The injuries on Li Ya’s body hadn't fully healed, and moving around had aggravated the pain, making him grimace with every wince.

Zhang Yang couldn’t help but shake his head at the impulsiveness of these two, but that boss truly deserved a lesson; teaching him a harsh one felt like settling scores for Nannan and Xiaodai.

With the boss finally subdued, dealing with the remaining employees became much simpler.

Zhang Yang took Nannan and Xiaodai directly to the hospital, while Huang Ze remained at the police station to re-question the restaurant staff and security guards. This time, everyone spoke the truth.

Many of them had witnessed the pathetic state of their boss, and nobody wanted to suffer a similar fate.

The testimonies this time were incredibly smooth. Each person recounted exactly what they had seen. When the first batch of security guards entered, Manager Liang was indeed pinning Nannan down at the dining table, while Xiaodai struggled desperately, being restrained by three other men.

With such direct evidence of action, it was at least provable that the scoundrel’s intentions were far from pure.

Lawyer Hu would handle the rest, and the police station would forward the details to the Municipal Bureau, ultimately adding to the charges. This time, Zhang Yang was determined to nail him for attempted [Note: The specific crime name in Chinese was omitted as per instructions to retain proper nouns/terms, but the context implies a severe crime like assault or worse], and given the current situation, it was highly unlikely they could escape this charge.

By the time they left the hospital, it was past eight in the evening. After such a long ordeal, everyone was hungry.

Including Zhang Yang’s car, a convoy of five luxury vehicles headed toward Wuxia Road. By this hour, most proper restaurants were closing, leaving only the bustling night markets with places to eat.

Changjing’s most famous night market was located right on Wuxia Road.

As these five cars cruised down the street, they drew considerable attention from passersby.

Lawyer Hu did not accompany them; he had other matters to attend to. However, counting Hu Xin, Gu Cheng, and Xiaodai, the group was substantial enough. They secured a large table at the night market, packing it full.

The food at the night market naturally couldn't compare to that of a high-end restaurant, but it possessed an atmosphere those grand establishments lacked.

The patrons seated here were mostly young people. Even strangers, after a few rounds of drinks, let down their guards and loosened up.

At the table, no one mentioned the unpleasantness of earlier. Xiaodai’s bruising had subsided significantly since leaving the hospital, and she managed to smile while eating.

Dining among these ‘ordinary people,’ Long Feng felt a slight unease.

However, what overwhelmed his feeling was curiosity. He genuinely couldn't fathom why a ‘master’ like Zhang Yang, and such a young ‘master’ at that, would mingle so freely with these ‘common folk.’ In the education he received growing up, masters of inner strength like themselves were supposed to be inherently superior to others.

If Long Feng felt uneasy, Long Cheng felt even more so.

After sitting for a while, Long Feng excused himself, finally giving Long Cheng an opening to inquire about the whole situation with Zhang Yang.

Upon learning that Long Feng was set to become Zhang Yang’s bodyguard for three years, Long Cheng’s jaw dropped in disbelief. Simultaneously, his admiration for Zhang Yang soared. This was a senior master from their Long family’s inner circle. A person afforded the protection of a bodyguard of this caliber was exceedingly rare in the country—one could count them on a single hand.

Long Feng didn't return after leaving, which allowed Long Cheng to finally relax. The group proceeded to put away an entire keg of draft beer.

If you're at a night market, you drink beer—specifically, those large glasses of draft beer; it’s the most satisfying and invigorating kind.

Xiaodai and Nannan didn't return to their dormitory at the restaurant. Instead, they went together to Zhang Yang and Mi Xue’s place.

Zhang Yang, meanwhile, made do for the night at Long Feng’s newly rented apartment. He was helplessly sidelined because the three young women needed time for whispered secrets.

Still, Zhang Yang understood that Mi Xue needed to comfort them properly. Anyone experiencing such an incident would suffer a blow; the physical pain was nothing compared to the psychological trauma. This was not a task Zhang Yang could handle, nor Hu Xin or Gu Cheng. If they tried to speak, the results could easily backfire. Mi Xue was the most suitable person for this.

They were originally //Fastest text update from Shumi Lou

District Government Office. Deputy Mayor Liang arrived at work early, as was his habit.

After only a few steps inside the building, his brow furrowed; he sensed that something was wrong.

The people who usually greeted him enthusiastically upon seeing him were acting as if they hadn't noticed him at all today. Even when they bumped into him directly, they offered at most a curt nod before hurrying away. This was not their usual behavior; they were normally effusive in their greetings.

Even a few people he considered close associates quickly left upon seeing him, as if he were carrying the plague. This planted an uneasy premonition in his heart.

His premonition was correct. Information travels fast within government circles, and everyone knew about the events of the previous night by today.

Many people even knew secrets that hadn't reached the wider public.

Deputy Mayor Liang had clearly stepped on a landmine this time. Someone had already alerted higher-ups to investigate him. If his record wasn't clean, he stood to lose everything this time, possibly even facing a few years in prison.

Even if his record was spotless, he’d likely be shuffled out of his position. The person who made the initial inquiry had powerful backing, and it wasn't just one person.

Back in his office, Deputy Mayor Liang irritably undid the top buttons of his shirt. The air conditioning was set quite low.

As the Deputy Mayor in charge of culture, sports, and health, his morning routine invariably involved being immediately swamped with visitors and petitioners.

Today was bizarrely quiet. It had been half an hour, and not a single person had come by. Only two companies had requested appointments, both of which he had put off.

These abnormal behaviors made it clear to him that something significant, something major, had occurred.

“Sir, I’m back!”

The office door was suddenly pushed open, and his secretary, Little Li, stepped inside, his face showing a trace of panic.

Normally, Little Li bursting in so rudely would displease the Deputy Mayor, perhaps even warranting a reprimand. But today, he didn't have the inclination. As Little Li entered, the Deputy Mayor rushed from behind his desk to meet him.

“Well?”

Deputy Mayor Liang had tasked Secretary Little Li with digging up some information, primarily about the owners of those few cars from yesterday. Although the group had left, he had managed to record the license plates of their vehicles. The plates had all been officially registered just yesterday through Yang Ling.

With the license plates, tracing the individuals became slightly easier.

“I’ve found everything, Sir. The owner of the Range Rover is Long Cheng, Vice General Manager of Fuda Group. The owner of the Ferrari is Li Ya—apparently known as some kind of financial prodigy. The BMW belongs to Su Zhantao!”

Little Li spoke quickly, a worried expression lingering on his face.

Hearing the name Fuda Group, Deputy Mayor Liang’s face twitched involuntarily. Recalling the name Long Cheng, he immediately understood who this person was.

Fuda Group was one of the assets belonging to the Long family, headquartered in Changjing—an enterprise heavily monitored by the provincial government.

The crucial part was the 'Long' affiliation. Deputy Mayor Liang didn't have deep knowledge of the Long family, but he had heard of them and knew they were figures he absolutely could not afford to offend.

As for the 'financial prodigy' and Su Zhantao’s name, he brushed them aside for the moment.

Just Long Cheng alone was trouble enough. He could only hope these people were only here socializing with a friend and wouldn't target him because of this.

Unfortunately, he had no idea the trouble his reckless driver had stirred up, pulling the entire Long family into the fray.

Secretary Little Li hesitated slightly before continuing, “After checking their information, Sir, I had someone look up their household registration data. I couldn’t find Long Cheng’s, but I found the others. Su Zhantao—he is the biological nephew of Su Shaohua!”

“What!”

Deputy Mayor Liang could no longer remain seated; he shot up instantly, blurting out the question.

Who was Su Shaohua? Everyone in Changjing knew him—not just because he was wealthy, a nationally renowned entrepreneur, but because he had an incredibly influential younger brother.

The current head governing Jiangdong was that very younger brother.

Su Zhantao being his nephew meant Su Zhantao’s status was crystal clear.

“Are you sure?”

Deputy Mayor Liang couldn't help but ask again, his heart beginning to pound erratically.

This news from the secretary was even more shocking than the information about Long Cheng. This was a genuine scion, one he absolutely could not offend.

“His household registration is listed with Su Shaohua’s. I double-checked; the Su Shaohua on the registry is that one!”

Secretary Little Li kept his head down as he spoke slowly. When he first obtained this information, he too had been startled.

He knew how vital this news was to his boss, so he rushed back immediately.

He hadn't made a mistake this time. Su Zhantao had lived with Su Shaohua for quite some time, and his registration had remained there, never having been formally moved. It was simply fortunate that the secretary managed to find it now. Had his household registration been moved back to his own family’s address, Little Li probably wouldn't have found it.

“Notify the car pool; I need a vehicle. Head to the Municipal Government immediately!”

Deputy Mayor Liang couldn’t sit still any longer. Regardless of whether the group intended to move against him, he couldn’t simply wait for disaster. He had to save himself.

Secretary Little Li departed. After he left, Deputy Mayor Liang smashed two vases in his office.

He continued to curse his incompetent younger brother internally, whom he had advised countless times without being heeded. This time, his brother hadn't only landed himself in trouble but had also implicated him.

Setting aside the likes of Long Cheng and Su Zhantao—young masters though they were—anyone who could be friends with them couldn’t be simple. It was highly probable that Zhang Yang also possessed some formidable background.

Thinking this over only increased his agitation.

While Deputy Mayor Liang scrambled to save himself, Long Feng was inside a room, watching Lightning eat breakfast with intense curiosity.

Lightning’s method of eating breakfast was rather gruesome. It only consumed live venomous snakes, starting its meal from the head, devouring them piece by piece until the entire snake was swallowed.

Normally, every time Lightning ate, Mi Xue would keep her distance. Even people like Hu Xin would likely be terrified just watching it. Very few, like Long Feng, watched with pure curiosity.

But Long Feng was indeed curious now. No matter how bloody Lightning looked while eating, he wasn't surprised; this was a Spirit Beast, and Spirit Beasts were supposed to be vastly different.

Yesterday was a friend’s birthday, and I intended to update later in the evening, but I ended up being carried home, for which I sincerely apologize to everyone.

I owe you yesterday’s updates, and I will make up for them today. From now on, there will be a fixed schedule of two updates daily: one chapter at six in the evening, and one chapter at ten at night, with a maximum deviation of half an hour. Xiao Yu will strive to maintain these fixed update times for these two chapters; as for extra chapters, their timing cannot be guaranteed.