Xicheng Old Ghost.
He was the boss of the debt collection company that Zhang Dongxu served, and a notable figure in Yong'an's underground society.
This was why Zhang Dongxu had bragged to Li Chonglou that his backer was superior to the Xiao family in Yong'an.
That statement was three parts truth and seven parts exaggeration.
After all, the Xiao family were businessmen, not gangsters.
People like Old Ghost were useful but not to be trusted.
Thus, hypocrisy was unavoidable when they met.
With a few rounds of interaction and some embellishment, it naturally became that even the Xiao family feared him.
Zhang Dongxu brought up Old Ghost purely to make the other party wary, but he never expected it to further ignite their hostility.
He felt a sense of foreboding.
Despite being skilled at fighting, how could he handle so many people alone?
Fortunately, Li Chonglou was by his side. He quickly took a step back and hid behind Li Chonglou.
"No need to tie me up, I'll go with you." Li Chonglou surprisingly did not resist. He simply raised a hand to stop the thugs rushing to pin him down, and said with a calm expression.
"Master, entering the tiger's den is fraught with danger..." Zhang Dongxu's face changed drastically as he hurriedly warned.
Having spent several years in the underworld, his judgment was not bad.
He could tell at a glance that these people had a grievance with the phantom backer Zhang Dongxu had conjured.
If they went to their territory, it would be like a chicken entering a cage, at the mercy of its captors.
"I thought you were unlearned, but you use idioms quite appropriately." Li Chonglou placed his hands behind his back and swaggered towards their car.
Seeing this, the man with arms that reached his knees looked suspicious.
However, he didn't order his men to use force again.
Zhang Dongxu, seeing this, had no choice but to follow nervously.
He couldn't understand what Li Chonglou was thinking.
Knowing the danger but heading straight into it?
This was their territory; no matter how capable he was, could he fight against guns with bare hands?
This was a big trouble now.
He had intended to protect himself but ended up backfiring.
His face was full of self-reproach and resentment, and his heart was filled with苦苦哀求 (bitter pleading, but here it implies suffering).
Li Chonglou took in Zhang Dongxu's behavior with his peripheral vision and shook his head inwardly.
With such a disposition, he still wanted to be his disciple.
Panicking at the slightest trouble, his true nature as a social climber was instantly exposed. Using someone else's name to protect himself was something a weak person would do.
In Yong'an, he didn't know many people. People like Cao Chunhua, who had some influence in the underground, were just江湖人 (people of the jianghu, or underworld).
They were not true gangsters.
After all, he was of a certain age and had connections with the Xiao family, so there was no need.
To ordinary people, he was like a presence in the clouds, with no solid footing. Asking him to investigate people would only yield superficial information.
Therefore, all of this had to be handled by himself.
But if he continued to investigate on his own, who knew how long it would take.
After all, Yong'an was so vast. Once he left this path, who knew where it would lead?
Since this Brother Wolf was the boss of the South City,
He would definitely have to meet him.
Rats have their ways, and snakes have their paths.
Perhaps, he might gain something unexpected.
Brother Long-Arm, sitting in the passenger seat, saw Li Chonglou get into the car and close his eyes, remaining silent. He couldn't help but sneer, "Stop pretending, still putting on a show when death is at your doorstep."
"Kid, since when did Old Ghost's men start acting like chivalrous heroes?"
"Lao Liu couldn't even speak after you beat him."
"Brother Wolf only said to bring you back, he didn't say whether you'd come back intact!"
As he spoke, he turned around, a nutcracker appearing in his hand.
A subordinate sitting next to Li Chonglou understood the gesture and immediately grabbed Li Chonglou's arm.
He intended to restrain and pin him down.
But the next second, the subordinate's face turned a deep purple.
Although he had gripped Li Chonglou's arm with both hands, he couldn't move it no matter how hard he tried. It felt like he was twisting a solid steel rod.
What was going on?
"A trained fighter!" Brother Long-Arm's pupils constricted, and he immediately understood why Lao Liu's face had been swollen into a pig's head.
Li Chonglou's composure was not something that could be faked.
As the saying goes, confidence comes with skill.
The fact that he dared to return with them to see Brother Wolf meant this guy was no ordinary person.
Should he use this finger or not?
For a moment, Brother Long-Arm was in a dilemma.
His brother had been beaten, and he was filled with rage, wanting to slap Li Chonglou a couple of times.
But for some reason, upon seeing Li Chonglou, his anger was suppressed, and he even felt a little afraid to meet his gaze.
From that upright and unyielding body, a chilling aura emanated.
Yet, upon closer inspection, there was nothing there.
It was truly as if he had encountered a ghost.
Forget it!
He had promised Lao Liu to avenge him. If he gave up because of some inexplicable feeling, how could he continue to mix in society?
Thinking of this, Brother Long-Arm's eyes turned sinister.
He turned around and reached out to grab Li Chonglou's finger.
Ah!
The next second, a scream erupted from Brother Long-Arm's mouth. At some unknown time, his middle finger had been grasped by Li Chonglou.
The nutcracker in his hand had already fallen into Li Chonglou's possession.
The pain made cold sweat stream down his forehead, and he dared not move.
The subordinate sitting beside Li Chonglou was so terrified that he was frozen stiff, completely stunned.
Li Chonglou casually tossed the nutcracker to Zhang Dongxu and then effortlessly released Brother Long-Arm's finger.
He closed his eyes.
Brother Long-Arm, clutching his finger tightly, was filled with resentment and venom.
He no longer dared to trouble Li Chonglou.
But his pride was wounded, so he uttered a fierce curse, "You little bastard, just you wait. If I don't break both your legs after meeting Brother Wolf, I'll be your son!"
Li Chonglou ignored him.
In less than twenty minutes, two cars drove into a traditional Huizhou-style building with white walls and black tiles.
Zhang Dongxu was nervously pulled out of the car.
Following Li Chonglou, he was led into the main house.
"You brought the person?" The room was filled with a captivating sandalwood incense. As Brother Long-Arm entered, a magnetic voice from within spoke.
"Brother Wolf, I've brought him back. It's this kid who beat up Lao Liu," Brother Long-Arm pointed at Li Chonglou and said.
Li Chonglou paid him no mind, instead placing his hands behind his back and surveying the room's furnishings.
The style was antique. A middle-aged man in a copper-coin patterned robe was fiddling with an incense burner, his back to them.
The room was furnished with red sandalwood furniture made of small-leaf rosewood.
Exquisite and unparalleled.
Besides these, there were also many porcelain pieces and calligraphy and paintings.
In a glass cabinet nearby, a piece of agarwood shaped to resemble mountains and rivers was displayed.
This environment did not look like that of a gangster's dwelling. Instead, it resembled the residence of a noble from a scholarly family, passed down through generations.
"Why did you hit my man?" At this moment, the middle-aged man, holding an incense burner, asked Li Chonglou.
Li Chonglou looked at the man's appearance and muttered to himself.
His features were lean, his eyes were deep-set, and his gaze was clear and untainted.
Between his brows, there was an aura of scholarship, making him appear exceptionally intelligent at first glance.
Such a person did not look like a gangster at all.
To have chosen such a violent and exaggerated moniker as Brother Wolf was truly eye-opening.
"Seeing as you're likely a reasonable person,"
Li Chonglou smiled and replied, "Your subordinate went to the widow's convenience store and tried to commit violence.
"I happened to pass by and didn't intend to interfere, but he insisted on taking me back to teach me a lesson.
"Since you don't manage your subordinates, I'll help you manage them."
These words were exceptionally arrogant.
Instantly, Brother Long-Arm's face turned ashen.
He cried out, "Damn it, you're looking for death, speaking to Brother Wolf like that. I'll kill you!"
He raised his arms, which reached his knees, and swung at Li Chonglou's face.
On the car, he was facing backward, his hand not in a good position, which was why he felt Li Chonglou had managed to grab his finger.
Now, with open space and having practiced martial arts since childhood, what did it matter if he faced a trained fighter?
Most importantly, Li Chonglou dared to disrespect Brother Wolf, whom he held in high esteem like a god. With new and old grudges combined, he wished to blast Li Chonglou's brains out with this slap.
He held nothing back.
Brother Wolf's pupils contracted upon seeing this, but he showed no other reaction.
Slap!
Just as Brother Long-Arm's palm was about to strike Li Chonglou's face, Li Chonglou gently reached out and blocked it.
He caught the incoming palm and, with a subtle pull, Brother Long-Arm lost his balance and fell headfirst onto the doorstep.
He was bruised and bleeding from the mouth.
"I said, if you don't teach him, I will," Li Chonglou's smile remained unchanged.
Zhang Dongxu gasped, his eyes becoming distant.
He knew Li Chonglou was capable, but he never expected him to be so audacious.
On the enemy's territory, he was acting like the host. Was he truly not afraid of losing his life here?
Compared to Li Chonglou, he felt utterly pathetic.
"Why are you so sure I won't trouble you?" Brother Wolf asked calmly, as if the person being beaten was not his subordinate.
"From what I see, you're a collector. Newly rich antique dealers can also play the game, but to play it skillfully, elegantly, and with finesse, one must be of noble birth," Li Chonglou gestured to the surrounding furnishings. "What do nobles value? Rules!"
"Your subordinate broke the rules first. Educating him for you is to bring you honor.
"You wouldn't attack me, otherwise, you wouldn't have invited me back."
Before arriving, he had pondered in the car why Brother Wolf had brought him back.
Wouldn't it have been better to have him beaten right there?
What kind of gangster brings trouble to someone's home? Either they were perverted or out of the ordinary.
As soon as he saw the man, he was certain that Brother Wolf was no ordinary person.
This could be seen from the things he collected.
Not to mention the furniture and decorations, the imitation Zhengde furnace in his hand alone was worth millions.
Using money on the path of incense and antiques rather than fast cars and beautiful women suggested that Brother Wolf's inner cultivation was likely far beyond that of an ordinary gangster.
Therefore, Li Chonglou was confident and unafraid.
"Well said!"
Brother Wolf smiled broadly and then waved his hand, ordering his subordinates, "Take him down and treat him."
"In the future, keep your eyes sharp. People are different; some cannot be provoked."
These words were clearly praising Li Chonglou.
His subordinates and Brother Long-Arm were all dumbfounded.
Everyone knew that Brother Wolf had extremely high self-regard and a cold disposition. Although he was the boss, he never acted arrogantly like other bosses.
Nor had they ever seen him praise anyone.
Honestly, as long as he wanted to, no one doubted his ability to unify Yong'an in a short period.
But he seemed content to stay in his corner, without ambition.
He spent his days playing with the things old men played with.
Yet, even so, they dared not disobey Brother Wolf's words in the slightest.
With one on each side, they hurriedly helped Brother Long-Arm out.
Inside the room, only three people remained.
Zhang Dongxu didn't dare to breathe.
Li Chonglou broke the silence first. "Your taste is excellent, but in the realm of antiques, you still lack experience.
"A superficial display, rotten within."
These words were earth-shattering.
Brother Wolf's smile froze instantly.
Seeing this, Zhang Dongxu's heart trembled.
Li Chonglou was too arrogant. He had already beaten up the other party's men, but now he dared to criticize and insult their possessions?
Even with his keen eye from working at the pawnshop, he shouldn't have stabbed the other party in the heart like this.
This was it.