Chapter 666: Not on the Same Level

When Xu Shaochen got home, only Du Ruyan and Liu Rushuang, the two sisters, were there.

“You’re back so early today.”

On the sofa, all three women looked up at Xu Shaochen at the same time.

“There wasn’t much work. I finished quickly, and there’s no point sticking around if I’m not needed.”

Xu Shaochen casually explained, then turned to Du Ruyan: “Ruyan, if you’re free tonight, come with me to a reception.”

“Sure.” Du Ruyan obediently nodded.

Coming from a wealthy family, she was already very familiar with the etiquette of receptions and social events, so she didn’t mind attending.

After all, she was well-versed in this sort of thing.

Evening.

Xu Shaochen took Du Ruyan and headed to Jiangzhou Grand Hotel.

Tonight, Du Ruyan wore a black evening gown, tall, elegant, and utterly graceful.

By the time they arrived at the hotel, it was already past nine, and most of the guests had gathered.

“Mr. Xu is here.”

“Good evening, Mr. Xu.”

Inside the hotel, many who had been chatting immediately greeted Xu Shaochen when they saw him.

In a nearby corner, a group of young men had gathered.

Originally engrossed in conversation, they were soon drawn to the scene unfolding.

One of them, a sharp-looking young man with short hair and an earring, frowned and asked, “Who’s that guy? Seems like he’s got some serious pull.”

He was Liao Zhengli’s son, and even he didn’t receive such respect; they had only given him a token greeting before turning away.

But now, seeing someone around his own age being treated with so much deference left him feeling envious.

“Young Master Liao, that’s Xu Shaochen, the young heir of Xu Corporation. In Jiangzhou, his word is law. Some call him the top young master.”

A young man standing to Liao Zhanfei’s left smirked and explained.

He seemed to be introducing Xu Shaochen to Liao Zhanfei, but in reality, he was subtly fueling Liao Zhanfei’s competitive nature and discontent.

Several others in the group exchanged knowing glances with sly smiles but remained silent.

Liao Zhanfei had a habit of flaunting his father’s status in front of them, and they couldn’t stand him, but there was nothing they could do.

However, if Liao Zhanfei ended up provoking Xu Shaochen without realizing the consequences, he’d only hurt himself.

They’d be more than happy to watch Liao Zhanfei get taught a lesson and take him down a peg.

Teach him that Jiangzhou wasn’t a place for him to act like a tyrant.

Sure enough, Liao Zhanfei’s expression darkened after hearing that. “Humph! The top young master of Jiangzhou? Quite the title. Can he live up to it?”

As soon as he heard the name Xu Shaochen, he remembered how his older cousin, Liao Zanrong, had suffered losses at Xu Shaochen’s hands.

And on top of that, Xu Shaochen was stealing the spotlight tonight, making him despise Xu Shaochen even more.

“Mr. Xu, Liao Shuyi and the others are in a private room upstairs. Please, this way.”

Zhou Hong approached Xu Shaochen with a deferential smile, gesturing politely.

Before the formal reception began, the real VIPs would usually gather for a brief meeting. Xu Shaochen, of course, would be among them.

“Secretary Zhou, how’s the injury on your head? Still holding a grudge?”

Xu Shaochen teased as he glanced at Zhou Hong.

Zhou Hong’s face turned slightly awkward, but he carefully replied, “All good now. I must thank you, Mr. Xu, for waking me up that day.”

Xu Shaochen smiled, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, then turned to Du Ruyan. “Ruyan, feel free to have a look around. I’ll be back shortly.”

“Alright.”

Du Ruyan nodded obediently, letting go of Xu Shaochen’s arm.

“Mr. Xu, this way please.”

Zhou Hong bowed slightly and motioned for him to proceed.

“Secretary Zhou, all the people upstairs are like my father’s generation. Young Master Xu at his age would seem out of place. Why not join us for a drink?”

Just then, Liao Zhanfei, holding a wine glass, walked over, gave Xu Shaochen a once-over, and spoke to Zhou Hong.

“Good evening, Mr. Xu.”

Several young men behind him greeted Xu Shaochen respectfully, while casting disdainful glances at Liao Zhanfei.

They couldn’t believe this idiot took the bait and came charging in like this.

If it was just a provocative remark, Liao Zhanfei might just hold a grudge against Xu Shaochen but wouldn’t act overly rash.

However, because of Liao Zanrong, he wanted to publicly embarrass Xu Shaochen and ‘avenge’ his cousin.

He also intended to show the others that from now on, he would be Jiangzhou’s new prince, and they’d better treat him with respect.

Xu Shaochen raised an eyebrow: “And you are…?”

He recognized several of the people behind Liao Zhanfei, but he had never met Liao Zhanfei before.

Plus, with his arrogant attitude, Xu Shaochen couldn’t help but wonder if he had wronged him somehow.

No, that couldn’t be right. He hadn’t been messing around outside recently, had he?

“Mr. Xu, this is Liao Shuyi’s son,” Zhou Hong quickly explained, then turned to Liao Zhanfei. “Young Master Liao, Liao Shuyi asked me to bring Mr. Xu upstairs. You’ll have plenty of time to drink with him later.”

Zhou Hong had noticed that Liao Zhanfei’s mood seemed off, so he offered him an excuse to back down gracefully.

“Secretary Zhou, I’ll explain things to my dad upstairs. You go tell him that I’ve hit it off with Young Master Xu, so he won’t be going up.”

Liao Zhanfei was clearly displeased. He hadn’t expected Zhou Hong to disrespect him like this in front of everyone. It was infuriating.

His thought process didn’t even consider that Zhou Hong was actually trying to help.

“Young Master Liao, let’s hold off on drinks for now. Secretary Zhou, let’s head upstairs.”

Xu Shaochen didn’t want to waste any more time on this fool.

“Mr. Xu, this way please.”

Despite knowing that offending Liao Zhanfei might have consequences, Zhou Hong had no choice. He believed that Liao Zhengli would understand.

“Young Master Xu, I just arrived in Jiangzhou. We’ll be seeing each other for a while. Why show me disrespect right at the start?”

Liao Zhanfei once again blocked their way, his tone calm as he looked at Xu Shaochen.

“We won’t see each other again, because we’re not on the same level. Got it?”

As Xu Shaochen finished speaking, he directly pushed Liao Zhanfei aside and strode toward the elevator.

Zhou Hong hesitated for a moment, then quickly followed after Xu Shaochen.

Liao Zhanfei stood there, his face dark as a storm cloud, looking like he was about to explode in rage.

The others who had witnessed the scene all smirked with disdain.

“He doesn’t even have the self-awareness to see how hopeless he is in comparison to Xu Shaochen.”

“Does he really think he’s on Xu Shaochen’s level? It’s just pathetic.”