Tian Li said to Gu Hao, "Young master, let's go get something to eat."
"Forget it, let's try another place."
"Alright, whatever you say, young master."
Gu Hao led Tian Li, Lin Xiaotian, and Tun Xiaotian out of the Tianlong Hotel and headed straight for a street food stall in the distance.
"Young master, can you actually eat this kind of food?"
"Why not? You've been pampered since childhood, used to the finest food and clothing. Today we're going to try some local street food—I guarantee it's beyond anything you can imagine."
The four of them chose a table and sat down.
The owner, a middle-aged man, trotted over.
"What would you like to have, guests?"
"Bring out all your best specialties."
"Alright, please wait a moment."
Before long, six small side dishes were served.
Tian Li looked at the six dishes with some hesitation, but seeing Gu Hao pick up his chopsticks with satisfaction, she followed suit and popped a piece into her mouth.
"Wow, this is so good!"
Tian Li was amazed by the small dishes. Were they really this delicious? Street food could actually be this tasty, and the flavor was countless times better than the dishes at those big hotels.
Dropping all her usual pretense, Tian Li picked up her chopsticks and began to dig in with gusto.
During the meal, Tian Li reported to Gu Hao about the upcoming investment banquet, which received his approval.
Tian Li invited Gu Hao to attend the banquet, but he replied, "We'll see when the time comes. Handle everything as you see fit; don't worry about me, just do whatever needs to be done."
Just as they were eating heartily, two cars suddenly pulled up by the side of the road. Several men got out, surrounding a young scion type as they walked over.
They sat down at an empty table right next to Gu Hao's group, ordered some dishes, and the owner briskly served them.
The group also ordered beer and liquor and started drinking.
As they drank, one of the guys said to the young master, "Sir, there's a beauty over there. Why don't you invite her over to have a drink with you?"
The young master turned his head to look at Tian Li. Seeing that she was naturally gifted and exceptionally pretty, a lewd glint instantly flashed across his eyes.
"Alright, I'm in a bad mood today anyway. Call her over to share a couple of drinks with me."
That guy got up, walked over to Gu Hao's table, and said to Tian Li, "Miss, my master invites you over for a couple of drinks."
"Who do you think you are? Do we know each other?"
"You're strangers at first, but friends by the second meeting. Go over and have a couple of drinks, and you'll know each other! If you please my master well enough, you'll be able to walk sideways through Zhongzhou without anyone daring to touch you."
"Get lost. What kind of thing is your master?"
"Miss, don't be ungrateful. My master thinks you look nice and invited you over for a couple of drinks—that's giving you face."
Hearing this, Gu Hao burst out laughing, spraying the beer in his mouth across the table.
"Kid, what are you laughing at?"
"Nothing, nothing. I just think your master really isn't much of a thing. Does your master's face really carry that much weight?"
"Do you even know who my master is? He's Xiao Qing, the second young master of Prefecture Lord Xiao of Zhongzhou City!"
Now it was Tun Xiaotian's turn to be amused. "Xiao Qing? Sounds like a young master whose face turns pale the moment you shave it."
"What did you just say?"
Tun Xiaotian said unhurriedly, "Can't understand plain speech? If we told you to get lost, you'd better make it snappy. Do you really want us to shave your faces for you?"
"Kid, you guys are pretty full of yourselves, aren't you?"
"That's right, we are full of ourselves. What are you going to do about it?"
Upon hearing this, the guy immediately lunged forward to grab Tun Xiaotian by the collar. Tun Xiaotian smoothly caught his wrist and yanked it backward.
The man took a direct face-plant, hitting the ground so hard his nose started bleeding.
Seeing this, Xiao Qing lost his temper. How dare someone hit his man!
He stood up, and the others followed suit, crowding around Gu Hao's group of four.
The owner hurried over, wondering how these two tables of customers had managed to start a fight.
"Everyone, everyone, calm down, calm down."
Xiao Qing marched up and slapped the owner across the face. "Get lost, this is none of your business."
Gu Hao and his companions didn't pay them any mind at all, continuing to eat the food on the table bite by bite.
One of Xiao Qing's underlings, feeling that they were giving their young master zero respect, rushed forward to flip the table over. But Lin Xiaotian and Tun Xiaotian pressed down on it with one palm each, and no matter how hard he pushed, the table didn't budge an inch.
Gu Hao and Tian Li calmly went on picking up food with their chopsticks.
Xiao Qing waved a hand at the underling and said, "Not bad, kid. No wonder you dared to act so tough in front of me."
Lin Xiaotian stood up, turned around, and said, "Young Master Xiao, right? Let me tell you, we aren't people you can afford to mess with."
"Is that so? In this Zhongzhou territory, there is no one Xiao Qing cannot afford to mess with."
"Oh, looks like Young Master Xiao is very confident. But your confidence is worth less than dog shit in front of us."
As soon as Lin Xiaotian said this, Xiao Qing's underlings burst into roaring laughter.
One of them sneered, "Kid, I really couldn't tell you had a death wish. Do you even know who our Young Master Xiao is? He's the Prefecture Lord's own son!"
"And what kind of a thing is the Prefecture Lord?"
"Don't tell me you don't even know the Zhongzhou Prefecture? What kind of hillbillies are you?"
"Let us know him? He's not even worthy."
"Such audacity! You don't even hold the Zhongzhou Prefecture in your eyes? The Zhongzhou Prefecture is the very sky of Zhongzhou. In this territory, no one dares to defy the Prefecture Lord's will."
"Really? Just a petty prefecture lord and he's considered the sky? Looks like you truly have no idea what the sky actually is."
"Cut the crap, kid. Just give me a straight answer: is this chick going to drink with my master or not?"
"He's not worthy. Get lost. If you don't get lost right now, don't blame us for being rude."
"Fine! Today, if I don't teach you a lesson, you really won't know the wrath of the heavens!"
Lin Xiaotian raised a hand and slapped the speaker right into the air.
"Too noisy."
Xiao Qing was taken aback.
"Good kid, you've got guts." He glared at the rest of his thugs. "Get him, all of you! Beat him to death!"
Four or five men swarmed forward all at once. Lin Xiaotian swept out another wave of slaps, sending all of them flying.
Lin Xiaotian took two steps forward. Realizing he had run into a brick wall today, Xiao Qing shouted, "Don't come any closer! I'm the Prefecture Lord's son! If you lay a hand on me, your entire clan will be executed!"
"Executed to the ninth clan? Great, I'll be waiting."
Lin Xiaotian kicked Xiao Qing flying with a single blow. "Get the hell out of here, all of you! If I ever see you again, I'll break your legs."
Xiao Qing clutched his stomach and dragged himself up. "You just wait..."
With that, he and his subordinates scrambled into their cars and vanished in the blink of an eye.
Gu Hao shook his head and said to Lin Xiaotian, "Let's finish up quickly and head home. There really are too many trashy people in Zhongzhou."
"Should I notify Tianlong Hall to clean up Zhongzhou?"
"Forget it. Let them run wild for now—we'll deal with them once they dig their own graves."
After finishing their meal, Tun Xiaotian paid the bill and compensated the owner for the damaged items, leaving the owner endlessly grateful.
"Lin Xiaotian, Tun Xiaotian, the two of you escort Tian Li home."
"What about you, young master?"
"My place isn't far from here. I'll just walk back."
"Understood."
Gu Hao watched as Tian Li, Lin Xiaotian, and Tun Xiaotian got into the car and drove away.
He nodded to the food stall owner and started walking in the direction of his home.
The owner watched Gu Hao's retreating figure and muttered to himself, "There really aren't many young men like him left these days."
Gu Hao walked along, enjoying the night scenery of Zhongzhou City.
He sensed someone tailing him from not far away, but he didn't care. Such ants were completely beneath his notice.
Upon returning home, Gu Hao washed up and went straight to bed.
The next day, he arrived at Tiangu Group on time for work, only to find a crowd blocking the main entrance. Taking a closer look, he saw that it was none other than that punk Gu Lin making trouble with a group of people from the Gu Clan.
Wan Wen, the head of the security team, stood in front of the main doors with his men to block them.
Gu Lin snapped at Wan Wen, "Out of my way, kid."
"I'm sorry, Young Master Gu, but this is Tiangu Group, not the Gu Family Group. Please show some respect."
"Respect? Don't think that just because your Tiangu Group has squeezed into the top four groups, you're entitled to respect from the Gu Family Group. You're still not qualified."
"Whether we're qualified or not isn't up to me, but this is Tiangu Group. If you want to see our chairman and young lady, please make an appointment. Without an appointment or the chairman's orders, you are not allowed in under any circumstances."
"Such high and mighty airs! Having to make an appointment just to see your chairman is ridiculous."
"Ridiculous or not, those are the rules—so please make an appointment."
"Well, you little punk! If we don't show you some muscle today, you really won't take our Gu Family Group seriously. Get them, all of you..."
The people from the Gu Family Group rushed forward, clashing with Wan Wen and his security guards. But being vastly outnumbered, they were soon beaten to the ground in a group brawl.
Seeing this, Gu Hao strode forward.
"Stop this instant, all of you."
Gu Lin looked up and sneered, "Oh, it's you, kid. I advise you to behave yourself—look at these guys."
Recognizing Gu Hao, Wan Wen shouted, "Haotian, you're no match for them! Hurry inside and get Captain Feng."
"No need. These ants are nothing more than a slap's worth of trouble."
Hearing this, the people from the Gu Family Group burst into loud laughter.
"I think you must be out of your mind—a slap's worth of trouble? Come on, let me see you handle this with a single slap..."
Before they could finish speaking, Gu Hao literally sent the crowd of Gu Family Group members flying off the steps with a single sweep of his hand, sending them crashing down to the pavement below.
At that moment, everyone was dumbfounded.