Li Chonglou sneered, "Oh, and who might be backing you?"
Tossing the pistol aside, Li Chonglou took slow, deliberate steps toward Gao Feng as he spoke.
"What do you think you're doing? I'm telling you, my father is a major shareholder of Hongxing Group! And my brother knows people in the Honggang Branch Bureau! If you dare to touch me, I guarantee you won't get out of Shangjing alive!"
Li Chonglou's steps suddenly halted.
"What did you just say? Honggang Branch Bureau? The Honggang Police Branch Bureau?"
Hearing Li Chonglou's words, Gao Feng thought he was scared and visibly relaxed, then sneered, "That's right, not only am I rich, but the police station also..."
Before he could finish, Li Chonglou slapped him across the face. A yellowed tooth flew from his mouth, and Gao Feng, clutching his right cheek, stared at Li Chonglou in disbelief.
"You actually dare to hit me?"
"So what if I did?"
As he said this, Li Chonglou stepped forward and slapped him again, sending Gao Feng sprawling onto the sofa.
"Damn it! I'll fight you!"
Humiliated like this, the proud Gao Feng could no longer tolerate it. With a frenzied expression, he lunged at Li Chonglou, seemingly intent on a life-or-death struggle, completely oblivious to his own strength.
Before Gao Feng could even get close, Li Chonglou kicked him away like a dead dog, sending him back onto the sofa, clutching his stomach in pain.
Li Chonglou, having vented most of his anger, tidied his clothes and asked Gao Feng calmly.
"Is your brother's name Yuan?"
Gao Feng gritted his teeth against the pain in his abdomen. "You know my brother?"
It was true. Li Chonglou couldn't help but feel how strange fate was, that both brothers had fallen into his hands.
"We've met, sort of. Don't worry, I'll send you to see him shortly."
At the Honggang Branch Bureau, which was still undergoing reorganization, Li Chonglou's call came in.
The person who answered was the only surviving veteran police officer. When he recognized Li Chonglou's voice, his expression instantly turned serious.
"Don't worry, we'll be there within ten minutes!"
Having done all this, Li Chonglou walked over to Hai Yan and helped her up.
"Thank you."
However, Hai Yan was hesitant to meet Li Chonglou's gaze, unsure if it was due to shyness or guilt.
As they walked out of the bar and onto the street, Li Chonglou sighed and said to her, "From now on, you have to figure out your own path. Don't contact me again."
It wasn't that he was heartless, but they had barely interacted, practically strangers. For a stranger to do this much for her was already unprecedented.
Hai Yan kept her head bowed until she suddenly looked up, her hands gripping Li Chonglou's arm tightly.
"Can you lend me a hundred thousand? I'll pay you back, I promise!"
Only then did Li Chonglou notice the bruises on her face. He felt he had gone too easy on her. Regarding her request, Li Chonglou frowned.
"We've only met twice, haven't we? Do you think if you were me, you would lend it?"
"No."
Hai Yan replied honestly.
"Then that's that."
"But I can earn money, really. I used to be an accountant, and the salary wasn't low. As long as I have time to work, I can pay you back within a year!"
Li Chonglou's eyebrows suddenly shot up. "You used to be an accountant?"
Hai Yan blinked in surprise. Although she didn't know why Li Chonglou asked this, she answered seriously, "Yes, I've been doing that since my first job, for at least ten years."
"Then why did you end up in this situation? And why did you gamble with the money I gave you?" Li Chonglou asked, puzzled.
Hai Yan suddenly let go of his hand, her expression turning somber.
"It was because of my younger brother. A year ago, he got sick and needed a lot of money, so I borrowed from Young Master. But my brother... still..."
A large tear rolled down her cheek and fell to the ground. Li Chonglou sighed softly, realizing she was also someone who had suffered misfortune.
However, she still hadn't explained the gambling, so he pressed further. Hai Yan then elaborated.
"After my brother passed away, I couldn't cope. I completely let myself go, smoking, drinking, going to nightclubs every day. It felt like only by becoming a delinquent could I numb myself. And because of Young Master's issues, I couldn't find stable work, so I was always hiding, earning money through gambling."
Li Chonglou fell silent.
"Don't worry, even though I let myself go, I still have boundaries! And gambling was just an escape from reality. I definitely won't do it again! As long as you lend me the money to sort this out."
Perhaps it was due to the night's events, but Hai Yan seemed to have woken up. Her eyes were filled with sincerity as she spoke.
"Oh? So you're saying if I don't lend you the money, you'll relapse?" Li Chonglou asked, his expression tinged with annoyance.
Hai Yan's face changed, and she quickly waved her hands in alarm. "No, that's not what I meant. Even if you don't lend it, I'll still leave here and find a place where he can't find me to work and earn money. I will definitely pay him back."
Li Chonglou nodded, then pondered for a moment before giving her an answer.
"How about this, I'll give you some money first to see a doctor. Regarding the loan, I'll consider it."
Hai Yan's eyes lit up. Not a direct refusal was good news for her, and she understood that an amount like a hundred thousand would indeed require consideration.
So Hai Yan nodded with surprise and joy. "Okay, no rush!"
As for the medical expenses Li Chonglou mentioned, Hai Yan said she had some savings and didn't need help. She then hailed a taxi to go to the hospital.
Li Chonglou, as the person who made the report, couldn't leave yet. Fortunately, the ten minutes the veteran police officer mentioned were indeed ten minutes. Shortly after Hai Yan left, he arrived in a police car with several other people.
"Mr. Li, I didn't expect to see you so soon. These are colleagues who have been transferred..."
Liu Hai was about to introduce them when he unexpectedly saw his new colleagues greet Li Chonglou proactively.
"Brother Chonglou, long time no see."
These three were Lin Qianqian's colleagues. Since she was in charge of the Honggang Branch Bureau, she had her colleagues temporarily transferred to help.
And Li Chonglou, having interacted with Lin Qianqian before, was known to everyone in the branch bureau, who had even given him a nickname behind his back.
Of course, that nickname was best left unsaid...