Sure enough, the black SUV followed, trailed by a silver minivan. Nowadays, assassins have become rather desperate, sending several people for a mere $200,000 bounty. No wonder Ye Xiaodao always complains they're tarnishing the OF platform's reputation.
Li Nanfang let out a faint, cold chuckle and directed, "Left turn at the next intersection."
After Yue made the left turn, if the two vehicles still followed, Li Nanfang would be certain they were being tailed. He wasn't afraid to act in the city, but the crowded streets posed a risk of collateral damage.
Fortunately, he had found a free-range chicken farm on the northwest outskirts of Qing Shan City last night. Acting there would minimize harm to innocents. He didn't care how many pursuers there were or whether he could defeat them all. His sole focus was on ensuring Yue's safety.
Why target Yue among so many on the platform? It's damn inconvenient for me—Thinking this, Li Nanfang became irritable, and his tone hardened as he instructed, "Left turn again, straight ahead!"
With a screech of tires, Yue pulled the car to the路边, activated the left blinker, and prepared to turn around.
Li Nanfang questioned, "Why are you stopping?"
"I'm not going," Yue said coldly. "It's just a meal of free-range chicken—hardly worth your condescending orders."
Li Nanfang realized his mistake and quickly apologized, "Ah, I was a bit harsh just now. But I swear, it wasn't directed at you. I was thinking of a very, very painful memory. When I was in my teens, in that awkward age where I ate like a horse, I craved chicken one day. My mentor said we couldn't afford it, so I decided to sneak into a farm at night to steal some—"
There's no denying it; when it comes to lying and deceiving, Li Nanfang could sell Boss Yue down the river and make her count the money. Accompanied by a deep tone and a few fabricated tears, the tale of a hungry teen stealing chicken, getting caught, and nearly losing his innocence to a farmer's wrath vividly unfolded in Yue's mind.
Recalling Li Nanfang's miserable experience of almost being beaten to death over a chicken—because she herself had once shrieked upon catching him peeping while she bathed—filled Yue with guilt. Too guilty to hold onto her irritation over his harsh words, she obediently followed his directions, turning left and right. She even used the flimsy excuse of his tears dirtying the car to offer him her own fragrant wet wipes.
Almost, almost had Li Nanfang successfully tricked Yue into handing over her bank card—until they arrived at the farm.
Yue parked the car, pointing to a row of houses on the right slope and asking if that was the place.
Yes, it was.
How could Li Nanfang deny it? The sign for Wang Erdog's Free-Range Chicken Farm stood prominently by the roadside.
So preoccupied with spinning his tale to deceive the girl, Li Nanfang hadn't even considered how to proceed without revealing his true capabilities.
They say one shouldn't pretend to be a pig for too long, lest one becomes one. It seems even heaven disapproves of my constant act, he mused. Well, so be it. Let Boss Yue witness Li Nanfang's true prowess!
Li Nanfang took a deep breath, about to instruct Yue to stay in the car when his spirits suddenly dampened: The pursuers were far from deserving the honor of witnessing his full strength.
The two vehicles that had followed from the city to the suburban farm disgorged a familiar face—Golden Boy. Not overly acquainted, but definitely recognized. Li Nanfang had even once smashed a beer bottle on his head: Golden Boy.
Despite his unassuming appearance, Golden Boy was quite astute. He had deduced from Li Nanfang's intentional slip that the formidable Boss Yue from that night was none other than Yue Zitong of Kaihuang Group. Seizing the opportunity, he gathered over a dozen thugs armed with steel pipes and baseball bats and chased after them.
"Ah, it's him," said Yue Zitong, the self-proclaimed top-tier Chinese special agent, finally realizing she was being tailed.
Unconcerned, she sneered, swapped into a pair of flat shoes from the backseat, and instructed Li Nanfang, "Kid, your scheme worked. Stay put in the car. Don't come out and trouble me with your presence."
"Ah? Uh, you shouldn't go out there!" Li Nanfang feigned anxiety, seizing her left hand and examining it. "Let's call the police. They likely won't dare to vandalize our car, fearing the compensation."
Boss Yue, who had initially considered calling the police, changed her mind upon his suggestion. She snorted, "Pfft, as if I'd take those riffraff seriously. Wait here; I'll be right back."
You talk as if you're Guan Yu warming wine while beheading Hua Xiong. Don't think I didn't notice your trembling hand—Li Nanfang tightened his grip on her small hand: "No, there are too many of them. You're no match alone!"
"Wait here," she insisted, shaking off his hold and pushing the car door open.
Just as she was about to close the door, Li Nanfang tremulously asked, "Can I... can I drive away first? I promise I won't ditch the car in the roadside ditch."
"You'd better die," Yue bit her silver teeth hard, thinking: Is this even human? For his sake, I'm steeling myself to fight, and he doesn't even offer help, wanting to flee first!
She slammed the door shut, glanced around, and strode across the road. On the opposite side was a vendor selling bamboo poles. Sturdy as rolling pins, these poles were perfect for a brawl. The vendor's wife, spotting a gang of bald thugs advancing with weapons, wisely retreated into her shop but didn't forget to pop her head out the window: "Eight bucks a pole, fifteen for two!"
With a crack, Yue lifted her knee and snapped the four-meter bamboo pole in two. She casually twirled the half-meter piece, nodding in approval—it was just right. She wouldn't let these thugs damage her car. Coldly gripping the bamboo pole, she strode forward.
At the front of the group, Golden Boy halted, whispered something to a bearded thug beside him, then looked up at Yue: "Ha, haha, Boss Yue, long time no see. How have you been?"
"Speak your mind or just spout nonsense. This miss doesn't have time for your chatter," Yue stopped, her back to the setting sun. Her arm lightly patted the bamboo pole in her left hand, exuding an air of a world-weary martial artist. However, the twitching at the corners of her eyes betrayed her inner nervousness.
"In Qing Shan, anyone who crosses me, Golden Boy, won't get off scot-free," Golden Boy said with a faint smile, pride oozing from his words. "Yue Zitong, you should have inquired about who my uncle is. You ruined my night and left me humiliated."
Immediately, a lackey chimed in: "Ma'am, you seem well-off. You must have heard of Director Jin from the Central District? That's Golden Boy's uncle. You're in for a rough time. But honestly, Golden Boy, it's a shame to hit such a pretty girl."
"What's your take, Little Pockmark?" Golden Boy asked, having likely discussed their plan en route.
"Ma'am, allow me to intercede on your behalf. If you agree to serve Golden Boy for three nights, my brothers will spare you the pain," Little Pockmark shouted across. "Aside from sparing you, your company is under Director Jin's jurisdiction. If you provoke him, do you think you'll survive in Qing Shan?"
Yue Zitong had been running Kaihuang Group for two years and naturally had interactions with political figures. She knew that Director Jin was a significant figure in most people's eyes, but to her, he was nothing.
"Shut your filthy mouth and scram while you still can!" Yue's face flushed with anger.
Golden Boy was genuinely trying to resolve the feud. Conquering a fiery beauty like Yue was every man's ultimate desire. However, it was clear that Yue's temper was far from accommodating. Faced with so many men, she still dared to talk back. It seemed she needed a taste of their wrath to learn that men were not to be trifled with.
"Brother Guang, it's up to you now. Just don't maim her. I've decided to become the groom right here," Golden Boy spat out his cigarette butt and swung his right hand with a flourish.
Bearded Brother Guang nodded and was about to organize his men to form a perimeter to prevent Yue from escaping when Yue let out a fierce cry and charged forward with her bamboo pole like a tigress.
She targeted Golden Boy exclusively, willing to endure blows from others just to take him down!
A war of over ten men against one woman unfolded under the beautiful sunset.
"Damn it, block her!" Seeing Yue take several hits on her shoulders and back yet keep charging at him with gritted teeth, Golden Boy panicked, turned tail, and fled.
Yue wanted to chase after him—but Brother Guang and the others weren't about to let her go so easily.
Golden Boy had made it clear when he recruited them that this tigress was formidable. Today, he'd brought only the toughest of his crew. They roared in unison and swung their steel pipes and baseball bats down on Yue.
Chapter 44: The Exhaustion of Pretense
Yue Zitong feared nothing on earth—except perhaps the old man in her family. A mere cough from him could send her heart racing. So, how could she be intimidated by these petty hoodlums?
Her hands trembled earlier, merely out of nervousness. She was well aware that she couldn't handle so many thugs alone. If Li Nanfang hadn't been in the car, she would have sped away without a second thought, no need to shed her cold and proud presidential demeanor, transform into a "wild woman," and risk injury to take down Jin Shao.
Her back and shoulders had already taken several solid hits—painfully so. These despicable hoodlums were actually resorting to brute force against a beauty like her. Weren't they afraid of divine retribution? Yue's inherent fierceness was fully ignited, her blood boiling as she lunged at Jin Shao with unrestrained fury.
She was formidable, especially when recklessly charging at Jin Liufu, radiating an intimidating aura that was truly daunting. However, Guang and his gang were no strangers to major confrontations. If they couldn't prevent her from hurting Jin Shao with so many against one, they'd have no face left in Qing Shan.
"Hold nothing back! Beat him to death!" As Yue struck a thug's forehead with her bamboo pole, splitting it open, Guang roared, crouching down and sweeping his steel pipe at her right leg.
Yue, though vigilant, couldn't cover all angles. Having just dodged a blow to her head, she spotted the danger at her feet and leaped upward in a desperate attempt. Yue, like an eagle spreading its wings, jumped over a meter high, narrowly avoiding Guang's sweeping pipe. However, her ankle was not so fortunate.
Fortunately, as she leaped, she swiftly retracted her right foot. Guang's pipe only grazed her ankle with its tip. Still, the impact sent a sharp pain through her. With a muffled grunt, she landed, her ankle throbbing as if pricked by needles.
With a loud thud, she shouldered a baseball bat swung by a thug. Her heart sank: it seemed escape was impossible. She rolled on the ground, using her bamboo pole to block the descending sticks, and screamed at Li Nanfang, who had exited the car, "Run! Hurry up and go!"
She knew she wouldn't escape these thugs no matter how hard she tried. All she could hope for was that Li Nanfang would flee. This wasn't out of particular concern for him but stemmed from a chivalrous instinct to protect the weaker sex, even if it meant enduring a brutal beating oneself.
Li Nanfang's heart ached at Yue's urging him to run. Overwhelmed by guilt, he felt like slapping himself. He had seen through her tough exterior yet still provoked her, leading to this reckless situation. However, Li Nanfang had a knack for rationalizing his actions: I had no choice. If I reveal my true strength, those assassins lurking in the shadows will become more cautious, putting Yue in greater danger. As the saying goes, it's easier to dodge direct attacks than hidden arrows.
"Ah!" Li Nanfang bellowed, rushing across the road to grab a four-meter-long bamboo pole. Ignoring the vendor's cry of "Eight bucks each, fifteen for two," he charged forward with reckless abandon.
"Damn it, kill that son of a bitch! He's the one who smashed my head with a bottle the other night!" Jin Shao, now on the sidelines, pointed at Li Nanfang and ordered Guang to finish him off.
Without needing further instruction, three or four thugs rushed at Li Nanfang, wielding steel pipes to block his sweeping bamboo pole. It's said that length equals strength. Even an ordinary person wielding a four-meter bamboo pole could wield considerable power at the right distance. However, such power had limits. If someone were to grab the pole, others could swarm forward.
There's never a shortage of self-sacrificing heroes. Xiao Mazi was one of them. Seeing the pole sweep toward him, he discarded his pipe, bellowed, and opened his arms wide.
Li Nanfang's eyes turned red. It was Xiao Mazi who had suggested Yue Zitong serve Jin Shao for three nights. With a cold smirk, Li Nanfang flicked his wrists. The bamboo pole, nearly grasped by Xiao Mazi, retreated like a venomous snake, avoiding his grip and stabbing toward his right ribcage.
"Ah!" Xiao Mazi, hands empty and unprepared, felt searing pain in his right ribcage and let out a shrill cry. The sharp tip of the bamboo pole pierced between two ribs, though Li Nanfang hadn't intended to kill. However, Xiao Mazi's right lung was punctured—his days of thuggery were over. He would now spend his days coughing at home.
"All of you, die!" After incapacitating Xiao Mazi, Li Nanfang shook him off and roared, swinging the pole fiercely at the other thugs. They tried to dodge and grab the pole, but Li Nanfang wouldn't allow it. The pole struck their faces first, breaking noses and spraying blood.
"Interesting, that fair-skinned fellow might be a master," Frank, observing from afar through binoculars, remarked with surprise after seeing Li Nanfang swiftly take down four hoodlums.
"Unlikely," Jesse countered, also watching through binoculars. "He's just lucky and fast. If you look closely, his moves are haphazard, relying purely on brute force. It's the狂怒 ignited by being beaten that's giving him the edge. If it were us, he wouldn't have such fortune."
"Ha, you're right. He's just a reckless madman driven by adrenaline," Frank agreed, nodding. "A madman in a fight is terrifying, but unless you kill him, he might just kill you first."
The sum Jin Shao had paid Guang was not enough for him to decide to kill someone. Moreover, Guang wouldn't take such a job, as there's a vast difference between beating someone and killing them. In fact, those most knowledgeable about the law are often those who walk the fine line in society, well aware of the limits of their misdeeds.
The thugs dared not kill Li Nanfang, but the frenzied Li Nanfang aimed to kill them. After discarding the long bamboo pole and taking a blow to the head that drew blood, he roared, seized a steel pipe, and struck back with ferocity.
A thug instinctively raised his arm to block—crack—a bone-shattering sound erupted, followed by a blood-curdling scream as his right wrist bent grotesquely.
With one strike, Li Nanfang shattered his wrist. The battlefield fell silent for a moment before Li Nanfang seized the opportunity to smash another thug's clavicle, eliciting a pig-like squeal of agony.
The bold fear the reckless, and the reckless fear the desperate. witnessing the bloodied Li Nanfang fight with his life on the line, the thugs' courage wavered. Jin Shao, too, was terrified and shouted, "Quick, kill him! He's coming this way!"
Guang turned sharply, glared at Jin Shao, and made a wise decision: "Retreat!" The thugs weren't against risking their lives, but only for sufficient compensation. This time, they'd helped Jin Shao seek revenge on Yue Zitong out of deference to his uncle's reputation, at a "friendship price."
Evidently, Jin Shao's uncle's reputation wasn't enough to make them risk their lives. Retreat was the right move.
In a flash, the thugs scattered toward their vehicles, Still quite loyal, they took away their injured comrade..
"Damn it, Guang, you can't leave!" Jin Liufu panicked, grabbing Guang's arm as he was about to shout that he'd offer a substantial sum. Suddenly, a blinding pain struck the back of his head. With a Roaring sound, he collapsed, eyes rolling upward. It was Li Nanfang who had struck him.
The bloodied Li Nanfang grinned like a devil and swung the pipe, striking Jin Liufu's left knee with force.
"Ah!" Jin Liufu, momentarily stunned into unconsciousness, jerked upright, eyes wide with a Scream.
With one strike, Li Nanfang shattered his left knee. Unrelenting, he smashed Jin Shao's right knee as well, leaving both in Comminuted fracture.
"Halt!" Guang, a seasoned fighter with years of experience and countless brawls under his belt, had never encountered such a ferocious opponent. His voice trembled with fear.
If Jin Liufu weren't Jin Shao's nephew, Guang would have fled without a second thought. But now, with Li Nanfang clearly berserk and intent on beating Jin Shao to death, Guang couldn't abandon him. How would he face Jin Shao's uncle?
Li Nanfang suddenly lifted his head, his bloodied face contorted in rage as he raised the steel pipe. Yue Zitong's somewhat hoarse voice timely intervened: "Li Nanfang, stop!"
Yue's command was like cutting the power to a runaway machine. Li Nanfang's raised pipe wavered and halted. His earlier terrifying display had not only terrified Guang and the thugs but also shocked Yue Zitong. She realized that if she didn't stop him, someone would surely die.
Jin Shao was detestable, but he didn't deserve death. Yue Zitong didn't want Li Nanfang entangled in a murder case. Even with the Yue family's influence, which could easily resolve such matters, the psychological impact of taking a life would linger. Yue preferred the cunning, shameless, yet cheerful Li Nanfang who cooked well over a Li Nanfang burdened by guilt after committing murder.
"Leave," Yue commanded.
Li Nanfang, still gripping the pipe high above his head, gradually regained his senses. Guang, without a word, bent down to pick up Jin Shao and rushed toward their vehicle.
In the distance, police sirens wailed. The bamboo seller's wife had called the police.
"Damn it, acting is exhausting," Li Nanfang muttered as he discarded the pipe.
Chapter 45: Your Mind Is Filthy
"Alas, no chance now, let's go," Frank sighed, lowering his binoculars and starting the car. Two farm trucks followed behind his vehicle.
Evidently, those who had pulled over earlier due to the commotion ahead were now resuming their activities. The skirmish had ended, and everyone went back to their business.
As Frank drove past Li Nanfang, he could have taken the opportunity to shoot Yue Zitong, who was limping toward the car, but he didn't. According to OF platform rules, after completing a task, one must take a body part like an ear or a pinky finger for DNA verification to prove the target is dead. Previously, a photo sufficed, but with the advancement of Photoshop in China, photos were no longer trusted. Thus, DNA verification became mandatory to claim the reward.
OF's strict regulations were the primary reason their bounties were several times higher than others'. Clearly, it wasn't the best time for an assassination, so Frank didn't even glance at Li Nanfang as he passed by.
On the other hand, Li Nanfang seemed to sense something and subconsciously turned his head. Having danced on the edge of death since the age of fourteen, he possessed an inexplicable intuition for danger. Just as Frank dared not act on Yue Zitong for certain reasons, Li Nanfang wouldn't act on mere intuition either.
The threat posed by these subpar assassins was negligible compared to the comfort of Yue Zitong's embrace. Once Li Nanfang snapped out of his frenzy, he trembled, shrinking into himself, teeth chattering, and stared blankly ahead.
Without needing to be comforted, Yue Zitong embraced him, patting his cheek and softly calling, "Li Nanfang, wake up, wake up."
Li Nanfang took the opportunity to hold her waist tightly, feigning fear by biting her arm to seek solace. Normally, such behavior would be expected of someone in shock, seeking safety in another's arms. He wanted to bite her chest but reconsidered, fearing she might shy away and push him off, costing him the chance to hold her.
In truth, taking advantage of the situation was neither base nor fair. Given their past "half-married" relationship, Li Nanfang had no qualms about doing so.
As a top-tier Chinese special agent, Yue Zitong understood that someone in a state of terror would crave safety afterward. Despite the pain from his bite, she gently patted his back and soothed him, "It's over, it's all over. You were… very brave."
The last three words were heartfelt. Yue had never expected Li Nanfang to perform so admirably in her moment of despair. The despicable Li Nanfang vanished, replaced by a demon. She witnessed how he impaled Xiao Mazi with a bamboo pole and, despite being struck on the head by a steel pipe, drew a pipe from a thug and shattered his wrist.
Especially when he smashed Jin Shao's knees, the ferocity he displayed sent chills down any normal person's spine. Had Yue not intervened, Jin Shao's skull would have been shattered. Yue knew that Li Nanfang, who had once been beaten to the point of wetting his pants by a female officer, had poor resilience. Yet here he was, bleeding and battered, fighting ruthlessly for her sake.
It was she who ignited the masculinity within him, compelling him to protect her at all costs. Yue held Li Nanfang tightly, pride swelling within her: Look, I can turn a coward into a tiger. That's proof of my charm.
If Li Nanfang had proposed sharing her bed that night, Yue might have agreed. But whether she would have honored that agreement remained uncertain. After all, how many women truly keep their word?
"Is… is that so?" Li Nanfang released her arm, tightened his grip around her waist, nestled comfortably into her embrace, and sighed contentedly. Closing his eyes, he questioned his conscience: Was I too despicable just now?
"Humph, this guy's really shameless. I made it clear that as long as he treats Zitong well, she'll never betray him. Why does he still seize every chance to take advantage of my granddaughter?"
Black Phantom, a legendary figure, wouldn't go mad in front of a bunch of thugs, nor would he seek comfort in his granddaughter's arms after a frenzied episode. But this old man's expression shifted between gloom and irritation. After a moment, he asked in a deep voice, "Did you find any suspicious individuals at the scene?"
The man on the other end of the phone replied with utmost respect, "Not yet, but I suspect those assassins are lurking nearby, closely monitoring Miss's every move. They've just been waiting for the right moment to strike."
After a pause, the man added in a hushed tone, "Sir, perhaps we should assign dedicated protection for Miss. As for Li Nanfang, it would be best to temporarily distance him from her to prevent collateral damage."