Chapter Seventy: The Great Commotion at the Banquet (Part Two)

The banquet was scheduled to begin promptly at eight o’clock. Chu Dong arrived at the entrance of the Windsor Club five minutes before eight, but, lacking an invitation, he was stopped outside. Had he simply asked someone inside to notify the hosts, there would have been no trouble. But his stubborn streak flared; he insisted on getting in no matter what. The security guards, unfamiliar with who he was, didn’t dare get rough, but three of them formed a human wall, barring his entry.

“I’m not a terrorist, am I? It’s just a cocktail party. At most, I’ll sneak a free meal and a drink, take a stroll around and be on my way. It’s not like I’m going to kidnap anyone, is it?” Realizing he truly couldn’t get in, Chu Dong tried to reason with the guards.

At the mention of kidnapping, the guards’ eyes widened. These days, one encountered all kinds. The guests inside were all wealthy or influential; if a kidnapping really occurred, none of them would be spared responsibility. Their vigilance shot up; there was no way they’d let him in now.

Call Tan Xue? Too embarrassing. To attend a party and not even make it in the door—how could he hold his head up if word got out? But he couldn’t just stand here forever. As he watched the guards keeping a close eye on him, he realized that even sneaking in was now impossible.

He flopped onto a sofa in the hotel lobby, racking his brains for a solution, when his phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, he grinned—he’d found a way. The call was from Xiao Yuer.

“Brother-in-law, where are you?”

“I’m here with your sister for the party. What’s up?”

“Nothing really. I’m just bored at home and want to come too. Can you bring me along…?” Xiao Yuer giggled.

“Not a problem at all. When will you get here? I’ll meet you in the lobby,” Chu Dong replied, already in the lobby himself—even if he couldn’t get in yet.

“Half an hour. I’ll be quick.” In truth, Xiao Yuer was already dressed and ready. Hanging up, she bounced downstairs, excitement in her steps.

“Xue’er, I’ll wait outside for Yuer for a bit. That girl will be here soon. Really, you shouldn’t have left her alone at home,” Chu Dong said, sidestepping his own tardiness and scolding Tan Xue instead.

Tan Xue, who had been annoyed at Chu Dong’s dawdling, softened at his words, feeling a pang of guilt for her sister. She didn’t suspect a thing about Chu Dong lacking an invitation, and urged him to hurry. With Chu Dong not yet inside, she was left to introduce herself and Li Youlan to the other guests, the two young women adding a splash of youthful charm to the party.

Urged on by Tian Bing and others, Wang Dongliang soon came to stand beside Tan Xue, playing the chivalrous escort. He quietly explained that his earlier departure had nothing to do with her, promising that he’d always be at her service if needed.

Meanwhile, Tian Bing tried to curry favor with Li Youlan, but unlike the amiable Tan Xue, she paid him no heed, leaving him feeling rather awkward.

When Xiao Yuer finally arrived, breathless, Chu Dong was nearly asleep on the sofa. The sharp-eyed girl spotted him tucked in the corner and hurried over.

“Brother-in-law, where’s my sister?” she asked, pinching his nose playfully.

“Enough fooling. Your sister’s inside—let’s go,” Chu Dong stood, extending his arm.

Xiao Yuer, quick-witted as ever, took his arm without missing a beat. Together, they sauntered toward the entrance, Xiao Yuer glancing about with wide-eyed curiosity.

“Stop right there!” called the security guards, spotting Chu Dong once more—this time, with a stunningly beautiful girl in tow. Clearly, they thought, he was assembling a team.

“Stop? Are you blind? Don’t you even recognize the second young lady of the Silver Dragon Group? Do you want to keep your jobs?” Chu Dong barked, cutting off whatever the guards were about to say. He knew his face was already on the blacklist here.

“And we’re just supposed to take your word for it?” The guards, certain Chu Dong was trying to sneak in, sneered and sized up Xiao Yuer.

“Xue’er, the guards won’t let Yuer in. What do you suggest? Seems the Silver Dragon name doesn’t carry any weight here—they’ve left the second young lady at the door.” Chu Dong, shifting blame, made sure not to mention it was his own fault, dragging Xiao Yuer into the mess.

“Excuse me a moment,” Tan Xue apologized to several executives before heading to the entrance with Uncle Li, the butler. Her sister being mistreated was simply unacceptable.

At the door, Tan Xue saw Xiao Yuer hiding behind Chu Dong, peeking inside, while Chu Dong continued his tirade. “I’m telling you, you’re in trouble now. This will be your last shift here; if you have trouble finding work after this, give me a call. I know the manager at the Changxing Market—getting you a cheap vendor stall won’t be a problem…”

“What’s all this commotion? Get inside already,” Tan Xue said, pulling her sister’s hand and glaring at the still-ranting Chu Dong.

“It’s nothing, just chatting with these gentlemen in case they need help in the future,” Chu Dong chuckled, following them in.

The guards, thoroughly confused by Chu Dong’s banter, remained focused only on blocking his entry, oblivious even to Tan Xue’s arrival. As Chu Dong tried to walk in, one of the guards grabbed his coat from behind, determined not to let him slip past.

But would Chu Dong back down? If he did, it would be clear to everyone that he’d failed to get through the door. One pushed forward, the other yanked back—and with a loud rip, Chu Dong’s tailcoat and shirt tore open, leaving only the bowtie keeping his dignity. Had it not been for that, he’d have been left with nothing but sleeves.

Caught off guard, Chu Dong stared, astonished. Surely the clothes weren’t that fragile? Had he ended up shirtless at the party, he’d have made quite the infamous entrance.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Tan Xue demanded, addressing the guard, not Chu Dong, as half of Chu Dong’s clothes hung from the stunned guard’s grip.

“I…I…” the guard stammered, utterly at a loss.

“All right, all right, I’ll take the blame. I won’t go in—go ahead without me,” Chu Dong interjected, trying to smooth things over for the guard. After all, the job wasn’t easy, and the guard had only been doing his duty. He couldn’t let someone lose their livelihood over this.

The guards recognized Tan Xue, the eldest daughter of the Tan family, and now realized they’d made a mistake. They were even more surprised when the very man who’d been so aggressive just moments ago now spoke up for them, leaving them speechless and red-faced.

“Brother, can you lend me a set of clothes? We’re about the same size—a uniform will do,” Chu Dong, having soothed the furious Tan Xue, asked the guard in a gentle tone.

“Please wait, I’ll fetch one right away.” The guard, now certain Chu Dong was no troublemaker, hurried to the sentry post and brought out a freshly laundered security uniform. “Just washed. I’m sorry, but please make do…”

“No problem. I’ll return it after I get home,” Chu Dong replied with a grin, heading to the security room to change. The uniform fit surprisingly well.

He spun around, striking a pose before the two sisters. “Which one am I? The proud, upright security guard!”

Xiao Yuer stifled a giggle behind her hand, while Tan Xue could only shake her head in exasperation.

“Well, well, isn’t this the Silver Dragon Group’s newly appointed inspector? What’s this—changing professions already?” Wang Dongliang, having come to look for Tan Xue after noticing her absence, arrived just in time to see Chu Dong strutting out in his new uniform.

ps: The second update is here!