Reborn as Zhao Ruilong of Handong, I will defy fate.

Chapter 432 Threatening me, Zhao Ruilong? Then don't blame me for fleecing you!

Dong Tian'ao's loud voice was quite grating.

That unquestionable gaze was filled with warning.

It seems that without his father-in-law's suicide, the Zhao family would have been finished.

Therefore, the Zhao family must be extremely grateful and protect the Leng and Dong families no matter what.

Such a blatant deterrent...

This naturally made Zhao Ruilong feel very uncomfortable.

Who are you, Dong Tian'ao?

How dare you threaten me from such a high and mighty position?

Do you think you're so great just because your dad is Haiyun Shuji?

If you're really that powerful, then don't threaten the Zhao family that you can't just stand by and watch them die.

Since you want the Zhao family to protect you, why are you speaking so rudely?

With your attitude of begging for help...

It's fortunate you were born into a good family, otherwise you would have been beaten up by society countless times.

The old lady of the Leng family, who was sitting by the headboard, had lived several decades longer than Dong Tian'ao, so she was naturally more adept at dealing with people and situations.

Upon hearing that Dong Tian'ao had misspoke, the old lady quickly tried to smooth things over, laughing and scolding him:

"Has Tian Ao lost his mind? Do you even need to tell me this?"

"Given our relationship with the Zhao family, if something really happened, how could they possibly stand by and watch us die? Do we need you to remind us?"

"Besides, we are all law-abiding citizens and haven't committed any illegal or disorderly acts, so why should we be afraid of the inspection team?"

"And you say we shouldn't stand by and watch someone die? If someone really does something heinous, they deserve to be beheaded. The Zhao family isn't obligated to help with everything!"

After scolding Dong Tian'ao, the old lady quickly turned her head and looked at Zhao Ruilong with a smile.

“Ruilong, he was just saying it casually, please don’t take it to heart.”

"We all know that the inspection team's visit to Handong to combat corruption is both the will of the higher authorities and the will of the people."

“If you really make a mistake, you should honestly confess it and try to get lenient treatment, instead of hoping that the Zhao family will help cover it up.”

The old lady's opening remarks were full of official jargon and high-sounding formality.

Whether the two were putting on a show or the old lady was trying to smooth things over.

In any case, Zhao Ruilong didn't want to get angry over such a small matter, nor was it worth getting angry about.

Besides, getting angry is useless when dealing with those who are unrepentant and self-righteous.

They have long been conditioned to prioritize their own interests above all else, regardless of the feelings of others or whether it is reasonable or not.

Just like Director Leng who jumped to his death, it wasn't to cover up the Zhao family's crimes at all, and the Zhao family didn't have any crimes that needed him to cover up with his death.

His suicide out of fear of punishment was mainly to protect his own family, but Dong Tian'ao had already formed a preconceived notion that his father-in-law was doing it to protect the Zhao family.

What's the point of arguing with someone who's stuck in this kind of narrow-minded thinking?

If you refute him or question him, he will think you are ungrateful and unreasonable.

and so……

Zhao Ruilong didn't get angry; instead, he laughed.

"Auntie, you're right."

"No one is perfect, everyone makes mistakes. If you make a mistake, just correct it, it's not a big deal."

"But Brother Tian'ao is not wrong, Uncle Leng has indeed helped our Zhao family a lot."

"Our Zhao family will never forget kindness. As long as it is within our capabilities, we will definitely help!"

Isn't it just polite talk?

Who wouldn't?

Such polite words are not only pleasant to hear, but also leave no room for criticism.

The key is……

Zhao Ruilong's statement is essentially equivalent to saying nothing at all.

What does it mean to help within one's capabilities?

That range is hard to say.

If something really bad happens to the Leng and Dong families, the Zhao family won't be able to help.

It could also be said that it was beyond their capabilities, a case of having the will but not the power.

When the inspection team comes down to investigate a case, it's like an imperial envoy in ancient times.

It's already good enough that they didn't act first and report later when dealing with lawbreakers and criminals.

Could the Zhao family really be so ungrateful as to oppose them?

As for Dong Tian'ao...

He clearly couldn't tell that Zhao Ruilong was just being polite.

If he could understand, he wouldn't have openly threatened Zhao Ruilong just now.

This is not.

After Zhao Ruilong made his statement, he became even more enthusiastic.

He even raised his hand, pointed at Zhao Ruilong, and said:

"Hey, you said it yourself!"

"If something really happens to us, you can't be cowards!"

Zhao Ruilong smiled calmly.

Looking at Dong Tian'ao standing opposite the hospital bed, looking like a gangster boss instructing his underlings.

He couldn't help but think to himself that this guy was definitely used to being arrogant and domineering in Haiyun City.

Others always flattered and fawned over him, afraid of upsetting him.

Having become accustomed to being a local tyrant, he neither knew how to ask for favors nor took himself seriously.

"What are you laughing at? I'm telling you something serious!"

Dong Tian'ao glared at him, his expression very serious.

Zhao Ruilong asked with a smile, "When did our Zhao family ever become cowards?"

"Back when Tian Guofu's secret investigation team hadn't even arrived in Haiyun yet, who contacted you and told you to be prepared?"

"Now that Uncle Leng has passed away, all sorts of rumors are spreading like wildfire, and many people are keeping their distance."

“I came here from Jingzhou immediately after the investigation last night, didn’t you know that?”

These three questions left Dong Tian'ao speechless on the spot.

The old lady sitting on the edge of the bed quickly said:

"Yes, of course we all know."

“We heard about it last night as soon as you arrived at the funeral home.”

“We’ve seen it all: you really step up when things get tough and you’re always ready to help.”

At this point, the old lady couldn't help but glare at Dong Tian'ao with a warning look in her eyes.

With his attitude, even the closest friends could become enemies.

Zhao Ruilong hummed in agreement, stood up, and said:

"We will definitely contribute when it's time to do our part, and we will definitely step in when it's necessary!"

"Well, I have an appointment with the bank to discuss a loan. If there's nothing else, I'll be going now."

"loan?"

The old lady was taken aback.

"Ruilong, you...you actually went to the bank for a loan?"

"Isn't your Huilong Group flush with cash? Why would you need a bank loan?"

Zhao Ruilong instantly realized that this could be a chance to make money.

He immediately sighed, and said with great bitterness:

"Auntie, our group has many profitable businesses, but we don't have a money-printing machine that can just print money at will. With so many projects invested in, how could we not be short of money?"

"As you know, the second phase of the Yanhu High-speed Railway, which runs north from Jingzhou and passes through Haiyun, has been fully under construction, and progress payments are made almost every month."

"Moreover, in Linjiang, we have also invested in the high-speed railway from Jinghai to Jiangcheng, and the high-speed railway from Yanjing to Xiangjiang, which can be called a major north-south artery, is also close to starting construction."

"In addition, many high-tech projects, such as wind power, photovoltaic power, ultra-high voltage power transmission, chip factories, and large aircraft, are extremely expensive. Our group has no choice but to take out loans!"

After nodding, the old lady turned to look at Dong Tian'ao.

"Tian Ao, the Zhao family never backed down when we were in trouble."

"Ruilong is short of money and has to take out a bank loan. What do you say about that?"

"I……"

Dong Tian'ao was stunned.

In a trance.

He was a little confused.

I wondered if my mother-in-law had been so angry yesterday that she lost her mind.

Who exactly is family?

Why does it feel like this old lady is helping Zhao Ruilong?

But since things have come to this point...

When they warned the Zhao family not to stand by and watch them die, they were all arrogant and assertive.

Does this mean that now that they know Zhao Ruilong is short of money in his business, they haven't offered any assistance?

If that gets out, people will definitely think that Dong Tian'ao is terrible at interpersonal relationships.

"What are you doing? Say something!"

The old lady glared at her and said:

“You two have built a very large business over the years and made a lot of money.”

“I asked you to invest in high-tech companies with Ruilong before, but you said you didn’t understand the industry and preferred to continue doing your old business.”

“Ruilong is so short of money that it has to take out a bank loan. Are you just going to stand by and watch without offering any help?”

Dong Tian'ao's lips twitched slightly, and he gave an embarrassed laugh.

"Of course we should help!"

"However, Brother Ruilong invests in big projects. Even if we lent him all the little money we've saved, it probably wouldn't be enough to fill his teeth!"

Zhao Ruilong immediately laughed and said, "It's not that bad. Whether you lend a lot or a little, it's all a gesture of goodwill!"

There was a snap.

The old lady clapped her hands.

"Listen, listen!"

"Whenever something happens in our family, Ruilong is there immediately."

Now that we know he urgently needs money, can't we just lend a hand?

Dong Tian'ao said with some difficulty, "But our money in China is all circulating in business. If we withdraw the funds, it will affect the business."

The old lady exclaimed, "Then lend the money we have overseas to Ruilong. Anyway, there's no interest, so we might as well lend it all to Ruilong to help him get through this difficult time and get those big projects and big businesses done as soon as possible!"

"But our money is deposited overseas..."

"What's wrong with money deposited abroad? Can't we use it if it's in a foreign bank? I know you're probably thinking that it's our family's emergency money, but isn't it an emergency to take it out to help the Zhao family? Helping the Zhao family is helping ourselves, isn't it?"

The old lady spoke with a firm and unyielding tone, leaving no room for argument.

This time, Dong Tian'ao was completely bewildered.

I almost wanted to ask, are you my mother-in-law or Zhao Ruilong's?

Don't you know that the money we painstakingly transferred out of the country and deposited in foreign banks is our life-saving money?

If they can't stay in China and have to go abroad, that money will ensure their whole family can live comfortably overseas.

If they lent all the money to Zhao Ruilong, but something suddenly happened, how would the family survive after fleeing abroad?

Are we expecting Zhao Ruilong to repay the money?

What if he's still short of money and keeps delaying his payment?

If my father-in-law hadn't suddenly had an accident yesterday, my mother-in-law wouldn't have been so upset that she fainted and had to be hospitalized.

Dong Tian'ao seriously suspected that his mother-in-law had betrayed him long ago, as she was speaking up for Zhao Ruilong at every turn.

With the old lady's helpful assistance, Zhao Ruilong naturally didn't hold back.

"Brother Tian'ao, don't worry, I will write an IOU for the money you lend me, specifying the term and interest. I guarantee that I will repay you with interest when the due date arrives!"

"If you're worried about how to explain a large loan if it gets caught, we can use our respective offshore companies to complete the loan. That way, the transaction happens overseas, and no one can find out!"

"Besides being very safe, this method also makes borrowing and repaying money much more convenient, and the interest I pay will be higher than the interest rates banks offer for your deposits..."