Chapter 67: Just Inviting Him Over for a Meal

“Hahaha, Hong Yu, have you lost your mind completely, you useless wretch?”
“You think you’re the host of tonight’s banquet? I’m the richest man in China—no, in the entire world!”
“I really can’t stand this anymore. Why hasn’t anyone thrown this lunatic out? I have no appetite at all with him here.”

Lin Jiahao suppressed his anger and ignored Hong Yu. In his eyes, Hong Yu was nothing but a troublemaker; the real problem lay with Zhang Tian. They had all arrived in high spirits, the atmosphere had been pleasant, but now it was clear that Zhang Tian had set a trap, and Hong Yu, this so-called loser, was just a pawn. As long as the conflict with Zhang Tian was resolved, Hong Yu could be disposed of with a single gesture.

Lin Jiahao walked over to Zhang Tian and asked softly, “Chairman Zhang, what are you really getting at? Can you give me a clearer answer?”
Zhang Tian smiled, “What could I possibly mean? Hasn’t Mr. Hong made things clear enough?”
“That’s right, he’s the host of this banquet tonight.”

Lin Shufeng’s eyebrows shot up. “Zhang Tian, are you setting a Hongmen Banquet for our Lin family? Then what’s the meaning of your letter of apology?”
Zhang Tian sighed in exasperation. “Do you think I wanted to send your insignificant Lin family a letter of apology? I only wrote it because Mr. Hong asked me to. Without his influence, your family is nothing to me but a pack of dogs!”

“Zhang Tian, you’d better not go too far!” Zhao Minghui could no longer tolerate Zhang Tian’s arrogance. He had already been shamed tonight, and despite his father’s warnings, as the Lin family’s son-in-law, he had to stand up for them.

Zhang Tian sneered, “Go too far? Even if I do, what can you do about it?”
Gritting his teeth, Zhao Minghui said, “Don’t push your luck. Are you saying you no longer care about the Zhao family?”
Zhang Tian looked up at the ceiling. “Not just now—I never did.”
“What is the Zhao family, anyway? You’ve been hiding away in little Yulong all this time. At least my Zhang’s Electromechanical has expanded beyond Fengzhou.”
“Zhao family brat, don’t drag your family into a feud with me over the likes of the Lin family. Does your father know you speak to me this way?”

Zhao Minghui hesitated. He knew Zhang Tian was right. But before he could respond, Lin Shufeng tugged his arm, signaling that he couldn’t just stand there and take the humiliation. Otherwise, he’d truly lose all standing in the Lin family.

Unable to challenge Zhang Tian further, Zhao Minghui shifted his attention to Hong Yu, though he knew from before that Hong Yu was as stubborn as a mule. There was no way to intimidate someone so shameless and fearless.

So, Zhao Minghui turned to Lin Shuyu.
Pointing at her, he said, “Lin Shuyu, even I, a Zhao, am speaking up for the Lin family. Yet you—one of their daughters—still stand with Hong Yu?”
“Are you really willing to go against the Lin family for the sake of this useless husband?”

Lin Shuyu replied impatiently, “What I do is none of your business.”
“How is it not my business? I’m your brother-in-law, after all!” Zhao Minghui snapped. “I’ll give you one more chance. Leave Hong Yu now, cut all ties with him, or the Lin family will never acknowledge you again.”

Hong Yu sneered, stepped right up to Zhao Minghui, and slapped him hard across the face.
Zhao Minghui never expected Hong Yu to actually lay a hand on him. The blow was so forceful that he staggered and fell to the floor, unable to keep his balance.

Everyone from the Lin family was left dumbfounded. No one had imagined Hong Yu would suddenly strike.
For a moment, the top private room fell silent, the only sound their breathing—then chaos erupted.

“Damn! Has Hong Yu gone completely insane?”
“He actually hit Xiaohui? And slapped him, no less! He’s finished now!”
“Damn it! We came here to eat and celebrate, how did things get so out of hand?”

Seeing her husband slapped, Lin Shufeng lunged at Hong Yu in a rage.
But Hong Yu was already prepared for her, and as she rushed forward, he slapped her just as mercilessly.

Both husband and wife had been struck. Zhao Minghui, now out of his mind with fury, grabbed a wine bottle and swung it at Hong Yu.

“Damn you!”
“How dare you raise your hand against Mr. Hong!”

No one expected what happened next. Zhang Tian was the first to shout, and Chen Tiancheng, the owner of Tianlan Hotel, went even further—he seized a chair and hurled it at Zhao Minghui with all his strength, as if he wanted nothing more than to smash him to pieces.

“Ah—!”
Zhao Minghui dropped the bottle and dodged, but the chair still grazed his arm, leaving it burning with pain.

“This… this…”
“How could this happen?”
“This is blatant double standards! When Hong Yu hit them, neither of them said a word!”
“This must be a Hongmen Banquet!”

The Lin family stood as if struck by lightning, stunned and shaken to their core.
No one was hit harder than Lin Shufeng. From the moment she entered, she’d believed that no matter how powerful Zhang Tian and Chen Tiancheng were, they wouldn’t dare cross her husband or the Zhao family.

But when it came down to it, these two old foxes really did dare to lay hands on Zhao Minghui—and what was even more terrifying was that the so-called loser, Hong Yu, seemed to be working with them. Not even their own son would have defended them so fiercely.

The reversal was simply too shocking.
The slaps that landed on Zhao Minghui and Lin Shufeng, and the chair thrown by Chen Tiancheng, felt as if they’d struck every member of the Lin family.

Still, not everyone among them was a fool. Fang Rui, Lin Shuqing’s husband, had been observing quietly from the sidelines.
From the moment Hong Yu entered the private room, Fang Rui sensed something was off. Coupled with various events lately, he suspected Hong Yu was far from ordinary.
Unlike the rest, he hadn’t spent much time with Hong Yu, so he hadn’t formed any fixed impression of him.

“It seems Hong Yu must have a powerful background, or he’s struck some kind of deal with Chen Tiancheng and Zhang Tian.”
“And there’s Chen Dayong as well—he must be with Hong Yu too.”
“But how? How could a son-in-law married into the Lin family have such influence? These three are Fengzhou’s true giants—they never paid the Lin family any mind before!”

Gradually, the Lin family began to recover their senses.
The old master was so furious that he could barely breathe. Seeing his granddaughter and grandson-in-law still sitting on the floor, refusing to get up, he muttered to himself, “Impossible, this can’t be!”
“How could Hong Yu, that useless son-in-law, have Zhang Tian and Chen Tiancheng on his side?”
“Is there something I don’t know about here? Or is Hong Yu just a pawn for these two, sent to seize the Lin family’s assets?”

As he pondered, he was suddenly shoved from behind.
Hong Yu sneered, “Old man, what are you thinking? Get up now.”
The old master stared at him, bewildered. “Why should I get up? Are you really going to strike an old man like me? Do you have any humanity left?”

The Lin family, seeing Hong Yu confront the old master, were furious.
“Hong Yu, don’t go too far! Xiao Feng and Xiao Hui are your peers, and if you hit them in a moment of anger, I could perhaps forgive you—but if you dare touch the old master, I’ll drag you down with me, even if it kills me!”
“Who do you think you are, talking to the old master like that?”
“I’ll give you one more chance to kneel and apologize. Don’t think you can act so arrogantly just because you’re in league with Zhang Tian and Chen Tiancheng. When they abandon you, don’t blame us for kicking you when you’re down!”
“Old master, ignore this scoundrel. He doesn’t dare lay a hand on you.”

Hong Yu spread his hands helplessly. “What are you all imagining? Am I that kind of person?”
He pointed to the solitary, shabby table and said, “We’ve wasted enough time already. I just want the old man to go over there and have his meal.”