I hadn't expected Liu Hui to be so arrogant, seemingly unafraid of me reporting the grave-robbing incident to Wu Tingxiu.
Wu Tingxiu was quite composed, able to keep her cool.
"Boss Liu," Wu Tingxiu said, a slight smile gracing her lips. "Whatever grievances you have with Mr. Xiang, let's clear them up today, for my sake. It would save me some trouble."
Liu Hui replied, "Of course, I must give Ms. Wu face. But does Ms. Wu know what our grievances are?"
Before Wu Tingxiu could respond, he glared at Wang Yang. "This guy smashed my head a few days ago. If word of this gets out, how will I ever conduct business in Guangling again?"
Wu Tingxiu's eyebrows rose. She glanced at Wang Yang, who remained silent, then shifted her gaze to me.
After a moment of thought, she asked, "Then, according to Boss Liu, how should this matter be settled?"
Liu Hui threw back his head and laughed heartily. He picked up his wine glass. "Ms. Wu, I was just joking... As you just said, everyone here is a friend, and it's normal for friends to have some friction."
I couldn't quite figure out what this guy was up to.
Liu Hui raised his glass and drained it in one gulp. "Good wine!"
Wu Tingxiu smiled. "Since Boss Liu bears no ill will, I'll toast to his magnanimity."
Liu Hui shook his head. "Ms. Wu, I don't know what your relationship is with these fellows. Today, it's only because of your presence that I'm drinking this. But you don't need to apologize for them. Whoever smashed my head, come and drink this wine."
As he finished speaking, he grabbed a bowl and poured all the remaining wine from the bottle into it.
Soon, the wine spilled over, splashing onto the table.
He didn't stop until the bottle was completely empty.
Wu Tingxiu gave me a look, as if to say she had done her part, and now it was up to me.
I felt a touch of helplessness and looked at Wang Yang.
Our eyes met. The young man was quite straightforward. Without a word, he stood up, walked over to Liu Hui, picked up the bowl of wine, and drank it down in one go.
After finishing, he flipped the bowl upside down onto the table.
As he was about to return to his seat, Liu Hui called out, "Wait... Is that it?"
Wang Yang asked, "What more do you want?"
"What do I want?" Liu Hui sneered. Suddenly, he grabbed the wine bottle from the table and violently swung it towards Wang Yang's head.
Everything happened so fast, no one had time to react.
"Bang!"
A dull thud echoed as the bottle shattered against his head.
It was a bottle of Moutai, so its toughness was considerable.
Instantly, a red line appeared on Wang Yang's temple, and drops of blood trickled down his chin onto the floor.
Liu Hui dusted off the glass fragments from his hands and looked at Wu Tingxiu, smiling. "Ms. Wu, this meal will conclude here. If you have time in the future, I'll host another couple of banquets."
With that, he left the private room with his two subordinates without a backward glance.
I snapped back to reality and abruptly stood up, intending to go after the guy to settle the score, but Hong Yunpeng grabbed me.
Wang Yang wiped the blood from his forehead with his hand and even managed a smile.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
Wang Yang shook his head. "I'm fine. This is nothing..."
He only managed to say half of that before he toppled backward and immediately fainted.
This guy was the most stubborn person I had ever met...
Wu Tingxiu stood up. "Hurry and take him to the hospital."
Hong Yunpeng and I helped Wang Yang up. Just as we were about to leave, Wu Tingxiu called out to me, "Xiang Fei, stay behind. I need to talk to you."
I frowned. Hong Yunpeng said, "It's fine. I can manage alone. This guy's tough, he won't die anytime soon."
After some thought, I nodded and told Hong Yunpeng to be careful on the way.
When only Wu Tingxiu and I remained in the room, I had lost my appetite and directly asked her what she wanted.
"I've helped you resolve today's matter. So, you owe me a favor now, don't you?" Wu Tingxiu asked, crossing her arms.
I replied, "Tell me, what do you want me to do?"
"I want you to go somewhere for me and find something."
"Where? And what am I looking for?"
"I don't know yet," Wu Tingxiu said.
I was taken aback. What kind of statement was that?
You want me to find something, but you don't know where to go or what to look for?
She continued, "I'll have someone pick you up tomorrow. You'll know then."
I was accustomed to Wu Tingxiu's way of doing things. I said, "Alright... Can I leave now?"
She picked up her handbag and said lightly, "Before you go, remember to settle the bill."
I froze, not quite understanding. "Huh?"
As she walked towards the private room door, I finally spoke, "Didn't you say you were treating?"
She turned around with a sly smile. "Did I say that?"
"When we arrived..."
Before I could finish, she interrupted me. "I only said I would help you resolve the issue with Liu Hui. I didn't say I was treating you to a meal."
She added, "If you're short on cash, you can come work for me."
I took a deep breath. "No, thank you!"
The corner of her mouth lifted. She turned and left the private room without looking back.
Damn it!
Just for that guy Wang Yang, my expenses had been considerable lately. I'd been to Zui Xian Lou twice!
I'd have to find him to reimburse me for this later.
Looking at the table full of food, I no longer felt like leaving.
None of it had been touched. Wouldn't it be a waste not to eat?
With that thought, I sat back down at the table alone, picked up my chopsticks, and ate heartily.
After eating my fill, I asked the waiter to pack up some of the remaining dishes.
Just as I was grudgingly taking out my wallet to pay the bill, the waiter informed me that it had already been settled.
"Who paid the bill?" I asked.
The waiter replied, "Ms. Wu."
I blinked, my mind catching up.
Damn it, that woman had played me again!
Whatever, as long as I didn't have to spend any money, she could do whatever she pleased.
Carrying the packed food, I sent a pager message to Hong Yunpeng.
After a while, he called me back.
I asked him where he was, and he said he was at the shop.
"Why did you go to the shop?"
Even through the phone, I could sense Hong Yunpeng's helplessness. "This guy insisted that 'one does not enter officialdom unless alive, and never a hospital when dying'... he refused to go to the hospital."
"What about his wound?"
"I found a veterinarian. They're stitching him up now."
"A veterinarian?"
"Yes, from the pet shop next door. The owner used to be a vet, and I know him."
"Alright, I'll head back now."
After hanging up the phone, I was completely resigned to these two.
Injured and not going to the hospital, but finding a veterinarian?
I hoped they wouldn't mess up his head while stitching it.