C9 That Ruthless Man Came

Overwhelmed by such disgrace, Ye Xiaoyun couldn't help but burst into tears of frustration.

She glanced at Lin Xiaoyue, whose eyes were tinged with red, and her voice broke as she spoke, "Director Lin, they're bullying us too much. Should we just leave?"

Lin Xiaoyue clenched her jaw, her gaze fixed on the entrance to the plaza. With a bitter edge to her voice, she declared, "If it means securing an investment and overcoming the Xia family's suppression, what's a little humiliation to me?"

Before Ye Xiaoyun could respond, she noticed the once-indifferent queue buzzing with excitement. Turning her head, she caught sight of Xia Xianfeng approaching and suddenly everything clicked.

With all eyes on him, Xia Xianfeng strutted up to Lin Xiaoyue. Observing her reddened eyes, he smugly inquired, "How's it feel to be scorned? Unpleasant, isn't it? Just agree to be mine, and I'll escort you inside right now. What do you say?"

Lin Xiaoyue shot him a fierce look and retorted sharply, "No need!"

Xia Xianfeng's smirk widened as he turned to the onlookers and bellowed, "See? She's hooked on playing the greeter! I offer to take her in, and she turns me down."

His words prompted a chorus of sycophantic echoes from the crowd.

"Lin Xiaoyue, Young Master Xia's attention is a rarity. Don't be ungrateful!"

"You should feel honored that Young Master Xia has set his sights on you. To not appreciate that, you must be blind..."

As Xia Xianfeng reveled in his own smugness, Lin Xiaoyue, teeth gritted in anger, shot back, "Young Master Xia, you're crossing the line! I don't need you to worry about whether I can get into the event or not."

Xia Xianfeng let out a scornful snort. "Hmph! I was willing to take you in if you'd just accepted my offer. But now, it seems unnecessary."

With those words, he ripped up the spare invitation he held and scattered the pieces over Ye Xiaoyun's head.

After his display, he leaned in close to Lin Xiaoyue and hissed venomously, "Just so you know, you won't be seeing your bodyguard again. As for you, I'll take care of you after the banquet. And remember, today's your last chance, hahaha..."

As Xia Xianfeng walked away laughing, Lin Xiaoyue's tears, no longer containable, cascaded down her cheeks.

The banquet attendees swiftly made their way into the hotel.

At the entrance, now guarded by just a few security officers, Ye Xiaoyun's voice broke with emotion. "Director Lin, let's head back. We can't get in. Qin Dongfang has deceived you."

Lin Xiaoyue, lifting her tear-blurred eyes to Ye Xiaoyun, whose head was dotted with remnants of the invitation, responded with a mix of resignation and sorrow. "Alright."

Xia Xianfeng's earlier remarks suggested that Qin Dongfang might be in peril. With her last shred of hope gone, Lin Xiaoyue realized that waiting here would change nothing.

As they approached their car, a familiar voice unexpectedly reached them from behind.

"Director Lin, my apologies for being late. I got held up."

At the sound of his voice, Lin Xiaoyue and Ye Xiaoyun both shuddered.

Ye Xiaoyun spun around, tears turning to angry accusations at Qin Dongfang. "You jerk! Where have you been? Do you have any idea of the humiliation we just endured? They dared to say Director Lin was here as a greeter, sob... It's all your fault! If it weren't for you, she wouldn't have been here in the first place..."

Qin Dongfang's eyes narrowed with a flicker of menace upon seeing Ye Xiaoyun, her head festooned with paper scraps. It was clear they had been subjected to disgrace.

"Xiaoyun, stop blaming him. We'll go back and figure out another plan," Lin Xiaoyue interjected, cutting off Ye Xiaoyun's sobs.

Qin Dongfang felt a pang of pain looking at Lin Xiaoyue's reddened eyes. His princess had been mistreated by those scoundrels. It was unforgivable!

"Director Lin, I will keep my promise to you. Those who have humiliated you will face consequences," he declared, taking Lin Xiaoyue's hand and leading her away.

Ye Xiaoyun, alarmed by his actions, demanded, "Qin Dongfang, release Director Lin! What are you planning to do with her? Haven't we been embarrassed enough?"

Qin Dongfang completely ignored her outburst, simply taking Lin Xiaoyue by the hand and heading for the hotel entrance.

Lin Xiaoyue winced in pain and blurted out, "Qin Dongfang, you're hurting me. Let go! I won't attend the banquet. I don't want you to get killed over this!"

Qin Dongfang released her hand but continued to stride forward. "Those who have wronged you will come to regret their actions!"

Ye Xiaoyun, rushing to catch up, quickly positioned herself protectively in front of Lin Xiaoyue, glaring at Qin Dongfang with a look of deep resentment. "Enough, Qin Dongfang! If you want to make a spectacle of yourself, be my guest, but leave Director Lin out of it."

After her outburst, she turned to Lin Xiaoyue and pleaded, "Director Lin, you can't keep falling for this jerk's lies. If it weren't for him, we wouldn't have faced such humiliation before..."

As the trio approached the entrance, the security guards on duty quickly stepped up to intercept them.

Qin Dongfang didn't even let them speak, his voice icy as he commanded, "Move!"

The guards exchanged glances before hastily stepping aside.

Entering the hotel lobby with a mix of surprise and confusion, Ye Xiaoyun caught up to Lin Xiaoyue and cast a wary glance at the unfazed Qin Dongfang, whispering, "Director Lin, he just barged in with us like that? This is breaking in! If Director Zhang from the South Group holds us accountable, we're done for!"

Feeling equally anxious, Lin Xiaoyue forced a composed response, "We're already inside, what's done is done. We'll just have to deal with it as it comes."

Watching the three of them enter the elevator, the security guards at the door finally allowed themselves to breathe. "My goodness, why did he have to show up?"

"Quit your lamenting and notify the control room, quick! If he stirs up trouble today, we're all out of a job."

The memory of Qin Dongfang's altercation with Young Master Xia at Lin Xiaoyue's banquet just two days prior was still vivid in the minds of the hotel security staff, an unforgettable and alarming memory.

Young Master Xia, the leader of C City's Four Young Masters, had the audacity to publicly humiliate someone and yet he's still thriving. We're just security guards scraping by; we can't afford to cross him.

Upon receiving the news, the on-duty security team didn't dare to take action on their own and felt compelled to escalate the report.

The hotel owner, upon understanding the situation, was steeped in contemplation. Crossing Lin's Group was out of the question for him. And when it came to C City's business elite, spearheaded by Young Master Xia, along with Director Zhang of the South Group who was organizing the event, they were even more untouchable.

Weighing the lesser of two evils against the greater good, the hotel owner deliberated for some time before reaching a decision. "Notify the security department to reinforce our presence in the event hall, and keep a vigilant watch on Lin Xiaoyue and her two companions. Should anything seem amiss, we'll have grounds to remove them forcibly."