From the moment those two boisterous figures approached, Zeng Nan had already noticed them, but she hadn't expected one of them to actually recognize her. After a brief moment of surprise, she couldn't help but scrutinize him closely.
With just one glance, she felt a sense of familiarity, as if she had seen him somewhere before, though she couldn't immediately place it... Wait a minute, oh my God! He's the flirtatious scoundrel!
Zeng Nan's mind quickly flashed back to the time when this man had visited her family's small eatery, accompanied by a beautiful woman who claimed to be his girlfriend. Yet, it wasn't long before she discovered that he also had another "girlfriend" — a police officer. Wasn't that the very definition of a womanizer?
With this recollection, Zeng Nan's dislike for him intensified. Despite his attempt at greeting her, she merely snorted dismissively and turned her head away.
Xiang Ri, slightly embarrassed, rubbed his nose. Had he truly fallen so low that this was how he was perceived?
However, despite the subtle sting of rejection, he couldn't quite summon any genuine anger toward the girl. In truth, he had a certain fondness for her. Although Zeng Nan had bested him on a few occasions and her personality was often difficult to understand, he couldn't help but admire her sharp wit and cleverness.
Moreover, she had crossed paths with a female police officer and Chu Xiaoniu — two people who were undeniably formidable. To avoid inadvertently harming her if things escalated, Xiang Ri raised his unharmed left hand and gestured for her to come over. "Come here, girl," he called.
"You..." Zeng Nan glared, ready to snap at him, but given the current situation, she quickly held her tongue. Begrudgingly, she walked toward him, though her expression betrayed her reluctance.
"That's more like it!" Xiang Ri had almost reached out to ruffle her hair but hesitated when he noticed the warning gleam in her eyes. He withdrew his hand with a rueful smile before turning to the burly man who had just arrived with a few underlings. "Fatty, keep an eye on her. Watch her carefully; she's my sister."
"Sister?" Fatty's eyes brightened. The boss's sister? Upon closer inspection, they did indeed resemble each other somewhat. He slapped his chest proudly. "Don't worry, big brother. Leave her to me. I won't let anything happen to her, I swear!"
With that, Fatty stepped forward and motioned for Zeng Nan to move behind him for protection. But Zeng Nan, perceiving his gesture as an attempt to grab her, swiftly swatted his hand away. "Don't touch me! I can walk on my own!"
After throwing an exasperated look at the flirtatious scoundrel, Zeng Nan reluctantly positioned herself behind Fatty.
While Zeng Nan was indeed no fool, she wasn't naive either. She recognized that this was a situation beyond her control, and though she was generally fearless, her instincts told her this wasn't the place to make a stand. For once, there was someone foolish enough to offer protection, so why not accept it? Hmph!
The others, noticing the intervention, hurried to join her. However, their gazes toward Zeng Nan were now filled with a sense of avoidance. Most notably, the young man with the earrings wore a look of near panic. He had never expected the usually studious, well-liked girl from school to have such powerful connections. Given the intimidating figures surrounding them, especially the bearded man who had just mentioned this was his territory, he quickly deduced that this was the infamous "Monkey," the feared leader of the local gang.
Moreover, when he saw how respectfully the burly man treated the bespectacled man with the injured hand, he quickly realized that this man had an even more significant influence. The bespectacled man was Zeng Nan's brother, and if he found out about the things he had just said, it would be catastrophic.
Meanwhile, Green Hair, thankful that he hadn't spoken out of turn earlier, was relieved to have prevented further conflict. He had also indirectly helped Zeng Nan, and as a result, he hoped she wouldn't hold it against him.
As for Zombie Girl, who was originally just a timid girl enamored with flashy trends, she was now terrified and clung desperately to Green Hair's sleeve, shrinking behind him in fear.
Fatty, though momentarily rebuffed, was not upset. Instead, he gave a sheepish smile and proceeded to shield Zeng Nan's friends as well. After all, they were the sister's companions — it was the right thing to do.
Xiang Ri nodded in satisfaction, ignoring Zeng Nan's disapproving gaze. His attention then shifted back to the bespectacled youth who stood before them.
"Fox?" Xiang Ri's eyes were filled with derision.
"Who are you?" The bespectacled young man, anger flashing in his heart, picked up on the disdain in Xiang Ri's tone.
"Let's set that question aside for now. I have a more pressing matter: you were the one bullying my sister, weren't you?" Although he couldn't strike a lethal blow just yet, a small lesson was certainly in order. Moreover, the people this young man had brought along were no strangers to him — they were former underlings, rebellious ones whom he had once commanded. It would be remiss not to "entertain" them properly, especially considering they had traveled all the way from South City.
Xiang Ri did not consider himself a man of forgiveness. The fact that he hadn't yet disposed of them entirely was already a monumental display of mercy.
"She's your sister?" The bespectacled young man asked with disbelief, clearly unable to fathom that the attractive young woman could be related to someone like the cripple before him.
"You don't think I'm the type to claim random relatives, do you?" Xiang Ri's smile never faltered, but behind it, the darkness in his eyes was all too clear.
The young man, hearing this, became even more certain of his suspicions. Although he had come seeking help, his current status did not warrant such an affront. Despite having learned that this place belonged to the "Hungry Wolf Gang," the man before him didn't appear to be of any great consequence. He saw no reason to treat him with any respect. With renewed anger, he retorted, "Well, that's just perfect! Earlier, she smashed a bottle over my head. How are you going to settle this?"
"Smash you? She must have had a good reason, I'd say. My sister isn't someone who likes to stir trouble," Xiang Ri answered with the utmost righteousness. Hearing this, Zeng Nan couldn't help but smile slightly — finally, the bastard spoke something that made sense.
"What did you say?" The young man's fury escalated. Ignoring the burly man beside him who was pulling at his sleeve, he barked angrily, "Don't think just because this is your Hungry Wolf Gang's territory that I'll be intimidated. We, the White Tiger Society, are no pushovers!"
"I'll show you who should be afraid!" Monkey interrupted with a fierce growl. Upon hearing about his brother's vendetta with this man, he had already steeled himself for battle. Now, seeing his arrogance, he could no longer hold back. "Dare to act up on my turf? I'll make sure you leave here lying down!"
"Fine, then let's see who ends up lying down!" The bespectacled youth snarled, his face contorted in fury. He suddenly gestured to the surrounding tables. "Everyone, stand up!"
Instantly, at least thirty or forty people rose to their feet, all wearing threatening expressions.
Xiang Ri's eyes narrowed. He hadn't noticed the numbers before, but now he saw that the young man had brought quite a crowd. Most of them were familiar faces, with only a few unknowns — it seemed he was about to get a chance to stretch his legs.
The bespectacled young man had realized that only a few people were watching, so he felt confident in his numbers. He was emboldened by this and glanced at the bearded man with a smirk. "I know you, you're Monkey, one of Wolf's men. But even if Wolf himself showed up today, he'd have to show respect to me. As for you, you're just a dog raised by the Hungry Wolf Gang."
"I—!" Monkey roared in fury, grabbing a nearby bottle, smashing it, and brandishing the jagged half as a weapon, ready to charge.
But Xiang Ri raised his hand, stopping him. "Monkey! Don't be rash. I promise, I'll leave this one to you. Do whatever you want with him!"
"Yes, big brother!" Monkey retreated to the side, his eyes still burning with anger, locked on the bespectacled youth.
"You're Wolf's older brother?" The young man looked at Xiang Ri, slightly taken aback. He hadn't expected the seemingly frail young man before him to be the infamous "Wolf."
"Wolf? Do I look like him?" Xiang Ri could not help but acknowledge that the young man had neither progressed nor matured; if anything, he had significantly regressed. Didn't he know that "Wolf" had been a prominent name for over a decade? Xiang Ri certainly didn't resemble him in the least.
"Then who are you..." The young man's face turned red with embarrassment as realization struck. "You dare to mock me!"
"Mock you?" Xiang Ri stepped forward, his eyes flashing with a cold light. He delivered a swift kick that sent the young man stumbling. "I won't just mock you, I'm going to teach you a lesson!"