Just as he was reveling in his triumph, the roar of a car engine suddenly came from behind him.
Brother Chun, with dozens of his subordinates, surrounded the area.
"Let me see who dares to lay a hand on my brother."
Brother Chun said, taking a steel pipe from a subordinate and walking directly towards He Qiang.
"Brother Chun?"
He Qiang recognized who had arrived and exclaimed in shock. He quickly jogged over, bowing and fawning subserviently.
Unexpectedly, Brother Chun frowned and glanced at him, then looked up at Song Qiao, immediately understanding the situation.
He then sinisterly asked He Qiang:
"Are you the one who was causing trouble for my brother, Song Qiao?"
He Qiang was stunned, his face immediately changed, and he hurriedly apologized:
"Brother Chun, this might be a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding."
"Misunderstanding?"
Brother Chun spat on the ground and swung the pipe at He Qiang's leg.
He Qiang cried out in pain and immediately knelt down. He gasped, holding back the urge to cry out.
"Aren't you going to apologize to my brother?"
Brother Chun continued to roar, raising the steel pipe as if to strike again.
"Yes, yes, yes, I was wrong, Brother Chun, I'll apologize now."
He Qiang's spirit was completely broken, and he dared not resist. He crawled to Song Qiao and Lin Ling, kowtowing profusely as he apologized.
Compared to his earlier arrogance, he was like a different person.
Song Qiao contemptuously glanced at him and coldly asked, "How much gambling debt does He Ling's father owe you?"
During the wait, Song Qiao had already learned the whole story from He Ling.
The reason she worked as a hostess at the KTV was to pay off her gambling-addicted father's debts.
"About a hundred thousand..."
He Qiang said cautiously.
"Are you sure?" Song Qiao gave him a half-smile.
His gaze made He Qiang a little uneasy.
"No, no, no, it's not a hundred thousand, I misremembered. Lin Jian doesn't owe us any money at all."
Seeing Brother Chun approaching with the steel pipe again, He Qiang was greatly alarmed and waved his hands excitedly.
"You said it yourself. If I ever find out you harass He Ling again, I, Song Qiao, will make you regret it."
Song Qiao threatened, kicked him in the butt, and motioned for him to get lost.
He Qiang felt as if he had been granted a great pardon. He looked at Song Qiao with gratitude, and with his subordinates, he scrambled away from the scene.
Seeing that the matter was resolved, Brother Chun greeted Song Qiao and left with his men.
"You, you are Song Qiao?"
After everyone had left, Lin Ling finally reacted from her shock, asking in disbelief.
Song Qiao smiled awkwardly and nodded gently.
Lin Ling then burst into tears and threw herself into Song Qiao's arms.
"Thank you, I..."
Lin Ling's voice was choked with emotion. The words she wanted to say did not escape her lips.
Song Qiao awkwardly patted Lin Ling's shoulder and comforted her, "It's okay, it's all over. He Qiang will never bother you again."
For some reason, Lin Ling's body trembled violently, and she stammered, "I, how can I repay you?"
As she spoke, she leaned in to kiss Song Qiao.
Feeling Lin Ling's soft body and the fragrance emanating from her, Song Qiao's mouth felt dry.
He bit the tip of his tongue hard, regaining some clarity.
Then, without changing his expression, he pushed Lin Ling away and calmly refused, "I didn't help you for this. Besides, I already have a family."
After speaking, as if trying to escape something, he quickly left the place.
After all, he was a man. If he stayed any longer, he might do something he would regret to Xia Yuqing.
Lin Ling watched Song Qiao flee in a panic, and couldn't help but chuckle. Then, she stood there somewhat awkwardly.
She never expected that this man, her old classmate, would refuse her when she practically threw herself at him. He seemed different from other men.
A week later, Song Qiao was busy at the processing plant when Xia Yuqing's call suddenly came through.
Tomorrow was her mother's hospital follow-up appointment, and Song Qiao needed to drive her there.
Song Qiao would naturally not refuse. No matter how busy he was with work, taking care of his family was more important. He agreed with his wife and hung up the phone.
Should he consider buying a car? Qi Yun had lent him this car, and he had never asked for it back. Song Qiao had been using it comfortably ever since.
A while ago, the processing plant was facing a cash flow shortage, so Song Qiao hadn't considered it. But as funds gradually flowed back in, Song Qiao had some spare money, which sparked an idea.
With this in mind, he took out his phone and called Xia Yuqing back.
"Wife, accompany me to the 4S shop this afternoon. I have something to do."
He didn't explicitly tell his wife he wanted to buy a car over the phone.
Given her personality, she would definitely use the excuse that the factory was just starting out to stop him.
Xia Yuqing on the other end of the line was a little confused, not knowing what Song Qiao wanted to do, but she agreed.
She was now the workshop supervisor at the factory, and taking half a day off was very convenient.
After taking his wife out for dinner in the afternoon, Song Qiao and his wife arrived at the Volkswagen 4S shop.
"Song Qiao, why did you bring me here?"
Xia Yuqing looked at the large logo of the car dealership, asking somewhat confusedly.
"Of course, to buy a car." Song Qiao chuckled, and before his wife could react, he pulled her inside.
Xia Yuqing was about to say something when Song Qiao blocked her with the excuse that the car had already been returned.
Moreover, Song Qiao made it clear that the factory now needed a car.
Although Xia Yuqing was usually frugal, she understood that some money had to be spent. After hesitating, she no longer stopped Song Qiao.
Her husband's business was growing, and he was now the owner of two factories. It was only natural that he needed a car.
Besides, they would need a car to take her mother to the hospital for her follow-up appointment tomorrow.
With this thought, she entered the store arm in arm with Song Qiao.
Song Qiao had few hobbies in his previous life except for cars. He was well-informed about them and had done his homework before coming. He headed straight for his target vehicle.
Although many imported brands had not yet entered mainland China in the 1990s,
Volkswagen's Santana, with its reputation for being sturdy and durable, had gradually entered the public eye and become a well-known brand.
Song Qiao's target today was the latest model of the Santana sedan, which was currently the most cost-effective car.
However, the couple stood in front of the cars for a long time, and no salesperson came over to introduce them.
People who bought cars at that time were generally wealthy and influential, dressed in designer clothes. Xia Yuqing, on the other hand, was even wearing a short-sleeved work uniform that day. The salespeople immediately dismissed them as bumpkins just looking around.
Naturally, no one approached them to offer assistance.