Seeing that Qin Han did not agree, Ling Hong could only let out a wry smile of helplessness and said, "Mr. Qin, the old master told me that if I can't invite you, I may as well not return."
Qin Han initially did not want to agree, since it was merely a chance encounter and he had only saved someone.
But after careful consideration, if he wanted to help Song Yuwei gain control of the Song family, he definitely had to build connections and befriend the powerful. And at the moment, the Zhou family was indeed one of the influential figures in Zhongzhou City.
"This loser, he's putting on airs again. An invitation from the Zhou family is such an honor, and yet he's still playing hard to get?"
"Exactly, it's the Zhou family we're talking about. Does he have no idea what the Zhou family means in Zhongzhou?"
"I don't get how this loser has such good luck, saving the old master of the Zhou family."
The people in the hallway, including the Song family members, were all talking at once. In their eyes, Qin Han must have just happened to pass by and helped the old master into a car, nothing more.
Qin Han ignored the ridicule of those around him and simply said to Ling Hong, "Fine, please lead the way!"
Ling Hong let out a deep breath of relief. Over the years serving by the old master's side, he had honed his ability to read people and situations to perfection.
Despite Qin Han's somewhat shabby appearance, one's temperament can't be changed, and typically, people like this who are hermits from the world wouldn't bother with common folk.
Without taking offense at Qin Han's attitude, Ling Hong extended his left hand, slightly bowed, and made a beckoning gesture.
For the first time, Song Yuwei saw Qin Han like this, his face impassive, talking with the Zhou family's chief steward neither servile nor overbearing, and even Ling Hong was showing Qin Han unusual respect.
If Qin Han seemed just a little different the night before, today he was completely changed!
Qin Han reached out to pick up Duo Duo, took Song Yuwei by the hand, and under Ling Hong's guidance, they headed towards the exit.
With this interruption, there was no need to stick around at the Song family's dinner any longer.
Just as Qin Han was about to step away, Qiao Dalong blocked his path.
"Uh... Brother Qin, oh, no. Mr. Qin, about what happened just now, I'm really sorry. I had a few too many drinks, and I forgot who I was. I'm here to apologize!"
Qiao Dalong looked at Qin Han with a mixture of embarrassment and dread. After all, anyone who received such esteem from the Zhou family was definitely not someone he could afford to offend.
It seemed as if Qin Han was leveraging the Zhou family's influence, but what he didn't know was that the last person to provoke was Qin Han himself.
Qin Han looked at Qiao Dalong, frowning slightly. If it weren't for Ling Hong's arrival, he would have had his own ways to deal with Qiao Dalong. And although this man had a rough demeanor, he wasn't lacking the qualities of a real man.
"From now on, do not provoke me again!" Qin Han said indifferently.
"Yes, yes! If there's ever anything Mr. Qin needs from Qiao, please just command me. Here is my business card," Qiao Dalong nodded his head repeatedly, his face respectful.
Qin Han accepted the business card and casually put it in his pocket, nodded, and continued walking towards the exit.
As Qin Han had already stepped out of the doorway, unbeknownst to him, the news had already spread at the Song family's dinner. Everyone couldn't believe that Qin Han was acquainted with the Zhou family.
One was a waste son-in-law from a minor family, and the other was from the distinguished and lofty Zhou family of Zhongzhou. It seemed impossible for the two to intersect.
Song Yuzhe was even more infuriated. How could this failure possibly know the Zhou family? He himself had never even encountered the Zhou family, so what ability did a loser like him have to make the Zhou family so concerned?
As Qin Han and his company left the hotel, he placed Duo Duo into Song Yuwei's arms, telling her and their daughter to go home first, as he had some errands to attend to.
"Daddy, come home early," Duo Duo waved his little hand while nestled in Song Yuwei's embrace.
"You... get home early," Song Yuwei said nervously, as she could never forget how Qin Han almost beat her to death just because she had said that sentence when they got married.
Qin Han flashed a charming smile, nodded, and replied, "Don't worry, I'll be back after I finish my business."
But when Song Yuwei turned around to look for the electric scooter, she was frozen in place.
"The electric scooter's broken; who smashed our scooter? Daddy, my little electric donkey is broken. Waaah." Diaodia saw the smashed electric scooter on the ground and tears couldn't stop streaming from his big eyes.
Qin Han also saw the wreckage on the ground and immediately guessed it was the work of those two doormen from earlier. But before he could speak, he heard a loud shout.
"Damn it, I knew he'd have to come out! Guys, give him a warm welcome for me."
In the distance, two doormen were leading a few security guards who were carrying batons towards them.
"Stop, who are you people?" Ling Hong immediately raised his voice to halt them as they approached, ready to start a fight.
"Who let you out with your zipper down, what are you even worth?" the tall doorman, thinking Ling Hong was just a friend of Qin Han's, cursed immediately.
"I am Ling Hong from the Zhou family!" Ling Hong felt dizzy with anger and shouted loud at the doorman's words.
"If you're from the Zhou family, then I'm the goddamn City Hall! Hit him, I'll take care of any trouble," said the tall doorman, and swung his baton at Ling Hong.
"Ah!" Song Yuwei was so frightened by the scene before her that she screamed, and Diaodia hid in her arms, too scared to speak, his big eyes timidly watching the events unfold.
Ling Hong, never having been in such a situation before, was so scared that he curled up, hands over his head, but the baton didn't hit him. When he dared to open his eyes, he saw Qin Han had caught the baton, sparing him from the blow.
"Are you so hell-bent on trouble? There was no issue, and yet you smashed my car?" Qin Han was also quite angry, it wasn't just the disrespect but the destruction of the car that was problematic.
"I was gonna take you down today anyway! Shit! Go get him!"
The surrounding security guards moved toward Qin Han and Ling Hong at the tall doorman's urging just when a loud roar echoed!
"Everyone fucking freeze!"
The crowd looked up to see Qiao Dalong leading his men towards them.
Ling Hong breathed a sigh of relief; no trouble would come now that Qiao Dalong was here.
"Boss Qiao? What brings you here? After I deal with this yokel and this poser, I've got a couple of boxes of fine tea leaves for you."
"Go to hell!" Qiao Dalong, walking up close and hearing the tall doorman's words, slapped him across the face.
"Slap!"
The tall doorman staggered, seeing stars, and after a few circles, finally came to a stop. Holding his swollen right cheek, he looked at Qiao Dalong in shock, not understanding why the boss would hit him.
Qiao Dalong looked at the tall doorman and the rest of the security guards with fury, swearing.
"This is Mr. Qin and Brother Ling, are you blind? How dare you lay a hand on them."
"Qin... Mr. Qin? Ling... Brother Ling?" Everyone was struggling to understand, wasn't it just a country bumpkin? How did Mr. Qin come into the picture?
"Mr. Qin, Brother Ling, are you hurt? My men failed to see, and they offended both of you. Please, calm down," Qiao Dalong said, ignoring the doormen and quickly coming over to Qin Han and Ling Hong to apologize profusely.
"Boss Qiao? Your men are really... something!" Ling Hong said through gritted teeth.