Volume 1, Chapter 27: The Threat

As Guo Dong’s phone call dragged on, Zhou Peng’s expression grew increasingly sour. Eventually, unable to wait for him to finish, he turned his attention to Li Tianhu.

"Young man, thirty yuan a catty—and for peaches of this quality, at that? I hear this Boss Guo still has a grandfather at home, right?"

Li Tianhu nodded and sighed, "I know what you’re after, but his grandfather doesn't interfere in his business. Whether these peaches get sold or not really depends on Guo Dong. If he doesn't agree, you aren't walking away with them!"

Just then, Guo Dong finally finished his call and walked toward them with a smile.

"Manager Zhou, is it? You seem to have a pretty good relationship with Boss Zheng Weiguang, don't you?"

Zhou Peng frowned upon hearing this. "What do you mean by that?"

"Nothing much. Just that my peaches have already been reserved!"

Guo Dong was in a great mood. The call had been from Meng Xiaohan. Xie Minmin was already driving her truck toward the village entrance, and she had even brought him a gift.

Zhou Peng’s face turned the color of liver, and he felt incredibly frustrated. "Boss Guo, you’d better think carefully. Once you pass up this opportunity, you won't find another shop like mine!"

Guo Dong didn't reply; he turned and began walking down the mountain. Selling peaches was a good thing, but it depended on the buyer. Since this Zhou Peng had been sent by Zheng Weiguang, he naturally associated the man with him. Zheng Weiguang was a petty, small-minded person, and his friends were likely no better. Since Xie Minmin wanted the remaining peaches, he certainly wouldn't sell them to anyone else.

"Guo Dong, do you have any idea what the consequences are for crossing Tianpeng Hotel?" Zhou Peng raised his voice, his tone dripping with threats.

Guo Dong, who had already walked away, suddenly laughed. "Manager Zhou, are you threatening me?"

"Threatening?" Zhou Peng sneered. "You’re just a small-time fruit farmer; you aren't even worth my threats. If you sold these peaches to me today, that would be the end of it. But if you really sell them to that woman, Xie Minmin..."

"And what if I do?" Guo Dong suddenly turned back, staring hard at Zhou Peng. It was just as he thought—birds of a feather. The threats had already begun.

"Then just wait for the retaliation from Tianpeng Hotel!" Zhou Peng abandoned all pretense, shedding his previously humble demeanor.

Guo Dong looked at him with a smile and said, word by word, "I’ll be waiting! Hei-zi, show him out!"

For the first time ever, Guo Dong commanded his dog to chase someone away. It turned out that Hei-zi actually understood; the dog bared its teeth, let out a low growl, and lunged toward Zhou Peng. Although Hei-zi looked lean, he was still a large black dog. If he actually bit him, Zhou Peng would have been in for a world of pain.

Before the dog could reach him, Zhou Peng scrambled down the mountain, tripping and falling several times until he finally shook off the dog.

*Woof! Woof!*

It was impossible to outrun a hunting dog, so it was clear that Hei-zi was just trying to scare him and had no real intent to bite. Hei-zi had undergone subtle changes recently that only those close to him would notice. Beyond being lively, he could now understand the nuances of human speech.

Li Tianhu stood by, dumbfounded, unable to process the rapid shift from friendly conversation to mutual threats—all in the time it took for a single phone call.

"Guo Dong, you’re finished. Are you actually stupid or just pretending? That’s Tianpeng Hotel. Small folks like us can't afford to offend them." Li Tianhu knew the hotel well. In Hongwu County, everyone knew the place had a notorious reputation.

"They're already offended. Is there any point in saying that now?" Guo Dong chuckled and said to Li Tianhu, "Stop overthinking it. Go find some people to help pick the peaches. Don't you still want to lease that fish pond?"

"You sold them?" Li Tianhu was momentarily stunned, his brain struggling to keep up.

"Of course I sold them, or why would I have argued with this guy surnamed Zhou?"

At the foot of the mountain, Xie Minmin had already led several staff members toward the orchard. Seeing Guo Dong and Li Tianhu coming down, she hurried over.

"Boss Guo, I’m so sorry!" she said, pulling a bag out and handing it to him. "I heard from Xiaohan that you were planning to go to the county seat to buy a phone. I thought I’d be passing by anyway, and since I didn't have anything else to give you, consider this a gift. Please don't look down on it!"

Xie Minmin’s tone was much more polite this time, and her explanation left even Li Tianhu confused.

"Whoa, Guo Dong! A phone? It's the latest model, this one costs over ten thousand yuan!"

Guo Dong took a look at the bag, startled, and immediately tried to hand it back. "Sister Min, I can't take this. It's too expensive!"

Seeing his nervous expression, Xie Minmin covered her mouth and laughed. "Come on, since I’ve already bought it, just take it. I checked with Xiaohan beforehand. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't have known what to get you."

Xie Minmin was not the type to take back what she had given. Her main purpose for coming was not just to pick up these peaches, but to discuss business with Guo Dong. The success of this batch of honey peaches had revealed a business opportunity, and she wanted to secure the supply for next year. If she didn't bring a gift, it would have been difficult to bring up the subject.

"This..." Guo Dong was at a loss for words. He *did* want a phone, but being bought one by someone else was a completely different matter!

Li Tianhu watched the exchange, completely baffled. *What’s going on here? There’s something fishy going on! Could this woman have taken a liking to Guo Dong?*

Li Tianhu’s eyes darted between the two of them, his mind working quickly. The woman was a few years older than Guo Dong, but she was truly beautiful. Most importantly, she was wealthy! Without waiting for Guo Dong to refuse, he snatched the bag and pulled out the box inside.

"Guo Dong, someone of Sister Min’s status wouldn't take back a gift! If you feel guilty, you can just look after her in your business dealings. By the way, Sister Min, does your supermarket buy fish?"

Guo Dong wanted to kick the guy. Nothing was set in stone yet, and the issue with the fish pond hadn't even been resolved. This guy was already plotting sales! He couldn't think of anyone else as thick-skinned as Li Tianhu.

"Oh? You’re planning to farm fish?" Xie Minmin laughed suddenly.

Guo Dong quickly shook his head. "Don't listen to him, he’s just talking nonsense!"

Xie Minmin laughed again, a sight that left Li Tianhu completely mesmerized. His soul had been carried away.