Chapter 987: Just Don’t Regret It Later

Brother Zhao and his group are just some small-time thugs.

Bullying ordinary people isn’t a problem for them.

But in this situation, they quickly threw everything in their hands to the ground and crouched while holding their heads.

“Officer, please don’t shoot! We surrender! We submit!”

Brother Zhao crouched down and shouted, terrified that a stray bullet might execute him.

As Zhao and his group crouched, a swarm of officers rushed in and quickly subdued them, slapping handcuffs on each one.

Then, a group of middle-aged businessmen in suits hurried over to Xu Shaochen.

Deng Tianwen was also among them.

Leading the group was a mature man of great presence, none other than the Chen Shuyi that Deng Tianwen mentioned earlier.

“Mr. Xu, I sincerely apologize. This was a failure on our part, and you were frightened because of our shortcomings. On behalf of the entire Liao City government, I offer my heartfelt apologies.”

Chen Shuyi grasped Xu Shaochen’s hand and said with genuine emotion.

Xu Shaochen shot a glance at Deng Tianwen, who gave him a thumbs-up. Xu Shaochen immediately understood who this man in front of him was.

The top official of Liao City.

“Chen Shuyi is far too modest. Even in the safest cities, unexpected incidents can occur. We can’t judge an entire city’s law and order based on a small accident. At least, this is the first illegal activity I encountered during my time in Liao City and the Northwest.”

Everyone else looked on in astonishment.

Especially the young soldier, who now looked at Xu Shaochen with disbelief.

At first, he had only thought Xu Shaochen was just a rich man.

After all, though he didn’t recognize the brand of Xu Shaochen’s clothes, he did recognize Yuxiu’s earrings and ring.

However, now it seemed that Xu Shaochen was not simply a wealthy person.

He knew the identity of this middle-aged man as well.

This entire scene was happening because of Xu Shaochen. Practically all the important figures of Liao City had shown up.

“Thank you for your understanding, Mr. Xu. We know we still have many shortcomings, and we’re constantly working to improve. We hope Mr. Xu and all the citizens will continue to monitor us as we strive to build an even better Liao City.”

Chen Shuyi shook Xu Shaochen’s hand forcefully.

Seeing this, Brother Zhao was on the verge of tears. He wasn’t crying because he had been caught.

He was crying because he had aimed too low.

To come across such an important figure and only rob him of 240,000 yuan—what a joke! The time he would spend in prison would not even be worth it.

He was destined to regret this for the rest of his life. He would probably never get another such chance again.

Soon, Zhao and his group were loaded into cars and driven away. They would now face the judgment of the law.

Moreover, it was likely that following this incident, there would be a major crackdown across both Liao City and the entire Northwest, especially targeting corrupted travel agencies like the one that brought about today’s ordeal.

After all, this was a wake-up call. Xu Shaochen, while touring the Northwest, had encountered a black-market travel agency and was extorted. This was a slap in the face for the entire Northwest.

“Mr. Xu, it’s almost noon. How about we have lunch together? Let me play the role of a proper host.”

Chen Shuyi glanced at his watch, then invited Xu Shaochen to join him for a meal.

Xu Shaochen looked at the large group of people behind him. Both government and business heavyweights from the Northwest were present. Refusing would surely make him lose some face.

So, Xu Shaochen agreed.

“After you, Mr. Xu.”

“Please.”

Xu Shaochen had just taken two steps when he suddenly remembered something. He turned back to the young soldier, “I didn’t get your name, brother.”

“Mr. Xu, my name is Zhao Yu!”

The young man stood tall, answering crisply, a far cry from his earlier casual demeanor.

“Let’s exchange contact info. I find you very interesting.”

Xu Shaochen pulled out his phone as he spoke.

Seeing this, Chen Shuyi whispered to his secretary, “Look into that young man.”

The secretary glanced at Zhao Yu, then nodded.

After exchanging contact information with Zhao Yu, Xu Shaochen said, “My name is Xu Shaochen.”

“Xu…”

Zhao Yu’s eyes widened immediately.

Xu Shaochen smiled slightly before turning and walking away.

……………

Inside a private room at a hotel.

Xu Shaochen sat at the head of the table, with ten people seated around him.

Everyone seated at this table was a leader of their field in the Northwest.

Throughout the meal, people constantly approached Xu Shaochen to propose toasts.

Xu Shaochen sipped a little from his glass, but each person offering a toast drank heartily.

“Mr. Xu, welcome to the Northwest, and welcome to Liao City.”

“Mr. Xu, what do you think of our Liao City?”

Chen Shuyi asked Xu Shaochen.

Xu Shaochen nodded, “It’s great! These few days in the Northwest, I’ve really felt the warmth of Liao City’s people.”

Yuxiu had been very warm to him as well. Though she appeared cold, she was far more enthusiastic during other moments.

“Since that’s the case, Mr. Xu, have you considered investing in Liao City?”

Chen Shuyi finally revealed his intentions. The dining table instantly fell silent, and everyone turned their gaze to Xu Shaochen.

Chen Shuyi, being the head of economic development, didn’t want to miss out on such an opportunity.

“To be honest, Chen Shuyi, you’re probably aware of the game my newly established company Tianyu Entertainment is working on—‘Jianghu’. In the future, I plan to recreate parts of the game’s map in reality as a tourism project. I think the Northwest is perfect for this.”

Xu Shaochen thought for a moment before responding. The Northwest was vast and sparsely populated, and the land was cheap—just right for a project like this.

Chen Shuyi felt disappointed, as he didn’t have much faith in Xu Shaochen’s game project. To him, it felt like a side hustle.

What he really wanted was for Xu Shaochen to make large-scale investments here, or perhaps build some major factories. That would stimulate Liao City’s economy and help provide jobs for local workers.

As for recreating a game map, he thought such an idea was impossible. After all, the game was bound to fail, and there was no way Xu Shaochen would follow through with that plan.

So, Chen Shuyi started making small talk. He’d rather work with Xu Shaochen on a more solid venture in the future than get involved in a project that seemed doomed.

Xu Shaochen instantly understood his meaning and didn’t press the matter.

Nobody had faith in Tianyu’s game. He just hoped they wouldn’t regret it later.

The banquet soon came to an end, and Xu Shaochen, along with Yuxiu, was escorted out of the hotel like a king surrounded by his court.

“Leader, I found out that Zhao Yu is a soldier.”

The secretary approached Chen Shuyi and reported.

“Hmm.” Chen Shuyi nodded, “Anything else?”

“Nothing. I only discovered that much. The rest of his information seems to have mysteriously disappeared. I only knew about his military background because I spoke to some people from his hometown.”

The secretary answered seriously.

Chen Shuyi’s face grew serious, and he murmured, “That young man is no ordinary person. Let’s stop digging, or we might cause unnecessary misunderstandings.”