A group of men radiating murderous intent surrounded Gu Chen in an instant. Their leader, Qi Ming, had the bloodthirsty, ruthless look peculiar to men of the underworld. Surrounded by these hungry wolves, Gu Chen looked utterly alone and helpless, like a little white rabbit that could fall into their jaws at any moment.
Tension filled the air. The slightest move from Gu Chen would bring a hail of bullets down on him.
Wang Hu stood to one side, his expression grave. His hand moved involuntarily toward the pistol at his waist, ready to deal with any sudden developments.
"All of you, fucking stop!"
At that critical moment, a thunderous roar suddenly rang out.
It was Zhao Haiqing!
Everyone turned toward the voice and saw Zhao Haiqing glaring, his voice trembling slightly-not with fear, but with excitement and agitation.
He glared at Qi Ming. "Can't you see? Mr. Gu is treating my injury!"
Qi Ming froze, then stared in astonishment.
Treating his injury?
This kid was treating Boss Zhao's injury?
He looked at Gu Chen in disbelief, as though he were looking at a monster.
"Put your guns down! Whoever the fuck dares disrespect Mr. Gu, I'll fucking kill him!" Zhao Haiqing roared, his voice full of unquestionable authority.
Not only had Zhao Haiqing changed the way he addressed Gu Chen, he was now burning with rage! Beneath the weight of his long-established authority, all his men shuddered and hurriedly put away their guns and withdrew.
After all, who would dare defy Boss Zhao's orders?
A deathly silence descended in an instant, and time seemed to freeze.
A few minutes later, Gu Chen slowly withdrew his hand, red mist still lingering around his palm. "All done," he said calmly.
Zhao Haiqing sprang to his feet and moved his arm, his face lighting up with wild joy. Gu Chen had actually cured the stubborn ailment he had suffered for so many years in just a few minutes! He looked at Gu Chen in excitement, his powerful frame trembling slightly. "Mr. Gu, you... you cured me?"
Ever since Zhao Haiqing had injured his arm, he had struggled to move it. Even now that he owned such a large business, the injury had remained a constant pain in his heart.
Gu Chen smiled. "It was only a minor problem. You could say it's cured. But you still need to recuperate and avoid any strenuous movements. Rest for at least half a month, and you'll make a full recovery."
At that, a half-smile appeared on Gu Chen's face. "Boss Zhao, your men really are loyal!"
Zhao Haiqing gave an awkward smile and shot Qi Ming a fierce glare. "Why haven't you apologized to Mr. Gu? You've made a complete fool of yourself!"
Qi Ming could only steel himself and step forward to apologize. "Mr. Gu, I'm sorry. I was too rash!"
Gu Chen gave a magnanimous smile. "It's all right. Brother Qi is utterly loyal. Boss Zhao is fortunate to have a subordinate like you."
Gu Chen's words were like a warm spring breeze, instantly blowing away the gloom in Qi Ming's heart. His earlier displeasure vanished like smoke in thin air, replaced by a deep sense of ease and relief.
Then Zhao Haiqing looked at Wang Hu, his voice tinged with respect. "Captain, asking me to look after someone like Mr. Gu is really too embarrassing for me. It would make more sense for Mr. Gu to look after me."
Wang Hu could only give a wry smile. He knew Gu Chen's abilities and methods well, so Zhao Haiqing's change in attitude came as no surprise.
"Someone, bring wine! I'm going to have a few drinks with Mr. Gu and my old captain!" Zhao Haiqing called excitedly. But Gu Chen calmly refused him. "There's no need for wine. Besides, you can't drink right now, unless you want your old injury to flare up again."
Zhao Haiqing smiled awkwardly. "Right, right. Then we'll drink tea instead. A toast to you, Mr. Gu."
This formidable figure who had dominated Zhou City had been completely won over by Gu Chen. With so many guns pointed at him just now, he had still treated Zhao Haiqing's injury so calmly. He was no ordinary man.
Just then, Gu Chen's phone suddenly rang. He glanced at the caller ID. It was the landline at his father's company. A bad feeling rose in his heart, and he stepped aside to answer.
"Is this Young Master Gu? It's Zhu Jian. Something terrible has happened!" Zhu Jian's anxious voice came from the other end.
Gu Chen's heart tightened. "What happened?"
"The company was trashed this morning. The boss came to deal with the aftermath just now, but before long those bastards came back. Now they're not just smashing things-they're hitting people too! The boss is trapped in his office and can't get out!" Zhu Jian said agitatedly.
"What?!" Gu Chen said furiously. "Who is it?"
"It's Xu Zhongwen and someone called Li Sheng. I heard he's from the Black Wind Hall. None of us dare fight back!" Zhu Jian said, his voice close to tears.
The Black Wind Hall?
Gu Chen forced himself to calm down and asked, "Did you call the police?"
Zhu Jian answered tearfully, "The police? We didn't dare! They threatened us, said the company wouldn't be able to stay open if we called the police! Young master, don't you have some classmates with quite a bit of influence in Zhou City? Please think of something..."
"If you haven't called the police, don't," Gu Chen said coldly. "Wait for me. I'll be there right away!"
With that, he hung up, his face frighteningly dark. Traces of murderous intent seeped from him, sending a chill through everyone present.
"What happened?" Wang Hu asked with concern.
But Gu Chen looked at Zhao Haiqing and said in a low voice, "Boss Zhao, didn't you just say there was no way for you to look after me? Now your chance has come."
Dexing Logistics stood on Huafu Road in Zhou City, occupying three storefronts across two floors. In its early days, it had enjoyed unlimited glory. Its owner, Gu Beichi, had arranged a marriage alliance with the Zhou Family, and many of Zhou City's wealthy families had come to offer their congratulations. A company with less than ten million in registered capital had grown several times over in less than six months.
With the support of the Zhou Family and many business families, Dexing Logistics had risen rapidly, becoming a rising star in Zhou City's logistics industry. Everyone believed it was only a matter of time before it became the industry leader.
But the company's progress later hit a bottleneck. In particular, over the past month, the Zhou Family's breaking off of the engagement had caused a huge stir, and Gu Beichi's company had naturally taken a considerable hit.
Even so, those had all been matters out in the open. This was the first time its vehicles had been impounded behind the scenes and its premises trashed as they were now.
At that moment, more than a dozen thugs were brazenly smashing things on the ground floor of Dexing Logistics. To one side stood Xu Zhongwen and a man with a small mustache, sinister smiles on their faces.
"Brother Xu, the people at Dexing Logistics really can't take a beating. They've all gone down in no time at all," the mustached man said.
Xu Zhongwen sneered. "Hmph! They have no idea how formidable our Black Wind Hall is. If we don't show them what's what today, they'll really think they can establish themselves in Zhou City."