Chapter 312: To Slave Away

Chapter 312: Chapter 312: To Slave Away

"Qiang, what the hell is going on? Stop with all this talk about dying!" Old Niu gave Wu Qiang a shove, getting agitated himself.

"It’s gone. Everything’s gone!" Wu Qiang sobbed, his face flushed red and reeking of alcohol.

Yin Ruxue covered her nose and asked, "What is it? Got scammed by a woman?"

"Qiang, was it Tingting who scammed you?" Jiang Fan asked.

Wu Qiang nodded.

"I fucking knew it. How could something that good be true!" Old Niu sighed. "How could you let yourself get scammed, kid! Aren’t you usually sly as a fox?"

"Qiang, listen to me. No matter what happened, think about your family! Money is bullshit. You can always earn more, but once your life is gone, you have nothing!"

"Everything was fine a couple of days ago, so how did you get scammed? Qiang, you have to give me a damn answer and tell me what happened!" Old Niu said, his patience worn thin.

Wu Qiang slumped to the ground and threw his head back with a long, hollow laugh.

Then, he slowly began to speak. "So it was all a scam. When Tingting first showed interest in me, I thought it was love at first sight. I never imagined her apartment was fake, her car was fake—it was all a lie. The property deed she gave me was a forgery, and the car was just a rental. She didn’t just run off with your one million; I also took out half a million in loans from every channel I could find. She took all of it and disappeared."

"Wait, Qiang, didn’t you fucking go to the sales office with her? How could it be fake?" Jiang Fan asked, astonished.

"Even the sales office was fake. The place is completely empty now. They’re a professional fraud ring," Wu Qiang said, a fresh tear tracing a path down his cheek.

"Fan, why are you so damn lucky? You get to hook up with a rich woman, and I get a scammer? Heh..."

Jiang Fan shook his head and slapped Wu Qiang straight across the face.

"Have you forgotten how much fucking debt I was in? Have you forgotten how you encouraged me back then? Stop dreaming about being some sugar baby! And you’re acting like a fucking coward, threatening to kill yourself and sending those damn texts. If you died, have you ever stopped to think about Old Niu? You think his hard-earned money is just worthless?"

But just then, Old Niu waved a dismissive hand.

"Qiang, let’s forget about the money for a second. As long as you weren’t the one who scammed me, I can take the hit for five hundred thousand, no matter how tough it is. You can’t die, you hear me, kid? I’m still counting on you to work your ass off and pay me back!"

"My five hundred thousand isn’t a huge deal, either. I can help you figure something out!"

After hearing his two friends speak, Wu Qiang looked up, a flicker of light returning to his eyes.

"Qiang, think about your family!" Jiang Fan added.

Wu Qiang gritted his teeth and pushed himself up from the ground.

He was still unsteady on his feet, but as he looked at Jiang Fan and Old Niu, his gaze grew resolute.

"Old Niu, Fan, thank you! I’ll pay back every cent I owe you!"

"Alright, that’s enough. Get in the car. President Yin is sick, and she’s been following you all over the High-tech Zone. If she stays out in this wind any longer, she’s going to get worse."

Jiang Fan glanced at Yin Ruxue, whose face was pale.

"I’m sorry, President Yin. I’m sorry to have troubled you."

Wu Qiang shot Yin Ruxue an apologetic glance, then meticulously brushed the dust from his clothes. Noticing his soaking pant legs, he simply took off his shirt, placed it on the back seat, and then got in.

The car started, but the atmosphere inside was heavy. No one said a word.

In the rearview mirror, Jiang Fan could see Old Niu staring at the floor, while Wu Qiang looked even more agitated.

Jiang Fan sighed, breaking the silence. "Old Niu, have Qiang stay with you tonight. Keep a close eye on him, don’t let his mind wander. Tomorrow, go to the police station and file a report. There might be a chance to get the money back."

"Don’t worry. Looks like he’s already had plenty to drink. I’ll pour a few more bottles down his throat when we get back. I guarantee he won’t be going anywhere."

Jiang Fan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at Old Niu’s words.

"Don’t be a fucking idiot. Drowning your sorrows only makes them worse. Just make sure you take care of business tomorrow."

Just then, Yin Ruxue suddenly rummaged through her purse, pulled out a bank card, and handed it to Wu Qiang.

"Take it!"

The other three in the car stared, stunned into silence.

Yin Ruxue sounded weak, her voice low as she spoke to Wu Qiang. "There’s one million on this card. The PIN is six zeros. Use five hundred thousand to pay off your loans. The other five hundred thousand is for you to pay back your friend."

"I... I can’t take this!" Wu Qiang said, shocked.

"Don’t get the wrong idea. It’s not a gift; it’s a loan. When you have the money, you will pay me back personally. Of course, if you can’t pay it back by then, we’ll just consider it a loan to Jiang Fan. He can slave away to repay me."

"Huh? B-but..." Jiang Fan was dumbfounded. ’When the fuck did I agree to that?’

"Fan, this..."

Wu Qiang trailed off, looking to Jiang Fan for his opinion.

Yin Ruxue then turned to Jiang Fan. "You can refuse on your friend’s behalf. But you’d better think carefully. How long would it take your friend to earn a million making food deliveries? And how long does it take me?"

Yin Ruxue’s words silenced Jiang Fan.

He had to admit, her words were harsh, but they were true.

"He can worry about the half-million he lost to his ’girlfriend’ on his own, but if his two friends don’t get their million back, they’re going to have a hard time."

"Holy shit, Qiang! Take the damn card!"

At that moment, Jiang Fan was itching to snatch the card himself.

Wu Qiang hesitated, then swallowed hard.

"Don’t worry," Yin Ruxue added. "I won’t pressure you. Pay me back whenever you can."

"Th-thank you, President Yin!" Wu Qiang gritted his teeth and took the card.

’He knew exactly what he would be facing if he didn’t take this card.’

Soon, they had dropped Wu Qiang and Old Niu off at Old Niu’s shop. Jiang Fan gave them a few more reminders before finally driving away.

"Thank you!"

Watching the retreating figures of Wu Qiang and Old Niu, Jiang Fan turned to Yin Ruxue and said the words with genuine gratitude.

"Take me to the office," Yin Ruxue said, her voice as cold as ever.

"The office? Are you kidding?" Jiang Fan looked at Yin Ruxue. "If you don’t take some medicine and lie down right now, you won’t be able to get out of bed tomorrow. Do you have any idea what I just had to do to keep you going?"

"I have too much to do."

"That can wait until you’ve recovered. I’m telling you, you’d better listen to me. Is the company really more important than your life?"

"No..."

"There’s no ’no’ about it. You can barely hold out long enough to get home. I’m going to buy you some medicine right now. You’re coming back with me to Yifeng Garden!"

With that, Jiang Fan started the car.

He found a nearby traditional Chinese medicine clinic, where he bought the necessary herbs and a set of silver needles.

After leaving the clinic, he headed straight for Yifeng Garden.

By the time they arrived back at Yifeng Garden, Yin Ruxue was so weak she needed Jiang Fan to support her just to walk.