Song Yan knew Wang Long was saving him, so he nodded in gratitude and hurriedly left.

"Let's eat," Xu Lai said.

It was only five-thirty in the afternoon, still quite early, but with five dishes and a soup already prepared, it would be a waste not to eat.

Seeing everyone else pick up their chopsticks, Old Jiang Ba carefully took a bite of the dish closest to him.

The moment it entered his mouth, Old Jiang Ba's body stiffened. What is this flavor?

It was just a seemingly ordinary dish of stir-fried tomatoes and eggs, but Old Jiang Ba felt a moment of vertigo the instant he tasted it. Warmth spread through his limbs, as if a gentle current was flowing through him. The flavor was so delicious it was simply indescribable.

"Hee hee, is this your first time trying it?" Xu Yiyi chirped excitedly. "My dad's cooking is the absolute best in the whole wide world."

"Indeed," Old Jiang Ba nodded solemnly. This was not flattery but a heartfelt sentiment.

He even had the illusion that this simple meal was a concoction of Immortal Pills. Just one bite makes me feel as light as air.

An hour later, the dishes were nearly finished, with only a small portion left.

"I'm stuffed," Mao Gaoshan let out a satisfied burp. His wife and daughter were equally content.

Ruan Tang was more reserved. She placed her chopsticks neatly across the center of her bowl and said, "I'm full."

Xu Lai glanced at Old Jiang Ba and said indifferently, "If you don't mind, you can keep the leftovers for tomorrow. They'll extend your life by three years."

If anyone else had told Old Jiang Ba to eat leftovers, he would have promptly offered them a one-stop funeral service, arranged down to the last detail.

But these words came from Xu Lai's mouth. Therefore, he had no doubt that these dishes could indeed extend his life by three years.

Old Jiang Ba packed the food carefully, breathing a long sigh of relief in his heart. He knew that after this meal, Xu Lai would no longer hold a grudge over the incident with Song Yan. Of course, this was on the condition that he, Old Jiang Ba, would handle things properly and ensure such issues never occurred again.

"Oh, Xu Lai, you're being a little too thrifty, aren't you? Letting the janitor take home your leftovers?"

At that moment, a sarcastic voice rang out. It was none other than Liu Chengyin, who was surrounded by the other fathers. The children and mothers hadn't followed them.

The janitor... Old Jiang Ba paused for a moment but didn't look up, simply continuing to pack the food.

Mao Gaoshan was shocked. Before, he had been fearless, not knowing the old man's identity, but now he was terrified. "Liu Chengyin, watch your mouth! You should learn to keep a low profile."

Liu Chengyin laughed out loud. This was the Jiang Family's hot springs resort, and he was Jiang Bai's close friend. He could almost strut around as he pleased here.

"What, are you and Xu Lai going to hit me?" Liu Chengyin smirked. After settling his luggage, he had called the other fathers to come and gloat over Xu Lai's misfortune, saying that Room C50 was no better than a pigsty.

Mao Gaoshan glanced at Eighth Master and said in a peculiar tone, "The issue now isn't whether *I* want to hit you, but whether *this gentleman* is willing to let you walk out of here alive."

"Why did you warn him?" Mao Gaoshan's wife tugged at his sleeve and pouted. "If Liu Chengyin wants to court death, just let him."

"What, is this old man's identity supposed to be that scary?" Liu Chengyin feigned surprise. He'd already figured it out: though the old man was wearing a Tang suit, the fabric was clearly cheap. Calling him a janitor was just a way to insult Xu Lai at the same time.

"Mr. Xu, how do you believe he should be handled?" Old Jiang Ba finally finished packing the food, stood before Xu Lai, and asked cautiously.

"Do as you please," Xu Lai said indifferently.

Old Jiang Ba bowed slightly. "Understood."

"If you understand, then scram," Liu Chengyin sneered with disdain. "Mr. Xu... Ruan Tang, your husband really loves putting on airs, doesn't he?"

Ruan Tang didn't get angry. Instead, she looked at him with pity. Some people are technically alive, but he's already a dead man. No. His fate will be worse than death.

A quiet whirring sound was heard as a resort tour vehicle pulled to a stop.

"The rooms have been arranged," Wang Long said as he got out, handing two gold-embossed room cards to Ruan Tang and Mao Gaoshan's wife.

Song Yan, standing a step behind, saw Liu Chengyin. Towering rage flashed in his eyes, but he didn't dare act out in front of Eighth Master. He could only grit his teeth and lower his head.

"Eighth Master, I'll take my daughter and go rest now," Ruan Tang said softly, holding Xu Yiyi's hand.

"No, no, no, please, just call me Xiao Ba," Old Jiang Ba said anxiously, then gestured to the vehicle's driver. "Take Lady Xu and Miss Yiyi to their room."

"Then, Eighth Master, we'll be leaving as well," Mao Gaoshan's wife said, preparing to leave with Mao Dou in tow.

Although Old Jiang Ba seemed affable, he had once nailed a competitor's entire family of nine into coffins. Just being near him brings an inexplicable chill. It was best to stay as far away from such a terrifying figure as possible.

Watching his wife and daughter's retreating figures, Mao Gaoshan's lips moved, but he couldn't bring himself to speak and follow them. He gritted his teeth and chose to stay put. Eighth Master is so respectful to Xu Lai. With Xu Lai here, he probably won't do anything to me, right?

"Xu Lai, you can't be naive enough to think that finding some random old man to impersonate Eighth Master will convince Manager Song to change your rooms, can you?"

Another father shook his head and chimed in with a mocking laugh, "President Liu, I just looked at the room cards. Area A, Buildings 1 and 2? Isn't that taking the forgery a little too far?"

The rest of the fathers shook their heads and chuckled, their voices dripping with mockery.

Liu Chengyin turned to Song Yan and said earnestly, "Manager Song, Xu Lai has insulted Eighth Master. I suggest you expel him from the resort immediately."

Song Yan ignored Liu Chengyin completely. Bowing his head low, he asked cautiously, "Eighth Master, what are your instructions?"

Liu Chengyin chuckled. "Manager Song, stop joking around. How much did Xu Lai pay you to act in this little play? I'll double it!"

"He's a friend of Jiang Bai's?" A flicker of recognition passed through Old Jiang Ba's mind. He recalled an old friend mentioning years ago that a young man in East Sea City had founded a company using the names of the Jiang Family and Jiang Bai.

He then said coolly, "Unite all the families in Hangcheng and East Sea... and pay 'attention' to his company." He spoke the word "attention" with particular weight.

"After this is done, sever one of your arms. I don't want to see you again."

Song Yan fell silent.

Then, he began to laugh, a bitter sound that slowly turned into sobs as tears streamed down his face. "When I, Song Yan, was destitute and begging on the streets, it was Eighth Master who gave me a bite to eat."

"Mr. Xu, please don't blame Eighth Master!"

With that, Song Yan dropped to his knees and kowtowed heavily. "Eighth Master," he cried, his voice choked with grief, "I have let you down!"

Old Jiang Ba turned his back, and no one could see his expression.

This scene left Liu Chengyin and the fathers with him completely stunned. This old man... he's really... Eighth Master?!

In an instant, the color drained from everyone's faces. Liu Chengyin was utterly bewildered. "Impossible! He can't be Eighth Master! I met Eighth Master three years ago! I saw him with my own eyes!"

At Jiang Bai's birthday banquet three years ago, Eighth Master had sat in the seat of honor. His presence was so imposing that the guests hadn't dared to eat, sitting in stiff respect for hours.

Yet Liu Chengyin simply could not reconcile that high and mighty figure, the Eighth Master of Liu City who held power over countless lives, with the old man now bowing and scraping before Xu Lai.

It was as if they were two completely different people!

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