Hong Kong film: The cop backs down, the ladies beg me to check his license.

The man at the head of the group was tall and wore a well-tailored dark suit without a tie, and the top two buttons of his shirt were undone. His face was expressionless, and his gaze calmly swept across the room before finally settling on Ding Xiaoxie's face.

"You were looking for me?"

Ye Tian asked, his tone as calm as if he were asking for directions.

All of Ding Xiaoxie's roars and harsh words stuck in his throat. He turned around abruptly, his pupils contracting sharply as he looked at the three people who had suddenly appeared.

"Ye Tian?!" His voice was hoarse and filled with disbelief. "You...how did you get up here?!"

Where are the brothers downstairs? Where are the lookouts? How could they have let someone kick down the headquarters door without making a sound?

Ye Tian did not answer him. His gaze first fell on Fang Ting, whose hair was disheveled and whose face was streaked with tears and pain, and then he looked at Chen Taotao, who was lying on the ground, barely alive.

He strode towards Fang Ting, ignoring Ding Xiaoxie who was pointing at him and the other dumbfounded henchmen in the office.

He walked up to Fang Ting, reached out, and grasped her hands, which were bound behind her back. His fingers fumbled with the knots, and somehow, the seemingly secure hemp rope came loose.

The moment her hands were freed, Fang Ting's carefully maintained strength and composure crumbled instantly. She burst into tears, throwing herself into Ye Tian's arms, clinging tightly to his waist, burying her face in his chest, her shoulders heaving violently as if she were crying out all her fear, grievances, and lingering dread.

Ye Tian put one arm around her and gently patted her back with the other. His movements were a little clumsy, but very gentle.

"Cry," he said softly, his voice low but with a strange, calming power. "Just cry it out."

"I know you're in pain, I know you're scared."

He paused, continued patting lightly, but his gaze went past Fang Ting's head and landed on Chen Taotao, who was curled up on the floor. Then he slowly raised his head and looked at Ding Xiaoxie, whose face was ashen.

"Whoever hurt you, whoever scared you," his voice remained calm, but every word was like ice, "I'll make him hurt even more, so that he... can never scare anyone again."

On the other side, Luo Tianhong had already squatted down beside Chen Taotao, cut the ropes with the dagger she carried, and carefully helped him up to sit against the wall. Chen Taotao glanced weakly at Ye Tian, ​​wanting to say something, but only moved his lips, then closed his eyes again, trying to regulate his breathing.

Ding Xiaoxie watched the two people embracing tightly, watched Ye Tian's oblivious attitude, and watched Fang Ting break down in tears in another man's arms—the woman who had only shown him coldness and disgust was now displaying a completely different vulnerability and dependence.

A surge of rage, a mixture of jealousy, fury, and utter loss of control, erupted from his head, snapping the last thread of reason in his body.

"I'll kill you all!!!"

He roared, his eyes bloodshot, like a mad beast, swinging his fists and charging recklessly toward Ye Tian and Fang Ting who were embracing each other!

The fist flew through the air, aimed at Ye Tian's face, fierce and direct, full of the brutality of a street fight.

Ye Tian didn't even turn his head to look at him. He simply exerted a little force with his arm, and with a subtle and gentle force, spun half a circle on the spot, completely blocking Fang Ting with his body and protecting her tightly behind his back.

The movement was fluid and natural, as if it had been rehearsed a thousand times. It wasn't for fighting, but simply to ensure that the person in his arms wouldn't be affected in any way.

Ding Xiaoxie's fist missed its mark. He had charged too hard, and his body staggered forward due to inertia.

Wang Jianjun, who had been standing silently behind Ye Tian, ​​made a move.

His movements were concise and swift, without any unnecessary flourishes. His right foot sprang out like a taut spring, striking Ding Xiaoxie precisely in the unprotected abdomen.

"Ugh!" Ding Xiaoxie groaned, his forward momentum abruptly halted, and his body arched like a shrimp.

But that wasn't all. Wang Jianjun's attack was like a whirlwind. After the first kick landed, he used the recoil to lean forward, his left knee slamming into the opponent's exposed jaw as he bent over, while his right elbow smashed into the back of his neck like a hammer!

boom!boom!

The two dull thuds almost came together.

Before Ding Xiaoxie could even let out a complete scream, the immense force sent him flying through the air, tracing a brief arc before crashing heavily onto the floor several meters away with a dull thud. He curled up, coughing violently, blood and foam spilling from his mouth, unable to get up for a moment.

Wang Jianjun withdrew his stance, took half a step back to Ye Tian's side, and coldly swept his gaze over the other restless Zhongqing Society henchmen in the office. The henchmen were intimidated by the murderous intent in his eyes, and none of them dared to step forward.

Ye Tian continued to hold Fang Ting, gently patting her back, as if the lightning-fast fight had nothing to do with him. Only when Fang Ting's cries gradually turned into sobs did he loosen his grip a little, looking down at her slightly swollen eyes and the sideburns where a lot of hair had been pulled out.

He reached out and lightly brushed his fingertips across the sparse hair at the side of her ear, something sinking into the depths of his eyes.

Then, he turned to Ding Xiaoxie, who was struggling on the ground.

"It's said in the martial arts world that I, Ye Tian, ​​am good at dealing with people and have a good reputation." Ye Tian spoke, his voice not loud, as if talking to himself, yet also as if speaking to everyone in the room, "Wherever I go, it seems I'm well-liked, and everyone is willing to give me some face."

He paused, and the corners of his mouth seemed to curve slightly, but the curve was very shallow and lacked warmth.

Some people think that I have many friends because I'm very sociable and can say whatever I want to everyone.

He shook his head, his gaze falling on Ding Xiaoxie. His gaze was calm, yet it sent a chill down Ding Xiaoxie's spine as he struggled to get up.

"You're wrong."

"I'm popular and have many friends, not because I'm good at interpersonal relationships."

He spoke calmly, as if stating a very simple fact.

"Because of my enemy..."

"They're all dead."

The office fell eerily quiet for a moment. Only Fang Ting's low sobs and Chen Taotao's heavy breathing could be heard. The henchmen didn't dare utter a sound.

Fang Ting stopped crying, looked up, and stared blankly at Ye Tian's profile, which was so close to hers. His face still didn't show any intense expression, but the words he spoke carried a resolute and cold tone.

Ye Tian raised his hand and gently wiped away the tears on her cheeks, his gentle gesture a stark contrast to his earlier words.

"I have wives, more than one. I have people I care about, people I cherish." He looked into Fang Ting's eyes and said earnestly, "I will not entrust their safety to the enemy's 'mercy' or 'rules'."

"Especially for those of us in this line of work. Enemies can really take your life, and the lives of those around you too."

He ran his fingers through her disheveled hair, his voice deep and clear: "Clean up all potential dangers, all those enemies who have already bared their fangs. Make sure they never have another chance to hurt you, to hurt the people I care about. That's what true responsibility means to me."

Fang Ting looked at him, and tears welled up again, but this time it wasn't from fear or resentment. She nodded vigorously, buried her face in his chest again, and hugged him even tighter.