Chapter 31: Another Murder

Zhao Qiangdong rushed back to the hotel.

Just as the dishes were about to be served, Zhao Qiangdong was summoned to the police station, which made him very unhappy. In particular, on the way back, his superiors kept calling and urging him, which made him even more uncomfortable.

"Nurture, urge, urge! All you ever do is urge! You're so idle, you're just sitting around doing nothing. If it weren't for the loan I still have to pay off, I wouldn't even give a damn about you."

Zhao Qiangdong slammed down the phone and got out of the taxi cursing.

The head chef who was parachuted in this time acts even more arrogant than the executive chef. He has nothing better to do than ramble on about trivial matters all day long.

There are over fifty people in the kitchen, and they don't need him. Why rush him back? Isn't this just deliberately making things difficult for him?

Like most people, Zhao Qiangdong has the face of a hardworking ordinary person, but in reality he is not that diligent. He has been working in the kitchen for seven or eight years, and he goes to work on time almost every day.

Adding goji berries to his thermos became a habit, not for health reasons, but to go to the toilet more often and then take the opportunity to play on his phone and watch live streams.

His only goal right now is to finish his work properly, then slack off and wait for the workday to end, and earn a stable salary.

He had just changed his clothes and walked into the kitchen when a middle-aged man came up to him angrily and said, "You still know how to come back? I called you more than a dozen times and you didn't answer. Do you even want to keep your job?"

Zhao Qiangdong quickly took out a cigarette and offered it to him, saying with a smile, "Hehe, Brother Li, something came up and I had to get in the way. It's my fault, please calm down."

The middle-aged man shook off his hand and said coldly, "Don't give me that. I'm warning you, Zhao Qiangdong, this company isn't your home. You can't just come and go as you please. If you don't want to work here, pack your bags and get out."

Zhao Qiangdong quickly put on a smiling face: "My fault, my fault, Brother Li, don't worry, I will definitely do my job well and will never cause you any trouble."

The middle-aged man glared at him: "Don't think I don't know what kind of person you are. If you were really capable, you wouldn't have waited until now. Alright, stop talking nonsense. Go report to the western kitchen tomorrow. Our central kitchen can't accommodate a big shot like you."

"No, Brother Li, please give me another chance. I really got into some trouble today." Zhao Qiangdong pleaded with a mournful face. Although the western kitchen was also good, the salary wasn't as high as here.

Most importantly, his loan payment is due this month.

The middle-aged man said angrily, "Don't give me that nonsense. Get your ass to the stove right now, or I'll fire you right now."

"Brother Li, could you please make an exception for my perfect attendance bonus this month?" Zhao Qiangdong asked cautiously.

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man's eyes widened immediately, and he roared, "You dare ask me for perfect attendance? Let me tell you, you can forget about your year-end bonus this year, get out!"

Zhao Qiangdong awkwardly stepped aside, reluctantly picking up the spatula while cursing inwardly, "Damn it, that idiot Li Wanping, once I get promoted, I'll kill you, you son of a bitch!"

He sullenly stirred the food in the pot, when suddenly he noticed oil splattering onto his arm.

Grass!

What a fucking bad luck!

...

"Mom, I'll be back later, I'm hanging up now!"

Yu Qing came out of the restroom with her phone in hand. After letting her family know she was safe, she hung up and put the phone in her pocket before walking towards the restaurant.

The atmosphere in the hall was lively.

A long red carpet stretched from the entrance to the stage, surrounded by flowers and ribbons, and the tables were laden with all kinds of delicacies. The most eye-catching feature, however, was the three popular female singers on stage.

Accompanied by melodious music, Lin Yueyue, accompanied by a middle-aged man, walked between the tables with a wine glass in her hand.

Those attending this birthday banquet were all business luminaries or senior executives of a certain group, each of whom carried considerable weight within their circles.

Students like Yu Qing, who had no power or influence, could only sit in the corner and silently watch the performances on stage.

Yu Qing returned to her original seat, glanced around, and found the seat next to her empty. She then asked the person next to her curiously, "Where is Lu Chi?"

The classmate next to him shook his head: "I don't know, it was just here a moment ago."

Yu Qing stood up again, looked around, and indeed couldn't find Lu Chi. He frowned slightly, a bad feeling creeping into his heart.

He was about to leave to find Lu Chi when he saw Lin Yueyue walking towards him accompanied by her father. The principal immediately straightened his clothes and tie and respectfully went to greet her.

Lin Yueyue's father was tall and thin with sharp features. He wore a burgundy suit with a gold-trimmed pattern embroidered on the chest. He had a refined and composed demeanor and rarely smiled. His first impression was that of a powerful boss who had long held a high position.

The aura is terrifyingly powerful.

When the two met, they inevitably exchanged some polite greetings.

The other classmates at the table surrounded Lin Yueyue, praising her endlessly, while Lin Yueyue smiled modestly and politely.

Yu Qing, however, noticed the woman behind Lin Yueyue's father.

The woman looked very young, around twenty years old, with an oval face, willow-leaf eyebrows, and wearing a blue off-the-shoulder evening dress that accentuated her stunning figure.

Unfortunately, her makeup was too heavy, obscuring her natural beauty.

"Is this Lin Yueyue's stepmother?"

Yu Qing was slightly surprised.

She does look very young!

The woman seemed to notice Yu Qing's gaze and turned to look at him.

The two exchanged a glance, and the woman gave Yu Qing a polite smile.

Yu Qing was stunned for a moment, and subconsciously looked away, only to meet Lin Yueyue's cold and piercing gaze, who glared at him fiercely.

Yu Qing pursed her lips.

He couldn't help but mutter to himself.

"Are you crazy? I didn't do anything to you."

He ignored Lin Yueyue and continued searching for Lu Chi's whereabouts.

Lin Yueyue was furious when she saw that Yu Qing was ignoring her.

After the day he confessed his feelings, Yu Qing seemed like a different person. He was no longer like before, always following her around and asking about her well-being.

Now he not only ignores her, but he also didn't give her a birthday present, or even a single blessing.

Clearly, Yu Qing really didn't want to talk to her anymore.

Lin Yueyue felt very uncomfortable.

Just as Lin Yueyue was lost in thought, Yu Qing hurriedly walked out of the lobby and arrived at the hotel entrance.

Yu Qing looked around several times, but still couldn't see Lu Chi. Her unease grew stronger.

Where did they go?

Anxiety appeared between Yu Qing's brows.

Just as I was hesitating whether to ask the security guard at the entrance, I suddenly caught a glimpse of a figure sitting by the fountain not far away.

The figure had its back to him, head down, hands wrapped around its knees, curled up in a ball, looking all alone.

Yu Qing walked over quickly and said speechlessly.

"Hey, what's wrong with you? It's so late, everyone's eating in the private room, what are you doing hiding here in the wind?"

The man slowly raised his head.

Yu Qing was stunned for a moment when she saw the person's profile.

"Zhou Xiaoming, is that you?"

Zhou Xiaoming was also taken aback when he saw Yu Qing. He then wiped away his tears and forced a smile that looked worse than crying: "Brother Qing..."

"Why are you crying? Who bullied you?"

Yu Qing frowned and asked.

He had some impression of Zhou Xiaoming. He and Lu Chi were both marginal figures who didn't like to interact with people and didn't like to talk much.

He remembered being bullied by students from other classes in the bathroom last time, and he was the one who helped them out. He didn't expect that after only a few days, it seemed that he was being bullied again.

"No...it's nothing."

Zhou Xiaoming kept his head down.

Yu Qing plopped down next to him, stared intently into his eyes, and asked seriously, "Did Fan Yang and his gang cause you trouble again?"

Zhou Xiaoming remained silent, which was taken as tacit agreement.

After a few seconds, he suddenly looked up at Yu Qing, his expression resolute, and said, "Brother Qing, I want to follow you."

Yu Qing looked at him in surprise: "What the heck?"

Zhou Xiaoming gritted his teeth and said, "You're good at fighting and decisive in your actions. Everyone is afraid of you. I don't want to be trampled underfoot for the rest of my life, and I don't want to be looked down upon. I want to become as good as you!"

Yu Qing raised her hand and flicked him on the forehead, scolding, "What nonsense are you spouting? Studying hard is the right way to go. Stop thinking about these things all day, understand?"

Zhou Xiaoming touched his forehead, wincing in pain, but he still stubbornly tilted his head back and said, "Brother Qing, please let me follow you. I used to be timid and cowardly, but now I want to..."

Before he could finish speaking...

With a "bang",

A figure suddenly crashed down from the sky.

It landed right in front of the two of them.