He had spotted Long Cheng from a distance and hadn't expected to find him here. After that brief pause, he strode forward purposefully, heading directly toward Long Cheng.

He was wary of Long Cheng, but not afraid; if he were truly afraid, they wouldn't have been rivals sparring for years.

Watching Shi Feng approach, Old Man Wang’s face instantly soured into a grimace. He was acutely aware of the tension between Shi Feng and Long Cheng. Yesterday, after they had both delivered their cars, he had rushed to help Long Cheng with the modifications, hoping to finish and send it off before the two crossed paths here.

Alas, what he feared most had happened: the two ran into each other before his work on Shi Feng's car was complete.

“Old Five, why hasn’t my car been touched?”

Shi Feng arrived quickly. He glanced over the few vehicles already present, his brow furrowing almost immediately.

Both Long Cheng and Shi Feng insisted that Old Man Wang personally handle their modifications; tuning cars was a highly specialized skill, something ordinary mechanics couldn't manage.

“Young Master Shi, please don’t rush. I will finish modifying your car shortly!”

Old Man Wang hurried forward with a smile, pulling out his pack of Zhonghua cigarettes and busily offering them around.

Shi Feng ignored the offering. He looked at Long Cheng first before stating firmly, “No, I need my car urgently. Modify it for me right now!”

Shi Feng’s tone was sharp, making the look of distress on Old Man Wang’s face deepen. He even glanced back at Long Cheng.

Old Man Wang knew how to tune cars, but he only dared to work on cars belonging to Long Cheng and a few others; he was inherently an honest man. He couldn't afford to offend either Long Cheng or Shi Feng. The moment he saw Shi Feng arrive, he sensed trouble, and indeed, the trouble had arrived.

Long Cheng was not one to be so easily placated, and facing Shi Feng this time, Long Cheng surely wouldn't concede. The last time they were both here, their entourages nearly came to blows, which had worried Old Man Wang for days.

He expected another showdown today, fearing he would once again be stuck uncomfortably between them.

Sure enough, as soon as Shi Feng finished speaking, Long Cheng cut in, “Old Five, stop dawdling and get to work! I’m waiting!”

Old Man Wang grimaced, “Right away, right away. Young Master Shi, you see?”

“I don’t see anything. Modify my car immediately!”

Shi Feng shot Long Cheng a vicious glare. Long Cheng’s presence here already annoyed him, and now Long Cheng was openly opposing him, which made things even worse.

“Shi Feng, can’t you have some decorum? Stop making things difficult for Old Man Wang here. If you want him to work on your car, fine, but you have to get past me first!” Long Cheng said lightly. Old Man Wang looked at him gratefully.

In truth, Shi Feng’s car had arrived earlier than Long Cheng’s. Old Man Wang prioritized Long Cheng’s work simply because he found Long Cheng easier to deal with—he carried no airs whatsoever. Unlike Shi Feng, who always barked orders whenever he came, never treating him as an equal. In Shi Feng’s mind, he was likely just a mechanic whom Shi Feng would barely acknowledge if not for his exceptional tuning skills.

“Long Cheng, don't get too smug. Who was it that flipped three times last time, nearly losing their life?”

Shi Feng glared furiously at Long Cheng, delivering the line, which instantly darkened Long Cheng’s complexion.

Having said that, Shi Feng seemed somewhat pleased with himself. He turned to the men beside him and said, “You guys don’t know, Young Master Long’s car-flipping technique is incredible. Three full rotations—over seven hundred and twenty degrees! Anyone else would have been finished, but Young Master Long walked away without a scratch!”

“That’s amazing! We must ask Young Master Long for pointers sometime!”

“Such a difficult move—we could never learn it. Only Young Master Long can achieve that!”

Two of Shi Feng’s companions immediately chimed in, and Shi Feng burst into loud laughter.

Long Cheng’s face had turned incredibly dark by now, his fists clenched tightly.

They were referring to an incident from a few years prior, during an underground race in Shanghai, where many people were present, and both Long Cheng and Shi Feng were participants. During that race, Long Cheng made an accidental error, causing his car to flip and roll three times. The vehicle was totaled. He had also been injured and required a long recovery. That accident had become a sensitive subject for Long Cheng, and Shi Feng bringing it up now was clearly meant to provoke him.

“Shi Feng, before you talk about Brother Cheng, maybe you should remember yourself—who was it that ended up stuck in a stinking ditch and wet himself from fright!” Huang Hai suddenly interjected.

Shi Feng’s sneering abruptly ceased, and he glared at Huang Hai with even greater fury.

Huang Hai had just brought up one of Shi Feng’s most embarrassing moments. That incident wasn't related to racing; it happened during a casual outing in Jinling. Shi Feng had drunk too much, and with a beautiful woman in tow, he tried to show off his driving skills by speeding into the suburbs. He drank so much that he accidentally drove his car into a ditch full of sewage by the roadside. Although physically unharmed, he was so terrified that he actually wet his pants. Many people witnessed it. After he was pulled out, he ordered everyone not to spread the word, but someone inevitably leaked the story. It became the most humiliating event of his life, his own untouchable taboo. Huang Hai bringing it up now was a direct slap in the face.

However, the two parties were already at odds, and Huang Hai had been publicly humiliated by Shi Feng just a few days prior, making this the perfect opportunity to retaliate.

Shi Feng glared viciously at Huang Hai, who met his gaze without yielding an inch. Shi Feng held significant sway in Jinling, but his influence didn't extend that far, certainly not to Changjing. Furthermore, Huang Hai had the backing of Long Cheng and others in Changjing. If Shi Feng tried any strong-arm tactics, Huang Hai wouldn't be intimidated there. After all, Huang Hai was the CEO of a company worth hundreds of millions, possessing his own network of connections.

Shi Feng continued to stare daggers at Huang Hai, and his companions quickly closed ranks around him.

The atmosphere instantly tightened. Old Man Wang had already retreated to the side, resuming work on his car, occasionally glancing over with worry. He could only pray that the two factions would exercise restraint; if a fight broke out, regardless of who won, his workshop would be the first casualty.

Huang Hai stood his ground, staring back at the group, while Long Cheng had already positioned himself in front of Huang Hai, his fingers snapping audibly. The last time they were in a public setting, the lobby of a hotel, Long Cheng had restrained Huang Hai, promising to seek revenge later to avoid making a scene. This was a repair shop, not a public square. If Shi Feng dared to initiate physical violence, Long Cheng wouldn't hesitate to teach him a lesson. He wasn't intimidated by these six or seven swaggering, but ultimately weak, young dandies.

Long Cheng’s stance gave Shi Feng pause. They all knew Long Cheng’s combat skills; he could take on three to five retired soldiers single-handedly. While they had numbers, their actual fighting capability was low; they would be the ones suffering losses in a real brawl. Long Cheng’s fighting prowess was one of the main reasons for Shi Feng’s apprehension. Because of the losses he incurred in past confrontations, Shi Feng had learned to be more cautious.

“Squeak-squeak-squeak!”

At the moment of peak tension, Lightning, who had been playing nearby, suddenly returned, leaping directly onto Zhang Yang’s shoulder.

Lightning’s sudden appearance captured everyone’s attention. Seeing such a cute pet ferret, Shi Feng momentarily froze.

“Ah, a rat!”

One of Shi Feng’s men suddenly shrieked. This young master was notoriously terrified of rats, and he scrambled backward the moment he shouted.

The creature he called a rat, Wuying, stopped moving and chirped at him, seemingly protesting. Its sharp cries drew everyone’s focus.

“Wuying, come back!” Zhang Yang called out. Wuying glanced back at the fleeing man, turned, and slowly began crawling toward Zhang Yang.

This mouse was also a pet, which surprised the group somewhat.

Wuying had only taken a few steps when Shi Feng suddenly advanced, raising his foot to stomp down on it. He dared not attack Long Cheng, but he felt no restraint against the small rodent. His anger was running high, and he needed an outlet. He didn't know Zhang Yang, but anyone associated with Long Cheng was an enemy. Deliberately crushing the little pet mouse would be a way to disgust and enrage them. He had to admit, though, the little white mouse was quite cute—a pity it had chosen the wrong master.

Zhang Yang’s face changed drastically. He was too far away; there was no time to intervene.

“Thump!”

Shi Feng’s foot hit the ground heavily, but he immediately frowned. His stomp had landed on nothing. The small mouse that had been directly in front of him was now beside Zhang Yang, chirping insistently, as if reporting that someone had bullied it.

“Squeak-squeak-squeak!”

Lightning suddenly jumped down from Zhang Yang’s shoulder and flew straight onto Shi Feng, raking its claws across his face. After the scratch, it darted back rapidly. Its action startled Zhang Yang; although Shi Feng was detestable, he didn't deserve death. If Lightning had bitten him, it could have killed him instantly. Fortunately, Lightning strictly remembered Zhang Yang’s instructions and refrained from biting, using only its claws.

Lightning’s venom glands were in its mouth; its claws held no poison. Even without poison, they were sharp enough. Several crimson marks appeared on Shi Feng’s face, blood flowing freely.

In the last couple of days, Lightning and Wuying had forged a strong bond. Lightning was no longer lonely; Wuying kept it company all day. To Lightning, Wuying was its best companion, and seeing its best friend nearly crushed, it naturally sought revenge. If not for Zhang Yang’s repeated warnings, it truly would have bitten the man to let him experience the potency of its venom.

“Grab it! Get that thing! Beat it to death!”

Shi Feng clutched his face, wailing in pain. Lightning’s swipe hadn't been light; his face burned fiercely, and his eyes were almost swollen shut. The pain wasn't the main issue; the crucial point was that the scratch had marred his appearance. Who knew if scars would remain? Everyone, male or female, cared deeply about their looks. Shi Feng was now consumed by rage; he no longer cared that the ferret belonged to someone on Long Cheng’s side. All he wanted now was to kill the pet ferret.

Of the remaining six men, one immediately grabbed a wrench from the ground and hurled it toward Zhang Yang.

After avenging Wuying, Lightning leaped back onto Zhang Yang’s shoulder and chattered at Wuying, as if informing it that its revenge had been exacted... [Yesterday’s seventh update. I had intended to post a brief note yesterday, but I was barely conscious then! However, friends, please rest assured that what Xiao Yu promised, I will deliver; the ten updates will be completed. My apologies again to everyone... RQ]