The room was enveloped in a heavy silence. After a lengthy pause, Uncle Zhong slowly spoke up, "Old Master, have you been smoking?"
I furrowed my brow at his tone. It hardly resembled a conversation between master and servant.
"I indulged a bit," Old Master Zou replied tersely.
Uncle Zhong did not linger on that topic but continued, "Old Master, you should not have allowed Lupan to treat the Second Master in such a manner today. Reflect on it—over the years, the economic lifeline of the Zou family has largely depended on the Second Master's establishments. Your actions have saddened many."
Old Master Zou fell silent.
Uncle Zhong pressed on, "This Lupan cannot remain; he will inevitably become a source of trouble. Moreover, the venues should continue to be managed by the Second Master. Your public statement today—that others can open establishments in the Zou family's territory—should be retracted as well..."