After being reborn, the school beauty's entire family knelt down to repent.

Zhao Rou quickly shook her head: "No, it's not a loan. I want... I want you to take me with you to invest in your underground shopping mall. I promise, I will work hard and won't let you down!"

Chen Ming looked at her, his eyes filled with mockery:

"Zhao Rou, do you think I'm stupid? You can't do anything, yet you want to take a piece of my cake?"

Zhao Rou's tears finally flowed, and she choked out as she said:

"Chen Ming, I know I've wronged you before, but I'm really desperate now. Please, help me!"

Chen Ming felt no emotion whatsoever; in fact, he even felt a little amused.

This woman's acting skills are becoming more and more superb; people who don't know the situation would really think she's suffered some great injustice.

“Zhao Rou, stop pretending to be pitiful,” Chen Ming said coldly. “I won’t help you. Forget about it.”

When Zhao Rou realized that her gentle approach wasn't working, she started using force:

"Chen Ming, don't forget, I have your secrets! If you don't help me, I'll tell everyone about you!"

Chen Ming was shocked; this woman actually dared to threaten him!

He wanted to see what secrets she was holding.

"Oh? My secret? Tell me about it." Chen Ming looked at her with great interest.

"You think you've gotten away with everything? Let me tell you, I know everything! You took advantage of..."

Before Zhao Rou could finish speaking, her voice abruptly stopped as Chen Ming suddenly grabbed her shoulder with such force that she felt as if her bones were about to shatter.

"Who exactly sent you?" Chen Ming's voice was icy cold.

Zhao Rou winced in pain, a flicker of panic crossing her eyes, but she quickly regained her composure.

"Chen Ming, you're hurting me! I just... I just care about you, I'm afraid you'll go astray..."

"Concerned about me?" Chen Ming sneered, increasing the pressure on his hand.

"If you really cared about me, you wouldn't be with Yu Chuang..."

He paused, not continuing, but the disgust in his eyes intensified.

Zhao Rou's face turned pale, her eyes darted around, and she dared not look Chen Ming in the eye.

"Speak! Who sent you?" Chen Ming's voice was like a death knell from hell, sending chills down Zhao Rou's spine.

Zhao Rou bit her lip, forcing herself to remain calm: "No one sent me. I just... just wanted to see how you were doing..."

"Looks like you won't shed a tear until you see the coffin!" A cold glint flashed in Chen Ming's eyes, and he pushed Zhao Rou to the ground.

Zhao Rou fell to the ground with a startled cry, then sat down in a disheveled state, her eyes filled with fear.

She never expected Chen Ming to lay a hand on her, which made her feel incredibly humiliated.

"Chen Ming, you...you dare to hit me?" Zhao Rou covered her sore bottom, her eyes filled with resentment.

Chen Ming looked down at her, his eyes icy: "Hit you? This is just the beginning! If you don't confess honestly, I'll make you regret ever being born!"

Zhao Rou trembled at Chen Ming's gaze; she knew he wasn't joking.

Chen Ming used to be completely obedient to her and let her do whatever she wanted, but now Chen Ming's eyes are filled with murderous intent, which terrifies her.

"I'll talk! I'll talk!" Zhao Rou cried out in pain, "It's...it's Fatty Wang and his gang. They gave me a large sum of money and asked me to persuade you to bring them along to invest..."

Chen Ming released Zhao Rou, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

It seems these "tycoons" are really persistent! They're resorting to such underhanded tactics to deal with him.

"Get out!" Chen Ming roared.

Zhao Rou was so frightened that she ran away as fast as she could.

Chen Ming sneered at Zhao Rou's hasty escape; these clowns only knew how to use low-class methods.

He lit a cigarette, and the smell of nicotine calmed him down temporarily.

The underground market was thriving, far exceeding his expectations.

He knew this was just the beginning; the bigger the tree, the more the wind will blow, and even greater challenges lay ahead.

That day, a black sedan stopped at the entrance of the underground market, and several people in sharp suits got out. The middle-aged man in the lead was imposing and was none other than Secretary Wang from the city.

Secretary Wang and his entourage walked straight toward Chen Ming, exuding a powerful aura, and the surrounding vendors unconsciously made way for them.

"Hello, young man, your name is Wang Yongcai, and you are the Party Secretary of the city."

Secretary Wang extended his hand, a kind smile on his face.

Chen Ming quickly stubbed out his cigarette and shook hands with Secretary Wang:

"Hello, Secretary Wang, I am Chen Ming, the person in charge of this underground market."

He secretly pondered Secretary Wang's intentions, but remained outwardly calm.

Secretary Wang sized up the young man in front of him. He had neat short hair and deep eyes that revealed a maturity beyond his years.

"Xiao Chen, your underground market is doing a great job, it's very vibrant."

Secretary Wang's voice was deep and powerful, carrying the authority of a superior.

"Secretary Wang, you flatter me. I just want to do something practical for the people," Chen Ming replied modestly.

"It's good that young people have ideas, but they also need to pay attention to their methods," Secretary Wang said meaningfully.

"Some things cannot be accomplished with enthusiasm alone; they also require experience and guidance."

Chen Ming smiled modestly, "Secretary Wang, you flatter me. I'm just doing my best to contribute to the city's economic development."

Secretary Wang smiled and patted Chen Ming on the shoulder.

"Young Chen, I've heard about your achievements. At such a young age, you dare to think and act, making this underground market a resounding success. You're truly a force to be reckoned with!"

"Secretary Wang, please come in. Let's talk as we walk."

Chen Ming turned to the side and made an inviting gesture, leading Secretary Wang and his entourage into the underground market.

Secretary Wang and his entourage followed Chen Ming into the underground market, where a dazzling array of goods were on display.

The bustling crowd and lively scene impressed Secretary Wang greatly.

"Xiao Chen, your underground market is a real treasure trove! It not only solves the employment problem but also drives the economic development of the surrounding area. It's a truly great project!"

"Secretary Wang, you flatter me. As you can see, we have a wide variety of goods here, and they are all carefully selected to ensure their quality."

As Chen Ming walked, he explained the situation of the underground market to Secretary Wang.

Secretary Wang nodded and said approvingly, "Yes, I can see that you've put a lot of thought into this. This underground market not only solves the problem of some of the city's idle space, but also boosts employment for the surrounding residents. It's truly a good thing for the people."

Chen Ming explained with a smile,

"Actually, this underground market was originally just meant to provide a place for everyone to have entertainment and to help some unemployed youths make a living. I never expected it to develop so quickly. It's all thanks to the city's policy support that I was able to buy this air-raid shelter."

Secretary Wang nodded. "Don't worry, the city will strongly support the development of the underground market. If you encounter any difficulties, just let us know, and we will do our best to help you solve them."