Chapter 102: The Weight of Elder Han’s Call

Inside the Zhao Family Hospital, Zhao Gaoyang was furious.

“You useless bunch! How could you fail to protect your master? You let Hongbing go to their private room alone?”

The guards all hung their heads, not daring to utter a word.

Whenever Zhao Hongbing went to a private room or somewhere secluded, he always made the guards wait outside, because he always had business to attend to inside. He didn’t want anyone disturbing him, ruining his mood. Usually, nothing would happen—who would be foolish enough to offend a young master of the Zhao family?

But no one had expected that, caught up in his excitement, Zhao Hongbing would go to someone else’s private room and openly harass their sister. Worse, he even threatened them—naturally, they wouldn’t let him get away with it. By the time the guards arrived, the others were already gone.

“Heh, Su Bai—a performer who’s only just become popular, and he dares to harm the son of the Zhao family? He must be tired of living,” Zhao Gaoyang sneered. “Three days. I want Su Bai and Yang Mengke brought before me within three days!”

As soon as Zhao Gaoyang finished, a man behind him left immediately.

Glaring at Zhao Hongbing, who was whining incessantly in bed, Zhao Gaoyang’s anger surged again.

“Stop your damn whining! You had no skill, couldn’t handle yourself, shamed me, and you still dare yell here!”

“If you ever do something this disgraceful again, don’t you dare call yourself my son!”

Terrified by Zhao Gaoyang’s vicious glare, Zhao Hongbing shuddered. He accidentally touched his injured leg, his face turning pale as he howled in pain.

The beautiful woman at the bedside was immediately distressed. “Bing’er, are you alright?”

“Zhao Gaoyang, are you trying to kill him? Can’t you see he’s hurt? Why are you still yelling? What did our Bing’er do wrong?”

“He just wanted to pursue a girl—what’s wrong with that? He’s at the age for it! Isn’t he allowed to chase after a girl?”

“If you yell at him again, you can sleep on the floor tonight—don’t come near my bed!”

Zhao Gaoyang trembled with rage, pointing at the woman. Zhao Hongbing had turned out this way entirely because of her spoiling.

When he was young, if he saw something he wanted, no matter what method, he had to have it. Even if someone refused, he’d use underhanded means to take it. Back then, it was things—now it was women.

“Don’t worry, Bing’er. In three days, I’ll have Yang Mengke delivered to your bed. Then you can vent all the suffering you’ve endured lately,” the woman promised.

At these words, Zhao Hongbing immediately sat up, the pain in his leg forgotten in his excitement.

“Really? Mom, can you really do that?”

“These days, I’m practically obsessed—I see her whether my eyes are open or closed. If I can’t have her, I feel like I’ll fall into depression!”

The woman was instantly alarmed.

“Zhao Gaoyang, did you hear that? In three days, Yang Mengke must be brought to our son’s bed, or we’re done!”

“You—!” Zhao Gaoyang was shaking with fury, pointing at the woman, unable to speak. He wasn’t angry about what fate might befall Yang Mengke, but about his wife’s way of raising their son—this could only end badly.

Right now, Yang Mengke and Su Bai had no background or power. Everything could be smoothed over.

But what if, one day, their spoiled son ran into someone he couldn’t bully? What would happen to the Zhao family then?

A sense of despair welled up inside him.

“Is the Zhao family really going to end with my generation?”

Clearly, Zhao Hongbing was hopeless. But, cowed by his domineering wife, Zhao Gaoyang had no choice but to comply. He didn’t want a couple of nobodies to ruin the harmony at home—after all, his own career depended on his wife’s family connections.

Suddenly, a shrill ringing broke the tense atmosphere.

“Who is it? Don’t they know my Bing’er needs to rest? Hang up! It’s probably just some loser asking for a favor,” the woman complained.

Zhao Gaoyang was in no mood to answer calls. He picked up his phone to hang up, glancing at the number. His phone slipped from his hand and clattered to the floor.

“What are you shaking for? Is it some mistress calling? Zhao Gaoyang, are you cheating on me? I’ll skin you alive!” The woman lunged at him.

“Shut up! All of you, shut up!” Zhao Gaoyang barked.

The woman, hearing him yell, only grew angrier and reached to pull his hair.

“It’s Old Han! If you want to live, shut your mouth!” Zhao Gaoyang snapped.

The woman froze mid-motion, her face incredulous. “Old Han? The one from 8 Fenghua Road?”

“Who else?” Zhao Gaoyang said impatiently.

The woman was stunned. “Why would he call you? Are you getting promoted? Is he calling to congratulate you?”

Zhao Gaoyang looked at her as if she were an idiot. Had anyone ever heard of Old Han personally calling to congratulate someone on a promotion? But he had no time for her foolishness now.

He picked up the phone.

“Hello, Old Han! I hope you’ve been well. What brings you to call me today?”

Though only on the phone, Zhao Gaoyang, usually so self-important, was now humble and deferential.

His meddlesome wife, sensing the gravity of the moment, fell silent as well. She understood it was no time for drama—if she sabotaged her husband’s prospects, it would be disastrous. Old Han’s status demanded this respect.

“Xiao Zhao, let the grudge between your son and Su Bai be settled by themselves. Grown-ups should stay out of it,” Old Han’s voice came through. “And it’s time you properly disciplined your child. Don’t wait until the state has to intervene—by then, it will be too late for regrets.”

Zhao Gaoyang was stunned.

Old Han had called on behalf of Su Bai? What was their relationship? And what did he mean by not waiting until the state had to discipline his child?

Though Old Han had said only two sentences, countless possibilities flashed through Zhao Gaoyang’s mind.

Old Han had long since retired from public life. Why intervene now? Whatever the reason, Zhao Gaoyang dared not act rashly.

Suddenly, he remembered the men he’d already sent after Su Bai, and broke out in a cold sweat.

If he defied Old Han’s warning, the consequences would be dire. He hurriedly called his men: “Come back. The operation is cancelled!”

The men, who had been lurking in the shadows ready to strike, exchanged confused looks at their boss’s order, then quietly withdrew.

Though the men had returned, the woman in the hospital room was not appeased.

“Why? Why should my son suffer just because of a word from that old man?”

“Show some respect—address him as Old Han!”

“He’s long retired. What right does he have to meddle in our family’s business?”

“If the Zhao family is too timid, then the Jin family will handle it!”

“I, Jin Feng, have never suffered such humiliation in my life!”

Smack!

Zhao Gaoyang slapped her across the face.

“Are you insane? That’s Han Jianye! Use your brain—how many people from your Jin family has Han Jianye taken down?”

“If you can’t think straight, don’t drag us down with you!”

Jin Feng seemed to recall something, shuddering violently, her body trembling as she realized her impulsiveness. If she really went too far, even the head of the Jin family would slap her.