Ling Rui’s expression darkened when he heard the noise from beyond the human wall. He turned around and started yelling at the people outside.
“What gangsters? Are you blind? Can’t you see that it’s Tai An conducting business? Go mind your own business and f*ck off!”
The person outside the human wall was silent for a moment.
He chuckled. “Tai An? That should be Tai An Group, right?” He sounded angry.
“That should be it!” Another voice spoke.
“This is ridiculous. How dare they disrupt public order and cause trouble to so many people? Don’t they have any respect for the law?” The voice became angrier than ever.
Ling Rui was exasperated.
“What the f*ck? Who the hell are you to care about what my Tai An does?” He yelled.
Ling Mingshan furrowed his brows. He was also unhappy.
“How brazen! I’d like to see where you got your guts. Make way!” That voice roared.
Two tall and strong middle-aged men pushed the human wall apart, and another two middle-aged men walked in.
The person in the lead was a thin man in his fifties. He was wearing a black jacket and glasses and looked bookish and gentlemanly.
However, he had an intimidating aura around him.
At the moment, his brows were furrowed and he looked extremely displeased.
“Who the f*ck are you? You’re the brazen ones! How dare you disrupt my Tai An business? Do you have a death wish?” Ling Rui cursed and yelled.
Ling Mingshan turned around to look at those people.
He nearly jumped when he saw who they were. He sucked in a mouthful of cold air and his face turned pale. His eyes opened wide and brimmed with fear.
“You f…” Ling Rui was still cursing.
Ling Mingshan was flustered. He immediately slapped his son on the face. “Shut up!” He roared angrily.
Slap!
Ling Mingshan’s palm landed solidly on his son’s face, which made him dizzy.
He could not believe what had just happened. He spoke pitifully while covering his swollen cheek. “Why did you hit me, Father?”
“Because you deserve it! Can’t you watch your mouth? Where are your manners? I’ll beat you to death!” Ling Mingshan roared.
Then, he slapped his son again.
Ling Rui was utterly confused. He was almost crying as he covered both of his cheeks.
“Shut up! Don’t say another word from now on if you know what’s good for you!” Ling Mingshan reprimanded his son sternly. Then, he wore a flattering smile on his face and went to greet the people who had just come.
“I am so sorry, Secretary Weng! My son has been impudent, and it’s all my fault as his father! Please accept my apology!” He bowed deeply.
Ling Rui was shocked when he saw that. He sucked in a mouthful of cold air.
That person was the secretary of the province? Did he just curse the provincial secretary in front of everyone?
His face was drained of all color. Sweat dripped from his forehead.
“Secretary Weng, Vice Governor He, why are you here today?” Ling Mingshan asked courteously.
Ling Rui’s head spun when he heard that. He nearly fainted on the ground.
‘What? The vice governor is here too?’
He had cursed both the provincial secretary and the vice governor.
The other people from Tai An Group were also feeling afraid. They were silently steeping in cold sweat.
In their hearts, they were cursing Young Master Ling to hell. The Young Master had gotten everyone into big trouble for cursing the province secretary and vice governor in public!
Young Master Ling was inexperienced and incapable. That was why he did not recognize the provincial leaders.
Furthermore, they were shocked by the presence of the provincial leaders at the same time. They did not look like they were on official business.
Secretary Weng scanned across the people from Tai An Group. Finally, his gaze landed on Ling Mingshan.
He grunted angrily. “Is that how Tai An usually conducts their business? How brazen can you be?”
Ling Mingshan was drenched in cold sweat when he heard that. “You’re mistaken, Secretary Weng…”
“How can I be mistaken? Isn’t it obvious? You’re disrupting the opening ceremony of this restaurant. I thought only gangsters did that!”
Ling Mingshan laughed awkwardly but did not say anything.
He was cursing his own misfortune. Ever since he retired, he rarely showed his face in public. He wanted to put on a display of his power but had instead offended two big shots.
“You’re really mistaken, Secretary Weng! Hey, why are all of you still standing there? Make way!” Ling Mingshan yelled at the group of bodyguards.
The bodyguards instantly dispersed.
“Right, Secretary Weng, you two are here today because of…” Ling Mingshan spoke carefully while observing their reactions.
“What other reason can there be? We’re here to join in the opening ceremony, of course!” Vice Governor He said with a smile.
“Wh… What?” Ling Mingshan exclaimed. He was afraid that he had misheard.
Everyone who heard that also exclaimed in surprise.
“Oh my god! The province secretary and vice governor are here! What’s the reputation behind this restaurant?”
“Just who is that Tang guy?”
Everyone was extremely shocked as they talked among each other.
It turned out that the boss of New Magical Kitchen had many powerful people backing him. The Ling family had been foolish to cross him. They were only humiliating themselves.
The people there started to regard the people from Tai An Group with mockery.
Meanwhile, the people from Tai An Group did not know how to react.
Ling Mingshan’s face was ashen.
‘Didn’t my son say that the Tang kid is only some unwashed country bumpkin from a backwater district?
‘He even managed to invite the province secretary! What country bumpkin can do that?’
“Useless! All of you are idiots! I thought you ran an investigation on him?” He reprimanded his minions angrily.
The people hemmed and hawed, at a loss for a reply.
They did run an investigation on the kid, but they only found that he was indeed from a mountain village in Westridge. They did not think it was necessary to investigate any further than that.
Ling Mingshan became angrier when he saw his minions’ reaction.
Their plan to disrupt the opening ceremony had failed. Nothing could stop Tang Hao now.
With the provincial secretary and the vice governor backing the kid, what else could he do to the restaurant?
Tai An’s only remaining hope was the bronze jar. As long as they managed to replicate the bronze jar, they would still be able to gain a foothold in the market for magical cuisine.
“Let’s leave!”
He waved his hand and turned around.
Suddenly, his phone started ringing. The person on the other end of the call seemed to be speaking, his knees went weak, and nearly fell on the ground.
His face had turned ghastly pale.
“What’s wrong, Father?” Ling Rui quickly went to support him.
Ling Mingshan’s eyes had glazed over. “Exploded… The bronze jar exploded…” he mumbled.
