Chen Xiao recognized Li Bingxue's scrounging uncle, Li Xin, who was mocking him. He retorted without politeness:
"Yo! Isn't this Uncle Xin, who almost knelt at our dorm door three years ago to borrow five thousand yuan to pay off gambling debts? Since you're a dog for the Ye family now, shouldn't you pay it back?"
Li Xin clearly didn't expect Chen Xiao to be so ruthless and demand repayment right off the bat. He turned red in the face and vehemently denied it:
"What nonsense are you spouting? How could I possibly borrow money from you? If you can't produce an IOU, watch out, or I'll sue you for defamation!"
Chen Xiao slowly shook his head:
"I indeed don't have an IOU, but you owe it, and you can't get away with not paying."
"Heh."
Li Xin sneered dismissively and sat down brazenly, his scrounger's face fully revealed:
"Let's not even talk about whether I could have possibly borrowed money from you. Even if I did, since you can't produce an IOU, it's as if I never owed it! What, are you going to dare hit me in broad daylight?"
Squinting slightly, Chen Xiao suddenly flipped onto the large round dining table and, with a clean and decisive move, slapped Li Xin hard across his fat-filled face:
"So what if I hit you?"
As he spoke, he even placed Li Xin's arm on the table:
"Back then, you said if you couldn't repay that gambling debt on time, the debt collectors would break your arm. Today, if you don't pay me back, I'll break your arm too!"
Li Xin, who had experienced countless gunfights and bloody battles, never expected the delicate-skinned Chen Xiao to be so ruthless and decisive, nor did he expect Chen Xiao to be so agile. He was stunned.
Song Yan felt as if all of Chen Xiao's violence struck her heart, and her beautiful eyes lit up. Her heart pounded, her breathing quickened, and her face flushed.
Zhu Dachang and Li Xin were terrified on the spot. Accompanied by pig-like wails, Li Xin blurted out without thinking:
"Ah... Nephew... Nephew-in-law, Uncle made a mistake, a mistake, please spare me, I'll pay you back immediately, sob..."
"Nephew-in-law? Uncle? Are you worthy?"
Chen Xiao's face was filled with disgust as he suddenly applied more force with his foot.
"Ah—"
Li Xin let out an even more piercing scream, veins bulging on his forehead, his face contorted in pain. In his panic, he quickly changed his tune:
"Xiao... Brother Xiao, it's this younger brother who is unworthy, please let this younger brother off the hook, ah..."
Without another word, Chen Xiao directly took out his phone and opened his payment QR code.
Li Xin, with only one hand free, moved with lightning speed, like a dog on a chain, quickly taking out his phone and scanning the code to pay, all while letting out cries of anguish.
With the five thousand yuan in hand, Chen Xiao finally lifted his foot, releasing Li Xin's already bruised arm, and sat back down.
Li Xin, as if granted a great pardon, made to flee the private room with Zhu Dachang's support.
"Wait!"
Squinting, Chen Xiao, still standing on the dining table looking down, suddenly called out to stop the two:
"Didn't you come for the Dragon Liver Phoenix Marrow Soup? Sit down."
For every pot of Dragon Liver Phoenix Marrow Soup sold, Chen Xiao would get half of the 388 yuan. This was a no-cost, high-profit business that came right to his doorstep, so Chen Xiao naturally wouldn't miss it.
However, Song Yan suddenly became as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, thinking to herself that something was amiss:
"This is bad! Dr. Chen is still too young and impulsive. He only knows that Dragon Liver Phoenix Marrow Soup is a delicacy, but he can't see that these two scum from Cai Cai Zi Sushi are clearly here to cause trouble. No matter how delicious it tastes to them, after they wipe their mouths and leave, they'll definitely claim it's extremely unpalatable."
Li Xin gradually recovered from his shock. He keenly caught Song Yan's nervous expression, which made him even more convinced that Partridge Sky's Dragon Liver Phoenix Marrow Soup was inferior to Cai Cai Zi Sushi's Japanese cuisine. He thought to himself:
"Chen Xiao, Chen Xiao, you dared to hit me in public simply because you have Song Yan backing you. Once I bring down the Song family, let's see how arrogant you can be!"
With this thought, he immediately signaled Zhu Dachang and then, emboldened, sat down.
Song Yan was helpless and could only nervously ask the waiter to bring a pot of Dragon Liver Phoenix Marrow Soup and a set of exquisite tableware to the table.
The pot containing the Dragon Liver Phoenix Marrow Soup was a very presentable purple clay pot, making one feel that the 388 yuan selling price was well worth it at first glance.
Moreover, the waiter who brought it to the table wore thick anti-scald gloves, and there was a visible wisp of steam rising from the gaps in the lid, suggesting that the rich soup inside had just been taken off the stove.
Yet, not a hint of fragrance wafted out, as if the pot contained nothing more than colorless and odorless boiled water.
Zhu Dachang saw this and recalled seeing Chen Xiao stewing the soup yesterday when he resigned from Song Yan. He couldn't help but show a look of disdain and whispered to Li Xin:
"Mr. Li, Partridge Sky must be at its wit's end, with no one left to turn to. This so-called Dragon Liver Phoenix Marrow Soup is likely made by Chen Xiao. Its cooking skills are probably worse than an average housewife's, as it doesn't even have any aroma."
Li Xin was both surprised and delighted. He eagerly reached out to lift the lid of the purple clay pot and whispered, instructing:
"Hurry up and take pictures and videos. If I don't completely bring down Partridge Sky, I, Li Xin, swear I'm not human!"