BANG!

Jiang Pingqiao couldn't help but slam his hand on the table, his usually calm expression darkened considerably.

"So what if you have money? Does having money mean you can do whatever you want? Pah!" Jiang Pingqiao gritted his teeth, his entire body trembling with rage. "Qin Heng, I won't be attending tonight's dinner. This guy thinks he can insult us just because his family is rich!"

"We must definitely attend the dinner; otherwise, how else could we witness his utter regret?" Qin Heng smiled, saying to Jiang Pingqiao, "Do you know about Zi Qu?"

"Zi Qu?" Jiang Pingqiao paused, puzzled as to why Qin Heng had suddenly mentioned this, but he still replied, "Zi Qu was the twenty-eighth sovereign of the Yin Shang. But why bring this up all of a sudden?"

As a history student at Beijing University, he possessed a profound understanding of Chinese history.

"Wu Yi once did something," Qin Heng said with a broad smile. "It's said that because of this action, he was struck by lightning and died in his later years. Are you aware of that?"

"Are you referring to the account in the *Yin Chronicles*?" Jiang Pingqiao grew even more puzzled. "It says, '(Wu Yi) made effigies and called them Heavenly Gods. He gambled with them, and when a Heavenly God didn't win, Wu Yi reviled and insulted it. He then filled a leather sack with blood, aimed it upwards and shot it, calling this "Shooting at Heaven."'"

"Exactly," Qin Heng nodded. "Wu Yi insulted the Heavenly Gods and shot arrows at Heaven. He eventually met with retribution, struck dead by heavenly lightning. That was the price for blaspheming Heaven and shooting at it."

"Qin Heng, what are you trying to say exactly?" Jiang Pingqiao looked incredulously at Qin Heng. He had a guess, but he didn't dare confirm it because it was simply too preposterous.

"Wu Cheng's attitude towards me just now," Qin Heng said with a smile, "is fundamentally no different from insulting the gods and shooting at Heaven. However, neither gods nor Heaven itself are as noble as I am. Therefore, Wu Cheng has committed a grave sin and will surely face heavenly retribution."

Jiang Pingqiao was stunned, completely dumbfounded.

Was it really so?

He had a somewhat similar guess earlier, thinking that Qin Heng might draw a comparison between Wu Cheng and Wu Yi, but he never expected Qin Heng to say he was more noble than the gods, more exalted than Heaven!

Madness! Was this madness? What normal person would dare say such things! This is even greater blasphemy than insulting the gods and shooting at Heaven!

"What you're saying is too terrifying," Jiang Pingqiao took two steps back unconsciously, his gaze filled with wariness as he looked towards Qin Heng.

"I'm just telling you not to miss the chance to witness Wu Cheng receive his divine punishment with your own eyes." Qin Heng stood up, straightened his collar, smiled, and said, "Let's go. To Jiuchong Pavilion."

Jiang Pingqiao fell silent for a moment. Then, with a nod, he followed Qin Heng out.

Jiuchong Pavilion was the most famous dining establishment under the Daqin Group.

It was said to offer the most comprehensive menu, the tastiest dishes, and the highest quality ingredients of any restaurant in the country—bar none. Even if another establishment reached a similar level, it would merely be a parallel chain of Jiuchong Pavilion.

Naturally, dining here also required spending a considerable sum.

The cheapest dish was priced at 9,999 yuan.

And the most expensive dish was priced at 8,888,888 yuan!

Seven eights!

That is, eight million, eight hundred and eighty-eight thousand, eight hundred and eighty-eight yuan!

Additionally, there was a minimum charge. The spend could not be less than 50,000 yuan per person, an amount clearly beyond the reach of the average individual.

Therefore, its patrons were typically socialites and upper-class elites.

They were all dressed resplendently, clearly not ordinary folk.

When Qin Heng and Jiang Pingqiao arrived, they saw a deluge of luxury cars. Handsome men and beautiful women arrived in throngs, clad in sharp suits and expensive gowns; there wasn't an ordinary-looking person in sight.

Although Qin Heng's attire was custom-made on Savile Row, its style was casual. Apart from top-tier fashion designers, probably no one could recognize its true quality.

Jiang Pingqiao was even more out of place. He wore ordinary casual clothes, as he owned no formal wear, and on his feet was a pair of faded white sneakers.

For two individuals like them to appear in such a 'noble' environment was truly incongruous.

Do we really have to go in? Although Jiang Pingqiao was resentful and furious at Wu Cheng's behavior, when the moment came, he still felt a surge of timidity.

After all, he was just a young man from an ordinary working-class family and had never experienced such a scene. The peculiar stares from the crowd, in particular, made him extremely uncomfortable.

"It doesn't matter," Qin Heng chuckled, completely ignoring the surprised and astonished glances from those around. He walked straight toward the entrance of Jiuchong Pavilion. "We're here for the banquet. Wu Cheng is the host."

The onlookers were stunned, and many couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"HAHAHA! Is this kid trying to be funny? Shouldn't you present an invitation when attending a banquet? Besides, wearing cheap street-stall clothes to Jiuchong Pavilion? Is he looking for trouble?"

"I've never seen anyone dressed like that get into Jiuchong Pavilion. After all, Jiuchong Pavilion is the Daqin Group's flagship restaurant; they can't afford any slip-ups."

"Jiuchong Pavilion is arguably the most upscale Chinese restaurant in all of China, if not the entire world. And these two kids just strolled in wearing casual clothes? Aren't they afraid of being thrown out? HEH."

Waves of derisive laughter rippled through the crowd.

Jiang Pingqiao's expression soured. He felt everyone around was just a bunch of snobs who only respected wealth, looking down on ordinary, less affluent people like him.

At the same time, he looked at Qin Heng, wondering how he would handle the situation.

Just then, a security guard at the entrance of Jiuchong Pavilion sized Qin Heng up and scoffed. "Sir, please go and buy a suit and leather shoes. I absolutely cannot allow you to enter Jiuchong Pavilion dressed as you are."

"We have to be responsible for our other guests."

Another security guard nodded gravely, his gaze fixed on Qin Heng with disdain. "If we allow someone like you inside, it would not only damage the reputation of Jiuchong Pavilion but also spoil the dining experience for our other esteemed guests."

The surrounding crowd murmured in agreement.

"That's right! Seeing a bum like that makes me feel like Jiuchong Pavilion itself is devalued. Just looking at his clothes ruins my appetite!"

"Precisely! How can the esteemed Jiuchong Pavilion allow such riffraff inside? Come to think of it, there's a minimum spend of 50,000 yuan per person here. Do their families even earn 100,000 yuan a year combined?"

"One hundred thousand? I bet 50,000 or 60,000 a year between them would be a stretch! HAHAHAHA!"

These people jeered without restraint, completely disregarding Qin Heng.

In their eyes, Qin Heng and Jiang Pingqiao were just a couple of dirt-poor college students from some backwater town, hoping to gawk at a high-end hotel and maybe snap some photos to brag about on social media.

To the elites of Beijing's upper class, people like them were mere ants, beneath notice.

Faced with this, Jiang Pingqiao was utterly bewildered and panicked. He had no idea how to respond. He had spent most of his life focused on his studies and had never encountered such a situation.

Qin Heng, however, appeared unperturbed. His eyes narrowed slightly as he regarded the two security guards, and he chuckled softly. "If you don't step aside now, then starting tomorrow, neither of you will be qualified to stand here anymore."

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