The meeting with Zhuge Jingxuan was scheduled for eight o'clock the next morning in a renowned teahouse at Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong. Lanbao and Zhang Fan sat quietly in a private room, opposite a young man clad in a cyan robe. His eyes were perpetually narrowed, as if unable to fully open, and his face bore an insincere smile, accented by small, round spectacles.
"Pleased to meet you, Miss Lanbao. I am Zhuge Jingxuan," Zhuge Jingxuan greeted with a bow, blatantly ignoring Zhang Fan.
"I'm not pleased at all," Lanbao retorted with a glare, her straightforwardness making her displeasure clear.
"Miss Lanbao's candor is something I admire," Zhuge Jingxuan said with a chuckle, unfazed by her hostility.
"Enough with the nonsense. We've met, and I'll make it clear: I'm not interested in any alliance with you. Look at yourself, a mere weakling. Go back to the Blue Gang and stay in your lane," Lanbao dismissed him sharply and stood up to leave with Zhang Fan. Was this really the end of it? Unlikely.
"Please wait, Miss Lanbao. Let's set aside the marriage proposal for now. Our Blue Gang proposes a different kind of deal with your faction," Zhuge Jingxuan suddenly spoke up, halting their departure. Lanbao paused, curious about his intentions.
"We propose a three-round challenge, two out of three wins. If we win, I ask you to reconsider the marriage proposal. If your faction wins, we will cede five street corners and thirty-two establishments to you," Zhuge Jingxuan proposed calmly, his narrowed eyes assessing their reaction.
"Not interested!" Lanbao replied curtly, clearly unimpressed by his proposal.
"Please don't reject so hastily, Miss Lanbao. Think about the well-being of your faction and its members," he persisted, his words bordering on a threat.
"You dare threaten me!" Lanbao slammed her fist on the table, shattering it to splinters, a testament to her rage.
"Calm down, Lanbao. If it's a fight he wants, we'll give it to him. Let's not give them an excuse to start a war. It's not in Uncle Xiang's best interest," Zhang Fan interceded, preventing the situation from escalating.
"Oh? And who might you be?" Zhuge Jingxuan finally acknowledged Zhang Fan, intrigued by his ability to calm Lanbao.
"I'm just a minor character, someone you've probably never heard of," Zhang Fan replied with a smile, choosing not to reveal his identity.
"Well, if you are making decisions, we'll send our representative to your place at one this afternoon. We trust you won't turn us away," Zhuge Jingxuan stated confidently, then excused himself.
"Why did you agree to his terms?" Lanbao questioned Zhang Fan as they left the teahouse, unable to understand why he'd entertain Zhuge Jingxuan's challenge.
"Lanbao, it's not as simple as you think," Zhang Fan sighed, knowing that brute force wasn't the solution to every problem.
"What do you mean?" Lanbao asked, her impatience evident.
"Zhuge Jingxuan is overconfident for a reason. He has something up his sleeve. It's better we agree and prepare ourselves," Zhang Fan explained, trying to ease her concerns.
"Fine, have it your way," Lanbao conceded, secretly relieved at Zhang Fan's decision, though she'd never admit it.
Back at Xiang Tianxiong's estate, after hearing their story, Xiang Tianxiong laughed heartily, patting Zhang Fan on the shoulder in a show of confidence.
"You're leaving it to us?" Zhang Fan asked, surprised by Xiang Tianxiong's nonchalant attitude.
"Yes, I'm old now. The future belongs to the young. One fight each for you and Lanbao, and I'll pick someone for the third round," Xiang Tianxiong declared, seemingly unconcerned about the upcoming battle.
"Uncle, you can't just sit this out!" Lanbao protested, but Xiang Tianxiong just laughed and nodded at Zhang Fan before leaving.
"Since Uncle has his plans, let's go with it. With us two, we should manage," Zhang Fan concluded, recognizing the urgency of their situation.