Qian Guangjun was utterly dumbfounded. He had thought Ding Fan was nothing but a profligate son, so he had dismissed Ding Fan entirely and went straight for Zhou Ruoran.
But by the time he was taken away by Song Wenhui, he vaguely felt that things were not as he had anticipated.
If Ding Fan was a profligate son, then why would Hu Jincun, the crafty fox, unequivocally support Ding Fan?
Furthermore, if Ding Fan was a profligate son blinded by lust, how could he possess such formidable combat skills? The image of Ding Fan effortlessly taking down security guards lingered in Qian Guangjun's mind, unable to be shaken.
However, Qian Guangjun's realization came too late. Although his leg had been broken, the testimonies from witnesses clearly indicated it was he who intended to drug Zhou Ruoran with narcotics and that he was injured by Ding Fan in legitimate self-defense.
With testimonies from personages such as the Deputy Mayor of Dancheng Town and the Chief of Police... who would dare to doubt them?
As for Director Huang, who had been Qian Guangjun's lackey, his fate was even more tragic. After being identified as Qian Guangjun's accomplice, judicial authorities further investigated and scrutinized him.
The investigation revealed that Director Huang was suspected of massive embezzlement, offering bribes, and taking bribes... With multiple charges combined, he was detained alongside Qian Guangjun.
An unexpected turn in the whole affair was that, while Qian Guangjun was in custody, in an attempt to merit leniency and reduce his sentence, he proactively exposed his father, the Chief Justice of Dancheng Court, Qian Kefa.
Qian Guangjun revealed a series of illegal and disorderly acts committed by Qian Kefa during his tenure.
Within three days of Qian Guangjun's arrest, his father, Qian Kefa, was also imprisoned. Father and son were reunited behind bars. Thus, in Dancheng, the once invincible Qian Family fell.
Yet the people involved knew that the reason for the Qian Family's complete downfall was that the spendthrift Qian Guangjun, oblivious to his impending doom, had harassed the wife of Young Master Ding, resulting in the family's ruin within three days.
For a while, in Dancheng, Qian Guangjun became a topic of discussion in high society, and everyone branded him with the label he had once imposed on Ding Fan.
But to return to the matter at hand, Ding Fan, carrying Zhou Ruoran and accompanied by everyone, walked out of the law firm. Since Zhou Ruoran was still unconscious, Ding Fan, accompanied by Qin Manshu and others, sent Zhou Ruoran back to his residence.
At that moment, Qin Manshu knew that Ding Fan had always disliked commotion, so she sent away all the unrelated, unimportant people. Only Xu Rui remained by her side for a while.
Ding Fan used his True Qi to expel all the drug liquid from Zhou Ruoran's body. However, perhaps due to the shock she had received earlier, Zhou Ruoran's body would occasionally convulse.
After Ding Fan infused some True Qi, Zhou Ruoran's breathing stabilized, and then she slowly fell asleep.
At this time, Mei Li was very perceptive and helped Ding Fan take care of Zhou Ruoran, while Ding Fan joined Qin Manshu and Xu Rui in the living room.
Qin Manshu came to find him with such fanfare, which certainly meant she had matters to discuss with him.
"Manshu, you must have something you want to discuss with me," Ding Fan said directly as they reached the living room, not beating around the bush.
Ding Fan had always had a good impression of Qin Manshu. Educated and dignified, her behavior exuded an aristocratic air, and she spoke appropriately.
"Ding Fan, my grandfather wishes to see you..." Qin Manshu said.
Ding Fan nodded. He had roughly guessed that some important person wanted to meet him; otherwise, why would officials like the Deputy Mayor and the Chief of Police all be involved?
"If you have time right now," replied Qin Manshu, with a bright smile on her face—a clean and clear smile that seemed difficult to refuse.
Ding Fan nodded again. "Alright, let's go now."
"Don't you need to prepare?" Qin Manshu looked at Ding Fan with some confusion.
After all, Old Master Qin, in the Huaxia Country, wielded considerable influence—a man whom the nation's leaders personally greeted on his birthday each year.
Ordinary people learning they were about to meet Old Master Qin would be ecstatic and dress up carefully.
Yet Ding Fan remained expressionless, as if he were about to meet just an ordinary elder.
Dressed in plain clothes, he even wore a pair of ordinary cloth shoes...
Ding Fan said nothing more. "I'm ready. Let's go."
After speaking, he no longer paid any attention to Qin Manshu and headed straight for the door.
But before he had left the living room, a figure quickly passed by him.
Ding Fan looked over, and the person who passed by him with a displeased expression was none other than Xu Rui, who had been silent since their meeting.
Ding Fan had no particular dislike for Xu Rui, but Xu Rui's arrogance and his air of a spoiled rich kid were off-putting to Ding Fan.
At the law firm, Ding Fan had seen Xu Rui but had not spoken to him, and now with Zhou Ruoran in a weakened state, he was concerned that a quarrel with Xu Rui might disturb her.
From Xu Rui's expression, it looked like he was angry, although Ding Fan didn't remember having provoked him.
Xu Rui was in a particularly foul mood today.
Originally, she and Qin Manshu didn't get along at all, but Xu Rui endured it in order to find Ding Fan, and managed to trace him from the Huaqiang District to the lawyer's office.
However, ever since she saw Ding Fan, he didn't say a single word to her.
What Xu Rui couldn't accept the most was the gentle tone Ding Fan used when speaking to Qin Manshu.
Usually, when Ding Fan spoke to her, it was either bellowing or yelling at her; she had never seen him behave with her before.
After all, she too was a woman. Why should Ding Fan's tone be so gentle and approachable with other women, but with her, it was like thunderous firepower...
The more Xu Rui thought about it, the angrier she got. Later, when Ding Fan turned to leave without saying a word to her, she couldn't control herself and had an outburst. She was the first to leave the villa, giving the racing motorbike a kick, revving the engine, and drove off.
Ding Fan watched Xu Rui's retreating figure and was quite speechless.
At this moment, Qin Manshu came up to Ding Fan. "Xiao Rui has quite the character indeed, but she's actually a very nice person," she said.
It was then that Ding Fan suddenly remembered what Song Wenhui had mentioned—that Xu Rui had his photo at her place. Given how much Xu Rui disliked him, why would she keep his photo?
Meanwhile, Qin Manshu had already started the white sedan parked at the gate, and Ding Fan didn't delay further; he followed her into the car immediately.
Qin Manshu then slowly drove the car away from the villa's entrance.
Dancheng Town. The old residence of the Qin family's patriarch.
The young Old Master Qin had set out from here to join the revolution. It was this first step that led him to become the only founding General of Dancheng Town and, to date, the most powerful and influential figure there.
Dongshan of Dancheng Town.
This place used to be a Taoist temple. Later, due to war, the temple fell into disuse, but as the location was naturally pleasing, the government of Dancheng Town turned it into a villa area, which is now reserved for Old Master Qin's use.
Qin Manshu drove slowly to the foothills of Dongshan, where several security guards could be seen. Even though Qin Manshu's car was from the Qin family, the guards still conducted thorough checks.
Along the way, Ding Fan quickly counted and realized they had passed through three security lines, the most impressive display he had seen since his rebirth.
The car finally arrived at a large iron gate. Ding Fan looked out the window to see red walls enclosing the area.
The car entered the compound and came to a stop in front of a three-story villa.
If the villa where Ding Fan had stayed in the Lin Family of Honggang City was luxurious, then the current villa could only be described as super luxurious.
Every brick, tile, and detail demonstrated the identity and status of the villa's owner.
"Brother Fan, my grandfather is very approachable, so you don't have to be too reserved later," Qin Manshu said as she unbuckled her seat belt.
Ding Fan casually nodded.
Nervous? It's doubtful that anything in this world would make Ding Fan feel anxious.
Seeing Ding Fan exit the car leisurely and gaze at the villa's scenery, Qin Manshu knew that her advice was superfluous.
Qin Manshu now couldn't help but admire Ding Fan. Some mayors who came to meet her grandfather were always uneasy, but Ding Fan appeared so calm and nonchalant.
"My grandfather is already waiting for us in the study; let's go," said Qin Manshu, gesturing to Ding Fan.
"The honored guest has arrived; of course, I must personally welcome you."
As the words settled, an elderly man with silvery hair and piercing eyes, clad in a Tang suit, emerged from the villa with a smile on his face.
Ding Fan couldn't help but size up the elder before him.
Although the elder was smiling, Ding Fan could still feel an unmistakable aura of decisiveness and calm confidence.
It was the demeanor of someone who is unfazed in the face of great challenges.
A person whose chest harbors thunder while his face remains calm as a lake is worthy of the title General! The source of thɪs content is 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭•𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚•𝕟𝕖𝕥
This sentence surely described the elder before him!
The elder moved with utmost stability. From his steps alone, Ding Fan could tell that the elder had definitely practiced martial arts, but from his meridian channels, it was clear that his practice was only superficial and not deeply learned.
"Young man Ding Fan pays his respects to Old Master Qin!" Ding Fan said, full of reverence.