"Are you alright?" Ye Qichen and Ye Jianming pushed through the crowd, reaching Ye Zizheng.
Ye Zizheng was touched to see them.
He reached back to feel his still throbbing back. Ye Qichen lifted his shirt, revealing a large bruise. Clearly, the force of the impact had been significant.
"Apologize!" Ye Qichen said coldly to the arrogant teenager opposite them.
Though the brothers usually bickered, they were fiercely protective of each other in crucial moments.
However, the teenager held his head high, his expression defiant.
The greasy young man standing behind him sneered, as if Ye Qichen's demand was a joke.
"Who do you think you are, you vulgar peasant, to slander my son for cheating and insult the reputation of our Huang family from the capital? And you expect us to apologize!" A corpulent noblewoman pushed through the crowd, planting herself firmly beside the two.
Ye Jianming recognized her as the wife of a member of the Huang family, one of the ten most prominent families in the capital, and their young master, Huang Zixuan.
The Huang family was the maternal family of the CEO of Qin Corporation's wife. By processing electronic products for the Qin family, they had transformed from a small factory over a decade ago into Asia's largest electronics contract manufacturer, thus securing their place among the capital's top ten influential families.
Given the Ye family's current standing, it was best not to offend them, especially since Madam Huang was notorious for her shrewish temper in the capital.
Seeing his mother arrive, Huang Zixuan straightened his back even further and pointed at Ye Zizheng, declaring self-righteously, "It was him! He accused me and my cousin of cheating!"
"Absurd! Guanshan is ranked 99th on the global hacker list! Does he need to cheat to play a silly game? I think you are deliberately slandering my Huang family!" Madam Huang immediately accused them of slander.
She then called over a waiter. "Waiter, who are these low-class individuals who dare attend XS Group's anniversary celebration! Get them out of here quickly!"
"Madam Huang, it's a misunderstanding. Just children playing. There's no need to get so angry," Ye Jianming said, stepping forward, unwilling to feud with the Huang family.
Madam Huang seemed to notice Ye Jianming and Ye Qichen then, and said sarcastically, "Oh, the Ye family, who rose from being nouveau riche. Went bankrupt last year, and thanks to XS Group's investment, you came back to life like a fawning lapdog!"
Ye Jianming did not want to antagonize the Huang family, but he valued his reputation immensely. Being publicly insulted like this was unbearable.
He was furious but dared not lash out in front of so many people, so he suppressed his anger.
Ye Qichen stepped forward, shielding them, and said, "Whether our Ye family is a lapdog of XS Group is yet to be determined, but you, with your son, running around biting people, are the real dogs!"
"You! You! You're the dog! Your whole family are dogs!" Madam Huang shrieked in anger. "How dare you slander my Huang family from the capital! Your Ye family must apologize to me today, or believe it or not, I'll make sure your Ye family goes bankrupt again tomorrow!"
"How do you want us to apologize?" Ye Qichen asked.
Madam Huang heard this and assumed he was scared. She sneered, "You three father and sons kneel down and apologize to us! And have this kid kowtow to my son three times. Only then will our Huang family forgive you!"
Huang Zixuan and his cousin Huang Guanshan crossed their arms, their chins held high, smirking. They exuded an arrogant aura, ready to accept the act of supplication.
A man's knees are made of gold, not to be bent at will.
Ye Zizheng was already resentful. He had done nothing wrong, yet he had been pushed and hit his back, which was still hurting.
To make him kneel and apologize was impossible!
He shouted, "They cheated, I saw it! Ranked 99th globally as hackers, and here they are, nothing more than second to last! They can't even get anything out of a claw machine by cheating, and then they accuse me of falsely accusing them. If you've got the guts, do it again in front of everyone! Prove I didn't wrong you!"
"You want us to do it, so we do it? Wouldn't that make us lose face!" Huang Zixuan said loudly, trying to mask his own guilt.
"Madam Huang, if you can't prove my brother wrongly accused you, then you can't expect us to apologize either! Conversely, your son just pushed my brother, leaving a large bruise on his back. He should apologize to my brother!" Ye Qichen stared at Madam Huang.
This remark infuriated Madam Huang. These insignificant people dared to challenge their Huang family!
Let's see how she would crush them!
"Guanshan, do it again for everyone to see! Let everyone see how this Ye family acts like a dog relying on its master's power! I want to see these three father and sons publicly humiliated!" Madam Huang turned and said to Huang Guanshan.
A flicker of triumph crossed Huang Guanshan's face. Indeed, he hadn't managed to grab anything earlier.
The claw machines on display looked no different from those in shopping malls, but in reality, they were used by XS Group's programmers for practice duels.
They appeared ordinary but harbored hidden complexities.
The mainboard inside the claw machine had a "strong grip" programming setting. By adjusting the programming code, the tightness of the machine's claw could be regulated. The tighter the claw, the higher the probability of successfully grabbing something from the machine.
This was a principle he had discovered after trying several times.
If he utilized this principle and cracked it, it would be even easier.
"Sure! But it's too boring if only we do it. Let's have a competition, best of three rounds. Whoever grabs the most items wins! The losing side must kneel and apologize, and kowtow three times!"
Huang Guanshan stared at Ye Qichen playfully.
How dare he publicly expose that he, a world-ranked 99 hacker, couldn't even operate a claw machine? He had to restore his reputation!
Seeing his cousin speak, Huang Zixuan knew he had a plan. He said arrogantly, "What? Dare you compete? If you don't dare, then admit defeat and kneel down and kowtow three times!"
To prove his innocence, Ye Zizheng retorted indignantly, "A competition it is! Who's afraid of whom!"
Seeing that he had taken the bait, Huang Guanshan said with feigned kindness, "To avoid people thinking I'm bullying you, you can let your brother help you."
"I don't need my brother; I can program too!" Ye Zizheng said, unwilling to be outdone. His brother didn't understand programming at all; having him participate would only lead to more embarrassment.
Hearing that a competition was about to happen, many guests gathered to watch the spectacle. Some even started taking bets on who would win.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the banquet.
Yu He was introduced to Deputy Director Chen of the Aerospace Bureau by Li Sichen. Just after they finished greeting each other, they heard a commotion from another corner of the banquet hall.
Qin Beiting gave Chen Dong a look. Chen Dong left for a few minutes and returned, quietly telling Yu He,
"Miss Yu, it's your family clashing with Madam Huang of the Beijing Huang family. They're having a bet."
"Deputy Director Chen, please excuse me for a moment," Yu He said politely.
Deputy Director Chen's secretary was so shocked her jaw nearly dropped. So many people were desperate to meet Deputy Director Chen, yet here she was, after meeting him, asking him to wait!
However, Deputy Director Chen was a reasonable man. Seeing the commotion on the other side, he guessed it was related to Yu He and nodded, allowing her to go handle it.