"You say it isn't so, and that makes it so?" Leopard retorted.
Ma Shan was incensed. "Leopard, what exactly do you want?"
"Nothing much," Leopard said. "Just have her apologize to Boss Liu, and we'll call it even. Is that too much to ask?"
Zhang Yiping glanced at Lin Manqing and said, "Leopard, do me a favor and let it go."
Leopard gave a sly grin. "Young Master Zhang, I’d give you face, of course, but I can't afford to offend Boss Liu over there either. Why don't you do me the favor of going over and telling him yourself?"
Zhang Yiping’s expression soured. "Which Boss Liu?"
"Boss Liu Hongyu from Tong County."
Zhang Yiping frowned.
Leopard pressed him, "What do you say, Young Master Zhang? Or shall I invite Boss Liu over so you two can discuss it?"
"No need," Zhang Yiping said, waving a hand. "Since she’s one of your hostesses, it’s an internal matter. I won't interfere."
With that, he turned and went back to sit on the sofa.
Leopard hadn’t expected Zhang Yiping to back down so easily, which saved him a lot of trouble. The only remaining obstacle was Ma Shan.
"Ma Shan, let’s go, shall we?"
"I won't let you take Ding Xiang away, not unless you step over my dead body." Ma Shan stood firmly in front of Ding Xiang, prepared to die for his cause.
"Don't think I won't do it." Leopard stepped closer, closing the distance.
Suddenly, a hand rested on Ma Shan’s shoulder.
"Brother Ma Shan, we’ll go with him and meet this Boss Liu."
Ma Shan said urgently, "Muchen, you just got here, you don't know the situation. They want Ding Xiang..."
Li Muchen stopped him. "It’s fine. People are always willing to listen to reason. We’ll go and reason with Boss Liu."
Leopard laughed. "Ha! This brother is right. We’re all reasonable people. Let’s go."
Li Muchen nodded at Ma Shan, his gaze resolute.
Ma Shan hesitated. While he didn't believe for a second that Leopard or Boss Liu would listen to reason, Li Muchen’s approach might buy them some time. His only remaining hope was that Sister Na would come to save them, though he knew the chances of her going to bat for him were slim.
Li Muchen took Ding Xiang’s hand and walked out without a second thought.
Leopard sneered at Ma Shan, "I’ll settle accounts with you later."
Ma Shan stamped his foot in frustration and followed.
The few remaining people in the private room looked at one another.
"I truly never expected Ding Xiang to be a hostess here," Yao Lili sighed, wringing her hands.
Lin Manqing shook her head. "I don't think that’s right."
"I don't believe it either," Zhou Xu said. "Brother Zhang, didn't you just ask them to leave Ding Xiang behind? Why..."
Zhang Yiping gave a cold laugh. "Do you have any idea who Liu Hongyu is?"
"Isn't he just in logistics in Tong County?" Zhou Xu asked.
"He wasn't in logistics before," Zhang Yiping said. "He used to be a thug, known as 'Scar-Face Liu.' The logistics empire he has now was built with his fists. In terms of wealth, he’s nothing compared to our Yongqing Group, but he’s a nasty piece of work—cruel and ruthless. Even my father doesn't like to provoke him."
"He’s that dangerous?" Zhou Xu’s eyes lit up. "What did that kid say just now? He said he was going to reason with Liu Hongyu..."
Yao Lili chimed in, "I think he’s an idiot. A big shot like that could take his life in an instant, and he wants to talk about 'reason'!"
"I’m very curious to see how that kid dies," Zhou Xu said, a hint of malice flashing in his eyes.
Zhang Yiping suddenly grew interested as well. He stood up and said, "Let's go. Let's go see the show."
***
Li Muchen could have easily taken Ding Xiang and left; no one here could have stopped him. But his sister had been bullied, and as a disciple of Tiandu, he could not simply walk away. He could guess what would have happened to Ding Xiang if Ma Shan hadn't been there. That Boss Liu had to be punished.
Leopard led the way, with Li Muchen and Ding Xiang following. Ma Shan quickened his pace to walk beside Li Muchen and whispered a brief summary of the situation, warning his brother: "Liu Hongyu is a brute; he won't listen to any reason. Just stall for time. I’ve already sent word to Sister Na."
"Sister Na?" Li Muchen glanced at Ma Shan. "Will she help us?"
Ma Shan couldn't guarantee it, but it was his only hope. "She will, as long as things haven't reached the point of no return."
"And if they have?"
Ma Shan froze and took a deep breath. "Unless I’m dead, I’ll never let anyone bully our sister." He clenched his fist. "If they push too hard, I’m throwing the rules out the window. I’ve never liked Leopard anyway. Muchen, remember: if things go south, take Ding Xiang and run. Run as fast as you can."
"Don't worry," Li Muchen said, echoing Ma Shan’s words. "Ding Xiang will be fine. Unless I’m dead."
Ma Shan patted Li Muchen’s shoulder. He couldn't ask for anything more from this brother.
Tears welled up in Ding Xiang’s eyes. She had been terrified, but with these two men standing by her side, her heart calmed. She remembered many times in their childhood when she was bullied; it was always these two who stepped in to protect her, even if they ended up covered in wounds. She didn't want them to get hurt. She prayed silently, asking for Brother Muchen and Brother Ma Shan to be safe for the rest of their lives.
Upon entering Liu Hongyu’s private room, Leopard stepped forward to claim credit: "Boss Liu, I’ve brought them."
Liu Hongyu leaned back against the sofa, his eyes heating up. He looked as if he hadn't seen a woman in his entire life. Seeing Li Muchen holding Ding Xiang’s hand, he said unhappily, "This brother looks unfamiliar. New here?"
"Are you Liu Hongyu?" Li Muchen asked calmly.
Liu Hongyu was surprised that Li Muchen would address him by his full name. "Ha! The people working for Sister Na are getting more and more ignorant of the rules."
Leopard rushed to explain, "He’s not one of Sister Na’s people."
Liu Hongyu waved a hand. "Whatever. Since he brought the girl to me, I won't hold it against him. Leave the girl and get out."
Leopard turned to leave, but Li Muchen didn't move. He asked again, "Are you Liu Hongyu?"
"Are you f*cking sick in the head?" Leopard hissed viciously. "Don't embarrass yourself here—get out!"
Liu Hongyu narrowed his eyes, looking at Li Muchen with a bit of curiosity. "I am. What of it? Do you have business with me?"
"I heard you were looking for my sister," Li Muchen said.
Liu Hongyu realized, "Oh, she’s your sister? You should have said so earlier. As long as your sister serves me well, I’ll reward you."
Li Muchen nodded. "I understand."
A crowd had gathered outside the room. Zhang Yiping and his friends were squeezed in among them.
Zhou Xu scoffed, "I thought he had some backbone. He folded so fast. How boring."
Yao Lili said, "Don't tell me he planned from the start to use his sister Ding Xiang to get a reward from Boss Liu? That’s utterly disgusting!"
Lin Manqing frowned. She didn't believe such a vile person existed, but Li Muchen’s actions left her confused.
Liu Hongyu waved at his subordinate. "Give him a tip."
The lackey behind him took a stack of cash from his bag and handed it to Li Muchen. Li Muchen took it and counted it. Ten notes: one thousand yuan.
A chorus of boos rose from the doorway.
"Selling out his sister for money, how shameless!"
"Pfft, it’s just pimping. Nothing surprising about that."
"That girl looks pretty decent. Only a thousand? I’ll play with her next time."
For some reason, Lin Manqing felt a pang of discomfort. Li Muchen and Ding Xiang had left a good impression on her, especially Ding Xiang, who seemed like such a simple girl.
"Let’s go. I don't want to watch this," she said, turning to leave.
Zhou Xu didn't want to go, so he looked at Zhang Yiping. Zhang Yiping also wanted to see how Li Muchen would wrap this up. Even though he looked down on him, he felt things weren't as simple as they appeared. "Let's watch a bit longer," he said.
Lin Manqing was displeased. "Watch it yourselves, then. I’m leaving."
Zhang Yiping gave Zhang Jie a look. Zhang Jie grabbed Lin Manqing. "Manqing, we agreed to go out for a distraction today. Now that I’ve finally found something interesting to cheer me up, why are you leaving? You’re making me angry."
Lin Manqing sighed, resigned to staying.
Li Muchen finished counting the money and flicked it in his hand. "Ten notes."
"What? Not enough?" Liu Hongyu stared at him coldly.
"Just about," Li Muchen said. "Ten notes for ten kowtows. You kneel and kowtow ten times to apologize to my sister, and we’ll call this even."
The entire room went silent. People couldn't believe their ears.
"What did he just say?"
"He said he wants Boss Liu to kowtow ten times to that girl."
Zhou Xu’s eyes widened. "Holy crap, is that kid insane?"
Yao Lili nodded earnestly. "I think so too."
Zhang Yiping frowned. He had suspected there was more to this, but he hadn't expected this. Asking "Scar-Face Liu" to kowtow and apologize? That was impossible.
Ma Shan’s heart sank. He had hoped to stall for time, but Li Muchen was being far too aggressive. Once those words were spoken, there was no going back. Even if Sister Na showed up, Scar-Face Liu would not let them leave easily.
"What did you just say?" Liu Hongyu’s face darkened, the scar on his chin bulging like a venomous centipede coiled around his neck.
Li Muchen didn't answer; he just watched him quietly. He wouldn't repeat himself; by the time he spoke a second time, Liu Hongyu wouldn't even have the chance to kneel.
Liu Hongyu’s men started to move forward, but Liu Hongyu stopped them. "Leopard, this is your establishment. Can you handle this? If not, I’ll take care of it for you."
Leopard had been stunned by Li Muchen’s bizarre demand, but at Liu Hongyu’s reminder, he lunged at Li Muchen and pointed at his nose. "Damn it, you little brat! Making trouble on my turf? I’ll have you carried out of here horizontal today!"
Ma Shan stepped up and shoved Leopard away. "Leopard, if you have any guts, come at me! Don't you dare point fingers at my brother!" Ma Shan shouted, while signaling Li Muchen with his eyes to run.
Li Muchen didn't run, of course. If Ma Shan hadn't stepped in, Leopard’s hand would have already been severed. He didn't touch Leopard because he knew the history between him and Ma Shan; that was a debt for Ma Shan to collect himself.
Seeing Li Muchen remain unmoved, Ma Shan was frantic but helpless.
Leopard sneered, "Ma Shan, you’ve grown some backbone, haven't you? You dare lay a hand on me?"
"Leopard, don't think I’m afraid of you. I’ve been putting up with you for a long time," Ma Shan said, having decided to go all in.
"Then I’ll teach you how to behave. Boys, take him! Break his legs first!" Leopard ordered.
The bar’s security guards and bouncers swarmed in.
"Stop!" Ma Shan bellowed. "This is a personal score between Leopard and me. It has nothing to do with you guys. We’ve been brothers-in-arms; I don't want to fight you."
The men froze, looking at Leopard. They had no grudge against Ma Shan and weren't sure what was actually going on. Ma Shan knew he had to act now. They were only hesitant; if Leopard gave the order again, they would attack.
He took a step forward and lashed out with a kick. Li Muchen’s eyes brightened. That kick had the flavor of Northern Tan Tui. It seemed Ma Shan had been trained.
Unfortunately, Ma Shan’s technique wasn't refined enough. Despite the momentum, he lacked internal power, and his speed was wanting. Leopard was no amateur; he crossed his hands, caught Ma Shan’s leg, and twisted, looking to throw him. Li Muchen saw clearly that Leopard was using basic grappling and wrestling, not martial arts.
If Ma Shan had internal power, he could have sent the force of that kick straight into Leopard’s chest, even while being held, potentially crippling him.
Ma Shan was caught, but he flipped his body and threw a left kick toward Leopard’s temple. Leopard dodged, but had to let go of Ma Shan’s leg.
As they squared off, Ma Shan suddenly produced a steel pipe he had hidden in his sleeve and swung it at Leopard’s head.
Li Muchen smiled faintly. His brother was still the same fighter he’d been as a kid—no pretense, no hesitation, ready to use whatever was at hand. First Tan Tui, now Emei stick work. Ma Shan had learned quite a bit, but still lacked internal force. Li Muchen made a mental note to get him some pills and teach him some breathing exercises.
With the pipe in hand, Leopard was overwhelmed within three moves and left bloodied. Leopard’s men finally reacted and swarmed forward. Ma Shan was quickly being surrounded.
Li Muchen brushed his clothes gently, as if shaking off dust. No one noticed his movement. Suddenly, the men rushing forward collided with each other, falling in a heap. Leopard took two more blows to the head.
Ma Shan moved behind Leopard, locked his throat with the pipe, and produced a dagger, the tip pressing against Leopard’s eye socket. It was a clean, decisive sequence.
"Don't move!" Ma Shan threatened. "Anyone who moves gets an eye dug out."
The men on the ground looked at each other, not daring to budge.
"Ma Shan, I underestimated you," Leopard gasped. "If you’ve got the guts, do it. Dig out my eye, and see if you can walk out of this bar alive."
Ma Shan pressed the blade closer. "Don't think I won't." He still wanted Li Muchen to take Ding Xiang and leave, but Li Muchen wouldn't budge. Frustrated, Ma Shan finally said, "Muchen, take Ding Xiang and leave! I’ll handle the aftermath!"
Li Muchen shook his head. "No need."
Ma Shan felt like hitting him, so he turned his rage back on Leopard, raising the knife to plunge it into his eye. The Ma Shan who grew up fighting on the streets had reached his breaking point, his aura turning violent. He was serious.
"Stop!" a sharp voice commanded.
"Sister Na is here!" someone recognized Zhou Na.
The crowd parted to reveal a woman in a vintage brocade cheongsam. As she appeared, she commanded the attention of everyone in the room. The dress hugged her curves, and she exuded a matured, seductive charm. Every step she took played on the nerves of the men present.
"So that’s the bar’s owner," Zhou Xu muttered, his eyes glued to her.
"That’s Zhou Na, known as Sister Na. Everyone in the upper-class circles of He City knows her," Zhang Yiping whispered, showing off his knowledge.
"Pfft, she’s just a bar owner," Yao Lili said, instinctively hostile toward a woman more attractive than herself.
"Don't think running a bar is simple," Zhang Yiping chuckled. "Especially one of this size. You have to handle both the underworld and the police. Besides, Sister Na’s interests extend far beyond this bar." He lowered his voice. "Plenty of men in He City’s elite circles have fallen at her feet."
"Brother Zhang, you aren't one of them, are you?" Zhou Xu asked with a smirk.
Lin Manqing frowned in annoyance. Zhang Yiping looked at her and laughed awkwardly. "She doesn't really run in our social circles. We’ve only met a few times; we aren't close."
Lin Manqing ignored him, watching Zhou Na to see how she would handle the situation.
Seeing Zhou Na arrive, Liu Hongyu laughed and stood up. "Sister Na, I’ve always spent generously in your place. But now I can't even play with a girl? How about this: I’ll let the girl go, but you spend the night with me, and we’ll call it even."
A flicker of disgust crossed Zhou Na’s eyes, but she forced a smile. "Boss Liu, I’m at an age where I’m no match for these young girls. Why don't I treat you tonight? Pick any girl here you like."
"Does that include her mother?" Liu Hongyu pointed at Ding Xiang.
Zhou Na glanced at Ding Xiang. "She isn't one of our hostesses; I can't force her."
Li Muchen looked at Zhou Na with unexpected interest.
"Boss Liu, you should pick someone else. If there’s no one you like, I’ll call someone in from another club until you’re satisfied. How about that?"
"Sister Na is a straight shooter!" Liu Hongyu gave her a thumbs up. "But I’m a stubborn man, and I’ve got my eye on this little girl. If I don't have her, I won't be able to eat or sleep. Sister Na, tell me, what should I do?"
"What would you like to do, Boss Liu?"
Liu Hongyu’s eyes roamed over her without restraint. "Like I said: if you’re willing to take her place, I’ll be perfectly satisfied."
"And if I say no?" Zhou Na dropped the smile, her voice turning cold.
Liu Hongyu grinned. "Then there’s one more way. Transfer your shares of this bar to me. I’ll run it, and of course, I’ll give you a good price."
Zhou Na paused, then burst into a laugh. Her laughter was infectious, making the men around her lose their composure.
"So, Boss Liu, you’ve set your sights on my little business. Fine, I have no objections. But as you know, I’m not the sole owner. Let me give Uncle Ming a call. If he agrees, I have no problem with it."
At the mention of Uncle Ming, Liu Hongyu’s expression shifted. He coughed awkwardly. "Cough, cough—well, Sister Na, I was just joking, haha..."