Brother Lin, can we make peace?

Inside.

Low, guttural gasps echoed within the room.

Master Li, his face a mask of blood and bruises, was curled up on the floor, several distinct teeth scattered around him.

He'd been beaten senseless.

His whole body ached as if it had fallen apart.

As for the thugs he'd brought, they weren't faring any better. Seemingly strong and capable, they were in reality completely useless.

Lin Fan, with a calm expression, picked up a rag from the table and began wiping the blood from his fists. He sniffed it. It had only smelled of blood before, but now, after using the rag, there was a strange odor mixed in.

"Little Fatty, did you wash this rag? Why does the smell get stronger the more I wipe?" Lin Fan asked with a smile.

"N-no, I didn't wash it." Zhao Er stood frozen, looking at the resentful Master Li. He suddenly snapped back to reality, his scattered wits returning. He grabbed Lin Fan, ready to leave. "Brother, you need to go. He's Yuan Jiang's advisor. If we wait until people arrive, we won't be able to leave."

Lin Fan gently patted Zhao Er's hand, signaling him to relax and not panic. He then looked at Madam Zhao, who was lying on the bed. He walked to the bedside and smiled, "Auntie, you remember me, right?"

"I do."

"Don't worry, Auntie. With me here, Little Fatty will be fine. A while ago, I asked him if he was having any trouble, and he said no. I think he's just being stubborn, so I came to check on him specifically."

He had visited Little Fatty's home once before. It was shortly after he and Little Fatty had started working together. Little Fatty had somehow gotten a roasted chicken, already half-eaten, and mysteriously dragged him to his home.

They had sat at the table, happily eating.

At the time, he vaguely remembered the relief and joy in Auntie's eyes as she saw her son making a friend.

Now, he had made something of himself.

His life had improved, and naturally, he wouldn't forget Zhao Er, who was also a fellow unfortunate underling. That courtyard wasn't small; it definitely needed a steward.

Zhao Er was his first choice.

At this moment, Lin Fan looked at Master Li, who was roaring furiously, "You're dead! I'm going to kill you! Get someone, call someone for me!"

The thugs looked at their master in confusion. How were they supposed to call for help now? There was no way the other party would give them that opportunity.

But who would have thought.

Lin Fan pointed at a thug. "Go. I'll let you call for people now. How many you can call is up to your ability. Don't say I didn't give you a chance later."

"Brother, we can't let them call for people!" Zhao Er urged, not foolish enough to not understand the dire consequences if they managed to summon reinforcements.

He knew Brother Lin was highly valued in the Loyalty Hall and had been promoted to dock boss. If they left now and returned to the Loyalty Hall's territory, even if Master Li was unhappy, it would be useless.

Could he really bring people to cause trouble on Loyalty Hall's turf?

If that happened, it wouldn't be a personal matter anymore, but a clash between two gangs.

"Calm down."

Lin Fan said.

Zhao Er was panicking internally. He truly couldn't calm down, but since his brother had said so, what else could he do?

The thug stood up, cautiously testing the waters. He didn't know if the other party was telling the truth or just playing a trick, waiting for him to believe it, walk towards the door, and then be kicked back.

He was very familiar with this routine.

He'd done it often himself.

Sometimes he'd even add a humiliating phrase like, "I told you to go, so why did you go? Are you stupid?"

"I told you to go call for people, didn't you hear me?"

"Do you really want me to call?"

"Call."

The thug took step after step towards the door, glancing at Lin Fan from time to time. Seeing that he hadn't moved from his spot by the bed, the thug sped up, pushed the door open, and stepped outside. He took out the Skyrocket Signal from his waist and lit the fuse.

"One arrow piercing the clouds, a thousand troops will come to meet! Help!"

The thug took a deep breath and shouted.

A firework shot up into the sky, exploding with a bang. It was just an ordinary firework.

Lin Fan, sitting by the bed, looked out the window at the night sky. "So that's it. I thought there would be a special pattern, or maybe a tiger's head."

He shook his head, quite disappointed.

He remembered movies he'd watched where the Skyrocket Signals of the Axe Gang actually shot out axes.

This clearly wasn't professional.

The firework was conspicuous in the night sky. Those who knew would understand it was a distress signal from the Fierce Tiger Gang.

Inside.

Master Li, who had been severely beaten, exclaimed with manic joy, "You're dead! It's useless no matter who comes! You like to show off so much, don't run when they get here!"

Master Li didn't recognize Lin Fan, but if Lin Fan had revealed his name, Master Li would have certainly known him.

After all, Lin Fan was quite famous now.

The incident at Cui Jing Tower had had a significant impact.

It could be said that anyone who was even slightly involved knew about it.

Lin Fan couldn't be bothered with Master Li. Instead, he called Zhao Er to his bedside and said to his aunt, "Auntie, here's the situation. You know Little Fatty is honest and not suited for gang life, so I want him to leave the Fierce Tiger Gang and become the steward of my manor. What do you think, Auntie?"

Zhao Er blinked. "Brother, when did you buy a house?"

"I didn't buy it, my sister gave it to me."

"Ah, Brother, when did you get a sister?"

Little Fatty was like a child with a million questions, always having something to ask.

Lin Fan patiently explained. After listening, Little Fatty looked at Lin Fan in shock. He never expected that this brother he met through a fight would be so impressive.

Indeed, outstanding people are always outstanding, no matter where they are.

Madam Zhao held Lin Fan's hand and said softly, "Auntie trusts you. It's his good fortune and luck to have a brother like you to support him."

Madam Zhao could see that Lin Fan genuinely cared for her child.

She thought about how her child had suffered a lot since he was young, was too filial, and carried a heavier burden than anyone else. She, as his mother, saw it all.

"You are Lin Fan."

Curled up there, fantasizing about how to kill the other party, Master Li had overheard their conversation. Their dialogue mentioned Wang Changhai of Loyalty Hall and Jili Pier.

It didn't even need to be thought about.

Besides Lin Fan, who else could it be?

"Master Li, you'd better pray the people you called are strong fighters, or you're in trouble," Lin Fan said with a smile.

Hearing this.

Master Li's face turned pale, and he felt a sense of dread.

Cui Jing Tower had swept through eighteen elite fighters, even doing so without taking any damage. How strong that was, others might not know, but he certainly did.

Those eighteen elite fighters, if they joined forces, could easily take down over thirty ordinary thugs.

Thinking of this.

Master Li quickly spoke up, "Brother Lin, it's a misunderstanding, a complete misunderstanding. Can we reconcile?"

"What do you think?"

"I think we can reconcile."

"You're full of crap."

Lin Fan angrily retorted. At this point, he still wanted to reconcile? His brain must be malfunctioning.

What he wanted to do was sweep through them.

Once he became an officer in the Security Bureau.

What were these people?

Merits, walking merits, they were his stepping stones for advancement.