Chapter 10: Fifty Thousand, and You Can Do Whatever You Want!

The photograph showed a striking woman in her thirties: Song Hongyan, Qin Dong’s university professor, renowned as Nanjiang’s most beautiful married woman.

Her husband, Zhao Youting of the Zhao Group, was a powerful figure with connections on both sides of the law. Plenty of men admired her beauty, but none dared act on it. She was also the mother of Qin Dong’s idiotic roommate, Zhao Kuo.

Qin Dong fell silent. Thinking he was impressed, Zheng Youwei encouraged him. “Keep working for me, young Qin. Within two years, I guarantee you’ll own a car and a home in Nanjiang City, paid for in full!”

Anyone could make empty promises, Qin Dong thought. He took the bank card from his pocket and held it out.

“Boss, take this back. Give me cash instead. Otherwise I’ll have to make a trip to the bank.”

Zheng’s eye twitched. The sly kid was clearly afraid he would report the card lost afterward. Unable to protest, he cleared his throat. “All right. I’ll ask accounting if we have enough cash.”

Real-estate agencies rarely lacked it; some clients liked to bring cash to buy homes. Soon an accountant came in with a black bag containing neatly stacked bills totaling five hundred thousand yuan.

Qin Dong borrowed the company’s cash-counting machine and checked every note in front of Zheng. Once he was satisfied, he carried the bag out.

He had meant to deposit the money, but the banks were closed by then. Instead, he took a taxi to his apartment near the university district.

When he opened the door, a familiar figure was inside: his ex-girlfriend, Xu Lei.

“What are you doing here?” he asked coldly.

“Collecting my things. Is that a problem?” she said proudly. “Where are my clothes and cosmetics? Did you throw them away?”

“Trash belongs in the trash.”

He started past her. Furious, she was about to retort when she noticed the bag in his hand.

“What’s in there?” She reached for it. Qin Dong pulled back, and the bag tore. Bundles of red banknotes spilled across the floor.

Xu Lei stared. She had never seen so much cash in her life.

“Qin Dong… where did you get all that?”

“None of your business.” He crouched and gathered the money. Xu Lei watched greedily. Zhao Kuo had plenty of money, but he usually gave her only a few thousand yuan at a time. Here was half a million.

Her manner changed at once. She clung to Qin Dong’s arm and put on a sweet voice. “I’ve always liked you. Zhao Kuo forced me to be with him. He threatened to have your legs broken if I refused. I was protecting you.”

“Give me the five hundred thousand and let’s get back together, all right?”

Qin Dong nearly gagged. He shook her off. “Are you sick? Get away from me!”

Angry but unwilling to give up the money, she pressed closer and lowered her neckline, trying to entice him. “Dong, if you want, I can be yours right now…”

He pushed her away, disgusted. “Get away. Don’t dirty my clothes.”

She stumbled, nearly falling. As he finished collecting the cash, she grew desperate. “Two hundred thousand? No—fifty thousand! Give me fifty thousand and I’ll do whatever you want!”

She pressed closer. “I know how to please a man, Qin Dong. Even Zhao Kuo was satisfied. Fifty thousand is a bargain!”

Qin Dong’s stomach churned. How had he never realized what she was like? He was grateful all over again that they had split up.

“Have you no shame, Xu Lei? You come here selling what another man taught you? You’re not worth five yuan to me, let alone fifty thousand.”

Her face changed color. Realizing she would get nothing, she straightened her clothes. “You’ll regret this! Don’t think a little money makes you important. Young Master Zhao won’t let you off!”

She stormed out on her heels.

Afterward, Qin Dong decided the money wasn’t safe in the apartment. Knowing Xu Lei, she might get someone to break in as soon as he left. He packed the cash into an old backpack and headed for Nanjiang University.

The road along Bailong Lake was quiet, with only an occasional passing car. Halfway there, he heard a faint cry for help. Frowning, he followed it toward the reeds by the road.

He pushed through the waist-high growth and saw a man in a worker’s uniform and black mask clamping a hand over a woman’s mouth from behind. Terrified and in tears, she struggled desperately, kicking in the mud until one of her heels came off.

“Stop!” Qin Dong shouted.