Chapter 9: The Zhang Family, Left with Nothing!

"Oh my, isn't that the young lady of the Zhang family? Why are you brawling here like a shrew?"

A man in a floral shirt shook his head, a playful grin plastered across his face.

"Indeed. I heard she was arrogant enough at school, but I never expected her to be such a disgrace at home."

"Mind you, Li Xueli is no saint either. Just look at her—a total vixen, always out to seduce men."

"Well, she succeeded, didn't she? Her current husband is the richest man in Jiangcheng!"

These busybodies fueled the fire, making the argument between Zhang Yanran and Li Xueli even more intense. Trembling with rage, Zhang Yanran pointed at Li Xueli’s nose and cursed, "You shameless vixen! I’m going to tear your mouth apart today!"

"You think I’m afraid of you?"

With that, Li Xueli raised her hand and swiped the ashtray out of Zhang Yanran’s grip. It hit the floor and shattered into pieces. Not to be outdone, Zhang Yanran lunged at her, and the two immediately descended into a chaotic, tangled brawl.

The onlookers were thrilled, whipping out their phones to record the scene, some even cheering them on. Hair-pulling, face-scratching—they used every standard fighting tactic available. The crowd didn't just refuse to intervene; they stood by and egged them on, delighted by the spectacle. Many even started taking bets on who would come out on top.

Watching this dog-eat-dog scene, Chu Feng felt a surge of immense satisfaction. In his past life, they were high-and-mighty socialites, glamorous and admired by all wherever they went. Now, they were nothing but two brawling shrews on the street.

Chu Feng finished recording the entire video and dialed a number on his phone. "Is this the Nancheng Evening News?"

***

At the Zhang Group, Zhang Fuqiang was discussing business with a client. He spoke with refined elegance, highlighting his company’s strengths. Both parties were pleased, and the contract was already being presented.

"It is an honor for Dahua Group to collaborate with you, President Zhang," said the tall, middle-aged man across from him, reaching for a pen to sign the document.

Zhang Fuqiang was elated; he had spent half a year working toward this deal, pouring his heart, soul, and plenty of money into securing the connections. Suddenly, the man’s phone rang.

"Hmm?" The man frowned as he glanced at a text notification.

"President Wang, is something wrong? Are there terms that need to be discussed?" Zhang Fuqiang asked cordially.

The man didn't reply. He simply opened his laptop and clicked on a video site, where a clip began to play.

"Li Xueli, have you lost your mind?"

"You little bitch! I took such good care of you at home, and not only are you ungrateful, but you actually had someone ambush me!"

The heated exchange blared from the video, making Zhang Fuqiang’s heart nearly stop.

The middle-aged man adjusted his glasses. "President Zhang, I heard your wife is named Li Xueli?"

"Manager Wang, there must be some misunderstanding!"

"It seems heaven is looking out for me. If this video spreads, your company’s stock price will plummet, and our partnership will likely fail to meet expectations." President Wang stood up with a smile and set the pen down.

"President Wang! President Wang!" Zhang Fuqiang rose to stop him, but the man was already heading toward the elevator.

Zhang Fuqiang’s eye twitched with rage as he turned the laptop around. His wife and daughter were fighting in a bar, and someone had filmed it all!

"Damn it!" Zhang Fuqiang clutched his forehead, his body trembling with fury. This deal with President Wang was vital to his company. "Assistant! Tell the driver immediately, I’m going home!" His face was dark and terrifying.

"Yes, President Zhang!" The assistant, sensing his boss's explosive rage, didn't dare say another word and hurried off to follow orders.

***

Inside the Zhang mansion, Zhang Fuqiang stared at the news on the television, his veins bulging. His face had turned a bruised, purplish color from fury. It had even made the news! The headline was particularly eye-catching: "Explosive! Zhang Group Heiress and Her Stepmother Brawl in a Bar!"

He gripped his fists so tightly that his cigar snapped in half. The sight of the mother and daughter pulling each other's hair and rolling around on the floor was as pathetic as it could possibly be. His business rivals must be laughing their heads off right now!

"President Zhang, our stock has fallen by 10%. Shareholders are already lining up to demand an explanation," the assistant’s voice crackled over the phone.

"Tell them to wait! Give me half a day, and I will handle this!" Zhang Fuqiang suppressed his rage, forcing his voice to sound calm. He hung up and let out a string of curses. "Those two stupid hags—why did they have to cause trouble at a time like this? Damn them! Both of them are sluts!"

***

*Creak...*

When the front door opened, Zhang Yanran and Li Xueli returned, accompanied by the butler. Since they were family, the police had opted not to file charges, classifying it as a domestic dispute—after all, they were on the same household registration. Though both had reapplied their makeup, the scratch marks and swollen skin were still glaringly obvious.

"Husband," Li Xueli stammered, gritting her teeth.

"I’m going to kill you, you bitch!" Zhang Fuqiang roared, stood up, and slapped her across the face.

*Smack!*

The sharp sound echoed as Li Xueli was sent sprawling onto the sofa. She was stunned.

"Zhang Fuqiang, have you lost your mind?" Li Xueli shrieked.

"You bitch! I told you to stay home—why were you at a bar? And even if you went, you had to go and cause such a shameful scene!" Zhang Fuqiang bellowed.

Li Xueli kicked over the coffee table, shattering the expensive designer crystal worth thousands. "Why are you hitting me? Why don't you ask your daughter!"

"Me? It was you who were at the bar seducing men, and I caught you!" Zhang Yanran had already prepared her story on the way home. If she admitted Chu Feng had helped her, she would be implicated too. It was better to claim she had caught Li Xueli in the act. She knew her father too well; he was a man with an absurdly possessive streak. He didn't even let her, the school beauty, date, insisting on a "suitable" marriage—which was just a code for a business alliance. He only cared about himself; how could he ever tolerate being cheated on?

Sure enough, hearing this, Zhang Fuqiang was consumed by fury. He lunged at Li Xueli and grabbed her clothes. "You’re looking for death! I’m out here working myself to the bone, and you dare to keep another man behind my back!"

"I didn't!" Li Xueli screamed.

But Zhang Fuqiang didn't listen; he tackled her, pinning her to the sofa. His slaps turned into punches, raining down on her face. Zhang Yanran, who had initially felt triumphant, suddenly grew terrified. If he kept hitting her like this, he was going to kill her.