Underworld: Starting with conquering countless lustful beauties

The door had just closed when the smell of fried dough sticks lingered in the attic, mixed with the foul odor that Wang Pangzi had exhaled in fright. It was an unpleasant smell no matter how you smelled it.

Lin Fang locked the door from the inside, leaned against the door panel, and let out a long breath. Her face was still pale, and her chest was heaving noticeably, as if she had just been pulled out of the water.

Liu Yu swallowed hard and muttered under her breath, "That old bastard is shameless... If it weren't for what you just did—"

She looked at Chen Feng halfway through her sentence, her eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions, like churned soy milk: lingering fear, curiosity, and a touch of undeniable admiration.

Lin Fang walked back to the table and sat down, wiping the sweat from her palms with a tissue. She had genuinely been frightened—not by Fatty Wang collecting rent, but by his hands. Having lived in Donghai for several years, she knew that these kinds of lecherous old men were masters at exploiting loopholes: a touch today, and tomorrow they'd dare to force you to "pay the rent," and if you dared to make a fuss, they'd turn around and bite you, leaving the tenant the one who suffered.

But Chen Feng only needed to shake hands to subdue the dog.

This simple, direct, and clean ruthlessness stirred a sudden warmth in a certain part of her heart.

After finishing his meal, he got up and took the bowls and chopsticks to the sink, rinsing them with a splash. He rolled up his sleeves, his forearm muscles flexing like ropes, his movements swift and efficient. Liu Yu glanced over again without realizing it, then quickly looked away, pretending to clear the table.

Lin Fang stood at the kitchen doorway, watching Chen Feng's retreating figure, and suddenly said, "Don't fight with people so easily in the future."

Chen Feng didn't turn around: "He reached out first."

"Donghai is not like the village," Lin Fang said seriously. "It's good that you're strong, but strength can't solve everything. What if you force someone to their knees, and they turn around and call the police? What if they bring reinforcements? Do you think you can handle this all by yourself?"

The tap was turned off, and the kitchen became quiet.

Chen Feng put the bowl down, turned around and looked at her: "Sister Fang, I didn't mean to cause trouble. Look at his lewd face, you're my sister, how could I stand by and watch you get taken advantage of by that old geezer?

Lin Fang's heart skipped a beat, but she scoffed, "You certainly have a sweet tongue."

Liu Yu chimed in, deliberately being sarcastic: "Exactly, sweet talker, ruthless hand. If Fatty Wang's wrist breaks, will we still be able to stay here?"

Chen Feng glanced at her: "It's not broken."

"You think it's not broken just because you say so?" Liu Yu raised her chin. "You're not a doctor."

Chen Feng didn't argue with her, but simply said, "If he dares to come again, I'll try a different approach."

Liu Yu choked, feeling inexplicably uneasy, but stubbornly said, "Who are you trying to scare?"

Lin Fang raised her hand and slapped Liu Yu: "Say less. You know what kind of person Fatty Wang is. If it weren't for Chen Feng today, do you think he would have left so easily?"

Liu Yu pursed her lips and didn't reply.

Lin Fang changed her clothes quickly, emerging from the room ten minutes later. She wore a black, fitted dress with a short leather jacket over it, making her look like a sharp knife—beautiful yet dangerous. As she grabbed her bag, she glanced at Chen Feng: "Is this all you're wearing?"

Chen Feng looked down at his camouflage uniform and old rubber shoes: "This... is it."

Lin Fang clicked her tongue, pulled him into her room, and rummaged through the closet for an old dark shirt and a pair of black pants: "These were left by my ex-boyfriend. Wear them for now. They're old too, but they're better than what you're wearing."

She shoved the clothes into his arms: "Go change."

Chen Feng stood there holding the clothes, not moving. "Will you change in your room?"

Lin Fang rolled her eyes at him: "Dream on, go to the bathroom."

Liu Yu, hugging a cushion on the sofa, watched this scene with a strange unease. She couldn't quite put her finger on it—it felt like a "man" had suddenly appeared in her territory, and Lin Fang was even naturally pulling him closer.

When Chen Feng came out after changing his clothes, the shirt was a little tight on him, stretching his shoulders and chest. He buttoned the top two buttons of the collar, revealing a section of his neck, and suddenly he looked "more like a person." That rustic air was still there, but it was suppressed, giving him a rougher feel instead.

Lin Fang stared at him for two seconds, her eyes flickered for a moment, then quickly returned to normal: "Let's go."

Before leaving, Lin Fang took out a wad of loose change from her bag, pulled out a few bills, and handed them to Liu Yu: "I'll go get the rent money this afternoon. Don't confront Fatty Wang directly. If he comes again, don't open the door."

Liu Yu took the money and muttered, "You talk as if he'll listen to reason."

Lin Fang sneered: "Whether he listens or not is not important; what matters is whether he's afraid of pain."

After saying that, she glanced at Chen Feng, as if it were a casual remark, yet also as a reminder: "Don't resort to violence today. If you can resolve things with words, then do so; if you can resolve things with rules, then do so."

Chen Feng nodded: "I understand."

The two went downstairs. The alley was damp; the rain from last night hadn't completely dried. Steam billowed from the breakfast stalls, and the smell of cooking oil filled the air. Several mechanics squatted by the roadside smoking, glancing sideways at Lin Fang, then at Chen Feng, their eyes filled with a malicious assessment.

Chen Feng walked on the outside of Lin Fang, his pace slow, but he managed to block her by half a body length.

Lin Fang noticed it, and the corner of her mouth lifted almost imperceptibly.

At the intersection, Lin Fang hailed a car. Chen Feng stood beside her, as quiet as a shadow.

"Chen Feng," Lin Fang suddenly spoke.

"Um?"

"Back in your hometown... what happened to that thing?"

Chen Feng paused for a second: "I beat someone so badly they ended up in the hospital. They want to arrest me."

Looking at the traffic, Lin Fang said softly, "So you came to Donghai not just to work."

Chen Feng stared at the remaining neon signs in the distance, his voice low: "I want to make money. As long as I have money, no one will dare to touch my family."

Lin Fang didn't say anything more, only sighed inwardly. She had seen too many men in Donghai who "wanted to make money," and nine out of ten of them died halfway through. But Chen Feng was different; he had a stubborn streak, like a wild beast cornered against a wall.

The taxi has arrived.

The two got into the car, and Lin Fang gave the address: "South City, Jinbihuihuang."

The driver glanced at them in the rearview mirror and smiled knowingly: "Wow, so glittering, huh? Heading to work?"

Lin Fang gave a curt "hmm," too lazy to explain.

The car drove through the streets of Donghai in the morning. There were newly built buildings with signs that read "Future Prosperous Center" on the roadside, but underneath were dusty construction sites; there were also alleys in the old town, with colorful underwear hanging on clotheslines and radios playing Cantonese songs on windowsills.

Chen Feng observed intently. The city was vast, bright, and cold. So bright it was dazzling, so cold it made you want to grit your teeth and climb upwards.

Lin Fang leaned back in her seat, her profile appearing both refined and weary in the reflection of the car window. She suddenly said, "When we get there, don't be stubborn. If Hei Pi gives you a hard time, just bear with it."

Chen Feng asked, "Who is Blackie?"

"Security captain," Lin Fang sneered, "is putting on airs because he's familiar with a few customers. You may be good at fighting, but a nightclub isn't a fighting ring; it's a place that eats people alive. If you want to gain a foothold here, you'll first have to learn to read people's faces."

Chen Feng nodded, but only said one sentence: "I will watch it."

Lin Fang glanced at her sideways: "You can see?"

Chen Feng looked back at her, his gaze direct: "I can tell who's sincere, who's faking it, and who's trying to take advantage of you."

These words, spoken calmly, felt like a needle gently pricking Lin Fang's heart. Her heart tightened, and she turned to look out the window, feigning indifference: "Don't say such things. In Donghai, you can't just protect a woman casually. If you do, you have to protect her to the very end."

Chen Feng didn't say anything more, but simply clenched his fists lightly on his knees.

The car stopped at the magnificent entrance.

The nightclub, devoid of its usual glitz and glamour during the day, now appears even more imposing. The golden signboard gleams against the gray sky, and the stone lions at the entrance stand with their mouths agape, as if ready to devour someone at any moment. Several men in suits come and go, seemingly there to pay their bills or perhaps to discuss business.

Lin Fang paid the fare and looked back at Chen Feng as she got out of the car: "From now on, don't call me Sister Fang. You can call me Sister Fang if you want, but outside—don't let people think you're some country bumpkin I brought here. You need to stand on your own two feet."

Chen Feng grunted in agreement, got out of the car, and looked up at the golden signboard.

There was no fear in his eyes, only a suppressed excitement, like a knife just being sheathed.

Lin Fang led him inside, her high heels clicking crisply on the marble steps.

The two security guards at the entrance were smoking. When they saw Lin Fang, they greeted her with smiles: "Good morning, Sister Fang."

Lin Fang nodded without pausing. The two men, however, turned their gaze to Chen Feng, first examining the outline of his shoulders and chest, then exchanging a glance, as if to say: This kid is pretty strong.

One of them exhaled a puff of smoke: "New here?"

Lin Fang said calmly, "Interview."

The security guard grinned, his tone ambiguous: "Brought this by Sister Fang? Then it must contain something special."