Chapter 50

Steel Neck almost ran away, but who was Fifth Master? He was a person who could make the deputy mayor of Changyun District smile, a big shot who could dine at the same table as the city police chief, and the top demolition expert for the city's richest man, Pang Jingzhou.

Such a powerful Fifth Master was not only beaten but also scolded by Pang Jingzhou.

Such a powerful Fifth Master was scolded like a dog by a young man. Who could this young man be?

Steel Neck was afraid.

Mr. Zhao glanced at Steel Neck and said, "Don't come here anymore."

Steel Neck immediately panicked. This wasn't just about coming to Melody or not; it was like being expelled from Changyun District. No matter how tough Steel Neck was in the underworld and how well he was doing in Changyun District, he was nothing in front of people like Mr. Zhao.

Fang Tianfeng's heart stirred. He glanced at Steel Neck's aura and said, "This has little to do with Steel Neck. Steel Neck, can you make sure the police don't come after me today?"

Steel Neck nodded repeatedly, "Yes! Yes! Rest assured, this is a fight between four people who turned against each other, and it has nothing to do with you."

Su Shishi's eyes widened in disbelief. She had heard the boys in her class talk about Steel Neck's prowess, and the thugs who brought her to the KTV today also mentioned him. She knew Steel Neck might not be the top thug in Changyun District, but he was close.

Su Shishi never expected that such a formidable Steel Neck would be so submissive in front of her brother. She secretly looked at Fang Tianfeng, her face suddenly turning red, then she leaned on him, feeling elated.

At that moment, the sound of police sirens rang outside.

Mr. Zhao said, "Mr. Fang, leave this to me. Do what you need to do; it has nothing to do with you."

"Thank you, Mr. Zhao."

Fang Tianfeng thought Mr. Zhao was decent. He glanced at his aura and casually said, "The new woman you met has some issues. I suggest you have the police check her background. I'll be going now."

After saying that, Fang Tianfeng led Su Shishi away, leaving a suspicious Mr. Zhao behind.

In the lobby, they encountered a few police officers. Fang Tianfeng calmly left. As he stepped out the door, he saw Song Haojie.

Song Haojie was taken aback, his face full of shame. "I'm really sorry, we came late. Is this your sister?"

Fang Tianfeng wasn't angry. Song Haojie had clearly come here after his shift, and it wasn't his fault that the police arrived late, after all, he wasn't from this area.

"It's fine, the matter is resolved. Don't forget to treat me to drinks in a few days," Fang Tianfeng said with a smile and left.

Song Haojie was a bit confused. What did this have to do with treating him to drinks in a few days? It didn't sound like he was asking for an apology.

Fang Tianfeng hadn't walked far when Steel Neck followed out, quickly catching up to him with a humble smile. "Since you're surnamed Fang, I'll call you Brother Fang. What happened today was entirely my brother's fault. I apologize to you."

Fang Tianfeng didn't say anything. Su Shishi curiously examined the tattoo on Steel Neck's arm, while Steel Neck wisely followed without speaking.

"Do you have a deep relationship with Fifth Master?"

Steel Neck shook his head quickly, somewhat ashamed. "I'm not afraid to admit it. Fifth Master is the best in the underworld, and which of us small-time thugs wouldn't want to connect with him? I can talk to Fifth Master because the big brother I followed helped him, and I contributed a bit. Now that big brother is gone, the relationship has faded. When I say I know Fifth Master, I'm just flattering myself. In fact, we haven't seen each other for years, though I'm quite familiar with one of his men."

"Xin Laosan is on good terms with you?"

Steel Neck didn't understand why he mentioned Xin Laosan but soon realized, "Are you the one who lives in Chang'an Garden? If you had said so earlier, I, Steel Neck, wouldn't have dared to challenge you."

Su Shishi looked at her brother curiously.

Fang Tianfeng said, "A boy who failed to pursue my sister incited four thugs to harass her. I don't want him to have another chance."

Steel Neck gritted his teeth. "Brother Fang, rest assured, I'll handle it!"

"Tell your men to stay away from No. 1 High School."

"I understand. Rest assured, within three days, all the thugs in Changyun District will know not to go near No. 1 High School."

"If you need anything in the future, contact me through Xiao Tao. You know him, right?"

"Yes, yes, I've always been on good terms with Xiao Tao."

"Alright, I'm leaving."

"Would you like me to drive you back?"

"No, a taxi will do."

"Take care."

Steel Neck was deeply regretful. That day at the hotpot restaurant, he had felt that Xiao Tao was more assertive than before, but he couldn't figure out why. When Xin Laosan had the incident, he learned the details. If he had known this would happen, he should have thick-skinnedly asked Xiao Tao for an introduction earlier.

Steel Neck watched Fang Tianfeng's back and smiled.

"I knew he had a connection with President Meng, but today I realized that even the He family treats him with respect, indicating that his background is terrifying. He beat up Fifth Master but still spoke up for me, clearly meaning to use me. It's not just for his sister. Could it be that I've met a benefactor?"

Steel Neck had experienced ups and downs over the years and was tired of the violence. He thought of the people he used to run with, some in the urban management bureau, some in demolition, some guarding mines, some digging graves for relics, and some running high-interest loans on a large scale.

Steel Neck wasn't as smart as those people. He now just helped people run places, operated gambling machines in game arcades, and ran high-interest loans, but he was far behind them. He saw these as dead-end jobs, not long-lasting.

Steel Neck watched Fang Tianfeng get into a taxi and made up his mind.

Fang Tianfeng sat in the taxi, thinking it was strange that a thug could have a noble aura as thick as a toothpick. No wonder this person dared to fight and kill, and nothing had happened to him. Steel Neck must have faced significant difficulties in the past, but with a little noble aura, he was stronger than ordinary thugs even if he made mistakes.

"This person will be very useful in the future!"

An Tiantian and Lu Yingna didn't return, so the villa became the domain of the two siblings. Su Shishi hadn't eaten, so she made a few dishes and set up a candlelit dinner. Fang Tianfeng ate with her.

The next morning, Fang Tianfeng dropped Su Shishi off at school, then bought an iPhone 5. When he returned to Chang'an Garden, he found Steel Neck leaning against a BMW, chatting with Xiao Tao.

"Brother Fang," they greeted him quickly.

Xiao Tao wisely returned to the security booth.

Steel Neck whispered, "The matter is taken care of. It's inconvenient to talk on the phone, so I came here. Xiao Tao said you were out, so I waited for you."

"Alright, let's go inside."

In the villa, Fang Tianfeng went to the kitchen and took out the strawberries and pineapples Shen Xin had bought the day before. He first cut the pineapple and soaked it in salt water, then washed the strawberries, and finally arranged them on a plate and returned to the living room. Steel Neck quickly stood up, took the fruit plate, and placed it on the table.

"Let's eat while we talk." Fang Tianfeng took a strawberry and sat on the sofa.

Steel Neck followed and said, "You don't need to be so polite. Let's get to the point. One of my brothers was driving carelessly and hit someone. He took the person to the hospital and turned himself in."

Fang Tianfeng was surprised. He had thought Steel Neck would just have someone beaten up. However, upon reflection, the boy's intentions were extremely malicious. If not stopped, Su Shishi's life would be ruined. In this light, even death wouldn't be too much.

Though Su Shishi had a noble aura and was unlikely to have accidents, her aura wasn't as thick as a hug, so she could still encounter unexpected events.

Fang Tianfeng asked, "How is the injury?"

"Rest assured, my brother knows his limits. He's not dead, but he'll have some lingering issues. He won't have a chance to see your sister again."

Fang Tianfeng nodded. "Is everything settled?"

Steel Neck chuckled. "Rest assured, we've done this before."

Fang Tianfeng immediately frowned.

Steel Neck quickly said, "If you don't like it, we'll do less of this in the future. Actually, if you watch the news, you'll understand. Some car accidents are deliberately staged, the cheapest form of murder. My brother saved the person and turned himself in, so he might not even go to jail, just pay a few hundred thousand in compensation."

"You're quite generous." Fang Tianfeng looked at Steel Neck.

"Whatever Brother Fang asks, it must be done well. Rest assured, the money and the person are on me, and it won't be traced back to you."

Fang Tianfeng nodded, glanced at Steel Neck's aura, and said, "Be careful these days. It's best not to go out, and if you do, watch your surroundings."

Steel Neck was startled and quickly said, "Master Fang, can you be more specific?"

Fang Tianfeng smiled. "It seems you've investigated me."

Steel Neck chuckled. "I just asked a friend, not an investigation. Brother Fang, can you be more specific?"

Fang Tianfeng thought Steel Neck was good at getting close, calling him Brother Fang instead of Master Fang. He reined in his smile and said, "I can only say this much, as a token of appreciation for your help."

Steel Neck didn't press further. "Thank you, Brother Fang. If I can get through this, I'll definitely set up a banquet to thank you."

"No need for a banquet. If you really want to thank me, warn the thugs around No. 1 High School not to harm students."

"Should I arrange for two people to protect your sister?"

Fang Tianfeng shook his head. "No need."

Steel Neck asked, "What about Xin Laosan?"

"Do what you think is best. I won't interfere. What do your four brothers think?"

Steel Neck showed a look of regret. "From a brother's perspective, it's a pity. But in the underworld, you have to be prepared. No one can blame anyone. I'll cover the medical expenses, and once they recover, I'll send them out of Dongjiang Province to help a friend."

"Handled well. I'll visit them when I have time." With Xin Laosan's precedent, Fang Tianfeng wouldn't be so complacent.

"Brother Fang, you're truly righteous. No wonder my brother keeps praising you."

Fang Tianfeng had heard many rumors about the underworld in the city, but it was hard to verify their truth. Now, with this experienced person, he asked about some people and matters, and Steel Neck answered everything he knew.

They talked for over two hours. When the conversation was almost over, Steel Neck immediately took the initiative to leave, making Fang Tianfeng realize that those who could make a name in the underworld were not simple.

Watching Steel Neck leave, Fang Tianfeng remembered a story from his childhood about hosting guests.

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