"Zhou Hu!"
A sharp shout echoed through the empty street.
Little Hu, whose name was called, looked up, his pupils contracting sharply, and immediately pulled Gao Qiqiang and Gao Qisheng back.
Crash!
Just as they fled, the more than ten youths wielding clubs and sticks immediately gave chase.
Gao Qiqiang, running, looked back at the swaying figures of the pursuers and asked urgently, "Little Hu, what's going on? Who are they?"
"The one leading them is Li Fan from Guangliang Street. I had a few run-ins with him when he was in the debt collection business."
Zhou Hu panted heavily, gritting his teeth and cursing, "Damn it, I was careless. Now that my brother has surrendered and been arrested, this Li guy won't dare to come to North Factory Street, but he'll definitely ambush me outside!"
As he spoke, he took out his phone and directly called his trusted subordinate to call for backup.
Gao Qiqiang and Gao Qisheng exchanged glances, said nothing, and continued to flee.
After running for about half a minute, the three were only fifty meters away from North Factory Street.
Seeing their destination so close, the Gao brothers and Zhou Hu charged forward as if possessed.
But when the roar of several motorcycles erupted from behind them, their hearts chilled, and they thought, "We're finished."
Vroom! Vroom! Vroom!
Five motorcycles overtook them and stopped horizontally in the middle of the road, blocking their escape route.
A bald youth wearing a thick gold chain, with a deep scar near his eye, dismounted from one of the motorcycles.
This person was Li Fan, the enemy of the Dragon Tiger brothers!
Seeing Zhou Hu blocked, Li Fan said nothing, raised the crowbar in his hand, and swung it at Little Hu's head.
At the same time, the others raised their clubs and began to rain blows down on Gao Qiqiang and Gao Qisheng.
In an instant, the three were knocked to the ground, disappearing into the chaos.
The shouts of the attackers, the muffled thuds of clubs hitting flesh, and the wretched cries of the three echoed through the cold, clear street.
In less than half a minute, the three lay on the ground, utterly silent.
Just then, a large group of youths armed with knives and spears ran out from North Factory Street.
"Brother Hu!"
"Damn you, Li Fan!"
"Kill them!"
As soon as Zhou family's subordinates arrived, a chaotic melee erupted between the two sides.
Less than a minute after they met, police lights flashed at the end of the street, and the loud wail of police sirens followed.
Crash!
Dozens of people who had been in a fierce brawl immediately scattered with their weapons.
As for the dazed Gao Qiqiang, Gao Qisheng, and Zhou Hu, they were immediately sent to the hospital after the police arrived.
Eleven o'clock at night.
Since they only had minor flesh wounds, the three regained consciousness as soon as they were taken to the hospital.
After their wounds were bandaged and they were confirmed to be alright, they were taken back to the district police station for separate interviews.
Gao Qiqiang and Gao Qisheng's statements were identical: they claimed to be passing by and were inexplicably beaten.
Zhou Hu, being a frequent visitor to the police station, handled the interview with practiced ease.
During questioning, he did not reveal Li Fan's name.
After all, he was ambushed right outside North Factory Street, and he had to regain face and territory.
Because none of them revealed the true circumstances of their assault, Zhou Hu, who already had a criminal record, was likely to face criminal charges.
Gao Qiqiang and Gao Qisheng, however, were unjustly detained for a week for disturbing public order.
When the brothers learned they would be detained for a week, they panicked.
The Gao Lan Cosmetics flagship store had only been open for one day, and its manager and assistant manager were now being detained for seven days.
They weren't afraid of the people from North Factory Street knowing, but they were terrified of the news reaching Gao Fei.
The flagship store was an opportunity their sister had fought for, and Gao Fei had also warned Gao Qiqiang to make good money and stay out of trouble.
Now that they were facing a seven-day detention, if Gao Fei found out, the future of their cosmetics store would be uncertain.
The two of them were being detained for participating in a brawl.
Therefore, Gao Qisheng wanted to contact his sister, asking her to leverage her connection with Gao Fei to bail them out.
But as soon as he suggested asking Gao Qilan to go through Gao Fei's connections, his elder brother, Gao Qiqiang, stopped him.
"Brother, even if we hide it from General Manager Gao now, he'll find out eventually. It's better to confess to him directly."
Gao Qisheng said helplessly.
Gao Qiqiang shook his head and sighed, "Little Sheng, we are just employees under General Manager Gao. He helps us because of Little Lan's face.
If you ask General Manager Gao for help every time something happens, how can Little Lan face him in the future, and how can she continue to work at the cosmetics factory?"
Hearing this explanation, Gao Qisheng fell silent.
He leaned against the wall of the detention cell and sighed heavily, chuckling wryly, "The cosmetics store has only been open for a day, and the two of us, the people in charge, are being detained. If this gets out, it will surely become a joke in the industry."
Gao Qiqiang opened his mouth, but ultimately agreed with his brother's assessment.
As the two brothers were lost in their own thoughts, wondering who to turn to for help, the door suddenly opened.
A middle-aged man in uniform beckoned to them, "You can go out now. Someone has come to bail you out!"
"Someone's bailing us out? Who?"
Gao Qiqiang asked, bewildered.
Gao Qisheng was also stunned. Someone had actually come to bail them out.
Could it be Little Lan?
Seeing their surprised and fearful expressions, the older policeman chuckled, giving them a meaningful look. "You said earlier you didn't have connections with any big bosses, and now that something's happened and the case was about to be submitted, someone's putting in a good word for you!"
Without directly revealing the identity of the bailor, he had the Gao brothers sign their names and leave their fingerprints before escorting them out.
In another detention cell.
Seeing Gao Qiqiang and Gao Qisheng, whose handcuffs had been removed, Zhou Hu was taken aback.
"Brother Qiang, you can go out?"
He strode to the iron bars, asking in surprise.
Just as Gao Qiqiang was about to speak, the middle-aged man beside him frowned, "Is this a marketplace? Get out!"
The man pushed them out without giving them a chance to communicate.
Watching their retreating backs, Zhou Hu was full of curiosity.
Only when the on-duty middle-aged policeman returned did he couldn't help but ask, "Uncle Yang, who bailed out the Gao brothers? Tell me about it."
The middle-aged man chuckled, no longer playing coy, and said directly, "Guo Yue, the owner of Caesar's Palace!"
Hearing that it was Boss Guo from Caesar's Palace who bailed them out, Zhou Hu was instantly stunned.
The middle-aged man glanced at the bewildered Little Hu and said with a laugh while taking a sip of tea, "Little Hu, it's not that I want to lecture you. Look at Boss Guo, he can get people out with just one phone call.
As for you and Zhou Long, after all your messing around, you've only managed to get a market management position. Your rap sheet is almost half a meter high. Anything goes wrong, and you'll all end up in jail.
When you get out this time, find a different line of work. If you want to play the tough guy game, the best you and your brother can hope for is to be small-time street thugs."
Zhou Hu, receiving the man's lecture, remained silent, lowering his head.
However, in his heart, he wholeheartedly agreed with Uncle Yang's words.
As Uncle Yang said, if he and his elder brother continued down this path, they would either die on the streets or rot in prison, with no good ending in sight.
Just as the middle-aged man was about to continue his lecture, a colleague suddenly pushed the door open.
The colleague glanced at the two of them and produced some documents, "Old Yang, open the door. Zhou Hu needs to sign, and Guo Yue wants to bail him out too."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Hu was stunned again.
The middle-aged man who had been lecturing him also showed a look of surprise.
"What's going on, Old Li? Why would Guo Yue want to bail him out too?"
"Guo Yue definitely doesn't know Zhou Hu, but that Gao Qiqiang who was just released said Zhou Hu is his brother, so she found connections to bail him out."
Listening to their conversation, Zhou Hu was both surprised and delighted.
He hadn't expected Brother Qiang to be able to ask Guo Yue to bail him out.
A moment later.
As Zhou Hu stepped out of the police station, the horn of a black luxury van honked twice.
Gao Qiqiang, inside the car, rolled down the window and beckoned to him, "Little Hu, get in!"
Zhou Hu nodded in agreement, crossed the street, and got into the car.
Inside the car, besides Gao Qiqiang and Gao Qisheng, there was only a driver. Guo Yue was not present.
As soon as Little Hu got in, the driver drove the three of them away, heading towards Caesar's Palace in the city.
An hour later, on the first basement level of Caesar's Palace.
After arriving at Caesar's Palace, Gao Qiqiang, Gao Qisheng, and Zhou Hu were arranged in the dining hall on the first basement level.
The copper pot on the table steamed, surrounded by various green vegetables and beef and lamb.
The three sat cautiously at the table, no one reaching for their chopsticks, waiting for the owner of Caesar's Palace.
After a while, Guo Yue, dressed in a suit and wearing gold-rimmed glasses, exuding the aura of a successful businessman, walked into the dining hall with a smile.
Seeing the host arrive, the three of them stood up in unison.
"Mr. Guo!"
"Sit down, please, don't be so formal!"
Guo Yue waved his hand at them and looked at the bruised and battered Gao Qiqiang with a smile, "You are Little Lan's brother, Gao Qiqiang?"
"Yes, Mr. Guo!"
Gao Qiqiang, sitting beside him, nodded respectfully.
However, Guo Yue mentioning Little Lan also made the three of them realize.
The main reason they were able to be bailed out by Mr. Guo today was indeed because of Little Lan's connection.
Seeing their nervousness, Guo Yue began to eat, saying, "Don't be tense, make yourselves at home. Have some food."
Gao Qiqiang and the other two nodded and began to eat cautiously.
But just as they picked up their chopsticks, the dining hall door was suddenly pushed open.
Six burly men dressed in black entered the dining hall, carrying a man who had been beaten beyond recognition.
When the man was thrown to the ground and his face became clear, Gao Qiqiang, Gao Qisheng, and Zhou Hu all stopped what they were doing and sat frozen in shock.
Because the man lying on the ground, half-dead, was none other than Li Fan, who had ambushed them earlier!
Guo Yue, unfazed, stirred the lamb in the pot, glanced at the three with the corner of his eye, and said with a smile, "The person who caused you trouble is here. Get your revenge."
Clang!
A cold, gleaming saber was thrown to the ground.
Looking at the disfigured Li Fan, Zhou Hu, who had the biggest grudge against him, did not make a move and remained seated in silence.
Gao Qiqiang discreetly glanced at Guo Yue, wondering what his intentions were.
Gao Qisheng, sitting unobtrusively at the table, scanned the dining hall, his eyes narrowing at a certain spot, a look of indecision on his face.
Guo Yue was also observing the three of them.
Seeing that no one was making a move, he sighed inwardly, realizing that the "nurturing plan" would likely have to be shelved.
At this moment, the taciturn Gao Qisheng suddenly stood up.
He picked up the steel saber from the ground and swung it quickly.
Instantly, his elder brother Gao Qiqiang was dumbfounded.
Beside him, Zhou Hu shivered at the bloody scene.