"You!"
Old Man Liu's expression changed. He rushed forward, trying to help Professor Gordon Gu up from the ground.
But the middle-aged man who had kicked out from behind was already a step ahead. He stomped hard on Gordon Gu's back, pressing down with such force that Gordon couldn't even crawl up.
Old Man Liu reached out both hands and hugged the man's leg tightly, using every ounce of his strength, but he couldn't lift the foot at all. His face flushed red, then went pale; his aged features bulged with veins, but it was all useless.
"Old Gu!"
Old Man Liu called out, his voice trembling. Professor Gordon Gu, with his old bones, couldn't even speak at this moment; he kept coughing, his expression especially grim.
"What exactly do you want?"
Old Man Liu turned his head and glared angrily in Mason Shang's direction. "If you have a grudge, it's with me! Whatever you want, come at me!"
Old Man Liu's voice was hoarse as he gripped Gordon Gu's hand. His shriveled body looked even older and more desolate at this moment.
"Back when you were fighting me over a woman, you sure didn't talk like this. Weren't you pretty high and mighty then?"
Mason Shang smiled, squinting his eyes as he sipped his tea. "Let him get up? Sure. Ask Helena Meng—see if she's willing to let him up."
"Helena!"
Hearing this, Old Man Liu quickly turned to look at Helena Meng, who was being supported by Maya Meng as she walked down from the stairs. "Helena! Say something, please—just say something!"
"Old Gu's getting up there in years—he can't take this kind of torment!"
Old Man Liu looked utterly earnest, pleading bitterly, worry written all over his face.
"Liu-ge, you want him up? Fine—just kneel and talk."
Helena Meng spoke in a flat tone: "If you won't kneel, he'll have to kneel for your share—and stay right there on the floor."
"You! That's not what you said yesterday!"
Old Man Liu was shaking all over, his voice wavering wildly. He reached out and pointed at Helena Meng's face.
But before he could say anything, the middle-aged man's foot pressed down harder, and Professor Gordon Gu let out a muffled groan.
"I'll kneel!"
Without another moment's hesitation, Old Man Liu dropped to his knees with a thud. His slightly hunched body knelt so quickly, terrified that if he was even a second late, Gordon Gu would be stomped to death right then and there.
At this moment, any argument or principle was useless.
"Now that's a clean, crisp kneel. Back then, I asked you to kneel just once and I'd let you stay in Beijing, give you a bit of glory, but you wouldn't bow your head. Today, for an old codger, you kneel so fast?"
Mason Shang looked amused. "As for what happened yesterday, I have no idea."
"All I know is, you two crusty old fools actually dared to come mess up my Shang family. What, you want me to apologize to you? That's pretty optimistic."
Mason Shang laughed heartily, his words relentless.
Helena Meng had already sat down beside him, reaching out to gently massage his shoulder.
There were quite a few people seated in the hall. At this moment, everyone looked at Gordon Gu and Old Man Liu's faces with not a shred of sympathy or pity—only cold eyes and indifference.
"I told you to bring me that kid—now you're telling me, after all this waiting, you only brought these two old men?"