Chapter 74: The Important Person

“Zhang Ye, you can open your eyes now.”
Seeing that Zhang Ye still kept his eyes closed, Lin Dong called out with a smile.
Zhang Ye suddenly opened his eyes but kept his head still, trying to look downward.
Nothing. There was nothing there.
He tilted his head slightly back—still nothing.
No wonder he no longer felt that chill around his neck; there seemed to be no pressure behind either. Zhang Ye took a deep breath before looking up and immediately spotted Qiao Tianhao in Lin Dong’s hands.
The shopkeeper was truly unpredictable! Even with a kitchen knife against his neck, he managed to save himself.
As Zhang Ye marveled at this, Lin Dong dropped Qiao Tianhao and came over to Zhang Ye, untying the ropes while asking, “Are your injuries serious?”
“It’s fine. Just a few cuts from the knife,” Zhang Ye said casually, though he was actually in severe pain inside.
“Are you really fine?” Lin Dong glanced at the bloodstains on Zhang Ye’s chest—there wasn’t much.
“I’m really fine!” Zhang Ye endured the pain and patted the bloody area. “It’s just a small cut.”
“That’s good. Drag that kid to the backyard.”
Without further thought, Lin Dong gave a command and headed to the backyard first.
After watching Lin Dong leave, Zhang Ye gritted his teeth. When his gaze accidentally fell on Qiao Tianhao on the ground, the pain from his wounds instantly turned into fierce anger.
He kicked him several times, feeling unsatisfied, then grabbed his legs and deliberately smashed them against the legs of tables and chairs. By the time they reached the backyard, Qiao Tianhao was unrecognizable—muddy and disheveled, looking like a lopsided pillar from afar.
“Xiao Liu, do what needs to be done. Leave two people to take care of him properly,” Lin Dong ordered.
“Hey!”
Wang Liuze slapped his hand and scanned the faces of his employees, finally stopping on Zhang Ye’s eager face.
“The rest go to the main hall and get things ready to reopen soon. Zhang Ye, you stay.”
Zhang Ye eagerly nodded.
“Shopkeeper, how bad is it?” Wang Liuze asked.
“He’ll be laid up for a year or two,” Lin Dong replied casually.
“Okay!” Wang Liuze nodded, waved his hand, and together with Zhang Ye, they lifted Qiao Tianhao and headed toward the woodshed.
“Shopkeeper, there are more people coming,” the thin man who had returned to the main hall rushed in. “They say they’re from Maple Forest Restaurant and want Qiao Tianhao. They brought quite a few people with them.”
Lin Dong had originally intended to practice with the bench and Silver Rabbit, but upon hearing this, he pondered for a moment before waving his hand and saying, “Let them in.”
Wang Liuze and Zhang Ye also stopped and looked at Lin Dong.
“Go on!” Lin Dong said without hesitation.
The two let out vicious smiles and dragged Qiao Tianhao straight to the woodshed.

Not long after sitting down on the stone bench, thin men like Bamboo Pole entered the backyard armed with sticks, on guard. Liu Chuanxiang, the owner of Maple Forest Tavern, followed closely, along with a group of people behind them. Lin Dong frowned; among those people, he recognized some acquaintances. Zhou Jinchi, who claimed to be the cousin of the Liu family! Zhou Jinchi’s memory was clearly not as good as Lin Dong’s. After a month and a half, upon seeing Lin Dong, he only froze for a moment before looking confused, clearly unable to recall where they had met. With less than ten meters left, Lin Dong showed no sign of getting up. Liu Chuanxiang stepped forward a few steps and said with a laugh, “Owner Lin, what clever tactics! After the mess you caused last time, Maple Forest Tavern’s business has been declining day by day.” Lin Dong smiled indifferently. He understood that Liu Chuanxiang was trying to remind him that it was a draw—both of them had caused trouble. But was it really the same? Last time, he hadn’t intended to cause trouble either; it was Qiao Tianhao who forced him to stay and make a scene. This time, however, Qiao Tianhao had come with the intention of causing a big disturbance. “Stop, stop! I’m a disciple of Chef Jiang. You two scumbags, stop…” Vaguely, Qiao Tianhao’s shouts could be heard from the woodshed. Clearly, Wang Liuzhi and the others had already started fighting, after waking him up. Liu Chuanxiang’s expression changed briefly before he regained his smile. To be honest, he had been in a good mood these past few days. As the tavern’s business declined and he seemed on the verge of becoming the first county-level tavern owner to fail, Liu Chuanxiang had been extremely anxious. Yet, two days ago, all his worries vanished. The letter sent along with the carriage carrying the spiritual beasts not only contained the decision of the provincial-level owner but also a reward from the headquarters. One hundred taels of silver, to act as the temporary owner of Maple Forest Tavern in Xilan City, with the option to take over once a provincial-level position became available. An inexplicable failure had led to promotion and wealth. After some thought, Liu Chuanxiang realized it must be related to his submission of the proposal for Lin’s Inn. Once a provincial-level owner stepped down, he could seize the opportunity. Just thinking about it made him excited. Rising from the accountant of a provincial-level tavern to the owner of a county-level tavern, and then becoming a candidate for a provincial-level position—all in just a few months. “Owner Lin, Qiao Tianhao is a disciple of Chef Jiang. Look…” “Reciprocation is my rule. It doesn’t matter who comes,” Lin Dong refused bluntly. Liu Chuanxiang’s gaze paused. That was quite domineering of him, but it was fine too.

Hearing the screams coming from the woodshed, Liu Chuanxiang wasn’t in a hurry. With several people behind him, he really didn’t believe that Manager Lin in front of him would dare not hand over the person. Letting Qiao Tianhao suffer a bit was also a good chance to take his anger out on Lin’s Inn through them.

Liu Chuanxiang wasn’t in a hurry, nor was the young man beside Zhou Jinchi. But Zhou Jinchi grew impatient and said lazily, “Why talk to him so much? You there, hand over the person quickly—we have other things to do.”

“It’ll be done right away,” Lin Dong nodded.

“What do you mean ‘right away’? Do you know who we are?” Zhou Jinchi asked, displeased.

Liu Chuanxiang felt helpless. It seemed Qiao Tianhao, that damned guy, was about to show up.

Trying to get Zhou Jinchi to speak more slowly, Liu Chuanxiang hesitated for a moment but gave up. There was no choice—after all, they had only known each other for half a day. It was better not to anger him. Otherwise, they would have one less way to deal with Lin’s Inn.

Although promotion was within sight, he couldn’t neglect matters at Fenglin Restaurant. After all, he hadn’t been promoted yet. If he didn’t achieve some results, in front of other mansion-level managers, he would be seen as having risen by luck, making it difficult for him to hold his head high in the future.

“I know. The cousin of the Liu family, the most untouchable person in Xilan City,” Lin Dong said casually.

“Are you seeking death? Smash this place!” Zhou Jinchi was furious. The phrase “the most untouchable person” used to be a compliment in the past. But ever since a stranger smashed his head, such words sounded like harsh sarcasm to him.

“Cousin, you’re really impressive!” The young man beside Zhou Jinchi patted his shoulder.

Zhou Jinchi was stunned, then horrified. He remembered that the legitimate eldest son of the Liu family was still standing beside him.

Startled, Zhou Jinchi quickly explained in a low voice, “Cousin Qingling, he’s mocking me.”

Liu Qingling snorted coldly and said nothing more.

Zhou Jinchi sighed in relief, secretly glad that the other party knew his identity. Otherwise, he would have been in big trouble.

Behind him, several servants thought it was a pity. Someone dared to disrupt the eldest son’s habit of pretending to be weak while actually being powerful. The cousin who used to boss everyone around would surely have fun when he returned.