Liz Ji watched as Evan Lin picked up the pen, the contempt in her eyes growing even stronger.
Anything that can be settled with money isn't really a problem at all.
As the current darling of Imperial Star Entertainment, Serena Tong's future value far outweighs anything money can buy.
Just as Liz was considering how best to report this incident to Head Office...
Queenie Tong also felt a faint sense of disappointment in her heart. She had thought Evan was different from everyone else, not obsessed with fame or fortune.
Under the gaze of both women, each lost in their own thoughts, Evan picked up the pen, swiftly filled in the amount, and casually handed the check over to Liz Ji.
"This amount will do."
Evan set the pen down.
"You finished?"
Liz Ji sneered, speaking slowly and deliberately: "That's more like it. Here at Imperial Star, we always play fair. You seem to know how things work—if you're interested, I could introduce you to some major players."
"What does ninety-nine billion even mean?" Liz blurted out, her voice cracking with disbelief.
"That’s enough to buy controlling shares in several small listed companies!" she muttered, still stunned, as she picked up the check to sign.
But when her eyes landed on the number written on the check, Liz’s face went rigid.
"Units, tens, hundreds, thousands..." she counted in her head, but even if Imperial Star cashed out every asset, it wouldn’t be enough.
Liz’s heart dropped. From the very first digit to the end, every space was filled with a 9!
"Ninety-nine billion!" Queenie, who’d been disappointed just moments ago, gasped at the number. She turned to Evan, who sat calm and collected, her eyes suddenly brightening.
The max limit for a single check is ten billion.
The check was crammed full of nines—just looking at it made Liz’s scalp tingle.
Evan leaned back, smiling faintly. "I don’t really like joking, especially not with small fry who don’t matter. There are plenty of things in this world money can solve. I’ve given you the chance—let’s see if you can handle it."
Liz slammed her pen down on the table, her hand trembling as she glared at Evan. Even if she signed, the company account couldn’t possibly cover the amount.
"Are you messing with me?" Liz asked coldly, clenching her fists.
"Not at all. I have no interest in joking around with small fry like you. I’m just telling you—if you don’t have the money, don’t pretend to be a big shot. You told me to fill out the check, but now you can’t pay up. That just means you’re poor."
Evan tapped his fingers on the table. Liz’s face shifted from pale to green, her mood swinging wildly. She gritted her teeth and spat, "I told you to name a price, but not something this ridiculous!"
"Ninety-nine billion! Do you even know how much money that is?!"
Liz was so furious her voice trembled, and her eyes were like knives aimed at Evan.
"That just proves you’re broke. If you don’t have money, stop putting on airs. Now, get out of here and go find yourself a fifty-yuan motel."
Evan’s expression was calm.
"What did you say?"
Liz glared at him, eyes wide.
Standing off in the distance, Rory Luo had been waiting for instructions. Even though Evan had injured him badly, he still stuck around to make sure Evan could call on him at any moment.
Now, hearing the commotion, Rory quickly shuffled over and looked straight at Liz. "Miss, please go find yourself a motel."
He paused for a moment, then glanced carefully at Evan before adding, "A fifty-yuan motel."
"I already paid for my room! What gives you the right to kick me out?"
Liz shouted, her voice echoing through the suite. The Shangri-La presidential suite cost 8,888 yuan per night—no small sum.
"Sorry, we’ll refund your payment. I’ll also help you book a fifty-yuan motel right now," Rory replied quickly.
He hurried to make a call, arranging for someone to find a motel and send someone up to escort her out.
A fifty-yuan motel—everyone knew how terrible the conditions were. For someone like Liz, who was used to high-end hotels and business circles, there was no way she could stand it.
Especially since the bedding at those places was filthy—she’d rather die than stay there.
But Rory gave Liz no chance to refuse. He quickly arranged a nearby motel, charging only thirty-nine yuan per night—the place was tiny and filthy.
His men soon came up, grabbed Liz by each arm, and dragged her out.
"Let go of me! Are you out of your minds? Let go! Do you even know who I am? Let go! If you don’t let go, I’m calling the police!"
Liz shouted to the heavens, but no one paid her any attention. She was just wasting her breath.
"Bro, I made sure she got the worst room possible, and I guarantee she’ll be stuck there all night. She won’t disturb your rest at all."
After Liz was dragged out, Rory looked at Evan with a face full of flattery.
"It’s fine if it’s a little dirty and messy."
Evan nodded.
"Absolutely! Don’t worry! I’ll make sure it’s the dirtiest and messiest! Flat-chested, brainless, broke posers who love to act tough—those are exactly the type I hate most!"
Rory was overjoyed to hear Evan respond, almost moved to tears as he spoke.
He quickly called the motel owner again, slipped him a few extra hundred yuan, and told him to put Liz in the worst room for the whole night.
Feeling that wasn’t enough, Rory even had someone block the bathroom in that room, making sure it was completely disgusting and unusable.
Watching Liz get dragged away like a chicken, Queenie Tong still looked a little hesitant.
"Do you want to plead for her?"
Evan turned to look out the floor-to-ceiling window at the city, his tone calm.
"No."
Queenie quickly shook her head, but she knew that after tonight, Liz would definitely be left with a huge psychological scar.
Queenie looked at Evan’s profile, sunlight streaming through the window and casting a pale golden halo around him, softening his usual detached expression.
Queenie stared, momentarily dazed, her heart pounding wildly.