Gong Li watched the phone hang up, his heart clenching.
What a mess this had all become, how could they have caused such a huge problem.
Thinking of what Secretary Hu had just said, he broke out in a cold sweat. It had truly been a terrifyingly close call.
He found himself grateful to Qu Mingwei. If it hadn't been for Qu Mingwei notifying him, he would have been dragged down with them.
His previous annoyance with Qu Mingwei vanished instantly, replaced by gratitude.
Hu Liangzhe and Qu Jun remained silent in the private room. All six people in the room were ashen-faced, looking utterly despondent.
Hu Liangzhe and Qu Jun, along with the other two, felt as if their parents had died, their expressions bleak and devoid of life.
Qu Mingwei's call had come first, followed by Hu Hong's. Both had been reprimanded, and now they could only brace themselves for the storm to come.
As for Young Master Wu and Young Master Lin, they dared not even breathe, nor go anywhere. They could only wait to be dealt with.
Hu Liangzhe and Qu Jun also felt a sense of utter disbelief. They had just come out for a meal and some fun, how could they have stumbled into such a mess?
In truth, neither of them had intended anything untoward from the start. They were simply there to eat. The entire cause of this was Young Master Wu; if he hadn't been so loose-lipped, this wouldn't have happened.
But now that it had happened, nothing they said could change anything.
Peng Gaojie sat far away in the main hall, not even daring to glance at Xia Lin's side. Ever since his uncle had warned him, his heart had been in his mouth.
As for Zhou Lu, she was even more so. She truly hadn't expected such a thing to happen, and she deeply regretted it.
To be precise, she was the instigator, having taken it upon herself to invite Liu Jingru.
Even if Young Master Wu had suggested she invite some sisters, if she hadn't invited Liu Jingru, everyone would have had a pleasant evening.
The first to arrive was Peng Gui. He had set off earliest and was the first to arrive.
After Peng Gui got out of the car, he ran straight into the club. When he saw Xia Lin and the other two sitting and chatting in the living room, he rushed over.
"Miss Xia, Young Master Zhou, Miss Liu, I apologize." Peng Gui bowed deeply.
No matter the circumstances, an apology was the priority.
He didn't fully understand the specifics, only that Zhou Gangyi had hit Hu Liangzhe and Qu Jun.
It was unusual for the person who had done the hitting to accept an apology, but Peng Gui had never done this before.
"Sit over there for now," Zhou Gangyi said, gesturing to the nearby sofa. "Who else is expected to arrive? We'll discuss it once everyone is here."
Peng Gui was known to them all. He had been the one serving tea and water when Qu Mingwei had hosted a meal that day.
"Alright." Peng Gui dared not speak further and walked over to sit on the sofa. "Sit" was an exaggeration; he only managed to perch on the edge.
With nothing else to do, Zhou Gangyi looked at Peng Gui and asked, "Who are the people inside?"
Upon hearing this, Peng Gui immediately stood up and confessed honestly, "Secretary Hu's son and Deputy Governor Qu's son, and the other two are the sons of entrepreneurs from Sichuan Province."
Zhou Gangyi waved him off and gestured for him to sit back down.
He wasn't particularly concerned about who was inside; he was just bored and wanted to satisfy his curiosity.
Who cared if it was Secretary Hu's son or anyone else? As long as someone offended Lin'er, he would dare to hit Secretary Hu himself.
Peng Gui, seeing this, discreetly sat back down. Peng Gaojie, watching from a distance as his uncle meekly bowed to the young man, felt his heart being torn apart.
"You're completely useless, can't accomplish anything but mess things up. Are you out of your mind, why did you invite Liu Jingru?" Peng Gaojie whispered, scolding Zhou Lu.
"If this isn't being out of your mind, what is?"
"Perhaps it's more about jealousy."
It was jealousy that led to all of this.
Zhou Lu dared not retort, being unable to speak back since the incident originated with her.
Not long after, Qu Mingwei arrived in a hurry.
"Deputy Governor Qu," Peng Gui said, standing up as he saw him.
Qu Mingwei ignored him and walked towards Xia Lin and the others, saying, "Lin'er, Qu Jun is my son. Whatever offense he has caused you, I will let you deal with him as you see fit. I will not say a single extra word."
Although Qu Mingwei's words seemed impartial and righteous, they were an unspoken attempt to appease Xia Lin and calm her down.
"Deputy Governor Qu, you can ask him. Deal with it however he decides," Xia Lin said, pointing to Zhou Gangyi beside her.
Since Zhou Gangyi was the one who had delivered the blows, Xia Lin still wanted to save face for him.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have minded making the decision for Zhou Gangyi, but Xia Lin wouldn't do that.
Qu Mingwei nodded upon hearing this and looked at Zhou Gangyi, saying politely, "Young Master Zhou, I will bring that brat out for you to vent your anger."
After speaking, Qu Mingwei gave Peng Gui a meaningful glance. Peng Gui, understanding his intentions, walked towards the private room.
"Which room?" Peng Gui asked expressionlessly, walking up to Peng Gaojie.
"Uncle, I'll take you," Peng Gaojie said, quickly standing up and leading Peng Gui toward the private room.
After being led out by Peng Gui, Qu Jun walked with his head bowed the entire way, not daring to look up at his father.
"Hurry up and apologize to them, you useless thing," Qu Mingwei said, a flash of anger in his eyes as he looked at Qu Jun.
Zhou Gangyi waved his hand, saying, "There's no rush to apologize. Let's wait until everyone is here."
Zhou Gangyi waved his hand again, signaling Qu Jun to step aside.
Earlier, in the private room, Hu Liangzhe had said that the matter wasn't over and that they would find Xia Lin later. Today, he wanted to see what confidence Hu Liangzhe had and how he planned to find Xia Lin and Liu Jingru.
Now, Qu Mingwei had arrived, and Hu Hong hadn't yet. He would deal with them all together once they were all present.
Qu Mingwei felt a bit awkward but dared not offer any more suggestions.
Qu Jun stood rigidly, neither daring to look up nor sit down. He felt incredibly uncomfortable, wishing he could disappear into a crack in the ground.
He now knew Zhou Gangyi's identity and didn't even have the courage to look at him.
As if on cue, Hu Hong also arrived within a few minutes.
"Secretary Hu," Deputy Governor Qu called out, walking over and whispering a few words into his ear.
These words essentially informed him of Xia Lin and Zhou Gangyi's identities.
"The three of you, I am extremely sorry. I will definitely pursue this matter to the end today and give you a satisfactory answer," Hu Hong said, knowing that if he didn't concede today, the situation wouldn't be resolved.
"Secretary Hu, Deputy Governor Qu, you are both leaders in Sichuan Province, and I respect you. However, your sons deserved to be hit today. Originally, I didn't plan to pursue this too far, but Secretary Hu, your son also said he would find a way to find Lin'er and Liu Jingru. Does this mean you intend to seek revenge?"
Zhou Gangyi's tone was calm, his words measured, yet the aura he exuded was powerful.
Even Hu Hong and Qu Mingwei, accustomed to their high positions, were inwardly shocked.
Just as Hu Hong was about to speak, Xia Lin's phone rang, and he wisely fell silent.
Xia Lin saw that it was Xia Feng calling and immediately answered, exclaiming, "Brother, are you done with your work?"