Cao Yang squeezed through the crowd, pushing all the way to the center.
The moment he appeared, everyone turned to stare at him.
"Hehe…"
He forced an awkward, shy smile at the roomful of gangsters, then scanned the crowd.
When he spotted Li Yan trembling in the corner, he rushed over, grabbed her hand, and scolded her:
"What are you still standing here for? Can't you see people are about to start fighting?!"
He tried pulling her toward the exit—
but noticed her hand was shaking violently.
Confused, he looked at her.
Li Yan's expression twisted with fear.
She whispered, voice breaking, "Go… hurry, go!"
Cao Yang nodded.
"That's why I'm here—to take you away."
He tugged her hand again and headed for the exit.
All the gang members standing in a circle around them stared, not moving.
Tiexiong watched as well.
Seeing the two try to leave, he turned to Jim.
"Your guy?"
Jim lit a cigarette, took a slow drag, leaned back on the sofa, and said calmly:
"Never seen him."
"Damn it.
Stop them!"
With one command, dozens of men blocked the doorway, sealing off their path.
"Little brat, you think you can walk away with her in front of me?
Who the hell are you? You think I don't exist?!"
Hearing the shout and seeing the exit blocked, Cao Yang turned back and forced a friendly smile.
"Big brother, I just came here a few days ago—I don't belong to anybody."
"I heard your accent. You're from Hunan, right? My sister and I are from Hunan too.
We're all fellow townsmen… why don't you spare us?"
"Oh? You two are Hunanese?"
Tiexiong's eyes narrowed with amusement.
People said: When fellow townsmen meet, tears flow.
That used to be true.
Now it was more like: When fellow townsmen meet, someone gets stabbed.
Still, normally gangs named after their province didn't randomly bully their own people.
But Tiexiong wasn't normal.
He didn't care about "fellow townsmen."
Li Yan hadn't offended him—but she happened to be unlucky enough to work in Jim's place and cross paths with him today.
"Yes, big brother," Cao Yang said, inching toward the exit again.
Tiexiong sneered and signaled with his chin.
Two of his men stepped forward and swung punches straight at Cao Yang's head.
As the punches came flying, Cao Yang shoved Li Yan behind him.
He swung a sharp kick at one attacker—faster than the punch—striking the man's shin.
The punch stopped mid-air, and the man collapsed with a howl, leg possibly broken.
The second attacker didn't even react before Cao Yang seized his wrist and twisted—
crack!
The man dropped to his knees screaming.
The room fell silent for a second.
Everyone had expected the kid to get beaten bloody—
not to take out two men instantly.
"Well well… you've got skills!"
Tiexiong grinned and signaled again.
Four more fighters rushed forward.
Jim watched with newfound interest.
The earlier move already proved the kid knew real combat.
The four attacked at once.
One punch hadn't even reached Cao Yang when he grabbed the man's wrist, twisted, and spun the man in a half-circle.
Cao Yang drove his knee into the man's back and used him as a shield—
absorbing the three punches from behind.
Before the man could scream, Cao Yang kneed harder—
sending him crashing into the three others.
Chaos erupted.
As they stumbled, Cao Yang seized two men by the arms, yanked sharply—
their shoulders popped out of place as they fell forward.
Cao Yang then rotated, gently—almost elegantly—
and rammed his shoulder into their chests like a Tai Chi master.
Both men grunted in agony.
The final attacker met a merciless kick right between the legs, collapsing while clutching himself and shrieking.
All of this happened in seconds.
To onlookers, it was a blur—
four men down before they fully realized what happened.
Tiexiong's eyes widened.
Jim extinguished his cigarette.
The Hunan gang members, feeling humiliated watching their comrades fall, didn't wait for orders.
Dozens drew machetes and surged forward.
Cao Yang panicked.
He could fight—yes.
But not dozens of guys with blades.
Outside, maybe he could run.
But in this sealed room, he'd be chopped into dumplings.
His eyes hardened.
He locked onto Tiexiong.
He couldn't beat the crowd—
but if he captured Tiexiong, the rest would hesitate.
Just as he prepared to move—
"STOP!"
Tiexiong roared.
All the Hunan gang froze.
"Kid, your skills are impressive!"
Tiexiong praised sincerely.
Gangsters relied on ferocity, not real martial arts.
Finding someone who could actually fight was rare.
"It's okay, I guess."
Cao Yang scratched his head shyly.
Seeing this goofy, honest expression, Tiexiong suddenly liked him even more.
A tough fighter with a dumb smile—perfect henchman material.
Reliable, good for protection, and even better to block knives.
"Little brother, where are you from? Interested in joining me?"
"Big brother, I told you—I'm from Hunan."
"What?! Hunan?!
We're fellow townsmen!"
Tiexiong almost teared up.
"As fellow countrymen, we should always help and support each other outside!"
Jim rolled his eyes in disgust.
"You sure didn't say that earlier.
Now that you see he can fight, suddenly he's your 'fellow townsman'."
Tiexiong shot him a glare, then turned back to Cao Yang.
"My ears are bad. Earlier I thought you said Henan.
You don't blame me, right?"
"No, no, not at all," Cao Yang waved—like he truly didn't mind.
"So, little brother… want to follow me?
I'll treat you well—food, drink, everything."
"Yes! Yes, of course!"
Cao Yang nodded repeatedly.
Tiexiong was thrilled.
Though… wasn't he agreeing a little too fast?
Did he really not blame him?
"Well, good! From now on, you're my brother."
He slapped Cao Yang's shoulder, then pointed at Jim:
"Now help me kill him."
The moment he said it—
every Sichuan gang member drew their blades.
The Hunan gang did the same.
The confrontation reset—
tension crackled in the air.
Cao Yang scratched his head awkwardly.
"Big brother… my sister got scared just now.
I want to take her home first."
"Oh, is that so?"
Tiexiong smiled at Li Yan.
"Little sister, sorry about earlier.
I didn't know you were my fellow townsman."
Li Yan trembled violently, not daring to say anything.
"Big brother, let me take my sister home first.
Tomorrow I'll come help you kill him, okay?"
"Fine. Give me your number.
Tomorrow I'll treat you to dinner."
Tiexiong agreed happily.
He didn't actually dare kill Jim—
he just liked stirring the atmosphere and confusing people.
"138********."
Cao Yang reported a random number.
Then, holding Li Yan's hand, he swaggered out of the Nightingale Club—calm and confident.
Only when they reached an empty alley did he finally collapse and beat his chest hard.
"Holy crap…
I almost got diced into meat paste."