Chapter 67
Teacher Jin’s sharp, piercing voice drew the attention of everyone around, instantly making the scene the center of focus.
Don’t get angry, don’t get angry, Yang Jiabo tried hard to suppress his surging emotions.
“What’s going on?”
“Looks like an argument over there.”
Whispers spread around them.
“Teacher Jin, what happened?” Another teacher, familiar with Teacher Jin, stepped forward to ask.
“It’s nothing, really. Just ran into a former student. At my age, I can’t help but nag a little, it must be annoying.” Teacher Jin smiled politely, though her gaunt face and drooping eyebrows gave her a somewhat mean-spirited look.
The surrounding teachers frowned slightly, their eyes filled with disapproval, some even showing hints of disgust.
Yang Jiabo was highly sensitive to shifts in others’ emotions. In a hostile environment, he was prone to losing control.
“There was a reason you got expelled back then. A person should learn to reflect in order to grow. After all these years, you haven’t changed at all.” Zhang Yi’s mother spoke with unmistakable malice. The gazes directed at Yang Jiabo grew even sharper.
Yang Jiabo took a deep breath, straightened his back, and tensed up as if preparing for battle. He adjusted his expression slightly and flashed a mocking smile. “I’m more surprised you didn’t get fired. Must be nice having connections.”
“Let’s all go inside. We’re here for a gathering, no need to ruin the mood.”
“Yeah, yeah, let’s disperse.”
People around them tried to mediate. Yang Jiabo, being a businessman, was ready to let it go for now, as long as things didn’t escalate further. After all, there were many guests today.
Zhang Yi’s mother, however, remembered how her daughter’s suicide had humiliated her, how her husband had been demoted, how she had almost been fired. Because of that incident, she and her husband had remained ordinary teachers all these years, which was a disgrace for a family like theirs. After their daughter left for college, she never returned home, rarely even called, clearly estranged. And all of it - her family’s misery, her career’s stagnation, was because of this little delinquent standing before her.
Years of hardship, her daughter’s resentment, her husband’s blame, relatives’ mockery, colleagues’ exclusion - all of it had been bearable as long as she didn’t see him. But now, with the root of her suffering right in front of her, old and new hatred burned away her reason. She raised her hand high and slapped Yang Jiabo across the face.
Slap!
The crisp sound echoed far, leaving everyone stunned. No one had expected Zhang Yi’s mother to resort to violence.
Yang Jiabo felt a stinging pain in his cheek, his ears ringing sharply. Realizing he’d been hit, he instinctively punched her in the nose, drawing blood immediately.
“Ah! How dare you hit me?!” Zhang Yi’s mother, who had never suffered such humiliation, lunged at him with her nails. Yang Jiabo dodged behind Teacher Jin, who ended up getting scratched across the face.
“The staff are assaulting customers! Call the manager, now!” Teacher Jin, caught in the crossfire, was furious but still grabbed the frenzied Zhang Yi’s mother. Only then did the onlookers snap out of it and step in to separate them.
Brother Bai and the waitstaff quickly surrounded Yang Jiabo, shielding him.
“What’s happening?”
“No idea.”
Amid the chaos, Yang Jiabo’s head spun, his ears still ringing, making it hard to hear anything.
“Your staff attacked a customer! Where’s the manager? We’re filing a complaint!” Zhang Yi’s mother shouted.
Brother Bai and the staff gave the troublemaking customer an odd look. “The one you just hit is our young boss.”
Teacher Jin, recalling her earlier remarks, stiffened, her face suddenly aching as if she'd been slapped by her own hypocrisy.
“Brother Bai, Brother Bai, I can’t hear. Take me to the hospital.” Yang Jiabo clutched Brother Bai’s arm.
“Alright, don’t panic.” Brother Bai called Yang Jianjun.
Yang Jiabo couldn’t make out what he was saying, only growing more uneasy and angrier. “Brother Bai, I’m injured and need medical treatment. Close the restaurant for today.”
“Young boss, don’t be rash. There are a lot of guests today.” Brother Bai tried to dissuade him.
“What? I can’t hear you.”
“Oh no, the young boss is really hurt.” Brother Bai grew frantic.
“What’s going on?”
Just then, Wei Feng arrived in his wheelchair, immediately recognizing the tense atmosphere. Brother Bai hurriedly briefed him on the situation. Though Yang Jiabo noticed Wei Feng's arrival, his impaired hearing left him stubbornly repeating one demand - the restaurant must close immediately, no compromises. As tempers flared, a few teachers attempted to intervene and calm the situation.
Yang Jianjun arrived shortly after by car and immediately drove Yang Jiabo to the hospital. With his mobility restricted, Wei Feng remained at the restaurant to deal with the fallout.
Wei Feng was a decisive man. If the boss, Yang Jiabo, said to close, then they closed. His presence alone was enough to stabilize the situation, though most of the actual arrangements were handled by Brother Bai.
The moment the restaurant made its announcement to clear out guests, someone immediately notified Liu Yueting, the event’s organizer. When she hurried to the scene, finding Wei Feng waiting for her drained all enthusiasm from her expression.
After learning what had happened, confirming the boss was hospitalized, and glancing at Zhang Yi’s mother (whose nosebleed had stopped), Liu Yueting gritted her teeth in frustration. But there was nothing she could do, she had to negotiate with Wei Feng. She had assumed her family background would earn her some leeway, especially with so many guests present. Surely a man like Wei Feng would show some consideration.
To her surprise, Wei Feng was unyielding. No matter what she said, his response was the same: The boss is in the hospital. We’re not operating today. As for losses? At this point, no one cared. Wei Feng believed that, as long as it didn’t affect their livelihood, money was far less important than peace of mind.
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