"Playing with knives, are we?" Ye Feng scoffed at the blond thug's actions, a smirk of disdain curling at the corner of his mouth. If this little knife could harm him, it would truly be a joke.
"Fool! Who told you to pull out a knife? We're civilized people here. Do you want to scare our dear Ye Feng?" Tiger growled, alarmed that Blondie would draw a weapon so openly. In a society ruled by law, wielding a blade in broad daylight was just asking for trouble.
"Oh, you know my name?" Ye Feng sneered. "So, who sent you? Was it Left Fei?" He quickly deduced the situation—Left Fei, unable to deal with him openly, had now resorted to enlisting help.
"It's not Left Fei," Tiger answered with a smirk. "You'll find out soon enough. Our boss just wants to have a little chat with you."
"Well then," Ye Feng mused. "If I don't put an end to this once and for all, it seems peace will elude me." He looked at Tiger and continued, "Fine, I'll go with you. But I have a condition."
"Let's hear it," Tiger replied, feeling an odd hint of trepidation. Years of experience in the underworld had taught him that only two kinds of people remained this calm in a tense situation: the dangerously powerful or those backed by significant influence.
Ye Feng pointed to Blondie. "That guy had a foul mouth earlier. I said three slaps; now he can make it ten. And I want to hear each one."
"You little punk!" Blondie growled, stepping forward in anger.
"Twenty," Ye Feng said calmly, all the while chatting and laughing with Lin Shiyun.
"Tiger!" Blondie looked to his leader, hoping for approval to teach Ye Feng a lesson.
"Just do it," Tiger ordered, sighing. The boss had warned against causing a public disturbance, so they'd wait until they were out of sight to really teach him a lesson.
"Yes, slap away. It'll be over soon enough," Ye Feng sneered, hoping they'd resist—then he'd have reason to retaliate fully. After all, he considered himself a principled man.
"Smack! Smack! Smack!" With each reluctant slap, Blondie's face turned red, and Lin Shiyun watched, her mouth slightly agape in astonishment.
"Done now?" Tiger grumbled, glaring at Ye Feng.
"Sure, lead the way," Ye Feng replied with a smirk, then turned to Lin Shiyun, "You go home ahead of me. I'll be right behind you."
"No, if they're taking you, it can't be for anything good. I'm coming with you!" she said, pouting.
"Alright, alright. If you want to come, let's go together. But send a quick message to Uncle Lin—let him know you might be a bit late." Ye Feng softened, patting her on the head.
Moments later, Ye Feng and Lin Shiyun climbed into a black van Tiger's men had brought, which drove them swiftly to an abandoned factory on the outskirts of Beihai City.
"Left Fei, what are you doing here?" Lin Shiyun gasped upon seeing Left Fei, who was leaning casually against the wall with a cigarette in hand, blowing clouds of smoke alongside a middle-aged man with a menacing look.
"Shiyun, why are you here?" Left Fei's face darkened as he noticed her arrival.
"Oh, I thought I'd bring my girlfriend along for a little outing. Is that surprising?" Ye Feng mocked, thoroughly enjoying Left Fei's grimace.
"You—!" Left Fei choked on his words, trying to keep his temper in check as he noticed that Lin Shiyun wasn't objecting to Ye Feng's words. Inwardly, he seethed. "Damn it! Acting all pure in front of me, yet so quick to call herself his girlfriend. Once I deal with Ye Feng, I'll have you begging for mercy."
Turning to the man beside Left Fei, Ye Feng asked casually, "So, you're Tiger's boss, huh? Why don't you tell me what this is all about?"
The man chuckled. "I heard that Ye Feng is quite the gambler. I thought maybe we could place a few bets for fun," he said, his tone hinting at a threat.
Ye Feng raised an eyebrow. A hidden gambling den, and he'd walked right into it. But now, seeing the perfect opportunity to make use of his god-level gambling skills, he decided to turn this setup in his favor. "And you are…?"
"They call me Brother Biao," the man replied, pleased with himself.
"Brother Biao, huh?" Ye Feng chuckled, amused. "Well, I've heard it's rude to refuse a host's invitation. Let's see just how lucky I am tonight."
Beside him, Lin Shiyun pulled at his sleeve, whispering, "Ye Feng, don't gamble with them. They're bound to cheat."
"Don't worry," he murmured back, leaning close. "Looks like I've just found an easy way to get a little spending money."
Brother Biao laughed to himself, eyeing Ye Feng as though he were an easy target. "Just watch, kid. You won't know what hit you," he thought smugly.