Chapter 14: You Brought This on Yourself

"Huh, why isn't he answering? It's past noon—lunch break for their construction crew. He should be free," Luo Feng muttered, tapping his phone's location tracking feature. The screen lit up with a map of Yangzhou City: a red dot marked his position, while a green dot showed his father's phone.

"Not far from here." A grin spread across his face. I'll surprise him with the news in person. He quickened his pace, following the map's directions.

××××××

Yian District, Heaven's Garden Community.

"Hurry up! Move those things faster so you can eat lunch—and let us eat too," Zhang Haobai snapped, pacing the private courtyard of a sleek townhouse villa. Three stoic bodyguards stood at attention beside him, eyes scanning the scene.

"Sir, easy does it—these are antique-grade wooden furnishings. Can't risk scratches," called a worker from the truck, where perfectly wrapped solid wood furniture waited. In this era, solid wood was a rare luxury—trees were scarce within human bases, and harvesting them outside meant braving monster-infested zones, driving prices through the roof. Most households made do with plastic or glass furniture; real wood was for the elite.

"Watch your hands!" Haobai barked as three workers strained to carry a thousand-pound oak dresser. Sweat dripped from their brows, soaking their shirts as they inched the massive piece onto the courtyard tiles.

"Lao Luo, my stomach's growling," grumbled a burly worker, rolling his shoulders.

"Just one more piece, then we'll grab lunch," Luo Hongguo replied, wiping his forehead with a rag. It was nearly 1 p.m. in July, and the sun baked the courtyard, turning the job into a punishing slog.

"Faster, you lot!" Haobai sneered, nose wrinkling at the men's sweat-stained clothes. Born to manual labor, he thought. No drive, no future—this is all they'll ever be.

As the crew paused to catch their breath, Haobai's eyes fell on a hairline crack in the courtyard's marble path—a flaw he'd caused during a sparring match with his guards last week. Perfect—time to line my pockets.

Just then, Hongguo's phone buzzed in his pocket. Xiao Feng, finally, he thought, but he couldn't answer while carrying furniture. He and his coworkers gently set the dresser down and he reached for his phone, only to hear—

"What do you think you're doing?!" Haobai roared, pointing at the crack beneath the dresser. "You imbeciles! That's Nanshan marble—mined outside the base, costing over 100,000 yuan a slab! Can you even fathom replacing it?!"

Hongguo and his coworkers knelt to inspect the tile. Sure enough, a thin crack ran through the marble.

"Wang, call their company," Haobai ordered, voice icy. "Let the boss deal with this mess."

"The crack was already here!" the burly worker protested. "I saw it yesterday—"

"Lies!" Haobai scoffed. "Do you take me for a fool?"

Hongguo's jaw tensed. He knew the drill: companies often paid up to avoid bad reviews, and workers like them would get blamed and docked pay. "Let's finish moving the furniture first—"

Haobai shoved him aside, nearly sending him sprawling. "Don't play dumb! The dresser was on the crack—proof enough." Hongguo stumbled, his coworkers catching him before he hit the ground.

"Hey, no shoving!" they shouted, fists tightening.

Haobai responded with a kick to each man's gut, sending them flying into the dirt. "Think you can threaten me?" he hissed, voice dripping with disdain. The Zhang family's influence in Yian District meant he could rough up laborers without consequence.

Hongguo rushed to his friends as the bodyguards closed in, delivering kicks to the men curled on the ground. Haobai turned to his phone, barking at the furniture company: "Send your boss now, or you'll never see the final payment!"

"STOP RIGHT THERE!" A thunderous roar echoed from the courtyard gate.

Haobai spun to see Luo Feng storming in, eyes blazing. "Luo Feng?! You dare trespass on my property? Beat him to a pulp!"

But Luo Feng ignored the guards, zeroing in on his father—hunched over, shirt torn, and covered in boot prints. A red haze clouded his vision. My father works himself to the bone, and this spoiled brat dares—

A squat bodyguard stepped forward, smirking, but Luo Feng's kick was a blur. The man flew five meters, crashing into a flower bed, gasping for air. The other guards froze, hands hovering over their weapons.

"You attack my men in my home?!" Haobai shrieked, voice cracking with rage.

"You're the one who asked for death!" Luo Feng snarled, advancing like a predator, each word dripping with venom. The courtyard seemed to shrink under his fury, the air thick with impending violence.