Chapter 40

At noon, a young man with a full beard walked out of the Hedong Airport exit. He was not yet thirty, with hair that had a faint reddish tint. He had a broad nose and wide mouth, a face that was far from handsome, but his cold eyes were extremely sharp, like lightning scanning the surroundings.

The bearded man was dressed in expensive designer clothes, and he quietly passed through the crowd waiting to greet arrivals. He walked leisurely around the airport, and when he reached the international flights area, he raised his thick eyebrows, his gaze piercing as it swept over an inconspicuous trash can.

If the Green Devil said that the unreliable guys like Mountain Cat and Qin Hu took a plane to Western Europe and South America, he would believe it completely. But he absolutely did not believe that Gong You would go to Africa!

What could he be doing in Africa? Could it be that he has a taste for rolling in bed with black girls from primitive tribes?

The bearded man raised his hand and combed his hair with his fingers, a smile that was not quite a smile appearing on his face. This ancient city of Hedong indeed had some interesting aspects.

Although Hedong City was not large, it still had several counties and districts, with a population of three to four million! For the Green Devil to ask him to find a woman and a child here was really too much to ask. He hated doing such tedious tasks.

From the beginning, he did not support the Green Devil's decision to search the entire country to find the woman and the child. It was like looking for a needle in the sea. But he was also very clear that he could not change the Green Devil's mind.

Since he couldn't persuade the Green Devil, he decided to treat this trip to Hedong as a vacation. As for finding the people, he certainly wouldn't do it himself. Such troublesome tasks should be left to others.

Soon, the bearded man walked out of the airport and hailed a taxi, getting inside.

"Hello, you don't look like a local. Where are you going?" The Hedong taxi drivers were quite friendly.

"I'm looking for Ma Pinghai, but I don't know where he is," the bearded man said indifferently. He then casually took a few bills from his wallet and threw them on the dashboard. "If you can take me to him, this money is all yours."

The driver's face turned pale, and sweat appeared on his forehead. He wanted to refuse but couldn't bear to miss out on the money. "Please sit tight."

Who in Hedong City didn't know Ma Pinghai? On the surface, he was the secretary of a street in Beijia District, but in reality, he was one of the three major figures in Hedong City!

In Beijia, Huiquan, and Beiyu, the northern three districts, Ma Pinghai was the big boss. Many people whispered that this Secretary Ma had more influence in Hedong than the secretary in the municipal government compound.

...

About ten minutes later, Qiu Yan returned. "The bloodstains disappeared at the door, and there were several car tire marks on the roadside."

Xu Yun nodded, sensing that things were not as simple as they seemed. "Let's eat first. After the meal, I'll ask Qiangzi."

Guo Guo didn't have so many worries; she started eating when she was hungry, and a full stomach would give her the energy to think of ideas. Ruan Qing霜's appetite was clearly much worse, and she hastily ate a few bites before putting down her chopsticks.

While Qiu Yan was unusually cleaning up the dishes, Qiangzi and Xiaofei, both with bruised faces, arrived at the herbal restaurant.

"Brother Yun, the Axe Gang came to cause trouble!" Xiaofei said with a dejected look. "We were all beaten up, and the workers from the renovation team are all in the hospital!"

Xu Yun's brows furrowed. What was the Axe Gang?

He had just dealt with the Four Wolves Gang, and now the Axe Gang appeared. Were there so many gangs in Hedong City, like stars in the sky? He glanced at Qiangzi and asked, "What happened?"

Qiangzi gulped down the half bottle of mineral water in his hand, cursed, and then began to explain.

Just half an hour after Xu Yun left the herbal restaurant, the Axe Gang, one of the three major gangs in Wenhui District, came to cause trouble. The leader was Wei Weiming, the cousin of the Axe Gang's boss, Fan Nanjie. His purpose was clear: to demand a management fee for the renovation, which he set at 20,000 yuan. If they didn't pay, he would beat up the workers!

Pang Gang had just started the job and couldn't afford to pay 20,000 yuan, so he refused. Without a word, Wei Weiming ordered his men to attack. Thirty thugs beat up the seven or eight workers Pang Gang was working with.

Qiangzi and Xiaofei tried to help with a few brothers, but they were also beaten up, though not as severely as the workers. The workers had their fingers broken by iron bars or their legs smashed by steel pipes, injuries that would keep them in bed for two months.

After beating up the workers, Wei Weiming left, saying that if they wanted to do renovations in the future, they would have to pay the management fee, or they wouldn't be allowed to do any work at all!

This was a vicious move. By beating up the workers, even if they could get the job, there would be no one to do the work. After a few times, no workers would dare to work with them.

Qiangzi and Xiaofei had just helped Pang Gang send the injured workers to the hospital and, worried that the herbal restaurant was unattended, quickly returned.

"The Axe Gang?" Ruan Qing霜 was also bewildered. What was wrong with the social order now, with gangs everywhere?

"Fan Nanjie's Axe Gang is no less powerful than Wang Shunxi's Four Wolves Gang. Wang Shunxi has a title as a dog expert, but Fan Nanjie is a complete gangster!" Qiangzi spat, with a trace of blood. "Fan Nanjie is involved in construction waste transport and concrete mixing, taking on construction jobs. He has made a lot of money in recent years and has even opened a new bathhouse called Tropical Rainforest."

Xu Yun smiled slightly. "Construction and brothels, quite impressive."

Qiangzi nodded angrily, somewhat unwillingly. "Fan Nanjie is doing well in the underworld. People say he will be the fourth major figure in Hedong City!"

Xu Yun was not interested in Fan Nanjie's background. He turned to Xiaofei and asked, "How is your uncle?"

"He's fine, but he asked me to tell Brother Yun... he's sorry, but with all his workers injured, he can't continue the renovation of the herbal restaurant." Xiaofei, a high school sophomore who had just dropped out, couldn't handle the pressure and looked dejected and disappointed.

Xu Yun threw the car keys of the Shenlong Fugang to Qiangzi. "Let's go to the hospital. He promised to finish the renovation quickly, but now he's backing out. That's not right."

Hearing this, Xiaofei's expression turned panicked, and he quickly explained, "Brother Yun, don't blame my uncle! He didn't want it to be like this. The medical expenses for the workers are already a big burden. Please forgive him! Don't... don't go, okay?"

Xu Yun shook his head. "No."

"But..." Xiaofei was anxious but didn't dare to vent due to Xu Yun's authority.

Qiangzi pulled Xiaofei hard, telling him to be quiet, though he himself was a bit confused. Brother Yun wasn't an unreasonable person, so why was he so serious about this?

"Qing Sister, lend me 20,000 yuan. I'll pay you back later." Xu Yun smiled.

Ruan Qing霜 understood Xu Yun's intention and nodded, going upstairs to get the money. Guo Guo, though a bit reluctant, didn't say anything. She knew Xu Yun's father would pay it back.

At this moment, Qiangzi and Xiaofei suddenly understood Xu Yun's intention. Xiaofei's eyes turned red, and he was almost in tears.

Ruan Qing霜 came down with 30,000 yuan in cash. "Take a bit more. With so many injured workers, you'll need money everywhere. If it's not enough, call me."

"Okay." Xu Yun didn't hesitate, took the money, and urged Qiangzi and Xiaofei to hurry.

The three of them drove the Shenlong Fugang straight to the Hedong City People's Hospital.

Guo Guo shrugged and muttered to herself, "Sigh, Dad is really too kind. Why is he so nice that even I'm falling in love with you. Phew, no wonder Mom is so determined to offer herself to you."

Ruan Qing霜 almost broke down. What did "love" mean to a seven-year-old? From Guo Guo's tone, it didn't sound like the kind of love a child has for their father. Ruan Qing霜 didn't dare to think further!

Qiu Yan's expression was calm. She glanced at Ruan Qing霜, a woman of refined and elegant nature. Perhaps only a kind person like Ruan Qing霜 was a match for the overly kind Xu Yun?

Thinking of this, Qiu Yan was startled. When did she start paying attention to such trivial matters! Qiu Yan didn't realize that since Xu Yun had urgently helped her to neutralize the Seven Absolute Palm's internal energy, her originally cold and proud heart had been softened by a hint of romantic feelings.

Rousseau said that good deeds make the soul noble.

Now, Xu Yun and Ruan Qing霜 were two typical kind people. Not only had their souls become noble, but even Guo Guo and Qiu Yan were almost being transformed into overly kind people.

...

Qiangzi was very skilled with the Shenlong Fugang. Since the car had a fake license plate, he didn't care about running red lights or crossing lines. Following traffic rules wasn't what a gangster did.

Xu Yun didn't bother with most of Qiangzi's minor violations, but he did slap the back of Qiangzi's head after he ran a red light. "If you want to die, jump off a building. Don't cause trouble on the road. Try to run fewer red lights in the future!"

"Yes, Brother Yun, I understand!" Qiangzi laughed sheepishly.

The three quickly arrived at the People's Hospital and headed straight for the orthopedic ward. According to Qiangzi, the attackers were ruthless, and all seven workers had fractures, which were quite serious.

A nurse walked by, and Xu Yun stepped aside, but she grabbed him. "Hey! It's you!"

"Huh?" Xu Yun turned around and saw the nurse with a curvy figure that made her white coat bulge. It was Xu Wenya, the nurse who had treated his shoulder that night. "It's you!"

"What are you doing here?" Xu Wenya had been captivated by Xu Yun's resolute nature since that night. A man who didn't need anesthesia for a gunshot wound was a first for her.

Xu Yun didn't have time to chat. "A few friends are injured. I'm going to the orthopedic ward. We can talk later."

With that, Xu Yun continued to urge Qiangzi and Xiaofei to lead the way.

Watching Xu Yun walk away, Xu Wenya pouted and stomped her foot in frustration. "Not even a moment to talk, really!"

This man, who could joke around even with a gunshot wound, became even more mysterious in Xu Wenya's mind, and she found herself increasingly unable to resist him. She really couldn't understand why this girl, who received calls from various young civil servants every day, was so interested in the unkempt Xu Yun.