Chapter 115: Terrified

“Forget it!” Hong Yu waved his hand with a calm expression. “Ignorance is no crime; you don’t know me, so your reaction is understandable.”

“And after all these years, I know you’ve helped the Hong family manage Huaizhou. Whether it’s merit or hardship, I acknowledge your efforts.”

Since arriving in Huaizhou, Hong Yu had already liaised with Old Da Gong, who had informed him of the local situation. The son of the former richest man in Huaizhou, Zhang Huaiyi, was also summoned by Old Da Gong to work for Hong Yu.

“It’s an honor for the Liang family to serve the Hong family. Without the Hongs, there would be no Liang Zhanpeng today, Young Master—you flatter me too much,” Liang Zhanpeng said, attempting to kneel. Seeing this, Hong Yu quickly helped him up.

Unlike Zhang Tian, who was rebuked and told to kneel for an apology last time, Liang Zhanpeng had served the Hong family faithfully for a long time, so Hong Yu did not accept such a grand gesture.

Hong Yu smiled, “No need for that. You’re the king of Huaizhou. With so many people watching, if word got out, how would you continue managing Huaizhou for the Hong family?”

“Authority is crucial for a manager,” he continued seriously. “I’m counting on you and the Liang family to keep managing Huaizhou for me.”

Liang Zhanpeng felt moved and somewhat reflective. He had never met Hong Yu before, but as an elder of the Hong family, he had heard about Hong Yu’s background from others.

He never expected an abandoned child raised away from the family to possess such breadth of mind and emotional intelligence. Liang Zhanpeng’s desire to kneel was partly out of respect for the Hong family and partly because he was uncertain what kind of person Hong Yu truly was.

Seeing that Hong Yu dared to detain Xiao Sa without revealing his identity, Liang Zhanpeng had initially been uneasy, assuming Hong Yu was a spoiled scion who had grown reckless after years of neglect.

But the reality was quite the opposite. As long as they could communicate, Liang Zhanpeng felt things would be alright.

He bowed slightly with a smile, “This is the opportunity given by the Hong family and you, Young Master. Otherwise, I…”

Hong Yu interrupted, “This has nothing to do with me. When you left the Hong family to come to Huaizhou, I wasn’t even born yet.”

“Though the Hong family lacks warmth and is rigid in dealings, their judgment of people is reliable.”

Liang Zhanpeng dared not respond; he wouldn’t dare speak ill of the Hong family.

After a moment, he said, “Young Master, there are too many people around with loose tongues. Why don’t we move inside the private room to talk?”

Hong Yu glanced around and saw everyone staring intently at him. He had wanted to leave quickly to find Lin Shuyu, knowing she must be worried.

But after some thought, he nodded.

Delighted, Liang Zhanpeng quickly extended his hand to escort Hong Yu upstairs and then turned around to scold, “Xiao Sa, you idiot! Still standing there waiting for dinner?”

“Get your ass upstairs right now! Do you know how big a mess you’ve caused this time?”

Xiao Sa trembled, his legs somewhat weak. Though just the son of a steward, he had long been favored by Liang Zhanpeng, who had treated him like a son over the years.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t be entrusted with managing such a large enterprise as Pengzhan Restaurant. Among the Liang family’s younger generation, Xiao Sa’s position was second only to Liang Zhanpeng’s two sons and some nephews.

Xiao Sa dared not disobey and quickly responded. Nearby, Zhou Teng, intimidated by Liang Zhanpeng’s sudden change in attitude, remained silent.

As Xiao Sa moved to leave, Zhou Teng anxiously asked, “Boss Xiao, what exactly happened? Why did this happen? Are we in trouble?”

Xiao Sa, frustrated, cut him off. “You ask me? Who else can I ask?”

“Who knows how things suddenly turned out like this? Don’t overthink it now—just be glad you survived this.”

Zhou Teng pleaded, “Boss Xiao, you have Boss Liang’s protection; probably nothing will happen to you, but I’m different!”

Xiao Sa sighed, “What do you think I can do? Even my boss seems scared of that Young Master Hong. Do you think he’d speak up for you?”

Zhou Teng wailed, “Boss Xiao, you have to save me! If not, I’ll run now. Surely he won’t chase me all the way?”

Xiao Sa was speechless. “Who do you think my boss is? Do you think you can just run away?”

“I’m telling you, if my boss really wants to get you, running to the ends of the earth won’t help.”

Zhou Teng was stunned.

Suddenly, he turned and slapped the girl beside him across the face.

“Damn you! If it weren’t for you, how would I have gotten into this mess?”

“Just wait, if I get into trouble, I’ll drag you down with me!”

The girl was beaten mercilessly, tears streaking her face, but she dared neither cry nor scream. She knew Zhou Teng was truly in deep trouble this time, and if she caused more trouble, he might strike her again.

Xiao Sa frowned, “Enough! Stop beating and cursing. My boss called me upstairs; you just wait down here.”

Zhou Teng quickly said, “Boss Xiao, let me come up too. I’ll admit my mistake and won’t cause trouble.”

Xiao Sa thought for a moment, a bit frustrated, but nodded.

As they walked to the private room, Xiao Sa kept replaying Hong Yu and Liang Zhanpeng’s words in his mind. He understood every word, but when combined, he couldn’t grasp their meaning.

What Hong family? What management? What Young Master? These were things he had never heard of.

Before, Xiao Sa had always thought Huaizhou was built by Liang Zhanpeng alone, rising from grassroots.

But from their conversation, it seemed otherwise. The king of Huaizhou was actually appointed by a family to govern—this was truly shocking news for Huaizhou.

Fortunately, the onlookers had kept their distance, only seeing Liang Zhanpeng treat Hong Yu with great respect. They probably couldn’t hear the conversation; otherwise, they wouldn’t have remained so calm.

In truth, the onlookers were only silent because they dared not speak.

As soon as Xiao Sa and Zhou Teng left, the crowd began to whisper.

“Damn! I must have been mistaken. How could something so dramatic happen just now?”

“Thank goodness I didn’t curse that young man earlier. If I had, I’d be doomed to disappear from Huaizhou.”

“It’s not about survival; I’m afraid you’d be killed. Didn’t you see Xiao Sa and that tough-looking boss were so scared?”

“Does anyone know who that young man is?”

“He looks unfamiliar, probably no big shot.”

“Don’t be ridiculous! Liang Zhanpeng almost knelt down out of fear. You tell me he’s nobody?”

Click—

The private room door opened, revealing Hong Yu sitting and drinking tea with Liang Zhanpeng.

Xiao Sa was about to speak when Zhou Teng suddenly charged forward.

“What the hell! Zhou Teng, what are you doing?”

“Are you trying to get us all killed?”

Xiao Sa shouted frantically, nearly wetting himself.