"Brother Guo, if you've got something to say, just say it. Don't be so inscrutable. This matter came down from above, and we have to reach a decision today. You can't just sit there without taking a position."
Elder Du, who was in charge of this shift, rapped on the table and fixed his gaze on Elder Guo.
Elder Guo lifted his eyelids. "Since Elder Du knows the higher-ups want a decision today, why are the three of you wasting time with all this useless talk?"
Elder Hong glared at him. "What's that supposed to mean? Are you saying everything the three of us have said is nonsense?"
Elder Wu said, "Old Guo, if you hadn't cowered this time, would we be in this mess? I still can't wrap my head around it. As the leader, how could you sit there like a mountain, without saying a word, in a situation like that? Is the mere Pang Family really so terrifying?"
That struck a nerve. Elder Guo slapped the table. "How I conduct myself is no business of anyone else's."
The stronger his reaction, the more it showed just how sensitive he was about the matter.
In fact, even after Xu Yi had left, Elder Guo still couldn't believe that what he'd heard with his own ears was true.
He had ignored Xu Yi without much thought. He'd simply felt the man was too brash and would only cause trouble. Besides, he truly hadn't wanted to offend the Pang Family for Xu Yi's sake.
It wasn't that he feared the Pang Family. He'd simply figured it was better to avoid trouble where he could. To put it plainly, he was negligent in his duties: unwilling to stir things up and unwilling to deal with them.
That was how he'd always