Chapter 121: Delivering a Message
Blue Miao ignored the woman and suddenly pointed at Lin Yuxin and the other young woman, asking Hong Chen, “Brother Hong, who are these two?”
Hong Chen replied calmly, “One is my wife, the other is my sister-in-law.”
Blue Miao’s expression changed drastically. He abruptly turned to glare at the woman and said sternly, “Sister Liao, there are surveillance cameras in the mall. You ordered your people to block the store entrance, preventing customers from coming in, and you still think you’re in the right? Take your people and leave immediately.”
The woman was stunned, not expecting Blue Miao to be so resolute, but she was shrewd and quickly grasped the situation. Still unwilling to back down, she ground her teeth and said, “Then let Young Master Lu come and settle this.”
Seeing her stubbornness, Blue Miao’s gaze darkened. “I’ll say it again: take your people and leave right now, or I’ll call the mall’s security manager, gather all the guards, and send you off with a full honor guard.”
The woman’s face stiffened as she glanced discreetly at one of the men standing behind her, who was masked and wearing sunglasses. When he shook his head slightly, she exhaled sharply and ordered, “Everyone, withdraw!”
The men surrounding Hong Chen dispersed, helping the two men in black suits out of the store.
Hong Chen ignored the others, stepping sideways to block the woman’s path. Pointing at his torn sleeve, he said, “You damaged my clothes. You need to pay for them.”
The woman was so angry that her nose began bleeding again. Blue Miao quickly stepped forward to smooth things over. “Brother Hong, it’s on me. Whatever the cost, I’ll cover it. Today, all your expenses in the mall, for you, your wife, and your sister-in-law, are on me.”
Hong Chen looked at him but said nothing further.
Watching this unfold, Lin Yuxin, who had been confused until now, suddenly lit up like a star and nearly burst out in joyful cheers at those words.
She held back her excitement until the entertainment company people had all left the store, then hurried over and stared at Blue Miao. “You mean what you say. I’m not asking for much—keep the spending under a hundred thousand.”
Just as Blue Miao was about to agree, Hong Chen said calmly, “This jacket is Versace. The mall has that brand. Just go get me the exact same one.”
He took off his coat, pulled out his wallet and other items from his pocket, and handed them to Blue Miao. Without hesitation, Blue Miao dashed off.
Lin Yufei glared at Hong Chen in dissatisfaction. Hong Chen glanced at her. “I’m not close to him. He doesn’t understand the principle of ‘taking what’s given.’ You think good things fall from the sky?”
Lin Yuxin walked over, scolding Lin Yufei, then looked toward Hong Chen. Hong Chen understood and shrugged. “I’ll explain later. Let’s shop first; don’t spoil the mood.”
Turning to Lin Yufei, he said, “Here’s your limit: no single item over fifteen thousand, total not exceeding fifty thousand. Pick whatever you like.”
Lin Yufei’s eyes brightened sharply, staring at Hong Chen in disbelief. After a moment, she spun around and grabbed Lin Yuxin’s arm. “Fifty thousand is mine, so what about my sister?”
Hong Chen rolled his eyes inwardly. He wanted to say no limit but decided that sounded pretentious. Instead, he said, “Let’s say a hundred thousand.”
Fifty thousand for the sister-in-law, a hundred thousand for the wife. Lin Yufei snorted softly, clearly feeling a bit slighted. Lin Yuxin looked deeply at Hong Chen, then tapped Lin Yufei’s forehead with a finger. “You should be grateful.”
Hong Chen let the two sisters go into the store to pick their items, then stepped outside, leaning against the wall and zoning out for a moment. Blue Miao hurried back with a bag. Hong Chen took it, nodded toward the nearby emergency exit, and started walking; Blue Miao silently followed.
Inside the passageway, Hong Chen offered Blue Miao a cigarette. Blue Miao waved it off, so Hong Chen lit one himself. “What happened just now?”
Blue Miao briefly explained. The Lan family was a minor shareholder in the mall. The Chanel store was temporarily closed because Blue Miao and the store manager arranged it. The rest was as the woman had said.
Hong Chen’s expression was half-smile, half-smirk. Blue Miao avoided his gaze, eyes wandering nervously. Hong Chen didn’t press and exhaled smoke. “Have you heard about what happened at Xifeng Mountain racecourse that night?”
Blue Miao nodded. Hong Chen continued, “Every year, art schools across the country graduate countless handsome and beautiful students. Gone are the days when scouts roamed the streets looking for potential stars. That excuse only fools children. You and I both know the real purpose.”
Seeing Hong Chen’s tense yet anxious look, Blue Miao relaxed at his gesture and smile. Hong Chen said, “Pass a message for me to the relevant people: if you want to make a move on my wife, you have to get through me first. Attacking me first is foolish; there’s room for negotiation. But if you touch my wife first, it’ll be a fight to the death. Everyone involved, even their families, will be destroyed!”
Finishing, he dropped the cigarette butt and stomped it out, then patted Blue Miao’s shoulder and walked off.
After Hong Chen left, Blue Miao stood still for a full minute before leaving. He took the elevator to the eighth floor rooftop, passed through the staff corridor, and entered a conference room in the office area.
Around a round table sat three people: Lu Huarong, Sister Liao, and a young man in his thirties with a handsome, somewhat androgynous face, thin lips that hinted at coldness and cruelty.
Notably, the Lu family was a major shareholder of the mall, yet Lu Huarong courteously allowed the young man to take the seat facing the door.
“Blue Miao, who is the other party?” Lu Huarong asked as soon as Blue Miao sat down, frowning slightly with some displeasure.
Blue Miao sighed. “Who else but that lunatic named Hong.”
Lu Huarong suddenly fell silent. Sister Liao scowled, “Qing City’s four top first-tier families are Jiang, Lu, Liu, and Wang. When did a Hong family appear?”
Blue Miao smiled bitterly. “There’s no Hong family. That guy is a quasi-second-tier family scion, Lin family’s live-in son-in-law, but a mad dog. A few days ago at the Xifeng Mountain racecourse, he burned a Porsche in front of many in the circle and even broke Qian Shao’s finger—Qian Shao is the only son of a quasi-first-tier family head from the neighboring South City—just because Qian Shao made a move on his wife.”
Noticing Sister Liao’s surprised look, Blue Miao added, “He has backing. Qing City’s top young man, Jiang Tao, is very close to him. Also, the leaders of the rising Hongcheng Group publicly supported him.”
He glanced at Lu Huarong again. “He spoke to me earlier, said to pass on a message: if anyone wants to make a move on his wife, they’ve got to get through him first. Attacking him first is foolish; there’s room for ease. But if they touch his wife first, it’ll be a fight to the death, with everyone involved, even their families, wiped out!”
“I’ll deliver the message. Since it involves his wife and sister-in-law, Young Master Lu, Sister Liao, Young Master Qi, I won’t get involved.”
Saying this, Blue Miao stood and strode out.
Lu Huarong’s expression was quite awkward. The Lan family was at least a quasi-first-tier family. She hadn’t expected Blue Miao to be so wary of Hong Chen. Truly, the incident at the King’s Club and the Xifeng Mountain affair had let Hong Chen show his strength and establish his prestige.
“Heh, interesting,” the young man suddenly chuckled, turning to Lu Huarong. “Young Master Lu, I’d like to ask a favor.”
He flicked his hair narcissistically and said politely, “Get me some information on those two sisters and send it to Sister Liao’s email, okay?”
Lu Huarong’s eyes flickered. The young man continued, “Those sisters’ images fit well for a new drama I’m in. The director was interrupted halfway through discussing it earlier. He wants Sister Liao to talk to them privately.”
After ten seconds of silence, Lu Huarong finally nodded quietly.