The first update.

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Qin Fang laughed, and Mouse Qiang laughed as well.

"Hehe, nicely cursed..."

Mouse Qiang's response was even more straightforward; he didn't take offense, but instead replied with a grin.

This guy had abruptly risen from the bottom; although he had gradually adapted to his new environment and status over the days, he still retained the mentality of a street thug from the lowest echelons.

And that was: a grudge must be avenged.

Moreover, this guy was always full of schemes, and when it came to the crunch, he was brave enough to fight and struggle. Otherwise, he wouldn't have ended up stabbing Qin Fang that day.

And now, this kid also knew how to be grateful and return favors.

Qin Fang originally held a grudge against him, and if it were him, he would've definitely taken revenge mercilessly given the chance. However, contrary to that, not only did Qin Fang not retaliate, but he also promoted him to his current status. Just for that, Qin Fang was comparable to his reborn parents.

This Zhu Pangzi was nothing special, just a nouveau riche. Just because he had some money, he really thought of himself as a lord, daring to show contempt to everyone he met.

If he were to let Zhu Pangzi walk away today, the little reputation that he had struggled to build on the streets would be completely ruined.

If that really happened, even if Li Dong gave Qin Fang face, Mouse Qiang could no longer be as trusted as he was now, and those under him would definitely not be convinced.

"Damn it, what trash, scram immediately..."

Watching Mouse Qiang's strange smile, Zhu Pangzi still hadn't caught on to the situation and continued to bluster angrily, while his eyes kept shifting towards Tang Feifei and Xiao Muxue leaning against Qin Fang, his gaze filled with unconcealed desire.

"Young Master Qin, what do you think..."

Mouse Qiang didn't mind being cursed at; what mattered more was Qin Fang's opinion. As long as Qin's intentions were clear, he would know how to proceed.

After all, if things really went south, Qin Fang, with his character, would definitely not let him suffer any loss. Besides, with Li Dong backing him up from behind, what did he have to fear from a nouveau riche like Zhu Pangzi?

"He's not cursing at me, is he? Just handle it yourself!"

Qin Fang was chatting unconcernedly with Tang Feifei and Xiao Muxue and replied casually without a care.

Zhu Pangzi had just come in, blustering with rage. Tang Feifei and Xiao Muxue were indeed a bit scared. Not just them, but their roommates were also frightened, and they instinctively gathered together.

Qin Fang's brothers naturally stepped forward and shielded the girls behind them, which made the girls feel somewhat touched.

Mouse Qiang had arrived just a bit earlier than Zhu Pangzi, and not many were clear about his identity. However, Tang Feifei knew a bit; she had seen quite a lot when Brother Beard caused a scene at Fang Feixue, especially the incident of Mouse Qiang being assigned by Qin Fang to Li Dong's side.

Seeing how calm both Qin Fang and Mouse Qiang were, she also felt reassured and took the chance to soothe Xiao Muxue's emotions.

Let's not talk about others; Qin Fang had rescued Xiao Muxue from the hands of Mouse Qiang. Now seeing how familiar Qin Fang and Mouse Qiang seemed to be, she couldn't help feeling a bit uneasy. The two women whispered to each other and quickly cleared up the misunderstanding.

Tang Feifei was indeed hoping that Xiao Muxue would draw a clear line from Qin Fang, but this sort of thing was not what she wanted.

"Understood..."

Mouse Qiang looked at Qin Fang, saw that his expression hadn't changed but his eyes had grown much colder, and so he knew what he had to do.

"Do you guys want to get involved in this mess too?"

Yet, Mouse Qiang didn't rush to act; instead, he addressed the several bodyguards behind Zhu Pangzi.

These so-called bodyguards, like Mouse Qiang and his associates, were nothing more than thugs, and nowadays people on the streets were no longer about fighting and killing; those with status have all whitewashed themselves into legitimate businessmen. Even such people start something like a security company and throw their underlings into it.

Top-tier security companies hire very skilled experts and professionals. They provide quite comprehensive services, and of course, charge very high fees. Another thing is they generally stay away from illegal activities as much as possible.

Then there are others, like those behind these small-time bodyguards, who are willing to do anything for money, even if it means killing or beating someone up. If the price is right, there would certainly be someone ready to do it.

Zhu Pangzi was just the type to cause trouble easily, and coupled with being in the construction industry, these bodyguards were used to protecting his safety and acting as enforcers during conflicts. If it's about dealing with construction workers demanding pay, they could be extremely brutal.

Considering their comparable status, before Mouse Qiang made a move on Zhu Pangzi, it was natural for him to first inquire about their intentions.

"Brother Mouse, give the boys some face, that's enough..."

The bodyguards realized at this point that something was off, especially since Qin Fang acted as if nothing was wrong, just joking with the two beauties, completely ignoring Zhu Pangzi. Meanwhile, Mouse Qiang, who should have been somewhat domineering, wasn't that polite to them but was extremely deferential to Qin Fang, almost as if he wanted to kneel and lick Qin's shoe soles like a subservient servant. If they couldn't see that, then all the years they'd spent were in vain.

"Er, Xiao Liu, what do you mean by that?"

Zhu Pangzi was slightly taken aback to hear his own bodyguard suddenly speak up like that. Zhu might have had some money, but that didn't mean his brain worked particularly well, and at the moment he couldn't react.

"Boss Zhu, no offense, but could you bear with us a bit today..."

The bodyguard named Liu stepped back and leaned against the wall, though he didn't leave the private room, his position clearly showed he wanted nothing to do with the situation.

As for his colleagues, they all did the same, shrinking back and disengaging.

Nonsense, could they intervene?

Haven't you seen a bunch of people already squeezing into the private room? If a fight really broke out, they, with just a few guys, would definitely be carried in upright and carried out horizontally.

As for Zhu Pangzi, notoriously stingy and heartless, just look at how he treated the construction workers under him to know what would happen if they got hurt—he'd probably just throw a few thousand yuan at it and be done.

For such a guy, they didn't want to risk themselves. They figured it was better to not earn the money at all since their company had a strong backing anyway. Zhu Pangzi just had some money, no clout with officials, so they naturally weren't afraid of him.

"Boss Zhu, right? Maybe I should tell you what that means..."

Mouse Qiang stood up and slowly walked up to Zhu Pangzi, extended his slender arm, then slapped Zhu's greasy, fat face that looked like it was oozing oil, twice.

Had anyone dared to do this to him in the past, Zhu Pangzi would've definitely smashed a pile of bills in their face, bellowing a command like, "Beat them, beat them hard, I'll take care of it if they die."

But today...

The moment he thought to resist, he felt both his arms were seized and twisted behind his back, while his neck was forcibly held down low, his stance resembling that of police capturing a labor camp offender.

"Brother Mouse, how do we deal with this fatty?"

The one restraining Zhu Pangzi wasn't anyone else but Little Song, the waiter who had tipped off Mouse Qiang, and his colleague—they both looked quite sturdy. Zhu Pangzi had long been hollowed out by a life of food and drink, all fat and no strength, and was easily subdued by the two of them.

"Drag him out first, we can't disturb Qin and the others from singing..."

Mouse Qiang glanced over at Qin Fang briefly and, seeing that he hadn't spoken, immediately gave the order.

"Yes, Brother Mouse!"

Little Song was quite perceptive, aware that Mouse Qiang was sucking up to Qin Fang. Being of low status himself, he couldn't suck up to Qin Fang directly, so he opted for the next best thing. Pleasing Mouse Qiang was also very good, so he promptly agreed and, along with his colleague, they pushed Zhu Pangzi out the door.

The rest of the security guards and waiting staff at Night Scenery of the Lotus Pond also cleared out, and Zhu Pangzi's bodyguards were no exception. They didn't dare stay any longer; they had already had a conflict with Qin Fang earlier, and if Qin wanted to settle scores with them now, it was just a matter of a word. So they simply fled in haste.

"Young Master Qin, how would you like to handle this?"

Mouse Qiang didn't leave but cautiously asked.

Offending him wasn't a big matter for Zhu Pangzi; at most, it was just a beating and it was over. But, unfortunately for Zhu, he offended both Qin Fang and Tang Feifei, and that made it a serious issue. Even Brother Dong, Mouse Qiang's boss, would have to be careful.

If Qin Fang and Tang Feifei were dissatisfied, and it inadvertently reached Tang Cheng's ears, not to mention Mouse Qiang himself, even his boss Li Dong wouldn't be able to handle it. It's likely that even Li Dong's boss, Lord Hu, would have to bow down to Young Master Tang. Then, those underneath would be in big trouble.

"The same as before, you guys decide!"

Without turning his head, Qin Fang said, "But... I don't want to see him again!"

"Understood, I know what to do!"

Mouse Qiang wasn't an idler either. Although it was only a statement, he clearly understood the emphasis of it. Qin Fang didn't want to make a big deal out of such a minor issue, not wanting to involve the innocent Tang Feifei. However, since Zhu Pangzi had harbored malicious intentions, it was essential to give him a lesson he wouldn't forget.

Qin Fang paid no attention to Mouse Qiang. Whether he truly understood the meaning of Qin's words wasn't that important. One thing Qin could be sure of was that Zhu Pangzi was definitely not going to escape a beating.

After all, their conflict was just a minor one, not some deep-seated hatred. Taking a beating was seen as simply venting on behalf of Qin and his companions. (To be continued... For more details, please visit www.qidian.com. More chapters are available, support the author, support genuine reading!)

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