Chapter Thirty: The Honored Guest... Is Locked Up?

At this moment, Manager Li felt more than just unease; a deep sense of dread gnawed at him as well. He simply could not fathom what sort of prominent figure was visiting the store today, someone important enough to prompt even young Master Li of the Li family to rush over in person to welcome them.

Li Jiangcheng had two sons, Li Yanze and Li Yanjun, so among the staff, the brothers were referred to by their relative ages as Young Master Li and Elder Master Li. As for Li Jiangcheng himself, he hadn’t personally involved himself in the family businesses for many years, and to those below him, he was as distant and unapproachable as a figure from legend—utterly out of reach.

Now, Young Master Li’s brow was tightly furrowed, his expression tinged with displeasure, which only made Manager Li’s heart pound with anxiety. He glanced pleadingly at the director, desperate for help and visibly on edge.

“Tell them to halt all work at once, summon everyone here, and have them wait with me at the entrance for Mr. Su’s arrival!” Li Yanjun instructed the director who had come with him, his tone cool and commanding.

“Yes, Mr. Li, rest assured, I’ll see to it right away!” The director responded, immediately waving Manager Li over.

Manager Li, as if granted a royal pardon, hurried off at once to gather the rest of the staff.

In no time, every employee had assembled, standing in two neat lines at the front entrance. Even the customers lingering in the showroom stood off to the side, watching curiously from a distance, eager to catch a glimpse of the extraordinary guest whose arrival warranted such a grand reception.

After all, even Young Master Li himself was standing at the door to greet this person—surely their status and connections were nothing short of remarkable.

Everyone maintained an attitude of utmost respect, not daring to make a sound, all craning their necks in anticipation for the arrival of that mysterious figure.

“Is everyone here?” the director asked Manager Li in an offhand, low voice.

“Yes, all except for the two security guards watching over the troublemakers in the reception room. Everyone else is present!” Manager Li hesitated for a moment, then reported respectfully.

“Troublemakers? Who dares to cause trouble in our showroom?” The director’s face tightened, his voice growing stern.

“From what the guards said, just a couple of paupers, probably came in to snap some photos. They got into an argument with some of our customers and even started a scuffle. They’re currently being held in the reception room. I planned to deal with them after our distinguished guest leaves,” Manager Li explained quickly.

“Good! Don’t go easy on them. Handle it strictly, do you understand?” The director’s expression was icy as he gave the order in a low voice.

Manager Li nodded repeatedly, not daring to say another word.

Just then, a sports car sped up to the entrance, and as soon as it stopped, Qiao Lan hurriedly stepped out.

“Jun, what are you all doing out here? Has the misunderstanding with Zheng been cleared up?” Qiao Lan approached Li Yanjun as soon as she got out of the car, pressing him with anxious questions.

“Lan, what are you talking about? What misunderstanding? Mr. Su hasn’t arrived yet. We’re all just waiting out here for him,” Li Yanjun replied, a little surprised and puzzled by her words.

Qiao Lan was even more taken aback by his answer. She had just received two messages from Su Zheng, which was why she had rushed over in such haste. That meant Zheng was already here in the store, yet from Li Yanjun’s reaction, it seemed he had no idea.

What on earth was going on?

“You mean you haven’t seen Zheng in the store? That can’t be. I got messages from him asking me to come and explain the situation with the car. I’d assume your staff have already met him, and perhaps they weren’t very respectful!” Qiao Lan glanced inside the showroom, but she didn’t see any sign of Su Zheng. Her suspicion only deepened.

“What? You’re saying Mr. Su is already here and has been mistreated?” Li Yanjun’s face changed dramatically in an instant.

He immediately turned a furious glare on Manager Li. “Speak! Where is Mr. Su right now?”

With a thud, Manager Li, feeling the full force of Young Master Li’s anger for the first time, lost his footing and fell to the floor. He scrambled up, panic-stricken, and stammered his explanation:

“Mr. Li, there’s been a misunderstanding, truly a misunderstanding! The Mr. Su you mentioned hasn’t come to the store yet, I swear!”

The surrounding customers also exchanged bewildered looks. They’d been here the whole time and certainly hadn’t seen anyone of obvious importance arrive with great fanfare.

“Ahem… Manager Li, shouldn’t you double-check with the sales staff? Maybe Mr. Su is just low-key and didn’t announce himself. It’s possible, isn’t it?” At this moment, Chen Peng, quick-witted and eager to impress Young Master Li, piped up with an air of urgent helpfulness.

“What are you waiting for? Move! How do you do your job? Didn’t I already tell you to be vigilant?” The director, now thoroughly unnerved, shouted at Manager Li, offloading all responsibility onto him.

“Yes, yes, I’ll find out right away!” Calamity had descended from nowhere, and Manager Li’s mind was in complete disarray. His face pale, he began questioning each sales associate and security guard in turn.

But Li Yanjun had no patience for such a slow investigation. He turned anxiously to Qiao Lan.

“Lan, why don’t you try calling Mr. Su? Ask him where he is, or if he’s already left in anger. I did everything I could to prepare, but I never imagined the staff here would be so useless they couldn’t even recognize Mr. Su’s arrival—utter incompetents!” He was beside himself with regret, tormented by the fear that Su Zheng had already been offended.

Qiao Lan nodded, dialing as she and Li Yanjun hurried into the main hall. Unfortunately, after several attempts, she only got a no-signal message—the calls wouldn’t go through.

Qiao Lan’s face darkened, and she began to wonder if Su Zheng had already blocked her.

Seeing her slight shake of the head, Li Yanjun became all the more agitated.

“I don’t believe it—none of you saw Mr. Su come in? Someone, pull up the surveillance footage, now!” he demanded. “I want to see with my own eyes how you managed to offend Mr. Su. Whoever’s responsible will be fired! Immediately!”

The employees inside the store were so terrified they didn’t even dare lift their heads. Many silently prayed they hadn’t crossed paths with that mysterious Mr. Su on camera, or else their comfortable jobs would be over.

“Su… Mr. Su, a customer with the surname Su… Wait, wasn’t that troublemaker just now also named Su?” murmured the bespectacled sales associate, frowning in confusion.

“What nonsense! No way! That pauper didn’t look like anybody important. You have such an imagination. Just think carefully—among the customers you served today, was any of them named Su?” the head of security reminded her, exasperated but kindly.

In his mind, the young man they’d locked up was nothing more than a pauper, certainly not a person of consequence.

“What are you two whispering about? Come here and explain yourselves!” The director, having caught wind of their exchange, barked sharply.

The bespectacled sales associate hurried over and, with the utmost deference, reported to Li Yanjun, “Young Master Li, I’m not sure who exactly the Mr. Su you’re looking for is, but the troublemaker I just dealt with… his surname was Su.”

“He came in with his wife, insisted he was here to pick up a repaired car, and ended up in a conflict with a customer. Right now, he’s locked in the conference room by the manager!”

As her words fell, the faces of both Li Yanjun and Qiao Lan changed dramatically.