chapter 4 Ex is looking for trouble

William Lin exited the private room and went straight to the front desk to settle the bill. He didn't want Susan Su to see him sneaking out and potentially misinterpret the situation.
"Oh, who do we have here? Still sporting a big bump on your head!" A familiar voice suddenly sounded, and William Lin turned to look in its direction, his expression turning ice-cold.
It was Alisa Zhang, holding hands with Samuel Zhao, who approached William Lin with slow, deliberate steps. Samuel Zhao had made a significant profit from a recent business deal and decided to celebrate openly, hence their visit to this five-star hotel.
"Coming to dine in a place like this, you must have been secretly hoarding money behind my back all these years. I knew something was amiss. You seemed to be making so little from your job, didn't you?" Alisa Zhang said, her face filled with anger as she glared at William Lin.
William Lin hadn't expected to encounter them here, but he figured it was better to get this confrontation over with now rather than later. He replied calmly, "You have the audacity to appear before me? Well, it's convenient. Saves me the trouble."
"Is this hotel yours? By the way, how did you even get in here? It doesn't seem like much of a five-star hotel!" Samuel Zhao taunted.
William Lin contemplated using his poison technique, but he realized it wouldn't be the right approach. Instead, he decided to confront them head-on. "William Lin! What are you up to?" Susan Su's voice suddenly interrupted the tense atmosphere.
Susan Su descended gracefully from the second floor in her high heels, her crisp footsteps echoing in everyone's hearts like that of a goddess looking down from above.
She approached William Lin and took his arm gently, asking with a sweet smile, "Dear, who are these two? Could you introduce them to me?"
Susan Su had also intended to use the restroom, but she spotted the commotion in the lobby as soon as she came downstairs. Seeing William Lin's hostile stance, she quickly intervened to prevent a confrontation.
William Lin was momentarily stunned by Susan Su's actions, staring blankly at her. Susan Su gave him a meaningful look, and he finally understood. He quickly said, "These are my ex-girlfriend and my former best friend!"
"Oh, I see! So, it's them!" Susan Su nodded in acknowledgment, released William Lin's arm, and walked over to Samuel Zhao.
"Isn't this the person who scratched my car earlier? Oh my! When she apologized earlier, she looked quite polite. I didn't expect such an uncouth character," Susan Su said to Samuel Zhao and Alisa Zhang.
"But I must thank you, my dear! If it weren't for you two swindling my boyfriend's money together, where would I find such a good boyfriend? Such a devoted person is truly a rare find," Susan Su continued, her words dripping with sarcasm.
The people around them overheard Susan Su's words and frowned at Samuel Zhao and Alisa Zhang. They couldn't believe how despicable their actions had been.
Alisa Zhang and Samuel Zhao felt the sting of Susan Su's words, and Alisa Zhang was so infuriated that she raised her hand, seemingly about to strike Susan Su.
Caleb Li firmly grasped Alisa Zhang's hand, smiling as he said, "What's the matter? Want to hit me? Do you know how much my car costs? Even though you scratched it earlier, I didn't ask for compensation. Want to pay now?"
William Lin, standing behind, watched Susan Su's performance with a mix of surprise and admiration. It felt satisfying to see the troublesome couple flounder.
The couple couldn't fight back physically or verbally, so Alisa Zhang resorted to shouting, "What kind of five-star hotel is this? Do they condone personal attacks? I'm going to complain!"
Seeing this, Samuel Zhao grabbed Alisa Zhang's hand and said, "Don't be hasty, Alisa. I'll call my friend; he's a high-ranking executive at this hotel!"
Alisa Zhang calmed down upon hearing Samuel Zhao's words. She was surprised to learn that Samuel Zhao had connections with a high-ranking executive at the hotel. It seemed like her choice to be with him was the right one, especially compared to William Lin, who seemed to be living off others now.
In reality, Samuel Zhao didn't have any friends who were high-ranking executives at the hotel. He had just met someone at a social gathering once. However, he needed to save face, so he decided to give it a try. He could always ask for a discount later.
To create a more convincing scene, Samuel Zhao dialed a number and said, "Hey, is this Caleb Li? It's me, Samuel Zhao, from our previous gathering!"
"I was wondering if you'd like to hang out sometime."
"Also, there's a small matter. I'm currently at the hotel you manage, and we're facing some trouble. Could you come and help us out?"
In the hotel's office, the lobby manager, Caleb Li, hung up the phone with a disdainful expression. He muttered, "Now every troublemaker and their mother wants my help." Despite his complaints, he couldn't allow an incident like this to tarnish the hotel's reputation. He got up and prepared to handle the situation.
After all, he couldn't let an issue like this escalate on his turf. Besides, the young man seemed polite, and he even hinted at wanting to treat him to something fun later.
Caleb Li arrived in the lobby and exclaimed, "Make way, make way! Why are you all crowding here?"
Samuel Zhao quickly approached Caleb Li and said, "Caleb Li, you're here! These two individuals bullied us, and they even physically attacked my girlfriend."
Caleb Li, upon seeing the situation, had mixed feelings but knew he had to maintain order. He decided to handle it professionally and said, "Step aside, everyone! What's going on here?"
Susan Su stared at Caleb Li, making him feel somewhat uneasy.
...
Caleb Li suppressed the words on the tip of his tongue and forcefully swallowed them back. Instead, he turned and slapped Samuel Zhao.
Smack!
Samuel Zhao was baffled. Why did he hit me? Shouldn't he have hit William Lin instead?
Furious, Caleb Li berated him, "What kind of person are you? How dare you come here to cause trouble! Do you know where you are? Get out of here!"
"Hey, Caleb Li, listen to me!" Samuel Zhao wanted to explain but received another slap from Caleb Li.
"I said, get out! Can't you understand?" Caleb Li scolded him once more.
"Fine! You all are in this together, right? Remember this!" Samuel Zhao, holding his cheek, glared menacingly at the group before leaving with Alisa Zhang.
Watching the two of them leave the hotel in disarray, William Lin felt a sense of relief. Caleb Li turned to Susan Su, about to ask for her opinion, but she gave him a meaningful look. Caleb Li immediately understood her intent.
Turning to the onlookers, Caleb Li said, "Everyone, disperse! Today's meal is on the house for all of you. Consider it my treat!"
Hearing Caleb Li's words, the onlookers cheered and dispersed.
As the crowd dispersed, Susan Su turned to William Lin and asked, "Are you full?"
William Lin nodded, "I was just about to pay! I didn't expect to run into them. Thank you so much; I don't know how to repay you."
Susan Su smiled sweetly, "No need for thanks; we're friends. Helping each other is only natural."
"Now that we're done eating, shall we go? Didn't you hear the manager say it's complimentary?"
The two of them walked out of the hotel together. When they reached the entrance, Susan Su suddenly exclaimed, "Oh my, I forgot my bag! Why don't you wait for me outside? I'll go fetch it, and I'll be right back!"
William Lin noticed that Susan Su hadn't taken her bag and didn't think much of it. He nodded and continued walking outside.
Susan Su turned back and reentered the hotel.
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