Chapter 249 -  Pleadingly

The tension in the room was oppressive, but the two did not move their eyes away from each other.

After a long while of standstill, Old Xiong stood up.

"Get out. You ungrateful brat. Call your father once you are out."

Linfeng bowed again and stay on his spot.

"What? No longer following orders, are we?" Old Xiong's voice was murderous. This boy had touched his bottom line many times today. If not because he was Zhou Min's son, and a talented butler that could help his granddaughter to boot, he would have already dragged him out of the Xiong Mansion, banishing him from the family tree of the Zhou family. 

As the headmaster of the Xiong family whom the Zhou family was loyally serving, Old Xiong had every authority to do that on any misbehaving butler.

Linfeng knew about this. He was taking a huge risk. However, he would not easily yield. 

"Master Xiong, please forgive me for going against you today. I am ready to receive your punishment. But please hear me out first." 

Old Xiong glared at him coldly.

"You have no respect towards your Master. Now, I'm no longer sure if you still deserve to work under my granddaughter. Zhou Min and I are ashamed of you." Old Xiong finally turned his back around. He did not want to see this insolent butler's face anymore.

Halfway in his turn, he heard a loud 'putong' sound.

Old Xiong instinctively looked back.

Linfeng kneeled on the ground and kowtowed to him.

"Master Xiong, under the butler's code and conduct, we have one chance to explain ourselves towards our master once we disobey our Master's orders," Linfeng spoke as his breath hit the floor.

This clause that he had said was the once in the lifetime opportunity for the butlers. Butlers were still humans after all, and thus, not perfect. In the history of the Zhou family, a lot of butlers had made decisions that went against their master's orders. According to the law of butlers, once they disobey their master's orders, their masters could banish them.

As they have their own thinking and feelings, they were bound to make mistakes. If the butlers who made mistakes get banished from the family for life, a time might come and there would be no one left in the Zhou family. Therefore, this clause was made.

A butler would have one chance—only once in their entire life—to explain themselves to their master once they disobeyed an order. If the butlers used that chance, their masters would have no choice but to listen. Through the joint decision of the elders of the Zhou family and with the Masters from the Xiong's main branch, they could possibly get pardoned for the mistake. However, they would no longer be allowed such a chance again in the future if they again make another mistake.

Old Xiong knew what Linfeng was talking about. His eyes turned even more predatory. This brat had become more audacious as time passed.

The brat's stubbornness and disobedience might influence his granddaughter once he becomes her official butler. 

Right now, Old Xiong was having second thoughts. If he was pushed more to the edge of his bottom line, then he might really strip Linfeng of the right to become the future head butler of the Xiong family. 

Challenging him, a Xiong and the head master at that, brought a huge blow to the Xiong family's pride.

Still, it was part of the rules of the treaty between the Xiong family and the Zhou family. Old Xiong had no choice but to sit down. He pushed a button on his armchair.

After a while, Zhou Min knocked once on the door and opened the door with a lot of force.

"Master, you have pressed the emergency button, is everything alright?" Zhou Min glanced at his son. His expression froze, seeing Linfeng kneeling on the ground.

The people who trailed behind Zhou Min took a surprised glance as well. Especially, the girl who had been waiting by the wall and took the chance to look inside, was shocked to the core.

Old Xiong gestured for Zhou Min to come in. Zhou Min dazedly closed the door.

"Zhou Min, call the Zhou elders here," Old Xiong commanded butler Zhou. His tone was still frigid. Clearly, he was not happy of what had happened here.

Zhou Min startled once again.

Why must the Zhou elders come here?

If the Zhou elders came, it meant that the situation had escalated to a grave matter. Looking at his son kneeling on the ground, and Old Xiong's dark face, Zhou Min felt suddenly afraid that his son might get banished by Old Xiong right here and then.

Zhou Min stayed rooted in the spot, unable to move due to shock. 

What could he do to save his son?

As he was about to kneel and plead as well, Old Xiong spoke once more.

"Tell the elders, Linfeng used that one chance of pardon. We need their presence now."

Zhou Min felt like he was going to have a heart seizure at any moment now. 

This one time pardon was like a second life for the butlers. It was their life saving straw once something went wrong. This was very important for the butlers. 

However, his son, who was only eighteen and was not yet an official butler, had already decided to use this only chance. Without even starting his own career yet! What would he use to survive later on?

Zhou Min was worried. But he had no choice and followed Master Xiong's order obediently. He strode out of the room to call the elders.

However, as soon as he opened the door, he was met face to face with Xiong Zhi.

"Young Miss." Zhou Min's heart which had not yet calmed down jumped again in surprise.

"You look pale. What happened there? Why is Linfeng kneeling on the ground?" Xiong Zhi straightly shot her questions to the butler.

Zhou Min had not yet processed the whole situation as he was too worried, too anxious, and with many thoughts bottled up in his mind. 

How could he even answer her questions when he himself was shocked and confused?

"P-pardon me. I need to excuse myself. Master had given urgent orders I must follow through immediately." He apologetically avoided Xiong Zhi and turned away. 

The father and daughter pair have most likely left already after he escorted them downstairs.

"Why were Xiong Gaiyu and Xiong Cai here? What did grandfather talk about with them?" The usually silent Young Miss was especially noisy today. She did not give up bombarding him with questions and followed after him.

Finally, when they had moved at least twenty meters away from the study room, Zhou Min turned around and faced Xiong Zhi whose face was stiffened in indignation.

"..."

Zhou Min took a deep breath and calmed his mind.

He had to answer his Young Miss first, then make a call.

"Young Miss, the talk is confidential and I cannot leak any information about it. I hope you understand."

Zhou Min had received an order from his Master. That was not to let Xiong Zhi knew of the whole matter.

This engagement- all of it was for the Young Miss' sake.