At the bar's entrance, Chen Dong parted ways with the others and prepared to return to the Li Family.
He hadn't gone far when Huang Tao and his men surrounded him.
A few thugs formed a tight circle around Chen Dong as Huang Tao jeered, "I've been waiting for you! If I don't kill you tonight, then my last name isn't Huang!"
Chen Dong shot back a casual taunt, "You don't have to wait until tonight. You can change your name right now!"
"Still acting tough? This is too close to the bar. You dare follow us?"
The thugs pulled out their clubs, making it clear they'd use force if he refused.
Chen Dong shrugged. "Whatever."
They walked him to a deserted alley some distance from the bar.
Before Huang Tao could say another word, thugs on either side swung at him, their iron rods cutting through the air as they aimed for Chen Dong.
Chen Dong sidestepped, and the thug's powerful swing met nothing but air.
"So, this is the place?" Chen Dong asked coolly.
Huang Tao roared, "Still putting on an act? Get him! If you kill him, I'll take the fall."
The men closed in. "Don't move, kid. Let us break your arms and legs, and we might just let you live."
Chen Dong raised an eyebrow. 'They actually want to break my limbs? In that case, I don't need to hold back.'
He lashed out with a kick. The man who had just spoken flew through the air and slammed into a wall, then collapsed, foaming at the mouth and unconscious. A small crater was visible on his chest; it looked like at least half of his ribs were shattered.
He tilted his head to dodge an iron rod and delivered a sharp knife-hand strike. A sickening CRACK of bone echoed in the alley.
In less than thirty seconds, the ground was littered with thugs, all with broken arms and legs.
Watching Chen Dong advance on him step by step like a demon from hell, Huang Tao's bladder gave way, and a warm wetness spread through his pants.
He stumbled backward, his trembling hand fumbling out a dagger that he pointed shakily at Chen Dong.
"Y-You... stay back! My dad is Huang Biehe! My uncle is Huang Wenlong, and he's a master who has cultivated True Qi! If you... if you dare touch a single hair on my head, he'll never let you go! The Huang Family won't let you go!"
Chen Dong mused, 'Huang Wenlong again. It seems I'll have to meet this man for myself.'
Then, he said to Huang Tao, "I'll give you a chance. Take me to Huang Wenlong."
At that moment, Huang Wenlong was driving an ordinary van, having just picked up the Gu Brothers from their hotel.
Huang Wenlong's phone rang.
A moment later, Huang Wenlong cursed into the phone, "You useless piece of shit! Bring him to the woods about a mile from the Li Family Manor."
With that, he hung up.
Gu Yong asked, "Brother Wenlong, what is it?"
"Just some kid who stirred up trouble. We can deal with him on the way. Li Huiran is bound to pass by there on her way home from work. We'll wait for her there."
Huang Wenlong, a robust man in his forties, drove the van at a steady pace. His arms were exceptionally thick, with veins bulging like ropes, a clear sign of his formidable martial skill.
The square-jawed Gu Brothers, seated in the back, were masters he had befriended during his travels. He had specifically brought them in as backup for this job.
The Gu Brothers had also cultivated True Qi and were masters of a coordinated Eagle Claw technique. Their skill was so refined that by working together, they could defeat opponents several times stronger than themselves.
Huang Wenlong pulled out four photographs and handed them to the brothers. The pictures were of Li Qinghe, Li Jianwen, Li Huiran, and Chen Dong.
He said, "The Patriarch's orders are to capture Li Jianwen or Li Huiran. It's best if they're taken alive. As for this Chen Dong... some brat who came out of nowhere. He's probably a bodyguard Li Qinghe hired for Li Huiran. Just kill him."
"As for Li Qinghe, we should avoid a direct confrontation. In his younger days, he was one of the top masters in all of Jiangzhou. We have no idea how strong he is now, and we don't know if his sudden recovery means he was just faking his illness. The Patriarch is wary of him, which is why I was recalled."
Gu Yong chuckled. "Brother Wenlong, there's no need to be so cautious. With the three of us, even if Li Qinghe is as strong as they say, we can take him down."
Huang Wenlong laughed. "Haha! You're right, Brother Gu Yong, but it's still better to be careful. We got word that Li Qinghe took Li Jianwen to the villa. That means Li Huiran is all by herself. All we have to do is grab her."
Just then, Gu Qiang's eyes, full of lust, were glued to the photograph. "Big Brother, we just have to keep her alive, right? This target is way prettier than the others we've played with!"
Gu Yong snapped, "We're here to do a job for Brother Wenlong. Don't get any ideas!"
Huang Wenlong chuckled. "Don't worry about it, Brother Gu Yong. Li Huiran is a rare beauty, it's true. As long as she's still breathing when you're done, you two brothers can have your fun."
Hearing this, Gu Yong's eyes lit up as he stared hungrily at the photo. "This is why I love working with you, Wenlong! Excellent, excellent!"
Wang Hao, Xu Qing, and the others were still deciding where to go next when, in the distance, they saw Chen Dong and Huang Tao get into a car.
Realizing it was Huang Tao getting his revenge, they were instantly horrified.
"What do we do? Huang Tao took Brother Dong!"
"That Huang Tao is vicious and ruthless! Brother Dong will be lucky if he only gets his limbs broken. If we're not careful, they'll be dumping his body in the river by morning!"
"We were too careless. We know how vengeful Huang Tao is; we never should have let Brother Dong leave by himself!"
Wang Hao pulled out his phone, his heart filled with self-reproach. This was all his fault; he had dragged Brother Dong into his mess. The car was already far away, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Right now, whether it would help or not, his only choice was to call Sister Huiran.
Xu Qing was pacing anxiously. "Wait! Brother Dong knows Xiao Shishou! Maybe Xiao Shishou can save him!" With that, she ran back into the bar.
Inside the bar, Xiao Kun's brow furrowed as he listened to Xu Qing's story.
After a moment's thought, Xiao Kun said, "I have some friction with the Huang Family. It's not an open conflict, but they won't do me any favors. Right now, our only option is to chase down that car and rescue Mr. Chen."
"Men! Get our people together! Get a car ready, quickly! We're going after them. Let's hope we're not too late."
Xu Qing was overjoyed. In her mind, Chen Dong had been taken because of them, and if Xiao Shishou was willing to step in, he could surely be saved. At the same time, she was shocked to realize how important Chen Dong was to Xiao Shishou.
Meanwhile, Li Huiran, still scheming about how to deduct Chen Dong's entire two-hundred-thousand-yuan salary, received a call from Wang Hao.
"This is bad, Sister Huiran! Huang Tao took Chen Dong!"
Li Huiran froze. She knew of Huang Tao—Huang Biehe's son, a good-for-nothing who used his family's name to cause trouble all day long with his despicable methods. If Chen Dong fell into his hands, he was in for a world of pain.
She immediately asked, "How did Huang Tao manage to take Chen Dong?"
"This isn't the time for that! We have to figure out how to save him. For all we know, they could be about to dump him in the river!" Wang Hao's voice was frantic on the other end of the line. He knew Li Huiran had issues with Chen Dong, so he had to make the situation sound as dire as possible.
He quickly added, "I don't have Elder Li's number! Please, Sister Huiran, you have to tell him!" 'Elder Li is backing Chen Dong,' he thought. 'He would never stand by and let him die!'
The thought of Chen Dong being thrown in the river startled Li Huiran. While she might have wished he would disappear, she didn't mean like this. Given how much her grandfather cared about him, if Chen Dong really did end up at the bottom of the river, the shock might make her grandfather sick again.
After hanging up, she was torn. She didn't know if she should tell her grandfather. But if she didn't, she had no way of saving Chen Dong herself. Huang Tao certainly wasn't going to give her any respect.
With no other choice, she dialed Elder Li's number.
When Li Qinghe took Li Huiran's call, he wasn't worried at first. He had faith in Chen Dong's skills; dealing with some young punk should be no problem for him.
But then he heard that Chen Dong might be thrown in the river.
His expression changed. It wasn't the likely outcome he feared, but the unlikely one.
'Chen Dong just came down from the mountain. He has no experience in the ways of the world. What if he falls into a trap and they really do throw him in the river!'
At this thought, he knew he couldn't allow his future grandson-in-law's life to be in danger. He immediately ordered Li Jianwen to find the Huang Family Patriarch's phone number. He would handle this personally.