Petty Conflict at the Restaurant

"Oh ... finally, back to civilization." Shan Yuezhi said gleefully right after leaving the market and saw the black asphalt road.

She stopped a taxi and pulled me in. It's only a five-minute walk, so why hiring a cab? It puzzled me, so I asked.

"Miss Shan, it's not that far to the restaurant ... I think we could just reach there by foot."

"No can do, my leg is about to give up. I can't go on anymore." she massaged her calf as she said that.

"... well, it's up to you." 

In no time, we arrived at the restaurant. We entered the said place while both of my hands still preoccupied with plastic bags.

"My friends reserved a private room, I hope they haven't left."

"Which private room and under whom it reserved?"

"I don't know about the room, but it reserved by Zhou Ran."

"Yes, there's a room reserved under this name. Please follow me ..."

"Ahh ... can I go to the bathroom first?"

"Then, please this way."

I was tagging along with Shan Yuezhi. I thought she wants to treat me to a meal on her own. But to think that she has an appointment with her friend. Won't I become an uninvited dude who suddenly comes along? And what more, I have brought these groceries.

Ahh ... hold on.

I walked to the male bathroom and stored all the plastic bags in my Spacebank. Finished with that, I waited for Shan Yuezhi to come out.

"Where is your stuff?" she comes out from the lady's restroom and already redone her make-up.

"I ... put them somewhere else. Don't you think it's weird bringing along tofu and tempeh and all that veggies when you go eat in the restaurant?" 

Yeah, just then I feel that the receptionist and the server are looking at me with my groceries as if I'm an oddball.

"You're not wrong ..."

"Right?" 

She strode the hallway confidently. The receptionist already pointed in to which private room her friend was. But as expected as an adult who lost her way in the market, she forgets it already and couldn't pinpoint where's where. 

"It's not that room, it's this way." I reminded her.

"I don't think so ... I'm pretty sure, it's this room."

"That receptionist lady said it's room number 3, so it's the room at the end of this hallway ..."

"Let's check this room first ... I'm sure she pointed at the first room in the right."

Oh my lady ... we got here from the other side of the hallway! The first room on the right is the last room on left from where we are standing now.

When I was about to remind her one more time ... she already opened room number 7. She stops and stares at the people inside, and they returned the stare with puzzled eyes. 

Miss Shan face gradually turned red because of her blunder, then she lowered her head. 

"Umm ... I'm sorry to disturb you, I opened the wrong room." she closed the door and smiled embarrassedly. She returned to my side and then heaved a sigh. "Alright, I admit I got it wrong again this time ..."

"See, I told you."

We entered private room number 3, inside there's already four men and three women in their early twenties. Great, it's a gathering of Chinese. The girls were inferior in terms of look and aura if comparing them to miss Shan. As for the men, I don't know ... though their body are well-toned and trained, they look mediocre.

"Shan Yuezhi?! Is that you!?"

"Oh, wow ... look at you! I barely recognize you."

"Zhizhi!? I miss you!" one woman strode forward and hugged Shan Yuezhi.

"You've grown taller, little Chan." Shan Yuezhi responded. 

"Not any taller than you, Zhizhi."

"Yuezhi, you've become more beautiful." said one of the China men.

They exchanged greetings; they look like old friends. Yeah, they thoroughly ignored my entire presence. I think ... I shouldn't be here, that's what keeps popping on my mind. 

"Miss Shan, since you've arrived here safely, I think I should get going now ..." 

"Ehh, why ...? Arman you can't go yet! I haven't treated you a meal, you can't ... I can't find you if you go." Shan Yuezhi pulled my arm to hold me back.

"Zhizhi, who is this boy? Your boyfriend?" asked the girl curiously.

"No, Yuezhi never gives a second glance to those men ... it's impossible for this teenager to be her boyfriend."

"Agreed, but he's not bad ... maybe it's her new toy?" another girl teased.

Upon hearing those words, the men sent out glare with full hostility. Oh, come on, I don't even know who's this young miss. Why are you directing your hostility at me for goodness' sake? 

"Oh, come on ... you know I'm not interested in doing that." Shan Yuezhi waved her hand, she pulled my arm and hug it naturally. I could feel her soft breast, it's not any bigger than sis Sunna, but still has incredible softness. "This is my benefactor ... his name is Arman."

"Good day, little brother Arman ... I'm Zhizhi's friend, You Nanchan." the girl with small stature introduced herself cheerfully.

"Nice to meet you, elder sister You." I nodded at her smilingly. She's small, but she still older than me.

"Aiyah, little brother is so funny ... alright, you can call me elder sister." she got overjoyed with just that.

"Hey hey, you called Chan'er elder sister but you call me with miss?"

"I can call you elder sister Shan if you want. Not that, miss Shan ... I really think I shouldn't be here."

"Heh, a kid who hasn't grown enough hair should go back. And you're still wearing your uniform, you're fooling around when you're in school ... you have no future!" one man said condescendingly.

What he said did not offend me. Indeed ... I'm wearing the school uniform while not attending the school. But I'm not fooling around like what he said. I smiled in return, it's no use in debating with someone who purposely demeaning.

"Li Quan, he's my friend. And whatever he does, it never is your business! How could you say that he's fooling around when you know nothing about him?" miss Shan pulled me and brought me behind as if trying to shield.

"Shan Yuezhi, from whichever side you look at this boy. He doesn't qualify to be here with us!" the man surnamed Li rebuked.

"What the fuck with having qualification bullshit and whatnot! Arman is my friend and benefactor, if you dare to disregard him, that means you're disrespecting me!"

"Shan Yuezhi, why you're so adamantly protecting him? Is he really your little lover? I don't know that you're such a casual woman. To think that you're such a slut ..."

"Surnamed Li, watch your tongue!" she pointed her finger at him, enraged with what he said. Although, I don't care about whatever he said before ... but this time it was too much.

The man shook his head dismissively, he turned to me and asked, "And you, are you going to just hide behind a woman back? What a man you are ... well, I guess you're still a kid so you can do just that."

I sighed ... why is this random dude trying to taunt me? You're not even as good-looking as me! Sigh ... it's so hard to be born soo handsome. I stride forward and stood in front of Shan Yuezhi. Squinting my eyes, I asked in a cold and detached voice.

"Make it clear, you want a fight or what? I don't care if you provoke or humiliate me, but you have to apologize to miss Shan and take back what you just said about her!"

"Heh, I don't fight kid. You're out of my league." Li Quan arrogantly stated. 

I just shook my head at that, trying to look so calm and cool. It's great that he didn't agree with the fight. The duration of Esme's Magic String has ended and I couldn't use the Powerbank before the three hours cooldown passed. So right now, I may be as good as powerless.

"Hahaha ... a newborn calf not afraid of tiger, who do you think you are! Take a good look at yourself in front of a mirror! Do you know who is he!? You're standing in front of young master Li, show respect darned young un!" said one of the men, a henchman to be exact.

And who the fucking hell this young master Li whatnot? Are you some son of magnate or something?

"Judging from your puzzled expression, I can say that you don't know our boss. But you maybe have heard about his father. He's the son of Li Yongming, President Li of the Proteus Corp. if that's not enough to scare you, then let me tell you this. His father is a Third Echelon Technocrat!" another henchman introduced that Li something's identity with an exaggerated hand gesture. But wow, thanks for the detailed introduction, you should be a contributor to Wikipedia or something.

"Li Quan, I never thought that you are someone who uses your family influence to bully others!" Shan Yuezhi enraged.

"It's not me who bully others... they just introduced my family. What's wrong with that?"

Speaking of which, Proteus ... I heard a lot about this corporation. As aunt Yumi was a successful businesswoman herself, she seldom mentioned other companies in her free time to let me aware of the current climate of the local business. I heard that Proteus Corp was a software and service-based company, and they have a partnership with aunt Yumi's company. Her company mainly dealt with new technology and manufacturing sector, by the way.

"Alright, alright ... we haven't met each other since graduated. Li Quan, and you two ... chill down, will you? And Shan Yuezhi, it's not that I prohibit you bringing along someone ... but he's nobody. Are you sure he's not here causing trouble?" a haughty-looking lady with heavy make-up said, she's the one who commented saying I was Shan Yuezhi's little toy.

"Zhou Ran, you're siding with Li Quan? This bastard just mocks me and demeaning my friend first!" Shan Yuezhi rebuked.

"Well ... but your friend stokes the fire with more wood. Isn't he the one purposely provoking Childe Li? If he apologizes to Childe Li now, maybe we can reluctantly let him join us."

"You ..." Shan Yuezhi went speechless. 

I also don't know what to say with her being like that. However, rather than think of responding, it's better to just ignore the heavy make-up woman. But ... flaunting your parent, huh? Though both of my parents were not in this world anymore, I still have strong backing.

"Third Echelon Technocrat, eh? And you're his son? A migratory locust, you're not worth a fart." 

Although, Technocrat E.III is quite influential ... that's the title reserved only for immigrants. By the look of it, this Li family is not from Javashya.

"What did you just say?" Li Quan's bloodshot eyes directed at me.

"Say ... why you're so smug and flaunt your family influence? Aren't you too bold? No matter how strong your family ... you're just immigrant, basically nothing."

"And what are you, what did you say your name again? Arman, was it? Aren't you also an immigrant?!"

"Well ... let's not talk about my lineage, right now we're talking about yours." I crossed my arm and looked at them with eyes as if belittling, "You are so proud of your third-echelon father technocrat as if he's the community leader. Do you know who are you talking to?"

The four men looked at me with a puzzled gaze. But the leader of them, Li Quan looked at me warily. He then asked.

"Who are you?"

I shrugged my shoulder and stated lightly, "Someone who can make your father lose his job and title."

"Hahaha ... ahahahaha ..." Li Quan laughed madly while the henchmen followed the crazy laughter. He pointed at me and then said with a menacing smile, "You, a no-name high school boy such as you can make my father lose his job and title? Don't make me laugh! Who are you joking with?"

"He's right, little brother Arman. You don't know how influential Li Quan's father. You better forget about it and apologize to him." You Nanchang advised.

"Could you ... really?" Shan Yuezhi also asked, doubting what just I said.

"Relax, I could do that pretty easily. Though, it's not worth my time or energy. Anyway, I don't think I have the appetite to eat here with him being that hostile. So, can I just go this time?" I asked to miss Shan. 

Though my stomach rumbling in protest because I haven't eaten a proper diner, breakfast, and now lunch ... I don't think I can eat on a single table with him. Oh yeah, I ate dinner and breakfast ... but it was an incredibly chaotic and erotic kind of breakfast with the female soldiers. Yeah, come to think about it ... that's kinda dirty. I fucked while I ate, that's just too messed up.

"Yeah, yeah ... a delusional and braggart kid should just go home and play with your console game. Hurr, hurr ... go away now!"

"So you think I'm just bragging?" I knitted my brows.

"Heh ... someone who leaves without proving what he just said, what else you call him if not braggart?" he retorted.

I noticed that the girls including Shan Yuezhi also doubted my words. I shook my head for who knows how many times I have done it today.

"Heh ... are you sure about that? With just a call, alright ... maybe two phone calls, I can make your father's company go bankrupt and his title revoked."

"Try it then ..." he smirked and provoked, his gaze was as if knowing that I'd surely fail.

"Really, you're not gonna regret it? If you apologize to miss Shan and take back what you just said, then I will put this matter off right away."

"I will not waste my mouth to you, if you really can make my father lose his job and revoke his title then I'm going to worship you." Li Quan disdainfully stated.

"You don't need to do that ... I don't need your worship or anything. I'll do it, but don't blame me later on ... it's you who brought this up first." 

I took out my phone and called aunt Yumi. The call connected after two rings.

(Hey, Arman. What happened this time?)

"Hello, aunt ... erm, do you currently have a business deal with Proteus Corp?"

(Hmm ...? Recently we have made no contract with them since the last term. But just a week ago, they promoted a software they're developing to the company. What is it?)

"It's like this ... this time around I somehow stumbled upon someone named Li Quan and he taunts me I find him so annoying. He said he was Li Yongming's son."

(Li Yongming, the President of Proteus? If he really is the heir of Proteus Corp ... I will not have any cooperation with his company.)

"No ... I need more than that. I need you to destroy his business."

(Though I don't know what happened ... I trust you. Alright, he's not some bigshot or anything, anyway. Aunt will do it for you.)

"Thanks, aunty."

(By the way, this is the first time you asked something like this ...)

"Eh, yeah." 

I don't know why she suddenly said that, and her voice kinda mellowed a bit. Soon it was all clear, she said with a soft voice.

(So I will have you return the favor once we're home.)

"Ummm ... whatever you want from me, aunt. I will do it for you." 

Yeah, there's no free lunch in this world, even if it's from my beloved aunt. As expected, she'll ask something in return, but I don't think she will ask something excessive. Maybe she'll just ask for help with her work or something. I once helped her by being a one-day secretary because her secretary took a day leave. I can do just that.

(Splendid ... make sure you hold your word.) 

"Un, thanks again. And I love you." I closed the call with that.