Chapter 77 Meeting with Jiang Tianqi

I hung up the phone just as the last firework finished its shot.

The neighbors gradually dispersed, and the children were taken home.

Portland Street quieted down.

Xi Rong led the cleaning team to clean up, Cheng Tie Niu tidied up the kitchen, and He Shi Rong slumped in a chair: "Brother Fang, this show today almost gave me a heart attack."

"Thanks for your hard work." Fang Che patted his shoulder. "It's all thanks to you."

"It's nothing," He Shirong waved his hand. "But was the laxative in that can of chili powder really put there by Li Ruoxue?"

"Um."

"What are you planning to do? Wait for Boss Li to return?"

Fang Che looked out the window: "I'm not waiting anymore."

"ah?"

“Some things can’t always be left for Brother Li to bear,” Fang Che said. “Li Ruoxue is a problem I brought upon myself, so I’ll handle it myself.”

He turned to Xi Rong: "Xi Rong, I need to do something for you tomorrow morning."

"What?"

"Make copies of the surveillance footage from the storage room. Also, get the statements from those thugs in the back alley."

Xi Rong nodded.

"Tiezi," Fang Che looked at Cheng Tieniu, "starting tomorrow, all the seasonings in the shop will be locked up, and you'll have the key. Everyone entering and leaving the kitchen will have to register, and outsiders won't be allowed in."

"become!"

"Shi Rong," Fang Che looked at He Shi Rong one last time, "I'll trouble you one more time."

"explain."

"Help me arrange a meeting with Jiang Tianqi." Fang Che's eyes turned cold. "Tomorrow afternoon, Portland Street, I'll treat him to tea."

He Shirong was taken aback: "You want to see him?"

"Yes." Fang Che nodded. "Some things need to be said face to face."

It was late at night.

Portland Street was completely quiet.

Fang Che stood alone at the street corner, looking at the empty street.

Today he preserved the neighborhood festival, preserved the school, and preserved the smiles of the neighbors.

But the war had only just begun.

Jiang Tianqi, Li Ruoxue.

If you want to play, I'm happy to join you.

This time, however, I will not defend.

I need to take the initiative.

Let me show you that the tiger on Portland Street can bite.

He turned and went back into the shop, his shadow stretching long under the lamplight.

In the distance, in Li Ruoxue's apartment, she was yelling at her phone.

"Failed? He Shirong sabotaged things? Jiang Tianqi, what use are your men!"

On the other end of the phone, Jiang Tianqi's voice was gloomy: "Do you know you were caught drugging someone? Fang Che might have evidence!"

"So what? What can he do to me? I'm Li Hanzhou's sister!"

"Li Hanzhou's sister?" Jiang Tianqi sneered. "Do you think Li Hanzhou values ​​you more, or Fang Che more?"

Li Ruoxue choked.

“I advise you to keep a low profile these next few days,” Jiang Tianqi said. “Fang Che is no pushover. He asked me to meet him tomorrow, so he must have come prepared.”

"He asked you out?"

“Hmm.” Jiang Tianqi paused. “I want to see what tricks he’s up to.”

After hanging up the phone, Li Ruoxue slumped onto the sofa, spilling wine all over herself.

She looked out the window and suddenly remembered the scene when she first met Li Hanzhou.

It was a rainy night when Li Hanzhou, a teenager, was brought back to the villa by her father...

Li Ruoxue peeked from the corner on the second floor and saw the seventeen-year-old boy standing expressionlessly in the living room.

She's incredibly thin, yet she's still intimidating to behold.

From then on, she secretly paid attention to Li Hanzhou, becoming fascinated by him and curious about him.

Eventually, she couldn't resist getting closer to him and attracting his attention.

For so many years, it seems like I've been chasing after his shadow.

Whenever he was angry or upset, she would feel sorry for him and always want to help him solve the problem.

But this time, for Fang Che's sake, he's going to push her to the opposite side...

Why?

Why does Fang Che command such high regard from him?

She couldn't understand it.

Her mind began to race, and Li Ruoxue downed the wine in one gulp!

She lowered her head and covered her face, tears slipping through her fingers.

Brother, I'm sorry.

But I really...

I can't live without you.

Three days after the Neighbourhood Festival ended, Portland Street returned to its usual rhythm, though a slight tension still lingered in the air.

Fang Che sat in the branch office on the second floor, with the neighborhood festival's income and expenditure report spread out in front of him.

The numbers look great; despite a 50% discount, customer traffic was three times the usual amount, resulting in a 20% increase in profits.

More importantly, the community mutual aid fund received its first donation from neighbors. The amount was small, but the significance was profound.

Xi Rong knocked on the door and came in, holding a folder: "Brother Che, we've got the surveillance footage and the statements. The video is very clear; it shows Li Ruoxue pouring something into the spice jar. Those thugs also admitted that Jiang Tianqi's men paid them to cause trouble."

Fang Che took the folder and looked through it.

The evidence was conclusive, enough to make Li Ruoxue feel terrible.

"What about Jiang Tianqi?"

"We've arranged to meet at 3 p.m. at the tea restaurant at the street corner," Xi Rong said. "Young Master He is also going; he said he'd like to support you."

Fang Che nodded: "Okay. How about the school?"

“Teacher Li has been discharged from the hospital, his arm is still in a sling, but he insists on teaching. The neighbors take turns picking him up and dropping him off.” Xi Rong smiled. “The district councilor brought a grant of 50,000 yesterday, saying it was to support community education. Grandma Lin said that the money is enough to install air conditioning in the classrooms.”

“Good news.” Fang Che closed the folder. “Xi Rong, when I meet with Jiang Tianqi this afternoon, take the children to the district library. A Gui will send someone to accompany them, just in case.”

"Brother Che, what if Jiang Tianqi...?"

“He won’t make a move in broad daylight.” Fang Che shook his head. “He cares about his reputation and wants to play the business game. My presence here today is to draw a line! Portland Street is my territory. If he wants to play, he has to follow my rules.”

Xi Rong was about to say something when Cheng Tie Niu's loud voice came from downstairs: "Che! Someone's looking for you! They say Mr. Lu sent them!"

Fang Che went downstairs and saw a middle-aged man in a suit standing in the store, carrying a briefcase.

"Mr. Fang, I am Mr. Lu Che's lawyer, my surname is Chen." The man handed over his business card. "Mr. Lu asked me to sign the 'Dragon Tiger Club' investment agreement, and also... asked me to pass on a message."

Fang Che invited Attorney Chen to sit down in the backyard, and Xi Rong served tea.

"What did Mr. Lu say?"

Attorney Chen took out the agreement and lowered his voice: "Mr. Lu said that Jiang Tianqi's father, Jiang Kun, in Thailand, has been making a lot of moves lately. Mr. Li Hanzhou's investigation... may have hit the nail on the head. Mr. Lu, please be careful, Jiang Tianqi may be desperate and do something rash recently."

Fang Che's heart tightened: "Is Brother Li in danger?"

“Mr. Lu didn’t specify, only saying that the situation was ‘complex’.” Attorney Chen pushed up his glasses. “In addition, Mr. Lu has already spoken with the Education Bureau, and the school’s procedures will no longer be delayed. But in exchange, he hopes that you will finalize the ‘Dragon Tiger Club’ investment as soon as possible. This relationship will provide an extra layer of protection.”

Fang Che reviewed the agreement and found the terms to be fair.

Lu Che owns 5% of the shares, does not participate in management, only receives dividends, and provides resources and support to the education and health systems.

He picked up his pen and signed.

"Please thank Mr. Lu for me."

After Attorney Chen left, Fang Che sat alone in the backyard for a long time.

Brother Li is in danger in Thailand.

This news weighed heavily on my heart.

Although Ah Gui relayed the message that "it's all taken care of," the phrase "the situation is complicated" carried an ominous connotation.

He took out his mobile phone and dialed Li Hanzhou's Thai number.

No one answered the phone.

I dialed again, but still no one answered.

Fang Che's hands began to tremble.

At 2:50 p.m., at the old-established tea restaurant at the intersection of Portland Street.

Fang Che arrived ten minutes early and chose a booth by the window.

He Shirong sat opposite him, playing with a lighter.

"Brother Fang, are you really going to confront Jiang Tianqi?" He Shirong asked. "That bastard is cunning; be careful he doesn't record us."

“I know.” Fang Che looked out the window. “That’s why I called you here. With Young Master He here, he won’t dare to be too presumptuous.”

“That’s right.” He Shirong raised his chin. “My grandfather has retired, but he still has face.”

At 3 o'clock sharp, Jiang Tianqi arrived on time.

He wasn't with any bodyguards, just himself, wearing a gray suit, with a polite smile, as if he were meeting an old friend.

"Mr. Fang, Mr. He, sorry to keep you waiting." Jiang Tianqi sat down opposite him and waved to the waiter, "Three iced lemon teas, please."

"Young Master Jiang, you're too kind," Fang Che said.

Once the tea was served, Jiang Tianqi got down to business: "What did Boss Fang want to talk to me about?"

"Two things," Fang Che said bluntly. "First, on Neighborhood Festival, there was trouble in the back alley, and Uncle Chen was injured. Second, someone poisoned the seasonings in my shop. Does Young Master Jiang know about these two things?"

Jiang Tianqi picked up his teacup and slowly took a sip: "Oh? Is that so? Did you call the police?"

"It's been reported." Fang Che stared at him. "The police arrested several people, and the statements have been taken. The person who drugged the victim has also been captured on surveillance footage."

Jiang Tianqi's smile remained unchanged: "That's great, handle it according to the law."

“It should be handled according to the law.” Fang Che took out a copy from his bag and pushed it over. “This is a summary of the statement and a screenshot from the surveillance footage. Young Master Jiang, would you like to take a look?”

Jiang Tianqi glanced at it, his expression changing slightly before quickly returning to normal: "What does Boss Fang mean by showing me these?"

“It means I know who did it,” Fang Che said, emphasizing each word. “I also know who ordered it.”

The tea restaurant quieted down.

The customers at the next table noticed something was wrong, paid their bill, and left.