Those few individuals had just stepped out of the martial arts school courtyard, clearly seeking Hong Zhong. Leading them was none other than the Bearded Man, accompanied by several henchmen.
Yesterday, it was the Bearded Man who had injured Hong Zhong, followed by a series of baffling events.
At the time in the martial arts school courtyard, Luo Yang had taken a stand and defeated the Bearded Man. He intended to capture and interrogate him, but Hong Zhong had insisted on letting him go.
Out of regard for Hong Jiaxin, as well as Hong Zhong, Luo Yang released the Bearded Man. Thinking back in the evening, he could not understand Hong Zhong's actions.
Today, he ran into him again, which pleased Luo Yang. He had been planning to look for the Bearded Man himself.
As for the Bearded Man, upon first catching sight of Hong Jiaxin, his face lit up with surprise and delight. Then he saw Luo Yang, and his face turned pale with shock. After all, he had already been defeated by Luo Yang.
If Luo Yang had not been present, the Bearded Man might have approached Hong Jiaxin. He hesitated for a moment, then walked to the other side of the street.
"Stop right there!" Luo Yang bellowed.
If the Bearded Man ran away, it would be very embarrassing, since the one calling out to him was just a young man. He forced himself to remain calm, turned around, and glared at Luo Yang coldly.
Luo Yang, Hong Jiaxin, and Zhu Li approached the Bearded Man. Hong Jiaxin desperately wanted to beat him up, but due to her limited fighting skills, she didn't dare to act rashly. Fuming with anger, her body trembled slightly.
"What do you want?!" the Bearded Man said coldly.
"You have two options, A, come with me willingly; B, I make you come with me. Which will it be?" Luo Yang said indifferently.
"So arrogant!" the Bearded Man's face turned green with anger.
He was both shocked and furious, knowing well that he was no match for Luo Yang and that he couldn't escape this predicament.
Having fought the Bearded Man before, Luo Yang was familiar with his abilities. Even if he and his henchmen attacked together, Luo Yang could easily take them down.
"Looks like you've chosen B," said Luo Yang as he swiftly moved forward.
As expected, several thugs tried to gang up on Luo Yang. The difference in strength was too great, and Luo Yang quickly knocked them to the ground, leaving only the Bearded Man standing.
Witnessing Luo Yang's skills, the Bearded Man turned deathly pale with fright. He couldn't identify the Fist Technique Luo Yang used, but he found it quite extraordinary.
"What do you want to know?" the Bearded Man was ready to surrender.
"Since you picked B, you'll have to speak to me while lying on the ground," Luo Yang said coolly.
The Bearded Man, furious, roared and lunged at Luo Yang. But his attack was in vain. His Claw Technique was fierce, yet he couldn't even brush Luo Yang's clothes.
In a rage, the Bearded Man attacked wildly, which led to many openings. Luo Yang suddenly drifted to his right side and landed a punch on his temple. With a "bang," the Bearded Man collapsed to the ground.
Hong Jiaxin could no longer hold back her fury and rushed forward to kick the Bearded Man viciously, venting her pent-up rage.
"All of you, get inside the courtyard!" Luo Yang ordered the Bearded Man's henchmen.
Intimidated by the beating, they didn't dare to resist and filed into the martial arts school's courtyard. Under Luo Yang's icy glare, the Bearded Man had no choice but to get up and join them, waiting for his fate.
The yard gate was originally locked. It seemed that the Bearded Man's group had broken the lock, allowing them to freely enter and exit the courtyard.
Luo Yang then began to interrogate the Bearded Man. It turned out that the Bearded Man did not know why Mr. Shen was looking for a square foot of charcoal, but he knew how to find Mr. Shen.
"Call him and say you've found the charcoal," Luo Yang demanded.
The Bearded Man was initially reluctant but after a few punches and kicks, he learned to follow the rules. He called Mr. Shen and told him that he had found the charcoal. Mr. Shen ordered him to bring the charcoal to the Marriott Hotel in the county town immediately.
Luo Yang was also about to go to the county town driving school to sign up for driving lessons, so he took the bearded man with him in the car along with Zhu Li and Hong Jiaxin.
Twenty minutes later, they arrived at Da Bei Road, the most bustling commercial street in the county town. The five-star Marriott Hotel was located on Da Bei Road.
They were about to meet Mr. Shen, and both Luo Yang and Hong Jiaxin were very excited. They escorted Mr. Shen into the hotel, went up to the second floor, and found the private room where they had agreed to meet.
Standing at the door, Luo Yang twisted the doorknob, opened the door, and saw two men sitting inside. One had a square face, and the other wore glasses, but his eyes were particularly sharp.
The square-faced man spoke first, and Luo Yang immediately recognized him as Mr. Shen, who appeared to be in his thirties, dressed in a suit and leather shoes, seemingly like someone who worked in an office.
"Where's the charcoal?" Mr. Shen asked.
The bearded man was too scared to speak without Luo Yang's permission.
"The charcoal is in my hands. Let's talk about the terms first. If they're suitable, I'll sell it to you," Luo Yang said indifferently as he sat down next to the round table.
"How much money do you want?" Mr. Shen said coldly.
"Money is not the issue. I just want to know what you need the charcoal for," Luo Yang waved his hand dismissively.
"Do you have the charcoal or not?" Mr. Shen's voice rose sharply.
"Of course, I do. You're not the one buying the charcoal, are you? Ask your boss to come out and talk to me," Luo Yang said disdainfully.
Last night, Luo Yang had spoken to Mr. Shen on the phone. If Mr. Shen were a world-class tycoon, his attire would not resemble that of a clerk. Luo Yang could tell that this Mr. Shen was also a lackey.
"As long as you have the charcoal I want, I will pay you!" Mr. Shen said angrily.
"Stop pretending. You don't look like a rich man. If you had the ability to let me sell one piece of charcoal and never have to work again, I think you'd wear a higher-grade shirt," Luo Yang scoffed.
"Are you here to cause trouble!?" Mr. Shen suddenly stood up.
"Please, don't misunderstand. I'm here to sell the charcoal. I just want to know who the real buyer is; I don't want to be deceived," Luo Yang said calmly.
Originally, Luo Yang had thought about using force to interrogate Mr. Shen. However, he feared that might lead to false answers. It was better to have a calm conversation first; if that failed, there was still time to take action.
Mr. Shen actually looked first to the sharp man with glasses beside him, clearly seeking instruction. The man with glasses gave a slight nod.
Only then did Mr. Shen sit down again and say,"To be honest with you, there's a Japanese collector who is particularly interested in charcoal and wants to find special pieces of charcoal from around the world for his collection."
Based on various signs, Luo Yang realized that Mr. Shen didn't know much and said coldly,"So it's a Japanese person who wants to buy the charcoal. Sorry, I would sell to anyone but Japanese people."
Unexpectedly, a sharp "Baka!" suddenly echoed in the room. Luo Yang thought there was a duck hidden inside until he saw the man with glasses glaring furiously, realizing the sound came from him.
"Is this man Japanese?" Luo Yang pointed at the man with glasses and asked Mr. Shen.
"I advise you, it's best not to anger him. He could kill you with one punch!" Mr. Shen said ominously.
"One punch to kill me? Go to hell, Little Japanese!"
Luo Yang raised his middle finger, circling it toward Mr. Shen and the man with glasses.
Bang!
The man with glasses suddenly slapped the table, causing cups and plates to jump. He stared intently at Luo Yang, as if he understood everything Luo Yang said.