Seeing Zhou Zixiong so eager to disassociate himself, the sense of panic within Li Jianwei grew ever stronger.
"If I asked you not to collaborate with him, would you agree?" Hao Jian asked with a smile as he looked at Zhou Zixiong.
At this moment, almost everyone's eyes were on Zhou Zixiong, awaiting his response.
Zhou Zixiong smiled and hurriedly said, "Mr. Hao, you really joke too much. How could I not listen to what you say?"
In an instant, everyone was once again shocked into silence, and their looks towards Hao Jian were filled with fear. Even this wealthy tycoon feared him—just who was he?
At this time, Chen Zhiyan spoke coolly,
"Alas, a prominent figure in school and a big shot in society—no wonder our teachers always used to tell us that gold always glitters. It's just a pity that some people look down on others, missing the chance to curry favor with an influential figure. Don't you think so, Hao Jian?"
Upon hearing this, all those classmates displayed expressions of shame and regret. If they hadn't looked down on Hao Jian earlier and had spoken to him, maybe they could have basked in his reflected glory.
Li Jianwei used to be the most successful among them, but now compared to Hao Jian, he seemed insignificant.
The female classmates were beside themselves with regret. They had all once had crushes on Hao Jian and thought he had become a loser, so they didn't want to bother with him while feeling thankful they hadn't married him.
But who could have known he'd become a big shot before whom even the wealthy bowed and scraped? Now they bitterly regretted their decisions.
The male classmates, meanwhile, could only offer wry smiles. Back in school, all the girls liked Hao Jian, and they had been completely overlooked.
So today, seeing Hao Jian dressed so plainly, they couldn't help but feel a surge of schadenfreude, thinking they could finally feel superior to him. Little did they know, by the end, they were still outclassed by far.
They smiled bitterly because they knew they might never be able to surpass Hao Jian in their lifetimes.
Indeed, a capable person will always achieve greatness wherever they go.
And at this time, the one filled with the most regret was naturally Li Jianwei. He could never have dreamed that Hao Jian was of such significance, that even Zhou Zixiong would bow and scrape before him.
He kowtowed to Zhou Zixiong, and Zhou Zixiong kowtowed to Hao Jian, so what did that make him in Hao Jian's eyes? An insignificant character?
Li Jianwei was indignant and humiliated. Why? Why couldn't he beat him back in school, and why was he still unable to beat him in society? Was Hao Jian born to be his nemesis?
"Good, you'll cancel this partnership with him, and I'll remember this favor," Hao Jian said as he got up and patted Zhou Zixiong on the shoulder.
Zhou Zixiong was immediately flattered and said with a smile:
"What are you saying, Mr. Hao? This is just part of my job."
For Zhou Zixiong, this was like manna from heaven—losing a mere ten million in exchange for a big favor from an influential figure like Hao Jian. He was making a killing!
At that moment, Li Jianwei's face turned green with rage, his hands clenched tightly as he glared at Hao Jian.
Approaching him, Hao Jian looked down on him dismissively, "Back in school, you were nothing but a dog in front of me, and now, you're still nothing but a dog."
Li Jianwei glared at Hao Jian with gritted teeth, as if he wished to tear him apart.
"Don't look at me like that because I can't help but hit you, and you know very well that even if I did hit you, you couldn't do anything to me."
Hao Jian's face was all smiles, as if he was joking, but his words were chilling.
Li Jianwei was taken aback, and his ferocious expression vanished because he knew Hao Jian wasn't joking. With that bastard's personality, there wasn't a shameless thing he wouldn't do.
And if even Zhou Zixiong had to bow and scrape to him, then he was definitely someone Li Jianwei couldn't afford to provoke.
"Now, you can get lost," Hao Jian said rudely to Li Jianwei.
Li Jianwei was reluctant to leave, standing stiffly on the spot. He wanted to make one last effort, to plead with Zhou Zixiong when Hao Jian wasn't around, even if the price would be lower, it didn't matter.
But then, Li Jianwei saw Zhou Zixiong tear their contract in half and toss it into the trash can.
With that, he knew he truly had no chance left. He glared viciously at Hao Jian and left dejectedly.
"Remember to settle the bill on your way out!" Hao Jian called out to Li Jianwei from behind.
Upon hearing this, Li Jianwei nearly stumbled, thinking incredulously, You're kicking me out and still expecting me to pay? Do you think I'm an idiot?
Li Jianwei thought there was no way he would pay, not in a million years.
"If he doesn't pay, find him, and break both his legs," Hao Jian then said nonchalantly to Zhou Zixiong.
Hearing this, Li Jianwei felt utterly heartbroken. This was just too much of a bullying!
"No problem, leave it to me!" Zhou Zixiong assured, thumping his chest.
Li Jianwei left with disordered steps, then dutifully settled the bill at the counter. Although he was upset, for the sake of his own safety, he had no choice but to comply.
"Hao Jian, we were out of line just now, we're really sorry,"
With that, Hao Jian's classmates immediately changed their tune, trying to curry favor with him.
But Hao Jian was not at all moved and said coldly to Zhou Zixiong:
"Please kick out these irrelevant people so they don't disturb my meal with my friends."
At those words, the expressions of the classmates stiffened, and one of the guys forced a smile, "Come on, Hao Jian, there's no need for that. We might have been wrong before, but we're still classmates—forgive us this once."
"Forgive? I'm not even angry with you guys to begin with."
Hao Jian put on a puzzled expression, and the classmates all breathed a sigh of relief, thinking it was good that he wasn't angry.
But then Hao Jian added, "I'm not angry; I just look down on you all, just like you looked down on me earlier. I don't care to chat with you poor sods."