Chapter 31: What Nonsense Are You Talking About?

Wang Feng laughed until he clutched his stomach, tears of genuine mirth streaming from his eyes. Pointing at Chen Yu, he shook with laughter.

"Chen Yu, I retract what I said earlier! It’s not that you didn’t help your daughter memorize her lines; it’s that you didn’t give her any at all! You just let her improvise, didn’t you?"

He turned to the rest of the group and laughed loudly, "Listen to this, everyone, just listen! The Beijing Experimental Kindergarten No. 1! Why doesn't he just say his daughter goes to the Heavenly Palace Kindergarten and shares a desk with the Jade Emperor's granddaughter?!"

"Hahahaha!"

"That is absurd! I’ve lived for over thirty years and have never seen someone so capable of spouting such nonsense!"

"Poor child, stuck with a father like that. Who knows what she’ll be turned into later on."

This round of mockery was more vicious and wounding than any that had come before. Every biting word was like a poisoned dagger, stabbing deeply into Niannian’s young heart. She could not understand why telling the truth had resulted in such a reaction. She could not understand why these adults could use such cruel words to describe her father.

Grievance, anger, and confusion—all these emotions intertwined, and the little girl’s eyes could no longer hold back the tears. Large, heavy drops rolled down her flushed cheeks, one after another. She wanted to cry, but she stubbornly bit her lip to keep from making a sound, her small body trembling violently from the effort of holding it all in.

The moment Chen Yu saw his daughter shed tears, the calm, restrained aura he had maintained shattered instantly. In its place rose a bone-chilling, murderous intent. His eyes turned dark and gloomy.

"Is it funny?"

The crowd, still roaring with laughter, paused slightly and looked at him instinctively. Chen Yu slowly set his teacup down with elegant movements, yet he carried the oppressive weight of an impending storm. His gaze swept slowly over every person in the room.

"A bunch of ignorant fools, frogs at the bottom of a well, you think you’re qualified to judge my daughter?"

"You’ve never heard of the Beijing Experimental Kindergarten No. 1? That only proves your status is so low that you’re only fit to know about some crappy 'Dulwich' school."

"You aren't qualified to know about the competitions my daughter participates in, because your children wouldn't even be able to find the threshold to sign up for that level of event."

"Did I give you pieces of trash a shred of dignity by bringing my daughter here today?!"

Chen Yu’s voice suddenly rose, laced with long-repressed fury, exploding in everyone’s ears!

"Wang Feng, what the hell are you? A minor section chief in a subordinate unit of the Education Bureau? To put it nicely, aren't you just someone who copies files? Does that tiny bit of power make you feel this arrogant?"

"And you claim to know the principals of major private schools? Do they even know who you are? At most, you probably only know the security guard at the gate!"

"Is a tuition fee of three hundred thousand a year impressive? Was that money earned by your wife drinking with clients all night, or did you take dirty money from some parent to buy your son’s admission?"

"And you!" Chen Yu’s finger pointed sharply at the woman wearing the gold bracelet. "Your husband is away on business all year, and he just tosses you a few hundred thousand in pocket money to keep you quiet."

"You think he’s a business elite? Do you have any idea how many mistresses he has on the side? That pathetic bracelet on your wrist—is it a high-quality fake?"

He turned to the man who had been mocking him incessantly: "And you! A corporate slave working overtime every day? Stop pretending to be so diligent; you’d be better off moving bricks at a construction site!"

Chen Yu spoke with rapid-fire intensity, his words sharp and cutting, hitting home with every syllable. Every sentence was calculated to strike at their deepest insecurities. The entire private room was stunned into silence. A man they considered a spineless loser actually dared to speak to them like this? Was he not afraid of offending them?

Wang Feng’s face turned a shade of green. He had expected to mock Chen Yu at will, never imagining that the man would dare to fight back.

"You... you’re talking nonsense! You’re slandering me!" Wang Feng pointed at Chen Yu, shouting with a show of bluster that masked his fear.

"Am I talking nonsense?" Chen Yu sneered and slowly stood up. He was already half a head taller than Wang Feng, and standing now, he projected an intense sense of oppression. He stepped closer to Wang Feng, staring hard into his eyes.

"Do you dare to let someone investigate?"

For some reason, even though Wang Feng considered Chen Yu a loser, he felt his courage fail him. Ignoring the terrified man, Chen Yu turned toward the door of the room and called out calmly:

"Where is the manager? Get over here!"

This command left the group, who had just recovered from their shock, stunned once again. What was he trying to do? After insulting everyone and flipping the table, was he planning to call the manager to throw a tantrum and completely abandon all decorum?

A classmate regained his composure and, emboldened by the group, sneered, "What? Chen Yu, can’t handle the verbal sparring so you’re calling for backup? Who do you think you are? You think you’re worthy of ordering the manager around? Don't be surprised when you’re thrown out for causing trouble!"

"Exactly, he really thinks he’s someone important. Do you know what kind of place this is to be causing a scene?"

The group found a new target for their ridicule. Wang Feng immediately straightened his back and retorted aggressively, "That’s right! Chen Yu, if you have any guts, don’t you dare leave! I want to see what you think you can do by calling the manager! Do you think this hotel is owned by your family?"

He thought to himself that once the manager arrived, he would be the first to complain, claiming Chen Yu was stirring up trouble and disrupting their reunion. As a section chief who frequented the establishment for client dinners, the manager would surely give him some face. When that happened, it would be Chen Yu, the madman, who got kicked out!

Soon, the door to the room was pushed open. A middle-aged man in a crisp suit, wearing a "Duty Manager" name tag, walked in. He wore a professional smile, but his expression held a cold, arrogant disdain. Clearly, he had already heard about the commotion in the room from the waitstaff.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I am Li Ming, the duty manager of this hotel. May I ask what is happening here and if you require my assistance?"

His gaze swept across the room, finally landing on Chen Yu and Wang Feng, who were still standing. Wang Feng immediately stepped forward and pointed at Chen Yu to lodge his complaint: "Manager Li, you’ve come at just the right time! This man, I don't know where he crawled out from, but he’s been shouting and screaming at our reunion and insulting us! He’s seriously disrupting our meal!"

"I demand that you have him removed from this hotel immediately!"

Manager Li frowned slightly, barely noticeably. He turned his gaze toward Chen Yu, his eyes filled with even more contempt. He had seen plenty of hotheads who caused trouble after a few drinks.