Inside a luxurious private room at the hotel.
Quite a few people were gathered there.
They were curiously discussing why Young Master Zhong had suddenly switched to the best room available.
They hadn’t originally been in this room, but after Young Master Zhong took a phone call, he immediately called for the staff and requested the highest-standard room.
This naturally led his old classmates to speculate: was some big shot coming?
The opulence of this room was on a completely different level compared to the previous one.
Soon after, the door to the room opened.
A server’s voice rang out: “Young Master Ma, Young Master Zhong has moved over here.”
“Alright!” Ma Baojia responded, then laughed heartily. “Old classmates, look who’s here!”
Ma Baojia’s voice was booming, nearly echoing throughout the entire room.
It drew everyone’s gaze in unison towards the doorway.
They saw Ma Baojia’s group accompanied by a man dressed in shabby clothes.
The moment they saw Ye Chen, most people were momentarily stunned.
Then they suddenly recognized him.
Everyone here had some status; the lowest among them was in corporate management.
But Ye Chen’s attire immediately dropped the room’s class by a level, making him stick out like a sore thumb.
Leisure clothes, ripped jeans, canvas shoes. The whole outfit was probably under a hundred bucks, likely ordered from Pin Xixi!
But everyone present was shrewd.
The reunion headcount had been planned out. Now that Ye Chen had suddenly appeared, something was off.
Those people abruptly recalled Young Master Zhong suddenly switching to a luxurious private room and leaving a main seat empty. Could it be related to Ye Chen?
Could it be that this Ye Chen was now a big shot?
Ye Chen’s expression was calm. He had already prepared himself to endure these people’s sarcasm and ridicule.
But that didn’t matter; in the end, he would slap them all in the face at once!
However, what Ye Chen hadn’t expected was that his classmates actually greeted him warmly.
“Ye Chen, oh my, haven’t seen you in years, I’ve missed you!”
“Yes, Ye Chen, how are things going? Doing alright?”
“We’re all old classmates; we really should get together more often!”
Ma Baojia was also a bit bewildered by this situation.
But he didn’t speak for the moment.
As the host, Zhong Qin was very displeased that Ma Baojia had privately brought someone so unpresentable.
But he also held his tongue for the moment.
After all, he had received a call saying Young Master Bai was interested in dropping by to hang out with them.
This was a rare opportunity. Normally, currying favor with Young Master Bai was far beyond his reach.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have switched rooms.
But Young Master Bai’s intention was for him not to make a fuss, just to act like he didn’t know. This left Zhong Qin thoroughly confused.
“Everyone, take a seat!” Zhong Qin said flatly, phone clutched in his hand as he awaited news of Young Master Bai’s arrival.
The seating was arranged per headcount. As everyone took their places, there was no seat for Ye Chen.
Thus, seeing the one remaining empty seat at the head, he moved to sit down.
The others in the room witnessed this, seemingly confirming their earlier speculations.
Taking the main seat! So this Ye Chen was a big shot!
But the next second, they were dumbfounded.
Just as Ye Chen was about to sit, Zhong Qin roared, “You think you’re worthy of this seat? Get lost!”
Ye Chen cast a cold glance at Zhong Qin but didn’t explode at that moment.
Mock and underestimate him all they wanted. They’d soon see who the real clown was.
He was dining here; the hotel manager knew he was here.
The hotel manager wasn’t just any manager. He had extensive connections and was acquainted with Wen Tailai, the Hall Master of Thunder Hall. He was a figure of some substance himself.
Yesterday, the people from Thunder Hall had introduced him with great emphasis, showing they valued him highly.
Knowing he was dining here, the manager would surely come to toast him. Wouldn’t these people be stunned speechless then?
“Oh dear, we forgot it was arranged by headcount. Ye Chen, why don’t you grab a chair and sit on the side?”
Everyone now realized they had been mistaken earlier; this pauper was no big shot at all.
Thus, they began whispering amongst themselves, covering their mouths to stifle laughter.
Ye Chen, not one to be fussy, actually pulled a chair over and sat in a corner spot.
The ensuing conversation revolved around various topics: money, family connections, etc. Only Ye Chen remained silent.
“Hey? Ye Chen, you must have just gotten out of prison, right?”
“Do you have a job now? Most companies probably won’t accept someone with a criminal record!”
Ma Baojia immediately steered the conversation, directing it at Ye Chen.
Ye Chen sneered coldly. “Heh, what’s your brilliant suggestion?”
“We’re all classmates here, I’m not mocking you. I was just thinking, society has changed, and you’ve been disconnected from it for so long…”
“With the cost of living in Dragon Sea now, if you don’t have a stable income, it’s really hard to get by!”
“My dad’s new company has some openings. Why not give it a try? I can open a green channel (fast track) for you, no background check needed.”
Ma Baojia put on a facade of great righteousness.
At this point, someone jumped in as the stooge: “Ye Chen, Young Master Ma is giving you a chance, why don’t you thank him!”
“Young Master Ma is so generous. Ye Chen, what are you standing there for?”
Ye Chen sneered. “Is that so?”
Ma Baojia nodded. “Of course. But I’m sure you can endure hardship. It’s a janitorial job. I’ll give you a monthly salary of six thousand—that’s pretty good!”
“Just sweeping the toilets and taking out the trash when needed. Pretty easy, really.”
“Young Master Ma’s job offer suits Ye Chen perfectly! Good benefits, decent pay!”
Hearing the discussion restart, a flash of anger appeared in Ye Chen’s eyes.
“Then I thank Young Master Ma for his kind offer, but I don’t really need it. I’m not short on money right now,” Ye Chen responded flatly.
“Not short on money?” Everyone paused, then laughed. “Ye Chen, we’re all classmates; there’s really no need to pretend.”
“Yeah, we’re all classmates, stop fronting!”
Ye Chen smiled and shook his head. “I really am not short. I’m staying in this hotel’s presidential suite. Do you think I’m short on money?”
“And I’m quite familiar with the hotel’s Manager Wang. He’ll probably stop by later.”
With these words, everyone froze, then burst into roaring laughter.
“Presidential suite? Familiar with Manager Wang? Do you even hear what you’re saying?”
“This is hilarious! You can bluster all you want without paying taxes, but don’t go that far! Show us the proof!”
“If you’re really staying in the presidential suite and know Manager Wang, I’ll do a handstand and piss into my own mouth today!”
Ye Chen swept a contemptuous glance across the room and snorted.
He then reached into his pocket, intending to toss the evidence onto the table!
Just by pulling out the presidential suite key card, he could shock these people stupid.
But after fumbling for a while, he found nothing.
It was only then he remembered—in his rush to leave, he had forgotten to bring it!
“What are you fumbling for, your dick? What, are you gonna tell me you ‘forgot it’ and ‘maybe next time’? Hahahaha!”
“Looks like what he’s pulling out is probably a discount card for some red-light district fast food joint—spend a hundred, get twenty off!”
“I doubt he could even afford a hundred. Over at the train station, a feel is only ten bucks!”
Ma Baojia and his group laughed wildly, clutching their stomachs.
“How about making a bet?” Ye Chen said calmly.
“Ha, bet on what?”
“Bet that someone will deliver that card to me shortly!”
Ye Chen was not flustered at all; since he didn’t have it, the staff would surely bring it to him.
After all, you couldn’t open the presidential suite door without the key card. They’d have to find him.
“Fine, I’ll take that bet. If not, you crawl under my crotch!”
“Alright, if I win, likewise, you crawl under mine!”
At that moment, in the corridor outside, Bai Jinghong had arrived.
He saw a female server handing a sparkling card to a man in a suit.
They seemed to be discussing something.
Just as Bai Jinghong expected, this man and this card were the secret weapon for Ye Chen’s face-slapping today.
After receiving the card, the manager was about to head to the private room.
But suddenly, he saw Bai Jinghong walking towards him.
This startled him.
“Oh my, Young Master Bai! You’ve graced us with your presence! Truly an honor!”
