Chapter Forty-Nine: Beat You Within an Inch of Your Life

An annual income of just two hundred thousand? For most people, that's an unattainable dream, but in Luo Jun's mouth, it became 'not enough to spend.' It was a blatant display of arrogance. Shameless, thought Zhang Ding and Zhang Ting privately. Yet Ling Tian's expression remained unchanged; he had no interest in engaging with Luo Jun's petty triumphs.

Seeing Ling Tian silent, Luo Jun was not at all discouraged—on the contrary, he grew even more smug. To him, Ling Tian's silence was proof of his own superiority. If Ling Tian were doing well, given his competitive nature, he would have boasted already.

"Brother, it's nothing if you're not doing well. Most people are like this nowadays; not many reach my level. By the way, we're planning a class reunion. Here's the time and place," Luo Jun said, pulling out a business card, scribbling the details, and handing it to Ling Tian.

A class reunion?

Ling Tian had no interest at all. These gatherings had changed—they were no longer about old friends reconnecting, but had become venues for the successful to flaunt their achievements before those less fortunate.

Ling Tian almost threw away the card, but then he reconsidered. Perhaps it would be nice to see some old friends he’d lost touch with over the years, and if he wanted to build his own circle in the future, he’d need allies.

With that thought, Ling Tian pocketed the card and replied, "I'll be there on time."

"Everyone's been contacted except you. Nobody knew your number—what luck to run into you here. That's fate!" Luo Jun laughed heartily, determined to make Ling Tian look bad at the reunion.

Ling Tian had already guessed Luo Jun's little scheme and chose not to expose it. When the time came, Luo Jun would learn for himself just how insignificant he truly was.

"Don't worry, I'll be there," Ling Tian said coolly, slipping the card away.

There was little else to discuss, so Luo Jun, having nothing more to say, greeted Ling Tian and hurried off to the car models.

Suddenly, Luo Jun shouted, "How much for this car and the model? I’ll take both!"

A true tycoon!

The crowd stared at Luo Jun with envy, jealousy, and resentment. He was the real deal—a wealthy show-off. This new Lexus RX cost at least half a million, and the beautiful model surely commanded a high price as well.

Luo Jun reveled in the attention, especially enjoying the chance to boast before acquaintances. He turned smugly toward Ling Tian, as if to say, "You can't compare to me at all."

"Upstart," Zhang Ding spat disdainfully.

"Scum," Zhang Ting muttered angrily.

Zhang Ding despised Luo Jun's arrogant attitude, while Zhang Ting disliked his disrespect toward the model.

"Just a petty man getting his moment. The more attention you give him, the more he thrives," Ling Tian said calmly. "Come on, let's not waste time here; let's go check out the cars."

Zhang Ding, still indignant, said, "Boss, I really want to kick that idiot's face—to shut him up."

Ling Tian smiled and replied, "With types like him, you need a ruthless move. At the reunion, I'll make sure he can't even cry."

The three left the car show area and headed toward the Dongfeng section. To get there, they had to pass through the Cadillac area.

Zhang Ding, a longtime enthusiast, was captivated halfway by a Cadillac CT6. He couldn't help but walk over, eyes gleaming like a wolf spotting a beauty, and instinctively reached out to touch the car, sighing, "What a marvelous car. If I could own one like this, life would be perfect."

"What are you touching? If you break it, can you afford to pay?" came a harsh voice nearby.

Ling Tian turned and saw it was the same saleswoman who had tried to introduce him to cars earlier.

"Hmph! These cars aren't for paupers like you," she sneered with contempt, her tone grating.

Ling Tian frowned and looked at her coldly. Clearly, she'd been offended by his earlier remarks and had come to pick a fight.

"What are you staring at? Never seen a beauty before?" she scoffed, glaring at Ling Tian.

Fools abound every year, but this year they seem particularly plentiful—and today, he had run into one.

Ling Tian snorted, "Shut your filthy mouth. If you keep spouting nonsense, I'll slap you."

"You... If you've got the guts, hit me! Go on, do it—if you don't, you're my grandson!" she taunted, moving closer and sticking her face out toward Ling Tian.

Zhang Ding, seeing things escalating, quickly tried to mediate. "Boss, we're here to buy a car, not to pick a fight. Let's just buy what we need and leave."

Zhang Ting also urged, "Big brother, she's not worth it." Zhang Ting, who had once worked as a model here, recognized the saleswoman—rumor had it she was the owner's mistress, which explained her arrogance.

Seeing Zhang Ding and Zhang Ting backing down, the saleswoman grew even bolder. People are strange: the more you yield, the more they bully you. As the saying goes, bullies pick on the weak.

She now assumed that attitude, becoming even more aggressive, her face twisted as she loudly challenged Ling Tian, "Didn’t you say you’d hit me? Why aren’t you doing it—scared? No guts..."

Before she could finish, Ling Tian’s palm came down hard. Even without using his inner strength, the slap was far from gentle. His hand landed squarely on her left cheek, and she collapsed to the ground, spitting out a bloody tooth.

"You all heard it—she insisted I hit her. I was merely respecting her choice," Ling Tian said innocently, spreading his hands to the crowd. "In a big forest, you find all kinds of birds—some even beg to be beaten."

Most of the onlookers were staff; customers had gone off to see the models.

Almost everyone had suffered at her hands before, so seeing her get slapped brought them immense delight. None would step in to help her; not adding insult to injury was already generous.

"You... How dare you hit me! None of you are leaving today," she snarled, clutching her swollen face.