Cangmang Asks the Way 1: Guardian of the Lamp

The two hurried back to the workers' quarters. From a distance, they could see a dark mass of twenty or thirty people blocking the entrance, carrying steel pipes and wooden sticks. The leader was a man in his forties, wearing a floral shirt, with slicked-back hair and a cigarette in his mouth. He was none other than Song Jiawen, a notorious local bully in the southern part of the city, known as "Fourth Master."

The workers, armed with shovels and steel bars, gathered in front of the workers' shed to confront them, but their momentum was clearly overwhelmed. Old Li stood at the front, half of his face red and swollen.

Fourth Master, with his sharp eyes, spotted Cang Lifeng and Lin Wei approaching. He raised an eyebrow, tossed his cigarette butt to the ground, stubbed it out with his toe, and said with a forced smile, "Oh, so the main character has finally arrived? Cang Lifeng, your men are blind; they've dirtied my girl's new dress. It's a Shanghai import. What do you say we do about it?"

Cang Lifeng didn't reply. He first walked to Old Li's side, carefully examined the injuries on his face, and asked with concern, "Uncle Li, where are you hurt? Are you dizzy?"

Old Li waved his hand and said in a muffled voice, "It's nothing, boss, it was just one slap. They attacked too fast, I didn't have time to dodge... Don't fight them head-on, there are too many of them..."

Cang Lifeng patted Old Li's arm to reassure him, then slowly turned around, his sharp gaze fixed on Fourth Master and the group of thugs behind him, and said:

"We'll pay for the skirt. It'll be the market price, not a penny less. But whoever laid a hand on my men, step forward and let my men hit them back just like that. That'll settle things."

"Damn it, who the hell do you think you are!" A young man with dyed yellow hair and a fierce look on his face behind Fourth Master couldn't hold back any longer and swung a steel pipe at Cang Lifeng's head.

Cang Lifeng moved.

So fast that he left only a blur. He sidestepped, stepped forward, and with his left hand, he precisely grabbed the blond man's wrist holding the stick like an iron clamp, twisting and pushing it away, while his right palm swept across the outside of the blond man's elbow joint.

"Crack!" A slight sound of bone dislocation rang out simultaneously with the blond-haired man's piercing scream. The steel pipe clattered to the ground, and the blond-haired man collapsed to the ground, clutching his limp arm, tears streaming down his face.

Cang Lifeng didn't even glance at the blond-haired man on the ground. With a flick of his toe, he kicked the steel pipe towards Fourth Master's feet, making a screeching sound. His gaze remained fixed on Fourth Master as he repeated, "I said, do it my way."

Fourth Master's face turned ashen, and the muscles around his eyes twitched. He stared intently at Cang Lifeng, then glanced warily at the coworkers behind Cang Lifeng, whose morale had soared and whose eyes were blazing with fury after this thunderous strike. He had heard about Cang Lifeng's brave fight against the armed robbers at the bank, and he had also seen the numerous positive reports in the newspapers recently. If things really escalated and reached the media, he himself would be in deep trouble.

Just then, Lin Wei, who had been standing to the side and behind Cang Lifeng, stepped forward, showed her press card, and said in a clear and calm voice: "Song Jiawen, is that right? I am Lin Wei, a reporter from the Nancheng Daily. I have recorded your words and actions today. Gathering a crowd to cause trouble, extorting money, and intentionally causing injury are all illegal acts. If you leave now, I can treat this as a civil dispute mediation. If you continue to cause trouble, I don't mind seeing you on the front page tomorrow, and I'll also ask the police to come and find out what's going on."

Fourth Master's pupils contracted. Having mingled in the streets, he knew better than anyone what "reporter" and "publication" meant. The woman before him possessed a capable air and spoke with unwavering certainty; she was not bluffing. Then he looked at Cang Lifeng's confident demeanor and the weapons his coworkers were clutching…

"Damn it!" Fourth Master spat out a curse through gritted teeth, his face shifting rapidly. He had intended to use this as an excuse to extort money from the rising "hero foreman" and deflate his arrogance, but he hadn't expected to run into a brick wall. Not only was the other party physically strong, but he also knew how to leverage his position. If the stalemate continued, he wouldn't gain any advantage whatsoever.

He glared fiercely at Cang Lifeng, his eyes filled with malice, and said, "Fine, Cang Lifeng, you've got guts! We'll see! The waters of Nancheng run deep. Don't think you're something just because you have a bit of brute strength and made the newspapers a few times. Be careful you don't drown!"

After saying that, he waved his hand forcefully: "Let's go!"

A group of thugs reluctantly helped the screaming blond-haired man up and grumbled as they retreated.

There was a moment of silence in front of the workers' shed, followed by a huge cheer. The workers excitedly gathered around, their eyes filled with undisguised admiration and trust as they looked at Cang Lifeng.

"Boss, that felt so good!"

"Thanks to you and Reporter Lin, otherwise this matter wouldn't be over today."

"Boss, from now on we'll follow you and do whatever you say."

The title "boss" was now being used without any reluctance or unwillingness.

Lin Wei retreated to the edge of the crowd, quickly scribbling in her notebook. Her heart was still pounding, not just because of the conflict, but also because of a powerful shock—she had witnessed firsthand how Cang Lifeng protected his own people before intimidating his opponents with overwhelming force, and how he had begun to understand how to use rules and public opinion to exert pressure, rather than relying solely on his fists. This man's growth rate had exceeded her expectations.

As dusk settled, the hustle and bustle of the workers' quarters gradually subsided. The workers packed up their tools and returned to their rooms in twos and threes, their low chatter still carrying a lingering excitement. Lin Wei closed her notebook, tucked her pen into the spine, and looked up to meet Cang Lifeng's adoring gaze. His gaze lacked the sharpness he displayed when facing Fourth Master, filled only with tenderness.

Seeing Lin Wei looking over, he hurriedly turned his head away, a blush creeping onto his resolute face.

Lin Wei felt a sweet warmth in her heart, smiled as she walked over, and stopped in front of him.

"Just now..." The two spoke almost simultaneously, then stopped at the same time.

Cang Lifeng quickly declined, saying, "You go first."

"That move was really impressive. What kind of kung fu is that?" Lin Wei asked, her eyes shining.

"That's 'Tai Chi,' Tai Chi emphasizes Yin and Yang, and it's about using the opponent's force against them..."

As he spoke, his gaze fell on Lin Wei's face, and he suddenly said, "However, no matter how powerful this punch is, it's not as powerful as your mouth. You only need to use your mouth to scare them so much they'll wet themselves."

Lin Wei retorted, "You're such a smooth talker. It's not as exaggerated as you make it out to be. It was your fists that intimidated them first. My words were just to give them a way out." She paused, her tone becoming serious, "Lifeng, you handled things very well today. You protected them first, then reasoned with them, and only resorted to force last. And you've started to understand how to leverage influence—the media's influence, the influence of the 'hero' title."

Cang Lifeng was silent for a moment, then looked up at the scattered lights on the construction site in the distance, and said in a deep voice:

"Back in Xiqiao Village, I always thought that 'leveraging influence' was something only people like Wang Zhenkun would do, and that it wasn't honorable. But now I understand that if you don't leverage certain influences, others will use them to suppress you. No matter how strong my fist is, I can't protect so many brothers. I have to... I have to learn how to use the ways of this world."

The clarity and helplessness in those words caused Lin Wei's heart to clench slightly. She suddenly recalled the sinister words Fourth Master had uttered as he left: "The waters of Nancheng run deep."

"That Fourth Master won't let this go easily," she said softly.

"I know." Cang Lifeng withdrew his gaze and looked at her. "But he's scared today. He's not scared of my fist, Cang Lifeng's fist, but of me standing in the light now. With a reporter like you watching and newspapers reporting on it, he won't dare to act recklessly in the open."

He paused, his voice growing deeper: "So I have to stand firmer and walk more upright. I can't let them find the slightest fault."

Lin Wei understood the weight of his words. He wasn't just making empty promises; he was making a vow—to his brothers, to her, and to himself.

A gentle evening breeze carried the distinctive smell of dust and cement from the construction site. Lin Wei suddenly felt a lump in her throat. She had seen too many people inflate and distort themselves under the spotlight, only to lose their way in the end. But this man before her, who had emerged from the bloodshed of the bank and risen from the dust of the construction site, and who had been elevated to the pedestal of a "hero," knew more clearly than anyone else where his roots lay and what he needed to protect.

"Lifeng, I've met all sorts of people and interviewed many high-ranking officials. Few people are as clear-headed as you in the face of immense honor. You are an extremely special person."

As she said this, Lin Wei raised her fair hand and tucked a strand of hair that had been ruffled by the wind behind her ear. Cang Lifeng's gaze followed her movement slightly before shifting to the lights in the distance.

The darkness concealed the slight blush on his ears, but it couldn't hide the fleeting smile on Lin Wei's lips.

"Look, when should we go to Professor Shen's place?" Lin Wei asked in a low voice.

Cang Lifeng thought for a moment and said, "Then let's do it tomorrow. Can you contact them for me?"

"it is good."

After he finished speaking, neither of them said anything for a moment.

In the distance came the sounds of workers washing up: the clanging of metal buckets, the splashing of water, and suppressed laughter. This corner of the construction site at night was rough, real, and full of life.