The people around them began to whisper among themselves, and some were even shameless enough to point at Madam Meng and Qin Jing.

"I heard that these kids' reservation was snatched away by those people."

"What? How could they do such a thing? Don't they know the meaning of first come, first served? Or do they think they can just bully other people because they're rich?"

"I don't get it, though. If they're so well-off, why would they even steal someone else's reservation in the first place?"

"Who knows? A lot of rich people hide their evil nature behind their wealth."

"So that's how it is. How despicable."

Madam Meng caught bits of their discussion, which were all about her snatching away the girls' reservation. Soon, the other patrons were pointing at her, calling her "a member of theMeng family."

Madam Meng was mortified.

She had never experienced such humiliation in her life.

"What are you still standing there for? Go and call the security guards yourself! Hurry and bring them here. Drive these rascals out immediately!"

Since it had come to this, Madam Mengno longer cared about saving face. She pointed atQin Jingand raged at the waiter.

What was the idiot lingering here, anyway? He should have removed the troublemakers the moment they had arrived.

"Yes, yes, right away!" The waiter dashed over to the entrance and yelled for the guards. "Security! Security, get your asses here, quickly! Someone is causing trouble at the restaurant!"Thankfully, his call did not go unanswered this time.

A large group of security guards marched over. They wore similar forbidding scowls, and their batons were at the ready.

They were quite surprised to find five of their teammates lying on the floor.

They were the guards who had come over earlier. Now, they were writhing and groaning in pain on the ground. It looked like they had incurred several injuries.

The leader of the security team balked.

Behind him, the other men paused as well.

What was going on here?

Did someone beat up these five security guards? They were supposed to be elite fighters, not some side street thugs who didn't know proper combat.

The second team was apprehensive. If they acted rashly, they might suffer the same fate as their fallen comrades.

"What are you doing?" the waiter screeched impatiently.

"Hurry up! Take these kids away! Call the police and have them arrested!"

But the security team refused to move forward.

In fact, after taking in the situation, they eventually stepped back.

One of the injured guards looked like he was in absolute pain. No one in their right mind would willingly volunteer for the same experience.Madam Meng's lips curled into a sneer as she glared at the weak-minded men. 'Useless cowards!'

She figured that only Qin Haowas capable of martial arts. Surely, these burly men could handle a single young man.

The waiter was overcome with dread when he saw Madam Meng's terrible expression, but there was nothing he could do, either.

He had no authority over the guards. He couldn't force them to act against their will, even in the interest of the hotel.

The situation rapidly grew tense, but Yao Tangwas still nonchalant as she stood to the side. She merely watchedMadam Mengand the others, as if she was just a spectator to his show.

"What's going on here? What happened?"

Just then, a male voice came from the corner of the hall.

A middle-aged man soon followed. He was in uniform, and looked to be the one in charge.

The waiter heaved a sigh of relief when he saw the older man.

"Manager! You're finally here. Please help me take care of this. These people are being unreasonable. They refuse to leave the premises, and even injured some of our security team."

The corners of his eyes turned red as he whined to his superior.

The manager swept a gaze over the people involved and assessed the situation. He felt sorry for his staff, but he said nothing to address the other man.

Instead, he turned on his heel and offered a bow to the three other people behind him. "I deeply apologize on behalf of the Chunlai Hotel. I hope that our poor management has not ruined your good mood."

He looked very contrite, and his body was bent at a ninety-degree angle.

Madam Meng was taken aback by the manager's humble display.

She knew him to be an arrogant man who acted like he was one of the upper class just because he knew most of them.

In addition to that, his attitude and behavior often varied according to the social status of the other party.

He never spared a glance to the common folk, as he called them, let alone listen to their pleas.