Chapter 428: That Little Bit of Money You Made Isn’t Even Enough

At first, Mao Yan was excited. But the moment Mao Guo got a good look at the visitors, his expression darkened on the spot.

“Dad…”

“Not my friend.”

Mao Yan turned around, puzzled by his father’s sudden shift in attitude.

Then he looked more carefully at the people stepping out of the car, and in an instant, his expression turned just as stormy.

“Tch! Bad luck!” Mao Yan spat on the ground.

Wang Yun had just gotten out of the car and immediately spotted Mao Yan in the distance.

This guy was impossible to miss. He looked exactly like how Mao Hongping had described him. Thick gold chain, flashy wristwatch, probably lives on cheap barbecue every night! And that bright red dyed hair made him look like one of those greasy “internet cool guys.”

“Hey, what the hell are you doing here?”

Before Wang Yun and his group could even say a word, Mao Yan stepped up first, hands in his pockets, face full of impatience and disdain.

“Aiya, Mao Yan, this is Teacher Wang. He’s from the TV station.”

Mao Hongping quickly stepped in between them, smiling as she tried to defuse the situation.

“TV station?” Mao Yan paused. “What’s the TV station doing here?”

Upon hearing they were from the media, Mao Yan’s expression eased up slightly.

After all, he had spent time working in the city, he knew how much influence the media could wield.

Mao Hongping kept up her flattery, “Teacher Wang’s producing a matchmaking show. He asked me if our village had any outstanding young bachelors, and of course, I thought of you. But, you know, the show only accepts single participants. So I told him about you and Xiao Gang. Teacher Wang said he’d like to mediate between you two, see who’s interested in appearing on the show.”

With just a few words, she laid everything out clearly.

Wang Yun even found himself admiring her finesse.

“Mediate what? What’s there to mediate? TV station… what TV station?”

Despite a flicker of interest flashing in his eyes, Mao Yan still put on a show of arrogance. He wasn’t about to lose face in front of Xiao Gang.

Wang Yun stepped forward with a smile, offering his hand.

“Hello, I’m the producer of a current affairs program. My name’s Wang Laicai.”

He casually made up a name.

He’d already told Mao Hongping before that it was for the show. Plenty of entertainers used stage names. It was standard in their line of work.

Mao Yan glanced suspiciously at Wang Yun’s handsome face but still reached out and shook hands.

Just then, Mao Guo walked over.

“TV station? Are we going to be on TV now? We’re not interested. And Sister Ping, my son really likes that girl, Mao Yangyang. Just do your part. Don’t worry, you’ll be compensated.”

Mao Guo cut straight to the point, even throwing Xiao Gang a sharp glare.

How could Xiao Gang take that lying down?

His temper flared instantly.

“Love should be mutual! Just because you’ve got some dirty money, you think you can do whatever you want? Don’t forget, this is a society ruled by law!” His voice rose into a low growl.

The nearby construction workers all paused, glancing at each other. They began slowly walking toward them.

“Tch! That’s rich coming from you. What, you think you’re some kind of celebrity now just because you were on TV? Yeah, I’ve got more money than you, so what? Sure, we live in a lawful society, but money talks. The cash you’ve got? Barely enough to build a house. What can you offer Yangyang, huh?” Mao Yan shouted, completely fired up.

He knew exactly how much money Xiao Gang had earned from the show.

And that amount? It wouldn’t even cover the renovations at his place.

Xiao Gang’s eyes filled with rage as he watched Mao Yan sneer. He clenched his fists, ready to charge forward, but Wang Yun stopped him with a single arm.

“Oh? What, you’re gonna throw a punch?”

Mao Yan saw Xiao Gang’s movement and took a bold step forward, thrusting his face out provocatively and slapping his own cheek.

“Come on, hit me! Go ahead! Right here!”

“Hey, hey! Enough of that!”

Seeing things spiral out of control, Mao Hongping quickly shoved her way between them, panicked.

Wang Yun also stepped in to separate them, though mostly to push Mao Yan away and shield Xiao Gang.

It was only right to protect his own brother. Playing favorites? That was part of the job.

“Let’s all calm down. We came here today to understand the situation. It’s actually quite easy to resolve.”

Wang Yun smiled as he spoke, adopting the calm demeanor of a mediator.

But in his eyes, a cold glint was quietly brewing.

Mao Yan scoffed at Xiao Gang, utterly dismissive.

“My dad’s right. I’m not going on any stupid show. Let this guy go instead. Maybe he’ll be able to scam some silly girls with his sweet talk.”

His tone grew more vicious, ignoring the fact that media people were right there.

The darkness in Wang Yun’s gaze deepened.

“Sister Ping, it seems like the two of them won’t be reaching any agreement today. Since our TV station is here to resolve this, why don’t we call the girl involved over? Let’s hear what she wants.” Wang Yun suggested smoothly.

Mao Hongping immediately nodded. The atmosphere was far too tense—she didn’t want to see the two of them actually come to blows.

“I’ll call her right now—”

“No! Don’t you dare call her!”

Just as she reached for her phone, Mao Yan snatched it out of her hands, eyes filled with warning and threat.