Chapter 136: Taking Down the Boss for a Beauty

Tang Long glanced at the group of scrappy teenagers rushing out, each wielding a stick, and cracked a grin. He stretched his neck with a slight twist—it had been a long time since he’d thrown a punch, and his joints were a bit stiff. But these brash young punks were no match for him!

“Don’t cry later on,” Tang Long muttered lazily as he approached them. Then, with a flurry of swift strikes, he had several of them bruised and battered, their faces swollen and bloodied. Yet, if they had gone to the hospital, the injuries would hardly register—just superficial wounds that would heal in a couple of days.

“Come here, come here!” Tang Long called as he sat down on the steps beside a nearby restaurant, twirling one of the sticks he had just taken from one of the boys in his palm.

“What’s your name?” Tang Long asked calmly, a smile playing on his lips.

Chen Xiaoming cursed inwardly. This guy was tough. Even with six or seven of his own guys, they hadn’t gained a thing—just a confusing barrage of slaps that left them flattened on the ground.

“We’re with ‘Blackie Bro,’ alright? What do you want?” Chen Xiaoming snarled, baring his teeth. Actually, he had known Ren Lingling and her friends for a while—they’d been classmates since elementary school. Though older than Ren Lingling, Chen had been held back twice in second grade, once in third, and again in sixth grade!

Tang Long paused briefly, then looked at him curiously. “Blackie Bro? That name sounds familiar. What’s his full name?”

Chen Xiaoming covered his face. “Liu Jianming.”

Tang Long frowned slightly. “Liu Jianming? The one from Qiangyuan Company?”

“Yeah, the very same. You mess with us, just wait!” Chen Xiaoming threatened through clenched teeth.

Tang Long cracked a grin. “So you’re one of Blackie Bro’s little brothers, huh? I heard he was in the hospital, but he’s out now?”

Chen Xiaoming nodded. “Yeah, just got out not long ago.”

“Perfect timing then. Haven’t seen Blackie Bro in ages. Might as well catch up. How about you call him and get him to come out? Just don’t mention me—say you got bullied and need him to back you up. Ha! I bet if I showed up, he’d be too scared to come!”

What a boast! Chen Xiaoming thought bitterly. Blackie Bro afraid of this guy? That man was notorious for his ruthlessness. Few in Taoyuan County dared to claim they weren’t scared of him.

“Didn’t you get enough of that street beating just now?” Tang Long rolled his eyes and glared at him, making Chen Xiaoming shrink back.

Still, Tang Long’s glare did carry some weight.

“Got a phone?” Tang Long asked.

“Yeah, yeah!” Chen Xiaoming hurriedly pulled out his phone and dialed Liu Jianming’s number right in front of Tang Long, biting his lip. ‘You’re so full of yourself,’ he thought. ‘Wait until my big brother arrives—let’s see how he deals with you. You think you can hit me? Don’t you know who I’m with?’

“Big brother, I got beaten up… yeah, because of that girl I told you about last time… no, wait, she’s still around… you…” Chen Xiaoming’s call ended, his face darkening. He frowned and muttered, “That was a mistake.”

He looked up at Tang Long hesitantly. “Liu Jianming’s coming soon. You’d better leave quickly and get Ren Lingling and the others to go too.”

Leaning in, he lowered his voice. “Blackie’s had his eye on Ren Yingying for a long time. He’s way worse than me!”

Tang Long was taken aback, then smiled and lightly tapped Chen Xiaoming’s face. “So you know you’re a scoundrel, huh?”

Pausing briefly, he added, “But I guess you’re not completely hopeless—at least you’ve got a shred of conscience.”

“Sit down for a bit,” Tang Long invited after Chen Xiaoming settled beside him. Curious, he asked, “You and Ren Lingling have known each other for a long time?”

Chen Xiaoming blushed, unsure if it was from the beating or embarrassment. After a moment’s hesitation, he said, “We’ve been classmates since elementary school, and through middle school too. I dropped out of high school after a few days, or I’d still be going to school with her.”

“Classmates?” Tang Long smirked. “You’ve had it in for her since you were kids, haven’t you?”

Chen Xiaoming felt awkward but said nothing.

“If Liu Jianming comes and tries to take advantage of Ren Lingling, what will you do?” Tang Long asked.

Chen Xiaoming’s face darkened. This was a tough choice for him: on one hand, his ‘big brother’; on the other, the girl he’d liked since childhood. How could he choose? Offend Liu Jianming? He wasn’t brave enough for that. But if he didn’t stand up to him, what if Liu Jianming harmed Ren Lingling?

“Enough talking. Go inside and get Ren Lingling and the others. Let’s get out of here. When Liu Jianming shows up, I’ll tell him you scared us off,” Chen Xiaoming said.

“Scared off?” Tang Long smiled and shook his head. “No way. You said Liu Jianming’s a scoundrel. Even if you don’t see Ren Lingling today, why not wait for her at the school gate?”

Pausing, he continued with a grin, “Or better yet, how about this—we team up and break Liu Jianming’s legs. Send him back to the hospital for a year or two, so he can’t cause trouble outside. What do you think?”

Chen Xiaoming froze. Break Liu Jianming’s legs and send him back to the hospital? If he did that, would Liu Jianming ever let him live? His face turned pale and flushed repeatedly before he finally gritted his teeth and said, “Liu Jianming has several tough henchmen. There’s no way we can beat them with just us.”

Young people, always wavering in their stance. At least he wasn’t rotten to the core—he still knew right from wrong. For the girl he liked, he hadn’t lost all fight. Such youthfulness, by the time he reached thirty, he’d hopefully be steadier and wiser.

“No worries. Leave the people Liu Jianming brings to me. You and your brothers just handle Liu Jianming himself,” Tang Long said with a smile.

Chen Xiaoming glanced at his battered friends. They had all overheard the conversation. Fight Liu Jianming? They had called themselves Blackie Bro’s men just moments ago, now suddenly they were ready to betray him? None dared to confront Liu Jianming, fearing retaliation—even Chen Xiaoming himself.

“After that, I’ll run to the next county to hide! But just breaking his legs isn’t enough. Liu Jianming’s a dog—if you don’t kill him, he’ll just come back to bite you!” Chen Xiaoming said, pulling out a small dagger and gritting his teeth. “Let’s finish him off!”

Tang Long rubbed his forehead, half laughing, half exasperated. “Put that away! Young people these days can’t keep their temper. What good will fighting and killing bring you? Liu Jianming’s dog life will end someday—but you’re still so young. Is it worth risking half your own life for his?”

Chen Xiaoming sighed. “Big brother, didn’t you say we should team up and take Liu Jianming down together?”

Tang Long nodded. “Right. I said let’s team up and mess with Liu Jianming—breaking a leg or two now and then is enough. Why kill him?”

Breaking a leg or two now and then? Chen Xiaoming felt a chill run through his teeth and a flicker of fear.

“Liu Jianming’s a dog. Break his legs to stop him from biting people,” Tang Long said, pausing with a smile. “I see you guys, though you were probably scoundrels before, you still have some humanity left. You’re not completely rotten. Since you’re not going back to school, stop wandering around causing trouble. I’ll arrange some work for you.”

Chen Xiaoming blinked in surprise. “Big brother, what do you do?”

Tang Long smiled broadly. “I’m the village chief.”

Village chief? That’s a powerful position. Was he really planning to take them back to the countryside to work the fields?

“Are your faces alright? When you get home, get some boiled eggs rolling on them. Also, don’t go around acting tough with that stuff any more. These days, if you hurt someone, you have to pay their medical bills or end up behind bars for years. Only idiots mess around like you guys!” Tang Long scolded as he spoke.

Chen Xiaoming and his friends exchanged glances, thinking: You say you don’t mess around, yet your solution is to break people’s legs regularly.

Soon, several SUVs pulled up in front of the “Shengdu Family Feast” restaurant. Blackie Liu Jianming swaggered out, arrogant as ever. He hadn’t noticed the figure sitting quietly on the side steps—Tang Long—or else he wouldn’t have dared to show his face.

That night by the ditch was surely a nightmare he’d never forget.

“Xiaoming, where are you? Who got you into trouble? Where’s Ren Lingling eating? Take me to see her!” Liu Jianming staggered over, shaking his arms.

When his eyes landed on Tang Long, his smile vanished instantly, as if wiped clean from his face.

Wide-eyed, he thought: How is this man here?

Tang Long grinned at him. “What a coincidence—you’re out of the hospital so soon? No way. My calculations say you should be back in there for at least another year.”

Liu Jianming’s face twitched. “W-What do you want?”

Tang Long stood up from the steps, brandishing the stick in his hand as he advanced. “Nothing much. Just seeing you so carefree makes me uneasy. I want to break your legs. What’s it going to be—are you handing them over for me to hit, or should I do it myself?”

This scoundrel had made the old village chief’s life miserable, yet still thought he could live carefree? No chance. Tang Long intended to make him live a nightmare for the rest of his days.

“Don’t act rashly! Qiangyuan Company has already reconciled with Fish Head Village!” Liu Jianming’s face darkened as he tried to back away.

“Reconciled?” Tang Long sneered. “Reconciled my ass!”

He strode forward and kicked Liu Jianming down to the ground... If he said he was going to break his legs, then break them he would!