C61 No Face

Meanwhile, Ye Lingtian had taken steps through his connections at the Customs Office to thoroughly investigate and ultimately expel Lee Baolai's father, Lee Degui, from the customs system.

Unbeknownst to Lee Baolai, this upheaval had already taken place. He harbored a deep-seated grudge against Lin Xuan, blaming him for his current predicament. If not for Lin Xuan, he could have continued to impress his classmates and even charm the former school belle.

'I won't let Lin Xuan get away with this! He's going to pay for what he's done!' he fumed internally.

The more he stewed over it, the angrier he became, especially when his gaze landed on Matumoto Yuan, which only added fuel to the fire.

Recalling how his father had commanded the room's attention earlier, Lee Baolai felt a desperate need to salvage his reputation and regain some semblance of dignity among his peers.

Otherwise, he feared he'd be utterly discredited in their eyes after today's events.

With this in mind, Lee Baolai sneered, "Humph, what a pathetic painting. Only a so-called expert like you would dare to acquire it."

"I bet you're a sham, too. For all we know, Lin Xuan could have paid you off with a few bucks on the street to back up his act!"

After Lee Baolai's outburst, the students present were visibly taken aback.

"See? I was right..."

The group of suit-clad enforcers standing next to Matumoto Yuan closed in, ready to rough up Lee Baolai.

"Stop! Let me go!" he demanded.

Lee Baolai jabbed a finger at Matumoto Yuan, shouting, "Are you deaf? Didn't you hear who my dad is? He's the Deputy Director of Customs!"

"He's got extensive connections in A City, with people from all walks of life, including both lawful and underworld figures, trying to curry favor with him! Lay a hand on me, and I guarantee you won't make it out of this building!"

Matumoto Yuan, sensing potential trouble, gestured to the men in suits, "Release him for now."

"Scared, are you?" Lee Baolai taunted, straightening his suit with an air of smugness. "You're lucky you let me go, or you'd be in for a world of trouble!"

Matumoto Yuan, with a smile, inquired, "Is your father truly a customs official of such high rank?"

Lee Baolai cocked his head to the side with a smug grin. "Could this be anything but the real deal? Want me to make a call and see?"

Matumoto Yuan eagerly nodded. "That would be great, thank you. Our company, Aota, has a shipment that needs to clear customs."

"Then let's get on the phone right now, and I'll have a word with your dad."

"Ha, consider it done," Lee Baolai chuckled.

With a self-satisfied smile, Lee Baolai boasted, "I'll call my dad this instant. His word is all it takes."

Lee Baolai was so full of himself that his nostrils seemed to flare up to the ceiling, reveling in the chance to strut his stuff in front of his peers.

"All right, fantastic," Matumoto Yuan said, rubbing his hands together with a grin.

The suited toughs wisely stepped aside, giving them space.

Lee Baolai's first call hit a busy signal. Unbeknownst to him, his father, Lee Degui, had just been ousted from his job and was frantically seeking help—no time to pick up his son's call.

After two unsuccessful attempts, Lee Baolai gestured to his phone and reassured Matumoto Yuan with a smile, "See? My dad's always swamped. Everyone wants a piece of his time."

"Absolutely," Matumoto Yuan agreed, chuckling along.

The thugs had now positioned themselves behind Matumoto Yuan. If Lee Baolai's father could pull strings at customs, he'd be their golden ticket.

The son of their potential goldmine? Untouchable.

When he couldn't get through to his dad, Lee Baolai didn't hesitate to dial another number.

Raising his voice for effect, he said, "Hey, Uncle Zhang, there's a company here with goods for customs, but my dad's line is tied up. Could you handle it?"

Uncle Zhang was a subordinate of Lee Degui, directly overseeing the customs gate. He always went out of his way to please Lee Degui, and Lee Baolai had no qualms about going to him directly whenever he needed a favor, which was always fulfilled meticulously to avoid any dissatisfaction.

So, without a hint of courtesy, Lee Baolai got straight to the point.

Without a moment's hesitation, the voice on the other end of the line was firm, "Listen, nephew, I'm not in charge of this anymore. You'll have to find someone else."

"But Uncle Zhang, you used to—"

"Du du du..."

Before Lee Baolai could finish his plea, the call was abruptly cut off.

Stunned, Lee Baolai was left staring at his phone.

What was happening? In the past, his father's colleagues were always eager to help him, practically waiting for him to reach out. Why the sudden cold shoulder?

What Lee Baolai didn't realize was that his father, Lee Degui, had just been dismissed from customs, and the news was already making the rounds within the industry.

Uncle Zhang and the other heads of direct units were among the first to be informed.

Clueless and now under the scrutiny of many onlookers, Lee Baolai knew that failing to handle this situation would be a major blow to his reputation.

Thankfully, he had a network of contacts through his father to call upon.

He quickly dialed another person in charge, someone who had always had a strong rapport with his dad. Surely this would be a surefire solution.

However, as the phone rang over a dozen times without an answer, the eyes of everyone in the room bore into Lee Baolai, his expression growing increasingly embarrassed while sweat beaded on his forehead.

Matumoto Yuan watched him with hopeful eyes, but ultimately, his expectation turned to disappointment when the call went unanswered.

Wiping the sweat from his brow, Lee Baolai forced an awkward smile. "They're probably swamped with inventory," he said.

"I'll try this number one more time. He's bound to pick up now!"

Determined, Lee Baolai was about to reach out to a close friend of his father's. Although not a customs official, the man's influence was undeniable.

He had even once considered taking Lee Baolai as his godson and offering his daughter's hand in marriage.

Had his daughter been more to Lee Baolai's liking, they might have been family by now.

Despite the failed matrimonial match, Lee Baolai was confident that the man would come through for him, out of respect for his father.

With renewed hope, Lee Baolai made the call, and as soon as he heard the line connect, he blurted out, "Uncle Wang, it's Baolai. I was wondering..."

Fortunately, this time the person on the other end didn't hang up, allowing Lee Baolai to get his point across.

After listening to the entire situation, Uncle Wang responded, "Look, Baolai, this isn't something you can just bring up. You know I've stepped back from the front lines. I really don't have much say in things anymore."

Lee Baolai understood that this was a polite way of turning him down.

Feeling desperate, he pleaded, "Uncle Wang, can't you do me this favor? Just put in a good word for me. Your influence still means a lot!"

The other party chuckled wryly, "I truly can't assist you with this. Sorry about that."

Lee Baolai's frustration boiled over. "Uncle Wang, my dad's always been good to you, right? Whenever you needed something, one word from him and it was done. Now I come to you for help, and you're backing out? Do you still expect my dad to do things for you in the future?"

The man on the line lost his temper, his voice rising even louder, "You ungrateful brat, watch how you speak to me! Your dad's been fired, got it?"

"Fired?!"

Lee Baolai was in shock. "That's impossible. My dad was talking about attending a meeting just this morning. He couldn't have been fired!"

"This morning? Your dad was fired just a short while ago!"

"No, that can't be," Lee Baolai said, shaking his head in denial.

"You fool, it was your father who just called me for help. Can I f*cking help him?!"

"I've heard it's someone powerful who's out to completely expose him. How could I possibly help? I'd just get dragged down too!"

"You'd better watch out for yourself!"

With that, the person on the other end abruptly ended the call.

Lee Baolai stood there, stunned and speechless.