Chapter 216: A Dragon Emerges from Shallow Waters

While others admired the long convoy of cars, Li Dong was feeling a bit of a headache.

The presence of so many people had indeed brought him some prestige, but the fact was that Li Dong didn't need anyone to boost his reputation.

Showing off in front of people like Li Nanming was pointless; it wouldn't bring any benefits and might only result in more trouble.

If it were merely a matter of personal connections, it wouldn't be a big deal. However, most of the people who showed up today had ulterior motives.

If one were to be honest, only Li Dong's own company staff had relatively straightforward motives; the rest were clearly not interested in merely paying their respects.

Li Dong sighed as he looked at the scene unfolding before him.

There is a saying: "Wealth and honor should not be returned to one's hometown like walking in splendid clothes in the night."

But Li Dong had no intention of flaunting his wealth back in his hometown. In this day and age, having money wasn't a crime; what was problematic was not helping one's hometown.

Given the situation, it was clear that he would have to spend some money. Li Dong didn't care much about his own reputation, but he couldn't let his parents lose face.

The real issue wasn't the money, but rather the disturbance it caused—his parents might even need to move. In this era, people were known to take risks for money.

Previously, no one had paid much attention to Li Chengyuan and his wife, but now it was impossible to ignore. If anyone decided to make trouble, Li Dong would be in a difficult spot.

It was clear that these people were causing unnecessary complications for him.

...

Li Dong's ancestral home was also in Dongping County.

Chenjiabian was where the Li family's old residence was located.

The village was named Chenjiabian rather than Lijiabian because there were far more Chens than Lis in the village. The Li surname was a minority there.

The distance from Dongping County to Chenjiabian was not too far, about thirty kilometers.

Li Dong's convoy was traveling separately.

Li Chengyuan and Cao Fang had already gone to the hometown the day before to arrange the funeral, but Li Dong had to meet up with the funeral procession from Qingyang.

There was a junction on the way from Qingyang to Chenjiabian, and Li Dong had arranged to meet Li Nanming there via phone.

...

After hanging up on Li Dong, Li Nanming scowled.

Li Qing, who was beside him, asked, "What did Dongzi say?"

Li Nanming replied irritably, "What could he say? That bastard wants us to lead the way. I think he just wants to save on transportation costs, stingy as always!"

Li Qing frowned and glanced at the driver, whispering, "Don't say anything rude later."

Although Li Qing and Li Dong didn't get along, she didn't despise him as much as Li Nanming did. Moreover, since Li Chengyuan was funding and organizing the funeral, Li Qing didn't want Li Nanming to say something that might upset him.

Li Nanming grunted and remained silent, clearly not taking Li Qing's advice seriously.

When the Qingyang funeral cars arrived at the junction, Li Nanming craned his neck to look around and then said with dissatisfaction, "I knew this guy wouldn't be reliable. Let's not wait for him any longer; we'll go ahead!"

Li Qing hesitated, "Maybe we should wait a little longer."

Before she could finish, a long convoy appeared slowly coming from the other end of the junction.

Li Nanming had initially wanted to leave, but seeing the convoy, he stopped.

He stuck his head out of the window, and after a while, he exclaimed, "Damn, when did Dongping get so many rich people?"

"Benz, Land Rover, Porsche… Damn, there's even a Bentley! This is the first time I've seen such a car; it's really beautiful!" Li Nanming muttered.

Although Li Chenghui had earned quite a bit from construction over the years, his entire fortune was only around one or two million.

Not to mention those cars worth over a million, even cars worth tens of thousands were beyond Li Nanming's reach.

Despite this, Li Nanming was familiar with cars and couldn't help feeling envious seeing so many high-end vehicles.

Li Qing didn't pay attention to the brands but wondered, "Why have the cars stopped? Are we blocking the way?"

Li Nanming looked and saw that indeed, the convoy had stopped next to them. The lead car, a Benz, slowly rolled down its window.

When Li Nanming saw the familiar face in the window, he was stunned.

Li Dong?

Li Dong wasn't concerned about Li Nanming's shock. He spotted Li Nanming and called out, "Li Nanming, lead the way. We'll follow behind."

Li Nanming was momentarily dazed. Li Dong's appearance was completely unexpected.

Not only him but everyone in the car who knew Li Dong was also a bit dazed.

Li Qing rubbed her eyes in disbelief, and her relatives were even more shocked.

Someone whispered, "Is that Li Er's son?"

"Looks like it. Where did he get these cars?"

"Probably rented. The rental fees for these cars must be high!"

"Wow, Li Er really spent a lot this time. Renting so many cars must cost tens of thousands for a day."

"Li Er was just a fish seller, right? Where did he get so much money? Is he just putting on a front?"

"Who knows, maybe he's really made a fortune."

...

People around were discussing in whispers, and Li Nanming was still in shock.

What does this mean?

Showing off with dozens of cars?

Li Nanming's mouth twitched, and after a while, he came back to his senses and muttered, "What's there to show off about? It's not like you're my father who passed away!"

"Li Nanming!"

Li Qing, who was beside him, glared at him angrily after hearing what he said.

Li Nanming shrugged and, seeing that Li Dong's car window hadn't been rolled down, yelled, "Li Dong, renting a few cars to show off? Be careful you don't scratch them; you won't be able to afford the repairs!"

Li Dong ignored him and replied curtly, "Li Nanming, stop being a fool and just drive your car!"

Li Nanming snorted and told the driver, "Let's go!"

He couldn't stand seeing Li Dong like this. What's so proud about having gone to college? There's nothing to be so arrogant about.

As for Li Dong renting the cars, Li Nanming had come to terms with it.

After all, it was to boost the reputation of his own father, and he was fine with Li Dong renting more cars, especially since it wasn't costing him anything.

...

Once Li Nanming moved, the following convoy also slowly started moving.

In the middle of the convoy, Chen Rui grinned and said, "Interesting. It seems Li Dong really does attract envy; even his cousin can't stand him."

In the back seat, Zhang Lanyu lazily commented, "What's there to be happy about? Someone who is short-sighted like that, why bother with him? From his tone, it's clear that Li Dong hasn't boasted about his wealth. If he knew how rich Li Dong was, I'm sure he'd be eager to attach himself."

Chen Rui's mouth twitched in a wry smile and said, "That's true."

Zhang Lanyu chuckled and continued, "What intrigues me is how such a shallow family as the Li family could raise someone like Li Dong, a dragon. When we visit the Li family's ancestral grave later, I want to see if it really has good feng shui."

Chen Rui, who originally didn't believe in such things, felt intrigued by Zhang Lanyu's words and said, "Maybe it's worth checking out. Perhaps the old Li family's ancestral grave really does have some luck."

Chen Rui then chuckled to himself.

Zhang Lanyu noticed and said, "Alright, let's enjoy ourselves in the car, but let's stay serious once we're out. We don't want to ruin things with our behavior over something trivial."

Chen Rui immediately replied, "Don't worry, I understand."

Although their primary reason for coming was to attend Li Dong's uncle's funeral, they didn't want to upset Li Dong. They needed to be cautious to avoid souring their relationship with him, as making money was their main goal.