Zhang Guo'er shook her head, her expression serious.
"To be perfectly honest, I've never met her boyfriend."
"Huh?"
"You haven't met him, so how were you so certain before that she had a powerful boyfriend?"
The fact that Zhang Guo'er brought this up herself was one point.
Secondly, it was Zhou Dan who had adamantly vouched for it. Zhou Dan didn't seem like someone who would lie.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have believed Zhang Guo'er so easily without any suspicion.
"It's because after Zhang Guo'er claimed to have a powerful boyfriend, she started spending lavishly. Clothes, bags, she'd buy them on a whim. I only found out by chance that this hotel offers lunch vouchers. I was fooled by her before, thinking her boyfriend was really treating her," Zhou Dan explained.
"Who knew she was actually using vouchers for discounts."
Everyone exchanged glances.
"It's not a big deal that she uses vouchers. But, did Zhang Guo'er actually have a powerful boyfriend or not?"
The others dismissed Zhang Guo'er's situation as a joke.
However, those who had partnered with Zhang Guodong's business based on Zhang Guo'er's persuasion and a careful consideration of pros and cons didn't feel that way.
One of the girls' anger flared.
"Hmph! Whether she lied or not, we'll know if we ask!"
"Right, we can't just let this go. We must get to the bottom of it!"
...
That afternoon, as Tang Xiaomin was leaving school, Shu Ya ran up to her with a grin.
"Xiao Min, look at the group chat."
Tang Xiaomin opened her phone and saw a video in the group chat showing Zhang Guo'er being taken into an abandoned factory.
"They said they want to interrogate Zhang Guo'er's boyfriend. This is going to be good. Let's go too."
And so, Tang Xiaomin and Shu Ya went to the abandoned factory together.
Inside the abandoned factory, several girls were angrily interrogating Zhang Guo'er.
"Tell us, do you have a rich boyfriend or not?"
"Who is your boyfriend?"
"Speak!"
...
Cornered against the wall, Zhang Guo'er still insisted on her claim.
"Who my boyfriend is, is my business. Why should I tell you?"
"I warn you, if you dare to touch me, my boyfriend will not let you off. Think carefully, a man who can afford to set off a 'Volcanic Flower Sea' is not someone you can afford to offend."
Zhang Guo'er's words indeed startled the girls, making them exchange uneasy glances, hesitant to push her too hard.
One girl questioned, "You said before that your boyfriend booked you lunch at a five-star hotel, but we checked, and you used lunch vouchers for a discounted meal. How do you explain that?"
As soon as the words "lunch vouchers" were spoken, Zhang Guo'er's expression clearly changed.
"You... what nonsense are you spouting."
"Hmph, if you don't want people to know, don't do it. Never mind how we found out, everyone knows about the vouchers."
"Explain why you lied. Were you deliberately misleading our family's company into cooperating with your father?"
With her true intentions exposed, Zhang Guo'er's heart skipped a beat, her pulse racing.
She forced herself to remain calm. She absolutely could not panic now.
No one knew who the man behind the 'Volcanic Flower Sea' was, and they couldn't be certain he was her boyfriend.
As long as she held firm, they wouldn't dare to do anything to her.
With her mind made up, Zhang Guo'er argued with even greater righteous indignation.
"What's wrong with me using vouchers? Frugality is a virtue, and the hotel allowed me to use them. Are you going to control that too?"
"Then why did you lie?"
"When did I lie? That was indeed money given to me by my boyfriend. As for using vouchers, the hotel allowed me to, so what business is it of yours?"
...
The girls were rendered speechless by Zhang Guo'er's words.
The voucher issue couldn't prove anything conclusive, so they could only press Zhang Guo'er again about her boyfriend's identity.
"Who exactly is your powerful boyfriend? You'd better make it clear today."
"Otherwise, our company will suspend cooperation with your father."
Mentioning the cooperation made Zhang Guo'er even more defiant.
"Stop trying to scare me. The contract clearly states that except for force majeure, any party suspending cooperation will compensate the other party tenfold."
"If you can afford the compensation, then suspend it. You're pushing me like this, and when my boyfriend finds out, he will absolutely not let you off. You can target me however you want, I'm not afraid."
...
Zhang Guo'er spoke with full confidence, adopting a "might as well smash the pot" attitude.
At this point, they couldn't do much to her.
The atmosphere became oppressive, and the girls exchanged uncertain glances.
Zhang Guo'er crossed her arms and said haughtily.
"You brought me here. As long as you apologize to me, we'll let this matter go. We're all classmates, and I don't want to make things too difficult for you."
Apologize?
They were all young and proud, and wealthy. Apologizing would be like being slapped hard across the face.
But if they didn't apologize, would they really offend the man behind Zhang Guo'er?
Just as the girls were struggling to decide, Tang Xiaomin and Shu Ya walked in.
The moment she saw Tang Xiaomin, Zhang Guo'er's anger flared.
"Tang Xiaomin, did you instigate them to bring me here?"
Tang Xiaomin shook her head, "No."
"Hmph, you dare to do it but not admit it. Tang Xiaomin, I'll remember this. I will definitely tell the dean, and this matter will not be tolerated."
The mention of the dean, and they thought it was some formidable tactic.
The girls, desperate for someone to blame, did not defend Tang Xiaomin but tacitly accepted the accusation.
Tang Xiaomin couldn't be bothered to comment on their behavior.
After all, human nature was such.
Tang Xiaomin looked at Zhang Guo'er playfully, then glanced at the girls standing beside Zhang Guo'er.
"I know the man who set off the 'Volcanic Flower Sea.' Don't worry. Your company terminating the contract with Zhang Guodong, he won't interfere."
"What? You know him?"
Everyone spoke in unison, looking at Tang Xiaomin with shocked expressions.
Tang Xiaomin nodded.
"That's right, I know him."
"Then... who exactly is he? Is Zhang Guo'er really his girlfriend?"
"Stop being coy, hurry up and tell us."
...
The girls urged her impatiently, their curiosity intense.
Tang Xiaomin's gaze fell on Zhang Guo'er and she noticed her unconsciously clenching her fists, a gesture she herself was unaware of.
"Tang Xiaomin, stop trying to confuse us. Do you think they'll believe you just because you say it casually?"
"Are you going to make up a man out of thin air to deceive everyone?"
It had to be said, Zhang Guo'er's sharp tongue was quite formidable. It was no wonder Zhou Dan had believed her so readily and helped her deceive everyone.