Chapter 59

The situation in the internet café had become all too clear: the owner and the burly man were clearly on good terms. Earlier, they'd hesitated to act, but now that the brute had given the word, they wouldn't hold back. Within minutes, the place was swarming with rough-looking young men, some no older than seventeen or eighteen, others in their early thirties—over twenty of them in total.

The gamers had already fled, leaving the bar counter—likely manned by the owner—whose amused expression betrayed his interest in the escalating chaos. Han Qian and Su Liang were backed into a corner, shielding Qian Wan behind them. With Su Liang brandishing a jagged piece of umbrella handle, their attackers hesitated, but only for a moment.

It didn't take long before someone arrived with watermelon knives and steel rods in hand. Seeing this, Han Qian drew a deep breath.

"Brother Qian," Su Liang whispered, "get Qian Wan out of here—I'll hold them off."

Han Qian undid the buttons of his shirt, stripping off his suit jacket with quiet determination. "Run? Screw that. If they're pulling blades, we'll fight like hell. Qian Wan, find a chance to slip out and drive back to the office."

"Run?" The brute's lips curled in a lecherous grin as his eyes raked over Qian Wan. "None of you are leaving. Not until I've taken a few nude shots of this bitch."

Qian Wan recoiled in terror, pressing even closer to Han Qian. Su Liang stepped forward, umbrella handle clenched tightly, and their assailants paused—hesitant. But the brute showed no fear; he grabbed a steel rod from one of his men and advanced on Su Liang.

Su Liang's face was pale with despair. He'd thought he had a plan—never imagining it would come to this.

The steel rod crashed down on Su Liang's hand, and with a gasp of pain, the umbrella handle clattered to the floor. Han Qian lunged to retrieve it, but a searing pain exploded across his back as a rod came down hard. Qian Wan fumbled for her phone, only for one of the thugs to slap it away and stomp it under his heel.

Forced back against the wall, Han Qian's temper snapped. He roared, "Guan Dagou, if you don't show up now, I'm as good as dead!"

Those three words—Guan Dagou—instantly sparked alarm among the thugs. But when nothing happened for several seconds, they burst into laughter.

"Guan Dagou?" the brute sneered. "Even if he showed up with a pack of dogs, you'd still be dead meat."

"Oh? Who's calling for dogs?" a calm, almost lazy voice drawled from the doorway. There stood Guan Dagou himself, clad in a flamboyant red suit. Han Qian released a breath of relief.

The brute turned, dropping the steel rod and grinning obsequiously. "Brother Guan! It's been ages—come by the club sometime. We've got a few fresh girls in."

Guan Dagou ignored him completely, sauntering forward until his hands rested on the computer table between them. "Han Qian, don't blame me for being late. You called when I was soaking in the bath—I didn't even bother with underwear before I ran over."

"Cut the crap," Han Qian snapped, his expression dark. "Just get Qian Wan out of here. Su Liang and I can take a beating, but she's not getting hurt."

Understanding instantly dawned in Guan Dagou's eyes. He whistled sharply, and within seconds, two dozen men in black suits and sunglasses flooded the internet café. They wore white gloves and face masks, and carried baseball bats—professionals.

The once-arrogant thugs quailed.

Guan Dagou turned to Qian Wan with an affable grin. "Miss Qian, how would you like us to handle them? First time meeting—name's Guan Junbiao. Around here, I'm the man to talk to. Han Qian, or would you rather decide?"

"You're the pro," Han Qian said wearily. "I'm just some guy who got slapped around. But she's a girl—she took a slap to the face."

Guan Dagou's smile widened. "Understood. Drag them all out and break an arm each."

He didn't specify *which* of the men—meaning every single one not named Han Qian, Su Liang, or Qian Wan. The internet café's owner paled and tried to offer a cigarette, only for Guan Dagou to boot him across the room.

The brute realized he was out of options and lunged at Han Qian with a watermelon knife. With a roar, Guan Dagou snatched up a chair and hurled it, the impact sending the brute crashing to the ground. Guan Dagou vaulted the table, boots slamming into the brute's face as he fell. In a fluid motion, he seized the brute's arm and stomped it viciously.

"Break both arms," he ordered coolly. "And see to his eyes and ears, too."

Watching it made Han Qian's own bones ache. No wonder everyone feared Guan Dagou—this man was ruthless beyond measure.

Within minutes, only Han Qian, Su Liang, Qian Wan, Guan Dagou, and the trembling café owner remained. Guan Dagou offered a cigarette to the battered pair, lighting them personally. "Next time you've got business like this, Han Qian—give me a call."

Han Qian took a drag, wincing at the pain in his ribs. "You're lucky you showed up when you did. A minute later and I'd have been a dead man. Were you timing it on purpose?"

Guan Dagou just laughed. "What's this? Skipping work to hang out in an internet café? Yan Qingqing sure spoils you."

"Don't even start," Han Qian growled. "Let's get out of here."

Stepping outside, Han Qian noticed the street was oddly quiet. Guan Dagou explained, "I had my boys drag them off to a quiet spot. That fat brute's a pimp—he's got a whole stable of girls. I can't kill him outright, though—he pays me well every year. Han Qian, I'm not made of money either, you know."

Han Qian snorted in disgust and told Su Liang and Qian Wan to get in the car.

Once they were safely seated, Han Qian draped an arm around Guan Dagou's shoulders and led him to the eaves for shelter from the rain. Guan Dagou's expression shifted—gone was the playful grin, replaced by seriousness.

"Han Qian, that girl… she's important, isn't she?"

Han Qian nodded. "No kidding. If she weren't, I'd have called the cops and been done with it. She's the niece of a Glory shareholder. Her aunt dotes on her. Today's little incident? Her aunt is going to hear about it. If she learns you saved her niece… well, it'll be a very good thing for you and Tu Xiao's operation."

Guan Dagou's cigarette slipped from his mouth. He started to raise his arms for a hug, but Han Qian warded him off with a hand.

"Don't even think about it. My whole body's sore. Her aunt has a soft spot for Tu Xiao—maybe even some gratitude. That's half the battle won for his corporate transformation. I'm also working on Yan Qingqing. Tu Xiao's shift to real estate is inevitable. But listen: this is your first time in the game—no cutting corners. Consider it a favor I owe you, or maybe one you owe me."

"Hell, I'll owe you a hundred favors if it pans out. But don't lie to me—she's really the niece of a shareholder?"

"Think I'd make that up? That young guy, Su Liang, he's a good friend of mine from the office. Who else but a friend would skip work to game with me? Tell Tu Xiao exactly what happened. In a week, have him call Yan Qingqing. I'll give you her number. And tell him that I'll handle the negotiation when it comes time to sit down. This is your gig, Guan—no one else's."

"And if her aunt never finds out?"

Han Qian snorted. "Open your eyes, dumbass. Didn't you see the girl's face? The company's going to know—someone close to her aunt will make sure of it. Besides, let's be real: she came here to game. She started this. You're the muscle, I'm the brains—got it?"

Guan Dagou's grin returned, wicked and gleeful. "I'll stuff them in a sack and beat the hell out of them—hah! Han Qian, you're a real piece of work. Next time, we're sharing a drink, you hear? I'll remember that license plate."

"Car's not mine—it's Wen Nuan's. Forget it. And send me photos once those bastards' arms are broken. I'll pass them on to Tu Kun."

With that, Han Qian trotted off to the car. Qian Wan was already at the wheel, and they disappeared into the rain. Guan Dagou lingered, then chuckled to himself, re-entered the internet café, and picked up a discarded iron rod.

He flashed a grin at the trembling owner. "Your equipment's getting old, boss. I'll help you break it in a bit more."