“Respect?” Lu Xunchang smirked while regarding Zhang Yufan in disdain. “Did I hear you wrongly? Are you actually discussing respect with an assistant, Young Master Zhang? Who are you putting up an act for? Who knows what nasty things you have in mind?”
Zhang Yufan frowned and pointed at Lu Xunchang. “W-Why do you speak in that way?”
“Since you do not intend to do anything, Young Master Zhang, please step aside for now.” Lu Xunchang signaled the men who were standing behind him, and they surrounded Shen Qi immediately.
Shen Qi’s expression darkened immediately, and she glared at Lu Xunchang. “President Lu, what are you trying to do?”
“Ha.” Lu Xunchang sneered. “My dear assistant, how dare you ask me what my intentions are? You presented yourself to me today, so don’t blame me for being rude.”
Shen Qi sensed danger, and just as she was about to scream for help, the men behind her hit the back of her neck swiftly. Then, Shen Qi’s eyes rolled up before she slumped to the side.
No one tried breaking her fall, but Zhang Yufan was quick on his feet. He dashed forward and supported Shen Qi before scowling at Lu Xunchang. “President Lu, just what do you think you’re doing?”
Lu Xunchang glared at him vehemently. “Get lost.”
Zhang Yufan tightened his grip around Shen Qi. “Are you guys planning to do something to Assistant Shen? She is Young Master Ye’s assistant. Are you trying to offend Young Master Ye of North City?”
“Ha, we do not see eye to eye,” replied Lu Xunchang while glaring menacingly at Zhang Yufan with narrowed eyes. “Your name is Zhang Yufan, am I right? You’d better hand her over. Otherwise… I will render you unconscious and take you with me.”
Zhang Yufan met Lu Xunchang’e eyes when he heard that, but he did not let go of Shen Qi.
“She is just an assistant you met not long ago. Do you want to offend me for her sake?” With that, Zhang Yufan loosened his grip slightly, and Lu Xunchang’s subordinate took the chance to grab Shen Qi away.
After that, they took Shen Qi away from the banquet hall openly. Many people witnessed what happened, but everyone was aware of Lu Xunchang’s ways, and they thought that both were consenting adults, and so the audience ignored it.
After they left, Zhang Yufan felt bad, and so he called for his secretary hurriedly. “Go upstairs now and inform Mr. Zhou’s assistant that the assistant who came with Young Master Ye has been knocked unconscious and taken away by Lu Xunchang.”
The secretary frowned when she heard that. “The Lu and Ye Families?”
“Mm-hmm. Go, quick.”
His secretary stood rooted to the spot.
As such, Zhang Yufan frowned at her while asking in an irritated tone, “What is it?”
His secretary explained, “Young Master Fan, I believe you are not aware of the issues between the Lu and Ye Families, am I right? I just learned about it as well. I heard that somehow, Lu Xunchang offended Young Master Ye, and so Young Master Ye crippled him. Think about it—what is Lu Xunchang’s favorite activity? Now that he is crippled, he must have lost his cool, and he is dead-set on getting back at Young Master Ye.”
Zhang Yufan frowned when he heard that, and he blurted out, “Well, Lu Xunchang has always been fooling around with many women, so isn’t it good that he is crippled now? To a certain extent, Young Master Ye rid the people of an evil-doer.”
“Young Master Ye, don’t you get what I mean? What I meant is that Lu Group is acting recklessly out of despair, and I am guessing that they are ready to do anything now. Hence, this would involve many things, so I think it’s best for us to not get involved at all.”
Upon hearing that, Zhang Yufan frowned unhappily. “Are you telling me to keep myself out of the matter and pretend as if I didn’t see anything?”
His secretary answered swiftly. “T-That would be the best.”
Zhang Yufan pinched his eyebrows at his secretary’s reply. Then, his secretary added, “We aren’t in the same league as the Zhang’s and Lu’s. Hence, if those two families were to truly fight each other…”
“What if due to this incident, we, the Zhang’s, are able to gain the Ye’s protection?” Zhang Yufan blurted out a shocking question, and his secretary’s eyes widened in surprise. “Young Master Fan, what are you saying?”
“I want to try my luck. Find a way to inform Young Master Ye in person quickly, and let him know that I was the one who released this piece of news. The Lus has always been a thorn in the flesh… I am quite sure that many people have wanted them gone for some time. Besides, the Lu Family can’t beat the Ye Family anyway, so let’s watch things unfold from the sidelines.”
…
Ye Moxuan and Mr. Zhou were chatting for a short while when someone came in stealthily to convey a message. Mr. Zhou paused for a while to look at Ye Moxuan, who sat opposite him.
Ye Moxuan cocked a brow and asked, “Mr. Zhou, do you have to go now?”
“Young Master Ye, this matter is related to your assistant.”
Assistant? Shen Qi? Ye Moxuan narrowed his eyes dangerously while asking him, “What do you mean?”
Mr. Zhou conveyed the message he just received to Ye Moxuan, whereas Xiao Su, who was listening in from behind, asked, “Lu Xunchang? Damn, Mr. Zhou, you actually invited him to the banquet?”
Mr. Zhou rubbed his nose awkwardly before trying to laugh it off. “I didn’t invite him, to be honest, but anyway, it isn’t difficult for someone of his status to get an invite from someone else.”
Ye Moxuan scowled when he heard that because it meant that the situation was worse than he thought.
Xiao Su replied hastily, “Young Master Ye, could Lu Xunchang be holding a grudge against you because of the previous incident? Maybe that is why he took the chance this time… Where can he possibly take Assistant Shen to?”
Ye Moxuan’s expression darkened, and his eyes gleamed dangerously. “Mr. Zhou, I am afraid I have to take my leave once again today,” he remarked frostily.
Mr. Zhou made a ‘please’ gesture while standing up slowly. “Assistant Shen met with trouble at my banquet, and as the host of the banquet, I am responsible for this as well. I will instruct my people to check the surveillance tape to find out where they took her.”
“Thank you.”
Mr. Zhou left swiftly after saying his piece, whereas Xiao Su left the room with Ye Moxuan as well. “That scoundrel, Lu Xunchang. Would he do something horrible to Assistant Shen? He was crippled as a man, and it’s a horrible thing for a guy; I can’t even begin to imagine what extreme things he might do.”
The more Xiao Su commented, the more horrible Ye Moxuan’s expression turned. “Get it sorted right now.”
Xiao Su immediately whipped his mobile phone out.
Coincidentally, Ye Moxuan’s phone rang at the same time, but it was from an unknown number.
Xiao Su’s breath caught in his throat, and he was rendered motionless while staring at Ye Moxuan’s phone screen.
Ye Moxuan answered the call while gazing coldly into the distance.
“How have you been, Ye Moxuan?” Lu Xunchang’s conceited voice rang from the other end of the line. Xiao Su started scolding him the moment he heard his voice. “Lu Xunchang, do you have a death wish? How dare you kidnap someone from the banquet? Are you hoping for the Ye’s to crush the Lu’s?”
“Hahaha!” Lu Xunchang burst into a cackle of manic laughter. “Come at me if you have what it takes. However, before you start crushing the Lu’s, bear in mind that your assistant… will be tortured beyond imagination.” Lu Xunchang’s voice sounded menacing. “Ye Moxuan, you caused a huge rift between two families for the sake of a lowly assistant. You ended our collaboration, and you even got someone to… Ha! I’d like to see what you, a crippled man who has lost his manhood, could do for the sake of this assistant of yours!”
“Lu Xunchang, let her go if you know what’s good for you,” warned Xiao Su.
“What do you want?” Ye Moxuan asked in a cold voice.
Lu Xunchang was silent for a while before he spoke again, “It seems like you truly value your assistant, Ye Moxuan. Who would have thought you’d end up in this position today? Let me tell you—I’ve fed your assistant large amounts of ecstasy, and she’s waiting for you to rescue her. What are your thoughts now?”
