Lord Zhong, whose given name was Zhong Tian, had made a name for himself in the streets and markets of Tianzhou since he was in his teens.
With the passage of time, the upper echelons of Tianzhou all showed respect to Lord Zhong, and his business grew larger and larger.
It was no exaggeration to say that well over half of the city's entertainment industry was in the hands of Zhong Tian.
He could truly be called an absolute heavyweight in Tianzhou.
Who wouldn't feel nervous upon meeting such a figure?
Although Sun Chen's father was doing quite well for himself, compared to Lord Zhong, the difference was like heaven and earth.
"Is that Lord Zhong? He's so young? He looks even younger than my dad," Wang Jianyu said.
"Shut up and let's get out of here. Otherwise, if we get dragged into this, it won't be easy to walk away," Sun Chen said.
Du Xuebin nodded. "Young Master Sun is right. Let's get in the car and stop looking for trouble."
As everyone got into the car, Su Wan'er still looked toward the restaurant entrance with a hint of worry.
Sun Chen grabbed her by the arm. "Let's go, Wan'er. Fang Yan is beyond saving; let's not bring trouble upon ourselves because of him."
Su Wan'er finally nodded.
Inside the restaurant, a dead silence hung in the air.
Everyone watched Fang Yan and Pian Dao.
They knew the main event was about to begin. With Lord Zhong's arrival, this kid's doom was at hand.
At that moment, three or four people walked through the doors. The middle-aged man in the lead wore a gray suit, smoking a cigarette as he strode in with an unmistakably formidable presence.
"It's Lord Zhong!"
"Lord Zhong has finally arrived!"
Instinctively, the crowd retreated a few paces, instantly opening up a spacious area in the middle.
Pian Dao immediately hurried forward. "Boss, you're here."
Zhong Tian nodded, exhaling a plume of smoke. "What's going on here?"
Pian Dao recounted the whole affair. Instead of flying into a rage, Zhong Tian looked at Fang Yan with a glint of genuine interest.
"Kid, you've got guts," Zhong Tian said with a faint smile, a trace of appreciation in his expression.
After all, men who lived by the code of the underworld might not tolerate others breaking their rules, but when they encountered real talent, they still appreciated it.
To Zhong Tian, anyone who could fight naturally counted as talent.
Fang Yan picked up a piece of watermelon from the table and took a bite. "Are you Lord Zhong?"
At those words, everyone drew a sharp breath.
This kid had completely lost his mind. How could he dare speak to Lord Zhong like that?
Was he... self-hypnotizing? Did he really think he was some kind of big shot?
Zhong Tian chuckled and glanced at Pian Dao, waving a hand.
Pian Dao understood immediately and ordered the venue cleared.
Reluctant as they were—everyone wanted to keep watching the show—who dared to stay when Lord Zhong ordered the place cleared?
Before long, the restaurant was empty, and the bright overhead lights blazed on.
Lord Zhong walked over to a sofa and sat down. "Kid, do you know why I cleared the room?"
Sensing that his younger sister was trembling with fright, Fang Yan turned his head and gave her a gentle look.
"Scared?"
Fang Miaoxue nodded repeatedly, her small face written all over with terror.
"Don't worry, no one can give your brother a hard time."
Though Fang Miaoxue was still afraid, hearing those words seemed to anchor her a little.
Fang Yan turned back around. "I don't like wasting time. How do you want to settle this?"
Zhong Tian smiled. "You're a real man. From now on, you throw in your lot with me, and we'll call this matter even!"
Hearing this, several of Lord Zhong's subordinates froze.
This kid had smashed up Lord Zhong's establishment, and instead of punishing him, the boss wanted to recruit him?
"Lord Zhong, I know you appreciate talent, but this kid..."
Before Pian Dao could finish, Zhong Tian raised a hand to stop him. "He has skills, and he has nerve. I admire that."
Though Pian Dao swallowed his resentment with difficulty, he let out a sigh. "Kid, count yourself lucky. Lord Zhong wants to take you under his wing."
Instead, Fang Yan shook his head and smiled.
"Lord Zhong, let me propose a way to settle this. See if it works for you."
Zhong Tian chuckled. "Let's hear it!"
"You throw in your lot with me, and I won't give you people a hard time!"
Boom!
Everyone wondered if their ears were playing tricks on them. What on earth was this guy saying?
Did he know who he was talking to?
Did he know that talking like that meant he was going to die a horrible death?
Zhong Tian was dumbfounded, too.
In decades of walking the underworld and holding the status he did, this kid was the very first person who had ever dared to speak to him like that.
And it sounded as though he was insulting him!
"Young man, do you know who you're talking to?"
Hearing this, Fang Yan took a deep breath, then stood up and casually tossed the finished melon rind aside. An indescribable, overwhelming aura suddenly erupted from him.
Even a seasoned veteran of the jianghu like Zhong Tian felt a jolt in his chest.
But soon, his face twisted in a ferocious snarl. "Very well, very well. Truly a newborn calf that's not afraid of tigers. Since you're courting death, I'll grant your wish."
With that, Zhong Tian reached for his waist.
It seemed everyone present knew what the boss was about to do.
Fang Yan was dead for sure!
Terrified, Fang Miaoxue drew a sharp gasp and immediately stepped in front of her brother.
Yet Fang Yan remained completely calm. As he watched Zhong Tian's hand move, the moment the man drew his gun would be his last!
"Miaoxue, close your eyes!"
"Brother, you..."
Fang Miaoxue turned around, a look of incomprehension on her face.
Fang Yan smiled gently, using his hand to lightly stroke his sister's cheek and force her eyes shut.
He had no wish for his sister to witness a bloody scene.
Just at that moment, however, a woman's voice rang out.
"Mr. Fang..."
A breathtaking woman in a white suit dress walked in—it was none other than Chen Nuo'en.
Taking in the scene the moment she stepped through the door, Chen Nuo'en froze.
Although Zhong Tian hadn't drawn his gun yet, this setup... with so many people pointing at Fang Yan and his sister, even a fool could see that Fang Yan was in grave danger.
"Ms. Chen?"
Startled, Zhong Tian immediately stood up.
Chen Nuo'en looked at Zhong Tian, her willow-leaf eyebrows instantly knitting together.
"Lord Zhong, what are you trying to do?"
Seeing this, Fang Yan felt a faint ripple of surprise. It seemed... Chen Nuo'en and this Lord Zhong were acquainted.
"Ms. Chen, this person broke the rules on my turf, and I was just about to deal with him."
Zhong Tian stepped closer, his expression and tone clearly betraying a sense of apprehension toward Chen Nuo'en.
"Deal with him? Mr. Fang is a friend of the Chen Family. For Lord Zhong to say you'll deal with him just like that—how imposing you are!"
Chen Nuo'en said, lifting her chin.
Fang Yan looked at Chen Nuo'en with newfound interest. The image of the delicate young woman seemed to have vanished, replaced by an imposing, proud, and dashing aura that yielded nothing to any man.
This woman... was rather interesting.
"What? A friend of the Chen Family? I..."
Zhong Tian was struck momentarily speechless.
No matter how powerful he was, he was nothing more than a local heavyweight; the Chen Family, on the other hand, had military backing.
Especially Elder Chen, a figure of immense prestige and respect.
What was more... even the backer supporting Zhong Tian was a subordinate affiliate of the Chen Family.
No wonder this kid had been completely unfazed from the very beginning; it turned out he genuinely had a powerful backer.
"Ms. Chen, I truly had no idea he was a friend of the Chen Family, or how could I ever have dared to give him a hard time?"
Zhong Tian explained over and over again.
Chen Nuo'en turned to Fang Yan. "Mr. Fang, you weren't hurt, were you?"
Fang Yan shook his head, then walked toward Zhong Tian. "Lord Zhong, does the matter of today still need settling?"
"No, no, no, Mr. Fang. What happened earlier was just a misunderstanding. I hope you won't take it to heart. From now on, whenever you come here, everything is on the house."
Fang Yan gave a contemptuous smile. "It's a good thing you didn't pull that piece out of yours, otherwise... she wouldn't have been able to save you today."
Displeasure flared in Zhong Tian's heart. Ms. Chen's appearance clearly saved you, yet you claim she saved me?
Never mind. Since he had such backers, he had the capital to be arrogant.
"Yes, yes."
"Mr. Fang, let's go. Grandfather is still waiting for you."
Fang Yan nodded and led Fang Miaoxue out of the restaurant.
Watching the three of them leave, Zhong Tian collapsed heavily back onto the sofa.
"We really stepped in it today. Pian Dao, use some common sense when you do things from now on, and stop provoking just anyone!"
"This... Boss, I never thought he'd be connected to the Chen Family."
Zhong Tian turned and glared at him. "Who walks around with their background written on their face?"
With that, he pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his face as sweat poured down like rain...