The girl, blushing, handed over her unlocked phone.
"Go ahead and be busy. See you again if there's a chance," Li Chonglou said, opening WeChat, scanning his own QR code, and then returning the phone to the girl.
Seeing this, the young men who had been sneering moments ago were all filled with envy.
They thought to themselves that this young lady wouldn't escape this guy's grasp.
In reality, Li Chonglou had no such intentions. He didn't care about the girl's supposed repayment, but the instant she defended him, he changed his mind.
Though this world was indifferent, people's hearts were still warm.
Some people, before their blood has cooled, should not be doused with cold water.
This was a basic moral principle of being human.
The antique trade especially emphasized these matters.
For example, if an outsider, overjoyed, bought something at a high price.
If they didn't come to you for appraisal, even if you saw through its authenticity, don't point it out lightly.
Originally, they were filled with joy. Perhaps a few extra words from you turned it into regret, remorse, and self-blame, or even triggered other negative consequences.
This was called destroying someone else's happiness.
Of course, if the other party was a cunning merchant trying to swindle someone, that was a different matter.
"Big brother, I'll find you," the girl nodded earnestly.
After saying that, she went to pay Li Chonglou.
After paying, collecting the medicine, and buying a wheelchair, she rushed to complete the hospital discharge procedures.
Pushing her mother, she got into Zheng Rui's car with the two women.
"Chonglou, thank your friend properly for all his trouble!" Zheng Xiumei said gratefully after getting into the car.
Elderly people were like this. Having lived through times of scarcity, politeness had become an instinct for self-protection.
"We really should thank him," Li Chonglou nodded.
"No, no, it's my duty. He's our brother Lang's friend..." Zheng Rui's face turned red.
He didn't know that Li Chonglou's thanks were for teaching the punks a lesson earlier, not for driving them.
He certainly understood that Zheng Rui had always been displeased with him.
The reason was that he had beaten up Lao Liu, who had harassed a widow.
Lust, for these men in society, was too casual. Coupled with the increasing openness of society, they subconsciously considered harassing women to be a trivial matter.
Therefore, not only did they not admit their mistakes, but they also resented him.
"Brother Lang? Could it be Ning Lang of South City?" Lin Ying asked curiously, looking back at Li Chonglou from the passenger seat, a hint of surprise in her beautiful eyes.
She was well-informed and had keen eyesight, naturally knowing that Zheng Rui was no ordinary person.
Li Chonglou nodded.
He wasn't surprised that his senior sister knew Ning Lang's name.
Cao Chunhua was a veteran of Yong'an's underground forces, a godfather-like figure.
Although he was retired now, his influence and information channels were still intact. It was only natural that he would know the rising stars of Yong'an.
Given Lin Ying's relationship with him, upon arriving in Yong'an, she would have first investigated the undercurrents of the situation.
It was perfectly logical for her to know.
Instead, Lin Ying's pretty face couldn't hide her shock.
How long had it been since she arrived in Yong'an, and she had already made friends?
Moreover, he was one of the two most prominent overlords in Yong'an's underworld.
South City's Brother Lang.
She had to admit that her junior disciple had excellent people skills.
"You know our Brother Lang?" Zheng Rui asked curiously when Lin Ying mentioned his boss's name.
A woman actually knew Brother Lang's name?
"I heard Old Master Cao mention him. He's among the best of the younger generation," Lin Ying replied faintly, turning her head back.
Upon hearing this, Zheng Rui couldn't help but be stunned.
Old Master Cao?
Younger generation!
Who in Yong'an City dared to speak so boldly, calling Brother Lang a junior?
Could it be...
The image of a lewd old man surfaced in Zheng Rui's mind, causing him to involuntarily shiver.
In the underworld, who else who could hold their ground was surnamed Cao?
Lin Ying actually had dealings with him. This...
Did Brother Lang know Li Chonglou's background from the start?
No wonder...
He hadn't been discreet and had harbored resentment. If Li Chonglou caught him out and told the senior surnamed Cao, given that senior's temper and personality, wouldn't he be made to suffer endlessly?
It seemed he couldn't hold onto his grudges anymore.
Li Chonglou had no idea that his senior sister's few words had completely dissolved Zheng Rui's resentment towards him.
They returned to Ning Lang's grand mansion.
Zheng Xiumei looked around, her face full of amazement.
It was exactly like Granny Liu visiting the Grand View Garden.
She kept exclaiming as she looked: "Son, we really need to thank your friend properly..."
"Mom never imagined she'd live to see such a house in her lifetime..."
After all, such grand mansions were residences of high officials and nobles even in ancient times, and ordinary people didn't even have the资格 to step through the gate.
"Auntie, you're too kind. Chonglou is my brother, no need for thanks." Ning Lang personally welcomed them to the courtyard.
After speaking, his gaze swept over Lin Ying and Jiang Yuxin.
He secretly admired Li Chonglou, who was truly unfathomable.
These two women, one was noble and cold, the other was spirited and graceful.
To marry either one of them, how many men would risk their lives? He wondered which one was his wife.
"This is Ning Lang, this is my mother, my wife Jiang Yuxin, and my senior sister Lin Ying." Li Chonglou naturally steered the conversation elsewhere.
Zhang Dongxu had already tidied up the house and came scurrying out, saluting them: "Dearest Auntie, Dearest Madam, Uncle!"
The group was bewildered.
Jiang Yuxin's face flushed red to her ears, feeling a burning heat.
Although she had been married to Li Chonglou for over three years, being called "Dearest Madam" so suddenly, a title she rarely heard, had a strong impact.
Lin Ying gave Li Chonglou a look, wanting to ask him what was going on.
When did her junior disciple take on a disciple, and she didn't even know?
"He's like a stubborn leech. Unless Master agrees, I can't possibly accept him," Li Chonglou quickly explained.
This was a major issue.
He knew firsthand the strictness of the Lin family's disciple recruitment.
In his previous life, how long had his Master considered him? It was only in dire straits that he extended his hand and made a decision.
Besides him, only Lin Ying, his daughter, was his successor.
As for the disciples his senior sister had taken, each was a prominent figure in Qin Zhou, an elite in various fields.
If she found out that Zhang Dongxu was a loan shark hooligan, she would probably be extremely displeased.
These words were also for Zhang Dongxu's ears.
To make him aware and not speak so casually.
"Dearest Madam, let me!" Zhang Dongxu, however, showed no self-awareness, still with a smiling face. He snatched the wheelchair from Jiang Yuxin, trying to be attentive.
"He does have some perceptiveness," Lin Ying said with a smile.
Seeing Jiang Yuxin's expression, Li Chonglou found it amusing and didn't stop Zhang Dongxu, letting him act as he pleased.
Everyone inspected their rooms and found them very satisfactory.
Ning Lang ordered a table of food and wine to be prepared and fired up in his grand mansion to welcome Li Chonglou's family.
Within a few words, he had bonded with everyone.
Lin Ying secretly observed this rising star mentioned by Old Master Cao. He was indeed somewhat extraordinary.
His demeanor in dealing with people showed no trace of a thug; instead, it exuded the refinement of a scholar.
As the saying goes, thugs are not frightening; what's frightening are cultured thugs.
It was indeed understandable that he could occupy the entire South City in Yong'an and stand firm for many years.
To prevent Zheng Xiumei's heart from being overwhelmed, Lin Ying and Li Chonglou tacitly agreed not to mention Ning Lang's profession.
Coupled with his refined demeanor, Zheng Xiumei naturally wouldn't think too much of it.
After dinner, Li Chonglou attended to his mother as she slept.
Then he greeted Jiang Yuxin and Lin Ying: "I need to go out and do something. You two stay here."
"Go ahead. With me and Yuxin here, you don't need to worry about things at home," Lin Ying nodded.
At the banquet, it was she who first received a message from Liu Pinger and forwarded it to Li Chonglou.
The people from the water gun club had begun their actions.
Furthermore, they had found some clues, prompting Li Chonglou to go over personally.
It might be related to the base.
He borrowed a car from Ning Lang, declined Zheng Rui's offer to accompany him, and drove to the club himself.
An hour and a half later.
"Why are you alone? Where's Sister Lin?" Liu Pinger, wearing light makeup and exuding charm, looked past Li Chonglou.
"Senior sister has family matters. From now on, you can contact me directly," Li Chonglou said, getting straight to the point: "Tell me, what did you find out?"
"This isn't the place to talk. Come inside," Liu Pinger gestured towards her transparent glass office.
With a sway of her waist, she led Li Chonglou inside.
Boom!
Just then, a deafening explosion suddenly sounded at the entrance.
The large iron gate was instantly shrouded in smoke and dust.
"It's a bomb, not a prop, it's real! Everyone take cover!" Xu Tianyou's roar echoed throughout the Loft space.
The club members, who were practicing combat drills, immediately hid behind various ruined walls and obstacles.
These people practically conducted combat drills every day.
When faced with such a sudden situation, their reaction was far quicker than that of ordinary people.
Li Chonglou and Liu Pinger were both startled by the explosion.
"What's going on?" Liu Pinger asked, her face pale.
Before she finished speaking, a Dongfeng Mengshi armored vehicle rumbled through the smoke and dust, crashing through the already deformed iron gate and charging into the hall.
The vehicle door opened, and four burly men in camouflage uniforms, carrying AKs and with their faces covered except for their eyes, rushed out.
They opened fire towards the place where Li Chonglou and Liu Pinger were.
Startled, Liu Pinger screamed.
When she came to her senses, she was already being held tightly in Li Chonglou's arms and dragged behind a concrete pillar.
In the urgent situation, Li Chonglou didn't pay attention to his posture or movements when he pulled her.
He just felt a soft body behind him.
Until Liu Pinger's scream reached his ears: "Pervert, let go!"
He didn't mind much. Such a clumsy mistake wasn't enough to fluster him, but Liu Pinger's entire face had turned as red as a peach.
Even her light makeup couldn't hide it.
Her beautiful eyes were red, a mixture of gratitude and indignation. She turned and glared fiercely at Li Chonglou.
"We are people of the martial world, we don't stand on ceremony..." Li Chonglou, feeling uneasy under her gaze, avoided her eyes and poked his head out to assess the situation.
Whoosh!
As he peeked out, a bullet whizzed past his scalp.
Fortunately, Li Chonglou reacted quickly; otherwise, this shot would have directly pierced his skull.
"Such professional marksmanship. These four are definitely not ordinary people, they look like special forces..."
Li Chonglou's eyes twitched slightly, and he said indifferently, "It seems they're here to kill you..."
"It looks like you found something significant."
"What is it exactly?"
At this moment, Li Chonglou couldn't suppress his curiosity.