"What's that supposed to mean?"

"What do you mean, 'the person he saved'? Who asked him to come save anyone?"

"He chose to help on his own; no one begged him to. What's more... right now, nobody even knows if his reckless actions did any good or if they'll cause long-term complications!

"Let me make myself clear. If any problems crop up later, this won't be over so simply!

"When that happens, I'll make sure you all pay for it, every last cent!" Wang Rui's mother continued to shout arrogantly.

Judging by her demeanor, she clearly didn't take what Chen Zheng had done seriously at all.

"You..." Li Dali was so angry he could barely think straight.

He had never dreamed that his future mother-in-law could be so utterly unreasonable.

Then, he slowly turned his head to face his fiancée. "Wang Rui, you've heard the situation. What do you have to say? Don't tell me you're just like your mother, that you won't marry me if a single cent is missing?"

Faced with the question, Wang Rui didn't seem to intend to answer. She remained silent, her expression exceptionally cold.

Watching this scene unfold, Chen Zheng couldn't help but shake his head. It was obvious from this woman's behavior that she had no real feelings for his old squad leader. Their so-called wedding was nothing but a transaction from start to finish. If it weren't for the money, why would her family even be here?

"Li Dali... It's not that I absolutely must have this money; this isn't about money. Marriage is a lifelong commitment!"

"If I married you that easily, would your parents ever respect me? It's not the money I want; it's a sign of respect from your family!" After a moment of silence, Wang Rui revealed her true thoughts.

Her meaning was simple: without the money, the wedding was off.

"Fine, fine, fine..." The light in Li Dali's eyes began to fade.

"Since you've put a price tag on yourself and insist on the money, then let's just call off the wedding! From now on, there's nothing between us!"

After saying this, Li Dali turned and walked straight outside.

"Li Dali, you damned bastard! If you dare to walk out of here, don't you ever show your face again!" Wang Rui yelled angrily after him.

"Daughter, why are you calling him back?"

"If he doesn't want to get married, that's even better. With your beautiful face and figure, do you think you'll have trouble finding someone else?

"That boss who dropped us off in his Rolls-Royce Phantom yesterday... I remember he gave you his business card, right? Contact him later!

"Go marry that big boss and make that damned cripple sick with envy!" Wang Rui's mother deliberately raised her voice, making sure Chen Zheng and the others could hear her.

"Chen Zheng, I'm sorry... you had to see that," Li Dali said, slumping onto the steps outside. After a long moment, he pulled out a cigarette and offered it to Chen Zheng.

Chen Zheng casually waved it away, knowing what his old squad leader was agonizing over. Thinking quickly, he decided to change the subject to ease the tension.

"I've always been curious. Do you guys who smoke feel obligated to offer one, even when you know the other person doesn't smoke? Is it just a courtesy thing, or are you afraid of looking bad if you don't?" Chen Zheng asked earnestly.

"Hahaha..." Li Dali laughed. "Do you think I'm that shallow? That I only went after her for her looks, and that's why everything's fallen apart?"

"I think you were just lusting after her body, weren't you?" Chen Zheng rolled his eyes.

Li Dali laughed again, but his laughter quickly faded into silence.

After a long while, he heaved a deep sigh. "The invitations have all been sent out, and now this happens! If this falls through, I'm going to be completely humiliated tomorrow."

"Losing face only matters if you let it," Chen Zheng said meaningfully. "Everyone gets embarrassed at some point in their life. It's better to just let some things go."

"I really do like her, though," Li Dali sighed.

"A relationship has to be mutual. When two people are together because they truly want to be, that's what you call a marriage. Old squad leader, I'll be honest with you, that Wang Rui really isn't right for you." Chen Zheng finally said what was on his mind.

To be honest, he'd wanted to say this for a long time but never had the right chance. From what he'd seen, her family didn't even treat Li Dali like a human being.

Just then, Li Dali's phone suddenly rang.

Seeing the caller was Wang Rui, he immediately answered and rushed back inside.

Chen Zheng wanted to stop him, but before he could even speak, Li Dali was already gone.

"Hahaha..."

"Chen Zheng, she finally compromised! The bride price doesn't have to be so high, she said the original 200,000 is fine! I just need to come up with another 100,000 yuan by tomorrow, and everything will be settled!" Li Dali reappeared, looking overjoyed as he shared the good news with Chen Zheng.

Seeing this, Chen Zheng could only shake his head to himself. He knows full well this is just a transaction, yet Li Dali is so eager to go along with it. At this point, what more can I possibly say?

The next day arrived quickly, the air festive and filled with the constant crackle of firecrackers.

Li Dali personally drove a Mercedes from the wedding company, leading a fleet of luxury cars straight to the hotel to pick up Wang Rui. After getting her, they didn't head back right away. Instead, they took a long, celebratory loop around the county before finally stopping in front of Li Dali's family home.

The entire process went smoothly, and Li Dali was genuinely happy. Chen Zheng didn't say anything more.

But just as they reached the final step, when Wang Rui was supposed to get out of the car, a problem arose.

The bride refused to get out.

"The bride price has to go up by another 200,000 yuan. I'm not getting out of this car for a single cent less!" Wang Rui, already in her wedding dress, delivered her final ultimatum.

Seeing this, Li Dali was completely stunned.

He never imagined that things would take such a turn...

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