Chapter 713 — Pig Brain

Before long, the door of the private room was pushed open again, but the one who walked in was not the waiter from before — it was a middle-aged man. He hurried over to Gu Mengyao and said respectfully, "Eldest Miss, you're here! Why didn't you call me? I would have arranged a VIP suite upstairs for you."

This middle-aged man was the general manager of the Pengzhan Business Hotel. His surname was Liu, he was thirty-five or thirty-six, and he had the look of a sharp, capable man.

With Gu Pengzhan's word carrying absolute authority in the group — his power at its zenith — almost every board decision was his alone to make. So the heads of the subordinate businesses all lived in fear for their positions, and those who had previously been close to other shareholders now all wanted to switch their allegiance to Gu Pengzhan's camp!

There was nothing anyone could do about it. On the group's board, Gu Pengzhan was not only the largest shareholder, but he also held the proxy decision-making rights of the second-largest shareholder, "Wei Zhao." Between the two, he effectively controlled the two most critical votes, and no one else dared to object.

Manager Liu did not yet know that the group's second-largest shareholder was actually sitting right in front of him. Had he known, he would probably have been scared to death on the spot.

"I didn't want to cause any trouble." Gu Mengyao frowned. She hadn't expected Manager Liu to come in person; had she known, she wouldn't have taken out the VIP card. The reason Gu Mengyao avoided the VIP suite was that she genuinely didn't want to go. Being recognized as the eldest miss and swarmed by everyone like the moon surrounded by stars — she really did not enjoy that feeling. So she had chosen to keep a low profile and reserve a regular private room. But now that Manager Liu had shown up, Gu Mengyao worried Tang Zhi might misinterpret the situation — that she wasn't taking her to the VIP suite because she looked down on her.

The eldest miss hesitated for a moment, then thought of a remedy. "Manager Liu, you still have VIP cards on hand, don't you? Issue one for my friend. I'll speak to Uncle Qing about it."

The heads of these businesses did have the authority to recommend and issue group VIP cards, but the top-tier diamond card required approval from the group's headquarters before it could be issued. So Manager Liu would not issue a diamond card unless the client was truly important.

Since Gu Mengyao had said she would inform Uncle Qing, that naturally meant a diamond card. Manager Liu nodded hastily in agreement. How could the group refuse a request from the eldest miss? Moreover, she would be informing Uncle Qing about it herself.

Tang Zhi, for her part, hadn't thought much about any of this. If Gu Mengyao had put on airs as the eldest miss the moment they arrived, that really would have seemed like showing off in front of Tang Zhi. As it was, Tang Zhi felt the eldest miss was actually quite low-key.

They went downstairs to the front desk, and only then did Tang Zhi realize the VIP card Gu Mengyao had requested was being issued for her. Tang Zhi shook her head hurriedly. "For me? I can't even afford to eat here... The prices are way too high."

Tang Zhi told it like it was — there was nothing shameful about that. Whatever her family's circumstances were, the eldest miss surely already knew.

"You can also use it at the Pengzhan Plaza shopping center — there are discounts there too." Gu Mengyao explained.

"I... I usually buy things at the night market..." Tang Zhi still refused. The card was of no use to her, and she figured it must be quite valuable. She didn't want to owe Gu Mengyao a favor.

"Then issue it to Wei Zhao instead." Since Gu Mengyao had already made the offer, she couldn't very well take it back. Issuing it to Wei Zhao was just as good.

Manager Liu felt the name Wei Zhao was somewhat familiar, as if he had heard it somewhere before. But he didn't dare ask too many questions in front of the eldest miss. He quickly issued a diamond card to Wei Zhao, and only after the eldest miss had left did he pick up the phone and report the matter to Uncle Qing.

The moment Wei Zhao's name was mentioned, Uncle Qing's reply nearly gave Manager Liu a heart attack. Wei Zhao was actually the group's second-largest shareholder — the one who had made a single appearance? Supposedly he was Gu Pengzhan's son-in-law? Did a man like that even need a membership card?

Still, thinking about how low-key the eldest miss was, he figured Wei Zhao must be a low-key man as well. Manager Liu felt deeply honored — he had actually gotten to issue a card to the group's second-largest shareholder, and what's more, he himself had been the one to recommend him!

……………………

Li Dilei watched helplessly as Wei Zhao, Gu Mengyao, Shen Yushu, and Tang Zhi walked out of the western restaurant. He was beginning to regret letting lust get the better of him. Looking at his men strewn across the ground, alive or dead, he was gripped by a chill of lingering fear.

But he had not forgotten Wei Zhao's words. He grabbed his phone and dialed his cousin's number. His hands and body were still bristling with silver needles — he had no idea what was so special about them. But he didn't dare pull them out either. After all, Wei Zhao had told him: pull them out and you die. He didn't entirely believe it, but remembering Wei Zhao's fierce martial skill, he had no choice but to believe.

The reason was simple. Li Dilei was the leader of these men. Wei Zhao had already beaten his underlings senseless on the ground — how could he possibly spare their leader?

"Hello? Lei Zi? What's up?" Li Cihua was already in a foul mood. The poisoning had failed, and he still hadn't figured out how to deal with Wei Zhao next. Now his cousin was calling, and he had no idea what he wanted.

"Cousin, you have to help me! My turf got smashed up, and I've been stuck full of silver needles — I don't even dare pull them out!" Li Dilei said, his face contorted in misery. His only hope was that Li Cihua would get revenge for him.

"Your turf got smashed? You've been stuck full of silver needles? What do you mean — what exactly happened? Tell me everything." Li Cihua's heart jolted. Things always seemed to go wrong when he was already stressed. This cousin of his usually had no trouble — everyone on the streets knew he was Li Cihua's cousin and gave him face. How had things gone wrong today?

"This is how it happened..." Li Dilei did not dare to conceal anything either, and told Li Cihua the whole story of how he had been moved by lust, sparing no detail. This was not something he could hide even if he wanted to; Li Cihua had people of his own in the Western restaurant too. That scar-faced man was one of Li Cihua's direct subordinates, only sent over to watch the place for him.

"Fuck! You really are a pig-brained idiot, sitting around with nothing to do all day, is that it? Is there a shortage of women anywhere? You go molesting customers, and you are not even afraid of wrecking the business! Do you not know that every month that Western restaurant of yours still has to pay tribute money to the boss?" Li Cihua was furious. His own younger brother really had grown insufferably arrogant! But now that his brother was in trouble, he could not just leave him to it either: "Someone stuck silver needles into your hands and body? Why do you not go to the hospital? What use is it calling me?"

Li Dilei was stunned. That was right. Why was he so obedient? What he ought to do right now was go to the hospital, not call his cousin! His cousin was not a doctor either, and could not cure him of the silver needles in his body!

Whether there was really something wrong with those silver needles or not, would it not be obvious at a glance once he reached the hospital? RO