Liu Jie was known for being ruthless and strictly impartial. He looked down at Lin Fan and said coldly, “I regret wasting my breath on you. Do you even understand what a special invitation means? How dare you shamelessly ask for one?”
“I don’t want this to turn violent. Do us all a favor and leave. This isn’t a place where you can just come and eat for free.”
The noise had already drawn a crowd. Liu Jie didn’t want the situation to escalate—especially not before Gao Yulang arrived. That would be difficult to explain.
The bystanders also looked down on Lin Fan. His casual clothes alone made him seem out of place, and the mess of food scraps and chicken bones in front of him only made things worse. It was obvious to them: he was just freeloading.
They couldn’t believe he had the audacity to say he was specially invited. Did he even know what that meant? A special invitation required authorization from Gao Yulang’s chief secretary and a direct arrangement from Gao Yulang himself. Did Lin Fan deserve such treatment?
Ridiculous.
Even the security guards had arrived—five of them. Clearly, they were planning to throw Lin Fan out.
“I’m saving you from embarrassment,” Liu Jie warned again. “Don’t force me to make this ugly.”
Lin Fan slowly shook his head and stood up. Glancing at the mocking faces around him, he said flatly, “I already told you—I was specially invited. Are you sure you won’t regret driving me out? Don’t come begging me to return later.”
The crowd erupted in laughter, treating him like a clown. Some even started criticizing him openly.“Have some dignity! Mr. Liu’s being nice to you, and this is how you repay him?”
“We’ve let you eat and drink enough. Who knows what filthy things you might’ve done to the food?”
“If you ask me, just hand him over to the police.”
Amidst the rising voices, Lin Fan sneered in disdain. These people were all the same—arrogant and blind.
Among them, Green Hair and his group were the most smug. He stepped forward and jeered, “Because of Uncle Liu Jie, I’m not going to touch you. Just get lost. You really think you belong here?”
“You’re trash. You don’t even deserve to sit at a table. People like you belong in the gutter.”
Lin Fan was still composed, but a wicked smile crept onto his lips. His eyes gleamed sharply. Let them mock now—soon they’d be begging for forgiveness.
Just as the security guards were about to grab Lin Fan, a powerful voice suddenly echoed through the hall—
“What’s going on over there?”
Everyone turned to look.
It was the guest of honor, the highest-ranking official in China Overseas—Gao Yulang!
Dressed in black with streaks of gray in his hair, his face stern and majestic, Gao Yulang didn’t need to speak loudly to command attention.
“Secretary Gao…”
“Secretary Gao…”
The crowd quickly greeted him with respectful voices.
Gao Yulang nodded slightly, his presence alone overwhelming the room. “What’s happening here? Why is there such a crowd?”
Green Hair was the first to rush forward with a flattering smile. “Uncle Gao! My father sends his regards. He’s not feeling well and couldn’t attend tonight’s dinner. He hopes you’ll understand.”
Gao Yulang looked him over. “You’re Xiao Lu?”
“Yes, yes! I’m honored that Uncle Gao still remembers me!” Green Hair beamed with excitement.
Gao Yulang nodded. “I remember seeing you when you were just a child. You’ve grown quite a bit.”
People nearby took the chance to greet Gao Yulang as well. The entire crowd now revolved around him.
Lin Fan, on the other hand, stayed quiet and sat back down. He didn’t need to force anything. When the moment came, he would naturally greet Gao Yulang.
Meanwhile, Shen Wuxiao rose to his feet. It was time to act. He couldn’t let that idiot Gao Yulang actually help Lin Fan steal the show.
He took Jiang Huaiyue by the hand and walked toward the crowd. Jiang Huaiyue understood his intentions and followed him silently.
Even though Gao Yulang was the center of attention, he hadn’t forgotten Lin Fan. After all, Lin Fan was his specially invited guest. As a gesture of gratitude, he wanted to introduce Lin Fan to more influential people to broaden his future prospects.
Noticing Gao Yulang’s searching gaze, Lin Fan finally stood up and walked forward.
“Brother Gao, I’ve been waiting for you!”
His voice rang out clearly, making the whole crowd turn toward him.
Gao Yulang smiled the moment he saw Lin Fan.
But just as he was about to respond, Green Hair interrupted with a sneer, “You’re out of your mind, trying to network like this!”
Then he turned to Gao Yulang. “Uncle Gao, please don’t be offended. This guy’s mentally unstable. He sneaked in to eat and freeload off the connections. We should kick him out right away before he ruins the event!”
He gestured to the security guards. “Get rid of him!”
The guards stepped forward again, gripping Lin Fan’s shoulders. But they were completely unaware that Gao Yulang’s expression had turned cold and angry. Flames of rage practically burned in his eyes.
Lin Fan wasn’t just any guest—he was Gao Yulang’s personally invited guest. Treating him this way was nothing short of insulting Gao Yulang himself.
“What do you think you’re doing?!” Gao Yulang thundered.
Lin Fan’s lips curled into a smug smile. Deep down, he sneered.
These people really couldn’t read a room. Couldn’t they see the change in Gao Yulang’s face?
At this point, Lin Fan didn’t need to say a word. Gao Yulang would stand up for him. And indeed, Gao Yulang’s furious outburst silenced the entire room.
Everyone was stunned.
Just as Gao Yulang was about to call out “Brother Lin” and shock the entire crowd—
Shen Wuxiao appeared.
Right on time, he interrupted Lin Fan’s moment of glory.
He chuckled, his voice cold and heavy with authority.
“Secretary Gao, your power is impressive,” he said sarcastically. “If someone didn’t know better, they’d think you ran all of China Overseas yourself.”
Everyone froze. Who dared to speak to Gao Yulang like that?
Did this man want to be exiled from Zhonghai?
Gao Yulang, already fuming, nearly exploded when addressed in such a mocking tone.
But the moment people saw who it was—
They fell silent.
Businessmen lowered their heads and instinctively stepped back. Even Gao Yulang stared in disbelief.
The most shocked person was Lin Fan.
He stared at the man in front of him in utter confusion.
Wasn’t this bastard Sikong?
And Jiang Huaiyue… why was she holding his arm?
A nameless fury surged in Lin Fan’s chest.
Shen Wuxiao slowly approached. Standing before Gao Yulang, he towered over him. The height difference alone made the atmosphere feel suffocating.
Gao Yulang couldn’t help swallowing nervously and took a step back. He wasn’t tall to begin with, and now he seemed even smaller as he shrank under pressure.
“Mr. Shen… Mr. Shen…”
Gao Yulang was truly stunned. He never imagined Shen Wuxiao would show up here. A man like him—why would he care about a business dinner?
Shen Wuxiao narrowed his eyes and asked coldly, “Tell me—are you the one calling the shots in Zhonghai?”
“No… no, of course not. I’m not qualified.”
Just moments ago, Gao Yulang had been proudly declaring himself the most important person at the banquet.
Now, faced with Shen Wuxiao’s presence, he lowered himself entirely, his face full of nervous smiles.
Anyone watching might’ve mistaken Shen Wuxiao for his biological father.
Lin Fan was left completely stunned.
He hadn’t even registered that someone had called him “Mr. Shen.” All he saw was Gao Yulang bowing and scraping like a servant.
He was completely confused.
How could this be happening?