"No smoking allowed?"
Rory "Hammer" Luo paused for a moment when he heard that. He looked up and down at the confident Eric Yu standing in front of him, flicked his cigarette ash with a finger, and said, "Who are you? Around here, I'm the one who decides whether people can smoke or not, not you. Do you even know the rules?"
Rory Luo was never much of a celebrity-chaser. Even though he was the manager of the Shanggrida Grand Hotel, most day-to-day matters were handled by the assistant managers—he just held the title.
He only knew Serena Tong because she was both a hugely popular rising star and, frankly, stunningly beautiful.
But as for Eric Yu, he barely knew anything about him.
"I'm Eric Yu. My father is Quentin Yu, president of the Capitalview City Chamber of Commerce. You might want to think about what kind of person you are. Serena is here for a fan meeting, which is already a huge favor to your hotel. And now you want to pull some sleazy 'unspoken rules' stuff? Have you even looked in the mirror lately?" Eric sneered, arms crossed, firing off his words in rapid succession.
"I'm telling you—get lost before I lose my temper! Otherwise, one phone call from me and you guys will be finished in Capitalview."
Eric Yu's voice was loud enough that even Serena Tong glanced over curiously from the other side.
Since there was still some distance between this spot and Serena Tong, people over there just saw a commotion break out, but had no idea what was causing it.
"Awesome, Eric!" Mason He couldn't help but pump his fist at Rory Luo and his guys. "Didn't you hear what Eric just said? You still have time to scram, but if Eric gets pissed, one call and you're out!"
Lynn Chen listened to all this, glancing at Eric Yu with a hint of surprise. Beside her, Wendy Wen was looking at Eric with newfound approval.
A real man should step up when things aren't right—show some backbone and style.
"You finished?"
Rory Luo took a deep drag, finishing off the last half of his cigarette in one go until only the butt was left.
He shot a sidelong glance at Eric Yu and asked,
"What, was I not clear enough, or are you just deaf?"
Eric Yu frowned.
Manager Ji stood off to the side, watching coldly. She had no intention of stepping in—she was actually happy to see Eric Yu make one phone call and have Rory Luo, the local thug, dealt with.
"I heard you loud and clear. But you should worry about the impact—hey, close the door behind you."
Rory Luo nodded and called out to his men.
Then two of Rory Luo's men stepped forward and shut the door behind Eric Yu and his group.
After all, there were still quite a few reporters present today. Rory Luo didn’t want to give anyone extra dirt to gossip about—if word got back to Second Brother Su, he’d probably get chewed out.
"Door's closed. So, what, too proud to apologize? Actually, you don’t need to say sorry to me—just apologize to Serena. But honestly, with a face like yours, she probably wouldn’t bother to see you anyway. You’d better just get lost!"
Eric Yu thought Rory Luo had the door closed so people outside wouldn’t see him looking embarrassed while apologizing.
But before Eric could finish, Rory Luo stepped forward and slapped him hard across the face.
A loud smack echoed in the room.
Eric Yu's eyes went wide with disbelief. His head jerked to the side, and bright red fingerprints instantly bloomed across his cheek.
"How dare you hit Eric!"
Mason He shouted angrily when he saw this. He rushed forward and aimed a kick at Rory Luo.
He was actually the captain of Capitalview First High School’s martial arts club and knew a thing or two about fighting, but just as he lashed out, Rory Luo landed a swift stomp right between his legs.
Awooo!
Mason He groaned in pain, his body twisting as he clutched his groin and wailed on the floor.
"Still calling him 'Brother Hero'? Brother this, brother that—if he's your brother, then what am I, your grandpa?" Rory Luo spat right in Mason He's face, sneering.
"Agh!"
Wendy Wen and the other girls went pale with fright. Even Lynn Chen looked shaken.
"How dare you hit me! My dad is Quentin Yu!" Eric Yu shouted, furious.
"Quentin Yu, huh? Go ahead, call your dad over! I work for Second Brother Su—why would I be scared of your old man? What a joke!" Rory Luo boasted, full of swagger.
Quentin Yu might be the president of the Chamber of Commerce, but the Su family—especially Second Brother Su—runs Jinnan for real.
Honestly, Quentin Yu is a few levels below Second Brother Su.
Normally, Su family’s men wouldn’t clash head-on with Quentin Yu, but the Su family’s got military connections—Old Master Su Yuantian was a real soldier who fought for the country!
"You!"
Eric Yu’s whole face burned, his eyes practically spitting fire.
But in the end, he didn’t dare say another word.
"Eric, is everything settled? Stay for dinner with us later."
The door opened. Manager Ji walked in with a big smile, but froze when she saw Eric Yu standing there—head down, face marked with a bright red handprint.
"So you’re here, Manager Ji, right? What, not happy with me and looking for backup? Go ahead, I’ll give you time to call whoever you want. I want to see who in all of Capitalview dares stand up to Second Brother Su!" Rory Luo snorted, full of contempt.
Manager Ji’s heart sank. She forced a stiff smile. "Brother Luo..."
"Don’t call me Brother Luo! If you really know what’s good for you, just bring Serena Tong over later like I said!" Rory Luo grunted, crossing his arms and flicking his cigarette butt straight at Eric Yu’s face. "And you, punk, go ahead and call your dad! Let’s see if he’ll come smack you or try to mess with Second Brother Su!"
Eric Yu stood there, not daring to make a sound, his face beet red with anger he couldn’t let out.
"Uh..."
Manager Ji looked completely anxious.
Queenie Tong finally spoke up, her voice trembling: "Master, could you help my sister?"
Just then, someone’s voice rang out from the VIP lounge.
Queenie Tong had been watching the whole time, sensing the tension but not daring to act rashly. She kept brewing tea for Evan Lin, afraid of offending him.
As soon as she spoke, everyone turned toward her.
Evan Lin sat calmly on the sofa, gently blowing on his tea before taking a sip, his face utterly serene.