Free Web NovelChapter 255: Chapter 255: "Do You Want to Go to Ju Garden?
Ming Lingyi couldn’t help but laugh when she heard this.
For a moment, she genuinely wished Hu Tuchao could come back to watch the show. ’A dogfight like this would be a sight to see.’
"What a shame. I don’t feel like knowing anything right now," Ming Lingyi said with a smile.
To Hu Jin, her words were a bolt from the blue.
After a moment of stunned silence, he finally snapped out of it. Without waiting for Ming Lingyi to ask, he blurted out, "I was only acting on orders from that bastard Hu Tuchao! He wanted me to frame you, Boss Ming, so he could take this restaurant back and not lease it to anyone. That’s why he gave me the forged contract! I didn’t mean to do it. This was all Hu Tuchao’s idea..."
Ming Lingyi hadn’t been lying. She truly had no interest in listening to Hu Jin’s rambling.
After all, her previous dealings with Hu Tuchao had made it perfectly clear who was pulling the strings.
Everything Hu Jin was saying now was of no value to her.
"Gag him. He’s being rather noisy," Ming Lingyi said.
A waiter from the restaurant quickly gave Hu Jin another taste of a dirty rag.
Manager Qian had also heard Hu Jin’s confession. Seeing that his boss seemed to have no intention of moving against Hu Tuchao, he couldn’t help but ask, "Boss, do you think what Hu Jin said is unreliable?"
’Otherwise, why would she have him gagged again?’
"They say a dying man speaks the truth. He isn’t dying, but he doesn’t want to be sent to the government, so what he’s saying now is almost certainly true," Ming Lingyi said.
Gagged for the third time, Hu Jin heard this and was so moved that tears nearly streamed down his face.
’That’s right! That’s exactly it! Everything I said is the truth! So why is my mouth still gagged?’
"As for the truth of today’s farce, it’s enough that I know it myself," Ming Lingyi said. "What’s most important right now is this: this man Hu brought so many people to our restaurant. You think no one saw? Shangjing City is only so big. With a few inquiries, anyone can find out what he came here for. If we just let him go today, what do you think all those people watching from the sidelines will think?"
Just as Ming Lingyi said, "Shangjing City is only so big." The pie was only so big, and in business, who didn’t want a larger slice for themselves? Ming’s Restaurant was currently at the height of its popularity, and now she was opening another restaurant on Vermilion Bird Street. Many people probably didn’t even want to think about how many customers that would draw away. Naturally, there were plenty of people who didn’t want to see her restaurant succeed and flourish.
If the Ming Family Restaurant was seen as a pushover, there was no telling how many others would try to cause trouble for it down the line.
They didn’t need Hu Tuchao scheming in the shadows; there were plenty of people who didn’t want to see them do well.
Manager Qian’s eyes lit up in understanding. "Dealing with Hu Jin now is more important than anything else."
And they had to not just deal with him, but make a public example of him. Let everyone see that anyone who messed with their restaurant had picked a fight they couldn’t win. No one would get off easy.
"Go on, then. No need to specifically call the Patrol from the Jingzhao Mansion over here. Just send him there directly. Tie him up with a rope and drag him over," Ming Lingyi said.
"You got it!"
Hu Jin, gagged and unable to speak, could still hear perfectly well. Ming Lingyi and Manager Qian hadn’t bothered to lower their voices, so he’d heard every single word of their exchange.
"MMMPH! MMMPH—"
’How could this be?’ Hu Jin couldn’t understand it. ’He seemed so useful, so why was he suddenly being thrown away like trash and sent to the government?’
He wriggled his body desperately, trying to get Ming Lingyi’s attention and hoping she would change her mind, but it was all in vain. He was dragged out all the same.
"Alright, show’s over. Everyone get back to what you were doing," Ming Lingyi said to the nearby waiters after dealing with the matter at hand.
Not trusting the waiters to handle taking the man to the Jingzhao Mansion alone, Manager Qian went with them.
There was nothing more for Ming Lingyi to do at the restaurant, so she didn’t plan on staying. She and Li Yun stepped out of the main entrance together.
The autumn sun felt pleasantly warm and comfortable on their skin.
Once they were outside, Li Yun finally spoke. "That Hu fellow will probably keep trying to cause trouble for you."
Although he didn’t know Feng Shuyu’s relationship with Hu Tuchao, or what connection the man had to this restaurant, he could tell Hu Tuchao wasn’t the type to keep to himself. He was no honest man.
Especially in this day and age, it was much harder for a young woman to run a business than for a man.
They were easily looked down upon and bullied.
Li Yun didn’t want to see anyone bully Ming Lingyi. "I’ll have some of the Black Armor Guards come over."
Ming Lingyi was lost in thought, and when she suddenly heard Li Yun’s words, she almost burst out laughing.
"The Black Armor Guards? What would they come here for?"
"To back you up," Li Yun replied, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Ming Lingyi: "..."
Unable to restrain herself, Ming Lingyi rolled her eyes at Li Yun. "A bunch of Black Armor Guards standing at my door? Is that backing me up, or telling all my customers you’re about to shut my restaurant down?"
Even the bravest customers who dared to enter would probably be too terrified to enjoy their meal.
’How is a person supposed to do business like that?’
Li Yun said, "Then I’ll just leave a few men at your disposal. That way, if something happens, you won’t be left without help."
"No need," Ming Lingyi refused, though not without consideration for Li Yun’s offer. "My brother has people I can use."
The Ming Family had their own shops in Shangjing City, along with their own network of connections.
Previously, Ming Lingyi had only poached two managers and hadn’t wanted to tap into any other family resources.
After all, her current relationship with Ming Chengyu was difficult to explain to outsiders.
But things were different now. If Hu Tuchao was going to target her restaurant, she would need people who had a clear understanding of the Capital City’s businesses and factions.
In certain respects, the people from the Ming Family’s businesses were clearly more useful than Li Yun’s Black Armor Guards.
Li Yun evidently understood this as well, so he didn’t insist on her accepting his men.
"I’ll assign two Hidden Guards to you. You don’t have to give them any orders. They’ll just follow you and protect you. In your daily life, as long as you don’t call for them, they will never appear or interfere," Li Yun said.
This time, Ming Lingyi didn’t refuse.
"So, what do you want to do now?" Li Yun swung himself onto his horse and offered Ming Lingyi his hand. "If we ride out of the city from this street, there’s a Ju Garden about ten li from the gates. Want to go take a look?"
As for the problems she needed to consider, she could think them over on the way.
He just wanted to spend some time alone with Ming Lingyi, even if it was only for a brief excursion outside the city.
The change of subject was a bit abrupt, but when Ming Lingyi saw the hand Li Yun held out to her, she couldn’t help but reach out and take it.
