Free Web NovelChapter 250: Chapter 250: "Can We Talk Properly Now?
"What are you following me for?" Ming Lingyi asked, forced to turn back after taking just two steps.
Li Yun replied, "You’re alone. I’m worried." As he spoke, he glanced inside Ming Family Restaurant. "There are a lot of people in there."
The Ming Family Restaurant had been fully renovated several days ago, but Ming Lingyi hadn’t opened it for business right away.
For one, she had hired someone to divine an auspicious date. For another, she wanted to give the restaurant’s steward and waiters time to familiarize themselves with the space, to avoid any unnecessary chaos on opening day.
Moreover, Ming Lingyi had also ordered custom, identical uniforms for the restaurant staff, with the words "Ming Family Restaurant" embroidered on them. She did this because she recalled how, when Ming’s Restaurant was booming, it was packed with customers both inside and out. Many diners with questions didn’t know who to ask. After all, the place was crowded, and not everyone was a regular who knew what Xiao Chun and the Wu Brothers looked like.
Once the new restaurant took off, there would be even more customers and more waiters. To make things convenient for both the diners and her own staff, Ming Lingyi had come up with this idea. It would make who was a customer and who was an employee clear at a glance.
Most of the people in the main hall right now were outsiders.
Ming Lingyi followed Li Yun’s gaze and turned her head, her brows knitting together.
She had ridden over with Li Yun precisely because she was short on time and wanted to resolve things as quickly as possible.
She hadn’t brought Shi Mingyue with her. If she were truly alone, it was hard to say how things would go.
Ming Lingyi didn’t try to stop Li Yun this time.
The moment they entered, the group of people sitting in the restaurant looked toward Ming Lingyi. "You’re the boss here?"
Ming Lingyi’s face was probably more famous in Shangjing City than that of Li Yun, the Emperor himself.
After all, the common people might never get to see the Emperor, but almost every citizen in Shangjing City had gone to Ming’s Restaurant to see what the fuss was about.
Ming Lingyi was often at Ming’s Restaurant, so her face was naturally and easily remembered.
Even now, people would occasionally greet her on the street.
After all, the name "Boss Ming" had truly become a sensation in Shangjing City.
Ming Lingyi nodded; a plan was already forming in her mind.
"So you’re all saying you’ve rented this place?" Ming Lingyi said, looking at the leader, who was dressed in fine clothes and did indeed have the air of a boss. However, she didn’t believe a word of his claim about having rented the entire restaurant.
Ming Lingyi was more inclined to believe they were here to stir up trouble.
It wasn’t that she was arrogant, but anyone with eyes could see this was her restaurant. For this man to ask such a question now—wasn’t that completely unnecessary?
The leader’s name was Hu Jin, the same man who had been cozying up to Qiu Tao just this morning.
He looked at Ming Lingyi, completely ignoring Li Yun behind her. He simply assumed the man was one of her guards and paid him no mind.
Hu Jin glanced at Ming Lingyi and began, "This property was rented to us a long time ago. What right do you have to occupy this restaurant’s location now? However, we businessmen believe in keeping things amicable for the sake of profit. If you did this unintentionally, we can’t be bothered to pursue it. As long as you withdraw all your people from here right now, we won’t have to make things ugly between us." Hu Jin felt this was already being very generous to Ming Lingyi.
However, the restaurant staff who heard this couldn’t stand it any longer.
"You’re doing this on purpose!"
Even if it was true that you rented this place long ago, we’ve been working on it for a long time! You people didn’t show up during all that time, but now that everything for our restaurant is in place, you suddenly appear? Who would believe you don’t have some ulterior motive?!
Hu Jin turned his head at the words. "It seems Boss Ming’s people don’t know the rules. When the masters are speaking, what right does a servant have to interrupt?!"
Although Hu Jin came from a merchant family, he loved to put on airs of refinement. He didn’t have much of a head for business, but he was quite skilled in underhanded tactics.
A scolding like this gave him a sense of superiority, as if he were a member of a great, noble clan.
Hu Jin hadn’t come alone; a boss, naturally, needed an entourage. His was much larger than Ming Lingyi’s. The moment Hu Jin’s words fell, two burly men stepped out from behind him, moving to grab the "talkative" waiter and teach him a lesson.
For this new restaurant opening, Ming Lingyi had selected many people from the brokerage. Most were clever employees, but they weren’t fighters.
In a situation like this, if he were actually caught by Hu Jin’s men, it was doubtful he would come out of it well.
"Stop!" Ming Lingyi shouted sharply. "What do you think you’re doing?!"
But the two burly men at Hu Jin’s side didn’t listen to Ming Lingyi at all. They only followed their own master’s orders.
Ming Lingyi’s "Stop!" failed to halt their steps.
It was at this exact moment that a pair of chopsticks shot out from behind Ming Lingyi. One for each man, they plunged directly into the wrists of the two who were about to make their move.
Two agonizing screams rang out instantly.
Hu Jin and his group turned to stare in horror at Li Yun, who stood behind Ming Lingyi.
Only then did Hu Jin notice that the man standing behind Ming Lingyi had a remarkably handsome face, but it was too cold. So cold that when the man’s gaze swept over him, Hu Jin couldn’t help but feel his legs go weak.
The chopsticks had moved so fast that Hu Jin hadn’t even seen how Li Yun had acted. By the time he processed what had happened, his two burly men, who usually followed him everywhere, were already on the ground, clutching their bleeding wrists and writhing in pain.
The main hall fell into a dead silence.
The others behind Hu Jin subconsciously took half a step back, staring in terror at the "guard" they had ignored since the moment he walked in.
Li Yun remained where he stood, not having moved a single step. He merely brushed off some non-existent dust from his sleeve, as if he wasn’t the one who had just crippled two men’s wrists with a flick of his fingers.
"Be more polite when you speak to our boss. And when she tells you to stop, it’s best that you stop."
Li Yun didn’t even lift his eyelids to give Hu Jin and the others a direct look as he spoke slowly and deliberately.
His voice wasn’t loud, but the sense of pressure it carried was immense.
Hu Jin’s heart pounded violently in his chest.
Ming Lingyi, on the other hand, wasn’t particularly surprised. She had long known that Li Yun’s skills were extraordinary. Besides, the man was always self-disciplined; even holding his current position, he still woke up early every single day to practice his martial arts, rain or shine.
While everyone in the restaurant was still stunned by Li Yun, Ming Lingyi took a step forward. Her gaze was like a knife, stabbing straight at the pale-faced Hu Jin.
"Boss Hu," she said, her voice low but clear and cold, cutting through the groans of the two men on the floor. "Can we have a proper chat now?"
