Chapter 40: Bro, You Just Poked a Hornet’s Nest

  Zhang Yang stared dumbfounded at the dozens of thugs waving all kinds of weapons. Damn, he’d really poked a hornet’s nest this time. This was not what he had imagined at all. Instinctively, he pulled Qiao Xier behind him.

  Qiao Xier, on the other hand, had calmed down, pulling out her phone to call the police.

  The shopkeeper who’d sold Zhang Yang the pen and paper kindly advised her, “Miss, it’s useless. The police won’t get here in time. You better run.”

  Zhang Yang thought for a moment, nodded, and said, “You go first. I’ll hold them off.” Then he rushed to the billiard hall across the street, grabbed a cue stick, and stood in the middle of the road. He figured stalling them for a bit so Qiao Xier could escape shouldn’t be too hard.

  But to his surprise, Qiao Xier didn’t run. She grabbed a cue stick too and stood beside him, saying firmly, “I’m not a vase. Besides, if something happens to you, Professor Shangguan will drown me in spit.”

  “Please, you’ll just get in the way!” Zhang Yang rolled his eyes. If she weren’t here, he might be able to handle this. With her around, things got complicated.

  As they spoke, the mob of thugs arrived. There were around seventeen or eighteen of them, at least six holding machetes. Their leader, a square-faced man with a buzz cut, wore a military-style vest, bare-handed, with muscular arms and sharp eyes that seemed to pierce right through people.

  To Zhang Yang’s surprise, Ah Gou, the guy he’d beaten up that morning, was among them—his arm bandaged, left hand gripping a steel pipe. Still looked committed, at least.

  Ah Gou froze when he saw Zhang Yang, his eyes narrowing. He hurried over to whisper a few words in the square-faced man’s ear.

  After hearing him, the square-faced man waved for silence, then looked Zhang Yang and Qiao Xier up and down. His expression shifted slightly as he frowned and asked, “You two students from Meining University?”

  Zhang Yang nodded. Even if he didn’t say it, Ah Gou already knew.

  “Since you’re students, you should be focused on studying. What are you doing out here instead of in school?”

  Zhang Yang blinked. This was the first time a gangster had ever lectured him about studying. Was the world going crazy? Still, he didn’t know how to answer. Yeah… what *was* he doing here?

  But the real shock came from the thugs around them. The ones gripping machetes looked ready to pounce—yet their boss was suddenly talking about academics? What the hell was happening?

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  “Brother Xiong, stop wasting time. Let’s just waste this guy.” Ah Gou snapped. Zhang Yang had blackmailed him for seventy thousand earlier, and he’d been stewing over it all day. Now that he finally had his enemy cornered, how could he not get payback? Why was Brother Xiong chatting instead?

  The man called Brother Xiong shot Ah Gou a sharp glare and shoved him aside. “Get lost.”

  “You hurt my brother. You owe me an explanation.” Brother Xiong stared calmly at Zhang Yang. “I heard you can fight. How about this—I’ll spar with you. If you win, I’ll let this slide. If you lose, you apologize to my men. Deal?”

  The moment he finished, every thug nearby gawked. Their iron bars and machetes clattered to the ground.

  Was the boss planning to recruit this guy or what?

  Zhang Yang perked up. He wasn’t exactly confident, but this deal sounded way better than fighting all of them. He nodded immediately.

  “Alright, deal. But I have one request.” Zhang Yang glanced at Qiao Xier. “Let her go first.”

  Brother Xiong paused, then nodded. “No problem.”

  “No way, I’m not leaving you.” Qiao Xier protested, clutching Zhang Yang’s arm tightly. Zhang Yang sighed helplessly, while Brother Xiong’s face twitched. After a moment’s hesitation, he said, “Zhang Yang, I promise—win or lose, no one will lay a finger on this girl. Fair enough?”

  “Good. I believe you.” Zhang Yang suddenly understood why this man felt different. If he guessed right, this guy had a military background—and not just any soldier, but likely special forces. His sharp gaze and calloused hands carried a faint killing aura. Zhang Yang wouldn’t be surprised if this man had taken lives before.

  He trusted the man’s word. As long as Qiao Xier was safe, he could fight freely.

  The thugs backed away, clearing space for the duel. They didn’t look happy, but no one dared disobey.

  The two squared off without any more talk. Brother Xiong stomped the ground and shot forward like an arrow, his palm slicing toward Zhang Yang’s neck with lightning speed.

  Zhang Yang narrowed his eyes. This guy’s presence was nothing like a street thug’s—his movements were sharp, clean, and professional. Definitely a skilled fighter.

  Zhang Yang didn’t meet him head-on. With that kind of strength, he’d lose badly. His edge lay in technique—his Advanced Combat Technique.

  As Brother Xiong’s strike came down, Zhang Yang slid along the edge of his arm and countered with a lightning-fast punch aimed straight at the wrist joint.

  “Not bad.” Brother Xiong smiled faintly, pretending not to care, though inside he was shocked. This kid’s strike was precise and deadly—no ordinary street fighter could know human joints this well without special training.

  The two circled and clashed again, trading blows in rapid succession. Within moments, they’d exchanged over a dozen moves. Brother Xiong was stunned—despite Zhang Yang dodging more often, he himself had been hit more. Years of combat experience in the special forces and Golden Triangle had taught him well, yet somehow this student was outclassing him.

  The longer they fought, the darker Brother Xiong’s expression grew. Zhang Yang’s only flaw was lack of strength—but his technique was undeniably superior.

  Of course, if Brother Xiong went all out, Zhang Yang might not withstand it. But that would be risky.

  At this rate, though, it was clear—winning easily wasn’t an option, and pushing further would only embarrass him.

  Suddenly, Brother Xiong threw a heavy punch, forcing Zhang Yang back a few steps, then raised his hand and said calmly, “Enough. Let’s call it a draw.”

  Zhang Yang froze. He knew the man had held back—if not, he’d probably be crippled right now. Hearing such generosity, Zhang Yang smiled gratefully. “Thank you, Brother Xiong, for showing mercy.”

  “My name’s Chen Tianxiong. If anyone gives you trouble on this street, tell them my name. It might help.” The square-faced man gave Zhang Yang a steady look.

  Every thug around, including Ah Gou, was stunned. What the hell? Wasn’t he supposed to fight the guy? When did this turn into a brotherly bonding session?

  Ah Gou opened his mouth but froze when Chen Tianxiong glared at him. “Shut up.”

  Seeing the chance to get away, Zhang Yang quickly thanked Chen Tianxiong, grabbed Qiao Xier, and left Qianshui Street in a hurry.

  As soon as they were gone, Ah Gou couldn’t hold it in. “Brother Xiong, but he took seventy thousand from me…”

  “Seventy thousand? Idiot, that’s nothing. Consider it a lesson. And don’t you know how to make that money back?” Chen Tianxiong glanced at Zhang Yang’s departing figure and said coldly, “From now on, don’t mess with that guy. If anyone ignores me and gets into trouble, don’t blame me for cutting ties.”

  Everyone nearby gasped. They’d followed Chen Tianxiong for years and had never seen him act this serious. Did Zhang Yang have some powerful backing?

  After a long silence, Ah Gou finally muttered, “Brother Xiong, what’s that Zhang Yang’s deal? At least tell us so we know what we’re up against.”

  Chen Tianxiong gave him a look, then smiled faintly. “It’s not Zhang Yang you need to worry about—it’s the beautiful girl next to him.”