Chapter 4496 — Smacked in the Face
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 3
Seeing Chai Laoshi suddenly rise, Hai Wuliang's heart gave a thud, a bad premonition stealing over him. But the man's identity carried too much symbolic weight; he dared not brusquely cut him off, and could only say tactfully, "Manager Chai, might I trouble you to wait a little longer? Once we have dealt with this family disgrace, we can discuss business matters with you in detail, how would that be?"
"Chief Escort Hai misunderstands me. What I wish to speak of is not business, but the identity of Young Hero Ling Yi." Chai Laoshi glanced at Hai Wuliang, and without waiting for him to speak, turned to address everyone: "There is something you may not know. On behalf of the Hong Merchant Association, I make this clarification here: Young Hero Ling Yi is the honorary vice-chairman of our Hong Merchant Association."
Honorary vice-chairman? The hall was in an uproar once more, every face stamped with incredulous shock. This unremarkable-looking Ling Yi was actually the honorary vice-chairman of the Hong Merchant Association?
With a halo of status like that, he was a true personage wherever he went. Truly, a man cannot be judged by his looks, nor the sea measured by the bucket!
Yet at the same time, the same doubt rose in every heart: why would such a personage come to fight in the arena on behalf of Qingtian Escort Agency? Had he nothing better to do with a full belly? The minds of great men were truly unfathomable...
The crowd was merely shocked and clamorous; Hai Wuliang, however, was utterly dumbstruck. In the investigation report on Wei Zhao from a few days earlier, there had been no mention that this fellow bore such a dazzling halo!
Bearing the title of honorary vice-chairman of the Hong Merchant Association, any normal person would wish the whole world to know it. Yet this fellow, confound him, had not breathed a word from beginning to end, carrying on as if he had something to hide. Damn it, how could there be such a low-key monster under heaven!
"Think about it, everyone. Our Hong Merchant Association is open for business—how could we let a heretical cultivator serve as our honorary vice-chairman?" Chai Laoshi said, turning an unfriendly gaze upon Hai Wuliang.
Though a timid man who feared trouble, Chai Laoshi knew Wei Zhao was the noble benefactor who had turned his luck around, and in days to come he would still have to rely on the protection of Wei Zhao and Hong Zhong. For this bastard Hai Wuliang to slander him so brazenly in public—if he still kept silent, he would truly be ungrateful.
In an instant the situation had been completely reversed, and the looks the crowd turned on Hai Wuliang were plainly full of doubt!
Earlier, when Qi Wenmo proved that Wei Zhao was a disciple of the Sandie Pavilion of North Island, Hai Wuliang could still fob them off by claiming that Wu Baoliang was also a disciple of the Sandie Pavilion of North Island. But now Chai Laoshi had proven that Ling Yi was the honorary vice-chairman of the Hong Merchant Association—surely he could not claim that Wu Baoliang was also an honorary vice-chairman of the Hong Merchant Association? Lend Hai Wuliang a hundred guts, and he would never dare fabricate such a rumor...
As for Wei Zhao below the stage, seeing Qi Wenmo, Qi Mingyuan, Chai Laoshi and the others step forward for his sake at such a critical moment, willing to tear off all pretense with Hai Wuliang and argue their case on principle, he felt genuinely gratified.
But in truth, even had Qi Wenmo and the others not done so, Wei Zhao alone could have cleared his name. The reason he kept silent was that the bigger and more heated the affair grew, the greater the disgrace Hai Wuliang would suffer!