Chapter 25: Suspension of Business

“Ding!” Soon, a woman’s voice came through the phone—it was Song Xueqi.

“Miss Song, here’s the situation... Your company’s...” Lu Hao quickly recounted everything that had just transpired.

“Ah? Mr. Lu, who—who did you just call? You...” Manager Wang was stunned; he had no idea whom Lu Hao had just contacted. If he had reached out to the Song Group or the headquarters of the Arabian Restaurant, they were truly finished.

“You don’t need to worry about that, Manager Wang. You did well this time. You won’t be in trouble; in fact, you’ll get a promotion and a raise. But the people under your supervision—they’re simply outrageous and should have been dealt with long ago! Hmph!” With a cold snort, Lu Hao shook his sleeve and strode away, unwilling to linger another second.

Zhang Qingfan, who was left behind, could only sigh and hurry after Lu Hao as they left.

At that moment, Xu Sen was even more confused than the rest. He had no idea what this so-called Song Group Diamond VIP Card was.

“Manager Wang, let me ask you—so what if he’s a Diamond VIP of the Song Group? Is your restaurant really that afraid of him?” Xu Sen asked, puzzled.

Manager Wang, unaware of the personal grudge between Xu Sen and Lu Hao and taking him for just another guest, explained patiently, “Sir, there’s something you may not know. The largest shareholder behind the Arabian Restaurant—our boss, as well as the head of headquarters—is the Song Group.”

“And the Song Group has a special card, issued only to their most distinguished clients and top partners. Imagine what that card represents.”

Hearing this, Xu Sen was dumbstruck. He had never imagined Lu Hao wielded such influence.

His face went pale, and he rushed back to the village at once—he had to warn his family before it was too late. If Lu Hao decided to retaliate, they’d have no time to prepare.

Sure enough, not long after Lu Hao and Zhang Qingfan had left, a stern-looking middle-aged man entered the Arabian Restaurant, flanked by four assistants in black uniforms and carrying a briefcase.

“Is your general manager here?” His first words were curt.

“He’s just left for training in France and isn’t here at the moment. If there’s anything you need, please let us know,” Manager Wang hurried forward to reply.

The middle-aged man snorted, “Gone abroad, has he? No wonder! The head of a branch, leaving his post without reporting to his superiors—you people truly have it too easy here.”

“I’m Wu Zhao, head of the Southeast Division of Song Group’s F&B sector. I am hereby ordering the immediate suspension of the Arabian Restaurant for a three-month rectification.”

“All staff are to report to headquarters for retraining.”

He paused for effect—a pause that sent a chill through Manager Wang.

Wu Zhao continued, “Every waiter and attendant involved in today’s incident with Mr. Lu Hao is to be dismissed, effective immediately. Each will receive three months’ severance pay.”

“Record their names. From this day on, none of them are to be employed anywhere in the Song Group.”

“I will personally oversee the execution of these orders.”

“Anyone who offends Mr. Lu is challenging our Song Group itself! The young master of our group was just saved by him, and you turn around and slap him in the face? You’ve really kicked against an iron wall!”

“If you can’t see what’s in front of you, don’t blame me for being ruthless.”

The entire restaurant staff was stunned into silence.

Wu Zhao’s arrival had unleashed a tempest in the Arabian Restaurant.

...

Meanwhile, Lu Hao, his mood soured, had just been dropped off at home by Zhang Qingfan. Zhang had tried to persuade him to eat elsewhere, but Lu Hao refused. All he wanted now was the quiet of his own home.

But as soon as he entered, he found his house filled with a gang of burly, rough-looking men—each with brightly dyed hair, tall and powerfully built. Some had crew cuts, others wore sunglasses; they came in all varieties.

They shared one trait: all were tattooed and armed—some with baseball bats, others with machetes, cleavers, or even axes. It was clear they weren’t here for a friendly visit.

His mother was inside, speaking anxiously and aggrievedly to the leader.

“What’s going on? Who are you people? Who let you into my house?” Lu Hao demanded, stepping forward. He already had a handful of silver needles ready in his palm, prepared to act.

The moment they made a move, he would strike, hitting their pressure points without hesitation.

“Liu Xiulan, your son’s finally here. Damn it, talking to an old woman like you is pointless. I’ll be honest, I—Erhu—have some reputation in this business, and usually I don’t bother with elderly folks like you,” sneered the young man called Erhu, jabbing a finger at Liu Xiulan’s nose before stepping forward.

“And you’re Lu Hao, yeah?” Erhu swaggered up, sniffing disdainfully at Lu Hao.

Lu Hao frowned. “What’s the meaning of this? Why are you here?”

“Why am I here? Don’t play dumb. You know very well what you’ve done,” Erhu laughed, clearly delighted with himself. He even poked Lu Hao in the chest.

Lu Hao’s heart went cold. “Watch your mouth. If you don’t explain yourselves, none of you are leaving this house today.”

Erhu looked at him in surprise, sizing Lu Hao up, then glanced out toward the yard as if expecting reinforcements.

“Hey, what’s wrong with you? Are you stupid or something?”

“Anybody watching might think you showed up with dozens of men to save the day, huh?”

“What makes you think you can talk like that?” Erhu, full of arrogance, pressed his ear near Lu Hao’s face, gesturing mockingly as if he couldn’t hear.

“Say that again? Hm?”

Lu Hao stared at him coldly. “I’ll give you three seconds. This is your last chance—get out of my house now and you’ll be able to walk out on your own two feet.”

“Otherwise, if things go wrong, don’t come crawling to me in tears, begging for mercy.”

Erhu immediately raised his machete and pressed it against Lu Hao’s throat. “Crawl to you in tears? Have you lost your mind? You’re still pretending to be tough? You owe the Zhou family four hundred thousand—how do you have the nerve?”

“I’m telling you, if you don’t come up with the four hundred thousand today, your whole family’s finished. Don’t believe me? Try me!”