Chapter 482 — Money Delivered to the Door
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 3
"Mom, once we're inside, don't say anything out of place! This time we are not to hand over the money just like that — we must get an agreement signed first." Tang Zhi drew a deep breath and steadied her emotions, restoring herself for the moment to some semblance of normal, so that she would not think of the day's events.
Though Tang Zhi had never set foot in society, at a prestigious private school like Songshan No. 1 Senior High she had seen a good deal, and she knew that everything had to be put in a contract!
It was precisely because the contract had been unclear that her father had gone so long without receiving any compensation. So this time, paying this President Zou his money was all very well, but he must be made to write out a statement in his own hand, renouncing all further claims against Xiaodan.
"All right! We'll do as you say." Mother Tang knew her daughter had broader experience, and nodded in agreement.
Only then did Xiaowei step up and ring the villa's doorbell.
Zou Tiandi had been thoroughly miserable these past two days. He had offended not only Wei Zhao but Li Cihua as well — and either of them could snuff him out in an instant! And he had not the slightest thought of resistance.
His opponents were simply too formidable. Wei Zhao was himself a skilled hand of Yellow Rank or above, and there was no lack of Yellow Rank experts around Li Cihua either. In the old days, with Uncle Yan backing him, he could still swagger about Songshan City; but now that Uncle Yan had been crippled by Wei Zhao, how would he dare show his face outside and strut about?
"Damn it! To think that I, Zou Tiandi, was once somebody in Songshan City — and now I've come to such a wretched pass!" Zou Tiandi poured himself a glass of red wine and drained it in one gulp, speaking with no small bitterness.
Yet bitter as he was, he still counted himself lucky! He had offended Li Cihua, true, but it was no deep blood feud — he had merely declined to work with him, and Li Cihua would not come after him for that. And Wei Zhao had promised to let the matter drop. So Zou Tiandi could take a little comfort.
Otherwise he would by now have been unable to eat or sleep in peace. Fortunately, in a little while, a pretty young thing would be delivered to his door for his amusement, which soothed his gloomy heart a little.
At the sound of the doorbell, Zou Tiandi straightened the hem of his jacket. He knew it must be Xiaodan — after all, he had given her an ultimatum: tonight she was either to bring the money, or to have herself washed clean and delivered to him!
The nanny had already gone to answer the door, and Zou Tiandi strolled out of his study, heading down toward the living room below.
Tang Zhi, Mother Tang, Xiaodan, and Xiaowei entered the living room and sat down on the sofa with a certain awkwardness. Xiaowei and Xiaodan were somewhat better off — they had been here several times before — but Tang Zhi and Mother Tang were setting foot inside a mansion like this for the first time, and they were at something of a loss.
"Xiaodan's here, is she? So are you here to hand over the money, or to hand over the girl?" Zou Tiandi spoke as he came down the stairs, but when he saw four people sitting on the sofa, he could not help but pause slightly! Yet because the living room sofa faced away from the staircase, Zou Tiandi could not see who the visitors were.
"President Zou, I... we've brought the money!" Xiaowei stood up and turned to face Zou Tiandi.
"What? You've brought the money?" Zou Tiandi was taken aback, and in an instant a surge of fury rushed to his head! He had never imagined that Xiaowei could scrape together another five hundred thousand! How was that possible? Xiaowei's family and Xiaodan's were both from the countryside — even if they borrowed from every household in the village, they probably could not come up with that much money, could they?