Chapter 152: Trouble Comes Knocking

Even though it was advertised as a health and wellness diet, the results were likely mediocre at best.

Su Qingli said with some displeasure, "It definitely works, how could it not... Try the taste first."

With that, Su Qingli picked up a meatball with her chopsticks and brought it to Jiang Hao's lips.

Jiang Hao immediately opened his mouth and bit into the meatball in one go.

"Mmm, not bad."

Jiang Hao nodded, his face full of smiles.

Su Qingli's culinary skills were indeed exceptional, and the seasonings she used successfully masked the original flavor of the traditional Chinese medicinal herbs.

After all, the vast majority of medicinal herbs tasted bitter and astringent, making them nearly impossible to swallow without masking the flavor.

"Try this one too..."

Su Qingli picked up a piece of duck blood and offered it to Jiang Hao.

Jiang Hao cooperated fully, opening his mouth and preparing to eat, when suddenly a man's voice came from the entrance of the restaurant.

"I heard rumors that you two were getting a divorce, but seeing it with my own eyes, I realize how deeply devoted you husband and wife actually are."

Hearing this voice, Su Qingli immediately put down her chopsticks.

Jiang Hao also turned his head toward the source of the sound.

A man well past fifty strode in through the front door. His facial expression appeared calm, but upon closer inspection, one could detect a deep reservoir of smoldering rage hidden within his eyes.

This man was none other than the head of the Yang family, Yang Yunhua!

"Head Yang?"

Su Qingli's complexion turned ashen instantly.

Back at Pan Yixuan's birthday banquet, Jiang Hao had engaged in a fierce battle with Yang Yunhua's second son, Yang Ziyun, and left him severely injured.

And now, the head of the Yang family himself had come knocking on their door. What did this signify?

It was certain that Yang Yunhua had not come here to dine!

Jiang Hao stood up, maintaining a poised and unyielding posture as he said, "So it's the head of the Yang family. Visitors never come without a purpose, so what brings you to our restaurant?"

Yang Yunhua smiled coldly, scanned his surroundings, and remarked, "I heard that the eldest daughter of the Su family, Su Qingli, opened a wellness and diet restaurant here, and that business was booming, so I came to show my support. But to my surprise, business here doesn't look so good after all! It's prime dining hour, yet there are so few customers in your shop. It seems your establishment is not far from going bankrupt and shutting down!"

Yang Yunhua's voice wasn't particularly loud, but every dining customer in the restaurant heard it clearly.

They were hardly fools; how could they fail to perceive the hidden rage in Yang Yunhua's words, or miss the palpable tension in the air?

Consequently, they all put down their bowls and chopsticks and hurriedly paid their bills to leave.

In less than two minutes, the already sparse clientele had completely vanished!

"Are you here to make trouble?"

Jiang Hao asked calmly, though his gaze fixed on Yang Yunhua grew increasingly sharp.

So what if he was the head of the Yang family?

If he really came to cause trouble, he would gladly beat him just the same!

Others might fear Yang Yunhua, but Jiang Hao certainly did not!

Yang Yunhua pulled over a chair and sat down casually, then looked at Jiang Hao and Su Qingli with open contempt as he slowly spoke, "You must be Jiang Hao, the son-in-law of the Su family? You have quite some martial arts skills, actually managing to leave my second son Ziyun severely injured... But you have an extraordinary amount of nerve, young man!"

With that, Yang Yunhua slammed his hand heavily onto the table.

The two female college student waitresses trembled in fright, retreating fearfully into a corner of the restaurant.

Even Su Qingli's expression betrayed a trace of dread.

After all, the man before her was the head of the premier prominent family in Maple Leaf City. When a figure of his stature grew angry and interrogated them on the spot, how could she not be afraid?

To say nothing of her past status as merely a young lady of the Su family, even if her grandmother, the matriarch Su, were here, she would have to speak to Yang Yunhua in a subservient manner!

Yet, Jiang Hao's expression remained as calm as still water, as if nothing in this world could ever make him feel afraid.

"It's not that I have an extraordinary amount of nerve, but rather that your second son, Yang Ziyun, was far too arrogant," Jiang Hao replied without conceding an inch.

Pausing briefly, Jiang Hao continued, "When Pan Yixuan hosted his birthday banquet, he deliberately invited Qingli and me to attend solely to humiliate us. I don't know what kind of spell he cast on your precious son, but he insisted on targeting me. I showed immense restraint back then; if I had truly acted without holding back, your precious son wouldn't even be alive today!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the two female student waitresses inside the shop cast shocked glances toward Jiang Hao!

Their boss actually dared to speak to Yang Yunhua like that?

Yang Yunhua was the head of the Yang family!

If he were offended, or worse, enraged, catastrophe would truly be upon them!

Su Qingli grew terrified as well, and hurriedly tried to smooth things over. "Jiang Hao, don't act on impulse. Let's talk things through reasonably."

Afterward, Su Qingli personally brought a cup of tea over to Yang Yunhua, forced a smile, and said, "Head Yang, Jiang Hao and Young Master Yang had a fair duel. Besides, Young Master Yang was pressing him step by step at the time, and Jiang Hao had no choice but to respond, so this really isn't entirely Jiang Hao's fault..."

Before Su Qingli could finish her sentence, Yang Yunhua let out a cold snort and directly knocked the cup of tea she had placed on the table down to the floor.

With a sharp crash, the teacup shattered into pieces, and tea splattered everywhere.

Yang Yunhua stared coldly at Su Qingli and interrogated her, "Are you implying that my son being beaten to a pulp by your husband is somehow my son's own fault?"

"I didn't mean that..."

"Qingli, stop explaining. He's simply here to pick a fight, haven't you figured it out yet? Even if we are in the right, even if it truly isn't our fault, he will still twist the facts and make trouble unreasonably," Jiang Hao said without hesitation, pulling Su Qingli back and shielding her behind him.

Looking straight at Yang Yunhua before him, Jiang Hao continued, "Head Yang, it seems you were the one who incited all the other restaurants on this street to run promotional events, weren't you?"

"What?"

Su Qingli's face registered profound astonishment.

She never imagined that so many dining establishments launching promotional campaigns simultaneously to lure customers was actually a scheme orchestrated behind the scenes by the Yang family!

Jiang Hao smiled faintly and said, "Qingli, haven't you figured it out yet? So many restaurants running joint promotions to attract customers and leaving our shop with dismal business—wasn't that specifically targeting us? And since we have no prior grievances with those restaurants, why would they inexplicably target us and even assault us through malicious competition?

"Therefore, there must be a mastermind behind the scenes.

"And that mastermind is none other than the Yang family! In Maple Leaf City, only the Yang family possesses such immense social standing and financial muscle to compel so many restaurants to launch simultaneous promotional campaigns."

Hearing Jiang Hao's explanation, Su Qingli understood everything in an instant.

Yang Yunhua sneered, his expression grim and cold as he said, "Even if you've figured it out now, so what? Do you have any way to break this situation? Every single dining establishment on this street, aside from your little restaurant, has already been bought off by me. I am funding them to keep their promotions going until your shop is forced out of business!"