Chapter Seventy-Eight: Display

“Manager Wu, you’re here, hahaha, hello.” As soon as Manager Zhang saw the newcomer, he immediately stepped forward with a smile.

He didn’t know Long Gui, the owner behind the scenes; he only recognized the middle-aged man in front.

That middle-aged man was the newly appointed manager of the restaurant, Manager Wu.

Previously, it was this man who had come over and briefed Manager Zhang about the new owner.

One could say that Manager Zhang’s future at the Neijiang Restaurant depended entirely on how Manager Wu reported his performance and his opinion of him.

Therefore, Manager Zhang believed that the two people he absolutely could not afford to offend were Manager Wu and, of course, the new owner.

However, he didn’t realize that this new owner was Lu Hao.

“What’s going on? Who is this?” After exchanging brief greetings with Manager Wu, Manager Zhang pointed to the stunning woman beside him, Long Gui, and asked.

“Oh, this is our boss. Come and meet her, Miss Long,” Manager Wu introduced her with a smile.

Manager Zhang smiled and said, “Hello, Boss Long. I’m Zhang Jiang, formerly of the Neijiang Restaurant.”

He extended his hand, intending to shake Long Gui’s hand.

Long Gui, her ponytail neat and dressed in a striking red suit, shook her head and said, “No need.”

“I don’t think there’s any necessity for us to get acquainted.”

With those words, Long Gui shifted her gaze to Lu Hao, standing nearby, offering him a friendly smile.

“Boss Long…” Manager Zhang found himself rebuffed; his expression turned sour. He hadn’t expected the new owner to be so difficult to please.

But for the sake of his position, and to continue wielding authority in the Neijiang Restaurant, Manager Zhang could only swallow his pride for now.

He forced another smile.

“Boss Long, haha, it’s said seeing is believing. I’ve long heard of your reputation as an elite in the business world, a model among women, a heroine. Seeing you today, you are indeed extraordinary.”

“I am willing to serve loyally. Under your leadership, I’m sure Neijiang Restaurant will thrive.”

The meaning behind his words was not only to pledge loyalty to Long Gui, but more importantly, to signal his willingness to follow the new master, the new owner.

He would give his utmost to assist her, his real motive being to keep his position.

Long Gui’s expression remained cold, devoid of warmth, as if she had regarded Manager Zhang as nothing but air from the very beginning.

“Ahem, was it you who called just now?” Lu Hao suddenly asked Manager Wu.

“Yes, yes, it was me. Hello, let me explain the situation…” Manager Wu knew Lu Hao was his true boss from now on, so he was determined to ingratiate himself with him for the sake of his future career.

But Manager Wu had barely begun before Manager Zhang interrupted him.

“Excuse me, Manager Wu, Boss Long, this man’s presence here today is truly unlucky. I’ll get rid of him immediately. He’s the one who caused trouble here recently, and I was the one who handled it.”

“I didn’t expect him to dare show up again. Today, I’ll make sure he’s too scared to ever come back to Neijiang Restaurant.”

Manager Zhang rolled up his sleeves, strode forward, and seized Lu Hao by the collar, leaning in and saying, “Today’s the day our new boss is here. Listen, you’d better leave with me and not ruin our business.”

“If you upset the boss, I’ll make sure your whole family pays the price,” Manager Zhang said coldly.

Lu Hao was stunned by these words.

Damn it, Long Gui is standing right here, which means I am definitely the new owner of this Neijiang Restaurant, and Zhang Jiang still dares to mess with me?

How bold can you be? With vision like that, you still hope to keep your job here? That’s wishful thinking.

“You’re really not going to leave?” Manager Zhang tightened his grip, only to find he couldn’t move Lu Hao at all.

“If you won’t accept kindness, you’ll get punishment. Today, I’ll teach you a lesson,” Manager Zhang said fiercely, raising his right fist.

His actions were simple: with the new boss and Manager Wu both present, his work performance would be on display.

So he was determined to show off his abilities.

And Lu Hao, right in front of him, was the perfect opportunity.

By successfully handling a troublesome guest like Lu Hao, Manager Zhang hoped to showcase his competence and win Boss Long’s favor.

Sure enough, Long Gui and Manager Wu’s expressions changed in the next moment.

“Let go of Boss Lu right now!” Manager Wu shouted.

He was secretly delighted. He’d been worrying about how to curry favor with the new boss, and now this fool Zhang Jiang had handed him the perfect opportunity.

So he couldn’t be blamed for using Zhang Jiang as his stepping stone.

“What are you doing! Are you out of your mind? How could someone like you be manager at Neijiang Restaurant for so long?” Manager Wu barked angrily.

Zhang Jiang was dumbfounded. What was happening? Why was Manager Wu stopping him? What did this mean?

“Manager Wu, this—this man is here to cause trouble, you must be mistaken!” Zhang Jiang’s face turned pale, glancing at Manager Wu and Long Gui’s expressions, sensing things were taking a turn for the worse.

“Causing trouble? Do you even know who he is?” Manager Wu suddenly shoved Zhang Jiang to the ground.

“Who is he? Huh?” Zhang Jiang had a vague suspicion but didn’t dare confirm it.

“He’s the owner of Neijiang Restaurant now. Who do you think he is? You dare lay a hand on our boss!” Manager Wu’s face broke into a smile as he hurried over, bowing to Lu Hao.

“Boss Lu, this man was the previous manager of Neijiang Restaurant. I doubt you’ll want him in the future. Keeping someone like him is only a disaster.”

At these words, Zhang Jiang’s face went deathly pale. He trembled all over, as if he’d been thrown into an icy pit.

“Manager Wu, what do you mean? Are you joking with me? He’s just a penniless college student—his sister was working under me only two months ago, so…”

“So now you’re telling me he’s bought Neijiang Restaurant?” Zhang Jiang could hardly believe what he was seeing.