Chapter 153
Chapter 153 - Catch
“Do you think we're short on cash?” the young man challenged. “If your hotel doesn't resolve this to our satisfaction today, we're not leaving.”
The waitress quickly realized they were deliberately causing trouble, so she apologized and went to find the lobby manager.
Soon, the lobby manager approached with a smile.
“What would you like?”
“We demand ten thousand yuan for emotional distress,” the young man declared.
The lobby manager glanced at the waitress and instructed, “Call the police. Let them handle this.”
Seeing the lobby manager's response, the young man's face took on a slight shift in color. He then blurted out, “Your food has cockroaches, and you're too scared to admit it?”
“Cockroaches?” The surrounding diners instantly dropped their chopsticks, eyeing the young man with a mix of shock and curiosity.
Noticing he had captured the attention of the diners, the young man lifted the cockroach with his chopsticks for all to see. “Look! This is the cockroach I found in the food.”
His three companions joined in the commotion.
“Come take a look, everyone!”
“There are cockroaches in the Stardust Hotel's food!”
“They won't admit there are cockroaches in their food!”
Riled up by the four young men, the diners stood up, visibly upset.
“The Stardust Hotel staff must provide an explanation,” demanded the white-haired elderly man, his voice filled with indignation. “I came here because of your reputation, but you've let such a serious health issue occur.”
“Give us a refund.”
“We want our money back, now.”
“I'll never return to the Stardust Hotel again.”
With his plan seemingly working, the young man leaned in and whispered to the lobby manager, “Meet my demands, and I'll vouch for you.”
The lobby manager realized he was dealing with a con artist.
These four young men had come to swindle money.
“If you don't comply, I'll show the cockroach to everyone. Then, let's see how your PR department handles the fallout.”
“Ten thousand is excessive. I can offer you one thousand yuan, tops.”
“One thousand is not enough. It has to be ten thousand.”
“The most I'll go is twenty thousand.”
“Make it sixty thousand! And if you keep haggling, don't say I didn't give you a chance.”
“Forty thousand.”
“Fifty thousand. Otherwise, I'll show these cockroaches to everyone.”
As the lobby manager was about to concede, a calm voice echoed through the hall.
“I never thought I'd witness extortion during a meal,” Ye Hao said as he stood up.
“What did you just say?” The young man glared at Ye Hao, fury in his eyes.
“Why do you have five cockroaches in your pocket?” Ye Hao asked, nodding towards the young man's pocket.
The color drained from the young man's face, and he instinctively glanced at his pocket.
Realizing what this implied, the lobby manager knew there had to be more cockroaches in the young man's pocket—undeniable evidence.
”Call the police,” the lobby manager said decisively.
Panic spread across the young man's face as he shoved his chair back, ready to flee. He was well aware of the consequences if he were caught.
The lobby manager attempted to intercept him, but was shoved aside. The other three young men dashed for the door.
That's when Ye Hao stepped in front of the group.
“Where do you think you're going?” Ye Hao asked, a smile playing on his lips.
“Beat him up.”
“He's the one who foiled our scheme.”
The young men had intended to give Ye Hao a thrashing, concerned that hotel security might intervene. They hadn't anticipated Ye Hao blocking their path, so they resolved to give him a lesson.
In a flash, Ye Hao was among them, swiftly landing a palm on one young man's head. The young man grunted and collapsed.
In quick succession, Ye Hao brought down the remaining three.
They tried to rise, but were completely overpowered.
Hotel security then burst in, restraining the four young men.
Shortly thereafter, police officers from the local station arrived, inquired about the incident, and searched the culprits.
They soon discovered five cockroaches in one of the young man's pockets.
All the patrons now realized the young men had intentionally tried to set up the hotel.
Had the young men not attempted to extort 100,000 yuan from the hotel, their sentence might not have been severe. But they had indeed attempted it.
Consequently, the four young men were facing jail sentences.
“I really appreciate your help this time,” the lobby manager said to Ye Hao, his face brimming with gratitude.
“It's no trouble at all,” Ye Hao replied with a smile.
“To show my appreciation, your bill today is on the house.” The lobby manager handed Ye Hao a membership card and added, “From now on, you'll receive a 20% discount whenever you dine at Immortals Retreat.”
Ye Hao accepted the offer without hesitation.
He took the membership card and went back to his seat.
“Ye Hao, do you actually know Kung Fu?” Meixue asked, her eyes shining with curiosity.
“Yes, I do.”
“So the rumors are true!”
“Are there many stories about me?”
“More than you can count.”
Ye Hao chuckled and said, “I'd like to give this membership card to you.”
“Don't you need it?”
“I have another one.”
“Well, in that case, I'll accept it.” Meixue had already made up her mind to treat her parents to a feast here when they visited Glento.
Zhang Lan watched them, feeling a twinge of envy towards Meixue.
Even though she doubted Ye Hao had romantic feelings for Meixue, he seemed to treat her better than he did Zhang Lan.
She coveted that membership card as well.
“This tofu is delicious. Where did you find it, Zhang Lan?” Ye Hao inquired, nodding towards the tofu on Zhang Lan's plate.
“Just go straight and then turn the corner.”
“Would you mind showing me?”
“Not at all.”
As Zhang Lan led Ye Hao to the tofu section, he handed her a gold card.
“What's this?” Zhang Lan thought, feeling a surge of excitement.
The card appeared far more prestigious than the one Ye Hao had given to Meixue.
“This is a gold card,” Ye Hao explained quietly. “With it, all your expenses at the Stardust Hotel will be covered.”
“Is that for real?” Zhang Lan asked, her eyes wide with astonishment.
“Yes,” Ye Hao confirmed with a nod.
“Does that include both accommodation and dining?” she pressed.
“Just present this gold card and you'll receive VIP treatment,” Ye Hao assured her with a smile.
“This is incredibly generous!” Zhang Lan exclaimed, attempting to give the gold card back to Ye Hao.