Yi Leng had loved fighting ever since he was a child. He had both a sharp mind and a strong body, making him quite the anomaly. Iary school, he was the kind of kid who would receive a "Model Student" certificate in the m and a disciplinary warning iernoon. During high school, he got caught up in a case that led to him being coerced into enrolling at the Iional Retions Academy.

  At the academy, he initially studied intelligenalysis, which was more of a desk job. But after taking aive in mixed martial arts, he underwent brutal training ihal bat teiques taught by special forces instructors. These weren’t fshy moves, but brutal, effit teiques desigo kill in a sirike. After a few field missions, he somehow transitioned from an analyst to aive, being a figure akin to James Bond.

  During four years of impriso, Yi Leng was held on an isoted isnd near Cape Horn. In this desote and freezing pce, there was little to do, and fights between inmates were a daily occurrence. For thugs like Yin Bingsong, snapping someone’s neck was a brag-worthy feat they’d boast about for years. For Yi Leng, it was just a casual part of survival.

  Even if the surveilnce cameras hadn’t been turned off, it wouldn’t have mattered. The footage would show Yi Leng seemingly dodging and defending himself, his movements cleverly cealed and seamlessly executed, like a ses from a Jackie movie.

  Before anyone could react or pull out their phoo record, Chef Huang Pi Hu had already dislocated six men’s shoulders, bringing the fight to an abrupt end.

  The six men groaned in pain, drenched i and clutg their dislocated arms. Fighting was no longer an option.

  A Li, however, had recorded the entire se on her phone. Her heart was rag, and adrenaline coursed through her veins. She was at a loss for words, overwhelmed with excitement.

  Meanwhile, Xiao Hong leaned against the doorframe, mung on sunflower seeds and enjoying the spectacle like it was her favorite TV show.

  Yin Bingsong, humiliated after his plete defeat, was fuming. As a well-known figure in the local underworld, being taken down so easily in front of his ckeys was a massive blow to his pride. He couldn’t let this slide unless he found a way tain face by defeating the one who had dislocated his arm.

  However, with all six of them painfully nursing their dislocated shoulders, putting up a fight was impossible. Still, Yin Bingsong couldn’t resist throwing out some harsh words: "Put my arm ba, or I’ll kill you!"

  Remarkably, Huang Pi Hu plied. Grabbing Yin Bingsong’s arm, he applied force. With a "pop", the shoulder was ba pce.

  Yin Bingsong, still woozy from the alcohol, wasn’t thinking clearly. With his newly-realigned arm not yet funal, he swung at Huang Pi Hu with his other arm, nding a punch that sent the chef flying.

  Huang Pi Hu crashed into the wall and slid to the floor, seemingly unscious.

  Yin Bingsong stared at his fist in disbelief. "Wow, I had no idea I was this strong!"

  Rou Mingrui barely mao keep a straight face, thinking to himself, "Damn, Brother Huang deserves an Oscar for that performance. Looks like he’s going to milk this situation for pensation."

  Yi Leng was a master at faking injuries, thanks to years of dealing with real bullets and bdes. His reas and expressions were spot-on, making his performances incredibly ving.

  Though Huang Pi Hu’s dramatic fall might have been a bit over-the-top, it achieved the desired effect. Yin Bingso he had recimed some dignity, while Huang Pi Hu had set the stage for a financial settlement.

  Outside, police lights fshed as officers finally arrived. Being seasoned professionals, they reized many of the faces present and approached the situation with measured diplomacy. Huang Pi Hu eventually "regained sciousness" and, when asked if he o go to the hospital, insisted that he did because of a severe headache.

  The officers didn’t immediately call for an ambunce. Instead, they gathered both sides outside for mediation. They expihere were two options: settle the matter amicably or escate it, which would result in both parties beiained.

  This was standard procedure for minor scuffles without serious injuries. Esg the matter would only waste police resources, makiion the most practical solution.

  Yin Bingsong, a veteran at handling the aftermath of street fights, fidently approached Yi Leng. "Alright, I won’t make this difficult for you. Five grand, ft rate."

  "Deal," Yi Leng replied calmly.

  "So, are you paying now or tomorrow?" Yin Bingsong asked.

  Yi Leng smirked. "You’ve got it wrong. The five grand is what you owe me."

  "You’re trying to extort me? Bold of you!" Yin Bingsong sneered. "Alright, let’s py."

  With mediation failing, the police had no choice but to proceed with official procedures. However, Huang Pi Hu insisted on being taken to the hospital for a full checkup, g he was seriously injured. Meanwhile, Yin Bingsong’s group also cimed they had been assaulted, f an ambuo transport everyone involved to the hospital for medical evaluations.

  The results were astonishing.

  X-rays revealed that Huang Pi Hu’s body was riddled with old injuries—fractures, knife wounds, gunshot scars, burn marks, and whip shes covered him from head to toe. None of these injuries were new, but they painted a tragic picture.

  Huang Pi Hu also cimed to have a cussion, g headaches and nausea—symptoms notoriously difficult to verify with ss. Everyone uood the game he ying, but there was no way to refute it.

  Meanwhile, five of Yin Bingsong’s men had their dislocated shoulders realigned by the orthopedist. Despite being treated, they pretehey were still incapacitated, stig to the same pybook. At this point, it wasn’t about who was stronger but who could act better.

  Dislocated shoulders were sidered minor injuries, but they were enough to get Huang Pi Hu detained.

  To plicate matters, Huang Pi Hu cked proper identification, which could lead to serious legal trouble. With the restaurant uo operate uhese circumstances, everyone involved headed to the hospital to assist.

  At the hospital, Ma Xiaowei seized the opportunity to showcase his capabilities.

  His face had been nicked by a beer bottle thrown by Yin Bingsong, leaving two small scratches. A nurse applied a band-aid, giving him the appearance of a "wounded hero." Although the injury was superficial, the fact that it was on the face of a deputy chief engineer made it a big deal. If the situatioed, Yin Bingsong would face serious sequences.

  Standing firmly on Huang Pi Hu’s side, Ma Xiaowei called Yin Bingsong outside to talk. Despite being a Tsinghua graduate, Ma Xiaowei had no problem slipping into streetwise banter.

  They eventually iated a truce: both sides would drop the matter and avoid involving the authorities further.

  "Ma Gong (Manager Ma), I’ll let this slide for your sake. Otherwise, I wouldn’t let him see tomorrow’s sunrise," Yin Bingsong said, leaving a veiled threat before departing. In truth, he wasn’t g out of respea Xiaowei but simply giving himself an excuse to back down gracefully.

  "Let’s catch up sometime," Ma Xiaowei replied with a measured smile. He knew better than to issue threats directly—mature men preferred to settle scores quietly.

  As Yin Bingsong walked away, his face hardened uhe streetlights. Dialing a number with his left hand, he barked, "Qiangzi, fiwo kids—fresh faces from out of town."

  Ba the emergen, Rou Mingrui and Huang Pi Hu were chatting. After this ordeal, the two had bee fast friends. Rou mentiohat it was likely Yin Bingsong who had orchestrated the ret iions by the Health Bureau and Urban Ma.

  Wu Yumei furrowed her brows. "Why would he target us? We’ve never had any flict with him. He’s even di our restaurant and has always been polite, sometimes even tippira."

  "Maybe he made a pass at you, and you ignored him?" Rou Mingrui specuted.

  That seemed pusible. Yin Bingsong was notoriously persistent when it came to women he fancied—a reputation widely known in the shipyard district.

  Wu Yumei’s face turned an uncharacteristic shade of red—not from embarrassment but from ahough she often came across as carefree and bold, she wasn’t the type to indulge casually. If she were, with her looks and figure, she wouldn’t have to work so hard running a small restaurant; she could’ve easily tched onto a wealthy man.

  Yi Leng recalled his first day w at the restaurant when Yin Bingsong had already begun harassing Wu Yumei, f her to drink alcohol. It was a rude and disgraceful dispy, the typical behavior of a thug. If it had been four years ago, Yi Leng would have dealt with him on the spot in a way he’d remember for the rest of his life. But the current Yi Leng no longer had an official status istical support to fall ba—he couldn’t rely solely on his ce to act recklessly.

  It was now clear that Yin Bingsong had a grudge against Yumei Restaurant and would likely tio provoke aaliate. Yi Leng never fought battles he wasn’t prepared for. Even against small-time troublemakers, he made sure to gather suffit intelligence.

  He discreetly sought out Rou Mingrui, asking him for everything he knew about Yin Bingsong. The two versed in hushed tones while nearby, Ma Xiaowei forted A Li, asking her if she was scared and assuring her, "Don’t worry, I’m here if anything happens."

  "I’m not scared, not with Master Huang around. I think he might be a desdant of Wong Fei-hung," A Li said, her cheeks flushed with excitement. She was only wearing a light down jacket and an apron, and Ma Xiaowei felt a pang of sympathy. He took off his cashmere coat, intending to drape it over her shoulders.

  But A Li didn’t notice. She immediately turned and ran off, dashing over to Huang Pi Hu. Rubbing her hands together, she asked, "Are you doalking? we go baow? I’m waiting for the staff meal."

  Yi Leng burst into ughter and said, "All do’s go eat."

  The four restaurant workers piled into a Wuling minivan and drove off without inviting Ma Xiaowei to join them. Left behind, Ma Xiaowei could only shrug on his cashmere coat and wave them off with a veneer of grace.

  Back at the restaurant, Yi Leng cooked up two dishes for everyoo enjoy before heading to bed. During dinner, A Li kept pestering Huang Pi Hu about where he had learned his martial arts.

  Without hesitation, Yi Leng fabricated a story, saying, "I grew up in a perf arts troupe. As the saying goes, ‘A skilled martial artist ’t beat a wily actor.’ All my skills e from childhood training."

  "Do they teach joint dislocation in perf arts troupes?" A Li pressed.

  "Later, I apprenticed under an old master who specialized in boing," Yi Leng replied with a straight face. "In fact, I’ve re-aligned more joints than I’ve dislocated."

  His seriousness vinced A Li, ted the expnation without further question. After finishing their meal, the group drove home. Worried about potential retaliation from Yin Bingsong, Wu Yumei discreetly carried a knife for prote, while Yi Leng also made his own preparations. Overfidence wasn’t an optiohe most skilled fighter could be ambushed.

  They returo Building 17 in the Shipyard New Vilge, where everyoo their respective homes to wash up and sleep.

  The events of the day left Wu Yumei deeply uled. She realized how vulnerable she was without a man by her side. Yet despite her frustrations, Huang Pi Hu remained as oblivious as ever, refusing to take a hint. The thought alone irritated her, and in a fit of pique, she locked herself in her bedroom, refusing to step into the living room.

  After washing up, Yi Leo bed but soon got up quietly, sneaking out the door. He had earlier purchased a of WD-40 to lubricate the door hinges, ensuring they wouldn’t creak in the middle of the night.

  His destination? Yin Bingsong’s hideout.

  Yi Leng believed in being proactive. Yin Bingsong, a thug like him, wasn’t going to let the matter drop. Sihe restaurant en to the public, it was impossible to prevent every possible attack. Offeherefore, was the best defense.

  Late at night, dressed in a gray cotton jacket, Yi Leng moved through the darkereets, avoiding surveilnce cameras. Based on the information provided by Rou Mingrui, Yin Bingsong had multiple hideouts. His wife and children lived in a high-rise apartment in Hawaii Residential plex. His mistress resided in Binhai ercial Tower, and he also had an office space that doubled as a residehough the exait number was unclear.

  But that didn’t matter—Yi Leng remembered the lise pte number of Yin Bingsong’s SUV. Wherever the car was, Yin Bingsong wouldn’t be far.

  The m—

  Yin Bingsong stepped out of his mistress’s apartment oh floor of Binhai ercial Tower. Taking the elevator to the underground parking lot, he pulled out his remote key and unlocked his SUV.

  As he approached the driver’s door, he noticed a faint bck smudge on the handle, as if someoh dirty hands had touched it.

  Years of experience w in security, bined with his time navigating the gritty underworld, had honed Yin Bingsong’s instincts. Suspicious, he circled around to the passenger side, opehe door, and climbed io ihe driver’s side more closely.

  Nothing seemed out of the ordinary—it could simply have been a homeless person toug the car.

  But as he ied the key into the ignitioiced something else amiss. The dashboard cover appeared to have been tampered with.

  Upon closer iion, he found a red electrical wire attached to the ignition. Following the wire, he traced it to the engine partment.

  Opening the hood, he discovered the wire was ected to a regur device. Attached to the device was a drical object resembling a firecracker, with the wires leading directly into it.

  Yin Bingsong froze. He didn’t dare touch the devid instead backed away slowly. Cold sweat drenched his thermal underwear, stig unfortably to his skin.

  His hands trembled so much that it took four or five attempts to light a cigarette. His mind raced, repying every possible sario.

  "Who would dare do this to me?"

  [--------------------------------------------]

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