“Weren’t you very arrogant earlier? I’d like to see how you can keep up with your arrogance. Now that we’re here, don’t even dream of opening the restaurant.
“I’ve warned you, Tang kid, you’ll regret it if you cross my Tai An, “Ling Rui yelled brazenly.
Ling Mingshan’s expression was as cold as ever.
His son had told him that he was beaten up by the Tang kid the other day.
“Why aren’t you standing up yet, Tang kid?” He roared again as he scanned across the crowd.
Suddenly, he heard a voice from beyond the human wall.
“What’s going on? Where are these people from? Are they gangsters?”
Chapter 350 - The Bronze Jar Exploded
Ling Rui’s expression darkened when he heard the noise from beyond the human wall. He turned around and started yelling at the people outside.
“What gangsters? Are you blind? Can’t you see that it’s Tai An conducting business? Go mind your own business and f*ck off!”
The person outside the human wall was silent for a moment.
He chuckled. “Tai An? That should be Tai An Group, right?” He sounded angry.
“That should be it!” Another voice spoke.
“This is ridiculous. How dare they disrupt public order and cause trouble to so many people? Don’t they have any respect for the law?” The voice became angrier than ever.
Ling Rui was exasperated.
“What the f*ck? Who the hell are you to care about what my Tai An does?” He yelled.
Ling Mingshan furrowed his brows. He was also unhappy.
“How brazen! I’d like to see where you got your guts. Make way!” That voice roared.
Two tall and strong middle-aged men pushed the human wall apart, and another two middle-aged men walked in.
The person in the lead was a thin man in his fifties. He was wearing a black jacket and glasses and looked bookish and gentlemanly.
However, he had an intimidating aura around him.
At the moment, his brows were furrowed and he looked extremely displeased.
“Who the f*ck are you? You’re the brazen ones! How dare you disrupt my Tai An business? Do you have a death wish?” Ling Rui cursed and yelled.
Ling Mingshan turned around to look at those people.
He nearly jumped when he saw who they were. He sucked in a mouthful of cold air and his face turned pale. His eyes opened wide and brimmed with fear.
“You f…” Ling Rui was still cursing.
Ling Mingshan was flustered. He immediately slapped his son on the face. “Shut up!” He roared angrily.
Slap!
Ling Mingshan’s palm landed solidly on his son’s face, which made him dizzy.
He could not believe what had just happened. He spoke pitifully while covering his swollen cheek. “Why did you hit me, Father?”
“Because you deserve it! Can’t you watch your mouth? Where are your manners? I’ll beat you to death!” Ling Mingshan roared.
Then, he slapped his son again.
Ling Rui was utterly confused. He was almost crying as he covered both of his cheeks.
“Shut up! Don’t say another word from now on if you know what’s good for you!” Ling Mingshan reprimanded his son sternly. Then, he wore a flattering smile on his face and went to greet the people who had just come.
“I am so sorry, Secretary Weng! My son has been impudent, and it’s all my fault as his father! Please accept my apology!” He bowed deeply.
Ling Rui was shocked when he saw that. He sucked in a mouthful of cold air.
That person was the secretary of the province? Did he just curse the provincial secretary in front of everyone?
His face was drained of all color. Sweat dripped from his forehead.
“Secretary Weng, Vice Governor He, why are you here today?” Ling Mingshan asked courteously.
Ling Rui’s head spun when he heard that. He nearly fainted on the ground.
‘What? The vice governor is here too?’
He had cursed both the provincial secretary and the vice governor.
The other people from Tai An Group were also feeling afraid. They were silently steeping in cold sweat.
In their hearts, they were cursing Young Master Ling to hell. The Young Master had gotten everyone into big trouble for cursing the province secretary and vice governor in public!
Young Master Ling was inexperienced and incapable. That was why he did not recognize the provincial leaders.
Furthermore, they were shocked by the presence of the provincial leaders at the same time. They did not look like they were on official business.
Secretary Weng scanned across the people from Tai An Group. Finally, his gaze landed on Ling Mingshan.
He grunted angrily. “Is that how Tai An usually conducts their business? How brazen can you be?”
Ling Mingshan was drenched in cold sweat when he heard that. “You’re mistaken, Secretary Weng…”
“How can I be mistaken? Isn’t it obvious? You’re disrupting the opening ceremony of this restaurant. I thought only gangsters did that!”
Ling Mingshan laughed awkwardly but did not say anything.
He was cursing his own misfortune. Ever since he retired, he rarely showed his face in public. He wanted to put on a display of his power but had instead offended two big shots.
“You’re really mistaken, Secretary Weng! Hey, why are all of you still standing there? Make way!” Ling Mingshan yelled at the group of bodyguards.
The bodyguards instantly dispersed.
“Right, Secretary Weng, you two are here today because of…” Ling Mingshan spoke carefully while observing their reactions.
“What other reason can there be? We’re here to join in the opening ceremony, of course!” Vice Governor He said with a smile.
“Wh… What?” Ling Mingshan exclaimed. He was afraid that he had misheard.
Everyone who heard that also exclaimed in surprise.
“Oh my god! The province secretary and vice governor are here! What’s the reputation behind this restaurant?”
“Just who is that Tang guy?”
Everyone was extremely shocked as they talked among each other.
It turned out that the boss of New Magical Kitchen had many powerful people backing him. The Ling family had been foolish to cross him. They were only humiliating themselves.
The people there started to regard the people from Tai An Group with mockery.
Meanwhile, the people from Tai An Group did not know how to react.
Ling Mingshan’s face was ashen.
‘Didn’t my son say that the Tang kid is only some unwashed country bumpkin from a backwater district?
‘He even managed to invite the province secretary! What country bumpkin can do that?’
“Useless! All of you are idiots! I thought you ran an investigation on him?” He reprimanded his minions angrily.
The people hemmed and hawed, at a loss for a reply.
They did run an investigation on the kid, but they only found that he was indeed from a mountain village in Westridge. They did not think it was necessary to investigate any further than that.
Ling Mingshan became angrier when he saw his minions’ reaction.
Their plan to disrupt the opening ceremony had failed. Nothing could stop Tang Hao now.
With the provincial secretary and the vice governor backing the kid, what else could he do to the restaurant?
Tai An’s only remaining hope was the bronze jar. As long as they managed to replicate the bronze jar, they would still be able to gain a foothold in the market for magical cuisine.
“Let’s leave!”
He waved his hand and turned around.
Suddenly, his phone started ringing. The person on the other end of the call seemed to be speaking, his knees went weak, and nearly fell on the ground.
His face had turned ghastly pale.
“What’s wrong, Father?” Ling Rui quickly went to support him.
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Ling Mingshan’s eyes had glazed over. “Exploded… The bronze jar exploded…” he mumbled.
Chapter 351 - Lunar New Year
“Wasn’t the jar just fine? How did it suddenly explode?” Ling Rui was utterly confused.
“How would I know?” Ling Mingshan was confused too. “They only said that they were doing some tests on the jar when it exploded.”
“How could this be?” Ling Rui said, crestfallen. “If we don’t have the jar, does that mean we’ve lost everything?”
Ever since Magical Kitchen closed its doors, they had hoped to turn the tables by figuring how to replicate the bronze jar. If they could do it, they could continue to produce magical cuisine, and even the wondrous weight loss tea and beauty cream.
When that happened, Tai An Group would easily rake in millions or even billions in profit.
Now that the jar had exploded, their final ray of hope was extinguished.
Ling Mingshan suddenly seemed to have thought of something. He gritted his teeth as he looked toward the crowd. “I say, no wonder that kid can be so calm. He was never planning on taking the jar back. He must have done something to it.”
“What? It’s him?” Ling Rui exclaimed.
“Who else could it be?” Ling Mingshan blurted angrily. “Why didn’t the jar explode any sooner or later, but at this crucial moment? He’s taken us for a ride!”
“Father! That kid is a total scoundrel!” Ling Rui said viciously.
“This kid has a powerful background. We can’t touch him here. We’ll have to retreat for now. Don’t be rash and do anything stupid,” Ling Mingshan said with a low voice.
“Are we going to let him go just like that, Father?” Ling Rui said indignantly.
“What else do you want to do? I’ve already told you, we’ll come back for him. It’s never too late for revenge!” Ling Mingshan reprimanded his son.
He was also very angry. After this, Tai An Group would become a joke in Provincial City’s business world. If they had continued with the collaboration, half of the city’s magical cuisine market would still be theirs. Too bad, their greed had caused them to lose everything.
They did not expect the kid to have powerful people backing him. They would have to retreat and come up with another plan.
“Let’s go!” He shouted, then got in his car.
Ling Rui gritted his teeth. He was not satisfied with the outcome.
Eventually, he grunted angrily, then got in the car.
The convoy of cars hastily left the scene.
Everyone in the public square cheered. Everyone stood up and crowded around Secretary Weng to greet him.
Tang Hao also stood up from his seat and went to greet the province secretary.
“Here, Secretary Weng, this is the Lil Bro Tang that I’ve been telling you. He’s the one who invented magical cuisine,” Vice Governor He said.
Secretary Weng examined Tang Hao for a while and exclaimed, “You’re so young yet so accomplished! That is incredible!”
“You flatter me, Secretary!” Tang Hao replied modestly.
“Haha, you don’t have to be so humble, young man!” Secretary Weng laughed heartily. He shook hands with Tang Hao.
“Young man, I’ve heard from Changshun about your accomplishments. Not bad at all! Province Z is lucky to have someone like you!” Secretary Weng praised him.
Tang Hao was getting a little embarrassed.
“I’ve never tried magical cuisine before, but I’ve heard that it tastes delicious and has amazing medicinal effects. We ought to promote this to the best that we can!
“The price is quite affordable too. I hope that you can maintain your prices so that more people can benefit from your cooking.”
“Of course, of course!” Tang Hao said.
“That’s good to hear!” Secretary Weng laughed heartily.
“This way please, Secretary Weng, Vice Governor He!”
Tang Hao brought the two people to the VIP seats.
The lavish opening ceremony soon started. After that, the guests flooded into the restaurant. Other than magical cuisine, Tang Hao also shared some of his Divine Liquor to generate some hype for the future product.
A long queue soon formed in front of the restaurant.
“This is a good start for our restaurant, President Tang. I’ve never seen such a crowd at a restaurant opening before,” Shi Yiwen said emotionally as she looked at the people in front of the restaurant.
She felt that taking up the position was the best decision she made in her life.
The other five branches across the city would open at night. The popularity of magical cuisine would reach another peak, and that would make New Magical Kitchen one of the biggest restaurant chains in the city.
“Thank you for your hard work!” Tang Hao said with a smile.
At night, Tang Hao rushed to attend the opening ceremonies of the five other branches. Every one of those restaurants had an immense crowd waiting.
They had a party late that night. After that, Tang Hao drove back to Westridge.
It was already almost the end of the lunar year by then. Every passing day meant another day closer to the Lunar New Year. The atmosphere was getting more and more festive as well.
Sis Xiangyi’s clothing factory had already been closed for the holidays. The couple spent all their time together.
The Lunar New Year was one of the most important festivals in Huaxia. Everyone in the country celebrated it merrily.
In the days leading up to the Lunar New Year, the couple cleaned up and decorated the mansion.
Tang Hao was emotional when he remembered how he spent his last Lunar New Year, alone at home in Tang Village.
Now, he owned a mansion and also had many friends who cared for him. He had been receiving many presents from them.
Tang Hao quite liked that feeling.
He crafted many defensive talismans and concocted many potions to be given to his friends as presents. Of course, the presents included other mundane items as well.
On New Year’s Eve, the couple went to Greenwillow Village. Qin Gang was there too. Tang Hao joined the Qin family for the reunion dinner.
That night, under the cold, bright moonlight, two figures sat on top of a skyscraper.
The wind was strong. Qin Xiangyi’s slender frame trembled.
“Are you cold?” Tang Hao mumbled and grasped her delicate hands.
She pressed her lips and shook her head, though she leaned closer to Tang Hao and rested her head on his shoulder. “I’m not cold if you’re next to me!” She said softly.
They silently looked at their watches while leaning on each other.
The second hand ticked resolutely toward its destination.
“We’re almost there!” She said softly.
“Three, two, one!”
The second hand finally met up with the other clock hands at midnight.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
All over the city, fireworks rose and exploded in the air.
“Wow, this is so pretty!”
Qin Xiangyi exclaimed as she looked all around her.
“Happy Lunar New Year, Lil Tang!”
She turned around and looked intensely at Tang Hao. She smiled gently and two shallow dimples appeared on her cheeks. Her beautiful, animated eyes reflected the fireworks.
“Yup! Happy Lunar New Year!”
Tang Hao nodded as he looked straight into her eyes. He felt warmth in his heart.
Their hands were tightly locked together.
Bang! Bang!
The fireworks illuminated the night sky.
The two people continued sitting there, leaning against each other, looking at the night sky full of fireworks.
That scene was just like a dream.
Chapter 352 - A Tumultuous Lunar New Year
Tang Hao was busy throughout the Lunar New Year period.
On the third day, they went around visiting relatives. Tang Hao brought Sis Xiangyi to Dragonrock V
illage to visit his grandparents.
Tang Hao brought her to the village several times before this. All the villagers knew who she was, and the elders called her “Lil Sis Qin”.
“Big Sis Qin!” Yan’er was also very close to her.
Tang Hao brought her to his grandparents’ house. Tang Hao shared a meal with Grandpa, while Grandma chatted with Sis Xiangyi.
After the meal, Tang Hao went deep into the mountain to tend to the Liquor Tree sprouts.
After a period of intensive care, the first batch of eighteen sprouts had grown to about two feet tall. Soon enough, they would become strong and healthy Liquor Trees.
The plants were still green at that stage of growth, but will eventually turn into a golden yellow color. By then, they would be considered mature and would start producing sap.
He tended to the sprouts one by one. When he was done, he clapped his hands satisfactorily and stood up.
Suddenly, he noticed that the blood jade bead on his right wrist was glowing. The sudden flash startled him.
He could see vague silhouettes of runes within the red glow.
Tang Hao’s expression changed drastically when he saw that. It meant that the defensive properties of the beads were activated.
Furthermore, the bead would only be activated when the wearer’s life was in danger.
Sis Xiangyi and Yan’er were in Dragonrock Village. They should not be in danger.
He closed his eyes and carefully sensed who it was.
When he opened his eyes again, there was a shocking coldness in his gaze.
It was Officer Zhao who was in danger. He could sense that she was in Westridge.
He could not afford to wait another second. He assumed another stance and dashed back toward Dragonrock Village, running among the trees as fast as lightning.
The Mightiest Little Peasant c1-799 Page 158
