The man grew more agitated as he spoke, pointing directly at Li Chonglou, and the man with the receding hairline also stopped in his tracks.
"Master Mu, I'm telling the truth. If you don't believe me, you can check the surveillance here. He's the only one who touched the jade pendant. He must have swapped the real one for a fake!"
"Search him! If you search him, you'll definitely find it!"
The man, who had initially possessed a refined, artistic demeanor, now resembled a hag haggling at a market, his image completely lost.
However, the man with the receding hairline didn't act rashly. He simply stood there, frowning in thought. Seeing this, the first man felt the need to give him a push and personally approached Li Chonglou, extending his hands.
"Kid, if you're innocent, let me search you. Otherwise, the real jade pendant must be on you!"
Not only did the man make a move with his hands, but he also resorted to emotional manipulation with his words. Unfortunately, Li Chonglou wasn't swayed.
He pushed out his right hand, forming a palm, and just as it was about to touch the man's shoulder, he curved his palm downwards, grabbed the man's shoulder, and pulled him down.
The onlookers only saw a blur, and the man was already on his knees, with his arm twisted.
"Master Mu, save me!"
The man cried out in pain. The man with the receding hairline immediately regretted not leaving decisively. Now, faced with his subordinate's plea for help, he couldn't pretend not to hear.
"Kid, don't push it too far. He's part of my Antique Association."
Under the man's desperate pleas, the man with the receding hairline finally spoke, his tone accusatory from the outset.
Li Chonglou immediately retorted, displeased, "Is that how you speak to your master?"
The man with the receding hairline's expression changed instantly.
"Kid, I advise you not to speak ill of others!"
"What? Isn't what I said true? But then again, you should consider whether to accept this disciple. While I don't know about his skill, his character seems to be lacking."
Li Chonglou smiled lightly. The man with the receding hairline was furious, especially under the gaze of so many onlookers. A fierce glint flashed in his eyes, and he directly ordered his bodyguards,
"Break his legs!"
The strongest of the three bodyguards stepped forward and walked slowly towards Li Chonglou.
The bodyguard was at least twice Li Chonglou's size, and his muscles exuded a sense of security, but it was merely an illusion.
As he raised his fist to strike Li Chonglou's nose, Li Chonglou's left palm had already reached his neck.
The imposing bodyguard, who had been looking indifferent, instantly saw his pupils contract. In this fleeting moment, he made the most correct choice, diverting all his force and falling in the direction of Li Chonglou's palm.
Though it sounded complex, it all happened in the blink of an eye. Li Chonglou's speed was so astonishing that not only the onlookers but even the parties involved only felt a fleeting shadow approaching.
So, what the crowd saw was this: the bodyguard assumed a boxing stance and threw a punch, but before his fist could reach the opponent's face, he inexplicably toppled to the right.
It looked quite bizarre.
"Third brother!"
The other two bodyguards, seeing this, immediately charged forward. One attacked with a high whip kick, and the other aimed for the lower body, clearly a coordinated assault.
Li Chonglou narrowed his eyes, a chill flashing within them, but recalling the matter of Lin Qianqian's senior brother, he suppressed the coldness.
Releasing the first man, he advanced instead of retreating. He effortlessly blocked one man's whip kick with his right arm and, before the man could react, spun his hand and grabbed his ankle.
Just then, the other man's sweeping leg kick arrived. Li Chonglou lightly lifted his left foot, blocking it with just his sole. The next moment, the man he held by the ankle was slammed towards the ground.
However, Li Chonglou didn't exert too much force. The bodyguard managed to break free in mid-air, and the two, instead of colliding, skillfully pushed each other apart, creating distance.
To outsiders, it appeared as though the two bodyguards had neutralized Li Chonglou's moves and proactively created space. In reality, the backs of both combatants were already drenched in cold sweat.
What kind of freak was this!
The three bodyguards, all motionless, stared at Li Chonglou, cold sweat trickling down their faces.
For those with some martial arts experience, a single move could reveal the gap between themselves and their opponent. Now, after all three had tested him, the seemingly ordinary Li Chonglou had transformed into a towering mountain in their eyes!
They dared not move!
"What are you doing! If you're going to fight, get out!"
Just then, a security guard in his forties rushed in from outside, shouting at everyone.
"What, surrounding yourselves here to pick up gold? I just went to take a dump, and you're already trying to cause trouble?"
The security guard grumbled as he herded the onlookers out, acting like a pompous landlord, full of authority.
Li Chonglou, however, was neither angry nor upset. Instead, he felt grateful in his heart for the timely intervention. He quickly pulled Feng Zheng along and left the quiet bar.
All that remained were the three bodyguards looking like they had narrowly escaped death, the man with the receding hairline with a dark expression, and the man still groaning on the ground.
Although Wang Xiaobao hadn't used excessive force, it was enough to cause him pain for a long time, the kind that wouldn't even be detected by a hospital examination.
Shortly after the two left the bar, Feng Zheng proactively thanked Li Chonglou.
"Brother Li, thank you. I understand what you mean. I will definitely change from now on!"
Seeing Feng Zheng's determined expression, Li Chonglou nodded with satisfaction, but he remained skeptical about whether he could truly change.
After all, humans are creatures of habit, and very few people can genuinely change their ways.
Most people oscillate between repeatedly breaking and trying to stick to their resolutions.
Moreover, what is often said is the opposite of what can be done, because if one's inner strength were sufficient, there would be no need to use words as a tool to encourage oneself or gain the trust of others.
However, to avoid dampening his enthusiasm, Li Chonglou did not voice these thoughts.
Subsequently, the two found Zhang Yu and the other two. The moment Feng Zheng saw Ya Lili, he immediately bowed and apologized to her under the bewildered gazes of the three women.
"This, what's going on?"
Looking at Feng Zheng's resolute face, Zhang Yu felt a bit confused, not understanding the reason. Ya Lili, as the person involved, was even more bewildered.
However, Feng Zheng didn't elaborate, quickly reverting to his mature, confident rich young master persona and steered the conversation towards singing karaoke.
Trusting Li Chonglou, the three women did not press for details about the incident at the bar. Led by Feng Zheng, the five soon entered into a joyful karaoke session.
That night, Ya Lili also felt some changes in Feng Zheng for the first time, the ripples in her eyes occasionally surging.