Me! A high-ranking official!

Before he could finish speaking, he felt a gust of wind brush past his ear.

The tablet in her hand was snatched away by an irresistible force. Zhao Lingling clutched the brand-new tablet tightly, her eyes shining. She then squatted down next to her suitcase, lovingly touching the phone box and the notebook. Suddenly, she looked up, her face filled with incredulous surprise: "This...this is all for me?!"

He spread his hands, feigning helplessness: "I was planning to give it to my sister, but I might be mistaken, I think I just lost a sister."

"Nonsense!" Zhao Lingling changed her attitude instantly, like a Sichuan opera mask shifting, and shouted at the top of her lungs, "Who was just spouting nonsense about my brother not having a sister? Stand up and apologize! I am my brother's biological sister, and I love him the most!"

She clutched the boxes tightly, then solemnly changed her tune: "It's just a small college entrance exam, nothing to worry about! My brother is a man of great things, and it's understandable that he'd forget things while he's busy. I'm not an unreasonable person; I've already forgiven you in my heart. No one can sow discord between us siblings!"

Seeing her greedy and shameless attitude, he couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Really not angry anymore?"

"I'm not angry anymore, I'm not angry anymore!" Zhao Lingling nodded frantically like a chick pecking at rice. "You're my own brother, how could I really be angry with you? Brother, are these really all for me?"

He nodded with satisfaction: "Of course, you're going to college now. What other kids have, we definitely have to have too. Not only do we have to have it, but we have to have the best."

"Yay!" Zhao Lingling cheered, jumped up, hugged Zhao Jianguo's neck, and shouted, "I knew my brother loved me the most!"

"Alright, alright, get down now, you're choking me." Zhao Jianguo chuckled, patting her shoulder and pulling her down. He then asked, "When will the scores be released?"

"June 25th, five days to go."

"Do you have a good idea of ​​how you did on the exam?"

Zhao Lingling pursed her lips, her enthusiasm waning slightly, and answered honestly, "It'll be fine. If nothing unexpected happens, I'll either go to a good junior college or a less prestigious university."

He nodded and didn't say anything more. It wasn't that this girl wasn't hardworking; she just wasn't smart enough and couldn't find a way to study. She studied late into the night every day, but her grades were just mediocre. Getting into a second-tier university was already considered a normal performance, and the whole family could accept it.

Zhao Lingling lovingly stroked the digital trio in front of her, carefully removing even the plastic seal from the packaging box. She neatly arranged the phone, tablet, and laptop in the center of the bed, then stepped back two paces, picked up her old phone, found the right angle, and took several photos.

"Brother, come here, let's take a picture together." Zhao Lingling waved without turning her head.

Zhao Jianguo obediently stepped forward, and Zhao Lingling, with a bright smile, made a peace sign, framing herself, Zhao Jianguo, and the three-piece bedding set on the bed in the frame. "Click," she snapped the picture, and immediately pushed Zhao Jianguo away with a look of disgust: "Alright, your shining mission is complete. Get out of here and don't stop me from admiring my treasures alone."

He couldn't help but chuckle, looking at his carefree younger sister, and suggested, "What do you want to eat tonight? It's on me, consider it a small celebration for you."

"I'm not going." Zhao Lingling shook her head decisively: "What's there to celebrate? I just graduated from high school, it's not like our family became rich overnight. We should spend where we need to spend and save where we need to save. We already have the three essentials, why go out to eat?"

Seeing how sensible his younger sister was, he nodded approvingly and casually asked, "So, what are your plans for the next few days?"

Zhao Lingling stared at the screen with shining eyes, chuckling, "Of course I have something to do. My main task next is to build a deep relationship with my three-piece set."

He raised his hand and slapped her on the back of the head.

Zhao Lingling winced in pain, clutching her head and glaring at him angrily: "Why did you hit me?"

"Since you have nothing to do, go help out at the village where I'm stationed." He put away his smile and made the arrangements in a serious manner.

"What would you do in your backwater village?"

"I started an evening tutoring class in the village, specifically to help the left-behind children with their homework. Currently, only one retired teacher is running it. Since you're free after graduation, you can go and help the children with their homework."

Zhao Lingling pouted, her face full of resistance: "I'm not going. I've studied hard for twelve years, and I finally made it to the end without having to do homework. I'm not going to go and make myself suffer at your place."

He remained calm and composed, slowly extending one finger: "One thousand five hundred a month."

Zhao Lingling's gaze instantly locked onto that finger, and she quickly reached out and grabbed it, her face immediately plastered with a fawning smile: "Deal."

He couldn't help but laugh out loud: "You little money-grubber."

Zhao Lingling puffed out her chest and retorted seriously, "I call this working and studying, using my extensive knowledge to earn my university living expenses. It's perfectly legitimate."

"Okay, then you should go and report for duty tomorrow."

"It's a deal." Zhao Lingling nodded vigorously.

That evening, he cooked a few of his signature dishes at a small restaurant at the village entrance, packed them up to take home, and opened two bottles of wine. The family enjoyed a happy reunion dinner together. After the meal, he didn't stay long and drove directly back to the village committee dormitory in Luojia Village.

Pushing open the dormitory door, a wave of cold air rushed in. He glanced at the calendar on the wall and suddenly remembered that today was the third day, and the deadline he had agreed upon with Zhou Mingyuan had arrived.

He took out his phone and dialed Zhou Mingyuan's number. The phone rang more than a dozen times, and just as it was about to hang up automatically, the call was connected.

"I am Zhou Mingyuan." The voice on the other end of the phone carried a condescending indifference.

"I'm Zhao Jianguo." He asked calmly, "What about the final payment?"

Zhou Mingyuan's voice was completely flat: "We haven't collected them all yet."

His brows furrowed instantly, and his voice turned serious: "The deadline stipulated in our agreement is today."

"Go ahead and sue me in court," Zhou Mingyuan said coldly, then hung up the phone.

Hearing the busy tone from his phone, a terrifying rage surged in his eyes. Zhou Mingyuan actually planned to default on the debt, leaving a shortfall of over 160 million yuan. He couldn't even scrape together a fraction of that amount, even if he sold everything he owned. Recalling the terrifying background of that lending channel and the consequences of default, a chill ran down his spine.

He absolutely did not believe that his life could be worth a hole of one or two hundred million, and he absolutely could not take that risk.

He took a deep breath and immediately found Zhou Qingyan's number and dialed it.

The phone was answered after only two rings, and Zhou Mingyuan's voice, filled with suppressed anger, came through: "Try to contact Xiao Yan less in the future."

The call was cut off again.

He held his phone, his face so gloomy it seemed like it could drip water. Zhou Mingyuan actually dared to betray him after using him, really thinking that Zhao Jianguo was a pushover who could be easily manipulated, and that he had no backup plan.

Since the other party is determined to renege on the debt, then don't blame him for taking drastic measures.