He suddenly struck. By the time everyone reacted, it was too late—the ceramic bowl had already flown toward Tang Shaojie's forehead.
Just as it was about to hit him, a hand appeared in front of Tang Shaojie, and Cao Yang caught the bowl steadily.
Tang Shaojie remained calm, smoking leisurely, not even raising an eyelid.
Cao Yang admired him. Jie Ge's composure in the face of danger was something he had to learn.
In truth, Tang Shaojie was inwardly panicking. He thought: it's a good thing Cao Yang is here, or getting hit would have ruined his refined, gentlemanly image.
"Jie Ge," Cao Yang looked at him, asking for permission.
Tang Shaojie nodded slightly.
Cao Yang got the signal and hurled the ceramic bowl toward Liao Dongxing!
Before Liao Dongxing could react, the bowl was already flying toward him.
But it didn't end in bloodshed. Another hand appeared beside him, catching the bowl firmly.
Cao Yang looked at the young man—around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, dressed in casual sportswear.
Being able to catch his throw indicated solid skill.
The young man stared back, surprised that someone so young could have such strength. Only experts would understand the speed and force behind Cao Yang's throw. His palm hurt from catching it, which proved the boy's impressive ability.
"You little bastard, you're asking for death!" Liao Dongxing snapped at Cao Yang.
Cao Yang didn't hold back either, verbally firing back.
It didn't matter that Liao Dongxing was a lieutenant—Cao Yang only acknowledged Tang Shaojie now.
"Come on, come on, we're all brothers here—don't ruin the harmony," others began urging them to stop.
But Liao Dongxing ignored them, pointing at Cao Yang and cursing. In reality, he was targeting Tang Shaojie indirectly.
Tang Shaojie stood, calmly looking at Liao Dongxing. "If you want to fight, I'm ready anytime."
"Then fight!"
"Alright, let's fight!"
They stared each other down, their subordinates behind them, the tension ready to erupt.
"Calm down, Ah Jie and Dongxing. Fighting here makes you look foolish to outsiders."
"Do you even respect me as the head? At least put on a show!"
Li Kun was furious; he hadn't expected his birthday to turn so tense.
"Dad, don't be angry," Li Lu stepped forward to comfort him.
She looked at Tang Shaojie and Liao Dongxing with a smile. "Uncles, you can't fight. You're both billionaires. Fighting like this is embarrassing!"
"Why not let them fight instead? I saw their bowl-catching skills—they're capable. Let them battle on your behalf. The result doesn't matter, just make a show of it."
"Yes, exactly. Little Lu is right. Let your best fighters spar—no need to fight yourselves."
Li Kun nodded. "Good idea. You two consider it."
Li Kun knew neither wanted to fight; they just needed an excuse. Giving them one would quickly resolve the tension.
Liao Dongxing was busy fighting the Hunan gang; fighting Tang Shaojie might overextend him. It could even force Tang Shaojie to team up with outsiders against him—risky.
Tang Shaojie had no such concern, but this was Shenzhen—someone else's territory. If Liao Dongxing got seriously hurt, it would be hard to leave safely.
Liao Dongxing patted his subordinate's shoulder. Fu Er whispered: "Kill that little brat!"
Tang Shaojie glanced at Cao Yang, lightly patting his shoulder.
Cao Yang understood. One pat meant stop at a warning, three pats meant no mercy. This time, three pats.
"Hehe… be careful," Li Lu giggled, running to Cao Yang. "This is Du Hao. Five years ago, he was the provincial sanda champion. He worked in Hong Kong's entertainment industry as a stunt double for several kung fu stars. He's been hired by Uncle Liao as a high-paid bodyguard."
Cao Yang looked at her, puzzled why she was telling him all this.
Could it be… because he's handsome? She's interested?
Ah… cursed charm.
…
The guests were already drawn to the tension. Now hearing a fight was imminent, they were excited.
Most weren't from the underworld but had connections. They loved watching fights, especially between two top lieutenants.
The crowd parted, forming a large circle.
Cao Yang sized up Du Hao. Slightly shorter than him at around 1.7 meters, with tanned, healthy skin. Du Hao had removed his jacket, wearing only a white tight-fitting vest, showing developed arms and chest—not overly exaggerated, similar to Cao Yang's build.
Du Hao also studied Cao Yang. His boss wanted him dead, but he wasn't confident. The boy was young, but the earlier bowl incident revealed real skill—he might not win.
Li Kun, as host and head, officiated.
"Friendly sparring, stop at a warning. Begin."
Hearing "begin," neither moved—just stared each other down.
"Start fighting!" Liao Dongxing shouted.
Tang Shaojie calmly smoked, not urging Cao Yang—he had confidence in him.
Du Hao, hearing his boss, tried to find a weakness but couldn't, forcing himself to punch Cao Yang in the forehead.
Cao Yang saw the punch and countered with one of his own.
Bang!
Fists collided. Cao Yang stepped back, feeling a slight sting.
Not bad, he thought. Du Hao's strength rivaled Liu Yilong's.
Du Hao stepped back three paces, fists trembling. After a single exchange, he was at a disadvantage.
Experienced in combat, he knew his strength and physique weren't enough. He switched tactics, hoping speed would win.
He feinted to confuse Cao Yang, then tried to circle behind for a sneak attack.
His speed was fast, but not fast enough—Cao Yang saw through it.
A punch aimed at the back of Cao Yang's head.
Cao Yang didn't turn, grabbing Du Hao's arm with his free hand.
Du Hao sneered, thinking Cao Yang had fallen for it.
As he threw the punch, he kicked toward Cao Yang's lower back.
Cao Yang anticipated it, jumped slightly, spreading his legs to trap Du Hao's right leg.
Du Hao was shocked—Cao Yang's reflexes and speed surpassed raw strength. Both arm and leg were controlled, making escape difficult.
Helpless, he swung his left fist at Cao Yang.
Pain shot through his arm before the punch landed.
"I've only just started applying force, and you can't handle it?"