Hearing that Qin Xiao was going to move against Chu Yao, the Soldier King's heart tightened, and he instinctively wanted to ask for details.
But Fang Ming had already left the Chat Group, and there was nothing he could do except worry on the other side of the screen.
5:40 PM.
Fang Ming drove his audi a6, slowly entering the commercial district where the Moonlight Restaurant was located.
This restaurant was located on the edge of the Rong City CBD. It was a Western restaurant that focused on a high-end, private dining experience. Its storefront was low-key, but those in the know knew that the consumption level here was not something an average person could afford.
As soon as the car came to a steady stop at the curb, Fang Ming saw a familiar figure through the window.
Chu Yao.
She was carrying a box of ingredients from the back door to the kitchen. The July heatwave left fine beads of sweat on her forehead, and a few strands of hair were stuck to her cheeks, making her look a bit disheveled.
But her back was straight, and her movements were crisp and efficient, showing no signs of lethargy despite the heavy workload.
Just as Fang Ming looked at her, Chu Yao seemed to sense something and looked up in this direction.
Their gazes met in mid-air.
Chu Yao froze for a moment, a flash of surprise in her eyes, but she quickly regained her composure.
Lowering her head slightly, she quickly walked into the kitchen carrying the ingredients. The whole process took no more than three seconds, and she acted as if she didn't know Fang Ming at all.
"Nice acting."
The corners of Fang Ming's mouth curled up slightly as he praised her in his heart.
Pushing the door open and getting out of the car, a heatwave hit him. Fang Ming walked quickly toward the main entrance of the restaurant, where a young foreman wearing a shirt and a bowtie came out to meet him.
"Mr. Fang, Young Master Qin is already waiting for you in the private room. Please follow me."
The foreman's attitude was respectful; he had clearly been instructed beforehand.
Fang Ming nodded and followed the foreman through the restaurant lobby.
The interior of the Moonlight Restaurant was extremely luxurious. Crystal chandeliers reflected soft light, every table was covered with a pure white cloth and set with exquisite silver tableware, and the air was filled with a faint scent of incense and the aroma of food.
However, Fang Ming noticed that there weren't many customers in the restaurant today, only a few scattered tables, and they seemed... to have similar temperaments, unlike ordinary diners.
"We're here."
The foreman stopped in front of a private room named "Tingyu Pavilion," knocked gently, and then pushed the door open.
The private room was large, at least fifty square meters. In the center was a round table that could seat ten people, and by the wall was a set of leather sofas and a coffee table.
Qin Xiao sat in the main seat, wearing a light gray linen shirt with sleeves casually rolled up to his elbows, playing with an exquisite lighter in his hand.
Wang Meng stood behind Qin Xiao. Seeing Fang Ming come in, he winked at him.
And to Qin Xiao's right sat another person.
It was a man in his thirties with a buzz cut and sharp eyes like an eagle. When he scanned Fang Ming, his gaze lingered for half a second before moving away.
This person was not A Biao, nor was he Old Ghost.
Judging from his posture and temperament, he should be a professionally trained bodyguard, and very likely someone sent by Qin Xiao's father, Qin Guangyao.
"Young Master Qin." Fang Ming bowed slightly.
"You're here? Sit."
Qin Xiao tilted his chin, gesturing for Fang Ming to sit to his left.
Fang Ming sat down as instructed, then looked at the stranger and asked tentatively, "Young Master Qin, this is..."
"A Long, someone from my father's side. He's here to help me handle some things for a few days," Qin Xiao introduced casually, his tone flat.
Fang Ming nodded to A Long.
"Brother Long."
A Long also nodded in return but didn't speak. He just gave a slight nod and then picked up his teacup for a sip.
"Tell me about the situation with Chu Yao," Qin Xiao said, getting straight to the point.
"Based on the feedback from her two roommates, Chu Yao has been working hard at the restaurant for the past half month, but she's clearly under a lot of pressure."
Fang Ming said calmly, "She works more than ten hours a day, yet her salary is only half that of a normal employee, and the manager often finds excuses to deduct money."
"However... her mental state is better than expected."
Fang Ming paused and continued, "Although she's tired, she hasn't broken down. She's even insisting on teaching herself a foreign language..."
"She's quite tough."
Hearing this, Qin Xiao narrowed his eyes. "But no matter how tough the bone is, there are times when it softens. Today, I'll let her feel despair."
...Ten minutes later.
In the restaurant lobby outside the private room, a sharp female voice suddenly rang out.
"What's wrong with you? Are you blind?"
The voice was very loud and piercing. Even in the well-insulated private room, it could be heard clearly.
Qin Xiao, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened them. A smile curled at the corner of his mouth as he slowly stood up, adjusted his collar, and walked toward the door.
Fang Ming, Wang Meng, and A Long quickly followed.
Pushing open the door, the scene before them was quite a spectacle.
By the window, a middle-aged woman wearing an off-white Chanel suit and carrying an Hermès bag was pointing at Chu Yao's nose and cursing.
On the table in front of her, a large deep-red wine stain was spreading, and her expensive dress was also splattered with a large patch.
Chu Yao stood nearby, her head lowered, still holding a half-empty wine bottle. Her face was pale, and her body was trembling slightly.
"I'm sorry, ma'am. I slipped just now, I really didn't mean to..." Her voice carried a suppressed panic and grievance, sounding extremely helpless.
"Not on purpose? You think saying you didn't mean to is enough?"
"I... I can compensate you..."
The woman's voice was shrill as she grabbed Chu Yao's wrist. "Do you know how much this dress costs? Eighty-six thousand. I just bought it yesterday. And my Hermès bag was also dirtied by you. One hundred and fifty thousand. Can you afford to pay for it?!"
Chu Yao's wrist was turning red from the grip. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she forced herself not to let them fall.
"This... so expensive..."
"Call your manager over. I must have an explanation today!"
The restaurant manager ran over upon hearing the noise. He first bowed repeatedly to the middle-aged woman, saying with a smile, "Dear guest, please calm down, calm down. Our restaurant deeply apologizes for this incident."
After speaking, he turned to Chu Yao, his face immediately darkening. "Chu Yao, what happened? How did the induction training teach you? You have to be careful when serving guests! Look at what a big mess you've made!"
"Manager, I really just accidentally slipped..." Chu Yao lowered her head, her voice choking.
"You..." The manager hesitated, then looked at the woman helplessly. "Ma'am, you see, this employee was indeed careless, and she's just a student. It's not easy working part-time... As for your dress, our restaurant can take responsibility for sending it to the best dry cleaners and guarantee it's restored to its original state. We will bear the cost."
"As for the mental distress, we can also give you a VIP card as compensation. What do you think...?"
"Dry cleaning? A gift?" The woman was relentless, her voice rising even higher. "This is the latest model. Can it be restored to its original state after being splashed like this? Can a crappy card compensate for psychological trauma? I don't care, she must pay, pay the original price. If I don't get the money today, I'll call the police and find the media to expose your shop!"
An extremely troubled look appeared on the manager's face, as if he were forced to make a decision under immense pressure and the guest's anger.
After hesitating for A Long time, he looked at Chu Yao and spoke in a heavy tone, "Chu Yao, you heard it too. The guest doesn't accept our mediation plan. Regardless, this matter was caused by your mistake."
"The restaurant's reputation cannot be damaged because of your personal error. According to restaurant regulations and the actual damage caused, you must take responsibility."
He paused, taking out his phone as if calculating. "This dress is eighty-six thousand, and the bag cleaning and depreciation fee is ten thousand. The guest's mental distress and lost work time... Let's do this, I won't make it hard for you. Total: two hundred thousand."
"This month's salary is completely docked. For the remaining amount, it will be deducted from next month's and the month after's salary until it's all paid off!"