Chapter 498
Chapter 498 - Martial Arts Dojo
Murong Tian was completely taken aback in that moment.
He blinked, scratching his head as an awkward silence enveloped the room.
He had absolutely no recollection of the previous night's events.
The fun had gotten the better of him, and he'd inadvertently drunk himself into oblivion.
During the steward's report, he must have been out of it, merely nodding along in agreement without consciousness.
Murong Tian seized the butler's hand, his gaze darting away as he muttered, “Just set the breakfast down here.”
“Very well.” The butler didn't overthink it, placed the breakfast on the table, and departed.
Murong Tian pulled out his phone to take a closer look.
To his astonishment, he had over thirty missed calls and a barrage of over fifty text messages!
All of them were from the same person, Murong Guo.
Murong Guo was none other than Murong Tian's father.
A wave of anxiety washed over Murong Tian. He swallowed hard and, with shaking hands, opened one of the messages.
The text message's content was stark before his eyes.
“The club has been shut down by the police due to your poor management. I will severely punish you for this!”
“You've been dealing with the Hsu family matter for ages and still haven't settled it! You're utterly useless!”
“You had the audacity to insult me? Once you're awake, you must come to see me immediately!”
The message sent a jolt of fear through Murong Tian.
He racked his brain, trying to pinpoint when he could have done such a thing, but his memory was a blank slate.
His hands trembling, he accessed last night's call log and discovered he had made five calls after midnight.
Four were to his father.
The fifth call, unless he was mistaken, was to the police.
When had he called the police station? And why couldn't he remember any of it?
Murong Tian glanced at the unread messages and scrolled down until he noticed a text from the police station.
“Thank you for the information you provided. Your tips led to the arrest of numerous suspects and the seizure of a significant amount of illegal assets.”
Murong Tian was on the verge of tears.
It all made sense now.
Even though he had no memory of it, he was beginning to piece things together.
Last night, he had indeed comprehended the steward's words and had intended to assign someone to handle the situation.
But, by a stroke of misfortune, he had dialed the police station instead.
He had unwittingly relayed his entire plan to the officers.
In this accidental act, he had turned into a model citizen.
Fortunately, the clubhouse, though associated with his family's business, was not actually owned by him. In fact, it had no connection to the Murong family whatsoever. The nominal owner was his faithful subordinate.
That individual must have taken the fall for him.
The profits from the clubhouse over the years had all been funneled into his overseas account.
Thus, he was safe for the moment.
“Why are you dressed in a security guard's uniform?” Murong Tian, after a long pause, turned to look at Wang Hu.
Hearing this, Wang Hu nearly burst into tears.
“Young master, we endured a terrible ordeal last night, and we need you to stand up for us,” Wang Hu implored with a quiver in his voice.
“What happened?” inquired Murong Tian.
“I don't know,” Wang Hu admitted truthfully.
“You don't know what happened?” Murong Tian was taken aback. “Are you playing games with me?”
“Young master, I wouldn't dare play games with you, I truly don't know. This morning, we woke up naked on the street.”
“It was quite an ordeal getting here to your villa.”
“We only just got these clothes from the security office. Do you have any idea what we were wearing on the way here?”
“We were dressed in dresses, miniskirts, and pink pajamas!”
Wang Hu poured out all the indignities they had suffered.
He was deeply aggrieved.
Murong Tian blinked and scratched his head, clearly not buying Wang Hu's story.
Thinking Wang Hu was deceiving him, Murong Tian snapped, “Get out!”
Through his tears, Wang Hu protested, “Young master, I'm not lying! If you don't believe me, you can check the surveillance footage along the way.”
“Stop crying.”
Murong Tian was feeling irritable and had no desire to deal with the situation.
“I have to visit my father shortly. Go to the backyard, take a shower, and change your clothes. I have a task for you.”
After finishing his instructions, Murong Tian stepped aside to change into a fresh set of clothes. He then got into his car and drove off with purpose.
Before long, he reached the Murong Group.
Murong Tian exited his car and made his way to the rear entrance, where he took the freight elevator up to the chairman's office.
Murong Guo was in the middle of a meeting. Upon seeing his son, Murong Tian, he slightly furrowed his brow and gave a gentle wave of his hand.
All of Murong Tian's subordinates stood up and left the room. Soon after, only Murong Tian and Murong Guo remained in the expansive conference room.
Murong Tian hesitated briefly before biting the bullet and saying, “Dad, I'm sorry.”
Murong Guo heard him and gently shook his head. “There's no need to apologize. I've already been informed about the incident at the clubhouse. But it's inconsequential. I've made more than enough money over the years. The clubhouse was bound to be shut down eventually.”
Murong Tian paused, taken aback, then asked, “Dad, you're not upset?”
Murong Guo's expression grew a bit more solemn as he replied, “What is there to be upset about? Business is inherently filled with uncertainties. I've been considering shutting down that clubhouse for quite some time. Its closure is actually a positive development. Our family will be free of any unsavory assets from now on. We should put the past behind us. Our focus now should be on acquiring the Hsu family's martial arts dojo.”
Murong Tian's expression darkened upon hearing this.
The Hsu family's dojo was situated in a prime location in the city center. Murong Tian had attempted to acquire it multiple times, but the Hsu family had consistently refused.
Murong Tian had previously allowed Hsu Chenyang into the clubhouse with the intention of ensnaring him in gambling debts, hoping to financially cripple the Hsu family. He anticipated that they might eventually mortgage the dojo to the Murong family, allowing them to take it over seamlessly.
However, the Hsu family had decisively cut ties with Hsu Chenyang, thwarting Murong Tian's plans. Faced with this setback, he promptly shifted his strategy to pursue Hsu Chenyue, but his advances were consistently rebuffed.