A flicker of panic crossed Mi Xue's face. Though she was well-liked in the supermarket, she was an employee of the sales department and had little influence over the security division; her words held no weight with these guards.

Zhou Yaozong was the authority here; the guards dared not disobey him.

Zhang Yang's brow furrowed. Just as the guard made to surreptitiously slip an item into Zhang Yang's pocket, Zhang Yang's hand shot out and clamped down on him, exposing the small box in the guard's palm.

"Ow!"

The guard cried out in pain, and the small box dropped to the floor.

The other guard froze. Their framing attempts usually succeeded; they couldn't fathom why this one had been discovered prematurely.

"What is this?"

Zhang Yang's brow remained tightly knit, his grip never loosening on the guard's arm as he asked softly.

In both his lifetimes, he had never personally experienced such a setup, but lack of experience didn't mean he was ignorant of their intent; merely looking at the small box and its label revealed their objective.

Both guards panicked. They had intended to frame someone, yet they were caught red-handed, instantly transformed into the wrongdoers.

Zhou Yaozong also stiffened for a moment, but his reaction was swift enough; he immediately strode toward Zhang Yang.

"Is this something you stole from our supermarket? Xiao Wang, didn't you just search it out from him?"

His words stunned everyone nearby.

The guard Zhang Yang held finally snapped back to reality and frantically nodded, "Yes, yes, Chief, he stole things, and he hit people too! Ow!"

Before he could finish, the guard shrieked again as Zhang Yang’s grip tightened unnaturally.

He had seen shamelessness before, but never to this degree. They tried to frame him, were caught, and now dared to spew blatant lies with wide eyes. If only the guard room had surveillance cameras, he’d show them what true trouble was.

"Shameless! Truly shameless!"

Even Huang San stared blankly, murmuring under his breath. Though he possessed a certain roguish streak, compared to these men, he felt like a pure-hearted child.

"How dare you strike our men! All of you, go! Grab him!"

Zhou Yaozong bellowed again. The six or seven other security guards nearby immediately rushed toward Zhang Yang at his command.

"Zhou Yaozong, are you even human!"

Mi Xue shouted in fury. After working in the supermarket for so long, she had never realized Zhou Yaozong was capable of sinking to such depths of depravity.

Zhang Yang suddenly released the hand of the guard he held. With a subtle discharge of internal force, the guard shot backward and landed squarely on his bottom, clutching his arm and wailing.

Not only had the man attempted to frame him, but he had also tried to turn the tables upon failure. Even Zhang Yang, with his generally placid temperament, couldn't tolerate it; the internal energy delivered a significant lesson. Though the arm wasn't broken, the guard wouldn't be able to exert any force with it for the next three months, unable to even lift an object.

Zhang Yang threw the guard aside and instantly stretched out both hands, seizing the two approaching guards who were already reaching out with menacing gestures.

Zhang Yang's slight frame seemed to erupt with immense power in that moment.

He slammed his two hands inward, causing the two men to collide unnaturally. With a muffled thump, both men slumped limply to the ground.

In the initial exchange, they had already lost three men, leaving the rest momentarily stunned.

Mi Xue glared at Zhou Yaozong, truly angry now. This Zhou Yaozong was even more despicable than Zhou Yichen. However, she felt no concern for Zhang Yang; these security guards were utterly incapable of harming him. She had absolute faith in Zhang Yang’s strength.

"Get the stun batons, hurry, the batons!"

One guard shouted, but before he could finish, he too collapsed. Zhang Yang simply stepped over and knocked him out. Zhang Yang then picked up the stun baton the man had mentioned and stood facing the remaining guards. Now, not a single one dared to move rashly.

"Captain, this guy is tough. You, you should handle it personally!"

A guard trembling near Zhou Yaozong stammered. Including Zhou Yaozong, they numbered only eight; four were down—exactly half.

Zhou Yaozong stared blankly at Zhang Yang.

He had not expected this seemingly frail young man to be so formidable. He knew the capabilities of his four subordinates well; even he couldn't have defeated them so swiftly. This realization made him hesitate. He wanted to teach someone a lesson, but not if it meant he would be the one getting taught.

"Call the police, call the police quickly! Someone is stealing and assaulting people. Report it as robbery!"

Zhou Yaozong wasn't stupid. He had no confidence now. If he were knocked down too, his image would be utterly ruined. This scoundrel had failed at framing and was now escalating the charge to robbery.

"What's going on here!"

Suddenly, several men walked in from outside the security office. They were all heavily tattooed and looked fiercely menacing.

Huang San, who had been watching the unfolding drama with mounting fear, quickly stood up and walked toward the newcomers.

"Brother Long, you're here!"

The reinforcements Huang San had called had arrived. His standing and untouchability at school were entirely dependent on this Brother Long.

Zhou Yaozong hastily turned around, a hint of surprise crossing his face as he saw who had entered. It was indeed their fiercest enforcer, Brother Long, a genuine underworld figure. He hurried over, secretly relieved that he hadn't acted rashly against Huang San earlier.

Zhang Yang also noticed the new arrivals; a touch of surprise lingered on his face. It wasn't just him; Mi Xue shared the same expression, a slight smile playing on both their lips.

The world truly was small. This Brother Long was the same man who had previously blocked Zhang Yang at the hospital after Zhou Yichen paid him to cause trouble. That time, Brother Long had suffered a bitter lesson and had never dared cross Zhang Yang since. In fact, he had thoroughly dealt with Zhou Yichen, who still owed him a substantial amount of money.

Brother Long happened to be near the supermarket when Huang San called and, knowing where the security office was, brought his men over.

"Captain Zhou, you aren't bullying our brother, are you?"

Brother Long scanned the room casually, frowning immediately. He hadn't spotted Zhang Yang yet, but the thugs behind him noticed Zhang Yang instantly and froze. That night, Zhang Yang’s face was indelibly burned into their memories.

Zhou Yaozong immediately laughed dismissively, "How could that be? We're all on the same side. Someone was fighting with this brother, and I heard it was one of Brother Long's men, so I was helping him get revenge!"

This man's ability to twist the truth was astonishing. Huang San was stunned again; he had never seen such a shameless person in his life. If he hadn't claimed to know Brother Long, he might well be the one being framed and beaten right now, as he certainly didn't possess Zhang Yang's fighting skills.

Huang San remained silent, which Brother Long interpreted as confirmation. Brother Long nodded approvingly, smiling, "Captain Zhou is very thoughtful. I owe you one. I want to see who has the audacity to strike my men!" With that, he walked forward.

His words secretly delighted Zhou Yaozong. He knew how ruthless Brother Long was and hoped that using Brother Long to deal with Mi Xue’s boyfriend would be the perfect outcome—maintaining his authority while eliminating the problem—a win-win.

"Bro-Brother Long!"

The thugs behind him finally reacted and rushed to pull him back.

Unfortunately, their movements were too late. Brother Long had already stepped out and seen Zhang Yang and Mi Xue. He hadn't noticed Zhang Yang earlier because he was partially obscured, and his immediate concern was Huang San, his newly cultivated subordinate whom he valued highly. This wasn't due to Huang San's wealth, but his loyalty, which fit Brother Long's sensibilities. Not all thugs operate solely for money; they show favor to those who align with them.

Now, stepping forward, Brother Long fixed his gaze directly on Zhang Yang. With a single glance, he recognized him.

In that instant, he felt a crushing blow, as if struck by lightning. In this territory of Changjing, these street thugs feared the police less than this demon. Zhang Yang’s fearsome reputation was legendary among them. Moreover, Brother Long had personally experienced his power.

Seeing Zhang Yang, Brother Long felt an urge to turn and flee, the memory of the last encounter vivid, making his legs involuntarily feel weak. Yet, he knew Zhang Yang's prowess; even if he ran now, he wouldn't get far, so it was better not to move.

Brother Long stood there, staring foolishly at Zhang Yang without speaking. Huang San, who had regained his composure, looked at him strangely.

Huang San realized he was being used by Zhou Yaozong but said nothing. He had indeed clashed with Zhang Yang, and in his view, Zhang Yang squeezing his hand counted as an assault. Furthermore, he wanted Brother Long to teach Zhang Yang a lesson and win back Mi Xue.

"I haven't eaten anything with such audacity. Those are things prohibited by the state!"

Zhang Yang smiled faintly and said softly, thinking inwardly that while he hadn't eaten bear gall, he had certainly tasted bear paw.

"Brother Long, this kid dares to joke in front of you! He clearly doesn't respect you at all!"

Brother Long was still frozen, so Zhou Yaozong stepped up and whispered in his ear, adding fuel to the fire. He assumed Zhang Yang was acting arrogant due to his skill, deliberately slighting Brother Long. This was ideal for him: provoking conflict between the two so Brother Long would decisively deal with Zhang Yang, allowing Zhou Yaozong to reap the benefits.

Brother Long suddenly snapped back to awareness, then turned to fix his gaze on Zhou Yaozong. Having been deceived by Zhou Yichen once already, hearing Zhou Yaozong now stirring the pot, he instantly perceived Zhou Yaozong’s words as an attempt to harm him.

"Bastard!"

Brother Long suddenly kicked out, slamming his foot into the security captain's stomach. Captain Zhou might have transferred from the armed police, but his reaction speed wasn't nearly as fast as Zhang Yang's. Caught completely off guard, he was sent sprawling to the ground by Brother Long’s kick.

Brother Long's sudden attack and the swift takedown of Zhou Yaozong stunned everyone present.

The thugs following Brother Long reacted the fastest. Several of them swarmed Zhou Yaozong, and while he was still dazed on the floor, they rained down punches and kicks, quickly leaving Captain Zhou completely disoriented.