Li Cuihua was genuinely upset. She hadn’t been able to bring He Qiang back with her.
The thought of leaving in such disgrace was unbearable.
Seeing Zhang Zhiyuan now, she couldn’t even muster a pleasant expression.
“Cuihua, why are you so harsh with me? Back in the day, we were…”
Before he could finish, Li Cuihua cut him off.
“Were what? Don’t talk nonsense! There’s nothing between us.”
Hearing his words, Li Cuihua glanced around nervously and quickly shushed him.
If word got back to He Jiang, how could she ever remarry him?
Seeing her reaction, Zhang Zhiyuan knew she still had feelings for He Jiang, which annoyed him.
“Cuihua, he’s already divorced you. Who knows, he might be planning to marry a new wife right now.”
“Listen, just now a big boss asked me to work for him outside. He said a few months with him would earn me more than a year’s wages here.”
“Cuihua, why don’t you come with me? Once I make money, we can buy a big house out there.”
Li Cuihua, of course, didn’t believe a word of it.
What big boss would ever take a liking to Zhang Zhiyuan? She wasn’t buying it—he was probably being scammed.
“What skills do you have now that would impress a big boss?”
Her words were sharp, but Zhang Zhiyuan explained Lin Zhou’s purpose for visiting.
“You don’t understand—our fishing team captain is actually a decent guy. He specially referred Boss Lin to me. I even called to check, and Boss Lin’s identity is legit.”
“He also said that if I go with him, he’ll pay me really well. Cuihua, trust me this time—it’s for real.”
He didn’t dare verify with the captain, afraid something might go wrong.
Regardless of who referred him, all he cared about now was making money.
Zhang Zhiyuan tried to grab Li Cuihua’s hand, but she pulled away.
Looking at Zhang Zhiyuan and listening to his words, Li Cuihua actually found them somewhat sincere.
Still, her heart was set on He Jiang, convinced that remarrying him was the right path.
“Tell me when you actually get paid by him. I have things to do, so I’m leaving.”
With that, Li Cuihua walked away. Zhang Zhiyuan watched her retreating figure, clenching his fists tightly.
After returning home, he decided to seek out Lin Zhou.
Lin Zhou had left him his address before departing.
Although Lin Zhou had come to the island, Zhao Qiang hadn’t met with him, worried that being seen together would make it harder to deceive Zhang Zhiyuan later.
Lin Zhou had found a local fisherman’s house to stay in.
The next day, Zhang Zhiyuan indeed went to find Lin Zhou.
Lin Zhou had been confident that with such a generous offer, Zhang Zhiyuan wouldn’t be able to resist.
“Boss Lin, I thought about it yesterday, and you’re right—people work for money, after all. I’m willing to work for you. When do you think we can leave?”
A slight smile tugged at Lin Zhou’s lips. Without saying a word, he first took out some money from his briefcase and handed it to him.
“You agreed quite readily, young man. I admire that. How about this: you can leave in a couple of days. I need to return to the company today to make arrangements in advance.”
Zhang Zhiyuan’s eyes were glued to the money.
He hadn’t even started working yet, and he was already being paid. Now he was fully convinced.
“Take this money to get yourself some proper clothes. You already know the company’s address—it’s printed right here.”
After saying this, Lin Zhou stood up and patted Zhang Zhiyuan on the shoulder.
“I’ve heard people on the island say you have a sweetheart. Since you’re willing to work for me, why not bring her along too? We can arrange a position for her at our company as well.”
“That way, you two won’t have to live apart.”
This last sentence was Lin Zhou’s true objective.
However, he couldn’t state it too explicitly, lest Zhang Zhiyuan become suspicious.
With his eyes fixed on the money, Zhang Zhiyuan naturally believed every word Lin Zhou said.
A mocking smile curled at the corner of Lin Zhou’s lips.
Men die for wealth, birds die for food.
He understood this principle all too well.
No matter what doubts Zhang Zhiyuan might have had, the sight of the money would silence them.
After Lin Zhou left, Zhang Zhiyuan quickly took out the money and counted it.
The denominations weren’t large, but there were ten bills in total—enough to support him for over a month.
This Boss Lin was truly generous.
He tucked the money into his pocket, feeling that nothing in the world was more reassuring than cash.
Before leaving, Lin Zhou had someone deliver a letter to Zhao Qiang. When Zhao Qiang received it, he waved it in front of He Yuan.
“It’s done. Now, it’s just a matter of how far Li Cuihua will let Zhang Zhiyuan deceive her.”
Hearing this, He Yuan frowned.
“Your relative actually gave Zhang Zhiyuan money?”
At He Yuan’s question, Zhao Qiang revealed a mysterious smile.
“Of course not! Why let him benefit? Since we’re planning to teach him a lesson, I certainly won’t let him gain anything. He’ll have to pay back every cent with interest eventually.”
Lin Zhou’s goal wasn’t just to lure Zhang Zhiyuan away and abandon him.
Instead, he genuinely intended to have him work at his company—what happened afterward, however, was no longer their concern.
Zhao Qiang only needed to ensure He Yuan’s instructions were carried out.
“I owe him a favor.”
With He Yuan’s words, Zhao Qiang smiled and nodded.
“Exactly. That’s all Lin Zhou wanted from you. But I’ve told him—we don’t engage in illegal activities. Don’t worry, he knows his limits.”
As the two discussed the matter, they were completely unaware that the first thing Zhang Zhiyuan did after getting the money was to buy a pile of goods from the supply and marketing cooperative.
Did Li Cuihua look down on him? Well, he’d make her see him in a new light.
His sudden display of wealth shocked everyone.
Where had Zhang Zhiyuan gotten so much money?
“An outside boss took a liking to me and wants me to work on a big business venture with him. I won’t be competing with you all on this small island anymore,” Zhang Zhiyuan boasted, acting like a typical nouveau riche.
After buying his goods, he headed straight to Li Cuihua’s house.
He knew her family was the type to fawn over the successful and despise the failing.
Now that he had money, he wasn’t afraid of their sarcasm anymore.
Li Cuihua was inside, racking her brains for a way to bring He Qiang back, when she heard her mother calling from outside.
“Cuihua! Cuihua! Come out quickly! Look who’s here!”
Thinking it might be He Jiang, Li Cuihua hurried out—only to find Zhang Zhiyuan standing there with gifts in hand.
Zhang Zhiyuan had even bought himself a nice outfit and now looked quite presentable.
“Cuihua, now you can’t say he was fooling me, right? Look, this is the advance salary the boss gave me—just so I could dress properly and bring you along with me.”
Leave a Reply