Dog?
Zhang Ren's eyes widened, his face blank.
He had been doted on by his family since childhood, cherished like a treasure by everyone.
Within the family, he held a high position, able to have anything he desired.
But he never imagined that in Miss Xiao's eyes, he wasn't even considered human.
At best, he was just a dog.
This…
An immense sense of defeat instantly enveloped his heart, making it difficult to breathe.
If anyone else dared to say such a thing, he would have slapped them away long ago.
But Miss Xiao? He wouldn't dare offend her even if given a hundred chances.
Let alone being treated as a dog, even if treated as excrement, he would have to endure it.
"Director Xiao… Director Xiao… he’s one of our members." Wang Changlin’s voice trembled, cold sweat pouring from his forehead.
Xiao Yun rarely visited Han Palace; she usually managed affairs at the headquarters.
Today, she had arranged to meet someone for dinner. He didn't have the nerve to associate with such an important figure.
He had intended to impress Zhang Ren and build a good relationship with him, but he had unexpectedly kicked a huge iron plate.
Now, his mind was in turmoil, his eyes filled with despair.
He didn't know how Director Xiao would deal with him.
"A member? Hmph, when did the standards of our Han Palace drop so low that even someone with such prejudice can join." Xiao Yun's expression darkened, her presence commanding.
Having held power for years, she was used to issuing orders.
She might show a smile to her friends outside, but when she put on a serious face at work.
Ordinary people might not even dare to lift their heads in front of her.
Her words alone made Wang Changlin sweat profusely, his body trembling uncontrollably.
He didn't know how to respond.
Xiao Yun looked at him with disgust and said coldly, "Have finance cancel his membership, and he is forbidden from setting foot in any of my Xiao family’s properties ever again."
"As for you, Wang Changlin, you are no longer the lobby manager from this moment on."
"You will start as a waiter, and continue until I am satisfied."
"Don't even think about quitting, because in Yong'an, no other hotel besides Han Palace will dare to hire you."
These few simple words exploded in Wang Changlin's mind like thunder.
His body felt weak, as if it had lost all support.
He collapsed to the ground, his legs giving way.
His eyes were filled with despair.
He knew he was finished, utterly finished.
Years of hard work had only allowed him to climb to the position of lobby manager, and now it was all gone in an instant.
Starting over as a waiter was a hundred times more cruel than simply firing him.
The employees he had suppressed before would surely retaliate tenfold.
And he wouldn't even be able to hide.
His entire family lived in Yong'an; where could he possibly flee?
This was the price of offending the Xiao family.
As Wang Changlin's fear surged, Xiao Yun glanced at Zhang Ren again and said, "As for you, you are Chonglou's classmate, right?"
"I don't want to know your name, nor do I want to know your background."
"I'll give you one week to enjoy yourself. After one week, wait for bankruptcy."
As soon as she finished speaking, Zhang Ren's body swayed violently. If his female companion hadn't held him, he would have collapsed on the spot.
His face turned ashen, his eyes wide, his expression one of utter horror.
He hadn't expected Xiao Yun to be so ruthless for Li Chonglou.
He had thought at most he would just have his membership canceled. Although it was humiliating, at least he wouldn't be completely ruined.
But Xiao Yun actually told him to wait for bankruptcy.
In Yong'an's business world, the Xiao family was supreme, their word law.
If they wanted him bankrupt, they didn't even need to lift a finger; a simple word would cause countless people to pile on.
He would have nowhere to bury himself.
Thump!
The next second, Zhang Ren threw off the woman's hand, his legs buckling as he knelt down.
"Chonglou… Chonglou, please help me…"
"I'm a beast, I'm a dog, I judged you by your appearance. I shouldn't have mocked and humiliated you."
"Considering we are classmates and even shared a dorm, please help me persuade Miss Xiao to withdraw her decision."
"I can’t go bankrupt, Chonglou. My whole family depends on me for survival."
"I'll kowtow to you…"
…
The arrogant and overbearing Zhang Ren from moments ago was now in tears, like a naughty child caught after making a mistake.
He kowtowed three times, hitting the ground with a resounding thud.
It was genuine, not a pretense.
He couldn't get through to Xiao Yun at all; his only hope now was Li Chonglou.
Fear made him forget how he had tried to step on Li Chonglou just moments ago to show off.
Humans, only when they reach their lowest point, hide their darker nature.
Putting on a show of pitifulness.
Li Chonglou looked at Zhang Ren with cold eyes, remaining silent and noncommittal.
He then turned his head and said, "Let's go, Sister Xiao."
With that, he walked down the stairs with Xiao Yun.
Leaving behind two men collapsed on the ground, weeping bitterly.
And a bewildered woman whose bewilderment turned into disgust once she understood.
A man on the verge of bankruptcy could no longer catch her eye.
"Zhang Ren, we're parting ways. Don't drag me down with you." With that, the woman, swaying her hips, quickly left.
Upon reaching the second floor, Xiao Yun asked with a smile, "How was it? Are you satisfied with how it was handled?"
"Sister Xiao's intentions are appreciated, but there's no need to go to such lengths for a scoundrel like Zhang Ren. Besides, even a cornered rabbit will bite. It's not worth it," Li Chonglou replied, nodding. "Moreover, I am not Cao Cao, who believes everyone should betray me. If I were to stoop to the level of such a person, wouldn't that be demeaning myself?"
His words were exquisitely crafted.
Xiao Yun’s beautiful eyes lit up, a hint of admiration rising within her.
Zhang Ren and Wang Changlin had brought their misfortunes upon themselves.
The reason she had been so ruthless was to vent Li Chonglou's anger.
After all, her best friend Lin Ying's junior disciple had been offended on her turf; if she didn't provide an explanation, how could she maintain her friendship with Lin Ying?
But she hadn't expected Li Chonglou to be so magnanimous.
Not only was he not petty, but he was also considerate of her.
And what he said was very reasonable – it's better to offend a gentleman than a villain.
Indeed, a scoundrel like Zhang Ren was best kept on a leash to remain compliant; if he lost everything, he might even resort to murder.
The Xiao family certainly wasn't afraid of such minor characters.
However, in this current sensitive period, she was putting all her effort into reintegrating the fragmented family, and she genuinely didn't have the time to get entangled with such small fry.
So, she nodded and replied, "Then, as you say. Bankruptcy is too much. Let's just put some pressure on him to make him behave."
Li Chonglou said no more.
He saw no reason to plead for someone like Zhang Ren; it was merely about maintaining his own peace of mind.
The two ascended to the fifth floor, entering the Phoenix in Flight Hall.
Inside, a middle-aged man with a face like chiseled blades sat, wearing a large cloak.
On either side of him sat two elderly men, chatting animatedly while admiring a Tianhuang seal.
"What a treasure! A seal carved by the renowned Qing Dynasty artist Qian Song. This 'Nai Qing' is his art name," one of the elders said, holding the seal with great enthusiasm. "The inscription on it reads, 'Fine brushwork, good ink; fragrant flowers, poetic stones; tranquil abode, such pure bliss.'"
"Director Shi, you've truly treated me and old Han to a feast for the eyes today."
The other elder echoed the compliment, "This item, by rights, should belong in the National Museum. You can imagine how precious it is."
"A treasure meets a worthy owner, and a worthy owner obtains a treasure."
The middle-aged man sitting in the center chuckled faintly, his eyes trying to conceal, but failing to hide, a hint of pride.
When it came to collecting antiques, people at a certain level enjoyed this feeling of being envied and admired.
Having what others don't – this sense of superiority was the greatest motivation for collecting.
Don't talk about reaching mastery; if one truly didn't care, why collect in the first place?
It was the same for antiques. Li Chonglou, having lived two lives, still enjoyed finding treasures.
Why would others be any different?
Seeing this middle-aged man, a glint flashed in Li Chonglou's eyes.
He recognized this person.
Shi Jianming.
A renowned Tianhuang collector in China, he was also the head of a large listed company.
In his previous life, Li Chonglou had interacted with him a few times.
He indeed possessed many good items, but he was exceedingly arrogant and somewhat obnoxious, which was why they hadn't become close.
So, Xiao Yun's guest today was him.
No wonder she wanted his senior sister to accompany them; it was to exchange a few words.
"Jianming, Teacher Han, Teacher Liang, sorry to have kept you waiting," Xiao Yun said, bringing Li Chonglou to the table. She introduced him with a smile, "This is Li Chonglou, the junior disciple of my close friend Lin Ying."
"Xiao Ying has an important engagement today and couldn't come, so she sent her junior disciple."
Upon hearing this, Shi Jianming sized up Li Chonglou, a hint of inexplicable hostility appearing in his eyes: "Li Chonglou, you are Lin Ying's junior disciple?"
"You don't look like it."
"Perhaps you're all talk and no substance?"
As he spoke, the two elders also burst into laughter.
It was clear they were not impressed with Li Chonglou.
This was because they all knew Lin Ying.
And they also knew that just a few months ago, Lin Ying didn't have a junior disciple.
She was the sole successor in her lineage.
Suddenly, a junior disciple appeared out of nowhere; having only known him for at most three months, how much could he have learned?
As for Shi Jianming, he had a different reason.
Everyone in their circle knew he had admired Lin Ying for a long time. He came to Yong'an to attend Xiao Yun's banquet precisely to see Lin Ying.
Who would have thought that Li Chonglou would appear, dashing his hopes?
Even a clay Buddha gets angry; how could he, the head of a major listed company, a Fortune Global 500 company, not?
Therefore, his hostility towards Li Chonglou stemmed from this.
Xiao Yun naturally knew the situation but didn't say much upon seeing it. Instead, she invited Li Chonglou to take a seat.
"Since my senior sister asked me to dine with you, it means she trusts my abilities," Li Chonglou said calmly after sitting down. "As for whether I'm all talk and no substance, you can always test me."
He was fully aware of Shi Jianming's interest in his senior sister.
In his previous life, he had heard about it. At that time, when his senior sister was in trouble, Shi Jianming had specifically flown back from abroad to attend the funeral.
But that was a different occasion, entirely different from this one.
This person wasn't a bad person, but he had one flaw: an overwhelming sense of superiority.
This was true in the field of Tianhuang and in business.
He started by trying to put Li Chonglou down.
Li Chonglou wasn't made of clay; even a clay Buddha has some spirit, let alone him.
So, he subtly retorted with veiled barbs.
"You have a big mouth. As it happens, I have something here for you to examine." Shi Jianming raised an eyebrow and took out a semi-yellow, semi-transparent antique-style carved piece from his bag.
He had the elder named Liang pass it to Li Chonglou.
Upon seeing the item, Li Chonglou couldn't help but sneer inwardly.
This was clearly a test.