A Lifelong Lesson

"And this dish, what's its name?"

Lin Chen pointed at the two large yellow croakers on the plate.

Even when he was poor before, he had eaten this kind of large yellow croaker a few times.

What attracted his curious gaze, besides the name of the dish, was naturally its presentation.

At this moment, the two large yellow croakers, as if they were fresh live fish, were leaping and suspended in mid-air.

They were like a pair of competitors, intertwined tightly.

It was as if they were fighting over something important.

"Hello, sir. This dish is also one of our hotel chefs' signature specialties. The name of the dish is 'Two Fish Play Dragon Gate'."

"'Two Fish Play Dragon Gate'?"

Lin Chen silently repeated the name. Before he could say anything else.

Cheng Gang, standing beside him, immediately slapped the table and laughed, "Well said, 'Two Fish Play Dragon Gate'! It truly lives up to the imperial chefs of Zhonghai's Emperor Hao Grand Hotel. The creativity is simply brilliant."

"Even though the fish have been cooked, the chef's skillful plating makes them look as if they are about to come alive."

"From their leaping bodies to their posture of competing to pass the dragon gate, every detail is full of creativity."

"I must say, the imperial chefs of Zhonghai's Emperor Hao Grand Hotel are truly skilled."

Everyone else nodded in agreement with Cheng Gang's words.

After all, these dishes were no longer just food; they were like exquisite paintings that naturally evoked surprise and admiration.

Seeing that everyone was amazed by the hotel's dishes, Cheng Gang, as the host of the event, was exceptionally pleased.

After all, his actions today held significant importance.

If he could gain everyone's approval now, then Qin Xueqing would also gain their approval.

However, where there was happiness, there was also unhappiness, especially from Zuo Yikai, who was Cheng Gang's sworn enemy.

When he saw everyone satisfied with Cheng Gang's arrangements, he felt an indescribable discomfort.

"Hmph, the hotel chefs are good, but Cheng Gang, aren't you treating everyone too casually?"

"It's not often that we get to come to a grand hotel, and we were expecting some delicacies."

"But in the end, you've only ordered these home-style dishes to entertain everyone? Isn't that a bit unreasonable?"

"Of course, I don't mean anything else."

"I just don't understand, since you chose the Emperor Hao Grand Hotel for this class reunion, shouldn't you pick the most expensive dishes to entertain everyone?"

"Otherwise, it would be more practical to eat at a roadside stall."

"I wonder if my fellow classmates agree with what I, Zuo Yikai, have said?"

Zuo Yikai's words were indeed sharp and pointed.

Although he didn't explicitly call Cheng Gang stingy, his words and tone clearly implied that Cheng Gang's hospitality was too low-class.

He even drew everyone else into the conflict.

If this were any other time, everyone would probably think nothing of it.

After all, these were dishes from the Emperor Hao Grand Hotel; even their ordinary home-style dishes would be extremely expensive and of the highest quality.

Moreover, they were all benefiting from Cheng Gang's generosity to have the opportunity to dine here.

Otherwise, they would never have had the chance to eat a meal here in their lives.

But this time was different. This time, Zuo Yikai was speaking from the position of his family's powerful backing.

His words were a clear warning to everyone: you have two paths before you.

Are you choosing him, Zuo Yikai, or Cheng Gang?

If you choose wrongly, you won't be able to get by in Zhonghai from now on.

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone's expressions couldn't help but change repeatedly.

While they fawned over Zuo Yikai for their future prospects, being threatened so publicly made them feel uncomfortable.

But as the saying goes, what could they do about their discomfort?

They were all from ordinary families; how could they dare to challenge Zuo Yikai, the young master of the Zuo family, who was backed by the Shilin Guomao Group?

After hearing his words, despite their discomfort, everyone forced a smile and agreed with him.

"Zuo Yikai..."

Cheng Gang stared intently at Zuo Yikai, his hands already clenched so tightly that they made cracking sounds.

It was clear that his anger had reached its limit due to Zuo Yikai's repeated provocations.

However, just as Cheng Gang was about to completely fall out with Zuo Yikai, Lin Chen, who was beside him, pulled him back.

"Don't be impulsive. Just hold on a little longer."

"Since I, Lin Chen, promised you, I will definitely fulfill it."

"Just wait until this class reunion is over, and I'll definitely teach him a lesson he'll never forget."

"But..."

"Trust me."

Cheng Gang originally wanted to say more, after all, he knew Lin Chen's family background very clearly.

To teach Zuo Yikai a lifelong lesson was simply wishful thinking, as difficult as climbing to heaven.

No matter what was said, he wouldn't believe it.

However, when Cheng Gang saw Lin Chen's determined expression, he began to hesitate.

He knew Lin Chen's character; he always spoke the truth and never bragged.

If anyone else had said this, he would have absolutely not believed them.

But when it came to Lin Chen, it was truly different.

Moreover, Lin Chen had said this more than once today, and his eyes were so certain, maybe...

For a moment, Cheng Gang actually began to believe him vaguely.

Especially when he saw Lin Chen's overall state at the moment, his belief became even firmer.

"Lin Chen's aura now is completely different from when he was in college; it's a world of difference."

"You know, a person's aura isn't that easy to change, unless they've been associating with powerful figures for a long time..."

"It seems Lin Chen has been through a lot in society these past few years, and he's likely made connections with many influential people."

"Even these influential figures might have backgrounds more terrifying than Shilin Guomao Group."

As soon as he thought of this, Cheng Gang's previously furious expression gradually began to subside.

Zuo Yikai, not far away, had been staring at Cheng Gang the entire time.

When he saw the latter's anger, a sinister smile flickered across his lips at the opportune moment.

As long as Cheng Gang dared to attack him in his rage, he would have no more reservations.

Even if Qin Xueqing intervened, he could legitimately use his powerful backer to completely eliminate Cheng Gang and his family in Zhonghai.

However, to his surprise, the anger that Cheng Gang could no longer suppress was soothed by just a few words from Lin Chen.

This was incomprehensible to him.

Because they were quite far apart, and the other party deliberately lowered their voices when communicating, he couldn't hear them.

Of course, it wasn't just him; even the old classmates sitting next to them looked confused and hadn't figured it out.

"This Lin Chen is really an eyesore."

"A great opportunity has been ruined by his few words."

"I don't know what that kid said to Cheng Gang to make him remain motionless despite being so furious."

"It's truly detestable."