A white Porsche sped through the neon-lit night, and Li Sisi, sitting in the passenger seat, looked deeply troubled.
Although she had never dealt with the Xingdong Guild before, she had heard that it was the largest gang in Hangzhou, and it was filled with ruthless desperados!
Glancing at Xu Lang in the driver's seat, Li Sisi felt an increasing sense of guilt. If not for her, Xu Lang would never have offended the Xingdong Guild.
"Why don't you... just leave?" After much deliberation, Li Sisi felt that running away was the only thing Xu Lang could do right now.
He had to leave Hangzhou, and ideally go abroad to hide for a while!
"Why should I leave?"
Xu Lang had no idea that Li Sisi's mind had been locked in a fierce internal battle over the past few minutes.
She felt both guilty and worried!
Looking gravely concerned, Li Sisi said, "The people in the Xingdong Guild are no good. They definitely won't let this go."
Only then did Xu Lang realize what she was worrying about. He chuckled heartily and said, "Don't be afraid. In my eyes, they're just a mob of opportunistic cowards."
Using "a mob" was a very fitting description. After all, compared to the factions Xu Lang had dealt with in the past, a tiny Xingdong Guild was simply not worth mentioning.
However, Li Sisi knew nothing of this, assuming Xu Lang was only saying that to keep her from feeling burdened.
"Xu Lang!" Li Sisi called out.
"What is it?"
Xu Lang turned his head to glance at her.
After some hesitation, Li Sisi asked with a deadpan, serious look, "Are you really not trying to pursue me?"
Xu Lang sighed lightly. "Didn't I explain that earlier? I only see you as a friend!"
"But~" Li Sisi's eyes grew deep, and lowering her head, she timidly asked, "Just now... why did you say I was your woman?" As soon as she finished speaking, her cheeks flushed red again, and her heart skipped a beat.
Ugh?!
Xu Lang scratched his head. "I just said that to raise your value so I could squeeze a bit more compensation out of them!"
"Compensation? What compensation?!"
When Xu Lang was bargaining with He Wenyao earlier, he had kept his voice down, and Li Sisi, who was outside the private room, hadn't heard.
So Xu Lang told her about how he had demanded ten million in compensation.
Li Sisi's mouth dropped open in shock. "I got slapped, and you actually demanded ten million in compensation?"
"Is ten million a lot?"
Xu Lang snorted. "From now on, whoever dares to bully you, I'll take their life!"
*Swish.*
In a fleeting instant, Li Sisi was moved to tears. She stared at Xu Lang without blinking, her eyes unconsciously turning red.
"Hey, hey, hey, we were doing fine, why are you crying?!" Xu Lang was completely baffled.
Li Sisi's nose stung. "Stop being so good to me!"
Xu Lang didn't reply out loud, but thought to himself: *Silly girl, I probably won't be able to repay what I owe you in this lifetime!*
The atmosphere inside the car grew somewhat heavy.
Xu Lang promptly changed the subject. "I got this ten million for you. How do you plan to spend the money?"
To Li Sisi, ten million was no different from an astronomical figure; she wouldn't even dare to dream of possessing so much money!
"I can't take this money."
Suddenly, Li Sisi refused with absolute determination. "I'm already very grateful that you solved my trouble, and besides, you're the one who got this money, so it doesn't belong to me at all."
In today's society, countless women would compromise their morals for money.
Yet Li Sisi was actually able to resist the temptation of getting rich overnight, which surprised Xu Lang a bit.
"If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have had a reason to ask them for compensation. It's not like I could just grab them off the street and demand cash, right?" Xu Lang curled his lip. "That would be extortion, and it's illegal!"
*Pfft!*
Li Sisi burst out laughing, and the atmosphere in the car gradually lightened.
"Just accept the money with a clear conscience. Go back tonight and think carefully about any unfulfilled dreams you had—like traveling around the world, or buying a big house for your family. You can consider all of that."
As Xu Lang spoke, the car had already driven up to the entrance of the alley.
Li Sisi didn't rush to get out of the car. Instead, she stared blankly at Xu Lang.
"I know I'm handsome, but if you stare at me like that, I'll get embarrassed too," Xu Lang said with a dry chuckle.
"Narcissist!"
Li Sisi let out a scoff, then finally pushed the car door open and stepped out.
Xu Lang rolled down the passenger-side window. "Remember to have sweet dreams tonight. I'll come pick you up tomorrow morning."
***
Meanwhile, at the First Hospital.
A doctor and a nurse were treating He Wenyao's wounds.
"Hiss... Damn it, go lighter on me, will ya?" He Wenyao grimaced in pain.
The doctor and nurse looked extremely cautious.
The ward door was pushed open, and a middle-aged man walked in. He was in his early fifties, with a square face, a slicked-back hairstyle, and a tuft of beard on his chin. He exuded an air of natural authority.
He Zhen, Chairman of Dongwen Group and head of the Xingdong Guild.
"Dad!" Seeing his father appear, He Wenyao instantly felt as if he were sitting on pins and needles.
He Zhen asked from a position of superiority, "What happened? Who beat you up like this?!"
In Hangzhou, while the Xingdong Guild couldn't claim to be the sole dominant power, both the underworld and the legitimate world gave him a modicum of respect.
His son getting beaten up was something that had never happened before—tonight was the very first time!
He Zhen was furious!
"Dad, I'll handle this myself." He Wenyao didn't want to be looked down upon by his father, and gave a solemn promise.
He Zhen nodded slightly. "Fair enough. Avenge your own grudges and let people know that our He family has no cowards."
"Yeah!"
He Wenyao immediately changed the subject. "Dad, the other guy is a trained fighter. I was thinking of asking Brother Long to step in, but without your order, Brother Long probably won't give me the time of day."
He Zhen promised, "I'll brief A-Long. You can contact him directly when the time comes."
"Thanks, Dad!"
He Wenyao was overjoyed.
The brothers Chen Long and Chen Hu were the elite enforcers of the Xingdong Guild, and their martial arts skills were formidable. This made He Wenyao feel like he was invincible again, completely forgetting Xu Lang's warning from earlier.
***
Early the next morning.
Li Sisi cooked breakfast for her mother as usual. At that moment, Liu Guiyun pushed her wheelchair over, with two bundles of hundred-yuan bills resting on her lap.
"Your dad gave me this money last night. I figured it must have come from Xiao Xu, so take it and return it to him later."
Liu Guiyun hadn't been blinded by the money; she was simply feeling helpless about her husband's actions.
Li Sisi tightly furrowed her brows, her hatred for her father growing a bit more. If not for Li Jianwen, those events wouldn't have happened last night, and Xu Lang wouldn't have offended the people of the Xingdong Guild.
A few minutes later.
When Li Sisi walked out of the alley entrance, the white Porsche had already been waiting for a long time, and Xu Lang was leaning against the car body smoking a cigarette.
"I've already asked for an extended leave of absence for you."
Xu Lang walked up to meet her. "Well, have you figured out what wish you want to fulfill?"
Li Sisi replied with a solemn expression, "I think this money should be returned to them!"
Huh? Xu Lang was taken aback. "What for?"
Li Sisi earnestly advised, "Xu Lang, the people in the Xingdong Guild are really not to be trifled with. I thought about it all night—if we return the money to them and apologize, we should be able to put this matter to rest."
"The Xingdong Guild is nothing. Just wait."
Xu Lang took out his phone and skillfully dialed a number.
"It's me, Xu Wudao. Have Xiaofei come to Hangzhou to see me immediately..."