"Me too," said Kong Wudao.
At this point, Qi Tuojiang also stood beside Kong Wudao, and the two stood with Zhao Shengtian.
Although Qi Tuojiang and Kong Wudao often competed, they came from the same compound, and that bond was something others couldn't compare to.
They could tolerate fighting amongst themselves but not others targeting them. Without external enemies, they were like loose sand, each doing their own thing. But once an outside threat appeared, they would band together tightly, sharing honor and disgrace, becoming impenetrable and invincible.
Shen Lang was surprised to witness this "compound" camaraderie for the first time.
Rong Haodong, however, seemed to have seen it before and was dismissive. "You spoiled brats from Longdu always look down on outsiders. Your clinging together is truly sickening to me."
"Rong Haodong, aren't you doing the same?" Kong Wudao retorted. "If you're not sticking together, then why do you always bring along the most powerful young generation from the Northwest wherever you go?"
"They are my brothers and sisters. We share the same interests and travel together. It's different from you. Rong Haodong smiled. "At least we don't put on a show like you do."
"Rong Haodong, you may not have deep ties with our circle, but we also have no grudges. I hope we can each take a step back and let this matter drop. How about it?" Qi Tuojiang looked at Rong Haodong and said, "As long as you don't cause trouble at Young Master Zhao's engagement ceremony, we'll still welcome you to Longdu in the future, with fine wine and beautiful women."
"Qi Tuojiang, stop it. Don't act like Longdu is your backyard." Rong Haodong was not receptive at all and scoffed. "When I go to Longdu, there are plenty of people who want to host me. You wouldn't even make the queue."
"Rong Haodong, by saying that, are you determined to be an enemy of our circle?" Hearing Rong Haodong's words, Qi Tuojiang's face darkened. "Do you know the price of going against our circle?"
"Brother Jian, where is this? Why did you bring me here?" Just as Qi Tuojiang finished speaking, a confused voice came from the doorway.
Then, two young men, one fat and one thin, walked in.
The thin young man said to the plump youth, "Senior Brother stipulated that we can't leave work until ten. It's not even nine yet, and we're running off. If he finds out, he'll scold us to death tomorrow."
"What are you afraid of? He can't scold you to death." The plump young man was indifferent. "I've almost figured out what he's teaching. It's fine to leave an hour early. I can't take it anymore. I'm so hungry, I need a feast."
With that, the plump young man ignored everyone present, found a seat, picked up his chopsticks and bowl, and began to eat heartily.
"Brother Jian..." Seeing the plump young man eating ravenously, the thin young man called out and then sat opposite him, not joining in the gluttony.
"Who are you people, and why are you here?" Seeing the two start eating as soon as they entered, two security guards maintaining order changed their expressions and walked towards them, shouting.
"Don't talk. I'm in the middle of eating. If you startle me and I choke, you can't afford to compensate me." The plump young man held a large chicken leg, tearing off pieces of meat with gusto. "This chicken leg is good. The meat looks like it's from a free-range chicken fed with grain, but it's still not as good as the ones raised on my farm in Pengcheng."
"Throw him out!" Seeing that the plump young man completely disregarded everyone present, the security guard who spoke looked at his companion and said coldly.
"Stop—" As the security guard finished speaking, Zhao Shengtian shouted sternly, stopping the guards.
Seeing this, the guests present widened their eyes, looking incredulous. They couldn't understand why Zhao Shengtian dared to order his men to kill Rong Haodong and his group who were also causing trouble, yet he acted so nervously around the plump youth. Did these two have some unusual background?
The guests attending the engagement ceremony were all relatives and friends of the Chu family, as well as influential figures and wealthy merchants from Nanling. They were all people of status, and their minds were sharp. They quickly discerned something unusual.
At this moment, Zhao Shengtian had already walked up to the plump young man and smiled, "Young Master Zhou, you're here?"
"Young Master Zhou?" Hearing Zhao Shengtian's words, all the guests present, except for Qi Tuojiang and Kong Wudao, were bewildered. Zhao Shengtian's status was already so distinguished; besides Qi Tuojiang and Kong Wudao, who else would he address as "Young Master"? What others didn't know was that Rong Haodong was an uninvited guest, while this person was someone Zhao Shengtian had painstakingly invited.
"Oh, it's Young Master Zhao. Long time no see. For your engagement ceremony, I don't have much to give, so here's a red envelope." After Zhao Shengtian spoke, the plump young man, still eating, fumbled in his pocket for a red envelope. Because his hands were greasy, the red envelope looked very oily and disgusting, but Zhao Shengtian didn't care at all. He not only accepted it but also opened it on the spot.
However, when Zhao Shengtian opened the red envelope, it contained a check. When the others saw the amount on the check, their eyes widened. Nine nines, just one cent shy of a billion. This red envelope was probably the largest anyone had ever seen.
"Thank you, Young Master Zhou." Zhao Shengtian hadn't expected such a generous red envelope. After a brief moment of surprise, he thanked him.
"No need to thank me. It's a return for the fine wine, food, and beautiful female stars you hosted me with last time." The plump young man wiped his mouth with a tissue, then threw it on the table and said to Zhao Shengtian.
"Young Master Zhou, long time no see." After the plump young man finished speaking, Qi Tuojiang and Kong Wudao spoke up.
"They also call this胖子 Young Master Zhou?" Hearing Qi Tuojiang and Kong Wudao address the fat man as "Young Master Zhou," the guests present were once again astonished.
"Could it be... he's Southern Number One Young Master Zhou Jian?" Among the crowd were not a few smart people, but very few truly top-tier ones. However, one person quickly guessed the identity of the plump youth. Zhao Shengtian and the others were already top-tier figures in the North. The only person they would treat with such seriousness was the young master of the Zhou family in the South, who was known for his fondness for internet celebrities. However, the Young Master of the Zhou family had been very reclusive for the past year, rarely appearing in public, so many people had almost forgotten about him.
Upon hearing the reminder, everyone carefully examined the plump youth, and when they did, they were all stunned. Because it was all true – the plump youth before them was indeed the young master of the mysterious Tenglong Family's Zhou clan in the South – Zhou Jian.