Chapter 342: Not Easy to Fall for Schemes

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

“I got it. You don’t need to worry about the incident. Tell him 1’11 come!” Zhou Chao didn’t expect the quickest one to find him was someone from within the country.

Thinking back to what Lin Wu had mentioned earlier, he still couldn’t quite grasp who was the person with the surname Li.

“What’s wrong, Brother Chao?” Seeing Zhou Chao finish the call and fall silent, Jiang Li looked at him.

Zhou Chao smiled after coming back to his senses and patted Jiang Li’s head gently. “Wifey, 1 might not be able to have dinner with you. I have something important to attend to. You go home first.”

Jiang Li paused for a moment, then nodded, “Okay. If it’s difficult to handle, call me!”

“Is there anything your husband can’t handle? Don’t worry; it won’t take too long!”

“Alright.” Jiang Li gave Zhou Chao a kiss and then opened the car door and walked into the residential compound.

Zhou Chao immediately started the car and headed towards the Jingdu Club.

As for Jiang Li, after watching Zhou Chao’s departing car, she took out her phone and dialed a number.

The Jingdu Club was located in the Jingdu Building in Chaoyang District, about seven or eight kilometers away from Wangfujing. It took Zhou Chao about 20 minutes to reach the Jingdu Club, known as the top club in Jingdu.

After parking his car, Zhou Chao took the elevator to the top floor.

The Jingdu Club was situated on the top floor of the Jingdu Building, offering a panoramic view of the city. Combined with its luxurious and extravagant decoration, it attracted many affluent individuals.

“Hello, sir. Please show your membership card or relevant information,” a staff member approached Zhou Chao as he entered.

“Room 888,” Zhou Chao directly provided the room number.

The man hesitated for a moment upon hearing this and quickly signaled a hostess to assist Zhou Chao.

“Sir, please follow the hostess,” he said with a much friendlier attitude.

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Sure.” Zhou Chao nodded and followed the hostess into the club.

In no time, they arrived at Room 888. Zhou Chao let out a sigh of relief and pushed open the door.

As soon as he entered, he saw four or five men drinking and chatting.

His presence drew their attention, and one of the men blurted out, “Who are you? What are you doing here?”

Zhou Chao didn’t even look at him. Instead, he directed his gaze towards the man sitting in the middle.

“Brother Yao-” In that instant, the name “Li Yao” raced through Zhou Chao’s thoughts.

“Oh, it’s you. What brings you here? Come over and have a seat!” Li Yao recognized Zhou Chao. Despite having shared only one meal together, the experience had left a deep impression on him. After all, the people who were present at that dinner were no ordinary individuals.

Zhou Chao smiled and walked forward, taking a seat that was empty.

“Brother Yao, didn’t you ask me to come over to meet you? I even stepped on the gas pedal to rush here! I never expected you to be the one who wanted to meet me,” Zhou Chao spoke with a faint smile.

Although he knew that Li Yao’s identity was not simple, Zhou Chao was not one to back down easily. He had to be cautious in his words.

Zhou Chao’s words left Li Yao momentarily stunned, but he quickly grasped the situation.

“You… you’re the hidden owner of Canghai Technology!” Even Li Yao, at this moment, was somewhat shocked. He thought it was some middle-aged person well into their fifties, not his “acquaintance.”

“Yeah, it’s me, Brother Yao. Didn’t you know? I thought you were aware,” Zhou Chao replied, feeling equally puzzled. Something was amiss here. Could it be that he was mistaken for someone else, or was he unwittingly drawn into this situation?

“You little punk, you’re the one behind that machine tool production company, Canghai Technology, right? We’ve set our sights on your company, and we’re willing to buy it for one million!” It was the slightly tipsy young man nearby who stood up and pointed at Zhou Chao, blurting out his words.

“Yang Fan, shut up!” A loud rebuke came from Li Yao’s mouth.

“Brother Yao, what’s wrong? We were just discussing it earlier, waiting for the owner of Canghai Technology to arrive and sell the company to us!” Perhaps it was due having a bit too much alcohol or a lack of understanding of Zhou Chao’s background, he might have thought he was an easy target to be manipulated.

“Bang!”

“I told you to shut up!” Li Yao forcefully slammed the table and then shouted angrily.

Even the skinny guy, Yang Fan, was taken aback by Li Yao’s reaction. The others seated nearby also became noticeably more sober. They were all silently speculating about Zhou Chao’s true identity, as it was evident that he had earned Li Yao’s respect and attention.

“Skinny guy, oh, Yang Fan, be more respectful when you speak next time. I’ll let it slide for the first time, but if it happens again, hmm!” At this point, Zhou Chao also looked at the man in front of him with an icy demeanor.

“Who do you think you’re scaring, you little punk!” Yang Fan, who got scolded by Li Yao, was already in a bad mood. When he heard Zhou Chao’s words, he exploded with anger.

Yang Fan angrily pointed at Zhou Chao and said.

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Slap!” Unexpectedly, as soon as Yang Fan finished speaking, Zhou Chao slapped him across the face. Yang Fan was sent stumbling several steps backward, eventually steadying himself against the wall.

This entire sequence of events happened in the blink of an eye, and even Li Yao did not react in time.

“You dare to hit someone like me?!” Originally scolded by Li Yao, Yang Fan was now furious and rushed toward Zhou Chao, brandishing a wine bottle.

“Stop him!” Li Yao, who had regained his composure, shouted loudly. The people beside him quickly restrained Yang Fan.

“Zhou Chao, even when dealing with dogs, one should consider the owner. Moreover, he’s my friend. Isn’t this going too far?”

“Brother Yao, it’s better to cut ties with friends who speak so arrogantly sooner rather than later. I’m afraid one day they might get into trouble with the wrong people, and you’ll be dragged down with them!” Zhou Chao’s words were both advice and a warning to him.

Li Yao also understood the background of Zhou Chao and was worried about the consequences of mishandling this situation. After all, they were all part of the same circle, and if news got out that he was involved in such matters within the circle, it would tarnish his reputation.

“Today’s incident was my friend’s fault. I’ll have him apologize to you,” Li Yao said, shifting his gaze toward Yang Fan.

“Brother Yao!” Yang Fan wanted to say something more, but seeing Li Yao’s stern expression, he quickly closed his mouth.

Finally, Yang Fan reluctantly mumbled an apology, “I’m sorry!”

If it weren’t for Zhou Chao’s keen ears, he probably wouldn’t have heard anything.

“Can you offer a more sincere apology, and can you speak up a bit? Who do you think you’re apologizing to?”

Yang Fan, annoyed by Zhou Chao’s comment, looked at him and took a deep breath before saying loudly, “I’m sorry!”

Zhou Chao smiled and said softly, “Next time, be more careful with your words.

Remember this lesson.”

“Brother Yao, didn’t you invite me for tea? It seems like you’re offering me alcohol instead.” Zhou Chao looked at the bottles of liquor on the table with a calm expression.

Li Yao also regained his calm demeanor. To an outsider, it would seem as if he had just changed his role in a Sichuan opera performance.

“Xue Shan, please ask the waiter to remove the alcohol and bring a pot of good tea.” Li Yao looked at Zhou Chao and said, word by word, with a smile on his face. However, everyone present knew that the storm was just beginning.

A person from the crowd walked out, and it was Xue Shan whom Li Yao called over. He opened the door and headed outside.

Soon, a waiter entered the room, tidied up the place, and removed all the alcoholic drinks.

“Please have a seat, Young Master Zhou. It’s been a long time since we last met after that meal at the Yibin Guesthouse. I wonder what you’ve been busy with all this time,” Li Yao began to chat with Zhou Chao as if they were old acquaintances. However, it was evident that he was trying to probe Zhou Chao’s background.

“Thank you for your concern, Young Master Li. I’ve been quite busy, running around here and there. Unlike you, who enjoys a carefree life,” Zhou Chao replied, dropping the formal address for a more casual tone. He also understood that this was the beginning of a battle between the two.

“I wouldn’t say I have a carefree life. It’s actually you, Young Master Zhou, who’s remarkable. At such a young age, you’ve built such a large company and even developed cutting-edge technology like the ultra-precision machine tool. It’s like making money while lying down. I’ve heard that a single machine like that costs at least several hundred million, or even over a billion. Brothers, don’t we all envy him?”

Li Yao’s words weren’t just meant for Zhou Chao; they were meant to be heard by the others at the table. Unsurprisingly, upon hearing the figures Li Yao mentioned, everyone’s eyes gleamed with envy, and they all stared at Zhou Chao intently.

The gazes of the others put some pressure on Zhou Chao.

“Hahaha, Young Master Li, you’re too kind. Developing this machine took a lot of effort, and it’s not easy to produce. We can’t make more than two units in a month. Besides, the raw materials are quite expensive. To be honest, we’re not making much money from it. If it weren’t for some unexpected opportunities, it might not have succeeded at all!” Zhou Chao spoke with a hint of melancholy on his face.

“Young Master Zhou, you’re being too modest. Even if we consider the costs, I bet you’re making a fortune from this. Our friends here are all envious. I wonder if Zhou Shao is willing to share this wealth with us?” Li Yao, skipping the pleasantries, got straight to the point.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Chao burst into laughter, realizing that there might be ulterior motives behind even seemingly friendly gestures.

“Young Master Li, you overestimate me. Even if I wanted to, I can’t promise anything.” Zhou Chao didn’t want to confront directly, so he decided to play a card to deflect the situation.

Li Yao continued with a brilliant smile, “Oh, 1 wonder who has the final say in this matter?”

“Of course, I have the final say!” A deep and powerful voice echoed from the doorway.

The room’s door was pushed open, and a robust, tall figure entered.

“Brother Yang, what brings you here?” Zhou Chao quickly stood up and approached the figure.

“Let’s discuss that later!” Then, he turned his gaze towards the other people in the room.

“Brother Yang!” Everyone in the room called out in unison, even Li Yao.

“Yaozi, is this your thing now? When did you pick up these tactics? You’re employing these strategies now!”

“Brother Yang, please let me explain. At first, I didn’t know it was Zhou Chao,

and I…”

Before he could finish, Xiao Yang interrupted him directly.

“Don’t bother explaining to me. I don’t want to hear it.. Tell me, how are we going to resolve today’s situation?”