Chapter Fifty-Four: Regret

The chubby boss’s expression shifted abruptly, replacing his previous demeanor with a broad smile. “Brother, let’s talk things over, let’s talk things over. It’s definitely our fault. You see, we were driving too fast, had to slam the brakes for the red light. We’re all law-abiding citizens here, and it wasn’t intentional. I’ll pay for your car to be repaired, I promise it’ll be fixed within two days. What do you say?”

His words left the men in suits dumbfounded, and the crew-cut man was especially anxious. “Boss!” he cried.

But the fat man shot him a fierce glare. “Shut up!”

Silenced, the crew-cut man dared not utter another word, though anyone could see the frustration on his face. Jiang Xiaotian wasn’t sure what game the boss was playing, but his suspicions were dangerous. “Don’t play tricks. You wanted to invite my friend for a drink?”

Sweat broke out on the fat boss’s forehead; he hesitated, then nodded vigorously. “Yes… yes! But my subordinate is a bit clumsy with words, didn’t explain clearly. I meant to invite you both for a drink, since we caused you trouble. What do you think?”

Seeing his attitude was reasonable—and unwilling to escalate matters—Jiang Xiaotian released him with a cold snort. “No need. Be more humble in the future.” With that, he turned away, his face once again filled with heartache.

Such a beautiful car, now wrecked like this!

Jiang Xiaotian wasted no time; he called the dealership to arrange a tow for his car.

As for the group of men in suits, they got in their vehicle and left. Jiang Xiaotian couldn’t be bothered with them; these dogs acted even more arrogant than their master.

Meanwhile, in the luxury sedan, the fat boss was still shaken, dabbing at his sweat with a napkin.

Crew-cut man was puzzled, his face full of indignation. “Boss! Why did you do that? We just underestimated him, but with so many of us, how could we be afraid of one guy?”

Clearly, despite calling him ‘boss’, the crew-cut man was on familiar terms; otherwise, he wouldn’t dare speak so boldly.

But the fat man slapped him hard. “Are you trying to get yourself killed?”

Before crew-cut could react, the boss pointed to the car door, where several small dents stood out conspicuously.

“See those? He pressed those in with his fingers!”

Crew-cut’s mouth hung open in disbelief. Was that even humanly possible?

He tried pinching the metal himself, but the result was predictable.

After a moment, something dawned on him. “Boss… Could that kid possibly be…”

The fat boss quickly motioned him to silence, then spoke solemnly. “I know what you’re thinking. I thought the same, so I quickly backed down. You saw how he took on all of you without breaking a sweat. Did you really think you could be his match?”

Crew-cut fell silent at once.

Martial artists were like gods to ordinary people. The boss had once employed a bodyguard skilled in martial arts, but that man had left, feeling there was no future. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be so wary of Jiang Xiaotian now.

“And look at his age—so young. The kind you should befriend, not offend!” The fat boss regretted deeply. Jiang Xiaotian seemed reasonable; otherwise, he wouldn’t have let them off so easily. If only he’d spoken kindly at first, perhaps he could have made a friend.

He sighed heavily, while crew-cut, realizing he’d caused trouble, sought a way to redeem himself. “Boss, his car needs repairs, right? We’ve got connections at the dealership. Let’s expedite his repairs; that’ll give us a chance to approach him. What do you think?”

The fat boss’s eyes lit up and he ordered, “Get to it! Remember, don’t dig too deep. If you anger him, it won’t be fun.”

As for Jiang Xiaotian, the dealership soon sent someone to tow the car. They said all the parts needed replacing—expensive, and it would take a long time.

A thorough evaluation was required; with bad luck, parts would have to be shipped from abroad.

Jiang Xiaotian’s heart broke at the news.

A man’s love for his car is natural, and he hadn’t even driven it much before it ended up like this.

The pain wasn’t just the money; the real issue was that now he didn’t even have his car.

Ling’er was even angrier. She’d thought paying for repairs would be the end of it, but when she heard it would take days, she exploded. “What! My car won’t be ready? Then I’ll just buy another one!”

Jiang Xiaotian talked her down with difficulty; money wasn’t to be spent so recklessly, and it wasn’t necessary. Waiting would suffice.

So much for a joyful New Year’s homecoming—before even reaching home, the car was wrecked.

The two stood at the door, feeling lost. Jiang Xiaotian sighed and hailed a taxi to their lodging.

Though he’d brought Ling’er back, he couldn’t let her stay at his uncle’s place; it wouldn’t be appropriate. She didn’t mind; her only concern seemed to be staying close to Jiang Xiaotian, so she could look after him if needed.

After some thought, Jiang Xiaotian headed straight to the Platinum Hotel. Ling’er, pampered as she was, wouldn’t be comfortable in an ordinary place, and besides, he had a membership card from Brother Long—much more convenient.

He’d expected luxury, but when he actually arrived at the Platinum Hotel, he was taken aback.

It was extravagantly grand, apparently nearly a hundred stories tall, its exterior shaped like an inverted fan—distinctly stylish.

Ling’er, too, was seeing such architecture for the first time and couldn’t help but be curious.

When the taxi stopped, dedicated attendants came to open the doors for them.

Ling’er’s exceptional aura drew their attention, and they greeted her with enthusiastic warmth.

The real shock came when Jiang Xiaotian presented his membership card.

None of the attendants had seen one like it, though it bore the Platinum logo.

A man who appeared to be a supervisor dared not neglect them, rushing to consult his superior. He’d never seen such a card, and if it was genuine, what kind of terrifying status did this guest have?

In the office, the manager at first noticed nothing unusual, but when he saw the signature on the back of the membership card, his face changed completely.

It was a Director’s Card!

Only directors of the Platinum Hotel could possess one. So naturally, none of the staff had ever seen it—not even the manager himself.

He knew, however, that Director’s Cards bore unique signatures, and the name Wang Jinlong was the major shareholder himself!

“Hurry! Treat them properly! This is an honored guest!” He jumped up, intent on welcoming Jiang Xiaotian personally, afraid his staff might offend him.

While things heated up at the hotel, the fat boss was equally astir.

When he learned that the owner of the Porsche sent for repair was Jiang Xiaotian, his whole body froze.

A surge of emotion—part fear, part awe—swelled within him.

His throat felt parched; why had he been so careless with his words?

“Is Jiang Xiaotian really that formidable?” asked crew-cut, still ignorant, though the boss’s reaction said it all.

The fat boss turned back with difficulty, his eyes filled with shock and regret. “Jiang Xiaotian, top champion of the Linhai Martial Arts Tournament. What do you think? A pity… we missed our chance…”