Ancestral hall.
Spacious and arranged over two levels, it sat within the boundaries of the Gong Mansion, at the highest point of the grounds.
The lofty crossbeams required a fresh coat of gold paint each year, and above the shrine hung a pair of dragons wrought in heavy gold, playing with a pearl, symbolizing the family's status and might.
In front of the offering table, Old Mr. Gong, who had always upheld a dignified demeanor, now revealed an expression of furious anger for the first time.
He stared coldly at Gong Chen, who stood at the center of the ancestral hall, and demanded, "This time you have greatly disappointed me! Who leaked the contract details?"
Gong Chen's deep-set features were tinged with a faint detachment, and behind him was a torrential downpour which seemed to have utterly dissipated against the calm chill engulfing him.
"No one, I simply let the Chen Family exploit a loophole carelessly."
"You!"