How A Ride-Hailing Driver Comes To Dominate The World? [EN]: Chapter 213

Tang Chenghu surveyed the scene of bodies strewn across the ground, a newfound respect blossoming for Yang Chen. “That kid’s got some bite,” he thought, “taking down this many guys single-handedly.”

Yang Chen quickly murmured a few instructions to Qiu Tian, who nodded in understanding. Tang Xia, her face etched with worry, rushed to Yang Chen, her hands fluttering over him, checking for injuries.

Yang Chen possessed a remarkable healing ability; a night’s rest would see him right as rain.

“Chen, are you alright? Are you badly hurt?” Tang Xia’s voice trembled with concern. Yang Chen tossed aside the stick, a reassuring smile gracing his lips. “I’m fine, just a few bumps and bruises, nothing to worry about.” Tang Xia’s gaze hardened as she turned to her father. “Dad, you need to teach this guy a lesson! I already told him who I was, and he still tried to hurt Chen. He’s just banking on saving Grandpa’s life, thinking our family owes him everything!” Di Di interjected, his voice laced with desperation, “Tiger, that’s not how it is! You know the situation. I wasn’t trying to hurt Miss Tang; my beef was with him.”

Tang Chenghu was growing weary of Di Di constantly invoking the debt owed for saving his father. He longed for an opportunity to repay the favor and sever ties with the man for good.

Tang Chenghu approached Yang Chen, his eyes carefully assessing the young man. He had to admit, the kid was handsome and possessed a certain charm.

The thought of him becoming the Tang family’s son-in-law wasn’t entirely unappealing. For now, he needed to resolve the Di Di situation swiftly. As for the budding relationship between Yang Chen and Tang Xia, he’d orchestrate a meeting between the families to discuss things formally.

“Yang Chen,” Tang Chenghu began, his voice carrying a hint of admiration, “you’re quite the fighter, taking down all those guys by yourself.” Yang Chen responded with a respectful nod, “Thank you for the compliment, Uncle Tang.” Tang Chenghu continued, “Since you’re calling me uncle, I’ll get straight to the point. Di Di saved my father’s life, and I’m asking you for a favor: let him go. Consider it the Tang family repaying that debt.” Yang Chen had anticipated this request and had already formulated his response.

“Alright, since Uncle Tang has asked, I’ll do it. But let me be clear: I’m only letting him go this once, and Uncle Tang can’t interfere in the future. Otherwise, even with Tang Xia in the picture, the Tang family will become my enemy!” Yang Chen declared, his voice firm.

Tang Chenghu chuckled, a hint of amusement in his eyes. “You’re quite the arrogant one, kid! Showing off your sharp edges isn’t always wise. You should learn to be more discreet. Haven’t you heard the saying, ‘The tallest tree in the forest catches the most wind’?” Yang Chen countered, “I understand the principle. I’m just trying to scare you a little. Alright, Di Di, you’re free to go. But if I ever catch you again, no one will be able to save you.” Tang Chenghu turned to Di Di, his voice laced with warning. “Di Di, the favor you did for saving my dad has now been repaid by our family. Don’t ever mention it again, or I’ll destroy you! Now, get out of here!” Di Di, his face a mask of resentment, pleaded, “Thank you, Tiger. But I only became enemies with him because of Li Xiang. Aren’t you going to help Li Xiang?” Tang Chenghu dismissed him with a wave of his hand. “That’s none of your concern. Just go!” Di Di nodded, his body aching, and limped away.

As he passed Qiu Tian, he deliberately bumped into him. Qiu Tian feigned a stumble, roaring, “What the hell are you doing? Are you trying to provoke me? Get him, boys!” Before Di Di could utter a word, a large hand clamped over his mouth, and a group of men descended upon him, delivering a brutal beating.

Tang Chenghu watched in stunned silence, his eyes wide with disbelief as he turned to Yang Chen. Yang Chen shrugged, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“Uncle Tang, you can’t interfere. I already gave you face a moment ago. Damn, this guy is too cocky. I let him off the hook once, and he immediately provokes our Deputy Director of Shield Security Group. Damn! If we don’t teach him a lesson, how can Shield Security maintain its reputation in Hai City?” Tang Chenghu felt a knot forming in his stomach, a helpless smile playing on his lips.

Tang Xia stifled a giggle, playfully punching Yang Chen’s arm twice.

“You really hold a grudge! You don’t waste any time!” Tang Xia exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with amusement. Yang Chen laughed heartily, “Of course. I’ve been holding back for a long time, and now that the opportunity has presented itself, I’m not about to let it slip away! Alright, don’t actually beat him to death. Qiu Tian, he provoked you. What do you think should be done?” Qiu Tian, his face contorted with righteous anger, declared, “This is too much! He has to kneel and crawl through all those shards! Otherwise, he can forget about leaving here today!” Yang Chen feigned discomfort, “I’m feeling a bit sore. I’m going to head to the hospital for a checkup. I’ll leave this to you. As men, we must always stand by our word. If we say he won’t leave until he kneels and crawls through them, then we must ensure he doesn’t leave. People from our Shield Security must always keep their word! Understood?” Qiu Tian responded with unwavering resolve, “Understood! Mr. Yang, rest assured, no one can help him today. He won’t leave until he kneels and crawls through them!” Yang Chen nodded, turning to Tang Xia. “You go home with Uncle Tang. I’ll go to the hospital for a checkup.” Tang Xia protested, “I’ll go with you.” Yang Chen shook his head. “No need! It’s getting late; go back and get some sleep. Uncle Tang, I’ll be leaving now. See you another day.” Tang Chenghu replied, “Okay. I’m very interested in you. Let’s have a meal sometime.” Yang Chen nodded and drove away in Qiu Tian’s car.

Qiu Tian stepped forward and kicked Di Di, who was writhing on the ground, snarling, “Stop pretending to be dead! I’m giving you a chance now, and it’s your only chance. Kneel and crawl through the shards you threw yourself, and I’ll let you leave! Don’t be ungrateful and miss this opportunity.” Di Di turned his pleading eyes towards Tang Chenghu, but as he opened his mouth to beg for help, Tang Chenghu turned his back and walked away.

“Tiger, Tiger… save me, save me one more time,” Di Di cried out, his voice cracking with desperation. But Tang Chenghu continued his retreat, ignoring his pleas.

Realizing that there was no hope for assistance, Di Di gritted his teeth and began to crawl through the treacherous path of shards he had created himself. He was truly experiencing the meaning of the saying, “Hoist with his own petard.”

Qiu Tian filmed Di Di’s agonizing journey through the shards and sent the video to Yang Chen. He then ordered his men to clean up the scene and tow away Yang Chen’s damaged car.

Soon, all traces of the incident were erased, as if nothing had ever happened. Yang Chen arrived at Longmei Hospital and requested a “Presidential” suite. He received a quick treatment for his minor injuries and settled in for a peaceful night’s sleep. At dawn, the doctor arrived for his rounds.

Yang Chen underwent a thorough checkup and was relieved to learn that there was nothing seriously wrong. Shortly after, Tang Xia called, inquiring about the hospital he was in. Soon, she and her father arrived to visit him in person.

Yang Chen welcomed them into the ward. Tang Xia immediately asked, “Chen, how are you feeling?” Yang Chen replied, “The doctor said I’m fine, just need to rest for a few days.” Tang Chenghu chuckled, “You certainly know how to enjoy life! Such a minor injury, and you still have to come here for treatment.” Yang Chen retorted, “Of course, I certainly wouldn’t mistreat myself.” Tang Chenghu’s expression turned serious. “What are you planning to do with Di Di and Li Xiang? I can turn a blind eye to Di Di’s situation, but can you show some mercy and let Li Xiang go?” Yang Chen’s face hardened. “Uncle Tang, I already gave you a break last night. You can’t keep making things difficult for me like this. Li Xiang hired Di Di to deal with me. Li Xiang is the mastermind, and you want me to let him go? No, I can’t do that.” Tang Xia chimed in, her voice laced with disapproval. “Dad, why are you trying to protect Li Xiang? He’s the one who orchestrated everything; he’s the worst. Even if you don’t help Chen, why would you want to help Li Xiang make things difficult for him?” Tang Chenghu sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly. “It’s not that I want to help Li Xiang deal with Yang Chen, but our family has a significant amount of funds tied up with Li Xiang. If something happens to him, what will happen to that money? We’d lose a valuable source of income.” Yang Chen’s suspicions were confirmed. If he didn’t address the issue of the Tang family’s finances, they wouldn’t readily abandon Li Xiang.

Fortunately, Yang Chen had anticipated this and had already prepared a solution.

“Give me control of the funds you have invested with Li Xiang, and I guarantee you at least a 50% return every year. Someone should have contacted you before, right? Star Chen Investment Company, that’s mine,” Yang Chen revealed.

Tang Chenghu’s eyes lit up with interest. After a moment of contemplation, he said with a knowing smile, “You’ve been planning to deal with Li Xiang and Di Di for a long time, haven’t you? You knew that if you could solve our financial concerns, our family wouldn’t care about Li Xiang anymore, and you could do whatever you wanted with him. Right?” Yang Chen nodded, a smile playing on his lips.

Then, Tang Chenghu’s expression shifted, and he accused, “So, you approached my daughter for this reason? You don’t actually like my daughter; you just want to use her to get on good terms with our family, as a backup plan. If you can convince us to withdraw the funds, you can directly deal with Li Xiang. If you can’t convince us, then you’ll use your relationship with my daughter to persuade me to withdraw the funds myself, and then you’ll deal with Li Xiang. That’s your plan, right? Silly daughter, you’re just a pawn in his game of revenge, and you foolishly think he likes you!” Tang Xia’s face paled, and she forced a smile, her voice trembling as she asked, “Chen, is that true?”

Yang Chen quickly reassured her, “Of course not. Last night, when you revealed your identity, I didn’t even know you were Tang Chenghu’s daughter. I was just thinking that I need to be more careful in the future and find out the details of the people I’m dealing with, so I don’t end up being friends with them without knowing who they really are.” Tang Xia nodded, turning to her father. “Dad, did you hear that? He’s not the kind of person you think he is.” Tang Chenghu shook his head in exasperation. “Silly daughter, you actually believe his nonsense? He’s so capable; how could he not know your identity?” Yang Chen interjected, “No, why are you such a grumpy old man? Why do you have to try and ruin our relationship?” Tang Chenghu retorted, “I’m not trying to ruin your relationship; I’m just analyzing the situation logically. Is my analysis not logical?” Yang Chen was rendered speechless.

But, upon closer examination, Tang Chenghu’s words did hold a certain degree of logic. Yang Chen turned to Tang Xia, saying, “I’ve already explained myself. You can decide whether you want to believe me or not.” He wasn’t the type to grovel or beg for forgiveness. If she believed him, she believed him; if she didn’t, there was nothing he could do.

Tang Chenghu took Tang Xia’s hand, urging, “Daughter, don’t listen to his lies. Let’s go!” With that, Tang Chenghu led Tang Xia out of the ward.

Tang Xia glanced back several times, wanting to say something, but ultimately remaining silent. Tang Xia had always been careful to conceal her identity, fearing that people would only be interested in her because of her family’s wealth and influence.

Although she was very fond of Yang Chen, she couldn’t accept the possibility that he was only interested in her because of her family.

“Damn it!” Yang Chen couldn’t help but mutter under his breath. After leaving the hospital, Tang Chenghu comforted his daughter, “Daughter, don’t be too upset. The reason Dad did that was mainly to test him. If you just jump into a relationship with him without knowing anything about him, he probably won’t cherish you. If he really likes you, he’ll definitely show it. Whether he knows your identity or not is not important; what’s important is what he does after. Dad only has one daughter, so I have to thoroughly investigate his character and temperament before I can agree to you being together. Can you understand Dad’s feelings?” Tang Xia complained, “But if you said all that just now, what if he gets angry?” Tang Chenghu countered, “We’re girls, so of course we have to play hard to get. Boys should put in more effort to pursue girls, and daughters from ordinary families can still get preferential treatment from boys, let alone daughters from my Tang family! Why would he be angry? Haven’t you seen how, when boys from ordinary families propose marriage, the girls can make all kinds of excessive demands, and in the end, they have to obediently comply? Dad didn’t make any excessive demands; I just wanted to see his sincerity.” Tang Xia didn’t know how to respond. She was worried that Yang Chen would be angry, but she also felt that her father’s words made sense, leaving her feeling conflicted.

Yang Chen’s Phaeton was severely damaged and required a complete shell replacement. And because the car was imported, all the parts had to be ordered from the headquarters abroad, which would take at least a month.

Yang Chen certainly couldn’t wait that long, so he asked Yu Shishi to purchase a domestic brand JAC Refine S3 in his name.

There was no need to buy an expensive car for driving a ride-hailing service; something decent would suffice. While Yang Chen was resting, he would get the license plate taken care of so that he could start driving as soon as he recovered.

At noon, Tang Chenghu sent Yang Chen a message.

“I will withdraw the funds as soon as possible; give me some time. You can only take action against Li Xiang once the funds are transferred to Star Chen Investment Company. Also, let me see your sincerity towards my daughter.” It seemed that Tang Chenghu had decided to abandon Li Xiang and align himself with Yang Chen.

But what did he mean by “sincerity”? Was he deliberately trying to sabotage Yang Chen and Tang Xia’s relationship while simultaneously asking Yang Chen to pursue Tang Xia?

Damn, he was really being a pain in the ass! But Yang Chen had always been a believer in fate. He wouldn’t deliberately try to please anyone, nor would he pester anyone. When fate arrived, everything would fall into place naturally; when fate didn’t arrive, no matter how hard he tried, it would be futile.

It would take time for the Tang family to withdraw the funds, so Yang Chen simply stayed in Longmei Hospital for a few days, enjoying the luxurious treatment.

After about a week, Tang Chenghu finally transferred all the funds invested in Feixiang Investment back and deposited them into Star Chen Investment’s account.

Upon receiving confirmation, Yang Chen immediately summoned Zhang Xiang and Qiu Yuhong, instructing them to execute the plan they had devised long ago to deal with Li Xiang and Di Di.

As soon as the stock market opened in the morning, news of Li Xiang’s insider trading activities flooded the internet.

“The so-called god of investment is actually the god of insider trading. Starting with Shixian Winery 20 years ago, Li Xiang has been consistently amassing billions of dollars through insider trading by bribing relevant personnel.”

“The myth has finally been shattered! The legend of the capital market, Li Xiang, who is known as the god of investment in the investment circle, is not actually a god. He just used a relatively simple method to make money: he spent a lot of money to buy off important figures in relevant companies and then harvested retail investors through insider trading, earning wave after wave of illicit profits…” At the same time, evidence of Li Xiang’s son, Li Dengfeng’s, illegal and criminal activities was also made public.

These included harboring murderers, trafficking and transporting drugs, concealing the truth about coal mine accidents, and evading taxes.

As this shocking news spread like wildfire across the internet, all the stocks managed by Li Xiang plummeted to their limit.

Li Xiang sighed, a bitter smile twisting his lips. “I never expected that I, Li Xiang, who has been in the investment circle for so many years, would be brought down by a little kid in the end! Okay! I’m convinced! But I’m not reconciled! Alas…” At noon, officers from the Municipal Bureau arrived and took Li Xiang into custody.

This marked the end of an era for a legendary figure! On the other side, evidence of Di Di’s illegal and criminal activities during his time as a gangster was also submitted to the police.

The police promptly arrested him and his associated gang. Simultaneously, Di Di’s entertainment venues, bathhouses, and other establishments were all shut down for investigation.

If Di Di was subsequently found guilty of those illegal and criminal acts, his ill-gotten gains would undoubtedly be seized, and his assets would be auctioned off to settle his debts.

Therefore, the arrest of Di Di and his gang signaled their complete downfall, leaving them with no chance of recovery.

Yang Chen contacted Zhang Lijun. Yang Chen: “I have taken care of Di Di’s problem. Whether you can seize his power depends on your ability. You can come to me if you need money, but I hope you understand how you should conduct yourself in the future.” Zhang Lijun: “Chen, I, Zhang Lijun, swear to God that from now on, I will follow your lead. I will do whatever you ask of me without question. If I fail to do so, may I be struck by lightning and my whole family perish!” Yang Chen: “Okay. I hope to gain another partner, not lose one.” Zhang Lijun: “Understood! I’m not a fool; I know what to do. Please rest assured, Chen.” Yang Chen: “Okay. Go do your work. Hanging up.” Thus, the two major headaches, Li Xiang and Di Di, who had been plaguing Yang Chen for so long, were finally eliminated.

…A new day dawned, and Yang Chen set out to pick up passengers in his new JAC Refine S3. The official license plate had been issued, allowing him to drive with confidence.

The first passenger of the day was a charming young lady. Young lady: “Wow, driver brother, you’re so handsome. It’s so cold, and you got up so early to drive.” Yang Chen: “Yes, I have nothing to do at home.” Young lady: “Can you make a lot of money driving?” Yang Chen: “I can’t make much money, maybe a few thousand a month.” Young lady: “I see that your car is newly bought. Then why do you still drive? Wouldn’t it be better to just find a job than this?” Yang Chen: “That’s different. Driving a ride-hailing service allows me to pick up beautiful young ladies, but you can’t see beautiful young ladies sitting in an office.” The young lady immediately covered her mouth and giggled, exclaiming, “You’re so good at talking. Seeing that your car is newly bought and you’re so good at talking, I’m going to send you a red envelope [a digital monetary gift].” Yang Chen: “No! No! Beauty, you’re too kind.” Young lady: “Hee hee… I have to send a red envelope!” With that, she scanned a dollar.

What was the meaning of this? Receiving two hundred dollars for no apparent reason? Soon, Yang Chen dropped the young lady off at her destination.

The young lady happily said, “I met you, a lovely driver, as soon as I went out today, and I believe this day will be very happy. Goodbye, I hope to meet you again next time.” Yang Chen: “I believe that if we are destined to meet again, we will.” The young lady smiled and skipped away.

Yang Chen watched her cheerful departure, his mood lifting. Happiness is contagious, and that’s no lie.

Yang Chen continued to accept orders, and soon he received a request from a couple who were arguing about getting a divorce. Man: “Okay, you don’t need to say anything. I’ve already decided to get a divorce. It’s useless no matter what you say. Let’s break up peacefully; don’t make it like we’re enemies.” Woman: “For a mistress, you’re willing to throw away 15 years of relationship, you don’t care about me giving you two sons, you don’t care about me taking care of your parents wholeheartedly, you don’t care about me managing the house in an orderly manner, you don’t care about anything, right?” Man: “I know you’ve done a lot, and I’m very grateful to you. Therefore, although you haven’t earned a penny since we got married, I’m still willing to give you half of the family property. Isn’t that enough? Don’t be too greedy; contentment brings happiness.” Woman: “I was 20 years old when I started dating you and 25 years old when I married you. I spent the most important 15 years of my life on you. I’m 35 years old now, old and unattractive, with no work experience, and seriously out of touch with society. You’re divorcing me now. Have you thought about what I will do in the future?” Man: “That’s why I’m giving you half of the family property! You can get at least 2 million [yuan, Chinese currency], what else are you not satisfied with?” Yang Chen couldn’t listen anymore. The happy mood that the lovely young lady had brought him was now gone.

This man was too much of a jerk, wasn’t he? No wonder some women are unwilling to be housewives.

It’s fine if you meet a man with a conscience, but if you meet a man like this, you really don’t know how you’re going to live the rest of your life.

Two million sounds like a lot, but in Hai City, you can only rent a house to live in. With an average price of 70,000+ [yuan per square meter], she can’t even afford to buy a small apartment.

And she hasn’t worked for ten years, and she’s 35 years old; it’s difficult to find a job. It’s difficult for men to find a job after 35, let alone women, and especially a woman who is seriously out of touch with society; it’s even more difficult for her.

Yang Chen wanted to help this woman, so he pretended that the navigation route was a bit congested and deliberately took a longer route, hoping that she could persuade her husband to give up the idea of divorce before they reached their destination.