Yang Jingshu, surrounded by security guards, remained silent, akin to a bystander.
Soon, a female assistant emerged from the circle and addressed Ye Cheng, "Sir, it's not a problem for you to keep detaining me. We also have an urgent matter to attend to, so we can't afford any delay. Please allow us to proceed. I'm here to escort you to Miss Lan. I apologize for any inconvenience. Is that acceptable?"
"You're apologizing?" Ye Cheng's gaze pierced through the woman, his tone icy. "Are you taking responsibility for her actions?"
"And I detect no hint of remorse in your tone," Ye Cheng continued. "Furthermore, you owe an apology to my wife, the one directly affected, not me, and your apology seems insincere."
"Sir, please refrain from complicating matters," the assistant pleaded. "After all, I didn't actually fall."
"You didn't fall?" Ye Cheng chuckled bitterly. "Just because I managed to prevent your fall, I ask for an apology. Otherwise, the repercussions will be beyond your capacity to endure."
At that moment, mall personnel hurried over.
"Sir, I'm the mall manager. Please, let's resolve this amicably. If you have any grievances, we're here to address them. Perhaps Miss Yang and her party could proceed ahead," a middle-aged man with glasses interjected, wearing a friendly smile.
"As I mentioned, the apology must be directed to my wife, or this will persist indefinitely," Ye Cheng retorted, his irritation evident.
"Miss Lan, please proceed ahead. I'll handle the matter with this gentleman," the middle-aged man calmly instructed Lan Xinyi.
Subsequently, he and the mall security deliberately separated Ye Cheng from Yang Jingshu's entourage.
For him, facilitating Yang Jingshu's departure took precedence over mitigating the situation. The presence of a large crowd could escalate tensions further. As for appeasing Ye Cheng's ire, he believed there were various strategies at his disposal. This was his customary approach to managing crises.
In the meantime, Fei Wei approached a dozen individuals.
"Fei Wei, detain them. Let's see who dares to leave today," Ye Cheng commanded, his gaze icy as he addressed the manager.
He had hoped for a civil resolution, a mere apology. Yet, these individuals appeared indifferent to his requests.
Then don't blame him for making things worse.
"Everyone, stop for a moment," the security captain Jiang Xianhai quickly halted the corridor traffic with someone.
Fei Wei approached and pushed aside the security guards surrounding Ye Cheng.
"You?"
Upon witnessing this scene, the middle-aged man immediately sensed trouble brewing. Jiang Xianhai and the other security guards were all in uniform, indicating that the person they were surrounding, Ye Cheng, was not an ordinary individual.
"Wait, I have something to say," the middle-aged man interjected hastily upon noticing the impending clash between the security guard blocking the way and the one protecting Yang Jingshu. He realized that if a heated conflict were to erupt in the mall, as the manager, he would be implicated.
Many onlookers observed the unfolding confrontation, sensing the impending excitement.
"Step aside," Ye Cheng frowned, scolding, as he made his way towards the encircled group of Yang Jingshu.
The middle-aged man attempted to intervene but was pushed away by Fei Wei, who was guarding Ye Cheng.
"What are you doing? Stop them immediately," Lan Xinyi hurriedly attempted to command the security guards nearby. However, these guards, being employed by the mall, hesitated when faced with such a situation.
Approaching Lan Xinyi, Ye Cheng remarked, "Is it so difficult to apologize? It seems you're accustomed to arrogance. Today, I'll help you sober up. No matter how famous the celebrity is, it's merely a facade."
With that, Ye Cheng delivered a direct slap to Lan Xinyi's face.
The sound echoed through the corridor as Lan Xinyi recoiled in shock, her hand instinctively moving to her stinging cheek. She couldn't believe Ye Cheng had dared to strike her.
Meanwhile, Yang Jingshu, surrounded by security guards, turned pale with apprehension.
In the lobby of the Vientiane shopping mall, a group of people made their way toward the elevator.
"Chen Dong, our show this time is a big deal. We've managed to secure several well-known celebrities, including the immensely popular Yang Jingshu." A slightly overweight middle-aged man received accolades from the group, while a bald man beside him spoke respectfully.
"Lao Li, arrange everything for me after the performance," Chen Dong instructed.
"Understood, Chen Dong," Lao Li acknowledged, fully comprehending Chen Dong's intentions.
Just as he was about to enter the elevator, one of his subordinates ran over and hurriedly said, "Chen Dong, President Li, something happened. Miss Yang was stopped by someone, and Manager Wang, who went there, couldn't handle it, saying that the other party was not an ordinary person. He also slapped Miss Yang's manager."
"You're so brave. Miss Yang was invited by our Vientiane Mall. Who would dare to stop her and beat someone?"
President Li's face changed greatly. If Chen Dong was not present, it would be easy to deal with, but now it would be troublesome because the show is about to start, and now it's out of the way.
"Do you know who the other party is?" Chen Yinong said calmly.
The Vientiane shopping mall is an industry under the Jinyi Group. He came here this time to inspect it.
"I don't know yet, but the other party brought security over here. It should be someone from a nearby company," the subordinate said quickly.
"Chen Dong, please rest assured. I will deal with this matter at once," Mr. Li said quickly.
"Okay, let's go take a look." Chen Yinong waved his hand.
President Li did not dare to stop him and immediately walked towards the location of the accident.
It didn't take long for Chen Yinong and others to arrive at the site of the incident. The place was not full of people, and it was extremely chaotic and noisy.
"President Li, Dong Chen." Manager Wang, who had dealt with things before, squeezed out of the crowd and bowed a little embarrassedly. "If success is not enough, there is more than failure. Even this matter can't be solved, and Director Chen needs to come over in person," President Li snorted coldly.
Manager Wang's face turned pale because he knew that this Chen Dong was a ruthless character who couldn't rub the sand in his eyes. Despite his smiling face, he was very strict with his subordinates. Everyone was afraid of this big boss.
Soon, the crowd was divided, revealing the inside.
Chen Yinong was stunned because he saw Ye Cheng.
"Brother Ye, who are you?" Chen Yinong asked in surprise.
Ye Cheng looked back and saw that it was Chen Yinong. "Chen Dong, why are you here?" Ye Cheng didn't expect to meet Chen Yinong by such a coincidence.
"This Vientiane shopping mall is my property. Come and inspect it," Chen Yinong laughed.
Seeing the familiar exchange between the big boss and Ye Cheng, Manager Wang and President Li exchanged looks.
Especially Manager Wang; his face grew even paler because he knew it was a serious matter.
"What happened, Brother Ye?" Chen Yinong inquired.
Not privy to the specifics, he assumed it was someone else causing trouble. However, upon seeing Ye Cheng, he immediately sensed the gravity of the situation.
"It was a seemingly trivial issue that escalated. Here's what happened," Ye Cheng succinctly explained.
Chen Yinong's expression hardened as he observed Lan Xinyi. Stepping forward, he delivered a resounding slap to Lan Xinyi's other cheek.
Lan Xinyi's face reddened and swelled on both sides; she dared not resist and trembled visibly.
"You bumped into my younger siblings, showed no remorse, and even dared to act arrogantly. What gives you the audacity?" Chen Ye demanded. "Yang Jingshu, come here."
Trembling, Yang Jingshu approached hastily, stammering, "Chen, Dong Chen..."
"I'll offer you an opportunity to apologize to my younger siblings. Afterward, vacate Vientiane Mall with your entourage," Yang Yinong commanded in a grave tone.
Yang Jingshu's face drained of color as she quickly acquiesced, too fearful to defy.
Confronted with a tycoon worth tens of billions and wielding immense power, she understood the implications of her actions could swiftly plummet her from the heights of success to the depths of failure.
"Where are your younger siblings, Brother Ye?" Chen Yinong inquired.
"They're seated over there," Ye Cheng replied.
"Let's go. Fetch my younger siblings, and we'll head to my office," Chen Yinong instructed.
Ye Cheng directed Jiang Xianhai to escort the group back, leaving only Fei Wei by his side. Together, Ye Cheng and Chen Yinong proceeded toward where Ye Cheng's wife and daughter were seated, with Yang Jingshu obediently trailing behind, meek as a lamb—no trace of her former starry arrogance.
Onlookers marveled at the scene, increasingly intrigued by Ye Cheng's identity. How could the chairman of the Jinyi Group, a figure of such prominence, invest such significance in this matter?
Chen Yinong frequently appeared in media reports, making him easily recognizable.