Chapter Sixty-Eight: You’re Not Allowed to Leave

At this moment, Manager Zhang hadn't expected Lu Hao to be so bold as to grab him by the collar and cause a scene.

But just by looking at Lu Hao’s plain attire, it was clear he didn’t come from a wealthy or powerful family. Besides, if his family had any money or influence, there was no way his sister would be working at the Neijiang Restaurant.

Thinking this, Manager Zhang regained his confidence.

“You bastard, how dare you grab my clothes? Let go of me right now, or you’ll be sorry,” he threatened, trying to pry Lu Hao’s hand off his collar.

But Lu Hao merely cast him a cold glance, his eyes brimming with murderous intent and an unyielding sharpness.

Manager Zhang had never encountered such a look before, and despite having played the villain in the past, he was clearly outmatched by Lu Hao’s presence.

Still, even the most ruthless men fear those with nothing to lose. Worried that Lu Hao might do something reckless, Manager Zhang decided not to provoke him further for the moment.

“Listen, friend, I think you’ve misunderstood something,” he said, forcing an awkward smile and raising his hands in a conciliatory gesture. “Maybe I was mistaken. Perhaps Zhang Shuilong wasn’t actually dating your sister—maybe he was just joking around, messing with her. He didn’t really mean anything by it.”

Seeing Lu Hao unmoved, Manager Zhang paused, then continued, “How about this: you apologize to Zhang Shuilong and pay some compensation to our restaurant, and we can put this matter to rest. Otherwise, if Zhang Shuilong decides to make trouble for you, things could get a lot worse.”

Listening to Manager Zhang’s nonsense, Lu Hao’s anger only grew.

“You call this a joke? Is it a joke when you post your thugs at the door and refuse entry to other guests? Is it a joke when even my mother wasn’t allowed in to see my sister?”

The more Lu Hao spoke, the colder his expression became.

Manager Zhang now realized that Lu Hao would not let this go easily.

“Damn you! Let me go!” Manager Zhang shouted, shoving at Lu Hao’s hand and managing to break free.

He straightened his clothes, then pointed at Lu Hao and spat, “You must have a death wish! Do you even know who Zhang Shuilong is? You’re lucky he’s drunk right now—otherwise, you’d be in the hospital already. You lot, grab him! I want to see just how tough he thinks he is.”

Manager Zhang ordered several nearby staff to seize Lu Hao.

Just then, Zhang Shuilong staggered to his feet. Though clearly drunk, he was still aware enough to grasp the situation.

“You bastard!” he roared, swinging at Lu Hao with a slap, but Lu Hao dodged easily.

Zhang Shuilong, swaying unsteadily, leaned against a table, grimacing from where Lu Hao had struck him earlier.

“How dare you hit me? Do you know who I am? I know Erhu! Damn it, even if you don’t know me, you must know Erhu! If not him, then you must know Zhou Run!”

Drunk and rambling, Zhang Shuilong spouted threats and names.

“Oh? And what about them?” Lu Hao raised an eyebrow, sneering coldly.

“What about them? I’ll have both your arms broken today! What do you think about that?” Zhang Shuilong snarled, a vicious glint in his eyes.

Just as he was about to continue, Lu Han quickly stepped forward to intervene.

“Brother Zhang, please, I apologize on behalf of my brother,” she said, bowing earnestly. “Please don’t make things difficult for him. My brother just graduated from college—he doesn’t understand the ways of the village.”

Lu Hao might not have known who Zhang Shuilong was, but Lu Han did. Working at the Neijiang Restaurant, she’d often overheard the older women gossiping about the restaurant’s dark underbelly.

The previous husband-and-wife owners had been forced out by Zhang Shuilong, Manager Zhang, and their gang.

Manager Zhang and Zhang Shuilong were cousins, and with strong backing, they’d become a criminal clique. Her brother was on his own, and they’d already made enemies—if they pushed further, how would their family survive in the village?

“Enough! What good is your apology? Unless you spend a few nights with me, it’s not enough,” Zhang Shuilong leered, his eyes filled with greedy desire as he ogled Lu Han’s delicate face and slender figure. He lurched forward, reaching for her.

Seeing this, Lu Hao’s fury blazed. He strode forward and kicked Zhang Shuilong to the ground.

“You bastard, you really have a death wish, don’t you?” Zhang Shuilong roared from the floor, incensed.

Manager Zhang, meanwhile, had stepped outside to make a phone call—no doubt summoning reinforcements. The Neijiang Restaurant had powerful forces behind it.

Seventeen-year-old Lu Han, terrified, clung to her brother’s sleeve, tears streaming down her face.

“Brother, please run! I’ll be fine! Once their people arrive, you won’t be able to escape!” she whispered, desperate to protect him in the only way she knew how.

“Silly girl! If I run, what about you? And our mother is downstairs too. Don’t worry, these bastards won’t touch either of you today,” Lu Hao replied with a cold laugh.

“But…!” Lu Han protested, her fear overwhelming. “We can’t afford to cross them!”

“You’re not going anywhere! None of you bastards are leaving today,” Manager Zhang snarled as he reentered. “And you, Lu Han—I never thought you’d have such a troublemaking brother. Your two months’ wages—one thousand yuan in total—forget about ever seeing a single cent.”

“What? Only a thousand for two months?” Lu Hao’s anger flared at the mention of the paltry sum.

“What kind of shady place are you running, paying my sister just one thousand yuan when she’s washing dishes for ten hours a day and hasn’t had a single day off in two months?”

Manager Zhang sneered, “So what? She’s underage and looking for work—I’m already doing her a favor by hiring her. Besides, you assaulted a guest in my restaurant. You owe me thirty thousand yuan in damages, or I’ll have someone ruin your hands and drag your whole family away!” His face twisted into a menacing sneer as he finished.