Volume 1, Chapter 37: Paying a Visit to Mr. Zhou

The Mr. Zhou that his boss told him to pay respects to—could it be this young man right in front of him?

He knew that his boss, Qiao Youliang, treated this benefactor as if he were a deity enshrined above his head. Furthermore, Director Wei had mentioned that this young man was remarkably capable; if it weren't for him, the hospital would never have so easily secured the primary medication for EPS.

Director Wei held a lofty position in the eyes of these underworld figures. The Jiangren Hospital in Shencheng, founded by Director Wei, was a safe harbor for them to save their lives. No matter the time, anyone injured could receive treatment there immediately. Since Zhou Yang helped Director Wei procure high-quality medicine, in a deeper sense, he was helping all of them as well.

With all these connections combined, Zhou Yang’s status in the minds of Director Wei and Qiao Youliang was self-evident.

Long was merely one of Qiao Youliang’s subordinates. To think that he had dared to threaten someone whom even his own boss worshipped—was this not turning the heavens upside down?

Long steadied his nerves and asked tentatively, "Are you Zhou Yang? The same Zhou Yang who helped Director Wei sign the contract?"

"Yes, that’s me. Why do you ask?" Zhou Yang replied coldly.

"Mr. Zhou, it really is you!"

The ferocious expression on Long’s face vanished instantly, replaced by a blossoming smile. He stepped forward to enthusiastically shake Zhou Yang’s hands, his nearly two-meter-tall frame bowing like a shrimp. "Mr. Zhou, I came here tonight specifically to find you!"

"To find me?" Zhou Yang was taken aback.

Long barked at his subordinates behind him, "Line up! Salute Mr. Zhou!"

"Yes!"

The men snapped into a line, standing rigid and saluting Zhou Yang with precision. "Greetings, Mr. Zhou!"

This scene left not only Zhou Yang stunned, but everyone in the room dumbfounded.

"What are you doing?" Zhou Yang asked. "I only wanted an explanation for my friends!"

"An explanation? Of course, absolutely!" Long said with a beaming, humble smile. "This was our mistake, a grave mistake. Mr. Zhou, please state your requirements; we will certainly satisfy them!"

Seeing this, Zhou Yang stopped hesitating. Since the other party had put it that way, he had to seize the opportunity.

"First, I want this group of guys who hit us and threatened us tonight to apologize!" Zhou Yang demanded.

Long walked over to the tall, thin man and slapped the back of his neck. "Apologize to Mr. Zhou and the ladies!"

"Yes, yes, yes!" The tall, thin man’s face had turned pale with fright. Seeing how respectful Long was to the young man, he realized the guy had an extraordinary background. He felt as though he had provoked someone he shouldn't have, and his heart was pounding with anxiety. "I’m sorry, I’m sorry! It’s all our fault!" He pressed his palms together in a pleading gesture.

"No sincerity," Zhou Yang shook his head.

*Thump!*

Long kicked the tall, thin man, forcing him to his knees. "Kneel and kowtow to Mr. Zhou!"

Long’s subordinates also stepped forward, glaring menacingly. The group of troublemakers was terrified and immediately knelt, kowtowing to Zhou Yang.

"Mr. Zhou, I was wrong! Please, spare me!" The tall, thin man kowtowed repeatedly until his forehead began to swell. He knew the stakes; someone who commanded such respect from Boss Long had to be a person of significant status. The others followed suit, and soon the room was filled with the sound of heads striking the floor.

This scene left Xie Feng and Liu Yan completely bewildered. They had assumed that because Zhou Yang offended Long, he was surely finished for the night. They never expected such a reversal.

Big Bear, who had been boasting all night, was also stunned. From the start of the party, he had been flaunting his underworld connections, bragging to the girls about how tough he was. He had spent the evening putting others down to elevate himself, mocking Zhou Yang for being useless, cowardly, and the first to run in a crisis. The current scene was a resounding slap to his face.

"Their heads are bleeding!" Bai Lu pointed at one of the subordinates, trembling. The man had been so diligent in his kowtowing that he had hit a piece of broken glass on the floor; blood was now streaming down his forehead onto his shirt, looking quite gruesome.

"Alright, that’s enough!" Zhou Yang called a stop to it.

"Mr. Zhou, I just arrived and really didn't know what happened," Long said. "I heard you say that someone came into your private room to cause trouble? What is that about?"

Zhou Yang pointed at Xie Feng and Liu Yan’s group. "We were just hanging out, and they kicked the door in, acted like thugs, and laid hands on my friends. That’s why I fought back! It was also my fault for being too impulsive; I shouldn't have caused a scene at your establishment." He said the last sentence with a hint of feigned, manipulative innocence.

Upon hearing this, Long was furious. "You bastards have no eyes, daring to act recklessly here?" He pointed at Xie Feng. "All of you, get over here!"

Xie Feng and his friends dared not disobey and scrambled over to Long, trembling.

"Beat them!" Long waved his hand.

His subordinates swarmed forward, surrounding Xie Feng and Liu Yan, raining down punches and kicks. Shrieks of pain and pleas for mercy filled the air.

Zhao Ziying and the bespectacled girl felt a chill run down their spines. If they had still been siding with Xie Feng and Liu Yan, would they be the ones getting beaten up now? Fortunately, they had chosen Zhou Yang. Both women looked at him with newfound admiration.

Long’s men beat Xie Feng and his group until they were bloodied and bruised before stopping. Long stepped forward, grabbing Xie Feng and Liu Yan by their hair and forcing them to look him in the eye. "If you ever dare to cause trouble on my turf again, I will cripple you!"

"We won't! We won't!" the two men pleaded desperately.

"Get out!" Long roared.

The two scrambled to their feet and fled, not even daring to glance at their own girlfriends as they left, terrified that lingering for even a minute longer would result in another beating. Watching their pathetic escape, Zhao Ziying and the bespectacled girl felt nothing but contempt.

Tonight, they had witnessed what a real man was.

"Zhou Yang, I apologize for my previous behavior," Zhao Ziying said. "For the sake of us being colleagues, please forgive me!"

Zhou Yang ignored her completely and instead asked Bai Lu and the others, "Are you all hurt?"

"No!"

"We were all well-protected by you!"

Everyone cast grateful looks toward Zhou Yang.

"Since my friends aren't hurt, we can let the apology suffice," Zhou Yang said. "However, it would be best to provide some compensation for the mental distress."

Long scratched his gleaming bald head. "Mental distress? How should we compensate for that?"

"Material compensation for mental distress," Zhou Yang suggested. "For instance, providing some VIP membership cards for the club wouldn't be out of the question, would it?"

Long slapped his forehead. "Mr. Zhou, forgive my dullness. Everyone here will receive a VIP card! From now on, you get thirty percent off; the more you spend, the higher the discount!"

"Then thank you, Brother Long!" Zhou Yang’s eyes curved into crescents.

"Oh, Mr. Zhou, you are too polite! I was worried I hadn't taken good enough care of you," Long said.

The others were overjoyed. They had thought they couldn't escape this ordeal, but instead, they had turned a misfortune into a blessing and even walked away with VIP cards. They owed it all to Zhou Yang!

Just then, Long turned serious and said to Zhou Yang, "Mr. Zhou, to tell you the truth, the main reason I came to find you tonight was on my boss's orders—to deliver something to you."