Chapter 14: Chapter 14: Upper Bay Area
As it turned out, the marital home Xu Min and Zhao Peng had purchased was also a villa in Half-Mountain Bay.
But ever since the wedding banquet was canceled, Xu Min had been living in the house all by herself.
She had brought Zhang Yinhuan here for the day, only to run into Qin Tuo and his family.
At the sight of them, the mother and daughter’s eyes lit up, and they immediately launched into a tirade of mockery.
"Well, well, if it isn’t the Qin boy. Did you bring your mom and dad here to beg?"
Zhang Yinhuan said snidely.
Xu Min chuckled along with her.
"Mom, this is where high-society people live, after all. The scraps that fall from their fingernails are enough for common folk like them to live on. I bet that’s why they’re here—to beg for money!"
"You two, watch your mouths!"
Qin Tuo said coldly.
He could take their insults, but he wouldn’t stand for them insulting his parents.
After the humiliating tirade, Qin Hongguo and Luo Xianglan’s faces flushed red.
They had been honest, simple folk their entire lives and wouldn’t even know how to say a harsh word in return.
Being ridiculed so fiercely, they couldn’t even manage a retort...
"Qin Tuo, was I wrong? Isn’t your dad just a scrap collector? Oh, that’s right, you must be here to collect scraps! You know, I have a few water bottles in my car. I’ll be charitable and give them to your family!"
Making a show of it, Xu Min fetched the water bottles from her car and tossed them at Qin Hongguo’s feet.
"Xu Min, you’ve gone too far!"
Anger now laced Qin Tuo’s voice.
But Xu Min wasn’t satisfied. She would never forget that it was Qin Tuo who had ruined her engagement banquet. If not for him, she would have already married into a wealthy family and sealed the deal by now.
She pointed at a nearby security guard and asked arrogantly.
"Security, what is the meaning of this? Why are people like this still lingering at the entrance to our community? You’re being negligent in your duties!"
The guards jumped in surprise. One of them gave a wry smile and explained.
"It’s not what you think, Miss. He produced a set of keys and said he lives here. We’re in the process of verifying his identity."
"What? He has keys to this place?"
Xu Min and her mother, Zhang Yinhuan, exchanged a look, then threw their heads back and roared with laughter.
Xu Min laughed so hard that tears streamed down her face.
"You guys don’t know, do you? He was just released from prison. For all you know, he stole those keys! You’d better keep your eyes peeled and not let him steal any valuables from here!"
What? He’s been to prison?
The guards all looked at Qin Tuo, their eyes instantly filling with suspicion.
As security guards for the Half Moon Bay properties, their pay was tied to their performance. They couldn’t let one bad apple like Qin Tuo tarnish their reputation.
"Beat it, kid. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll leave now. Don’t blame us if we get rough!"
To protect their reputations, the guards put on fierce expressions, looking ready to get physical.
At this, Qin Hongguo finally had enough. He angrily began to wheel himself away.
"Dad, don’t go! We really can live here."
Qin Tuo rushed over to grab his father’s hand, but Qin Hongguo shook him off!
Qin Hongguo’s face was flushed with anger. He pointed a trembling finger at Qin Tuo’s nose.
"This is all your fault! I’ve told you so many times to be an honest, upstanding man, but you insist on making a fool of yourself here! You’re going to be the death of me!"
Qin Hongguo looked as if he wanted nothing more than to give his good-for-nothing son a swift kick.
Qin Tuo sighed in frustration. ’Where is that guard? Why isn’t he back yet?’
Now he had no idea how to explain the situation.
His mother, Luo Xianglan, was utterly disheartened. Mortified in front of Xu Min and her mother, she buried her face in her knees.
Seeing the family’s miserable state, Xu Min and her mother laughed even more triumphantly.
Zhang Yinhuan waved over a few of the guards, putting on the airs of a resident.
"Get rid of them. And from now on, lowlifes like these are forbidden from even approaching our community gates. Understand?"
"Yes, yes, ma’am! We’ll be more careful next time!"
The guards scrambled to nod and bow, not daring to offend her in the slightest.
Then, their expressions quickly turned vicious again as they snarled at Qin Tuo and his family.
"You’re still here? Are you forcing us to get physical?"
They looked as if they were about to physically remove them at any moment.
"Hmph. You dare,"
A nameless rage surged within Qin Tuo.
"Heh. Just watch us, kid!"
The guards scoffed and swarmed around them.
Just then, a voice suddenly called out from the distance.
"Stop! Do you all want to be fired?"
The guards flinched. They turned to see the property manager jogging over.
"Manager Zhang!"
"Manager Zhang!"
Each of the guards scrambled to nod and bow, their faces a mask of sycophancy.
Seeing that the property manager had arrived, Xu Min and her mother’s expressions relaxed considerably.
The manager of a luxury villa community like this was not someone whose status could be taken lightly.
"Manager Zhang, you’re just in time! This family is a bunch of frauds. Hurry up and get them out of here, so we don’t have to look at them anymore!"
Zhang Yinhuan shot Qin Tuo a triumphant, provocative look.
To her surprise, however, Manager Zhang walked up to Qin Tuo and respectfully presented the keys with both hands.
"My apologies for the wait, sir. We have verified your identity, and you are indeed a homeowner here. Please, allow us to escort you inside."
As he spoke, he summoned a courtesy car, preparing to personally escort Qin Tuo’s family into the community.
"What?! How is that possible?!"
Xu Min and her mother were frozen in place, completely stunned.
Every single one of the guards was dumbstruck.
’This kid... he’s actually a homeowner at Half Moon Bay Villa?’
’Impossible!’
’Looking as shabby as he does, how could he possibly afford a villa here?’
They couldn’t wrap their heads around it.
"Impossible! You must have made a mistake! There’s no way he could afford a house here!"
Xu Min shrieked, refusing to accept it.
Manager Zhang smiled faintly and said apologetically,
"I’m sorry, but that is a homeowner’s private information. I’m not at liberty to say any more."
Then, without giving Xu Min and her mother a second glance, he escorted Qin Tuo’s family into the courtesy car and drove inside.
Even now, Qin Hongguo and Luo Xianglan felt their heads spinning. It all seemed too unreal.
As the courtesy car drove on, Xu Min and her mother followed from a distance in their own car.
"Hmph. I’ll see what kind of trick this brat is pulling!"
Xu Min cursed, refusing to believe that loser could afford a house in a Half Moon Bay Villa.
Suddenly, both of their eyes widened in disbelief.
They watched as the courtesy car ahead began to drive up the mountainside.
Up ahead, they were immediately stopped.
"Unauthorized vehicles are not permitted in the Upper Bay Area. Thank you for your understanding."
Two elite-looking security guards said, their expressions stern.
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