Seeing that the few non-mainstream youths were sufficiently intimidated, Han Lang finally nodded.
"Alright, alright. If it weren't for your young age, I'd have broken one of your legs today. You don't know anything and you're trying to act tough. Get lost!"
The non-mainstream youths, relieved, fled in a panic. Halfway through, they turned back and knelt before Han Lang with thuds.
"Boss, why don't you take us in? We want to follow you!"
Han Lang's eyes widened like a bull's. This was not what he had expected.
He had only pretended to be a big shot to help Ma Long save these misguided youths. He never expected them to actually believe he was the local boss and want to follow him. This caught him off guard.
"You think you can follow me? This is the new era. You can't even support yourselves, and you want to get involved in society? Do you see any大哥 who would take you in!"
He then took out several thousand yuan from his wallet and threw it at them, continuing,
"You're adults now, and your pockets are probably emptier than your faces. Consider this money my reward. Come back to me when each of you can earn 3,000 yuan a month. That's the minimum requirement to follow me!"
The youths were filled with shame. They shakily picked up the money.
"Thank you, boss, for your guidance. We never imagined that being involved in society in the new era had such requirements. Boss, please wait for us. When we earn money, we will definitely come back to repay you!"
After kowtowing to Han Lang three times, they left with determined gazes.
Watching them leave, Ma Long also stood up and limped away in another direction.
Seeing this, Han Lang quickly called out to him.
"Hey, are you Ma Long? I've saved you twice. Shouldn't you thank me?"
"I didn't ask you to. You're just meddling!"
Ma Long's tone remained cold, and Han Lang's temper flared, but he suppressed it.
"You were using military combat techniques just now, weren't you? Are you a soldier?"
Hearing this, Ma Long's body trembled as if his soft spot had been hit. He turned back, looking at Han Lang with icy eyes.
"That's none of your business!"
Seeing Ma Long's strong reaction, Han Lang wasn't angry; instead, he became more interested.
"I see your leg injury. It was probably caused by a beast trap meant for large animals in the jungle, wasn't it? If I'm not mistaken, it was a comminuted fracture, and the lingering problem arose from missing the optimal treatment window, right?"
Han Lang's persistent probing infuriated Ma Long. Gritting his teeth, he glared at Han Lang and said,
"I told you, that's none of your business!"
But how could Han Lang be afraid of him? He chuckled and continued,
"You can't stand to see others suffer, and you're a soldier. You can enter the jungle, and for some reason, you missed the best time for treatment. You must have been a member of the special forces before, right? Were you in the jungle for a mission?"
As Han Lang gradually uncovered his unwillingly revealed identity and past, Ma Long became enraged. Despite his impaired mobility, he quickly flashed to Han Lang's front, grabbed his collar, and said fiercely,
"Shut up! I told you, that's none of your business!"
Ma Long deliberately emphasized the words "none of your business" as a warning. Although his collar was grabbed, Han Lang was not afraid. He calmly said,
"I can heal your leg!"
These six words struck Ma Long's heart like lightning.
His experience was indeed similar to what Han Lang had described.
Five years ago, he was one of the most outstanding members of the Long Yan Special Forces. During a combat mission, his team secretly infiltrated a jungle.
However, it was his first time in the jungle, and he accidentally stepped into a giant beast trap. To avoid alerting the enemy, despite the excruciating pain, he didn't make a sound.
By the time his team successfully completed the mission, he had missed the optimal treatment window.
As a result, he not only left the military he loved but also became disabled.
"What did you say?"
Ma Long looked at Han Lang in disbelief, but his grip on Han Lang's collar loosened involuntarily.
"I said, I can heal your leg!"
Han Lang repeated the sentence clearly and deliberately.
This time, Ma Long completely let go of Han Lang. The coldness in his eyes was replaced by tears, and he stared blankly, mocking himself.
"Don't joke. It's been five years! Even the military couldn't help. Where is there any hope of recovery? I'm destined to be a useless cripple for the rest of my life!"
Seeing that Ma Long didn't believe him, Han Lang patiently said again,
"I really can heal it! Don't you want to try?"
Try?
Ma Long's heart fluttered.
This sentence gave him hope and motivation.
Although he felt that the person in front of him was likely joking, should he easily give up such an opportunity?
What if?
With this thought, he said with a mix of belief and doubt,
"If you can truly heal me, I will follow your lead from now on!"
"That's not necessary! I just find you agreeable."
Han Lang tidied his disheveled collar while preparing to walk towards "Currying Smoke." He turned back and found Ma Long standing still.
"What are you standing there for? Let's go!"
"Go where?"
Han Lang sighed deeply and returned to Ma Long's side, saying,
"First, if you want your leg healed, you have to follow me, right? Otherwise, where will I find you next time?"
"Second, it's getting late. Even if you're not hungry, don't you have to let me fill my stomach?"
"Third, to help you, I left my most important client at the restaurant. Don't you think I should handle this matter first? Are you just going to follow my lead like this?"
Hearing this, Ma Long's face showed a rare hint of embarrassment.
"Alright, I'll go with you!"
With that, he followed Han Lang into "Currying Smoke."
Upon entering, Ma Long's attire attracted a lot of attention, and even the staff looked at him warily.
To avoid unnecessary trouble, Han Lang deliberately found a waiter, took out a wad of cash, arranged a private room for Ma Long, and then turned back to instruct him,
"Don't misunderstand me. I don't look down on you. It's just that I have guests over there, and your current appearance isn't suitable for bringing you directly. You stay here, order whatever you want to eat. I've already paid. Is that okay?"
Ma Long was down on his luck, but he wasn't stupid.
His current attire would indeed be disrespectful if Han Lang brought him to see a client. Besides, the food and drinks were arranged, and it was fine for him to stay alone.
So he nodded and said,
"Okay! But be careful not to drink too much, or I won't know where to find you."
Han Lang's face darkened. This was the first time someone had told him to drink less, and it wasn't a relative or lover, but this disheveled, seven-foot-tall man!
This left him speechless.
"Alright! I got it!"
He then left and walked towards Luo Jiaying's private room.