Volume One, Chapter 22: You've Got Yourself into Serious Trouble

"Step aside." Xu Qing looked at Tan Qiutong with a blank expression.

He had already done what Lin Xia asked of him. Tan Qiutong had not been taken away by Fang Cheng. Now, the matter was strictly between him and Fang Cheng.

Secretary Liu gritted his teeth and said, "Xu Qing, if you and Lin Xia aren't afraid of dying, don't drag us down with you!"

"Exactly! Who told you to meddle in other people's business? You actually wanted to lay a hand on Young Master Fang? I think you've lived long enough!" Ding Changqing, suddenly emboldened, finished shouting at Xu Qing before turning to Fang Cheng with a fawning smile. "Young Master Fang, this man is named Xu Qing; he’s just a gigolo. He has nothing to do with us. He wasn't even qualified to enter this exchange meeting; I don't even know how he snuck in!"

Ding Changqing distanced himself, pushing all the blame onto Xu Qing. Xu Qing watched him coldly, curious to see what other tricks they had up their sleeves. Originally, he hadn't wanted to interfere, but Lin Xia couldn't stand by and watch. Since his wife had spoken, how could he continue sitting on the sidelines? He had stepped in to help Tan Qiutong, but this woman continued to disappoint him.

"You brat, being able to fight doesn't mean a damn thing! That woman beside you isn't bad looking—not exactly my type, but if you let her serve me well, I might just forgive you!" Seeing Xu Qing remain silent, Fang Cheng assumed he was intimidated. Holding his swollen face, he grew arrogant again. "Today, I’ve taught you a lesson: in this world, you can fight all you want, but without a background, you're still nothing! If you dare to touch me again, I’ll make sure there isn't enough left of you to collect for a funeral!"

Xu Qing’s expression darkened, his gaze so cold it made people shiver.

"What good does glaring at me do?" Though Fang Cheng was slightly afraid, he put on a brave front. "Get on your knees right now, kowtow three times, and get out of here, and I’ll forgive your previous disrespect!"

Seeing Xu Qing in trouble, Ding Changqing couldn't help but gloat. Emboldened by Fang Cheng’s authority, he barked at Xu Qing, "What are you standing there for? Get on your knees and kowtow to Young Master Fang!"

Xu Qing had stolen his spotlight earlier, which had infuriated him. Now that Xu Qing was in trouble, he desperately wanted to see him humiliated even more than he had been. With everyone watching, if Xu Qing knelt, who would remember Ding Changqing’s previous embarrassment? They would only remember this gigolo who tried to play the hero, failed, and had to grovel for mercy.

Fang Cheng raised an eyebrow, urging him, "Brat, why are you standing there like a statue? Still not kneeling? If you don't, this isn't over!"

No one present believed Xu Qing wouldn't kneel. Fang Cheng was the son of the underground emperor, Master Fang the Fifth; if he wanted revenge, it meant death. Between dignity and life, unless one was a fool, the choice was obvious: he had to kneel!

Seeing Xu Qing still standing there, his eyes cold and chilling, Fang Cheng felt uneasy and reached out to shove him to the ground. In his view, Xu Qing had no status or power—so what if he could fight?

Once he was pressed to the ground, he would effectively be kneeling, and forcing a few kowtows would be easy. But before Fang Cheng’s hand could touch him, Xu Qing grabbed his wrist. Xu Qing’s grip was powerful, making Fang Cheng wince in pain.

"Let go! Are you looking for death?" Fang Cheng roared.

Xu Qing stared at him, his voice icy. "The one looking for death is you."

Fang Cheng tried with all his might to pull his hand away, screaming, "If you don't let go, not only will your woman be playing with me for a month, but even if you kowtow until you die here, it won't matter! I'm going to have your woman, and I’m going to do it right in front of you, just to show you what it means to wish you were dead— Ah—"

Before he could finish, Xu Qing exerted force. With a "crack," Fang Cheng’s other hand was broken. His scream echoed throughout the hall. But that was only the beginning.

"Slap! Slap!"

Xu Qing released Fang Cheng’s broken hand and delivered two sharp slaps to his face. Fang Cheng’s face swelled into a pig’s head. The burning pain was intense, but before he could even cry out, Xu Qing kicked him to the floor.

"Stop!" Tan Qiutong blocked the way again.

Xu Qing didn't even look at her; he shoved her aside and delivered another kick to Fang Cheng. Covered in blood with broken limbs, Fang Cheng was a gruesome sight. The agony caused him to lose consciousness, and blood pooled onto the floor of the hall, yet no one from the Bai family stepped in to intervene.

The attendees stood in shock, watching as if they were witnessing a movie. No one had expected things to escalate to this point. The man lying on the ground was the son of Master Fang the Fifth; Xu Qing had completely disregarded the consequences and crippled him! It was easy to guess that from today on, Xu Qing would face the brutal, vengeful wrath of Master Fang the Fifth. The man doted on his son immensely; even a minor conflict usually resulted in him hunting his enemies down, let alone having his son maimed.

"I think you’ve truly gone insane!" Tan Qiutong, shocked and terrified, stood beside Fang Cheng and shouted at Xu Qing, "You've invited a disaster! Do you have any idea what you've done?"

"Dealing with trash—does that have anything to do with you?" Xu Qing retorted.

Tan Qiutong was left speechless. While the incident began because of her, she hadn't expected Xu Qing to be so ruthless.

Lin Xia’s reaction was completely different. She said with admiration, "Xu Qing, you're amazing!" In her eyes, Xu Qing had done nothing wrong; such scum deserved to be dealt with.

Tan Qiutong couldn't help herself and cursed, "Lin Xia, are you sick? He hurt someone, and you're praising him?"

Ding Changqing added angrily, "You two are a perfect match! If you want to commit suicide, don't drag us down with you! That is Master Fang the Fifth’s son; you will pay for your recklessness sooner or later!" Although he had also struck Fang Cheng earlier and might face trouble if the Master investigated, Xu Qing had crippled the boy—he was definitely going to die first.

Tan Qiutong, despite her dislike for Xu Qing, added, "Xu Qing, if you want to survive, leave Bi City." Once the news spread, it wouldn't just be Master Fang’s men; others looking to curry favor with him would swarm in. By then, Xu Qing would have no way out.

Xu Qing said calmly, "No need."

Listening to their conversation, Lin Xia was somewhat afraid, but having Xu Qing by her side gave her a sense of security. If Xu Qing wasn't running, she didn't need to be afraid.

"Lin Xia, you don't actually believe he can escape Master Fang the Fifth’s pursuit unscathed, do you?" Tan Qiutong asked when she realized she couldn't sway Xu Qing.

Before Lin Xia could reply, Secretary Liu chimed in, "Ms. Tan, these two are beyond reason. If they want to die, let them; there's no need for us to waste our breath."

The phone in Xu Qing’s pocket vibrated. He glanced at it; Bai Yulan had messaged to say she would soon announce the project transfer to the Lin Group.

Xu Qing asked Lin Xia, "If you want to leave, we can go back." It was too noisy here; those people chirping like ducks were ruining the mood.

Lin Xia paused, then replied, "The exchange meeting hasn't started yet, has it?" Now that they had secured the Deepwater Bay project, shouldn't they stay for the meeting?

"Then we stay," Xu Qing smiled. He didn't care about the rest; accompanying his wife was the only thing that mattered. He was happy to do whatever she wanted.

"Hey! You, Xu! Don't act like this has nothing to do with you—you're in massive trouble!" Ding Changqing started shouting again.

The focal point of the hall remained fixed on them.