Wang Zhuo had dealt with gangsters, police officers, and the Town God’s guards—all groups possessing considerable fighting capability—often finding himself outnumbered in those encounters.
The few security guards rushing toward him, several clearly just posturing and hoping to piggyback on the chaos, were hardly worth a second glance.
With a sharp bang, the first guard flew sideways, likely losing several teeth near his cheekbone. With a dull thud, as the second guard’s rubber baton stopped half a meter short of Wang Zhuo’s shoulder, the man received a clear imprint of a sole on his chest and tumbled aside.
In a flash, all six guards who dared to engage were down. Wang Zhuo, having not stretched his limbs in a while, was utterly thrilled, feeling a bit unsatisfied, only to notice the remaining three guards and the two rich young masters standing with ashen faces, showing no intention of stepping forward to offer a sparring opportunity.
Not enough, Wang Zhuo shifted his gaze to the Great Dane, now standing nearly as tall as a man, thinking it would feel good to kick that sandbag a few times.
Of the six guards Wang Zhuo felled, two had deliberately held back, feigning injury after taking a single kick. One had been particularly vicious and lost several teeth; another had attempted a cowardly kick from behind, to which Wang Zhuo responded in kind, breaking two of his ribs.
In this age, neither man nor beast retained their proper nature: dogs could treat people as playthings relying on their owners' influence, and people could act like dogs, biting when commanded or acting as willing lackeys. If not for the fact that Guan Yingying resided in this complex, Wang Zhuo would not have hesitated to break the arms and legs of these dog-slave guards, sending them to the hospital for a good month.
Dogs killed, men beaten—Li Runqian was encountering this kind of situation for the first time and felt his legs begin to tremble involuntarily.
It was Qin Zeyu beside him who acted tougher. Seeing Wang Zhuo approach, he let out a cold snort of defiance and strode forward aggressively.
Li Runqian was instantly emboldened by his brother’s action, thinking, What’s there to fear? As long as we don't suffer an immediate loss, once we’re clear, with our influence, twisting this kid around will be easy enough.
Thus, the two young masters fearlessly met Wang Zhuo. Qin Zeyu, a full half-head shorter than Wang Zhuo, unhesitatingly pointed a finger directly at Wang Zhuo’s nose, demanding, “Kid, do you have any idea what massive trouble you’ve caused? Call whatever big shot you know right now. Don't say I didn't give you a chance to save yourself.”
“Huh?” Wang Zhuo raised an eyebrow, a dismissive smile touching his lips. “You think you’re worthy of me saving myself?”
“Tsk.” Qin Zeyu sucked air through his teeth, nodding repeatedly with a sinister grin. “Good, good, good. You’ve got guts, kid. Just wait.”
Saying this, he turned, walked a few paces away, and pulled out his phone to make a call.
Wang Zhuo remained standing right where he was, completely unruffled, waiting for Qin Zeyu to summon backup, showing no intention of calling for support himself.
Li Runqian watched coldly from the side and immediately drew a conclusion: this kid was probably just an arrogant hothead with a little skill but no understanding of the immensity of the world. Otherwise, why wouldn't he understand the wisdom of avoiding immediate conflict? Their side was calling for reinforcements, yet he stood alone, playing the hero willing to take on everything by himself—wasn’t that just asking to die?
Anyone who could appear in the Jin'an complex couldn't be that formidable, Li Runqian thought grimly, already hatching several cruel schemes to torture Wang Zhuo and avenge Da Bai and Er Bai.
Qin Zeyu finished two calls and returned to Li Runqian’s side, just in time to see another person approach Wang Zhuo—a woman who made heads turn.
Isn't that the beautiful woman who lives in Building Six, Unit Three? Li Runqian and Qin Zeyu exchanged a look. They had long noticed this beauty in the complex; she usually drove a yellow Beetle with out-of-province plates. They had even discreetly learned her background from the property management: she was the daughter of a small trading company owner.
They had been struggling to find an opening to approach her, and now opportunity had arrived! Li Runqian’s eyes darted sideways, and he let out a cold snort. “Kid, care to give us your name?”
“Ask you to give me a name? Are you even worthy?” Wang Zhuo replied faintly, taking a warm towel from Guan Yingying to wipe his hands.
During the recent scuffle, the guards hadn't even managed to touch a hair on his head, but he had grabbed the dog's leg once while dealing with the beasts, hence the need to wipe his hands.
He tossed the used towel carelessly onto the corpse of Er Bai, infuriating Li Runqian to the point of bursting.
“Kid, I paid 180,000 for these two dogs. Including three months of boarding fees and handling costs, that’s over 200,000. I suggest you start thinking about compensation.”
Before Wang Zhuo could speak, a sharp voice cut through the surrounding crowd: “Compensate with a coffin to put your mother in!”
It was the voice of a teenager. The enraged Li Runqian immediately ordered the other three guards to find the source, but by the time the three guards managed to push through the deliberately obstructive residents, the person had vanished without a trace.
By this point, over a hundred people had gathered nearby. Just as Li Runqian was about to erupt, Qin Zeyu sensed the tide turning and quickly signaled him to stop with his eyes. The mood of the crowd was clearly siding with the opposition; if this escalated into a mass incident, their own lives could be forfeit here.
At that moment, the sound of police sirens approached—three police cars were entering the complex. Seeing the dense crowd, they sounded their horns to clear a path.
“Did you call them?” Wang Zhuo looked at Qin Zeyu with a hint of surprise. Wasn't this the definition of the guilty party reporting the crime first?
Qin Zeyu smirked proudly. “I called the police, but I didn’t make the report.”
The implication was painfully clear: they were using the police as their own tool. Wang Zhuo could easily guess what kind of predicament awaited him.
“So that’s how it is.” Wang Zhuo nodded calmly, then turned to Guan Yingying and asked, “Sister, are you afraid of the police?”
“I was, before I was three,” Guan Yingying replied with a sweet smile. “And you?”
Wang Zhuo chuckled. “I’ve only ever beaten up police officers; I’ve never been afraid of them.”
They shared a knowing smile, causing Qin Zeyu and Li Runqian’s noses to twitch in anger, thinking they would soon teach them what death meant.
The crowd parted, and the three police cars stopped. Leading the way was a Toyota sedan, followed by two domestic vans.
Six officers disembarked. Two stood further back, but with a glance, Wang Zhuo detected alcohol in their bloodstreams—likely pulled from a drinking session. If they were drinking during off-hours, they shouldn't be responding to a call; if it was their shift, drinking was a disciplinary offense. At least from these two, Wang Zhuo could tell this deployment was irregular.
As soon as the officers stepped out, the residents swarmed them, vociferously recounting the incident. Huang Hongbo pushed to the front, holding up his bruised and scratched arm for the police to see.
“Everyone, calm down, calm down…”
The lead officer, who identified himself as a Captain from the precinct, waved his hands and spoke loudly. “Clustering here will only create unnecessary complications for the investigation. Leave a few witnesses, and the rest of you should disperse.”
After finally clearing the crowd, the officers began interviewing people one by one. The security guards and residents offered conflicting accounts: the residents spoke of the young masters inciting their dog to attack and Wang Zhuo acting bravely; the guards claimed Huang Hongbo was stealing the dog and got bitten, and Wang Zhuo unjustly killed the resident’s dog and assaulted the guards who tried to intervene.
After questioning everyone else, the officers conspicuously ignored Wang Zhuo and Guan Yingying. Finally, Captain Yuanye walked over, appraised Wang Zhuo, and said coldly, “This matter requires further investigation. You need to come with us back to the precinct.”
“The precinct? Which one are you from?” Wang Zhuo asked, feigning ignorance.
“The Huangjiang Precinct. I believe you just heard me say it once already?” Yuanye’s expression grew colder as he adopted the stern demeanor police use with troublemakers.
“Oh—Huangjiang Precinct.” Wang Zhuo nodded with a faint smile, then extended his hand. “Police credentials, please. Let me see if they’re fake.”
Yuanye sucked in a sharp breath, barely managing to restrain himself, and pulled out his police ID card for Wang Zhuo to see. Yuanye was a Captain, so it should have been an Officer ID, but Wang Zhuo deliberately emphasized the word "credentials" (jǐngyuán zhèng instead of jǐngguān zhèng), irritating him greatly.
Just as he was about to retract it, Wang Zhuo swiftly snatched it, tossing it backward. “Sister, take a look and see if this thing is real. Note down the serial number.”
Guan Yingying calmly took it, examined it closely, and handed it back to Wang Zhuo, saying, “It doesn’t look fake.”
Yuanye forcibly tucked his identification away. Seeing that neither Wang Zhuo nor Guan Yingying made any move to call anyone or mention connections, he inwardly sneered, classifying them as ignorant commoners who were pretending to be important. He had no idea Wang Zhuo was deliberately showing weakness, waiting for the moment to strike like thunder.
“If you have no objections, please get in the car,” Yuanye said, glancing coldly at Wang Zhuo before turning back toward his Toyota.
Two officers immediately stepped forward, directing Li Runqian, Qin Zeyu, and the few guards toward the second van. However, Wang Zhuo, Guan Yingying, and Huang Hongbo were directed toward a third van that had been fitted with an iron cage inside—the difference in treatment was stark.
Li Runqian and Qin Zeyu boarded first, immediately taking seats by the window, rolling down the glass, and gloating triumphantly at Wang Zhuo.
As he walked past them, Wang Zhuo grinned mischievously and deliberately provoked them. “These are the police you called? Just a Second Class Sergeant, only a deputy section chief rank. Not so impressive.”
“Idiot,” Qin Zeyu sneered. “Ever heard of a magistrate who ruins his own family, or a governor who annihilates his own clan? Deputy section chief isn't high rank, is it? When we get to the precinct, we’ll teach you how to write the character for ‘big’.”
Li Runqian also crowed smugly, “Son, hurry up and prepare 300,000 to compensate for the dogs. If you don’t have the money, let your sister dance for me, have a drink, and serve me until I’m satisfied, and I’ll give you a 20% discount.”
The officers behind Wang Zhuo ignored this exchange and instead pushed him, saying, “Hurry up and go.”
The moment the words “Hurry up and go” left the officer’s mouth, Wang Zhuo suddenly lunged forward like a striking cat, darted to the front of the van carrying the two young masters, ripped the door open, and sprang inside.
A flurry of kicks, punches, and screams erupted. Those outside the vehicle stared dumbfounded. The two officers rushed forward to offer backup, but Wang Zhuo was already stepping out, composed, less than ten seconds later. Li Runqian’s nose was bent grotesquely sideways, streaming blood, and Qin Zeyu was missing six front teeth, truly earning his reputation as a blood-soaked maw.