Chapter 16 Gratitude
"If Shen Zong doesn't arrive in half an hour, don't blame me for being impolite to you!" Zhang Heng's expression turned cold and menacing.
Li Shu remained confident. Since Shen Qihao had promised to come, he would surely show up.
However, as time passed, the road leading to the city remained quiet. There were hardly any vehicles, let alone Shen Qihao's car.
Zhang Heng was pleased by the situation. Glancing at his watch, he remarked, "Li Shu, only five minutes left!"
He signaled to a man and whispered a few instructions. Soon, more than ten burly men approached, each carrying construction tools.
As the deadline approached, Zhang Heng was prepared to let these men teach Li Shu, the inexperienced manager, a lesson. He knew he held absolute power at the construction site.
Seeing the intimidating group of men, Yu Lan felt a sense of panic and tightly gripped Li Shu's arm.
"Manager Li... why don't you leave! If they intend to harm someone, let it be me alone."
Observing the escalating situation, Yu Lan realized that it was beyond Li Shu's control. She understood his intentions and didn't want him to suffer on her behalf.
Feeling the warmth from Yu Yan's hand and her concern, Li Shu was touched. He gently patted Yu Yan's shoulder and reassured her, "Don't worry, Shen will come! I promised to assist you, and I will see it through to the end!"
Minutes ticked by, yet there was still no sign of Shen Qihao.
Zhang Heng raised his hand.
"Brothers, remove these ungrateful lovers! Don't hesitate to use force, I will take responsibility for any consequences!"
Without delay, the workers advanced towards Li Shu and Yu Yan.
Li Shu shielded Yu Yan, displaying no fear. He was prepared to retaliate if Zhang Heng dared to harm him today.
The events at the construction site further revealed Hua Mei's true nature to Li Shu. If they were willing to harm their sales manager, the extent of their oppression towards ordinary individuals was unimaginable.
Suddenly, a Maybach sped towards the site.
Shen Qihao had finally arrived.
A faint smile appeared on Li Shu's face.
Upon spotting Shen Qihao's car, Zhang Heng's expression changed drastically as he shouted, "Stop!"
However, it was too late. A worker's shovel had already struck Li Shu's head, causing blood to trickle down.
The Maybach screeched to a halt in front of Li Shu, and Shen Qihao swiftly exited the vehicle, his face pale with shock.
"Zhang Heng! Do you realize what you've done?"
Shen Qihao's face contorted with anger, feeling the urge to retaliate. Just as he discovered that Li Shu might be Li Yingjie's son, this incident occurred. If Li Yingjie found out, it would spell disaster.
"Li Shu, are you alright? Let me take you to the hospital."
Li Shu took the paper from Yu Lan's hand, applied pressure to his wound, and shook his head stoically.
"Mr. Shen, I would like to know if this behavior aligns with the standards of our project department."
Shen Qihao quickly responded, "Li Shu, believe me, today was an accident. Rest assured, I will provide a satisfactory explanation."
Standing up, Shen Qihao glared at Zhang Heng with fury.
Zhang Heng stood motionless, taken aback by Shen Qihao's unexpected arrival. It was evident that Shen Qihao held some fear towards Li Shu.
"Mr. Shen, I..."
Before Zhang Heng could finish his sentence, Shen Qihao's hand landed a resounding slap across his face.
"Zhang Heng! You have truly disappointed me! I have warned you multiple times to adhere to the company's rules, so why do you continue to break them? Do you realize who you have struck? You have hit my esteemed sales department manager! Your actions are far too reckless!"
"Mr. Shen, I..." Zhang Heng attempted to defend himself. Shen Qihao's behavior towards him was usually not like this.
"What do you mean 'you'! Leave this place immediately! Zhang Heng, you are terminated! My company, Huamei, cannot tolerate individuals like you!" Shen Qihao declared angrily.
Despite Zhang Heng's long tenure with him, today, he had offended Li Shu and could only forsake him. As long as he could appease Li Shu, anyone, including Shen Qihao, could be abandoned.
Zhang Heng wanted to say something, but Shen Qihao had already shouted, "Get out!"
The arrogance on Zhang Heng's face had vanished, replaced by a look of despair as he slunk away.
Shen Qihao then approached Li Shu and said, "Li Shu, I apologize for my oversight. I have already dismissed Zhang Heng. Moving forward, such incidents will not occur at Huamei."
Li Shu gazed at Shen Qihao and said, "Mr. Shen, the Rongjiang Garden project has encroached upon a school. Schools are the cornerstone of the future and must not be disturbed! I urge Mr. Shen to reconsider and leave this school untouched in the Rongjiang Garden project."
Shen Qihao's lips quivered slightly upon hearing the word "school."
He was aware that the project had taken over the school, and the forced occupation of the school was personally ordered by him.
The Rongjiang project was vital, with numerous units already sold. Replanning would result in project delays, which would be significant.
If anyone else had made this request, Shen Qihao would have immediately opposed it.
However, it was Li Shu making the request now.
Having just been humiliated by Zhang Heng's associates, with blood still trickling down his forehead, Shen Qihao clenched his teeth and ultimately made a decision. Li Shu's request was crucial to his own future, and he had to agree to whatever Li Shu asked for.
"Very well! Li Shu, thank you for bringing this to my attention. I did not anticipate that Zhang Heng would be so deceitful, occupying such a large portion of the school without informing me. Naturally, the school cannot be occupied! I will halt the project immediately and commence replanning!"
Shen Qihao shifted the blame entirely onto Zhang Heng.
"Excellent, General Shen, with your assurance, I can rest easy. On behalf of the students, thank you," Li Shu expressed.
"Do not worry, at Huamei, we also uphold our responsibilities. Li Shu, go to the hospital for treatment first, I will stay here!" Shen Qihao stated.
"Then I will go."
Li Shu and Yu Lan hurried to the hospital.
In the car, Li Shu was in pain and closed her eyes. Yu Lan kept gazing at her face, feeling grateful.
"Li Shu, I truly appreciate your help. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't know how to handle this situation..."
"It's nothing." Li Shu opened her eyes and replied, "This is what I should do. Even without you, if I had known that our project was encroaching on the children's campus, I would have acted the same way."
Yu Lan looked at her face once more and found it particularly captivating, almost mesmerizing.