The landlord paused for a moment when he saw the camera.
"Kid, looks like you really need a reality check!"
He waved his hand, and suddenly five or six thugs rushed out, surrounding Ling Feng.
"Teach him a lesson!"
The landlord ordered, and the thugs lunged at Ling Feng. Half of them went for him, while the others targeted the camera he was holding.
They'd done this kind of thing before and had a well-rehearsed routine.
What they didn't expect was that Ling Feng took down all of them in just five seconds.
But surprisingly, the landlord didn't seem scared at all.
"Wow, you can fight!"
He picked up a brick from the ground and threw it at Ling Feng's head.
Ling Feng scoffed; a simple brick wasn't something he worried about.
Just then, one of the thugs sprang back up and clung to Ling Feng.
Ling Feng could easily break his arm with a little effort, but he didn't want to hurt him.
After all, even if the landlord's brick hit him, he wouldn't be hurt. There was no reason to cripple someone over it.
"Die!"
The landlord yelled, but at the last second, he shifted his aim a bit.
His target wasn't Ling Feng at all; it was the tiny camera in his hand.
Caught off guard, the camera fell to the ground and shattered.
The thug holding onto Ling Feng immediately let go.
"Ha! You're not so tough after all!"
The landlord laughed, clearly enjoying himself, even threatening to call the police on Ling Feng.
The turn of events took Ling Feng by surprise.
He hadn't anticipated that the landlord would rush in not to attack him but to destroy evidence.
Watching the landlord hurriedly dial a number, Ling Feng figured the landlord must have connections at the police station.
Sure enough, when the call connected, it wasn't a 911 call; it was to some captain.
Though the landlord didn't put it on speaker, Ling Feng had sharp enough hearing to recognize the voice on the other end.
Ling Feng smiled, waiting for the police to arrive.
"Kid, you think you're so tough? Let's see you try to hit me again!"
The landlord, sensing his backup was arriving, grew more arrogant and pointed at Ling Feng.
Ling Feng just chuckled and glanced at the captain as he got out of the car.
As soon as the captain saw Ling Feng, he looked a bit familiar.
As he approached, recognition dawned on him, and his expression changed drastically.
This was someone who even Director Meng had to treat with respect.
After offending Ling Feng last time, he'd faced a severe reprimand from Director Meng and had been suspended and made to write a self-critique.
Now that he'd just returned to his position, he couldn't afford to mess up again.
Otherwise, he might not get a chance to write a self-critique—he could end up out of a job.
Given the stakes, the captain ignored the landlord's attempts to ingratiate himself and put on a big smile as he walked up to Ling Feng.
"Mr. Ling Feng! What a surprise to see you here. It's truly an honor!"
He bowed respectfully, clearly eager to please.
"It's nothing major. I was just planning to open a clinic here when…"
Ling Feng explained the situation briefly to the captain, waiting for a response.
Seeing this, the landlord's expression changed; he realized Ling Feng had a lot more influence than he'd initially thought.
But he wasn't too worried, as he had already smashed Ling Feng's camera.
Without evidence, what could Ling Feng do, no matter his connections?
After hearing Ling Feng's words, the captain suddenly looked furious and turned to the landlord.
"Are you trying to be a part of some criminal organization here?"
"Be honest; what's going on?"
The landlord remained calm and sneered internally.
"I don't know what he's talking about; does he have any evidence?"
He hadn't expected the captain, who had benefitted from him before, to turn on him now.
"Evidence? Of course, I have it!"
Ling Feng slowly pulled out his phone and opened an app.
He clicked on a video showing the landlord and his crew smashing up the shop.
"You think smashing my camera means I have no evidence?"
Ling Feng sneered at the landlord.
"Didn't you know everything is connected now?"
The landlord's smug smile faded instantly.
"Maybe you should stop messing around and catch up on the news. Technology is moving fast."
"Ever heard of the Internet of Things?"
"That's high-tech!"
Ling Feng grinned again, pouring salt in the landlord's wounds.
The landlord's face turned as black as thunder.
He'd thought breaking the camera would be enough, not realizing it had this capability.
The captain was sweating now, relieved he hadn't offended Ling Feng.
Though he didn't know Ling Feng well, just watching him talk was enough to tell he wasn't someone to mess with.
But the landlord had his own powerful connections, and the captain was just a lowly officer; he couldn't afford to upset either side.
Caught in a dilemma, the captain hesitated, unsure of what to do.
Ling Feng remained calm, simply watching him.
The captain, feeling the pressure, finally made up his mind and chose to side with Ling Feng.
He steeled himself and ordered the two officers with him to arrest the landlord.
"Take him in; everyone else gets sent home!"
Then he turned to Ling Feng. "Mr. Ling, are you satisfied with this outcome?"
"As long as it's handled legally, we ordinary citizens are naturally satisfied!"
Ling Feng nodded with a smile.
The landlord was in shock; he couldn't believe the captain actually dared to arrest him.
He had been in and out of prison a few times and already had a record.
If he went back in now, he'd likely spend years inside.
Grinding his teeth, the landlord said, "Mr. Ling, this was all a misunderstanding. How about we settle this privately?"