Chapter 96: Shock! Shock! Shock!
The situation instantly grew tense, on the brink of erupting. The middle-aged captain and the police naturally paid no heed to Ma Ling, nor did they take her words seriously.
Similarly, Ma Ling had no fear. She was confident in her strength; if it came to blows, even if she got hurt, these police officers wouldn't fare well either.
Besides, she wasn't the only one on her side.
Just at this critical moment, the middle-aged captain's phone rang. He didn't want to answer it then, but a glance at the caller ID made him frown.
“Keep an eye on them,” the middle-aged captain instructed, then answered the call and walked out of the private room. The other police officers watched Yang Haoran and the other two's every move. Although they had holstered their guns because of Wang Yiming, Ma Ling’s assertive demeanor now made them feel the urge to draw them again at any moment.
Less than a minute, at most half a minute, the middle-aged captain returned from outside the private room. He didn't look at Yang Haoran and the two, nor did he spare a glance for the arrogant Ma Ling. Instead, he directly addressed the other police officers, saying, “Pack it up. ”
As his words fell, the middle-aged captain walked straight out of the private room. Although the other police officers didn’t know what had happened, their captain had given the order, and they could only comply.
No one asked any further questions, following the middle-aged captain out of the private room with their doubts. Before leaving, Chen Ying glanced at Yang Haoran, then at the smug Ma Ling, and finally glared fiercely at Wang Yiming before exiting the room.
The police left, leaving behind the chattering onlookers. They were bewildered, some guessing wildly, some fabricating stories, surrounding the private room three layers deep. Anyone unaware would surely think a murder had occurred here.
“What rotten luck today! This godforsaken Lecheng, I’m never coming here again! ”
Complaining under her breath, Ma Ling called for the waiter to settle the bill. Soon, a corpulent middle-aged man with a round head and big ears scurried into the private room, not the female waitress they had seen before.
The plump middle-aged man was drenched in sweat and panting heavily, as if he had just completed some strenuous exercise, which explained his exhausted state.
After rushing into the private room, the plump middle-aged man tried to close the door, but found it had been damaged. He could only symbolically use the door panel to block the entrance, trying his best to prevent the onlookers outside from seeing what was happening inside.
“Sirs, I am the owner here. How may I help you? ” The plump middle-aged man bowed and scraped, his posture extremely humble, for fear of offending Yang Haoran and the two.
This plump middle-aged man was indeed the restaurant owner, but he owned more than just this one restaurant in Lecheng. He rarely appeared here normally, and he wasn't present tonight. However, a single phone call had just made him rush back in a hurry from another location. From his profuse sweating, it was clear he had exerted himself to the fullest to return quickly.
“No need for anything. Just the bill, we’re leaving. The dining experience here was terrible. ”
Ma Ling looked displeased. She wouldn't change her attitude just because the plump middle-aged man was sweating profusely. She was in a foul mood right now, and no one could placate her.
More sweat beaded on the plump middle-aged man’s face. He quickly explained, “Beautiful lady, the customer who called the police has nothing to do with my small establishment. Please, be kind and don’t take your anger out on our restaurant. ”
By the end, the plump middle-aged man’s voice even held a hint of pleading.
The plump middle-aged man’s reaction caused a trace of surprise to appear on Ma Ling’s face. Then, too lazy to think further, she impatiently said, “Just calculate the bill. We’ll leave once it’s settled. Don’t worry, we won’t tear down your place. ”
“Old Master Wu has already given instructions. It doesn’t matter how much the three of you want to spend here; he has already taken care of everything for you all,” the plump middle-aged man said.
“Old Master Wu? ”
Yang Haoran and the other two exchanged glances. They seemed to understand something. Since Old Master Wu had already given instructions to the restaurant owner, did the police's departure just now also have something to do with him?
“Heh heh, this Old Man Wu is quite capable. As expected of Lecheng’s local bigwig, he even knows we’re here. But, that old fellow wouldn’t send people to follow us, would he? ” Ma Ling scoffed.
“I wouldn’t dare to send anyone to follow the three of you. ”
An old man’s voice sounded from outside the door. As his voice rang out, the dilapidated door was pushed aside by a burly man.
Old Master Wu stood smiling outside the door, accompanied by several burly bodyguards. As for the onlookers who had been watching the show outside the private room, all of them had vanished without a trace.
How could the onlookers, who were all ready with their stools and melon seeds, leave so easily? The fact that they had all disappeared without a trace, it went without saying, was Old Master Wu’s doing.
This seemingly benevolent old man was quite effective when he put his mind to something, at least here in Lecheng.
Old Master Wu’s appearance immediately drew everyone’s attention. The plump middle-aged owner’s face was wreathed in smiles as he hastily bowed to Old Master Wu, his attitude extremely respectful.
Old Master Wu smiled, patted the plump owner’s shoulder, and said, “These three are my old friends. You go on ahead. I have some matters to discuss with them privately. ”
How could the plump middle-aged owner dare to say “no”? He responded with a sigh of relief and quickly left the private room, while the bodyguards Old Master Wu brought stood guard at the private room entrance, preventing anyone from approaching.
“Old Man Wu, how did you know we were here? If you didn’t send anyone to follow us, how did you arrive so promptly? I’m telling you, I hate being followed the most! ”
Ma Ling’s temper hadn’t fully dissipated, so even when facing Old Master Wu, she spoke without any politeness. Not only was she impolite, but she even seemed poised to vent her anger on the old man.
Old Man Wu was a shrewd old fox. How could he not understand Ma Ling’s current state? Not only did he not get angry at Ma Ling’s words and actions, but he instead smiled kindly and said, “Oh, you, your temper is truly something else. I’m an old man with one foot in the grave; can’t you be a little more polite? ”
Ma Ling gave an annoyed huff, seemingly realizing her attitude towards Old Master Wu was somewhat inappropriate, and thus said nothing more.
Old Master Wu, meanwhile, pulled out a phone and handed it to Ma Ling.
“How did I know you were here? Just look at the phone, and you’ll know. ”
Old Master Wu didn’t say this to Ma Ling alone, but to all three of them.
Though Ma Ling was still somewhat displeased, she took the phone Old Master Wu handed her. With just one glance, the displeasure on her face vanished, replaced by a strange expression.
This peculiar expression only lasted for a few seconds on her face before she burst out laughing.
At first, her laughter was somewhat reserved, but then it became exaggerated. She laughed uncontrollably, as if her funny bone had been hit.
“What’s so funny? Can’t you be serious and mind the occasion? ” Wang Yiming said with a straight face.
Wang Yiming was still upset about Chen Ying, so seeing Ma Ling suddenly laughing so happily made him both curious and annoyed.
“You, you, you just look yourself, hahahaha. . . ”
Ma Ling handed the phone to Wang Yiming, laughing so hard she was gasping for air, her words stuttering.
Curiosity in his heart, Wang Yiming took the phone. With just one look, he froze, then let out an expletive.
“Holy sh*t! ”
Now, it was Yang Haoran’s turn to be confused. From the moment the police stormed into the private room, he hadn't spoken, not because he was timid, but because his mind was racing, considering various ways to handle the situation and what the ultimate consequences would be. He needed a foolproof plan that wouldn’t leave him at a disadvantage, nor let the other party off easy.
He had thought of a plan, but what he hadn't expected was that the opposing captain would just take a call and withdraw his men. Following that, the plump middle-aged owner and Old Master Wu appeared one after another, making his carefully devised plan impossible to implement.
As for why Old Master Wu would appear here, and so promptly, he had some guesses, but also some curiosity.
Seeing Ma Ling and Wang Yiming’s reactions after looking at the phone, his curiosity intensified. He was very eager to know what they had seen on the phone that would cause such a strong reaction from both of them.
Yang Haoran looked at Wang Yiming questioningly. The latter seemed to notice the curiosity in his eyes and, without a word, handed the phone directly to him.
Yang Haoran didn't hesitate, taking the phone and looking at the screen.
“SHOCKING! A lunatic suddenly had an episode while dining in a restaurant and actually did THIS! ”
“SHOCKING! Three criminals escaped into a restaurant and held hostages, confronting the police! ”
“SHOCKING! Three lunatics commit murder, set fires, and eat living people! If you don’t repost, you’re not a Lecheng native! ”
“SHOCKING! ”
Yang Haoran’s expression turned utterly priceless. The eye-catching bold black words, the similar headlines—each news article he read made the corner of his mouth twitch. He couldn’t stand it after just three.
He scrolled down, and it was all news starting with “SHOCKING,” each more bizarre than the last, and all accompanied by photos. And these photos were precisely of the moment when the police had pointed their guns at the three of them.
“Good grief, they start with a picture and invent the rest. What geniuses! ”
Yang Haoran had no interest in continuing to scroll. He figured that even if he went all the way to the bottom, the headlines would probably be similar, and the content would certainly be equally unsubstantial.
Saying this, Yang Haoran returned the phone to Old Master Wu. Seeing Yang Haoran’s expression, a mix of amusement and exasperation, Old Master Wu chuckled, “Although the content is all fabricated, I must admire their speed. If they had been a little slower, I, this old man, probably wouldn't have been able to pull off this favor. ”
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