Disgrace! Utter humiliation!
What an absolute disgrace! I’m Wang Laohu, a prominent figure in Hangcheng City! If not top-tier, I’m at least second-tier. In the past, who wouldn’t bow and scrape before me? When have I ever been beaten like this in broad daylight? How is this any different from challenging the gods or pulling a tooth from a tiger’s mouth?
"Do you know her? Or has she offended you?" Shen Fanyun asked, pointing at Lin Jia.
By this time, Su Xiyang had helped Lin Jia put her clothes back on. After drinking several large gulps of water, the drugs were gradually being metabolized from her system. She was much more lucid than before.
Wang Laohu couldn’t figure out who Shen Fanyun was, so he instinctively shook his head in response to the question.
"So you don’t know her, and she hasn’t offended you, yet you bully her like this?" Shen Fanyun lifted Wang Laohu’s chin, gazing intently at him. "What, are there no laws in Hangcheng City? Or do you believe you’re so powerful you can act with impunity and disregard the law?"
At Shen Fanyun’s words, Wang Laohu couldn’t help but snort, as if mocking him for being too simple and naive.
Does he think I, Wang Laohu, became one of the most feared men in the city by pure luck? The methods and power at my disposal are beyond anything this man could ever imagine!
"Can she walk?" Shen Fanyun asked Su Xiyang.
Su Xiyang glanced at Lin Jia.
Lin Jia nodded hesitantly. Her voice stuttered, but she was slowly recovering. "I... I can."
"Then you two head back to the company. I’ll handle the rest," Shen Fanyun ordered.
Su Xiyang hesitated. This was Wang Laohu’s territory, after all. Given how he’d been beaten, he was bound to seek bloody revenge.
Who knows? Wang Laohu’s men could be on their way here right now. Shen Fanyun is all alone; he’s completely outnumbered.
"We... we should leave together," Su Xiyang said through clenched teeth, unwilling to abandon Shen Fanyun.
Shen Fanyun chuckled. "So you do have a conscience after all."
Su Xiyang was speechless.
"Shen Fanyun, be serious! This isn’t the time for jokes," she said righteously, her face flushed red.
Shen Fanyun casually pulled out a cigarette and lit it with a snap.
"Scram!" he waved his hand, his expression turning impatient.
Su Xiyang stiffened. Gazing at Shen Fanyun’s suddenly cold and indifferent expression, his pupils dark, she knew that staying any longer would only cause him to worry.
She bit her lip. "Fine. You... you have to be careful."
"I’ll wait for you at the company."
Lin Jia also managed to force out a few words. "Minister Shen, please... please be careful."
After the two women left, the increasingly composed Wang Laohu sneered. "They might be able to leave the Imperial Recreation Center, but can they leave Hangcheng City? Don’t worry, once I’m done with you, I’ll make them pay a painful price. Especially that fresh little thing with the surname Lin. I never fail to get my hands on a woman I set my sights on!"
"Heh heh, when the time comes, I’ll have my fun with her, and then I’ll let my men keep her company. One woman servicing dozens of able-bodied men... Just thinking about it is a thrill!" Wang Laohu cackled like a madman. He wasn’t joking; he was absolutely capable of doing it.
With a cigarette between his fingers, Shen Fanyun listened to Wang Laohu’s bombastic claims and simply let him go. Then, he sat down on the sofa, squinting as he smoked.
"Starting to regret offending me?" Wang Laohu sneered as he regained his freedom, shaking out his arms.
Shen Fanyun shook his head. "No, I was just reminded of an old acquaintance."
Back then, wasn’t Han Feng’s father just like this, arrogantly shouting threats at me? And he was a man of his word. He really did make it impossible for me to stay in Hangcheng City, forcing me to leave my home when I was just a teenager. When a person reaches a certain position, their influence is truly limitless, and their words become law. In the past, it was Han Feng’s father, a second-generation millionaire, and today, it’s Wang Laohu!
"You’re not leaving here today!" Wang Laohu declared, clasping his hands behind his back.
Shen Fanyun propped his legs up on the sofa, took out his phone, and dialed a number. After a few brief words, he casually picked up a glass of liquor.
"Calling for backup?" Wang Laohu asked curiously.
Shen Fanyun smiled. "Yep."
"Heh, even if you summon the Heavenly King himself, you won’t escape death," Wang Laohu said confidently. After all, this was his territory. "If I, Wang Laohu, don’t give my approval, who would dare interfere in my affairs? Hmph, kid, you’ve really stepped in it today!"
"Oh?" Shen Fanyun raised an eyebrow. "Is the Nine-patterned Dragon so lacking in influence here in Hangcheng City?"
"What’s a Nine-patterned Dragon? Even if it were a Ten-patterned Dragon..." Wang Laohu’s voice trailed off. His face twitched visibly, his eyes wide with disbelief.
Who?
"Nine-patterned Dragon? Shen Junhuan? The top dog of the Capital City?" Wang Laohu was stunned.
Shen Fanyun took out a second cigarette. He looked at Wang Laohu and casually lit it.
"Are you fucking kidding me? Do you have any idea what kind of person Shen Junhuan is?"
Wang Laohu had heard that Shen Junhuan visited Hangcheng City a few days ago. The official reason was for investment and on-site inspections, but Wang Laohu felt there was more to it. The top dog of the Capital City wouldn’t personally get involved just for an investment. It simply didn’t fit his status and identity.
Shen Fanyun showed no interest in answering Wang Laohu’s doubts and questions.
Suddenly, Wang Laohu didn’t know what to do next.
A flood of young men in black suits or tight-fitting shirts poured into the Imperial Recreation Center from all directions.
"Boss, who laid a hand on you? Damn it, I’ll tear him to pieces today!"
"Boss, we’re here!"
"Boss!"
As far as the eye could see, a black-clad sea of people gathered behind Wang Laohu. The man truly had some clout on the local scene. Clearly, those who made a name for themselves hadn’t earned their reputations for nothing.
He had gotten into trouble just moments ago, and now he could summon one or two hundred underlings to back him up. Tsk, tsk. This kind of influence was not something an ordinary person would ever dare to provoke.
"Boss Su, will Minister Shen be okay? Can you... can you think of something?" Lin Jia asked anxiously from her seat in the car.
Su Xiyang’s mood was no better than Lin Jia’s. Although there seemed to be more to Shen Fanyun than meets the eye, this time he had offended the infamous Wang Laohu. Moreover, Shen Fanyun was alone. If something really happened to him, she would be wracked with guilt for the rest of her life. After all, she was the one who had called him for help. Now, she had escaped safely, while he was left behind all alone...
"I... I have a classmate who’s well-connected. I’ll call and see if he can help."
Su Xiyang knew her family elders, including her grandfather, would definitely not get involved. At this point, she could only rely on her personal connections to seek help.