"Mr. Li?"
Wu Lei turned his head and saw Li Yang, whom he had met at the Jiangcheng service area before. His face immediately lit up with joy.
But before he could go and speak to Li Yang, He Xiaotao stepped forward to stop him, saying, "Old Wu, don't bother with him. He's just showing off. A poor guy like him claims he wants to buy a house here. He's like a clown. Talking to him is already giving him too much credit."
"Shut up!"
This shout startled He Xiaotao, who was taken aback.
When she came to her senses, she saw Wu Lei personally walk up to Li Yang, a smile on his face, saying, "Mr. Li, I never expected to see you here. It's truly my honor."
"It seems Old Wu has escaped disaster with the charm I gave him, am I correct?" Li Yang guessed what had happened from his current grateful expression.
"Indeed. After parting ways with Mr. Li, I had just arrived in the provincial capital when I was ambushed. The methods used were extremely vicious. Fortunately, I had the protective charm Mr. Li gave me, which allowed me to escape. I will never forget this great kindness, Wu," Wu Lei said.
Wu Lei personally bowed deeply to Li Yang, leaving He Xiaotao stunned!
She stared at the two of them blankly, unable to believe what was happening before her eyes.
The esteemed Old Wu, a big shot in the Kyoto antique world, was actually bowing to this young man, Li Yang?
What merit did Li Yang possess to receive such a grand gesture from Old Wu?
"Old Wu, you are too kind. This is a small matter. You also helped me at the service area before, so we are even," Li Yang replied politely.
"How can that be?"
Wu Lei shook his head very seriously and said, "Mr. Li's kindness saved my life. I can never repay such a debt of gratitude."
"By the way, I just heard her say that Mr. Li is here to buy a house? Coincidentally, I know the boss here. I'll handle your house purchase later. Whichever villa Mr. Li fancies, I'll buy it for you."
"Old Wu, you are too kind. I won't trouble you with the house purchase. I can manage it myself," Li Yang said politely.
"Old Wu, our boss will be here shortly. Please, come inside and have a seat while you wait."
Seeing Wu Lei being exposed to the sun, He Xiaotao quickly stepped forward to show concern.
"Hmph, whether I go in or not is none of your business. Have your manager come out to greet me."
Wu Lei snorted coldly and commanded with great seriousness.
This young girl looked pretty and smart, but he never expected her to be so discerning and dare to bully his benefactor, Mr. Li. He could not forgive this.
"Alright, Old Wu."
He Xiaotao was filled with regret. She never imagined that this incident would leave such a bad impression on Old Wu.
But it was too late for regret now!
She dared not delay Old Wu's important matters and quickly went inside to call the manager.
When the manager came out, he immediately showed great respect upon seeing Wu Lei.
However, Old Wu's expression was very displeased. In front of him, he recounted He Xiaotao's transgression once more. Upon hearing this, the manager was instantly enraged!
"What? Such a thing happened?"
The manager glared fiercely at He Xiaotao and said angrily, "He Xiaotao, how dare you offend Old Wu's benefactor? Do you still want to work here?"
"Manager, I'm truly sorry. I know I was wrong. I hope you can give me another chance." He Xiaotao was very sensible and was so scared that she kept her head down the entire time, admitting her mistake and not daring to show any disrespect.
But even so, how could the manager be appeased!
He continued to glare at He Xiaotao and said, "Hmph, still want a chance? You offended Old Wu. It's your good fortune to still have your life. Apologize to Mr. Li immediately. If he spares you, I can let you keep your wretched life."
"If he doesn't forgive you, you won't be able to stay in the provincial capital anymore."
"I... I understand, Manager."
He Xiaotao came to her senses and suddenly knelt down before Li Yang, grabbing his trousers and saying, "Li Yang, for the sake of our old classmate relationship, please spare me."
"It wasn't easy for me to find this job. I really don't want to lose it."
"What does it matter to me if your job was easy or not? I think our old classmate relationship can be considered null and void. Keeping you working here is an insult to this company. As for your life, I have no interest in taking it," Li Yang said with contemptuous mockery.
"Manager, did you hear Mr. Li's intentions? Since he doesn't want to see this woman, you know what you need to do, right?" Wu Lei personally spoke, saying coldly to the manager.
"Yes, Old Wu!"
The manager respectfully agreed, then looked at He Xiaotao coldly, his heart filled with immense anger!
He usually trained his subordinates to have good judgment to prevent such situations, but he never expected He Xiaotao to go from bad to worse, almost implicating himself. This was outrageous!
He came to his senses and angrily ordered, "What are you still standing here for? Take off your uniform and get out. Mr. Li sparing your life is already showing you great mercy."
He Xiaotao trembled all over from the manager's scolding, not daring to say anything more. She quickly got up sheepishly and fled.
Following that, the manager politely welcomed Wu Lei and Li Yang into the lobby.
As the scene gradually returned to silence, the female sales representatives from the neighboring property also retracted their heads.
They had initially wanted to see Li Yang make a fool of himself, but unexpectedly, they themselves became the laughingstock.
"Old Wu, are you here today to catch up with the boss of this company, or is there something else?" Li Yang asked curiously after sitting down in the lobby.
"To be frank, the boss of this company is an old friend of mine, and he is also an antique enthusiast. He invited me over today to help him appraise a few items. He acquired some goods from abroad, but he's unsure of their authenticity," Wu Lei explained frankly.
"So, it's for treasure appraisal. With Old Wu's expertise, there should be no problem. I'm here to buy a house today, so I won't disturb you further. I'll go take a look at the houses first."
Li Yang exchanged pleasantries with Wu Lei, who nodded in agreement.
He asked the manager to show Li Yang around the houses and specifically instructed him to take good care of Li Yang. Wu Lei did not dare to be negligent and personally led Li Yang to introduce the houses.
The properties of this company were all of limited edition, with each building costing extremely high amounts. Moreover, appointments were usually required to purchase a house, and some were simply unattainable even with money.
Although some houses had already been sold, the manager did not forget to provide Li Yang with more introductions for comparison.
After careful consideration, Li Yang finally chose the most expensive mountain-top manor villa.
He looked at the manager and said, "I'll take this one. I'll complete the procedures today and can move in right away. Please give me the keys later."