Chapter 37: Get Him!

"Heh, that’s interesting. Kid, aren't you afraid of this? This thing has no eyes!"

Wen Ming pointed the weapon at Liang Jiyong. To say he wasn't afraid at all would be a lie, especially with such a deadly object in the hands of a drunken bastard.

"Anyone would be afraid of this, but Young Master Wen is wealthy and powerful, not a desperate man with nothing to lose. You have a bright life ahead of you; you wouldn't just kill someone without reason!"

"Take out what you have in your hands!" one of the bodyguards shouted.

Liang Jiyong glanced at the bodyguard and pulled out the police baton from behind his back. These two bodyguards were clearly not pushovers. Although Liang Jiyong was confident he could handle them, Wen Ming was armed, and a head-on confrontation would be unwise.

"Damn it, you were trying to pull a fast one on me!"

"Nothing of the sort. I heard some noise and just grabbed something for self-defense!" Liang Jiyong tossed the baton onto the ground.

"Kid, you've got guts. Much better than this pretty boy. You rushed in—are you the one calling the shots?"

Liang Jiyong looked at the slightly chubby middle-aged man, then back at Wen Ming. "Does Young Master Wen have a stake in this villa?"

"A bit, not much."

Liang Jiyong guessed that the owner of the villa, fearing trouble from Wen Ming, had given him some "dry shares."

"How should I address this boss?"

"Liu Bai."

"How much for your shares, Boss Liu?"

Liu Bai didn't answer; he looked toward Wen Ming. Although he had built the villa himself, he had realized too late that he was no longer the one in charge.

"Kid, what’s the meaning of this? Are you planning to cut me out?"

"That’s not it. Doing business in Longshan requires dealing with Young Master Wen. Once we finish negotiating with Boss Liu, we'll talk to you."

"Fine by me!" Wen Ming said dismissively.

"I have seventy percent of the shares. One point five million."

The villa was quite large with an impressive architectural style. By market standards, it was worth between two and three million, with promising future prospects. Offering seventy percent for just 1.5 million meant Liu Bai just wanted out, even if it meant taking a loss.

"Pu'er, is this price okay?"

Chen Pu'er nodded.

"Boss Liu, we'll discuss the specific transaction details later."

"Good!" Liu Bai nodded.

"Young Master Wen, the remaining thirty percent is in your hands, right?" Liang Jiyong asked.

"Not all of it, but I can make the call. Five million minus 1.5 million leaves 3.5 million, right?"

"We intend to keep running Red Leaf Villa, so we’ll need your support in the future. Why don't you keep these shares? I believe this place will be booming before long."

"Booming, my ass. I haven't seen a dime of profit in a month. I'm done playing. 3.5 million, and Red Leaf Villa is all yours!"

"3.5 million is a bit high. Let's say two million."

"Heh, kid, you're haggling with me? Are you tired of living?" Wen Ming pointed the weapon at Liang Jiyong again.

"Business is about give and take. Young Master Wen is a civilized man, there's no need to use this to scare me. My father was a soldier; I grew up around these. This doesn't scare me. And I believe you wouldn't throw away a bright future over a million or so—it’s not worth it."

"Heh, kid, if I finish you off, I’ll still be living free and easy!"

Wen Ming’s face was twisted with cruelty. Chen Pu'er clenched his fists, wanting to urge Liang Jiyong to just agree and settle the score once they were out of there. Jiang Lan was pale with fear.

"I know you have a background, Young Master Wen! But I have people too—connections no less powerful than yours. You can try it and see if the Wen family can protect you!"

Though drunk, Wen Ming’s mind was still sharp. He often used his drunkenness as an excuse for reckless behavior, and it had always worked. But today, he hesitated. Liang Jiyong sounded like he carried real weight. If he killed someone with a high-level background, Wang Maosheng wouldn't be able to protect him against such retaliation.

"Haha, you've got guts. What's your name, brother?"

"Liang Jiyong."

"Good. Then today, I’ll make a friend of Brother Liang. Two million it is!"

Liang Jiyong looked at Chen Pu'er. Chen Pu'er nodded. He would have paid a hundred million right then just to get out, but one needed to be alive to spend the money.

"Pleasure doing business." Liang Jiyong reached out. Wen Ming tossed the pistol to his bodyguard and stood up to shake hands. Liang Jiyong felt a pang of disappointment, but seeing the bodyguard tuck the pistol into his waistband, he breathed a sigh of relief. At least it wasn't in their hands anymore.

"Brother Liang, according to our Longshan customs, to do business here and ensure prosperity, you have to pay your respects to the local powers. I’ll handle that for you, but the old rule remains: you’ll need to set aside thirty percent in dry shares..."

Liang Jiyong’s breath hitched; he felt an urge to punch him. Chen Pu'er, though he had only agreed as a temporary measure, was furious at the shamelessness—it meant giving away two million for nothing, only to still have to hand over thirty percent of the shares.

Liang Jiyong exhaled and squeezed out a smile. "Fine, we are very respectful of the rules."

"Haha, Brother Liang is a straightforward man!"

Having made two million in a few minutes, Wen Ming was in high spirits.

"Young Master Wen, we’ll take our leave. Someone will come by in a day or two to handle the details."

"Good, feel free. Next time you're in Longshan, make sure to look me up, brother. Let’s get closer!"

"Sure, goodbye." Liang Jiyong turned and said to Chen Pu'er and Jiang Lan, "Let's go."

"Wait!" Wen Ming’s voice rang out. Liang Jiyong stopped and frowned.

"This pretty boy can leave, but until the transaction is complete, he cannot leave Red Cloud Ancient Town. Also, I need to talk to Jiang Lan about the Cottonwood Mountain lease. You two go ahead!"

Jiang Lan’s face turned ghastly, and Liang Jiyong’s brow furrowed. "That’s a minor matter, let's talk another day!"

"Brother Liang, respect is mutual. Don't make things difficult for me!"

"Jiang Lan is my woman. Surely you’re not short of women, Young Master Wen? Why must you push me?" Liang Jiyong didn't budge. He wouldn't leave Jiang Lan behind.

Wen Ming’s face darkened. "Brother Liang, you’re breaking the rules! This woman stays today!"

Liang Jiyong laughed. Before Wen Ming could realize what that smile meant, Liang Jiyong moved. He grabbed a teacup from the table and smashed it against Wen Ming’s head. As Wen Ming staggered, Liang Jiyong stepped forward, grabbed his hair, and pressed a jagged shard of ceramic against his throat. Blood welled up instantly. Though the cut wasn't deep, Wen Ming screamed in terror.

"You damn—you want to die—"

"Release Young Master Wen!" the two bodyguards roared. One of them pulled out his weapon and aimed it at Liang Jiyong.

"Put it down, or I’ll slit his throat right now!"

"You wouldn't dare!" the bodyguard shouted.

"Three!"

"Two!"

Liang Jiyong pressed the shard harder against the artery. One more millimeter and Wen Ming would be dead.

"Put it down! Put it down! You damn son of a bitch, put it down!" Wen Ming shrieked. "Brother, it’s a misunderstanding! I don't want the woman, take her, take her!"

The bodyguard was terrified. He didn't dare fire. Even though he could hit the target at this range, the guy would definitely slit Wen Ming’s throat before he hit the ground. If Wen Ming died, his own life would be over, and his family would be ruined. He lowered the weapon.

"Kick it over!" Liang Jiyong commanded. The bodyguard kicked the weapon to Liang Jiyong’s feet. He didn't worry that Liang Jiyong would actually kill him; in this situation, it served no purpose. Liang Jiyong didn't touch the weapon, instead kicking it under a cabinet where no one could reach it.

He threw the ceramic shard aside and kicked Wen Ming behind the knee. Wen Ming howled in pain and collapsed.

"Ah! Get him!" Wen Ming screamed, forgetting all about backgrounds—he just wanted revenge.

The two bodyguards rushed forward. But Liang Jiyong was prepared. He grabbed a chair and smashed it into the left bodyguard. It caught him square in the face. The bodyguard raised his arm to block, but the chair was sturdy, and his arm went numb—likely broken. Liang Jiyong’s strength was greater than he expected.

However, the right-hand bodyguard kicked Liang Jiyong in the stomach. Liang Jiyong twisted to avoid the worst of it but still stumbled. As the bodyguard rushed in, Liang Jiyong swung the chair and retreated.

"Get out!" Liang Jiyong shouted to Chen Pu'er and Jiang Lan.

Chen Pu'er had regained his senses. Instead of leaving, he bent down and picked up the electric baton. He had played with one before out of curiosity—his company’s security team used them.

The two bodyguards threw chairs at Liang Jiyong, who retreated, having no weapon of his own. As they charged, Liang Jiyong blocked a chair with his arm, his limb trembling in pain. Just then, Chen Pu'er jammed the electric baton into the bodyguard’s waist. The man began to convulse instantly.

Liang Jiyong seized the chair from the fallen man and faced the last bodyguard. Although the man was skilled, one-on-one, he was quickly beaten back by Liang Jiyong and eventually kicked into a corner, unable to rise.

"Boss Liu, don't leave yet!" Liang Jiyong’s voice echoed.

Liu Bai looked terrified. "Mr. Liang, this has nothing to do with me! I'm a victim too!"

"I don't mean to make things difficult for you, but it’s best if you stay here for now."

"Alright." Liu Bai sighed; he knew Liang Jiyong was just preventing him from tipping anyone off.

Jiang Lan hadn't even stood up yet before the fight was over. Chen Pu'er had been reliable; otherwise, Liang Jiyong would have struggled to take down the bodyguards so quickly.

"Are you alright?" Liang Jiyong pulled Jiang Lan up. Whether out of fear or gratitude, she buried herself in his chest and sobbed. Liang Jiyong was comforting her when he saw Di Yutong run in. He froze, his hand hanging awkwardly in the air.

Di Yutong didn't seem to notice the embrace, focused instead on the chaos.

"Damn it! Do you know where you are? You're dead!" Wen Ming yelled, though his leg was nearly broken from Liang Jiyong’s kick.

Chen Pu'er approached Wen Ming with the electric baton.

"Damn you, pretty boy, what are you doing?"

The answer was the baton, swung with full force. He hadn't turned the electricity on, but one blow left Wen Ming’s face covered in blood.

"You're dead—"

*Thud! Thud! Thud!*

Chen Pu'er, though looking frail, was strong, and he was clearly venting the terror he’d felt earlier.

Liang Jiyong released Jiang Lan. Di Yutong now understood the situation and immediately made a call to Zhou Jianguo—this incident was far too egregious. By the time she finished, Wen Ming was a bloody mess. Not only was his head bleeding, but his legs had been shattered by Chen Pu'er. Di Yutong, upon learning what Wen Ming had tried to do, delivered several hard kicks herself, and Jiang Lan joined in.

"Mr... Mr. Liang, this... this could kill him!" Liu Bai worried about being implicated.

"What are you afraid of? Mr. Liu, you’re innocent. I don't think Young Master Chen will trouble you." Liang Jiyong’s words made it clear to Liu Bai: Wen Ming was finished. Moreover, Chen Pu'er had a massive background. It wasn't a question of whether the Wen family would trouble Chen Pu'er, but whether Chen Pu'er would let the Wen family off at all.

Chen Pu'er dropped the electric baton, panting, and pulled out his phone to call his father. Shortly after, Fang Zhan and the others arrived. With Liu Bai’s cooperation, the incident was contained. The courtyard became a restricted zone, and they waited in silence after a quick meal.

"You okay?" Liang Jiyong asked Chen Pu'er, who was sitting across from him drinking tea.

"I'm alright," Chen Pu'er replied, though it was clear he hadn't fully shaken off the shock.

"Weren't you afraid when the weapon was pointed at you?" Chen Pu'er asked.

"Nonsense. Of course I was. But the more I acted unafraid, the more he believed I had a backer. It’s like fighting—if I face more people than I can handle, I act like I don't care, grab one, and beat them to death. The more ruthless I am, the more afraid they become. Even if I'm at my limit, they might just run away. That’s just experience. I've fought maybe two or three hundred people. Some I've beaten ten times, and they turn pale just seeing me—the same look you have now."

"I... I've never fought before. This was the first time. Only after it was over did I realize how ruthless I'd been. Is he going to die?"

"He won't die, but he’s crippled. It doesn't matter, though. A guy like this only has a few days left anyway. I estimate that within ten days or half a month, he’ll be finished off."

"Whew."

"I didn't expect the public safety here to be worse than the absolute worst I’d imagined."

Liang Jiyong smiled. "It’s not necessarily that the environment is always this bad; you just happened to encounter it. There are similar things back where you’re from, but you’d never come across them. The more developed an area is, the more complex and frequent the crime."

"Maybe. I never saw the real world before," Chen Pu'er said, sipping his warm tea.

Chen Pu'er suddenly remembered something. "Earlier, you said Jiang Lan was your woman. I felt like you weren't lying."

"Don't tell me you have a crush on Jiang Lan?" Liang Jiyong looked at him.

Chen Pu'er shook his head. "She is a smart and excellent girl with great business sense, but she’s not my type. It’s better to separate home and work, or life gets too boring."

"Oh, I see. Like those two girls from last night—they’re simple, right?"

Chen Pu'er chuckled softly. "If they were truly simple, they wouldn't have..." He didn't finish the thought, then changed his tone. "But the simplicity they need isn't complicated."

Liang Jiyong guessed that Chen Pu'er planned to keep those girls, perhaps finding them an easy job in Yunzhou, but marriage was out of the question. Still, a few years would be enough to make their future lives much more comfortable; that didn't seem so bad.

*Ring-ring...*

Liang Jiyong answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"It’s Zhou Jianguo. Xiao Yong, is Mr. Chen Pu'er there? I want to have a word with him."

Liang Jiyong looked at Chen Pu'er, who continued drinking his tea, seemingly oblivious. "Uncle Zhou, Pu'er is a bit shaken up; he doesn't want to talk right now. His father is already on a plane and should be in Yunzhou in a few hours."

Zhou Jianguo was silent for a moment. "I understand. Take good care of Chen Pu'er. I'm on my way to Changzhou; the higher-ups are very concerned about this. The Jiangnan Chamber of Commerce has already suspended several ongoing projects due to their concerns over Changjiang’s safety, and the equipment lease for the Red Flag Factory has been canceled."

Liang Jiyong knew that Chen Pu'er’s father, Chen Pusheng, was the vice chairman of the Jiangnan Chamber of Commerce and wielded immense influence. These moves were meant to pressure Changjiang, which was a good thing—it might at least slightly improve the safety situation.

"Uncle Zhou, I don't know about other places, but Longshan is truly terrifying. A Type 77 weapon can be carried around by a thug without a second thought. And according to the files I’ve seen, this Wen Ming has at least three confirmed murders to his name, and who knows how many others he’s ruined. But all the reports were suppressed because his uncle is Director Wen, and his brother-in-law is Wang Deli..."

Zhou Jianguo, who had just come to Yunzhou, might not have known this, as even Liang Jiyong hadn't uncovered it back then. The marriage between Wen Jing and Wang Deli had been very low-key. The two never appeared in public together, yet they operated the underground world of Yunzhou from behind the scenes.