178: Chapter 177 How did he climb up there?

Light from the recessed wall fixtures in the hallway cast down, stretching the shadows of the three people opposite them into distorted shapes.

Qin Feng's pace slowed by half a beat, falling about one body length behind Gu Qianqian.

The fat man walking at the very front spotted Gu Qianqian.

He stopped in his tracks.

The corners of the fat man's mouth curled up into a grin reeking of alcohol.

"Yo."

He glanced back at the two burly men behind him and jerked his chin toward Gu Qianqian.

"Old Liu, Old Zhang, take a look. Who's this?"

The two hulking figures leaned forward, their gazes landing on Gu Qianqian's face. One of them let out a "Hah."

"President Wang, isn't this the CEO of Qinsheng Group?"

"The one surnamed Gu."

The fat man... Wang Dehou, formerly the third-largest shareholder of Qinsheng Group. Half a month ago, he had been purged from the board of directors by Gu Qianqian using a series of tactical moves; his shares were forcibly bought back, and he was kicked out with nothing.

He rolled his tongue around his mouth as the alcohol rushed to his head. He took a wide step into the middle of the hallway, blocking the path completely.

Gu Qianqian stopped walking.

She recognized this face.

"Step aside."

Gu Qianqian's voice held no warmth, her gaze sweeping flatly across Wang Dehou's face.

Wang Dehou didn't budge.

He leaned back against the hallway wall, his two short, thick arms crossed over his chest, a cigar held between his index and middle fingers. His posture was incredibly arrogant.

The two bodyguards behind him also moved forward half a step. The three of them blocked the hallway so tightly that not even water could trickle through.

"Step aside?"

Wang Dehou clicked his tongue against his teeth, letting out a "tsk" sound.

"The great President Gu is telling me to step aside?"

He tilted his head, his eyes moving down from Gu Qianqian's face, pausing for two seconds at her collar, then continuing down along the cinched waistline of her black satin shirt, sliding all the way to her hips wrapped in a narrow skirt.

That kind of gaze had nothing to do with admiration.

"I say, Gu Qianqian, you were quite the big shot when you kicked me out of Qin Sheng."

Wang Dehou took a breath, the stench of alcohol billowing out and filling the hallway.

"What's the matter? You're all alone today? You still dare to act so smug?"

Gu Qianqian tilted her chin up slightly but didn't respond.

The corner of the hallway blocked the line of sight, so the fat man didn't see him.

"Not talking?"

Wang Dehou took a step forward, the smell of alcohol growing even stronger.

"If you won't talk, I'll talk for you."

He extended the hand holding the cigar and pointed his finger toward Gu Qianqian.

"I, Wang Dehou, worked at Qin Sheng for eight years. Eight years! Do you know how much profit I generated for the company every year? You're just a little brat, yet you were parachuted in and kicked me out after only half a month?"

"On what grounds?"

"Just because you have a pretty face?"

Gu Qianqian's fingers tightened around her bag strap.

"Wang Dehou, the share buyback funds have already been deposited into your account in full. All legal relationships between you and Qinsheng Group have been terminated."

Her voice was low, and she enunciated every word clearly.

"You are blocking the way now. I can call the police."

"Call the police?"

Wang Dehou laughed.

The laughter echoed in the hallway, sounding as unpleasant as sandpaper scraping against glass.

"Go ahead and call them then."

He turned to look at the two bodyguards behind him.

"Did you hear that? The great President Gu wants to call the police. I'm so scared!"

The two bodyguards followed with a couple of chuckles.

Wang Dehou turned back, the smile vanishing from his face.

He narrowed his eyes, a sinister glint appearing in his alcohol-clouded pupils.

"Gu Qianqian, do you really think you're capable?"

He leaned in another half-step, lowering his voice, but every word seemed intentionally spoken for the people in the private rooms on both sides of the hallway to hear.

"Who doesn't know how you got to the top?"

"A twenty-six-year-old girl who just returned from abroad and doesn't know jack shit, yet she comes in and sits in the CEO's chair?"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk."

He clicked his tongue against his teeth three times.

"Qin Feng, that young guy in his twenties—what are you to him? Secretary? Assistant? Or..."

He paused for a second, his eyes sweeping across Gu Qianqian's chest again.

The buttons of her black satin shirt were fastened to the very top, but the fabric couldn't hide the curves it strained against.

Wang Dehou's Adam's apple bobbed.

"Or the one who keeps him company at night?"

Gu Qianqian's pupils contracted.

"Shut up."

"Me, shut up?"

Wang Dehou's voice rose, the alcohol having completely taken hold.

"Why the hell should I shut up? When you kicked me out of Qin Sheng, did you let me shut up?"

He reached out and pointed toward Gu Qianqian.

"I'm telling you, Gu Qianqian, who in the Jinling circles isn't gossiping about you behind your back?"

"Sitting in the CEO's chair at such a young age—business ability? Bullshit!"

"Who would believe that?"

"You relied on your face to climb up! You relied on this face and this body!"

He chopped his palm downward, gesturing from Gu Qianqian's chest to her waist to her legs.

"You think wearing professional attire makes you a powerful woman? Once those clothes are off, what are you?"

"Just a little mistress kept by the boss!"

The door to the private room at the end of the hallway opened a crack, and someone poked their head out to peer over.

There was movement in the neighboring room as well; the sound of chopsticks hitting plates stopped, replaced by hushed whispers.

"Who is that woman?"

"I don't know, to be cursed at like that..."

"The fat one seems to be a businessman. He's drunk and acting out."

Gu Qianqian's hands were trembling.

It wasn't out of fear.

It was out of rage.

To be publicly humiliated by such a rogue, who shamelessly used her body and gender against her in front of everyone in the restaurant...

She bit the inside of her lower lip and turned her head, wanting to call for security!

"Calling security?"

Seeing her movement, Wang Dehou sneered.

"Go ahead, let the security come. What can they do to me? I'm here eating and spending money today. Would a security guard dare touch me?"

He turned and patted the shoulder of one of the bodyguards behind him.

"You two stand firm. If she calls people, we'll call people too. Let's see who truly has the power on the ground in Jinling."

The alcohol had completely gone to Wang Dehou's head.

He leaned forward and took a step, coming within less than half a meter of Gu Qianqian.

The stench of alcohol hit her face, mixed with the smell of cigar leaves and cheap aftershave.

His gaze dropped, once again landing on the silhouette of Gu Qianqian's chest beneath her shirt, and a muffled smacking sound came from his throat.

"President Gu, I'll tell you the truth, don't be angry."

His voice suddenly dropped, taking on a tone that was lewd to the core.

"With your figure, to be honest, if you followed me, I'd definitely give you more than that pretty boy... and you wouldn't have to show your face in public!"

His right hand rose.

Five stubby fingers, slick with grease and wine stains, reached toward Gu Qianqian's shoulder.

Gu Qianqian stepped back half a pace, her back hitting the hallway wall.

Wang Dehou's fingers were less than ten centimeters from her shoulder.

"Smack."

A hand reached out from the side.

Five fingers gripped Wang Dehou's wrist.

The knuckles locked onto both sides of the wrist bone, precisely pressing into the gap between the radius and the ulna.

Wang Dehou's hand froze in mid-air, unable to move.

That lewd smile was still on his face, but it began to stiffen.

Because the force on his wrist was tightening.

Bit by bit.

As if someone were slowly twisting his bone with a pair of pliers.

Wang Dehou's head turned to the side.

He didn't know when Qin Feng had walked over.

Qin Feng's expression was void of anything.

No anger, no fury, nothing at all.

He just looked at him like that.

The strength in Qin Feng's hand was still increasing.

A sharp, aching pain shot through Wang Dehou's wrist bone, and his entire arm began to go numb.

His smile vanished completely.

The color drained from his face.

In that second, most of his drunkenness was drained away.

He recognized this face.

At the last shareholders' meeting of Qinsheng Group, it was this face that sat next to the head seat.

That time, before he even had a chance to say a few tough words, he was hit in the face with documents from the legal team.

He had witnessed how Qin Feng crippled Wang Chao's wrist.

The wrist bones were crushed, and bone fragments pierced through the flesh; those methods were truly terrifying.

The police later closed the case as self-defense.

Wang Dehou's lips began to tremble.

"Qin... Qin Feng?"