Calling The Higher-Up (1)

 This restaurant wasn't somewhere rich folks could cause problems by seeking out the owner.

 If they wanted to stir up trouble, they'd just pick on the staff and sort it out without involving the owner. If the owner found out about this, the group would be in big trouble.

 The manager remained expressionless as he tried to diffuse the tension between the two groups, only to be caught off guard by the little girl's threat.

 In an attempt to steer the conversation away from escalating, someone in their group suggested, "Let's drop it. Let's go check on Caleb." to shift the focus from involving their families and causing trouble for the restaurant and themself.

 Lily completely disregarded everyone's response and loudly demanded, "Ask for someone to check on him?"

 Caleb might have been in excruciating pain, but as he was laid on the couch and his shirt was taken off, there was no evidence of any previous kicking or bruising.

 Everyone was taken aback by the unfolding events. His body showed no signs of injury or even a tiny bruise. However, Zara remained unfazed by this peculiar situation.

 Despite her brother's reputation as a renowned neurosurgeon, he possessed a solid understanding of the fundamentals, knowing precisely where to strike and the resulting consequences.

 "Ms., it's really not a big deal. Mr. Caleb is fine, no need to worry," the manager assured Lily. "But he looks like he's in so much pain! His face is so pale," Lily insisted.

 Lily turned to her friends and said, "Elis, please call Caleb's parents. I'm not going to let this go. Let's see if the authorities here will stand by those who did something wrong or those who are of higher status."

 The manager panicked when he found out the girl was going to contact their superior. Despite the fact that the girl wasn't speaking to the boss, the manager was still anxious about the higher-ups.

 "Miss, let's discuss and resolve this issue." The manager attempted to persuade Lily, but she ignored him and continued to push Elis. Elis phoned Caleb's parents and requested them to come to the restaurant.

 "Just wait, I won't go easy on the workers either. Lily was ecstatic, but her friends were absolutely terrified, dreading what might come next.

 Hendry, who had been observing from the sidelines, finally spoke up to Zara, "Hey, why don't you go ahead and wait for me in the private room? I'll handle this and catch up with you soon."

 Zara glanced at her brother and gave him a nod before signaling the waiter to lead her to the exclusive room. However, before she could even take a single step, Lily erupted, "Don't even think about moving! I won't let you off the hook that easily."

 "You're aiming to speak with the restaurant's superior, aren't you?" Hendry couldn't bear it any longer and questioned sternly. "Absolutely, and I won't allow either of you to escape without consequences. Let's find out whose side the higher-up takes," Lily declared confidently.

 Lily believed that this place was just like Valoria, where everything went her way. Valoria was a city that was a five-hour car ride away from Golrid. However, little did she know, her friends were extremely worried after hearing her words.

 Elis attempted to reason with her, saying, "Lily, please don't do anything rash. This place is not like your home. You need to understand that." Ignoring his advice, Lily exclaimed, "I don't care! I want to speak to someone in charge!"

 Hendry casually responded, "Sure, I can assist you with that." After speaking, he pulled out his phone and began looking for a contact. The employees were filled with dread upon hearing his words, wondering about the mysterious man.

 The Adam family prefers to keep to themselves and rarely interact with outsiders, so very few people have actually seen them aside from a select few friends and business associates.

 No one had a clue about Hendry's true identity. The manager couldn't care less about who he really was, but he was curious about who Hendry intended to contact. In a hurry, the manager approached him and politely inquired, "Excuse me, sir, may I ask who you're trying to reach?"

 Hendry glanced up at him and responded calmly, "Didn't she mention wanting to speak with someone higher up? Well then, let her have a conversation with your boss. It's as simple as that, isn't it?"

 The moment the manager caught wind of the term 'boss', it felt like a bolt of lightning had jolted him, causing him to instinctively take a couple of steps back in sheer terror.

 Folks in town were well aware of the restaurant's proprietor, making them hesitant to casually mention their connection to the owner. If someone did dare to utter those words, it was a clear indication that they truly had a good relationship with their boss.

 But Lily burst into laughter and sarcastically retorted, "And who exactly do you think you are? Just because you claim to know the owner, it automatically makes you an expert?"

 Hendry, however, paid no attention to her words. He simply glanced at her and the individuals standing behind her, etching their faces into his memory. He had his own plans after finishing his shopping with his sister.

 Zara hadn't been back to Golrid in ages, so she was clueless about the owner of the restaurant. Turning to Hendry, she inquired, "Brother, whose restaurant is this?"

 Hendry took a brief pause, then grinned as he mentioned, "It belongs to Ethan. He opened this hotel for Grandma Eleanor." Zara simply nodded in response, glancing back at the group of individuals who seemed clueless about what they had gotten themselves into.

 Zara finally grasped the reason behind the employees' and group members' fear of calling the boss. It turns out the boss was none other than Ethan. Now it all makes sense why they were so afraid of the hotel's boss.

 As the manager observed the two individuals chatting casually about their boss, he realized that the situation had reached its breaking point. It was evident that these two had a strong bond with their boss.

 The rest of the group was equally terrified when Hendry mentioned that he was going to contact Ethan, who was known for his cutthroat business tactics.

 They were scared because not even their families had the opportunity to meet this so-called Ethan Anderson, who supposedly is the wealthiest person on the planet.

 But Lily had no idea who they were referring to, so she didn't pay any attention to it and kept teasing them, saying, "If you really had his contact, you would have called by now. Since you don't have his number, you're just trying to intimidate us, right? Forget about it."

 Lily's buddies were determined to silence her and bring her back swiftly, all in an effort to flee from the impending disaster. Caleb, who had remained quiet until now, reached his breaking point.

 Despite his agony, he managed to endure it and rose to his feet, locking eyes with Hendry. In a chilly tone, he uttered, "Don't pretend like you understand him. He's not someone you can just summon or encounter whenever you please."