Siheyuan (courtyard house): My father, Li Yunlong!

Although Lou Xiao'e had some reservations about Li Zhenhua referring to her as "talking about work," seeing the tense situation before her, she knew it wasn't the time to dwell on it, so she quickly went along with Li Zhenhua's words.

"Yes, Comrade Lin, Comrade Dafeng, please don't misunderstand. Someone did come to cause trouble just now, but thanks to Director Li..."

Her words implicitly corroborated Li Zhenhua's statement.

Lin Taotao's expression softened somewhat.

She is a person who is more rational than emotional; she was just momentarily blinded by her emotions.

Now that I've calmed down, I think Li Zhenhua's explanation does make sense.

With his shrewdness, if he really had something going on with Lou Xiao'e, he would never have so openly dated in a place like Lao Mo's, and then just happened to be caught by me.

Moreover, the way he looked at me was still clear and calm, even carrying a hint of... reassurance?

Just then, Li Zhenhua made an extremely bold yet natural move.

Taking advantage of the moment he turned around to signal the waiter to add a seat, he seemingly unintentionally and extremely quickly touched the back of Lin Taotao's hand hanging by her side with his fingertips.

The touch was fleeting, so slight it was almost an illusion, yet it carried an undeniable warmth and firmness.

Lin Taotao trembled slightly, as if she had been electrocuted, and a surge of heat instantly spread from the back of her hand throughout her body.

She looked up abruptly at Li Zhenhua, only to see him already speaking to the waiter as if nothing had happened.

"Could you please add two more chairs and two sets of tableware?"

This tiny, almost imperceptible touch speaks louder than a thousand words.

The message it conveys is: I care about you, and everything I'm seeing now is just an act or for some other reason.

The slight resentment in Lin Taotao's heart vanished instantly.

She even felt a little ashamed of her earlier distrust.

Yes, how could someone like Li Zhenhua be the kind of person who is fickle and unpredictable?

If he truly had feelings for Lou Xiao'e, why would he have done those things to himself...?

Although Da Feng didn't see the little action, she keenly sensed Lin Tao Tao's softened attitude and how Li Zhen Hua had turned the situation around with just a few words. Although she was still a little unhappy, she didn't dare to make a scene. She just snorted and plopped down on the chair that the waiter had brought over.

"Adding a seat is fine! Perfect, let's try Old Mo's food and see if it's really as good as the rumors say! Li Zhenhua, this meal is on you!"

Li Zhenhua laughed heartily and readily agreed.

"No problem! It's my honor that you two heroines would grace us with your presence. Please order whatever you'd like!"

The atmosphere finally eased.

Lou Xiao'e felt somewhat embarrassed, but she could only force a smile.

Li Zhenhua skillfully took care of the three ladies, subtly steer the conversation towards the restaurant's specialties, recent movies, and even casually mentioned where they could go for a spring outing in the suburbs during their two-day weekend, giving Lin Taotao a suggestive glance.

Lin Taotao received his gaze, her face flushed slightly, she lowered her head, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up slightly.

The slight unpleasantness from before has long been replaced by a subtle sweetness and anticipation.

Meanwhile, on the other side...

Gao Peng scrambled out of the Moscow restaurant, wincing in pain from his wrists and arms. But what he found even more unbearable was the humiliation he had suffered in front of everyone, especially Lou Xiao'e and that bastard Li Zhenhua.

This is an utter disgrace, and we must avenge it!

Several names flashed through his mind, and he finally settled on one—Wang Haitao.

Wang Haitao was his older brother. His father was the commander of a field army. Relying on family connections, he gathered a group of young men from high-ranking military compounds in the city and became one of the notorious gang leaders in Beijing. He was also arrogant and domineering.

Despite the pain, Gao Peng found a public phone and dialed the number of one of Wang Haitao's usual haunts.

As soon as the call connected, Gao Peng, with a sob in his voice, embellished the story, emphasizing how arrogant Li Zhenhua was, how he didn't respect Wang Haitao and the other children of high-ranking officials, and how he deliberately distorted the facts, saying that Li Zhenhua mocked Wang Haitao's father as a "country bumpkin commander" and that the soldiers he trained were cowards.

Wang Haitao, who was playing cards with some brothers on the other end of the phone, suddenly became furious when he heard Gao Peng's words, especially those involving Li Zhenhua and his father.

It turns out that Wang Haitao and Li Zhenhua were from the same compound and had never gotten along since childhood, fighting many times with each side winning and losing.

However, Wang Haitao always felt that his family background was more "upright" and looked down on generals like Li Yunlong who came from humble backgrounds. He also harbored a resentment towards Li Zhenhua.

He slammed the cards down.

"Damn it! Li Zhenhua's got a death wish! Where is he? Old Mo? Okay, you wait, we'll take some men over there and see how much guts he has!"

After hanging up the phone, Wang Haitao waved his hand.

"Brothers, grab your weapons! That kid Li Zhenhua's been causing trouble in Lao Mo, he's bullying us! Come with me and give him a good beating!"

The seven or eight young men in the room, dressed in old military uniforms and looking rather lazy, suddenly perked up. They all got up, some pulling out spring locks and belts from under the sofa, others carrying triangular scrapers. They surrounded Wang Haitao and stormed out of the yard, jumping onto several sidecar motorcycles and a dilapidated jeep, roaring as they sped off toward the Moscow Restaurant.

Inside the restaurant, the atmosphere at Li Zhenhua's table became somewhat awkward after Lin Taotao and Dafeng joined them.

Lou Xiao'e clearly sensed the unspoken understanding between Lin Taotao and Li Zhenhua, especially Li Zhenhua's seemingly casual yet intimate attitude towards Lin Taotao, which made her feel uneasy.

But she was, after all, a lady from a respectable family, and on the surface, she still maintained her composure, only speaking much less.

Da Feng was a straightforward person. Since she had already sat down, she didn't stand on ceremony and ate the dishes that the waiter had just served, commenting on them as she ate.

"Hmm, this braised beef is alright, but if you're looking for something truly filling, it has to be our roasted pheasant and beggar's chicken! Li Zhenhua, next time we go hunting, you'll have to be in charge of the cooking!"

Lin Taotao was somewhat absent-minded, glancing at Li Zhenhua every now and then; his little gesture earlier had reassured her considerably.

Li Zhenhua appeared to be responding to Da Feng's words with ease, but in reality, he was keeping a close eye on everything around him.

He knew Gao Peng's spoiled nature; having suffered such a great loss, he would never let it go and would likely seek help from others.

I just don't know who they'll be looking for.

Sure enough, not long after, a series of ear-piercing screeching sounds of motorcycles and cars braking came from outside the restaurant, followed by a cacophony of footsteps and noise.

The revolving door was violently pushed open, and Wang Haitao took the lead, followed by a dozen or so slovenly young men holding various "weapons." Gao Peng, clutching his wrist, followed beside him with a venomous look on his face, pointing at Li Zhenhua's table.

"Brother Tao, that's them!"

The music in the restaurant seemed to stop. When other diners saw this, their expressions changed. Some quickly lowered their heads, while others quietly shrank back, afraid of being affected.

The waiter and manager tried to intervene, but Wang Haitao glared at them fiercely.

With his hands in his pockets, Wang Haitao swayed as he walked to Li Zhenhua's table. His gaze swept over the red wine on the table and the three women, each with a distinct style but striking looks, before finally settling on Li Zhenhua's face, a mocking smile spreading across his lips.

"Oh my! Who do we have here? Isn't this our Director Li? What's wrong? Instead of taking good care of your old workers at the steel mill, you're here acting like a bourgeois young master? With two women on your arms, you're living the high life!"

Li Zhenhua became the deputy director of the steel rolling mill by catching spies, and he was quite famous in the compound.

After all, even with connections, there aren't many who become department heads at such a young age.

Li Zhenhua slowly put down his wine glass, leaned back in his chair, his face expressionless, and looked calmly at Wang Haitao, his tone as indifferent as if he were shooing away a fly.

"Wang Haitao, take your men and get out of here."

Instead of the expected outburst of rage, this extreme contempt startled Wang Haitao, who was then overcome with a surge of anger.

He didn't expect Li Zhenhua to dare to speak to him like that even when surrounded.

"Damn it! Li Zhenhua, you're still as arrogant as you were when you were a kid!"

Wang Haitao slammed his hand on the table, making the cups and plates rattle.

"Get the hell out of here? Who do you think you are? If I don't teach you a lesson today, you won't know who I am!"

The group of privileged kids behind him also joined in the commotion, spewing vulgarities.

"Brother Tao, why waste words with him! Just take him down and be done with it!"

"That's right, break this kid's legs, let's see how arrogant he'll be then!"

"These girls are pretty good! You're in luck today, buddy!"

Gao Peng fanned the flames from the sidelines.

"Hey Tao, look at those two girls! Especially the tall one, she's got real hottie!"

Gao Peng pointed at Da Feng.

Wang Haitao's lewd gaze swept over Lin Taotao, Dafeng, and Lou Xiao'e, finally settling on Lin Taotao, where he chuckled.

"Li Zhenhua, you have good taste! This girl's got looks and figure, she's got potential! How about introducing her to us?"

Lin Taotao had never suffered such an insult before. Her eyebrows furrowed, she stood up abruptly, pulled out her ID and flashed it in front of Wang Haitao, and said sternly.

"I'm a police officer! What do you think you're doing? You're causing a disturbance and threatening others' safety. Believe me, I'll arrest you all!"

She thought revealing her identity would intimidate them, but to her surprise, Wang Haitao and his men were first stunned, then burst into even more arrogant laughter.

"Police? Hahaha!"

Wang Haitao laughed so hard he almost fell over.

"Oh my god! She's a policewoman! Guys, did you hear that? A police officer! I'm so scared!"

A young man with long hair and wearing an old pilot jacket approached and said in a sleazy tone.

"Officer, are you wearing your uniform? Why don't you put it on and show us? It'll look awesome!"

As he spoke, he actually reached out to touch Lin Taotao's face.

"court death!"

Lin Taotao shouted angrily and instinctively tried to block and counterattack.

But someone was faster than her!

Just as the young man's hand was about to touch Lin Taotao's cheek, Li Zhenhua moved!

Like a cheetah poised to pounce, he leaped from his seat without warning, his left hand swiftly gripping the young man's wrist and twisting it forcefully, while his right fist slammed into the man's face like a cannonball!

With a muffled thud, accompanied by the crisp sound of a broken nose and a piercing scream, the young man was sent flying backward, crashing into a table and rolling on the ground in agony, clutching his face.

This was like lighting the fuse of a powder keg!

"Damn! You dare to lay a hand on me!"

"Cripple him!"

Wang Haitao and his men immediately went wild, brandishing spring locks, belts, scrapers, and other weapons, and swarmed towards Li Zhenhua.

"Tao Tao, Da Feng, protect Xiao E!"

Li Zhenhua let out a low shout, his eyes instantly turning cold and sharp. Instead of retreating, he charged straight into the crowd!

Lin Taotao and Dafeng were also trained and had extremely fast reactions.

Da Feng pulled the somewhat frightened Lou Xiao'e behind her, grabbed a heavy solid wood chair, and stood guard in front of her like a door god.

Lin Taotao let out a sharp cry and used her grappling and fighting techniques to meet a guy who was wielding a spring lock.

The restaurant instantly descended into chaos!

Screams, curses, fighting, and the sound of breaking dishes filled the air.

The diners scattered in terror, while the manager and waiters, pale with fright, kept their distance, too afraid to approach.

Li Zhenhua's skills far exceeded Wang Haitao and the others' expectations.

His movements were as fast as a ghost, and his strength was extraordinary. Every move he made was precise and ruthless, targeting vital areas such as joints and soft ribs.

He sidestepped a falling belt and then delivered an elbow strike to the man's ribs, causing the man to curl up and fall to the ground like a shrimp.

He ducked to dodge a stabbing scraper, then swept his leg to knock down the attacker, the sound of bones cracking echoing from his ankle.

Seeing several of his men fall instantly, Wang Haitao was both shocked and furious. He personally brandished a specially made, weighted spring lock and hurled it at Li Zhenhua, cursing as he did so.

"Li Zhenhua, I'll fuck your mother!"

A cold glint flashed in Li Zhenhua's eyes. Without dodging or avoiding, he met the falling spring lock head-on, his left hand flashing out like lightning, and precisely grabbed the chain!

Wang Haitao felt a tremendous force coming from him, and he could no longer smash the spring lock.

Before he could react, Li Zhenhua's right hand, with fingers like knives, stabbed hard into the nerve in his wrist where he was holding the lock!

"Ah!" Wang Haitao screamed as the spring lock slipped from his hand.

Li Zhenhua snatched the spring lock, swung it back, and with a sharp whistling sound, struck Wang Haitao hard on the back!

With a sharp "smack!", Wang Haitao winced in pain and stumbled forward.

Li Zhenhua followed closely and kicked him in the back of the knee. Wang Haitao fell to his knees with a thud.

On the other side, Lin Taotao and Dafeng also displayed amazing fighting power.

Lin Taotao was agile and her moves were fierce. In just a few moves, she knocked down the two guys who tried to approach her.

Da Feng was incredibly brave and strong. She wielded the solid wood chair with incredible force, causing injury or knockdown to anyone who touched it. She was like a human tyrannosaurus rex, single-handedly blocking the attacks of several people and even managing to punch down someone who tried to sneak up on her from the side.

These kids from the compound, who usually bully ordinary people because of their family background, have never seen anything like this before.