I am here.

Gong Jun was the head of the security department at Jinyang Group. He had once worked as a martial arts instructor, his body packed with muscle, and always carried himself with an imposing presence.

He was responsible for the entire group’s building security, always diligent and conscientious in his duties.

Song Qingzhu explained the situation to him in broad strokes.

Gong Jun immediately responded, “President Song, don’t worry. Leave this to me!”

Song Qingzhu said, “This Qiu Lao San has some influence locally. Be careful and try to resolve things peacefully. Avoid any large-scale clashes. After all, this is an official project; if things get out of hand, it won’t look good for anyone.”

“Hah! What kind of influence? Just a petty ruffian. President Song, rest assured—I have plenty of friends in Haitong City. Dealing with someone like him is as easy as slicing a melon.” Gong Jun turned and left.

As he exited the office, Lin Qi happened to be standing at the door.

Lin Qi was Song Qingzhu’s bodyguard and driver—a fact well known throughout Jinyang Group.

Gong Jun felt Song Qingzhu’s arrangement was unnecessary. With their security department in charge of the building, why bother with a bodyguard?

Especially when he saw Lin Qi’s lean frame, Gong Jun looked down on him from the bottom of his heart.

“I don’t know where that charlatan came from. How did President Song get fooled by him…” Gong Jun muttered under his breath, spitting on the floor.

“Hey, kid, who are you spitting at?” Lin Qi, of course, sensed Gong Jun’s hostility.

“At you, what of it?!” Gong Jun turned, towering over Lin Qi by at least half a head.

“You must be tired of living!” Lin Qi wasn’t about to indulge him, and he threw a fierce punch at Gong Jun’s abdomen.

There are times when keeping a low profile isn’t necessary.

With people like this, there’s nothing worth holding back.

Gong Jun was not to be outdone; he also swung a heavy punch.

He had long wanted to test the “bodyguard’s” strength.

But just then, Secretary Zhou suddenly stepped out, her face stern. “You both serve President Song. Can’t you avoid fighting among yourselves?”

“I’ll deal with you later!” Gong Jun scoffed, turning away with a flourish.

“Anytime!” Lin Qi cracked his knuckles audibly.

More than an hour later, Gong Jun returned.

But he was nothing like his previous confident self. Now, his nose was askew, his lips swollen, his face streaked with blood, and a few teeth missing.

Lin Qi was taken aback on the spot. “Director Gong, what happened to you? Did a rhinoceros chew you up?”

Gong Jun shot him a furious glare. “I don’t have time to waste words with you now. Just wait—see how I deal with you later!”

He then stormed into Song Qingzhu’s office.

Behind the desk, Song Qingzhu looked up.

Seeing Gong Jun in such a wretched state, she too was shocked. “Gong Jun, what happened to you? Did a rhinoceros chew you up?”

Gong Jun grimaced in pain. “…President Song, now’s not the time for jokes.”

He proceeded to recount the entire episode.

Gong Jun admitted he had underestimated his opponent, bringing only a dozen security guards to negotiate with Qiu Lao San.

“I was very sincere!” Gong Jun’s eyes were red. “I told Qiu Lao San that we could use his earth material, as long as the price matched the market, but he refused—insisted on selling it to us at a much higher price! President Song, you know my temper, how could I tolerate that? I cursed, and then he rushed over and started beating me… At first I had the upper hand, but then more and more of his people showed up…”

“Just tell me the outcome,” Song Qingzhu had no patience for these details.

“The outcome is what you see now…” Gong Jun wiped the blood from his face, brimming with anger. “President Song, I want to take all our security over there and fight those arrogant bastards!”

“No!” Song Qingzhu immediately rejected the idea. “If it were just local thugs, I wouldn’t mind, but there are too many ordinary people mixed in with them. If things escalate, the impact on our group would be terrible!”

“Then what? Am I supposed to have taken this beating for nothing?” Gong Jun was so aggrieved he could barely speak, blood still dripping as he talked.

Song Qingzhu said nothing, lost in thought.

As the president of Jinyang Group, a leading figure in Haitong City’s business world, she held many resources, both official and unofficial, as well as extensive business connections.

But she had boasted to Tang Long that this could be resolved without resorting to “unofficial” methods.

Official channels wouldn’t work either—the Special Service Bureau had made it clear, since it involved local citizens, they wanted the group to handle it themselves.

Was money the only solution?

Would she really have to pay several times the market price for Qiu Lao San’s earth material?

She suddenly regretted bragging in front of Tang Long. If this wasn’t resolved, Tang Long would surely mock her mercilessly.

“Damn it!”

Song Qingzhu gritted her teeth, wishing she could handle Qiu Lao San herself.

Just then, the office door was pushed open.

Lin Qi walked in.

“President Song, let me handle this.”

Lin Qi leaned against the door, looking thoroughly relaxed.