Peerless Martial Expert in the City
Chapter 401 - 403

Chapter 401: 403

Situ Hongliang almost stumbled and thudded to the ground, but he finally steadied himself. Looking at the man standing before him, whose face was serious, seemingly oblivious to the consequences of his own words, and apparently deaf to the laughter around him, Situ’s expression couldn’t help but betray a sense of helplessness. If this had been some other kid, he might have immediately launched into a thorough ideological education, but the youngster before him was someone he couldn’t afford to provoke.

To avoid being infuriated by the young man, and to prevent him from uttering any more shocking statements that could make him spit blood from anger, he decided to stop talking altogether. Addressing the most pressing issue at hand was the proper course of action.

The moment he thought of the problem, his mind raced, and he turned his head hastily, looking back at his henchmen.

His gaze fell upon Elder Zhang and the group that was either standing or sprawled on the ground, each with a face as pale as death, eyes filled with fear. Disgust sprouted within Situ’s eyes as a surge of anger uncontrollably seethed within him.

He simply couldn’t understand how such people could be under his command.

He had come after receiving a call from Chen Jianguo. At the time of the call, he had no idea what had happened, but Chen Jianguo was an old friend and an important figure who had made significant contributions to the economic development of the East River District. From any perspective, he couldn’t refuse him. Moreover, Chen’s words were vague over the phone, and his tone seemed urgent. After hanging up, he had hurried over immediately.

Only upon his arrival did he learn that Chen Jianguo had already been there. Through Chen’s brief words, he gained a rough understanding that a friend of Chen’s had run into a bit of trouble in the East River District.

Upon hearing the details of the incident from Chen, he had felt somewhat dissatisfied, wondering if Chen was making a mountain out of a molehill.

But just then, Chen seemed to see something and rushed forward frantically. Situ’s repeated shouts went unheeded.

With no choice but to stamp his feet in frustration, cursing Chen Jianguo inwardly for playing such tricks and going crazy, Situ Hongliang, phone in hand, abandoned any concern for his appearance and rolled up his pant legs, chasing after Chen Jianguo.

He had no choice; besides being a friend he feared, Chen Jianguo was also a major client. To him, anyone who could help him get things done, invest money and effort, and promote the development of the East River District was the boss.

However, occupied with mundane affairs over the years and, although far healthier than many other officials, not potbellied like someone seven or eight months pregnant, his physical fitness was still not up to par. Compared to Chen Jianguo, he was far behind. No matter how hard he tried to keep up, he simply couldn’t match Chen Jianguo’s pace.

In an instant, Chen Jianguo had left him behind.

When he finally caught up, the words he heard from Chen Jianguo nearly scared him into breaking out in a cold sweat. Forgetting his exhaustion, he hurriedly squeezed into the crowd.

As he pushed through and saw the scene before him, his soul nearly leapt out of his body.

Looking at that bunch of scoundrels, he felt an urge to bite them to death.

But in the end, he was no ordinary hot-headed youth; he had seen and dealt with countless situations, especially as the head of the district. Being calm was an essential quality, and in an instant, he composed himself. His mind swiftly analyzed the situation, and he realized that the first thing he needed to do was to appease Chen Jianguo.

Especially when he felt Chen Jianguo’s growing anger, and after hearing Chen’s statement about pulling out investments—a statement that nearly made him lose his soul—he knew that he had to give Chen Jianguo a satisfactory explanation to quell his rage.

And the most direct explanation, without a doubt, was to have those bastards arrested. But it was clear that as a district head, he couldn’t possibly arrest so many people by himself.

That’s why he hadn’t bothered with them, soothing Chen Jianguo instead, all the while anxiously awaiting their arrival. Only when the armed police had arrived in full force, completely commandeering the scene, did he begin to prepare to deal with them.

Looking at them, Situ Hongliang felt his anger growing the more he looked, to the point where he could barely resist the urge to slap each of them hard across the face.

With great difficulty, he suppressed the violent thoughts welling up inside him, put on a stern face, and barked at the portly Boss Zhang, "Who gave you the audacity to act lawlessly in broad daylight, right in the middle of the busy street?"

"I......"

Facing the grim-faced Situ Hongliang, who posed his question with a resounding authority, Boss Zhang felt weak all over. Luckily, he was already on the ground, unable to fall any further; otherwise, he might have taken yet another fall.

Seeing Boss Zhang’s useless state, Situ Hongliang didn’t feel the slightest pity, only growing disgust. The more they cowered, the more it revealed how despicable their actions were, hence their fear, their terror.

He pointed at Xiao Yi, standing beside Chen Jianguo, and asked coldly.

While questioning, his gaze also involuntarily sized up Xiao Yi. It wasn’t until that moment that he began to notice Chen Jianguo’s friend, who had hurried here to help. Obviously, Chen Jianguo had come for this person. When he saw Xiao Yi’s young face, his expression couldn’t help but show a slight shock.

He had originally thought that the friend Chen Jianguo mentioned would at least belong to some prominent household or be someone around thirty years old. He hadn’t expected it to be someone who looked merely like a student.

However, after a brief moment of surprise, he didn’t dwell on it too much. At this place, at this time, he couldn’t afford to think too much.

After glancing at Xiao Yi, his gaze immediately returned to the portly Boss Zhang, his eyes sharp and almost tangible.

"This... this matter... it’s not... not my... fault!"

Under Situ Hongliang’s almost tangible gaze, Boss Zhang involuntarily shivered, his gaze too terrifying. Faced with Situ Hongliang’s righteous face and the glow in his eyes, it almost felt as if that look could pierce right through his heart.

Finally, he couldn’t hold out any longer; his body trembled, instinctively trying to absolve himself.

"Not your problem? But weren’t these people brought here by you?"

Situ Hongliang was thoroughly enraged. He had brought so many henchmen, menacingly threatening Chen Jianguo’s friend, and now he claimed it had nothing to do with him.

"It’s... I..."

Boss Zhang felt his spirit tremble again, wanting to say something. But the following words seemed to get stuck in his throat, unable to come out. Seeing Situ Hongliang’s ever-darkening expression, his heart nearly gave in to despair.

"He’s just a pawn," Xiao Yi finally spoke after Situ Hongliang entered, having been almost entirely silent until now. His gaze casually swept over Boss Zhang, who had a look of despair on his face, with a hint of disdain flashing through his eyes. Small-time characters are always just small-time; just a little pressure, and they’re already scared to this extent. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)