Chapter 653

The man looked at Ning Chen's appearance; he had been somewhat intimidated, but then he remembered he was here with his new girlfriend, who was still inside ordering food. If he lost face in front of her, wouldn't that be embarrassing?

Moreover...

The man's gaze fell on Ning Chen's clothes and shoes. He noticed the person was dressed very plainly, looking like someone who definitely did not belong to the wealthy and powerful class. At most, he was just a young person with a little family money out for fun, and should pose no threat.

Thinking this, the man puffed out his chest, climbed up from the beach, and said sternly, "Who are you calling? It has nothing to do with you. Give up the seat, or I'll have the staff inside handle this."

"Oh," Ning Chen said indifferently, "Go ahead."

Choked by such an attitude, the man felt a spark of violent anger surge in his chest.

His family had only become wealthy two years ago. After getting rich, wanting to shed the shadow of their past poverty, he changed girlfriends every month. Huge expenses were as common as daily meals. Seeing ordinary people like that gave him a sense of superiority; he looked down on those below his class.

Ning Chen was undoubtedly the type of person he looked down on.

When the man, full of momentum, brought out the staff to resolve this, Ning Chen sat on the chair under the sun umbrella, leisurely and carefree.

The staff member felt a bit awkward. He walked in small steps to Ning Chen's side and explained, "How about you change places... The store just cleared a spot. If you are willing, you can sit inside. This time, we'll treat you to a meal; it can be free if you are willing to give up the seat."

When the staff member walked to his side, Ning Chen glanced at him, but after the staff member finished his first sentence, he turned his head away in boredom. Sitting on the chair without looking up, he said, "Everything must have an order of precedence. What, just because he has some money does he have special privileges? Wasn't this seat reserved by me from the beginning?"

Hearing this, the staff member looked at the man behind him whose face was getting worse and worse. He was so anxious that cold sweat was about to pour down his face. Even if he were dull, he knew the guest in front of him, who stubbornly refused to give up the seat, was not someone easy to talk to.

But the gentleman behind him was a VIP; he might become a shareholder of the seaside island in the future... It was not worth offending him over something like this.

513. Unwilling to Yield, Ning Chen's Bottom Line

The staff member could only smile apologetically with great caution. He knew deeply that people who could get on this island at this stage were not ordinary; the only difference was who had more money.

That man could be counted as a regular customer of the island, but Ning Chen should be visiting for the first time, appearing somewhat unfamiliar. The staff member almost didn't need to think to understand who he should please.

However, for this guest, Ning Chen, he still had to try to mediate. Offending any guest would lead to no good outcome.

The staff member lowered his voice and weakened his posture, speaking to Ning Chen in an almost pleading tone, "Mr., that person is a regular here. Although such things are not allowed, the rules above require us to take care of regular customers... You might as well consider the conditions I mentioned; this time we will give you a free meal."

Hearing the staff member say this, Ning Chen finally raised his head to look at the staff member's face, taking in the caution on the staff member's face.

Finally, Ning Chen sighed. He actually knew the staff member had a hard time, but he equally could not swallow this anger.

Inside the live stream, the audience watching this scene all felt it was incomprehensible.

Such things actually happen quite often in real life, easily igniting the anger of most ordinary people.

Those who couldn't stand it would speak out. The click count and comment volume reached their peak; some spoke up for justice, while others felt empathy.

"So these people have become this arrogant? Even someone like the streamer suffers such unfair treatment... let alone us..."

"Streamer, teach this person a lesson! I hate people who rely on others' power the most. Isn't it just having more money? Why stand above ordinary people? Doesn't every family start from ordinary beginnings?"

"I think this social atmosphere needs to be properly rectified. I have to say the streamer is much richer than me. If the streamer cannot teach him a lesson, then I really don't know what meaning the phrase 'evil has its retribution' has."

In the comments, the call for Ning Chen to fight back was the loudest. Ning Chen did not look at the comments or bullet screens, but indeed, he could not endure it anymore.

He was not the kind of person who would be bullied by others riding on his neck. Ning Chen was originally a young man full of passion; at this time, enduring further was meaningless.

So Ning Chen stood up from the chair. In that instant he stood up, he clearly saw the joy on the staff member's face and the undisguised triumph of Li Mu behind him. Both of them thought Ning Chen would yield.

But he would not.

Ning Chen moved his wrists, a sinister smile rising on his lips. Looking at Li Mu, who was not far away, he said, "Do you think having a few stinking coins makes you something special?"

Ning Chen's temper was not very good either. When encountering such unjust matters, if he had the ability, he would absolutely take action.

Although his mood had indeed been very good lately, this Li Mu was like someone without eyes, crashing right into the gun barrel.

Li Mu looked at Ning Chen's appearance, and suddenly felt a vague unease in his heart.

He did not think Ning Chen had truly compromised. People like Ning Chen looked like they were born with a rebellious bone at a glance. Li Mu took a step back, and a vague fear appeared in his eyes.

"What do you want to do?" Li Mu asked. "This place has security personnel. If you dare to make a move, I can throw you into the sea in an instant."

Ning Chen sneered, with no emotion in his eyes, yet it unexpectedly made Li Mu afraid.

The staff member was a smart person. He saw at a glance that the atmosphere between these two was somewhat tense, so he quickly urged reconciliation, saying, "Both of you are reasonable people. Why get angry over such a small matter? Mr., the meal you ordered is almost ready. Please follow me inside."

"Who said I was going to give the seat to him?" Ning Chen sneered, staring coldly at Li Mu.

Ning Chen held that sign from beginning to end; even when placed on the table, he still spared energy to attend to it.

How could Li Mu not see his meaning? But in this way, Li Mu felt his authority was being provoked.

He was originally a person who thought highly of himself and looked down on others. Ning Chen's repeated provocations were like completely igniting the anger. Immediately, he strode into the small shop, grabbed the security guard guarding the door, called over several burly staff members, and walked to Ning Chen's side together.

Ning Chen knew he was going to get people; he just watched with cold eyes. Even if that person found as many reinforcements as he wanted, it was unimportant to Ning Chen; after all, he could beat them easily.

Perhaps because there were more people, his confidence increased. Li Mu looked Ning Chen up and down, who looked fragile, and a sneer of disdain escaped from his nose.

Four people stood in front of Li Mu; one was dressed as a security guard, and the rest should be staff. Ning Chen glanced over, a hint of mockery on his face: "Is this all the tricks you have?"

Li Mu's expression changed in an instant. Looking at such a Ning Chen, he involuntarily trembled a bit.

It was not that he worried about not being able to beat Ning Chen, but he was scared by this oppressive feeling on Ning Chen.

After coming to his senses, Li Mu also felt his reaction just now was shameful. Looking at Ning Chen, he turned his head and said to those behind him, "This person intentionally violated the rules and interfered with other guests' dining. You should take him down as soon as possible. Such a person is not worthy of coming to the seaside island."

Li Mu's tone was somewhat domineering, ordering those behind him, with a feeling like a father ordering his son.

Those behind him dared not refute, listening to Li Mu's words as if they were imperial edicts.

Ning Chen's patience was exhausted bit by bit. Looking at the staff member and that security guard, he explained one last time, "This is the seat I chose from the start."

The expressions of those staff members were a bit hesitant, but perhaps seeing that Li Mu's face was already looking bad, the staff member and the security guard finally stepped forward, looking at Ning Chen and saying, "Sorry, today you恐怕 cannot sit in this seat... If you are willing to cooperate and sit inside, we will also provide you with the best seat by the window."

This was the third time Ning Chen had heard such words. He suddenly felt a sense of weariness and said with an unfriendly expression, "Get lost."

No one paid attention to him. Seeing that they could not persuade Ning Chen, those staff members could only choose to forcibly take him away. After all, between Li Mu and Ning Chen, anyone with eyes could see Li Mu's status was higher.

Ning Chen looked at Li Mu hiding behind several people and said, "Coward, if you have the guts, come out. What kind of skill is hiding behind people?"

Li Mu simply took it as Ning Chen could not fight so many people. The more he heard Ning Chen say this, the more he felt a sense of superiority: "You are deliberately interfering with the guests' dining environment. What's wrong with teaching you a lesson? Otherwise, you can just apologize to me."

514. Ning Chen's Lesson, Two Choices Given

Apologize?

When Ning Chen heard this word, he even felt a sense of absurdity.

"I think it's quite funny," Ning Chen looked at Li Mu, approaching him step by step, "so such things are already very common in your eyes. Since that is the case, why should I waste more words?"

Before Ning Chen's words had even faded, he suddenly reached out—a strong, bony hand slipping through the gaps between the men, grabbing Li Mu by the collar.

Li Mu startled, but before he could resist, Ning Chen dragged him out from among the group.

The grip was far too strong; even though Li Mu reacted instantly and thrashed violently, he was still pulled forward until he stood face-to-face with Ning Chen.

The shop staff hadn't reacted at all—by the time they reached out to pull Li Mu back, Ning Chen had already kicked him over.

The impact was solid. Ning Chen held back his strength—if he'd struck fully, Li Mu's leg bones would've shattered—but even with controlled force, Li Mu felt searing pain in his thigh, his vision darkened for an instant, and when consciousness returned, he was lying on the ground.

Once Li Mu realized what had happened, he let out a deafening scream in an instant.

It was grating. Ning Chen looked down at Li Mu, then at the few men behind him—fearful but wanting to help him up—and said: "If I'm not mistaken, his leg is broken. If you don't want trouble from him, take him to the hospital. Don't blame me."

The shop staff were speechless. One bent down to check Li Mu's injury and found it truly dire—taking him to the hospital was now the best course.

But on the ground, Li Mu screamed while pointing a finger at Ning Chen: "Teach him a lesson! Kill him!"

Ning Chen hadn't expected this man to be so stubborn—even like this, he still had the breath to order others around.

So Ning Chen walked over to Li Mu again, squatted down, pressed his hand flat against the ground, then stood up, his sole crushing Li Mu's fingers as he said coldly: "Still got the energy to talk? Seems you're not in enough pain."

With that step down, Li Mu screamed a hair-raising shriek. Ning Chen didn't intend to crush his finger bones—he timed it perfectly, pulling his foot away just before the bones broke.

Now Li Mu lay on the ground, clutching his hand, his face swollen like a pig's head, looking utterly disheveled—but not a single mark could be seen anywhere on his body.

For this kind of injury, Ning Chen would have to pay compensation.

Li Mu was already calculating how much he could extort from Ning Chen.

The staff hesitated, then decided to carry Li Mu away first—but Ning Chen's meal was certainly over. After this incident, the barbecue shop staff would never let him stay.

Ning Chen listened expressionlessly to their words, then asked: "Is it because he's a regular here, or because he's rich enough?"

The question stunned the staff. Then one replied: "Both… but mostly the latter. That Mr. we can't afford to anger. We're just employees—we'd rather offend you than lose our jobs."

Ning Chen's expression remained calm. He nodded: "I can understand you. I don't want to be shortchanged, and I can certainly afford a meal."

"You might not know…" the staff sighed, "that man's a nouveau riche—he's rich, and he has business ties with our boss. We truly can't provoke him."

The staff had another half-sentence unspoken.

How could Li Mu possibly be a good person? This kind of man loved causing trouble—especially since becoming a shareholder of this barbecue shop, he constantly harassed customers or staff.

So every staff member here hated Li Mu—but because they couldn't afford to offend him, they'd endured it silently, or else they'd lose their jobs.

After hearing this, Ning Chen understood the full story. In truth, he despised people like this most—this was, in effect, "ridding the people of a scourge."

The staff's meaning was for him to eat elsewhere. Though most felt Ning Chen was right, because he'd angered Li Mu, they had no choice but to make him leave—or else they'd face trouble from above.

When Ning Chen heard this, he sneered: "So that's how it is. How much is this shop worth? He's just a minor shareholder."

The staff froze.

Ning Chen crossed his arms and surveyed the barbecue shop's layout, noticing its decor and Chen She were indeed unique—clearly different from ordinary barbecue restaurants.