"What do you want?"
The female manager's face turned ashen, her body trembling. She stumbled backward until she hit the counter, unable to retreat further.
What kind of martial art was that?
With so many people in the shop, she hadn't even realized what was happening before everyone was down!
"I'm here to solve the problem."
Lin Fan took a few steps forward, looking at the female manager. He continued, "If you want to talk reason, I'll talk reason."
"But if you want to resort to force, then I'll meet you with force!"
Lin Fan's voice was resonant and carried a sense of authority that even the onlookers were intimidated by.
"I'm warning you, don't do anything rash. I'm calling for backup!"
The female manager hid behind the counter, her hands shaking as she fumbled for her phone.
Lin Fan tilted his head back and let out a cold laugh. "Go ahead, call anyone you want."
Tian Mengyao stood by the doorway, gazing blankly. "So, the usually good-tempered guy who always doted on me and spoiled me," she thought, "actually has such a domineering side!"
Her cheeks flushed, and she found Lin Fan even more captivating.
Song Yue rushed back, holding the child. Fortunately, the child was unharmed.
Lin Fan stood tall and proud at the forefront, with Xia Xue and Song Yue flanking him on either side.
The two sides remained in a standoff for a moment.
"You dared to hit our people!"
The female manager's face suddenly hardened, and she shrieked, "I'm telling you, our boss will be here any minute. None of you will be leaving this place in one piece today!"
Lin Fan scoffed, "Bring them on, I'm waiting."
Tian Mengyao stood behind them, glancing from Lin Fan and the other two to her phone screen.
She was extremely anxious. Why hadn't Uncle Sun arrived yet?
Lin Fan, observing the female manager's smug demeanor, suspected that the owner of this establishment was no ordinary person.
What if they were local power brokers? If a conflict erupted soon, things would surely escalate.
If he ended up on the news, his secret of possessing divine abilities might be exposed.
With this thought, Lin Fan immediately took out his phone.
But who should he call?
Su Yurou had extensive connections, but the situation had become so dire that a beauty salon owner's word might not be enough.
Wang Ying was an official, and her family seemed to have some influence.
However...
What connection could the Bureau of Planning and Commerce possibly have?
Seeing Lin Fan take out his phone, the female manager sneered, "Pah, what is this bumpkin pretending to be?"
"Haven't you even bothered to find out where you are? Is this your impoverished little village?"
"You dare to run wild here? When the time comes, you'll be begging for mercy, and it will be useless!"
The female manager unleashed a torrent of abuse, but Lin Fan said nothing, merely glancing up at her.
"Ah~"
She shrieked in fear and quickly retreated behind the counter.
Lin Fan lowered his head, looking at the contact saved as "Chairman Zhou."
"Sigh~"
He hadn't intended to have any dealings with her, but he was truly forced into this.
Lin Fan pressed the dial button, and the call was quickly answered.
"Hello, Master Lin!"
"What's brought you to call me today?"
Zhou Yi's voice was cheerful, sounding like she was in a good mood.
"Sister Zhou..."
Lin Fan let out a wry smile. "I'm in a bit of a situation."
"Just tell me what's wrong, and I'll definitely help!"
A loud shuffling sound came from Zhou Yi's end, as if she were playing mahjong.
"I... I've run into some trouble..."
Lin Fan recounted the entire incident, and an immediate silence fell over the line.
Zhou Yi left the mahjong table and said, "Don't panic. I'll be there right away."
She hung up and told her three elegantly dressed companions, who looked affluent and influential, "A friend of mine is in some trouble. I need to go help sort it out."
"Who is it?"
"And it requires Chairman Zhou's personal attention?"
"Xiao Zhou, do you need our help?"
"Yes, just say the word if there's anything!"
The three mahjong players saw Zhou Yi's hurried departure and assumed something major had happened.
"No need, it's not a big deal. I can handle it myself."
Zhou Yi thought disdainfully, "A mere Jingjing Company dares to mess with me? I'll show them a thing or two!"
Meanwhile, Lin Fan put away his phone, his expression more relaxed than before.
As the chairman of Yunqing City's largest real estate company, Zhou Yi should be able to handle such a minor issue properly.
Xia Xue gently tugged Lin Fan's sleeve and asked, "Xiao Fan, who were you calling?"
Lin Fan turned to Xia Xue and replied, "A friend. Someone with some connections in the city."
Hearing this, Xia Xue's heart grew even more uneasy.
She leaned closer to Lin Fan and whispered, "Why don't we just pay and put an end to this? Consider it a loss to avoid..."
Before she could finish, a cold snort was heard: "Dream on!"
Although her voice was very soft, the sharp-tongued female manager still heard it.
The female manager placed her hands on her hips and shouted, "You can't just pay to get away with hitting our people. None of you are leaving here peacefully today!"
Lin Fan's face contorted with rage. "What the hell did you say?"
He cursed and moved to slap the female manager.
However, Xia Xue was quick and pulled him back.
Just as Xia Xue was about to say that assault was illegal, five people came rushing in from the corridor.
Leading them was a middle-aged man in a gray plaid shirt and black sunglasses.
He had a tough, streetwise appearance, clearly a gangster.
Behind him followed four muscular men, each weighing around 150 pounds.
"Boss, you're here!"
The female manager cried and rushed towards him, sobbing, "They smashed up the store and beat up our staff!"
Some of the onlookers recognized the boss.
This boss was named Zeng Ping, and he had a background in the underworld.
He had initially made a fortune and opened a bar and KTV, but he had served time during a crackdown.
After his release, he abandoned the entertainment business and ventured into building materials.
"Youngsters have quite the temper, don't they?"
Zeng Ping scanned the crowd.
If it were in his younger days, he would have resorted to violence immediately, without a word.
However, after years of experience in the business world, he now understood the art of making money through strategy.
"Kid."
Zeng Ping took off his sunglasses, put his hands in his pockets, and looked at Lin Fan. "I'll give you two options."
"First, you smashed my property, so you have to pay for the damages."
"You hit my people, so you have to cover their medical expenses."
"Ten thousand in total, not much, right?"
Zeng Ping glanced at Lin Fan's attire, as well as Xia Xue's and Song Yue's.
He assumed these three had neither money nor background, so he continued, "Second, you hit my people, and I'll hit you back. That's not too much to ask, is it?"
He looked at the surrounding crowd and shouted loudly, "Everyone, you can see for yourselves. I'm a reasonable businessman. The path is laid out before them; how they choose is their own decision!"
Lin Fan remained expressionless and said coldly, "Let's wait until my friend arrives."