"Trouble," Ning Chen muttered internally, feeling a fresh headache coming on.
Reluctantly, because Qiao Jing was so insistent and Xu Jingshan also urged him to get checked out, he had no choice but to make the hospital trip.
The female assassin had been taken away by the police who arrived shortly after.
The hotel was in absolute chaos; the manager was held accountable overnight and ended up losing his job.
Back at the Rose Garden villa.
Xu Shuyan and Jiang Tang had gone upstairs early.
The events of tonight had given them quite a fright.
Xu Jingshan and Fan Yi sat together, but their conversation centered entirely on Ning Chen.
"Impossible."
When the topic turned to Ning Chen blocking the gun barrel with his bare hand, Fan Yi shook his head with absolute certainty.
"At that close range, stopping a bullet with a bare palm without suffering a single scratch is something even a Huajing Master cannot do. Unless he is a legendary Martial Grandmaster capable of refining True Qi to protect his body."
Xu Jingshan came to a sudden realization. "Then are you saying it was actually a problem with the gun?"
Fan Yi fell silent.
He knew this explanation was also far-fetched. How could an assassin's service weapon easily jam and then backfire?
Yet Ning Chen was so young; it was even less likely that he was a Martial Grandmaster.
"Old Fan, contact the police first thing tomorrow morning. I want to know as soon as possible who exactly wants me dead," Xu Jingshan said with a gloomy expression.
"Understood, Chairman!"
***
By the time they returned from the hospital, it was already close to eleven o'clock.
"Xiaochen, thank you for saving our whole family tonight."
Sitting in an Audi A8 by the roadside, Qiao Jing handed a bank card to Ning Chen and said with a somewhat apologetic smile, "Don't blame Aunt Qiao for being mercenary, but I truly didn't know how else to thank you. There are three hundred thousand on this card, and the PIN is your birthday. Take it and buy yourself something you like."
"If you ever need money in the future, just tell Aunt Qiao."
Without missing a beat, Ning Chen took the card and slipped it straight into his jacket pocket. "Thank you, Aunt Qiao."
Qiao Jing smiled gently. The boy's unpretentious straightforwardness was very much to her liking.
Afterward, Qiao Jing drove away. However, Ning Chen did not head straight back to the Rose Garden villa; instead, he made a trip to Li Mei BBQ.
Tonight's farce had left him far from full.
Arriving at the shop, Li Mei took out the beef and free-range chicken he had brought over in the afternoon and began preparing a late-night snack.
To accommodate Ning Chen, this barbecue joint had essentially been converted into a small diner. Li Mei's cooking skills were exceptional, which was the main reason Ning Chen was a regular.
Yet amid the spread of food, Ning Chen spotted a familiar ingredient.
Ghost Hand Mushroom!
A highly toxic fungus from Lingnan!
"What's wrong, Xiaochen? Are these dishes not to your liking?"
Li Mei stood nearby wearing an apron, her gaze clear and innocent, not at all resembling someone about to poison him.
"I haven't seen this dish before, Aunt Mei."
Ning Chen picked up his chopsticks, plucked a piece of Ghost Hand Mushroom, popped it into his mouth, and chewed.
Good grief, it was Ghost Hand Mushroom that hadn't even been fully cooked through—making the toxicity all the more potent!
Hearing Ning Chen call her Aunt Mei, Li Mei beamed with joy and said, "I got these fresh mushrooms from an acquaintance of mine. They're from Lingnan, cost over a hundred yuan a jin—super expensive."
"Is that so? Aunt Mei, you shouldn't have spent so much."
Ning Chen continued eating the stir-fried pork with "mushrooms."
To be honest, although this Ghost Hand Mushroom was poisonous, it was truly delicious!
An ordinary person would never be able to taste such a delicacy; a single slice down the throat meant instant death on the spot.
"What do you mean, 'spent so much'? This is all your money anyway."
Li Mei smiled with rustic simplicity, referring to the hundred thousand yuan Ning Chen had given her a few days ago.
"These mushrooms are delicious! Where did you buy them, Aunt Mei? Call me to go with you tomorrow so I can get some for my friends too," Ning Chen said between bites.
"Right where you bought groceries this morning, the Guyun Agricultural Market," Li Mei replied.
"Okay." Ning Chen nodded, though a trace of coldness flickered deep within his eyes.
Chapter 23: Never Three Times
"How has this kid been eating for half a day and not showing any symptoms at all?"
"Could something have gone wrong?"
Inside Li Mei BBQ, a dozen or so customers sat scattered about.
Among them were two of Bai Xiao's lackees, ordered to keep tabs on Ning Chen.
Seeing Ning Chen consume the Ghost Hand Mushroom, they had been overjoyed. Yet after waiting for a long time, Ning Chen showed no adverse signs whatsoever, his complexion remaining as rosy as ever.
After a while, Ning Chen learned from Li Mei that there were still a few large Ghost Hand Mushrooms left in the back kitchen.
He asked to take a look, then left his seat and walked into the back kitchen.
The two punks ambled over to investigate.
"Could that dead bitch Li Mei have overcooked the mushrooms?"
One of the punks picked up a pair of chopsticks and poked through the remaining half-plate of stir-fried mushrooms and pork. "I heard that those poisonous mushrooms lose their toxicity completely once they're thoroughly cooked."
"That's possible!"
The other, who hadn't eaten dinner yet, grabbed a pair of chopsticks, picked up a slice of mushroom, and popped it into his mouth. "Let me try... Mmph! Delicious, so fresh!"
"Damn it, are you crazy? You dare eat that?"
"What's there to be afraid of? That kid just ate for half a day and nothing happened... Mmph... Mmph mmph mmph..."
The punk who had just praised the flavor of the Ghost Hand Mushroom suddenly grew dizzy. In a daze, he saw numerous little figures pulling his hands and dancing around him, before he collapsed to the ground with a loud crash.
In the back kitchen.
Ning Chen found the fresh Ghost Hand Mushrooms and was surprised to discover a wisp of Spiritual Qi lingering inside them.
Although the concentration was pitifully thin, it was more than enough to excite him.
Just as he finished packing three Ghost Hand Mushrooms into a plastic bag, he heard a commotion outside. Following Li Mei out, he found a punk with a flat-top haircut lying flat on the floor, foaming at the mouth, convulsing all over, and sporting a slightly greenish complexion.
Another punk wearing an ear-stud crouched anxiously by his side.
Ning Chen instantly recognized them as the two who had been casting sideways glances at him while he was eating earlier.
"What on earth happened here?!"
Terrified, Li Mei rushed over.
Someone had already dialed an emergency number, calling out, "This guy seemed to have eaten a couple of slices of mushrooms just now and ended up like this. Boss lady, are your mushrooms poisonous or what?"
"Impossible!"
Li Mei pointed at Ning Chen and said, "He just ate half a plate of them and was fine. How could they be poisonous?"
"My ass!"
The ear-stud punk sprang to his feet, pointing a finger at Li Mei and cursing furiously, "You poisoned him! The mushrooms in this plate of stir-fried pork aren't ordinary mushrooms; they're poisonous ones from Lingnan!"
An uproar erupted inside the shop.
A dozen pairs of eyes turned toward Li Mei in horror.
"Nonsense!"
Ning Chen sneered. "If they were really poisonous mushrooms, would I still be standing here talking?"
With that, he snatched up the plate, dumped all the remaining mushroom and pork slices into his mouth, and chewed heavily.
After waiting for a long time without seeing any abnormality in him, Li Mei finally relaxed.
"This..."
The ear-stud punk was left speechless, his face flushing crimson.
"Putting that aside, I'd like to ask you two something. You've been staring at me the moment I stepped into the shop, and even came over specifically to eat my food—what are you up to?"
Narrowing his eyes, Ning Chen suddenly rebuked, "Was it Bai Xiao who sent you?!"
"N-n-no, not Brother Xiao! I don't even know who you're talking about!"
Frightened out of his wits, the ear-stud punk shrank back and stumbled away.
"It really is Bai Xiao, this reckless piece of trash..."
A hint of murderous intent flashed in Ning Chen's eyes.
Originally, he had planned to visit the vegetable market to track down the vendor tomorrow morning, but now it seemed unnecessary.
"Leizi! My brother, you died a miserable death!"
At that moment, the ear-stud punk dropped to his knees with a thud, draped himself over his poisoned accomplice, and began to wail loudly.
"Get lost, he's not dead yet."
Ning Chen kicked him aside, pressed a hand against the poisoned punk's chest, and began channeling True Qi into him.
Before long, the poisoned punk began to vomit and purge simultaneously, expelling the toxic mushroom slices he had ingested completely. His symptoms immediately eased quite a bit.
"He ate it and was fine, but when this guy ate it, he vomited, purged, and lost consciousness. This looks like an allergic reaction."
Upon arrival, the paramedic gave a preliminary diagnosis.
Only then did Li Mei let out a long breath of relief. If word of food poisoning got out about her eatery, she wouldn't need to keep running it anymore.
By the time she recovered her wits, Ning Chen had already left.
In a certain alley along Shuiyue Food Street.
The ear-stud punk was beaten black and blue, kneeling before Ning Chen and begging for mercy. "Stop hitting me, stop hitting me, Big Brother! I'll talk, I'll tell you everything!!"
"It was Brother Xiao. Brother Xiao sent me, and the Ghost Hand Mushrooms were also arranged by him through a vegetable vendor who sold them to Li Mei! Spare me, boo-hoo-hoo..."
A flash of murderous intent crossed Ning Chen's eyes!
His principle for doing things was simple: never a first time, never a second time, but never a third time either.
Bai Xiao would pay the price for his actions.
***
A little past one in the morning.
Diamond Club.
Bai Xiao and his brothers were partying in a private room.
"Brother Xiao, Leizi said he saw with his own eyes that Ning Chen ate the Ghost Hand Mushroom. At this rate, he's probably already gone to meet the King of Hell, hahaha!"
Yang Kai, a punk with dyed yellow hair, laughed while holding a wine glass.
"Just a wet-behind-the-ears kid, not even fully grown, yet he wants to fight me!"
Sitting boldly on the sofa, Bai Xiao puffed away on a cigarette.
His mistress, Wang Yinhua, snuggled into his arms and smiled charmingly, "Brother Xiao, Li Mei is locked up. What are you planning to do with that barbecue joint?"
"Just recruit another merchant. Shuiyue Street has so much foot traffic; we won't lack for people coming."
Saying this, Bai Xiao flicked his cigarette ash directly onto Wang Yinhua's plump thigh. "Oh right, I heard Li Mei has a daughter named Su Wanwan. I've seen her photo—she's quite a looker. Which of you will go fetch her for me?"
"Brother Xiao, I'll go! I'm best at this kind of thing!"
Yang Kai hurriedly set down his half-drunk glass of wine and said excitedly, "Li Mei's husband is called Su Haichao, and he still owes our company a few hundred thousand. That hopeless gambler wouldn't bat an eye if you told him to sell his daughter—hell, he'd sell his own mother without blinking."
"Hahaha." A wave of laughter filled the private room.
"Good. Yang Kai, go have him send his daughter over right now, and I'll waive the interest on those hundreds of thousands." Bai Xiao wore a wicked grin.
"You got it, Brother Xiao!" Yang Kai immediately had one of his lackees call Su Haichao.
At first, the man on the other end was reluctant, but after Yang Kai snatched the phone and threatened him a few times, he had no choice but to comply.
Before long, a middle-aged, pot-bellied man with heavy eye bags arrived at the Diamond Club, accompanied by a pure and lovely female university student.
Su Wanwan stood one meter sixty-eight tall, sporting a delicate and fair seed-shaped face. Her skin was tender and fair, and her cherry lips, though unpainted, looked as moist as dripping blood. Coupled with a pair of slender, shapely legs, she drew quite a few burning gazes in the Diamond Club's lobby.
"Dad, why don't... why don't you find someone else to help?"
Su Wanwan sensed a hint of danger.
If her father hadn't suddenly called saying his friend was drunk and needed help supporting him, how could she possibly have come to a place like the Diamond Club?
Chapter 24: Ning Chen's Girlfriend?
"Wanwan, let me be honest with you. This friend of mine can help me make a fortune!"
Seeing her hesitation, Su Haichao suppressed the unease in his heart and coaxed his daughter, "As long as we keep him happy, our family won't lack money in the future! Your mother won't have to bust her tail every day doing that tiny business of hers—how much can she even make?"
Hearing the dismissive tone in the man's voice toward her mother's meager income, Su Wanwan said with displeasure, "Ever since I was little, my tuition and living expenses have been paid for by Mom. Have you ever brought a single cent into this family?"
"You should pay off your own debts before you start talking about Mom!"
With that, Su Wanwan turned around and tried to leave.
Su Haichao hurried to block her path, pleading, "Good Wanwan, darling daughter, just help your dad this once. Dad promises you, once we make money in the future, whatever you want, Dad will buy it for you!"
Unable to resist her biological father's stubborn persistence, Su Wanwan had no choice but to follow him up to the second floor and into a luxury private room.
The moment she stepped inside, she felt something was off.
The people in the room either had dyed hair of various colors, puffed away on cigarettes, or embraced scantily clad women.
Walking in, she was nearly choked by the thick smoke inside.
"Yo, Brother Chao is here!"
Seeing him, Yang Kai immediately walked over.
"You're too polite, Brother Kai."
Su Haichao's face piled with smiles, and he was just about to exchange a few pleasantries with Yang Kai to show off in front of his daughter.
To his surprise, Yang Kai bypassed him entirely, walked right up to Su Wanwan, looked her up and down, and said, "Is this your daughter? She's so pretty! Su Haichao, are you sure your wife didn't cheat on you? With a mug like yours, how could you produce such a pretty daughter?"
"Hahaha..."
Laughter erupted around the room.
"Haha, Brother Kai, you really know how to joke."
Su Haichao could only laugh along, then decided to use his daughter to shift everyone's attention.
Leaning down, he said to Su Wanwan, "Wanwan, this is Brother Kai. Say hello!"
Su Wanwan's eyes were already red. Clenching her small fists, she glared at Su Haichao. "You said your friend was drunk and needed me to help support him! Which of them is drunk?!"
"This..."
Su Haichao froze.
Nearby, Yang Kai cooperatively put on an act of being heavily intoxicated, walking with unsteady steps. "Oh, little sister, your dad's right. I'm drunk, I'm totally drunk."
"Hahaha."
"Brother Kai's acting is top-notch."
Over a dozen punks, including Bai Xiao, watched the spectacle with amused interest.
"I'm leaving. You can stay here by yourself."
Dropping those words to Su Haichao, Su Wanwan turned and tried to flee.
But how could Yang Kai let the fat sheep run off once it was served to his doorstep?
"Where are you going, little sister~"
Yang Kai grabbed Su Wanwan by the arm and pulled her back, grinning facetiously. "Since you're already here, stay and have a couple of drinks with us brothers."
"I don't drink! Let go of me!"
Su Wanwan struggled desperately, casting a pleading look toward Su Haichao.
Instead, Su Haichao pleaded, "Wanwan, just have a couple of drinks with them. Once you're done, Dad will take you back home."
"Su Haichao, you're making your own daughter act as a hostess for drinks—are you even human?!"
Su Wanwan broke down, weeping pear-blossoms in rain.
"Good little sister, why are you crying? Don't worry, Big Brother will help you get revenge!"
First wiping away Su Wanwan's tears with fake kindness, Yang Kai suddenly turned around and kicked Su Haichao four or five meters away, sending a coffee table crashing over in the process.
Cheers and whistles instantly erupted inside the private room.
"Ah..." Slumped on the floor, Su Haichao clutched his stomach, unable to even crawl back up.
"Dad!" Su Wanwan panicked.
"Hehe, little sister, let me tell you the truth. Your dad owes us four hundred thousand, and with interest, it comes to a total of six hundred and fifty thousand. He has already sold you to us! Hahaha!"
Yang Kai scanned Su Wanwan uninhibitedly. Since she was ultimately the woman Bai Xiao had specifically requested, he didn't dare lay hands on her himself, so he could only feast his eyes.
"No, I don't believe it!" Su Wanwan wept heartbrokenly.
In too much pain to speak, Su Haichao knelt on the ground, unable to utter a single word.
Yang Kai grabbed Su Wanwan by the hair and dragged her before Bai Xiao.
"Little sister, you're so grown up now; it's time you helped ease the burden on your family."
"Brother Xiao has spoken: as long as you stay with him, the interest your useless old man owes won't need to be paid back. That's a full twenty-five thousand right there!"
"In other words, you just need to keep Brother Xiao happy, and you'll have earned twenty-five thousand! How about it? Sounds like a good deal, right?"
Yang Kai tempted her step by step.
"If any of you dare touch me, my boyfriend won't let you off!"
Su Wanwan tried her best to put on a fierce expression.
However, a female university student's level of fierceness was quite limited. Not only were the punks not frightened, but they burst out laughing instead.
Paying her no mind, Bai Xiao smoked his cigar and asked, "Little sister, is that boyfriend of yours named Ning Chen?"
"Yes, my boyfriend is Ning Chen! He knows martial arts and he's really good at fighting!" Su Wanwan tried to use him as a threat.
Unexpectedly, Bai Xiao burst into roaring laughter as if he had heard some great joke.
"What are you laughing at?" Su Wanwan asked, puzzled.
She knew Bai Xiao's men had already suffered several losses at Ning Chen's hands.
"Little sister, your little boyfriend is indeed quite good at fighting; we've already learned that firsthand."
Yang Kai chimed in, "But no matter how good he is at fighting, he's still just a student. We have countless ways to finish him off—shoot him with a gun, run him over with a car, or poison him to death!"
"To tell you the truth, Ning Chen is currently being resuscitated at the hospital, but there's an eighty percent chance he won't make it, hahaha..."
Su Wanwan's pretty eyes widened in shock. "What? The hospital? Resuscitation? What... what did you do to him?!"
"Alright, shut up!"
Seeing Yang Kai growing more and more excited, Bai Xiao waved a hand to cut him off, then swept his gaze around the room. "All of you, get out!"
"You got it, Brother Xiao. Have fun!"
Waving a hand, Yang Kai led the others away with a cheeky smile.
Su Haichao was dragged out along with them, crying continuously the whole way and apologizing to Su Wanwan.
Seeing this, Wang Yinhua could only sigh helplessly. She walked straight out of the Diamond Club and headed outside to smoke a cigarette.
As she puffed away, a familiar face walked right toward her.
Stunned, she pointed at Ning Chen and stammered, "Y-you're still alive?!"
"Oh? It seems you had a hand in poisoning me too."
Ning Chen stood before the heavily made-up woman with a smile.
He had come to settle scores with Bai Xiao.
However, he had no idea that Bai Xiao was currently bullying Su Wanwan inside the private room.
"N-no... I just knew about it, I didn't participate!"
Knowing how terrifying Ning Chen was, Wang Yinhua hurriedly tossed away her cigarette and shook her head frantically.
Seeing Ning Chen appear so leisurely, she suddenly realized this college student was far from the simple figure Bai Xiao and the others imagined!
"Right, your boyfriend is upstairs! Bai Xiao is about to make a move on her!" Wang Yinhua suddenly remembered the crucial point.
"My boyfriend?" Ning Chen asked, puzzled, thinking to himself when on earth he had acquired a girlfriend.
"Su Wanwan! Isn't she your girlfriend?" Wang Yinhua was burning with anxiety.
"Wanwan?" Ning Chen's expression darkened as he strode into the Diamond Club.
Wang Yinhua hurried to follow him inside.
Chapter 25: Foolish Mortals!
Inside the luxury private room.
Bai Xiao took a sip of western liquor and smiled at Su Wanwan.
"Help! Help me!"
Crouched in the corner like a helpless kitten, Su Wanwan screamed at the top of her lungs.
Tears, like pearls with broken strings, streamed endlessly down her pretty face.