The taxi driver glanced back, and when Long Ge shot him a fierce look, he immediately turned his head back around.

"Remember the words you shouldn't have said and the things you shouldn't have done. Buddy, I know your license plate number!" Long Ge snarled at the driver, who nodded repeatedly, constantly agreeing.

The driver had briefly considered calling the police, but hearing that immediately killed the thought. If he crossed these thugs, they were capable of anything. He had a family; he absolutely wouldn't dare risk it. They had his plate number; he wouldn't take that chance. Now, all he could do was secretly pray for the owner of the BMW in front of him.

"Brother Zhou, it's not that I won't handle this, but the situation is a bit special now. The risk I'm taking is huge, and the little money you put up initially seems a bit insufficient!"

Long Ge punched Zhou Yichen's arm, chuckling slyly. Whether the other party had money wasn't his primary concern; it was just that having money meant they weren't scared—at worst, they could lay low for a while. Moreover, the wealthier people were, the more they feared these sorts of threats. The most crucial point was that the target wasn't even local. He was just seizing this opportunity to shake down Zhou Yichen for more; this was a timid patron, and it would be foolish not to extort him.

"Long Ge, what do you mean?" Zhou Yichen's heart leaped, and he blurted out the question. Twenty thousand yuan was already a considerable sum, even at the high end of the market price he had researched.

"Nothing much. This kid has some background. I need to double the original amount!" Long Ge stated directly, then bared his teeth and pulled Zhou Yichen's head closer to his face: "Brother Zhou, if the job is too tough, even I might have to run. This risk isn't small; you can't let your brother bear it alone!"

"But we already agreed..."

"That was before. I asked you who the other party was, but you concealed the truth!" Long Ge slipped his arm around Zhou Yichen's neck, tightening his grip slightly, making Zhou Yichen feel breathless.

A threat. An obvious threat. Zhou Yichen was starting to regret involving himself with these people.

"Fine, fine, I'll add it, I'll add it!" Zhou Yichen nodded hurriedly. Two extra tens of thousands weren't a small amount for him, especially after the last incident, which had greatly disappointed his uncle, resulting in him receiving much less allowance now. Getting that much money from his father at once was impossible. Unfortunately, he couldn't refuse. This Long Ge before him wouldn't easily let things go, and knowing the stories he'd heard about Long Ge, Zhou Yichen was filled only with fear. He truly was a timid person.

"Now that's a good brother. Don't worry, I'll definitely break his arms and legs!" Long Ge patted his shoulder with satisfaction. This haul was good; an extra twenty thousand meant he could live extravagantly for quite some time.

Zhang Yang was driving, with Liu Cheng asleep in the passenger seat, while Mi Xue was temporarily squeezed in the back with the other three girls. None of the four girls were large, so it wasn't overly cramped in the back. With so many girls in the car, there was a distinct, special fragrance.

The first drop-off was Liu Cheng, who also lived near the hospital. Fortunately, Wang Ying remembered where he lived. He rented a single room by himself—many interns at the hospital did the same, as a standard single room was cheap, only a few dozen yuan a month.

After parking, Zhang Yang retrieved the key from him. Led by Wang Ying, they finally located his small dwelling and placed him on the bed.

"Dr. Zhang, thank you so much today. Next time, next time we will definitely treat you!" After settling Liu Cheng, Wang Ying looked somewhat embarrassed and quickly said.

"It's nothing. I'll take you back," Zhang Yang replied. Wang Ying, the three other girls, and Mi Xue had all come along to help drop off Liu Cheng. Now that he was settled, it was time to take them home. Zhang Yang was also contemplating whether he should grab a bite to eat with Mi Xue later; he hadn't eaten enough earlier.

"No need. We live very close, just a few minutes' walk away, and it’s not that late yet!" Wang Ying hastily shook her head. The three girls also rented a place near the hospital together, making it cheaper.

Zhang Yang glanced outside and then nodded: "That works too. Since you're close, I won't drive you all the way, but this little alley is quite dark, so I'll walk you out. My car is just outside anyway!" It was only eight in the evening; except for the section they had just come from where there were no streetlights, most other areas were busy, and with the three girls together, they would be fine. Mainly, since they said it was only a few minutes' walk, Zhang Yang didn't need to insist on driving them.

"Alright then, thank you for the trouble, Dr. Zhang!" This time, Wang Ying didn't refuse. In truth, they also wanted to foster a better relationship with Zhang Yang. He had privileges at the Third Hospital and was well-connected with the Director of the Health Bureau. They hoped that perhaps through his connections, they could secure positions at the Third Hospital later. Wang Ying wasn't the only one with this thought; the other two girls felt the same way.

The five of them walked out together. On the way, Wang Ying exchanged contact information with Mi Xue, planning to stay in touch more often. Wang Ying was a calculating girl who knew the value of cultivating connections through the "madam's route."

Liu Cheng lived in a small hutong, a residential area; only houses like these were truly cheap. When they emerged, there was a narrow lane, the kind of small city street where only two cars could pass side-by-side. There were no streetlights either, making these streets generally less populated at night, though not entirely deserted.

As soon as they stepped out, Zhang Yang's expression drastically changed. He saw many people. To be precise, he saw a large group standing around his car, two of whom were actually sitting on the hood.

Mi Xue's face also changed. They had experienced something similar back in their hometown when a group of thugs had smashed Zhang Yang's car. Zhang Yang was still driving Su Gongzi's car. If this BMW were also damaged, Zhang Yang genuinely didn't know how he would explain it to Su Gongzi. This was Su Gongzi's favorite car; if it weren't for him, Su Gongzi surely wouldn't have lent it out.

Wang Ying and the other two girls had no idea what was happening, but fear showed on their faces. Over a dozen men were surrounding Zhang Yang's vehicle, and a few of them had bare chests covered in tattoos—it was instantly clear they weren't good people.

Zhang Yang quickened his pace. Mi Xue, aware of Zhang Yang's capabilities, followed closely. They weren't afraid of these men, but they were afraid these men might have already damaged the BMW. Su Gongzi had helped Zhang Yang several times and lent him his car; if it were truly wrecked, Zhang Yang would feel terrible and have no adequate explanation.

"Wang Ying, what should we do?" The other two girls, clearly terrified, quietly asked Wang Ying. These men were blocking the front of Zhang Yang's car, likely targeting him. If they turned back now and hid, perhaps they could escape this encounter. However, doing so would completely ruin the relationship they had just established with Zhang Yang, possibly even causing him to look down on them or resent them. People who eat together and then flee at the first sign of trouble are unlikely to be liked by anyone.

"Xiaoli, you go call the police and find help, find our classmate Huazi. Let's go together!" Wang Ying thought for a moment, then gritted her teeth and spoke. The two girls hesitated slightly but ultimately nodded.

Zhang Yang and the others were already walking ahead. Wang Ying and the girls hurried to catch up. The girl named Xiaoli started to veer off to the side as soon as they exited the hutong, but after only a couple of steps, she screamed and ran back. Someone was blocking the road for her. These men knew they were together; they wouldn't allow them to split up easily.

"Hey, kid, not bad. One against four, and you've got such pretty girls too. Can you let a few of us have a turn?" The one sitting on the hood was Long Ge. Zhou Yichen was not present; he was hiding in the darkness in the distance, watching this unfold with excitement. Meanwhile, his heart was bleeding: forty thousand yuan! To get revenge on Zhang Yang, he had spent forty thousand. If his uncle found out, he would surely berate him for squandering money. But now he had no turning back; if he didn't pay this money, he might end up much worse off than Zhang Yang.

Zhang Yang ignored him and carefully inspected the car. Thankfully, these men had only sat on the vehicle and hadn't damaged it. None of them were holding weapons either, which relieved Zhang Yang considerably.

"Who are you people? Get out of the way immediately, or we'll call the police!" Before Zhang Yang could speak, the girl named Wang Ying shouted first. She appeared frightened, but she managed to remain relatively composed at that moment. Her demeanor actually made Zhang Yang look at her twice; it wasn't easy to speak like that in this situation.

"Call the police? Haha, little sister, we brothers aren't afraid of the police. To tell you the truth, my brothers and I just don't like the look of this kid today, and we're here to beat him up!" As soon as Long Ge finished speaking, he jumped off the hood and swung his fist towards Zhang Yang's head. Besides Long Ge, the others also moved, and two of them produced thick wooden clubs, preparing to break Zhang Yang's arms and legs.

They actually had plenty of weapons, but they had left them in the car. Long Ge, seeing that Zhang Yang was driving a BMW, decided he wouldn't go for a killing blow, regardless of where the driver came from; at least he wouldn't cripple Zhang Yang. That's why, after demanding more money, he had told Zhou Yichen he would break the arms and legs—only breaking limbs could heal; it was just a lesson. If he truly maimed the man, it would result in eternal enmity, and since the target was wealthy and not local, if he hired people to retaliate, it wouldn't be worth the trouble. This Long Ge was, in fact, a smart man. However, he didn't realize that this little bit of cleverness was what saved him today.

His fist didn't land squarely on Zhang Yang's face as expected; instead, it was intercepted by a hand that held it with surprising strength. This hand looked small but possessed incredible power. Long Ge felt his arm wasn't his own as it was gripped by Zhang Yang.

"Ow!" Long Ge suddenly cried out in pain. Zhang Yang pulled him back, and the dozen or so thugs rushed forward. Seeing Long Ge subdued, they all charged at Zhang Yang. Zhang Yang twisted his grip, and Long Ge's body flew backward unnaturally. Zhang Yang used Long Ge's body to sweep several charging men off their feet. The impact caused Long Ge to feel as if his internal organs had been shattered, an unbearable sensation. Zhang Yang pulled his hand back, and the body swept the men on the other side away. With just those two maneuvers, half the group was down, leaving only four standing.

Taking advantage of the momentary lull, Zhang Yang carefully re-inspected the BMW. His heart finally settled. These men had only surrounded the car; they hadn't touched it. Su Gongzi's BMW was very lucky; it was completely unharmed.