hotmtlnovel Chapter 1517 Shock Therapy
Chapter 1517 Shock Therapy
After driving Zhao Hailong away, Qin Hao didn't linger and went to Dingqing Tower.
The greeter at the door recognized Qin Hao at a glance.
Although Qin Hao doesn't show up often, everyone in Dingqinglou knows that this young man is the real boss—it was he who kicked Tang Pangzi out, it was he who took out the money to take over the old shop, and it was he who invited back Old Master Cui, which is why Dingqinglou is so popular today.
"Boss Ji!"
"Hello, Mr. Ji!"
The group quickly and respectfully greeted them, their steps unconsciously straightening.
Qin Hao nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping across the lobby. It was lunchtime, and Dingqing Restaurant was bustling with activity, every table full. Waiters were carrying plates back and forth, and the sounds of food being served from the kitchen, customers chatting and laughing, and the clinking of bowls and chopsticks mingled together, creating a lively and bustling scene.
Qin Hao nodded inwardly, Huo Dongfeng was indeed a natural businessman.
He walked into the front hall and saw Sister Zhou wiping the table with a rag. She was quick and efficient, and her attitude was serious.
"Sister Zhou," Qin Hao called out.
Sister Zhou was startled. When she turned around and saw Qin Hao, she quickly put down what she was doing and immediately put on a smile: "Oh, Ji Qiang, what brings you here today?"
Qin Hao smiled and said, "Where's Manager Huo? I need to speak with him."
"Manager Huo is in his office on the second floor. I'll go up and call him down!" Sister Zhou said, heading towards the stairwell.
"No need, Sister Zhou, you go ahead with your work, I can go up by myself." Qin Hao waved his hand and walked straight towards the stairs.
This scene happened to be witnessed by Zhang Xiaomei, who was not far away.
Zhang Xiaomei was still furious about her failed attempt to invest and her husband's incompetence. But when she saw Qin Hao come to Dingqing Tower in person and go upstairs to find Huo Dongfeng, her first thought was—that good-for-nothing Zhao Hailong actually managed to persuade Qin Hao!
A surge of joy welled up inside her. Her previously droopy lips suddenly curled into a wide smile, and her eyes sparkled.
A waiter who was on good terms with her was passing by with a tray. Seeing her beaming face, he couldn't help but casually ask, "Hey, Xiaomei, what's got you so happy? Did you find some money?"
Zhang Xiaomei pretended to be calm, waved her hand, and said in a light tone: "Hey, it's nothing, I just thought of some happy things."
……
At the same time, Qin Hao had already gone up to the second floor and gently knocked on the door of Huo Dongfeng's office.
"Enter."
Huo Dongfeng's voice came from inside.
Qin Hao pushed open the door and saw Huo Dongfeng sitting behind his desk looking through the ledgers. There was a thick stack of documents on the desk, including purchase orders, expense reports, and payrolls. It was clear that he had been working hard lately.
Huo Dongfeng looked up and saw Qin Hao. His eyes lit up, and he immediately put down his pen, stood up, and greeted him with a smile: "Oh, what brings you here? What a rare guest!"
Qin Hao closed the door behind him, pulled up a chair and sat down, laughing and scolding, "Judging from your tone, you think I shouldn't have come?"
"No, no, how could I dare?" Huo Dongfeng quickly waved his hand, his face full of respect: "You are the big boss. Dingqinglou is what it is today because of you. Your presence is an honor to our humble abode."
Although he was joking, Huo Dongfeng's hands were quick. He picked up the teacup on the table and took out an unopened can of tea from the drawer.
"Try this, it's pre-rain Longjing tea, a real gem." Huo Dongfeng said while boiling water, "It was sent by our liquor supplier. I've been reluctant to drink it, but today I'll let you try it."
Qin Hao watched as he skillfully scalded the cups, washed the tea, and brewed it. His movements were fluid and effortless, showing no trace of the thug leader who used to fight and kill on Donglin Street. He was now a composed and experienced restaurant manager.
He couldn't help but tease, "Wow, Lao Huo, you're doing really well now. People are even rushing to bring you good tea to curry favor with you."
Huo Dongfeng gave a wry smile and pushed the brewed tea in front of Qin Hao: "Hey, what's this about currying favor? Isn't this how we all do it? If I don't accept it, they'll feel uneasy, wondering if I have a problem with them, which will make future cooperation awkward. If I accept it, everyone will feel comfortable."
Qin Hao picked up the teacup, gently blew on it to cool it, and took a sip. The tea was fragrant and refreshing, with a sweet aftertaste; it was indeed a top-quality tea.
He put down his teacup, the smile on his face slowly fading, and his tone became serious: "I didn't come here today to drink tea."
Seeing Qin Hao's expression, Huo Dongfeng knew it was serious business and immediately sat up straight: "Go ahead."
"Zhao Hailong just came to see me," Qin Hao said, getting straight to the point.
Huo Dongfeng frowned slightly, and almost without hesitation asked, "Because of the shareholding?"
Qin Hao nodded: "It's not just him. Lately, many employees in the store have been talking about it privately because of the issue of profit sharing from shareholding. Those who didn't have shares are envious, while those who did feel that they should get more because they took the risk. If this continues, morale will drop, and the team will be difficult to manage."
Huo Dongfeng's face also darkened.
He's in the store every day, and he knows better than anyone what his employees are thinking.
People are not worried about scarcity, but about inequality; this has always been the human heart.
“I’m worried about this too.” Huo Dongfeng sighed. “Recently, more and more people have been talking about it behind my back, and they’re not as focused on their work as before. I’m afraid that if this drags on any longer, it will really affect the shop’s business.”
Qin Hao nodded slightly; this was exactly what he was worried about.
Dingqinglou's success today is not due to him alone, nor to Huo Dongfeng alone, but to the concerted efforts of dozens of people in the front and back of the house. Once the people are not united, even the biggest brand cannot withstand it.
"What are your plans?" Qin Hao didn't give a direct answer, but instead looked at Huo Dongfeng.
He wanted to see just how much Huo Dongfeng had grown after more than a year of honing his skills.
Without hesitation, Huo Dongfeng reached into the drawer and took out a sheet of paper already covered with writing, handing it to Qin Hao: "I've been thinking about this for the past few days and have come up with a plan. Could you take a look at it?"
Qin Hao took the letter and looked down at it.
The above is Huo Dongfeng's handwritten allocation plan. The handwriting is not very good, but the organization is very clear.
“This is what I’m thinking,” Huo Dongfeng explained softly from the side, “Our Dingqing Restaurant’s business is stable now. Besides the fixed annual contract fee of 250,000 yuan, the net profit is about 750,000 yuan a year. The lion’s share of that comes from you…”
"I was thinking, could we take a portion of the profits as year-end bonuses and give them to all the employees? After all, Dingqinglou has come this far thanks to everyone's hard work throughout the year. Without them, we alone couldn't have kept it going..."
While speaking, Huo Dongfeng kept observing Qin Hao's expression, afraid that his suggestion would displease Qin Hao.
After all, Qin Hao takes the lion's share of the money, so if it's really going to be taken out, Qin Hao is the first person who needs to agree.
Qin Hao read the letter from beginning to end and nodded to himself.
Despite his seemingly carefree and rough-around-the-edges appearance, Huo Dongfeng is actually quite meticulous and thoughtful. His proposal is a compromise that appeases the feelings of employees who don't hold shares without significantly impacting the interests of shareholders.
"The plan is good," Qin Hao affirmed first.
Huo Dongfeng had just breathed a sigh of relief when Qin Hao abruptly changed the subject: "But have you considered this—it's like asking shareholders who have already invested to spit out some of the profits they've already made. Do you think they'll willingly agree to that?"
Huo Dongfeng's smile froze, and he hesitated, saying, "You're the one who takes the lion's share here. As long as you agree, even if the others are unhappy, they won't dare to say anything."
Qin Hao gently shook his head.
"That's true, but things can't be done that way." Qin Hao's tone was calm, but with an undeniable firmness: "The shareholders took the risk of going bankrupt to put their money in back then. Nobody believed in Dingqinglou at the time, and they were the ones who held on through the first hurdle. Now that business is good, you can ask them to give up their profits once or twice, but if it goes on for too long, people will lose heart."
"Rules are rules, and they cannot be changed arbitrarily just because someone is making a fuss."
"But..." Huo Dongfeng looked troubled. "If we don't give up some benefits, the employees will feel resentful, lose their motivation, and even spread rumors, which will damage Dingqinglou's reputation. If they become passive and uncooperative, we will be the ones who suffer in the end."
Qin Hao looked up at him and slowly said, "Do it this way."
"First, calculate all the losses incurred by Dingqinglou throughout last year."
“Food waste, damaged kitchen utensils, broken tableware, worn-out tables and chairs... list them all out one by one.”
Huo Dongfeng's eyes lit up: "You mean..."
"Second, hold a general meeting of all employees, lay out the accounts, and make sure everyone understands them." Qin Hao's voice was calm: "Then tell them—this year, if everyone works together and can reduce the overall losses by half, the money saved will be used to give everyone a year-end bonus."
Huo Dongfeng was initially delighted, but then his brows furrowed again.
"Reduce it by half?" He couldn't help but gasp. "That's probably too difficult, isn't it? Putting aside everything else, just the ingredients alone are almost impossible. Our Dingqinglou uses old recipes, and many dishes emphasize meticulousness, using only the most essential parts of the ingredients. The rest can't be used anyway, so how can we cut back?"
"There are also tableware and chairs. It's inevitable that guests will bump into things while eating. It's normal for more than a dozen sets of tableware to be broken a month. It's almost impossible to reduce the loss by half."
Qin Hao smiled faintly: "The reason you can't do it is because you haven't found the right approach."
"Are the unusable parts of the ingredients really completely useless? Can't they be used to make soup, fillings, or disposed of by specialized recycling companies?"
Huo Dongfeng's eyes grew brighter as he listened, and by the end, he slapped his thigh and raised his voice several decibels.
"You know, it's all about intellectuals who have such clever minds! I couldn't come up with this idea no matter how hard I racked my brains!"
He quickly did a mental calculation and immediately became excited.
Using the money saved from losses to pay year-end bonuses to employees, without touching the shareholders' dividends, not only does it not break the rules, but it can also motivate everyone and reduce costs—a win-win-win situation!
Qin Hao was amused by his exaggerated manner: "Alright, I'm just proposing an idea. As for how to implement it, we'll have to see how it's done based on the actual situation in the store."
"Okay! I'll go prepare right now!" Huo Dongfeng immediately stood up, full of enthusiasm.
……
Three days later, after the last table of guests left, Dingqinglou closed its doors and locked up.
Huo Dongfeng turned on all the lights and moved all the tables and chairs in the front hall to the sides, making room for a large open space. All the employees, whether they were front-of-house servers, kitchen staff, dishwashers, or general laborers, gathered in the lobby and stood densely packed together.
Some people looked curious, some looked indifferent, and some were holding their breath, making the atmosphere somewhat tense from the start.
Huo Dongfeng stood at the front, cleared his throat, and got straight to the point.
"I've called everyone here today for no other reason than to discuss one thing—recently, many people in the store have been talking about equity participation and profit sharing, right?"
The moment he finished speaking, the crowd erupted in chaos.
The employees who held shares, represented by Sister Zhou, immediately looked displeased.
The employees who didn't have shares immediately perked up, chattering away, their voices growing louder and louder.
"Exactly! Why do some people get so much bonus every year, while we work ourselves to the bone for a meager fixed salary!"
"If it weren't for our hard work, would Dingqinglou be where it is today? Now that they're making money, they've forgotten about us!"
"It's so unfair! A few people eat meat, while we can't even get soup!"
Sister Zhou was straightforward by nature, and upon hearing this, she couldn't hold back any longer. She stepped forward and said in a loud voice, "Don't you have any conscience? Back then, when Fatty Tang almost bankrupted the shop, he asked everyone to chip in to take over the business, but you were all afraid of losing money and ran away from it like the plague!"
"It was us who took out all our family savings and risked going bankrupt to keep the shop afloat! We saved your jobs, so how is it unfair that you get a little more profit?"
"Exactly!" Several other employees who had invested in the company chimed in: "We'll take the risks, and you want to share the profits? There's no such thing as a free lunch!"
The two sides argued more and more fiercely, their voices grew louder and louder, and they almost came to blows.
Huo Dongfeng frowned, and seeing that the conflict was about to completely erupt, he slammed his hand on the table and roared, "Quiet down, all of you!"
The lobby fell silent instantly.
Everyone looked at Huo Dongfeng.
Huo Dongfeng took a deep breath and recited the plan that Qin Hao had explained during the day, word for word.
Upon hearing this, the employees who didn't have shares were immediately disappointed, and one of them scoffed, "I knew it! They're just protecting their own people! How much money could those losses possibly amount to? Who are they trying to fool!"
"Exactly, how much is a few broken plates or some lost food worth?"
Huo Dongfeng wasn't angry. He turned around, picked up a piece of chalk, and quickly started writing on the small blackboard that had been hung behind him.
He wrote and read aloud as he went:
"Last year, Dingqinglou's food waste amounted to 87,000 yuan."
"Damaged tableware, replacement: 42,000 yuan."
Kitchenware repair and replacement: 53,000.
"Table and chair repairs, water and electricity waste, and other miscellaneous losses: 78,000."
With each number written, the people below quieted down a little more.
After Huo Dongfeng finished writing down the last number, added all the numbers together, turned around, and loudly announced:
"Last year, the total losses at Dingqinglou amounted to 260,000 yuan!"
"Half the loss is 130,000!"
"This 130,000 will not come from shareholder dividends; it will come entirely from the savings on losses this year. As long as everyone works together to reduce losses by half, this 130,000 will be distributed to everyone present!"
"There are only thirty of us in total. On average, each person can earn several thousand yuan at the end of the year!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the entire hall fell silent.
Everyone stared wide-eyed, their faces filled with disbelief.
They originally thought the so-called losses would be at most ten or twenty thousand yuan, which, when divided equally, would amount to a few hundred yuan per person—enough to appease beggars. But no one expected that the annual losses would reach a staggering 260,000 yuan!
Half of that is 130,000!
Several thousand yuan!
At the time, this was almost equivalent to an ordinary worker's annual salary!
Those who were just complaining and laughing instantly shut their mouths, their faces filled with shock and excitement.
Upon hearing that their shareholdings wouldn't be affected, Sister Zhou and the other employees' expressions immediately softened, and they all nodded in agreement: "This is a good idea! We agree!"
"As long as our dividends aren't affected, anything is fine!"
"Yes, let's all work together to save money. Saving money is making money, it's fair!"
The conflict suddenly shifted in direction.
The two groups that were just opposing each other suddenly stood on the same side.
However, the kitchen staff were more pragmatic. Led by the second chef, they immediately raised a question: "Manager Huo, that's true, but how is it possible to reduce waste by 50% all at once? Putting aside everything else, just considering the ingredients, we are meticulous in cooking. What needs to be thrown away still needs to be thrown away. No matter how careful we are, we can't save that much!"
“Yes, we don’t usually waste much food, so it’s really hard to do that.” The other kitchen staff nodded in agreement.
Huo Dongfeng was prepared and remained calm, bringing up the solution Qin Hao had given him once again.
At this point, everyone fell silent.
The solution is right in front of us; it's not that we can't do it, it's just that we haven't paid attention to it before.
Seeing the expressions on everyone's faces, Huo Dongfeng knew the time was right and asked loudly, "Now, does anyone have any objections?"
The lobby was silent; no one spoke, and everyone's eyes burned with fervor.
A year-end bonus of several thousand yuan is a huge temptation for anyone.
"Good!" Huo Dongfeng clapped his hands: "Since everyone has no objections, then starting tomorrow, this plan will be officially implemented! From now until the end of the year, whether we can have a prosperous New Year, whether we can have a glorious New Year, depends entirely on everyone's own efforts!"
"Do you have confidence?!"
"Have!"
The synchronized sounds almost lifted the roof off Dingqing Tower.
……
From that day on, Dingqinglou completely changed.
Everyone's enthusiasm was fully mobilized.
In the past, if a plate broke, it was fine, nobody cared; now, if someone accidentally bumps a plate, someone nearby immediately warns, "Be careful! Do you still want your year-end bonus?!"
In the past, water from washing vegetables was left running freely, and lights were left on during the day without anyone turning them off; now, the last person to leave will always check the water and electricity.
In the past, leftover food scraps were thrown away; now, they are collected and either used or sold.
Some people even actively monitor others, and if someone wastes even the slightest bit of their energy, they will immediately be criticized by everyone.
Over the course of a month, just by washing dishes, we saved more than fifty sets of tableware.
Waste in the kitchen has been significantly reduced, the front-of-house service is more attentive, and the entire Dingqinglou restaurant is united and highly motivated.
Huo Dongfeng saw this and was delighted, and he admired Qin Hao even more.
But just when everyone was working hard, one person started acting increasingly strangely.
—Zhang Xiaomei.
For several days in a row, she was late, left early, and was absent-minded. She worked slowly and sluggishly, sometimes ignoring customers even after they called her several times. Her face would shift between smugness and blankness...
That afternoon, seeing that it was not yet time to get off work, Zhang Xiaomei secretly changed her clothes again, intending to sneak out through the small door in the back kitchen.
Huo Dongfeng saw all of this clearly, his brows furrowed tightly.
After Zhang Xiaomei slipped out, he called Sister Zhou, the head waitress, to his office.
"Sister Zhou, please sit down." Huo Dongfeng's expression was not good.
Sister Zhou's heart tightened; she knew Huo Dongfeng was definitely going to ask about Zhang Xiaomei.
"Manager Huo, you wanted to see me?"
"What's wrong with Zhang Xiaomei lately?" Huo Dongfeng asked bluntly. "Is something wrong at home? Or is she upset? She's always late and leaving early, and she's not focused on her work. If this continues, I'll have to punish her according to the rules."
Sister Zhou hesitated for a moment, as if she wanted to say something but stopped herself. After hesitating for a long time, she gritted her teeth and lowered her voice: "Manager Huo, I'm only saying this to you. Please don't tell Zhang Xiaomei that I said it, or she'll hate me to death."
Huo Dongfeng nodded: "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
Sister Zhou then whispered, "Weren't there a few Korean bosses who came to the shop for dinner a few days ago? One of them took a liking to Zhang Xiaomei."
“These past few days, every evening, that Korean man has been picking her up in his car. I’ve seen it with my own eyes several times. That car looks really expensive…”
Huo Dongfeng's expression changed: "Really?"
"Absolutely true!" Sister Zhou patted her chest to assure her.
After Sister Zhou left, Huo Dongfeng was still worried, so he called over another waiter who was usually close to Zhang Xiaomei. When he asked her, he got the exact same answer.
"This is going to be bad!"
Huo Dongfeng slapped his forehead, inwardly groaning.
He wasn't particularly close to Zhao Hailong, but Zhao Hailong was the brother of his brother-in-law Cui Guomin, so in a way, he was one of their own. If Zhang Xiaomei really had some moral issues at this critical juncture, or even ran off with someone else, Zhao Hailong, with his personality, would definitely have a breakdown.
He didn't dare delay and immediately told Qin Hao the whole story.
After listening, Qin Hao remained silent for a moment.
Hongwei happened to be nearby, and upon hearing this, he immediately exploded.
"What?! This Korean bastard dares to come to our Donglin territory and prey on innocent women?" Hongwei slammed his hand on the table, stood up, his eyes wide with fury: "He's gone too far! I'm going to break that kid's legs!"
Qin Hao rolled his eyes at him and bluntly poured cold water on his enthusiasm: "Shut up."
"What respectable woman would go out every night with a man she's only met a few times?" Qin Hao said coldly, "It's her own wild heart that's her problem, it has nothing to do with anyone else."
"Even if it were a matter of who should step up, it wouldn't be your turn."
Hongwei could only sit down dejectedly.
Huo Dongfeng nodded in agreement: "Ji Qiang is right. In any case, this is Hailong's family matter, a matter between husband and wife. If we outsiders interfere too much, we'll only end up pleasing neither side. Let them resolve it themselves."
Qin Hao hummed in agreement: "Keep an eye on her for now, make sure she doesn't cause too much of a commotion in the store and affect the other employees. I'll find an opportunity to mention it to Zhao Hailong."
But before he could even go to find Zhao Hailong, things had already completely broken out.
That afternoon, Dingqinglou was bustling with activity when Zhao Hailong suddenly rushed in like a madman, his eyes bloodshot, his hair disheveled, repeatedly shouting, "Zhang Xiaomei! Zhang Xiaomei! Come out here!"
The waiters were startled and quickly moved aside.
When Huo Dongfeng saw Zhao Hailong's appearance, his heart skipped a beat, and he knew something was wrong.
He rushed over and grabbed Zhao Hailong, saying, "Hailong, what's wrong? Calm down, this is the store!"
"Dongfeng, have you seen Zhang Xiaomei?" Zhao Hailong's voice was hoarse, trembling with tears. "She ran away! She ran away with that Korean!"
Huo Dongfeng's heart sank: "They escaped?"
"Yes!" Zhao Hailong's tears fell instantly. He pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket: "She left me a letter, belittling me and saying that I was incompetent, useless, a good-for-nothing, and that I would be poor for the rest of my life if I followed her... Then she ran off with the Korean boss!"
Huo Dongfeng sighed inwardly.
What was bound to happen has finally happened.
Seeing that Zhao Hailong was in a daze, with empty eyes, and on the verge of collapse, he was afraid that he might do something foolish in a moment of despair. So he didn't dare let him cause a scene in the lobby and dragged him to a private room at the very back of Dingqing Tower.
"Please sit down and calm down. I'll get you a glass of water."
Qin Hao arrived after hearing the news.
As soon as the door to the private room was pushed open, a strong smell of alcohol hit the door.
Several empty wine bottles were on the table. Zhao Hailong was curled up in a chair, drunk and with tears streaming down his face. He kept singing "Ten Things You Shouldn't Have Done" off-key over and over again.
"You shouldn't have done that, you shouldn't have secretly loved me..."
His voice was hoarse and mournful, making one's heart ache.
Qin Hao stood at the door, his brows furrowed.
When Zhao Hailong looked up, he vaguely saw Qin Hao, and his already broken emotions instantly exploded.
He suddenly stood up, pointed at Qin Hao, and roared like a madman, "It's you! It's all because of you!"
"If you had agreed to let me invest, my wife wouldn't have run away! Give me back my wife! Give me back my wife!"
As he roared, he lunged at Qin Hao, baring his teeth and brandishing his claws.
Qin Hao's face turned cold, and he didn't indulge him at all.
Before Zhao Hailong could reach him, Qin Hao kicked him in the chest.
"Oh!"
Zhao Hailong was already too drunk to stand, and this kick knocked him to the ground.
Qin Hao stepped forward, stomped on Zhao Hailong's chest, bent down, and before he could struggle, he slapped him hard across the face with a series of loud slaps.
The sound was crisp and clear, yet particularly jarring in the quiet private room.
Zhao Hailong was slapped so hard that he saw stars and his ears were ringing.
Qin Hao released his foot and coldly looked at Zhao Hailong, who was lying on the ground with blood at the corner of his mouth. His voice was devoid of any warmth: "Look at the grotesque state you are in now."
"Incompetent, good-for-nothing, hopeless."
"Crying, making a scene, threatening suicide—what else can you do besides that?"
"Let alone Zhang Xiaomei, no woman would want to be with you!"
Zhao Hailong was stunned by the slap and somewhat sobered up by the scolding. He completely broke down, lay on the ground and wailed, crying his heart out.
"Yes... I'm a piece of trash... I deserve to die... My death would be the end of it all..."
“You’re right.” Qin Hao’s tone was even colder: “A piece of trash like you who can’t live without women is a waste of food. You might as well die!”
Huo Dongfeng watched from the side with a wry smile. Although he guessed that Qin Hao was using "shock therapy," wasn't administering the drug a bit too drastic?
Zhao Hailong's eyes were glazed over, as if he had lost his soul. He muttered to himself, "I'm a piece of trash... I don't deserve to live... Let me die..."
As he spoke, he suddenly scrambled to his feet, flung open the door to the private room, and rushed out.
Huo Dongfeng was startled and quickly stepped forward to stop him: "Hailong! Don't be impulsive!"
Qin Hao reached out and stopped him with a look, then gently shook his head.
"Let him go."
"It's useless to persuade or scold someone like him."
"He must die once, truly experience despair, before he can be reborn."
Huo Dongfeng opened his mouth, but in the end he sighed and stopped walking.
He knew Qin Hao was right.
Some stumbles you have to suffer yourself.
……
Zhao Hailong was like a walking corpse, crying and running while singing "Ten Things You Shouldn't Have Done" off-key.
He stumbled and staggered his way toward the riverbank.
The night was deep, the river wind was biting, and the dark river stretched as far as the eye could see. Waves crashed against the shore, creating an eerie and terrifying scene.
Standing on the riverbank, watching the churning water, Zhao Hailong had only one thought in his mind—
Jump down, and it'll all be over.
I will never be called a piece of trash again.
No more being disliked by my wife
I don't have to live such a tiring life anymore.
He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and was about to muster the courage to lunge forward when he heard a cold, familiar voice behind him.
"Jump!"
"Jump down, and it'll be over. You won't even find the body."
Zhao Hailong froze and turned around abruptly.
Qin Hao stood not far behind him, hands in his pockets, looking at him coldly, offering no advice and no sympathy whatsoever.
Zhao Hailong was both angry and sad. With a mournful face, he yelled at Qin Hao, "Don't say a word! I can dance by myself! I don't need your help!"
Qin Hao chuckled and said slowly, "Then hurry up and jump. I'm waiting for the feast. It's been a long time since I've had pork stew with vermicelli."
Zhao Hailong choked, trembling with anger. He wanted to retort, but he had drunk too much and his mind was a mess, so he couldn't say a word.
His legs went weak, the alcohol hit him hard, and he swayed and lost his balance.
"thump--"
A muffled thud.
Zhao Hailong plunged headfirst into the icy river water.
The icy river water instantly enveloped him, and the chill seeped into his limbs, sobering him up considerably in an instant.
But he can't swim at all.
He flailed his arms and legs wildly, but the more he struggled, the faster he sank. He tried to call for help, but the river water poured directly into his mouth and nose, choking him and causing pain in his internal organs.
His consciousness gradually faded, and the fear of death enveloped him like never before.
Just when Zhao Hailong thought he was really going to die and was completely in despair, a strong arm grabbed his neck from behind and pulled him up sharply.
"Cough—cough cough—"
The icy river water was thrown out.
After an unknown amount of time, Zhao Hailong finally breathed air again. The feeling of surviving a disaster made him weak all over and he collapsed on the shore.
Qin Hao threw him to the ground like a dead dog, then plopped down himself, panting, and muttered, "You've got guts now, huh? You actually jumped when I told you to!"
Zhao Hailong choked, tears and snot streaming down his face. He coughed and cried at the same time, looking aggrieved: "I...I didn't mean to jump...I drank too much...my legs were weak...I lost my balance and fell..."
Seeing his pitiful yet amusing appearance, Qin Hao's anger dissipated.
He paused for a moment, then spoke, his voice softening slightly: "Do you still want to die?"
Zhao Hailong shook his head frantically, almost as if it were a conditioned reflex, like a rattle drum.
"I'm not dead! I'm not dead!"
"I still have children... What will happen to my son if I die..." (End of Chapter)