Chapter Seventy-Three: You Can't Leave Like This—Do You Believe It?

Su Zheng had decided to give Ye Lang a lesson he would never forget; he didn’t care what status Ye Lang held—if he dared provoke Su Zheng and Chen Muxue to their faces, then he couldn’t be let off easily!

“No need to trouble yourself, I have Muxue’s business card. I’ll give it to you.” Su Zheng sat there, a card appearing in his hand, and waited for Ye Lang to come over and take it.

Seeing this, the smile on Ye Lang’s face grew even more detached; at last, he looked directly at Su Zheng. “Heh… Very well. I’m quite satisfied with your approach. Hand it over.”

He didn’t intend to get up, making it clear that Su Zheng should bring it to him.

The guests at the banquet table watched this scene with amusement. Though Ye Lang’s behavior was humiliating, in their eyes, Young Master Ye of the capital had every right—others could only wish for the chance to curry favor.

“Then you’ll have to wait. If you want it, come get it yourself. If not, then get lost.” Su Zheng smiled too, showing no sign of anger. Although he was reprimanding Ye Lang, his tone was calm, as if he were discussing a trivial matter unrelated to himself, relaxed and easy.

“Su Zheng! Why are you giving him my contact information?!” Chen Muxue protested, glaring at Su Zheng.

But soon, her expression shifted slightly, for under the table, Su Zheng squeezed her hand gently, signaling her to stay calm.

“Heh… I’ll remember you. Next time, we’ll get acquainted properly,” Ye Lang’s expression darkened for a moment, but he quickly forced a smile and actually got up to walk over to Su Zheng.

When he reached them, Ye Lang offered a gentle smile to Chen Muxue, who was seated beside Su Zheng. Without even glancing at Su Zheng, he looked at Chen Muxue and reached out to take the card from Su Zheng’s hand.

“Uh… You!” But as soon as his hand touched the card, he felt a sudden numbness, and then his entire arm went limp and unresponsive!

At last, Ye Lang’s face turned grim. Even though Su Zheng had tricked him, he was unwilling to give up, gritting his teeth and reaching out with his other hand to grab the card.

But the result was the same—this arm too became stiff and powerless, both arms hanging uselessly from his shoulders.

“You… did you do something to me?” Ye Lang’s voice turned icy.

Now both his arms were numb and rigid, yet without any pain. This astonished him and made him regard Su Zheng with far more caution than before.

“Don’t accuse me unjustly. I was simply handing you a card, but you didn’t seem to want it. How can you blame me for that?” Su Zheng smiled coolly, tossing the card onto the table.

The guests saw that it wasn’t a business card at all, but a small card placed by one of the dishes, bearing the name and description of the food.

“Sorry, I must have grabbed the wrong one by mistake.” Su Zheng spread his hands, shrugging with mock helplessness.

“You… you dare play tricks on me!” For the first time, Ye Lang raised his voice, his face flushed with anger. But with both arms numb and unable to retaliate, a murderous glint flashed in his eyes.

“Trick you? Sorry, you’re not worthy.” Su Zheng clapped his hands leisurely, as if even the brief contact with Ye Lang’s hand was distasteful, and brought them to his mouth to blow on them, his expression as calm and indifferent as ever.

“You… Hmph! Just you wait!” Ye Lang knew he’d been outdone this time; making a scene would only invite more ridicule. So with a final, venomous threat, he turned and staggered away.

As for his numbed arms, he naturally knew Su Zheng had done something, but he wasn’t worried—he’d brought a doctor with him from the capital to Qingyang, confident he’d be treated soon enough.

“Ah, Su Zheng, you went too far! You shouldn’t have provoked Young Master Ye!” Chen Jianguo, though he knew Su Zheng was standing up for his daughter, couldn’t help but grumble, thinking Su Zheng’s approach had been unwise. Now Ye Lang was angered, who knew what revenge he might seek in the future.

“Dad, Su Zheng did nothing wrong.” Before Su Zheng could speak, Chen Muxue interjected, unwilling to let the matter rest, openly contradicting her father in front of everyone.

“Muxue, how can you say that to your father? Isn’t he just looking out for you?” Lü Hongmei, seeing Chen Jianguo about to lose his temper, hurriedly cut in to smooth things over.

This was the Li family’s banquet, not their own house; if they made a scene, they’d surely be thrown out.

“Mom, Su Zheng was looking out for me too!” Chen Muxue’s tone hardened, a hint of warning in her voice.

“Oh, you child. Enough, let’s not argue anymore. Old man, don’t take it to heart—surely you know your own daughter’s temper!” Lü Hongmei, persuaded by Chen Muxue, turned to comfort her husband, stopping him from saying more.

By now, the banquet was drawing to a close. Most guests were chatting contentedly, hoping to find business partners.

At the main table, the most important figures were getting ready to leave, rising to bid farewell to the Li brothers, Li Yanze and Li Yanjun.

Seeing the guests at the main table stand up, the rest of the guests followed suit, and the hall grew noisy.

Suddenly, cries of alarm rang out from the main table.

“President Jiang! President Jiang, what’s wrong?!”

“Someone help—President Jiang has collapsed!”

“Call emergency services, now!”

Chaos erupted as several urgent voices sounded.

Su Zheng, Chen Muxue, and the others were still present and, hearing the commotion, stood up to see what was happening.

They joined the crowd gathering around to find out what had happened to Jiang Shaoxiong, the chairman of the Chamber of Commerce.

The Li family had naturally invited the Chamber of Commerce chairman, and as the most powerful figure in Qingyang’s business world, Jiang Shaoxiong wielded considerable authority. All paperwork for opening companies or factories in Qingyang required the chamber’s approval. The Li family, therefore, maintained a close relationship with him—they were old friends.

But now, Jiang Shaoxiong was lying flat on the floor, unconscious, his face waxy and ashen. If not for the faint tremble of his lips, one might have thought he’d already passed away.

His assistant, a bespectacled young woman, was frantically making a phone call while crying out to the crowd, “Is there a doctor here? Does anyone know medicine? Please, someone help President Jiang! I beg you!”

Unfortunately, everyone in the crowd shook their heads—there was no doctor present.

Li Yanze and Li Yanjun were beside themselves with anxiety. If anything happened to President Jiang at the Li family’s banquet, it would be a tremendous blow to their reputation.

“Make way! I brought a doctor with me.”

Just then, a voice rang out from the rear of the crowd. Ye Lang strode in, leading a young man at his side.