Gao Jie stated without courtesy, leaving Guo Weiya momentarily stunned. (Let Gao Jie be the name of this 'Young Master Gao,' a local playboy from Shanghai.)

Guo Weiya blinked, then hastily pleaded, "Brother Gao, I, I am Liangzi's friend, he mentioned you!"

"Mentioned what? Get out immediately!"

Gao Jie glared again. Liangzi was one of his younger associates, someone he often hung out with. Liangzi had indeed called to check earlier, and Gao Jie had agreed.

At the time, he hadn't thought much of one or two extra people showing up, but Shao Yuping's words carried serious weight.

He was currently pursuing Shao Yuping. Winning her over wouldn't just mean gaining a beautiful partner, but also acquiring substantial support that would greatly benefit both his immediate standing and his family's future.

Now, every word Shao Yuping spoke was an undeniable decree, so there was no way he could allow others to stay.

"Brother Gao, please just listen to me..."

"Don't say another word, leave now!"

Guo Weiya stammered his pleas, but Gao Jie's face grew colder, his gaze fixed maliciously on Guo Weiya.

Guo Weiya felt a prickle of dread under that look. He knew clearly that this Gao Jie was someone he absolutely could not afford to offend. If he didn't leave now, he was likely in for serious trouble.

The group seated nearby who had been chatting also noticed the commotion and several individuals walked over.

"Is this the romance you spoke of?"

As the others approached, Shao Yuping rolled her eyes and murmured softly.

"Yuping, I don't know these people, honestly. They're just here to cause trouble. Security! Security! Get these people out of here immediately!"

Gao Jie frantically defended himself, shouting his innocence. Although this gathering was held on a temporary platform set up on the Bund, there were still security personnel present. The PR company had made complete arrangements for them.

Four security guards rushed over. Two immediately restrained Guo Weiya, ushering him out without a word, while the other two positioned themselves in front of Wang Lu and Guo Weiya's girlfriend.

"Heh heh, turns out this guy was just all talk and empty boasts. Said he could get into this party, and now look. Being hauled out!"

Li Jianguo commented with malicious glee. He had no affection for Guo Weiya.

He wasn't the only one. Most people present disliked the man; his earlier swagger had earned him general annoyance. Seeing him forcibly removed now gave everyone a feeling of satisfying justice.

"Don't touch me. This is a public square, not your private home. I'll walk myself!"

As soon as the guard moved closer, Wang Lu sidestepped him and muttered under her breath. She was sober now. Rushing in impulsively had indeed been unwise. Her temperament had always been like this—incapable of tolerating provocation. Her teachers had even noted in her reports that she would eventually suffer because of this nature. This incident was an example, but fortunately, the loss wasn't substantial—just a public embarrassment at most.

"What about the square? The square isn't a place for scum like you!"

Before the guard could act, Shao Yuping suddenly took a step forward, pointing at Wang Lu and shouting loudly.

Wang Lu looked up, staring at her in astonishment. She hadn't expected this seemingly pretty young girl to speak with such venom.

"You, you..."

"You what? Get lost now! Gao Jie, if there are any more country bumpkins like this around, I'm leaving immediately!"

Shao Yuping shrieked. Wang Lu's eyes turned intensely red, and finally, the tears she had been holding back spilled over.

It was wrong of her to barge into their party, but this was a public venue, not strictly private property, and she hadn't even approached their tables—she was just on the periphery. To be cursed as a "country bumpkin" like this left her feeling deeply wronged. Coupled with her already poor mood, she couldn't hold back any longer, and the tears streamed down.

"Yuping, what's going on?"

The group that had walked over earlier reached them now. The one asking was Shi Qiang; they had only approached after seeing the trouble but were unaware of the specifics.

"Ask Gao Jie!"

Shao Yuping snorted coldly. In truth, she was extremely displeased. She knew Gao Jie was pursuing her, but she genuinely disliked him. However, Gao Jie had used the excuse of inviting Shi Qiang and Gu Fang to ensure she was also called. She hadn't wanted to come, but since everyone else was attending, she didn't want to spoil the mood.

This irritating Gao Jie constantly trying to get close only made her more disgusted. She wasn't truly targeting Wang Lu; she was simply using the situation to vent. However, deep down, she did hold a certain contempt for these ordinary working people, always viewing herself as inherently superior.

On the other side, Zhang Yang's brow was tightly furrowed. Upon seeing Shao Yuping, he hadn't intended to intervene. If Guo Weiya was expelled, and they left when Wang Lu returned, he considered it a childish squabble. Youthful passion, rivalry—everyone experiences it. Zhang Yang remembered his own reckless youth and understood.

But what Shao Yuping said had crossed a line. If he didn't step in now, he worried what the impulsive Wang Lu might do next. He couldn't stand by and watch her suffer a loss.

"I'm going over there,"

Zhang Yang stated suddenly, then strode forward, easily crossing the cordon line.

Guo Weiya had just been unceremoniously dumped outside. His face burned with a deep crimson flush; he was too ashamed and furious to articulate a word. If there had been a rat hole on the ground, he would have squeezed into it.

His girlfriend had run over too, her eyes equally red. She had hoped to experience the lifestyle of the wealthy elite and gain some prestige, but instead, they had suffered a massive humiliation. Seeing several classmates nearby, she felt utterly mortified.

"I'm leaving immediately, but I want you to know, I am not a country bumpkin, and you are nothing special!"

Wang Lu's body trembled, but she managed a strange calm, articulating each word precisely. After speaking, she turned to leave. As she turned, she stopped abruptly, nearly colliding with the person who had just arrived.

The person walking up was Zhang Yang.

"Well said. You are not a country bumpkin, and she is nothing special,"

Zhang Yang said softly to Wang Lu, a faint smile touching his lips.

He then turned his head to look at Shao Yuping, shaking his head slightly, his disgust completely unconcealed. These rich daughters were all spoiled rotten, throwing their tantrums indiscriminately. She must think everyone should cater to her whims.

Gu Fang and Shi Qiang both looked up suddenly, surprised to see Zhang Yang there. Neither of them had expected to encounter him here.

Shao Yuping was also stunned. She hadn't anticipated running into Zhang Yang again, certainly not here, and even less so that he would defend an ordinary girl against her. Especially the look in Zhang Yang's eyes, which gave her a sudden, choking tightness in her chest.

"You, what did you say?"

Shao Yuping thrust her finger directly at Zhang Yang, her voice still trembling, her eyes now growing moist and red.

"Bastard!"

Gao Jie, who had been watching Shao Yuping constantly, immediately stepped forward the moment he saw her aggrieved and swung his foot toward Zhang Yang's chest.

Seeing the conflict escalate, the others who had been drinking and chatting rushed over.

"Bang!"

Before they could reach the spot, Gao Jie was already sprawled on the ground. Daring to attack Zhang Yang provoked a predictable outcome. Zhang Yang casually lifted a foot and simply blasted him backward. He was lucky; he was merely thrown, landing and crying out in pain. Unlike previous foes who had ended up with broken arms or legs in miserable states, Gao Jie only suffered a violent ejection.

"Wang Lu, let's go,"

Zhang Yang smiled at Wang Lu again. She couldn't help but nod, silently moving to stand by his side. At that moment, she felt an overwhelming sense of security.

"Don't let them escape! Men, beat him! Beat this kid to death! Ahhh, it hurts so much!"

Gao Jie, still on the ground, shouted incessantly. He hadn't managed to get up yet. Several of the men rushing over were Gao Jie's usual cronies. Seeing the scene, they all roared and charged toward Zhang Yang.

"Stop!"

Shi Qiang yelled urgently. They had just been wondering about running into Zhang Yang and his relationship with this girl, only for the situation to spiral instantly. Hearing Shi Qiang's command, everyone paused—some glancing back at Gao Jie, others looking at Shi Qiang.

Shi Qiang's status was significantly higher than Gao Jie's. While both were part of the wealthy circle, there were ranks among them; Shi Qiang and Gu Fang held the highest standing among these young masters. When Shi Qiang gave an order, few dared to disobey.

"Zhang Yang, what exactly is going on? Let's not fight amongst ourselves, we're all family here!"

Shi Qiang walked forward and asked directly. Gu Fang nodded in agreement. They didn't see eye-to-eye with Long Cheng, but their impression of Zhang Yang was excellent. They had never treated him as an outsider. Furthermore, Zhang Yang had saved many of them; without his timely on-site handling of that previous incident, they would have faced much greater trouble later.

"This is my classmate. If there's nothing else, we'll be leaving now,"

Zhang Yang smiled faintly. Shi Qiang was decent enough, but his cousin was truly unappealing. Since they'd run into this, he might call them up for a proper gathering later—but certainly not while Shao Yuping was around.

"Wait, Zhang Yang, this misunderstanding needs clarification. If you leave like this, it will only confuse us more!"

Gu Fang called out. Gao Jie, clutching his leg on the ground, and the others were dumbfounded, staring at them blankly. He hadn't expected that these people seemed to value Zhang Yang's opinion so highly. This was utterly incomprehensible to him, and he refused to believe it. Another person, Guo Weiya, who had already been forced out, also watched the scene from a distance in disbelief...

...

(One hundred chapters completed, ninety-seven chapters remaining. To be continued.)