Following closely behind them was a fat man, about one meter eighty tall, who looked remarkably like the Maitreya Buddha. He exuded an air of harmless affability, a perpetual smile gracing his chubby face.
He was the future helmsman of an ancient martial arts family from the southeastern coast, and the seventh-ranked smiling Buddha on the international assassin leaderboard.
"Boss!"
The group strode quickly toward Wang Han in unison.
By comparison, Wang Han looked entirely ordinary.
Yet, this ordinary Wang Han, standing among several thoroughly extraordinary individuals, stood out as anything but ordinary.
The contrast was rather surreal.
Before coming over, Wang Han had rented a car.
The group climbed into the vehicle together.
"The birthday banquet starts at nine. Let's find a place to settle in first."
Wang Han drove to the apartment he had rented.
As soon as they stepped inside, they saw Rao Rushuang doing a handstand against the wall, her weight supported solely by two fingers pressed against the floor.
Her expression was serene.
Hearing people enter, Rao Rushuang turned around.
Wang Han introduced them. "This is my eldest sister."
Before he even finished speaking, Maitreya was the first to bow respectfully, greeting her, "Greetings, Elder Sister."
Rao Rushuang merely let out a soft hum.
They all walked the jianghu; it was hardly surprising that they knew one another.
Lei Xiaohua and the others bowed respectfully in unison. "Eldest Sister!"
Rao Rushuang’s gaze swept across the room, finally coming to rest on the blind man. "Xiaobai, how is your grandfather's health?"
A calm smile touched the blind man's lips. "Very well, thank you for your concern, Elder Sister."
"We're all family, no need for formalities. Sit down."
As Rao Rushuang packed her things and headed out the door, she looked at Wang Han. "Old Nine, give serious thought to your marriage with that young woman."
With that, she left.
Lei Xiaohua was the first to crowd around, burning with gossip. "Boss, whose marriage are you talking about?"
"Grow up and stop gossiping like a washerwoman!"
"Boss, Big Princess arrives tomorrow at the latest. If she finds out you're getting married to another woman, that poor girl might not live to see another day."
Wang Han gave Lei Xiaohua a kick. "Stop spouting nonsense and go change your clothes. We're leaving soon."
Nine o'clock.
Taishun Hotel.
Wang Han and his companions shoved open the car doors and hopped out.
Each wore a black trench coat, a black suit, and black gloves.
Wang Han settled his black fedora firmly on his head.
They strode toward the entrance.
No sooner had they stepped inside than a Maybach pulled up to the doors.
Xia Wanying stepped out of the vehicle.
She paused, startled, as she caught sight of Wang Han walking in.
"What is it, Miss?" her bodyguard asked.
Xia Wanying collected herself, remembering that Wang Han was supposedly just a food delivery guy, and chuckled inwardly. "It's nothing. I thought I saw someone I knew for a second."
***
Chapter 24: I Am Furious
Zhou Feiyu, the young master of the Zhou Family, was in an exceptionally good mood today.
As he watched the stream of guests arriving, he couldn't stop grinning from ear to ear.
His assistant hurried over. "President Zhou, some reporters want to come in and interview you about how you survived the incident."
Irritated, Zhou Feiyu snapped angrily, "Can't you see I'm busy? I survived because I've got a hard-earned life! Are these reporters looking to die? Do they want to lose their jobs? See if I don't put half of them in the hospital for the rest of their lives! Get some people, make it quick, and throw those flies out!"
"Yes, sir."
Zhou Feiyu picked up a microphone.
"Distinguished guests, thank you all so much for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend my birthday banquet! As the saying goes, those who cheat death are destined for great fortune! The only reason I, Zhou Feiyu, am still breathing today is sheer luck! I've invited you all here today for two reasons: first, to help me wash away the bad luck, and second, to share the joy of having cheated death!"
As he spoke, Zhou Feiyu pointed toward a corner where a towering nine-tier cake was being wheeled out.
The arriving guests forced polite smiles, regardless of how genuine their well-wishes were.
"Please, eat and drink your fill. I specifically hired a foreign pastry chef to craft a massive nine-tier cake for today's celebration! You're all in for a treat."
Before he could even finish, a woman's voice rang out loudly. "Mr. Zhou, hello, we're from the Jiangning Daily. Do you have anything to say to the man who gave up his precious life to save you that day? As far as I know, that gentleman's wife passed away several years ago, leaving behind a four-year-old daughter. Yet here you are, hosting a so-called birthday banquet and publicly calling the man who died saving you 'cheap.' Aren't you feeling even the slightest bit of guilt?"
The surrounding guests all turned to look in that direction.
Zhou Feiyu's face twisted in anger as he glared at his assistant. "What the hell is going on? How are you guarding the door? How did these stray cats and dogs sneak in?"
The assistant hurriedly waved security guards over to shove the reporter away.
"President Zhou! You're here, sitting comfortably at your so-called birthday banquet, and you haven't once thought about the man who sacrificed his life to save you?"
Zhou Feiyu lunged forward in a flash and kicked the reporter straight in the stomach.
"Damn your mother! How many times do I have to say it? The only reason I'm alive is because I've got a tough life! It has nothing to do with anyone else! I never asked anyone to save me; he was just being cheap and throwing himself at me to play the hero. Who the hell can you blame for that? I could have made it to shore and lived just fine without him!"
As he shouted, Zhou Feiyu delivered a few more kicks toward the reporter's head.
Xia Wanying, who had just stepped inside, furrowed her brow. She hurried forward to intervene, but her bodyguard blocked her path.
"Miss, don't be rash. Master instructed us that we are only here to show our faces and prove we attended."
"And we're just supposed to stand here and watch?" Xia Wanying demanded angrily.
Mid-sentence, a figure suddenly surged past them, trailing a gust of cold wind.
Zhou Feiyu's body flew backward through the air.
The sight stunned everyone present.
All eyes instantly converged on the scene.
They saw that the one who had kicked Zhou Feiyu was a young man in dark sunglasses, chewing gum, and dressed entirely in black.
Right behind him was another young man with tattoos covering half his face, who had both hands clamped around the throats of two bodyguards, dropping them to the floor like limp dolls.
The first young man reached down and helped up the young female reporter, whose clothes were covered in footprints and whose face was stained with tears.
She was just a young girl, beaten until she was sobbing.
Zhou Feiyu scrambled back to his feet, howling, "Fuck your mother! Are you looking to die? Do you know whose place this is, dammit?"
Neither man spoke.
"Kill them for me!"
Zhou Feiyu roared.
More than a dozen bodyguards rushed forward.
At that moment, a heavily built, plump warrior who looked just like the Maitreya Buddha—good-natured and amiable—walked slowly in with a natural smile on his face.
Casually, he reached out and grabbed one of the bodyguards by the ankle.
Wielding the man like a living weapon, he began smashing him fiercely into the charging wave of bodyguards.
His arm strength was utterly shocking!
The surrounding guests panicked and scrambled backward.
In less than thirty seconds, bodies littered the floor.
Zhou Feiyu swallowed hard, his nerves fraying.
The entire room of guests was thoroughly terrified.
Right behind the brawler walked a stiff, dull-eyed young man. He strode straight to the center of the room, snatched a chair, straightened it, and set it down.
A young man in a trench coat and a black fedora sat down.
He slowly lit a cigarette.
As everyone looked over this bizarrely styled group of five, they could clearly tell that the seated young man was the leader.
Today was Zhou Feiyu's birthday banquet, and everyone else was dressed in bright, festive attire, yet these men were clad head-to-toe in black. They were clearly here to stir up trouble.
Xia Wanying stared at the young man in the front, stunned. Then, her face flushed with excitement. "Brother Wang! It's Brother Wang!"
She had thought she was mistaken earlier, but now that she saw him clearly, she was 100% certain it was Wang Han.
She had known all along that Wang Han was much more than just a delivery driver.
Last night, she had feared they would never cross paths again, yet here he was, running into him today.
Thick, white smoke billowed from Wang Han's mouth.
He raised his head, and beneath the brim of his hat were a pair of chilling eyes.
"My brother's name is Tietou. He saved your life that day. We brothers never expect anything in return for saving people, but after he gave his life to save you, you called him cheap. That crossed the bottom line of how our brotherhood operates."
"Fuck your bottom line! Who the hell do you think you're acting tough for? Did I ask him to save me? It was his own damn fault for jumping down there to play the hero! I would have lived just fine without him! His death just means his life was worthless!" Zhou Feiyu barked arrogantly.
Thick white smoke curled out from Wang Han's mouth. "No life is worth more than another."
"My life is infinitely more valuable than his! Any problem with that? I'm the young master of a wealthy family, with power and influence at home! Your garbage of a mechanic brother was nothing more than a piece of trash. Is his life worth anything compared to mine?" Zhou Feiyu roared furiously.
Wang Han's gaze grew even colder. "My brother did a brave and righteous deed, and I am proud of him. But because he saved a piece of human scum like you, I am furious!"
Zhou Feiyu kicked a chair out of his way.
At his shout, a crowd of men surged in from outside. "What the fuck are you mad about, motherfucker? Did you come to the wrong place to act tough? Do you know whose territory this is? Do you know who I am? Today is my birthday banquet—the day I celebrate cheating death! You bunch of walking corpses, you don't even pick the right time to seek death!"
Wang Han ground out his cigarette butt with the heel of his shoe.
"Go to my brother's grave, kowtow three times, and issue a public apology in front of the media. We'll call it even. I'll only give you this one chance."
Zhou Feiyu spat a thick glob of phlegm toward Wang Han.
"Who the fuck do you think you're scaring? Apologize to your mother! A cheap life is all he was; does he deserve an apology from me?"
Before his voice even faded, Wang Han exploded into motion!
A streak of black shadow whipped forward, instantly materializing right in front of Zhou Feiyu.
His elbow struck like a blade!
A crushing elbow strike!
Zhou Feiyu's 130-pound body flew backward through the air.
The nine-tier cake shattered into a million pieces upon impact.
When he hit the floor, he retched up a mouthful of sour bile laced with threads of blood.
Wang Han gently brushed off his clothes. "You've used up your chance."
***
Chapter 25: My Family Has One Too
The massive hall fell dead silent.
The guests stared at the scene in absolute shock.
The Zhou Family's standing in Jiangning City spoke for itself.
Even the wealthiest family, the Qin Family, would have to think twice before tangling with the Zhou Family.
After all, the Zhou Family wasn't just rolling in wealth; they were seasoned players in the jianghu, with influence spanning both the underworld and the legitimate world.
For some unknown upstart to waltz in and physically assault the young master of the Zhou Family—wasn't that pure suicide?
"Damn you, you..."
Zhou Feiyu struggled to push himself up, but Wang Han planted a foot firmly on the back of his head, pinning his face to the floor and reducing whatever he was trying to say to a muffled, unintelligible mumble.
"What kind of maggot dares to run wild in here?!"
An angry roar suddenly echoed from the entrance.
A middle-aged man in a Tang suit strode into the hall.
Following closely behind him was another middle-aged man with graying hair and temples that bulged outward.
It was Zhou Feiyu's father, Zhou Xinghuai.
"Dad!" Zhou Feiyu bellowed.
Seeing his son pinned beneath someone's foot, Zhou Xinghuai flew into a rage. "You stray dog! Do you know whose place this is? Let my son go right now!"
Wang Han pressed down harder with his foot. "Like father, like son. No wonder you raised a creature like this. Having a father like you explains everything."
"Who the hell do you think you are, pointing fingers here?! This is Zhou Family territory! You picked the wrong place to start trouble with us! I'll give you three seconds: let go of my son, kowtow to him ten times, and kneel here for a full day! Do that, and I might spare your lives!"
Wang Han pressed down again, eliciting another miserable shriek from Zhou Feiyu.
Zhou Xinghuai's face twisted in fury. "You're looking to die! Old Song! Deal with them!"
The man standing behind Zhou Xinghuai stepped forward slowly.
The muscles on his forearms rippled beneath his sleeves.
Xia Wanying's face paled at the sight. "Oh no, I've heard my dad talk about him—this Old Song is a Minor Grandmaster. Even my dad is reluctant to cross paths with him directly. Brother Wang and the others are in trouble! Uncle Wu, go help him quickly! Brother Wang saved my life!"
The bodyguard wore a hesitant expression.
While he was still deliberating, Old Song had already charged forward.
Wang Han's expression remained as unruffled as still water. "Maitreya."
The tall, heavily-built Maitreya stepped forward with a smile.
He stood there quietly.
Old Song threw a ferocious punch straight toward Maitreya's massive belly.
When the blow landed, ripples visibly spread across the thick flesh of Maitreya's stomach, yet Maitreya didn't shift an inch. He simply stood his ground, still smiling warmly.
Old Song's expression shifted.
He dropped his stance lower and lunged forward with a "monkey steals the peach" strike aimed at Maitreya.
Maitreya slowly raised a hand, his palm gradually turning a deep purplish-red.
*Slap!*
Maitreya brought his palm down squarely on the crown of Old Song's head.
An immortal patting the crown!
Old Song collapsed to the floor like a flattened toad, twin streams of hot blood gushing from his nostrils.
His face flushed red, he gathered his internal breath, rolled across the floor, and stopped not far from Zhou Xinghuai.
He wiped the blood from his nose with the back of his hand, a solemn expression on his face.
Everyone present was utterly stunned.
Xia Wanying's pretty lips parted slightly in shock.
"Old Song, what's going on?" Zhou Xinghuai asked, his surprise mixed with a hint of suspicion.
Old Song had gone down with a single slap; anyone unaware might have thought Old Song was throwing the fight.
Old Song wiped his bloody nose once more. "Vajra Palm. The Gu Family of Hong Kong."
Hearing those seven words, Zhou Xinghuai's expression underwent a drastic change.
His family was also part of the jianghu; it was impossible for them not to know about the Hong Kong Gu Family.
The Gu Family held immense weight in the jianghu, especially in the southeastern coastal region, where they were practically the leading traditional martial arts clan.
The Zhou Family had numerous business interests along the southeast coast. If they offended someone from the Gu Family, their operations down there would likely hit a dead end.
After a moment of rapid calculation, Zhou Xinghuai forced a smile.
"Ah, so you're friends from Hong Kong! Forgive us for not coming out to welcome you. What brings our friends from Hong Kong to our Zhou Family today?"
Maitreya didn't speak; he simply stood quietly behind Wang Han.
Wang Han repeated the purpose of their visit. "My brother lost his life to save your son. Not only did your son fail to show any gratitude, but he even went in front of the media and called my brother cheap."
Zhou Xinghuai let out an "oh." "So that's what this is about? My son was indeed in the wrong on this matter. Tell you what, name your price for compensation, and I'll pay it directly. Let's just let this matter rest here, shall we?"
"My brother's life cannot be bought with money!" Wang Han's expression grew colder.
Zhou Xinghuai's face dropped as well. "My friend, most things in this world have a price tag. I've asked around; your brother was merely a mechanic. I'll offer five million. Isn't that enough?"
Wang Han pressed his foot down again, drawing another shriek from Zhou Feiyu.
Furious, Zhou Xinghuai snapped, "Don't push your luck! Take the money while it's being offered! Aren't you here for money anyway?"
"A piece of trash like the Zhou Family thinks they've got money? Who the fuck do you think you're acting rich in front of?"
Everyone's attention shifted to the young man in dark sunglasses who was chewing gum.
Zhou Xinghuai sneered. "The Zhou Family doesn't have money? This is the first time I've ever heard anyone question our financial strength. Our family's wealth is more than enough to buy the cheap lives of your brother by the tens of thousands!"
"A piece of trash like the Zhou Family thinks they've got a couple of bucks? Ten thousand Zhou Families couldn't buy my brother's life!"
Lei Xiaohua pulled out his phone and made a call. "Target every single business partnership connected to the Jiangning City Zhou Family! Crash their stocks! I want their entire family bankrupted!"
Zhou Xinghuai burst into loud laughter. "I've seen plenty of people put on an act, but I've never seen anyone bluff quite like you! Who the fuck do you think you are? Where did this little punk crawl out from, coming to our Zhou Family territory to act so arrogant? Our family has billions in assets. You want to bankrupt the Zhou Family? What kind of ridiculous joke are you telling?"
A man hurried frantically through the front doors. "President Zhou, it's bad!"
"What are you panicking for? Can't you see I'm busy?" Zhou Xinghuai reprimanded angrily.
"President Zhou, all of our business partners have terminated their contracts with us. Every single one of our companies and factories has been ordered to suspend operations and undergo rectification."
Upon hearing this news, Zhou Xinghuai's expression froze in shock.
"How can this be?"
"It's... it's the South China Lei Family."
He spun around to look at Lei Xiaohua, his expression fluctuating wildly. "My friend, may I ask your honorable name?"
Lei Xiaohua adjusted his sunglasses, continued chewing his gum, and thoroughly embodied the aura of an arrogant young master of a wealthy dynasty. "Remember this: my name is Lei Xiaohua!"
"Lei... Lei Xiaohua?"
What a peculiar name.
The assistant leaned in close to Zhou Xinghuai's ear and whispered, "President Zhou, that's the name of the crown prince of the South China Lei Family."
Hearing this, the color drained completely from Zhou Xinghuai's face. The South China Lei Family possessed wealth that rivaled nations, with businesses spread across every corner of the country.
Compared to the Lei Family, his Zhou Family was nothing more than an ant.
No wonder this young man was so arrogant.
Zhou Xinghuai forced a pale smile onto his face. "So it's Young Master Lei. My deepest apologies."
Zhou Feiyu shrieked wildly, "Dad! What are you afraid of? So what if it's the Lei Family? We have businesses overseas too! At worst, we'll just immigrate abroad! Who the hell cares about the Lei Family?!"
Zhou Xinghuai's expression shifted continuously as he weighed the pros and cons.
While he was still hesitating, Agui—the young man with tattoos covering half his face—pulled out his phone and made a call. "You've got businesses overseas? What a coincidence, so do we."
***
Chapter 26: The Crown Prince
Agui rattled off a string of words at high speed.
Some guests strained their ears to listen.
It was a mixture of Russian and English.
Though Zhou Xinghuai couldn't understand a word, a deeply ominous premonition washed over him.
Sure enough.
A short while later, his assistant's hands trembled as he clutched a tablet. "President Zhou, all of our overseas supply chains have been completely cut off. Every single one of our overseas companies and factories has gone on strike, and the entire management team is resigning."
Zhou Xinghuai looked like an inflatable doll that had just been punctured with a hole, the life instantly draining out of him.
With trembling lips, he stared at the young man with tattoos covering half his face.
He forced another wretched smile.
"My friend, this is all a misunderstanding! This is all just a big misunderstanding!"
Wang Han gave Zhou Feiyu another kick, and Maitreya dragged the groaning young man toward the exit as if he were hauling a bag of garbage.
Zhou Feiyu screamed at the top of his lungs, "Dad! Save me! Save me! Quick, call my uncle! My uncle will definitely find a way to save me!"
Zhou Xinghuai swallowed hard.
"Gentlemen, we were wrong about this matter. Can't we all just take a step back?"