Even after he had been restrained, Sun Yushan remained arrogant, shouting incessantly, "What right do you have to grab me?"
"Let me go!"
Yan Jinyue waved a hand. "Gag him."
The security guards immediately complied and took him into a nearby private room.
Ji Hanxing collected himself and slowly straightened, struggling a little.
Yan Jinyue slowly loosened his hold. "Can you manage?"
Ji Hanxing nodded. His neck stung where it had been squeezed. He opened his mouth and was just about to speak when Yan Jinyue said, "Don't speak for now. Leave everything to me."
[If I don't speak, will you know what I want to do?]
[That scumbag dared to choke me. I can't let him get away with it. I want to call the police!]
"I, hhh, want..." The moment Ji Hanxing spoke, his throat felt as though a blade had scraped across it. Yan Jinyue immediately cut him off.
"You want to call the police, right? Leave it to me. I'll handle it."
Ji Hanxing's eyes widened slightly as he stared at Yan Jinyue in surprise. He could even guess that?
He immediately nodded.
Yan Jinyue gave Fu Fangxi a few instructions, telling him to call the police at once and contact the emergency medical personnel arranged for the banquet, asking them to hurry over. Fu Fangxi immediately went to carry them out.
Yan Jinyue guided Ji Hanxing into a private room and sat him down. Before long, the emergency medical team on standby for the banquet arrived. A qualified doctor gave Ji Hanxing's throat and neck a preliminary examination.
"This gentleman's neck was subjected to severe compression, causing injuries to his throat and neck. Inflammation is highly likely, and he'll need anti-inflammatory treatment. His throat may also hurt for the next few days. He should speak as little as possible."
"There is bruising beneath the skin. He'll need topical medication to promote circulation and disperse the bruising."
"There is no injury to the cervical spine. As for the trachea and blood vessels, we haven't found any injuries for now, but he'll need more detailed examinations at a hospital before we can determine that."
The doctor gave them a general explanation of Ji Hanxing's condition. Fortunately, he had suffered no major injuries.
After hearing that his vocal cords and the like had not been damaged, Ji Hanxing immediately sighed in relief.
[Thank goodness my vocal cords weren't damaged. A quacking duck voice would really ruin my domineering CEO image. I'd rather be mute.]
Holding the medicine the doctor had given him to promote circulation and disperse bruising, Yan Jinyue heard this thought from Ji Hanxing. A trace of helplessness flickered in his eyes. Even at a time like this, Ji Hanxing was still thinking about his domineering CEO image.
"Tilt your head up. Let's put this medicine on."
Ji Hanxing looked at Yan Jinyue. [The doctor was just here. Why didn't you let him do it? Can you manage?]
Outwardly, however, he obediently raised his chin, exposing his neck, which had already turned bluish-purple and was darkening to black.
Yan Jinyue rubbed the medicine between his hands. "Don't worry. I've learned basic first aid and bandaging. I'm certified, too."
[Seriously? CEOs have to learn this stuff now? Is it that competitive? Is he bluffing to fool me?]
Hearing this, Yan Jinyue raised his eyes to meet Ji Hanxing's. "I'll show you the certificate next time."
With that, he gently supported the back of Ji Hanxing's head with one hand and applied the medicine to his neck with the other.
Applying medicine to promote circulation and disperse bruising inevitably hurt a little. Ji Hanxing instinctively shrank back, but Yan Jinyue held the back of his head, keeping him in place until he finished applying it. He was like a cat held helplessly by the scruff.
While they were receiving treatment and applying medicine, the others who had been in the main hall were discussing what had just happened.
"What happened over there?"
"Apparently, some people got into an argument by the terrace, and it turned physical."
The incident had caused quite a commotion, and many people were watching and paying attention.
"What argument? I heard it just now. Someone said it was murder!"
"Someone was even grabbed by the throat."
"Who would be so clueless as to cause trouble at the Yan Family's charity banquet?"
"Well, someone was bold enough, wasn't he? Guess why President Yan was in such a hurry just now. Ji Hanxing was the one being choked! His neck was all black and purple. President Yan helped him into a private room."
"Whoa. Whose son did it? He had some nerve!"
"I caught a glimpse. It was the Sun Family's second young master, Sun Yushan."
"The Sun Family? Aren't they about on par with the Ji Family?"
Whether this incident would be treated as serious or minor, and what the outcome would be, depended on how the parties maneuvered. Of the two people involved, one was the Ji Family's current president and an honored guest of today's hosts, the Yan Family, while the other was the Sun Family's second young master. Neither had an ordinary status, and the Sun Family and the Ji Family were currently evenly matched.
"Well, the Sun Family and the Ji Family might seem about equal right now, but Ji Hanxing is Old Master Ji's only grandson. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him his lifeblood."
"And that's not even getting into Ji Hanxing himself. How many years has he been with the Ji Group? The Ji Group's market value has already doubled. And look at his performance tonight. Anyone with eyes could see that he and Yan Jinyue are close."
"Sun Yushan has really hit a brick wall this time."
His analysis was clear and logical, and many agreed, but someone countered, "The Sun Family's eldest, Sun Yuqiong, is no pushover."
"If it's proven that Sun Yushan injured someone or attempted murder this time, it'll disgrace the Sun Family, too. Sun Yuqiong cares about saving face above all else. She'll protect Sun Yushan for the sake of the Sun Family's reputation."
"So how this turns out will still depend on their negotiations."
Everyone gathered in their own little circles to discuss it. Some offered their opinions, others quietly enjoyed the drama, and some who were on good terms with the Sun Family tipped Sun Yuqiong off.
Meanwhile, two people remained in a corner of the hall.
A composed young man sat upright in the corner, with a tall, attractive young woman standing beside him.
"Did you hear? Ji Hanxing was injured. Someone grabbed him by the throat."
The woman swirled the wine in her stemmed glass, turning her alluring, peach-blossom eyes toward the man beside her.
The man merely nodded slightly. "Mm."
"Isn't he your cousin?"
"Aren't you going to check on him and show some concern, President Luo? You can tell he's quite close to the Yan Family."
The young man was none other than Ji Hanxing's older cousin, Luo Qing. He rubbed the watch on his wrist, his expression indifferent. "We're not close. There's no need."
At his words, the woman took a small sip of wine and sighed. "What a pity..."
Luo Qing raised his head, gazing intently at the private room Ji Hanxing and Yan Jinyue had just entered without saying a word.
The police arrived quickly. With the charity auction banquet being held today, officers had already been stationed nearby as a precaution in case anything unexpected happened.
Yan Jinyue and Ji Hanxing brought the police to the private room where Sun Yushan was being held. By now, Sun Yushan was no longer restrained. Ji Hanxing glanced at Yan Jinyue. What a sly old fox. He really hadn't left them anything to use against him.
Sun Yushan grew very agitated at the sight of the police. "Officer! You have to get justice for me! They imprisoned me!"
"They slandered me, too! They wanted to beat a confession out of me and frame me!"
Contempt showed in Ji Hanxing's eyes. Sun Yushan really knew how to twist the truth.
"Officer, we're the ones who called the police."
Yan Jinyue explained the situation to the police, stating that Sun Yushan had grabbed Ji Hanxing by the neck and choked him, then had Fu Fangxi produce the surveillance footage.
The instant Sun Yushan saw the surveillance footage, his frenzied mind cleared.