planned to share with others. However, somehow the news spread, and by the day before Li Chenghui's body was to be cremated and sent back to his hometown for burial, Qin Yuhan unexpectedly arrived in Dongping!

This was somewhat surprising to Li Dong; he hadn't anticipated that Qin Yuhan, who was in Beijing, would know about it.

Moreover, Qin Yuhan's return to Dongping today likely meant she learned of Li Chenghui's death as soon as it happened.

Li Dong felt somewhat helpless. It was obvious that someone close to him had leaked the news.

What shocked Li Dong further was that Qin Hai and Yang Yun had also returned.

Upon seeing them, Li Dong asked in surprise, "How come you two are here?"

Qin Hai noticed Li Dong's lack of visible grief and secretly sighed in relief before saying, "You haven't been back to the company these past few days, so I asked Liu Qi. Liu Qi told me."

Upon hearing it was Liu Qi who had informed him, Li Dong immediately felt uneasy.

Sure enough, Qin Hai continued, "We came back ahead of time. President Sun and the others are still on their way and will arrive tonight."

Li Dong was speechless. After a while, he asked, "Besides President Sun, is there anyone else?"

"There are quite a few people. Several suppliers have sent representatives, as well as Dragon Hua Group. Even a leader from Jiang University has come, and…"

Before Qin Hai could finish, Li Dong felt overwhelmed and said, "Why didn't anyone tell me about this?"

While it wasn't surprising that people from the company had arrived, Li Dong was caught off guard by the presence of suppliers and Jiang University representatives. 

Even more unexpected was that Dragon Hua Group had sent someone.

Aside from Dragon Hua's stores, Li Dong had little to do with the Dragon Hua Group, so their sending a representative was quite surprising.

Before he could process this information, Li Dong received another phone call.

This call left Li Dong baffled. After answering, he felt utterly confused.

The caller was Chen Rui!

This second-generation heir who had claimed he would no longer interact with Li Dong had called, informing him that he and Zhang Lanyu were on their way and would arrive in Dongping that night.

Li Dong nearly choked. Chen Rui and Zhang Lanyu were coming too—what was going on here?

Moreover, despite Li Dong's request for them not to come, these people were on their way regardless.

Soon after, Li Dong received many more calls.

After finishing these calls, Li Dong was completely stunned.

Hu Sicheng, Wu Jianguo, and Hu Wanlin—whether enemies or acquaintances—were all coming to Dongping for Li Chenghui's funeral.

Unlike the second-generation heirs, Hu Sicheng and Wu Jianguo were active officials, making their attendance more than just a personal matter.

Li Dong furrowed his brow and asked, "Uncle Qin, is there some upheaval in Pingchuan?"

If nothing significant had happened, Li Dong couldn't see why these people would rush to Dongping. They had no need to curry favor with him.

Especially Hu Wanlin, with whom Li Dong had been in conflict just days ago—now suddenly Hu Wanlin was trying to flatter him, which seemed hard to understand.

Qin Hai scratched his head and said, "It doesn't seem so. I haven't heard anything."

Li Dong was troubled; it was too late to think about these issues now.

The immediate concern was how to arrange for these people. He had not anticipated such a large number of attendees and was unprepared.

It was impractical to host everyone at home, so Li Dong had to make arrangements for hotels.

Not knowing the exact number of people coming, Li Dong booked twenty rooms at hotels near his home.

However, when the evening arrived and the guests began to show up, Li Dong was overwhelmed. Apart from the usual guests, it seemed like a collective conference from afar!

Leaders above the manager level had all arrived, totaling over twenty people.

Adding to that were several city managers, store managers from Qingyang, security personnel like Zheng Long…

The group from afar amounted to nearly fifty people!

Li Dong looked at Sun Tao and said in exasperation, "Brother Sun, are you holding a company meeting here?"

Sun Tao sighed and said, "I couldn't stop them. Don't blame me; if I didn't approve their leave, they would still come."

Li Dong had no time for further disputes, as more significant figures were about to arrive.

Jiang University sent Huang Zhigao and Fang Qingfei, which was a considerable favor to Li Dong. Huang Zhigao was the Dean of the School of Management.

After greeting Huang Zhigao and Fang Qingfei, Hu Sicheng and Wu Jianguo arrived together.

Next, Chen Rui and his group arrived, and even Zhang Qing was present.

After attending to them, the representatives from Dragon Hua Group arrived. They didn't send just anyone but a vice president.

Although the distant company had been developing well recently, it was still significantly less influential compared to the massive Dragon Hua Group. Li Dong had not expected Dragon Hua's vice president to come to Dongping.

Due to insufficient room availability, Li Dong had to urgently contact several more hotels.

In the end, over sixty rooms were booked to accommodate everyone.

Though it wasn't the time for pleasantries, Li Dong still found Sun Tao and asked, "Brother Sun, what's going on here?"

The presence of Dragon Hua's vice president was clearly unusual.

Sun Tao pondered for a moment and said, "It's probably because our project plan was leaked. These people are here for opportunities."

"What project plan?"

"The plans for the distribution center and headquarters construction."

Li Dong immediately understood, his eyes narrowing with anger. "This plan was only briefly reviewed and not finalized yet, and it has already leaked?"

The investment in the distribution center and headquarters was significant, surpassing the total investment of all Pingchuan stores.

Li Dong planned to invest over 200 million for the distribution center and more than 100 million for the headquarters building.

A total investment of 300 million was indeed tempting.

However, this was merely a plan and had not been officially implemented. Li Dong intended to start after cashing out his stocks next year.

But judging by the current situation, nearly everyone seemed to know about it!

The representatives from Dragon Hua and Chen Rui's group were clearly here to discuss collaboration, while Hu Sicheng was likely here for the distribution center's site selection. Li Dong didn't know what Hu Wanlin's reason was, but it was probably related.

Li Dong wasn't concerned about these individuals; what troubled him was that the information had leaked far too widely.

Knowing one person was not a big deal, and two might be acceptable, but now nearly everyone in Pingchuan seemed to be aware!

Sun Tao knew Li Dong would be angry but explained, "There's no avoiding this. With such a large investment, it's impossible to keep it completely secret. Moreover, we've been tracking the site selection for the distribution center, and naturally, others would notice…"

Li Dong's face darkened. "Let's set this aside for now. Tomorrow we need to send my uncle back to his hometown for burial. We'll deal with this matter once things settle."

Sun Tao nodded and fell silent.

...

The next day, the people of Dongping witnessed a shocking sight.

A convoy of over fifty cars, including many luxury vehicles, slowly drove out of the county town.

Among these cars were no fewer than ten luxury cars worth over a million, besides Li Dong's car, with the other luxury cars belonging to various suppliers, including Hu Wanlin and the vice president of Dragon Hua.

In contrast, the second-generation heirs like Hu Sicheng and Chen Rui drove relatively low-key vehicles.

Due to the late arrivals and staggered times the previous night, there wasn't much attention then.

But today, as the cars formed a long line heading to the hometown for the funeral, the people of Dongping were still taken aback.

Not because of the sheer number of cars but because of the high value of the cars.

In 2005 Dongping, the total number of cars worth over a million in the entire county likely didn't exceed the luxury cars in this convoy.

Everyone who saw the convoy couldn't help but discuss which family these cars belonged to.

As the convoy continued its journey, the spectacle of so many high-end vehicles and prominent figures was enough to make the entire town buzz with speculation. Many wondered just who these guests were and why they were attending Li Chenghui's funeral in such large numbers.

The procession was a significant and unusual sight for Dongping, where such grand events were rare. The extravagant display of wealth and the high profile of the attendees left an indelible impression on the locals.

Li Dong, despite the overwhelming nature of the situation, tried to focus on the important task at hand—ensuring that his uncle's final journey was handled with the respect and dignity it deserved. Amidst the logistical chaos and the influx of unanticipated guests, he remained resolute in his goal.

The gathering of people from various sectors and backgrounds was a testament to Li Chenghui's far-reaching influence, even in death. It was clear that the impact of his life and the current circumstances had brought a diverse group of individuals together, reflecting the complex web of relationships and business connections that extended beyond what Li Dong had anticipated.

As the funeral proceedings began and the ceremonies unfolded, the atmosphere was filled with both solemnity and a sense of surreal grandeur. The convergence of so many influential figures, coupled with the visible show of respect and high regard, underscored the gravity of the occasion.

In the end, as the day drew to a close and the final rites were performed, Li Dong found a moment of quiet reflection. The challenges and surprises of the day had been numerous, but the commitment to honoring his uncle's memory and ensuring a dignified farewell had been fulfilled.

The extraordinary turnout and the high-profile nature of the event would likely be a topic of discussion and curiosity for a long time to come in Dongping, leaving behind a significant mark on the local landscape and in the lives of those who had been part of it.