Chapter 163: Meteoric Rise

"Brother Lin, Miss Zhao, Mr. Dong, let’s sit down and eat," Bai Yuanzheng said, waving them over warmly. He hadn’t said a word about Lin Meng’s casual attitude.

Lin Meng and the others nodded and took their respective seats. Without Bai Yuanzheng’s permission, Bai Zhentian and Bai Li didn’t dare move a muscle. They remained standing off to the side, maintaining their bowed, submissive postures.

Soon, the dishes Bai Yuanzheng had ordered were brought out one after another. Finally, Shen Yuerou herself walked in slowly, carrying a dish.

"Elder Bai, here is your final course, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall," she said softly. "Additionally, our hotel knows you love braised pork. Although it isn’t on the menu, we specially invited a top chef to prepare a portion for you as a complimentary gift."

Bai Yuanzheng smiled and nodded. "Your hotel is very thoughtful."

"It’s the least we could do. I won’t disturb you any longer." Shen Yuerou set the plate down and slowly turned to leave. The moment she turned around, however, she couldn’t help but steal another glance at Lin Meng, her heart brimming with curiosity.

She wondered about the young man’s true identity. It was one thing to be hosted by the Guo family last time, but this time, his host was none other than Elder Bai! He looked like a simple country bumpkin, so where did he get such massive prestige? Could he be some big shot intentionally keeping a low profile?

At the same time, Lin Meng’s face flushed slightly as he watched Shen Yuerou’s retreating figure, quietly holding his breath. He hadn’t been able to resist taking another peek just now. He realized that even while she was serving the dishes, that toy was still lodged in her secret garden. Her audacity was simply off the charts! To think she dared to play such a game even in such a serious setting.

"Mr. Lin, is there something to your dissatisfaction?" Bai Yuanzheng had noticed Lin Meng’s unusual behavior and asked out of concern.

"No, let’s eat," Lin Meng quickly nodded, shifting his attention back to the meal.

The dinner soon reached its end. From beginning to end, Bai Zhentian and Bai Li stood off to the side. Bai Zhentian could barely endure it, but as Bai Li watched Lin Meng sitting there with his vulgar table manners, she felt a stifling mix of resentment and grievance. Growing up, this was the very first time she had suffered such humiliation. And the source of it all was this country bumpkin.

Soon, her mind drifted back to the bedroom, recalling how ruthlessly this man had humiliated her with his ugly thing. The intertwining sensation of humiliation, shame, and pleasure made it surprisingly difficult for her to hate him. In fact, she felt a faint, lingering excitement. This twisted psychology made her feel somewhat broken, yet the dampness between her legs was only becoming more pronounced.

She remembered attending various social gatherings in the past, where young scions of wealthy families had to ask for permission just to touch her fingertips. Yet, this lowly man had freely thrust his ugly thing in and out of the very mouth that everyone else desperately wanted to kiss. In the end, he had even sprayed his load inside her. The more Bai Li thought about it, the more chaotic her mind became, to the point where she felt like a stranger to herself.

"Brother Lin, we’re just about finished eating, but I have one more thing to say." At that moment, Bai Yuanzheng suddenly stood up and took two items from his pocket. "You saved my life. No matter what, I must give you a token of my gratitude. These are the property deed and keys to one of my villas in the county. Please, you absolutely must accept them."

To be honest, Lin Meng was an ordinary, materialistic guy. Hearing that he was being gifted a villa, he was quite tempted. However, for the sake of another matter, Lin Meng could only painfully decline. "Elder Bai, forget about the villa. If you really want to thank me, then help me do something instead."

"What is it?" Bai Yuanzheng asked curiously.

"It’s about our village..." Lin Meng proceeded to explain Li Dahai’s situation and brought out the evidence on his phone.

Upon hearing his request, Dong Feihu, along with Bai Zhentian and his daughter, all wore rather bizarre expressions. Given Bai Yuanzheng’s status and position, a single word from him could make the entire city and province tremble. Asking him to deal with a mere village chief was like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut! Of course, none of them dared to voice this out loud.

Bai Yuanzheng was also taken aback for a moment before letting out a hearty laugh. "Brother Lin, rest assured. Since this Li Dahai has committed so many violations, taking care of him is just doing our part. Please, take my gift as well."

"Let’s just forget it," Lin Meng felt it was inappropriate.

"Since Brother Lin won’t accept it, I’ll have to trouble Miss Zhao to accept it on his behalf." Seeing this, Bai Yuanzheng simply forced both items into Zhao Lingshan’s hands. Unable to politely decline any further, Zhao Lingshan could only reluctantly accept them.

"Zhentian, you heard what Brother Lin said. I’ll leave it to you to find someone to handle it. The sooner, the better," Bai Yuanzheng said, looking over at Bai Zhentian.

"Yes, Dad!" Bai Zhentian jolted to attention and quickly agreed.

Once the meal concluded, Lin Meng and Zhao Lingshan were the first to leave. Meanwhile, Li Dahai had absolutely no idea that his fate had just been sealed by a titan like Bai Yuanzheng. If he had known, he probably would have felt that his ancestors were blessing him from the grave, to even warrant the attention of such a prominent figure before he died.

After Lin Meng and his companion left, the others did not immediately disperse.

"Dong Feihu, how did the investigation I asked you to look into go?" Bai Yuanzheng asked, lifting his gaze to Dong Feihu.

Dong Feihu hurriedly replied with utmost respect, "Elder Bai, I’ve looked into everything thoroughly. Lin Meng is just an ordinary country boy from Taohua Village. However, a little while ago, he suddenly produced the Beauty Liquid, which caused quite a stir in the county. Later, he cured the cancer of Guo Heng’s wife and son. Other than that, there’s nothing else remarkable about his background."

Bai Yuanzheng narrowed his eyes, a thoughtful look crossing his face. "To possess such skills at such a young age... he either hid his abilities well in the past, or he had some sort of miraculous encounter.

"Regardless, a man like him is bound for greatness sooner or later. Once his horizons broaden, this shallow pond will no longer be enough to hold him.

"It seems coming back this time was the right choice. Witnessing a great figure rise from humble beginnings is one of life’s great fortunes."

Hearing this, Dong Feihu’s pupils trembled. He completely hadn’t expected Bai Yuanzheng’s evaluation of Lin Meng to be so remarkably high.

"Thank you for your trouble this time. I’ll remember this favor. In the future, if you encounter an issue you can’t resolve, you can come to the Bai family for help—provided it has nothing to do with illegal activities," Bai Yuanzheng said as he stood up slowly, preparing to leave.

"Thank you, Elder Bai!" Dong Feihu stood up as well, his face flushed with excitement.

Bai Yuanzheng gave a slight nod before leaving with Bai Zhentian and his daughter. As soon as they were gone, Dong Feihu hastily pulled out his phone. The first call went to Dong Qiu Ping, strictly instructing her that no matter what, she had to maintain a good relationship with Lin Meng at all costs.

The second call was to a prominent figure in the county.

The moment it connected, Dong Feihu spoke with unprecedented seriousness, "Brother Mu, I recall you mentioning a while back that you wanted your daughter to enter politics, but couldn’t find a suitable place to pave the way for her.

"I just received some inside information. If you trust me, you can arrange for your daughter to go to Taohua Village to build her resume. It won’t be long before that place becomes famous. When the time comes, I guarantee your daughter will experience a meteoric rise!"