Wu Youdao, Wang Guohai, and the others rushed down from upstairs. The security guards did not yield the way for them; in the end, only Gao Fei and Yin Yong managed to squeeze through and stand before Zhang Yang.

"Brother Feng, my patience has its limits. This is your final chance!" The arrogant young man completely disregarded how many people were on the other side.

Seeing that Mi Xue had not replied, he spoke again, impatience lingering on his face. "Exactly!

Do you even know who Brother Feng is? With a single word, he can cause this entire establishment to shut down!" A young man beside him chimed in, supporting his claim, and this Brother Feng held his head even higher.

He was confident that the woman before him would make the correct choice. In the territory of Changjing, there weren't many things he couldn't accomplish; he certainly possessed that level of self-assurance.

"What right does he have to shut us down?" Xiao Dai shrieked in anger, her eyes still somewhat bloodshot. The scene before her was somewhat reminiscent of the last time, stirring up unpleasant memories.

She most detested people who relied on their weapons to bully the weak, especially women. "Right?

I am the right, Brother Feng! Let me tell you, just the people we have here—each of us saying one word—and tomorrow the Tax Bureau, the Police Department, the Administration for Industry and Commerce, and the Health Bureau will be here daily to inspect you.

You can dream of continuing your business!" The man said something more, his impatience intensifying as he spoke. It seemed his tolerance had reached its absolute limit.

Tax Bureau, Police Department, AIC, Health Bureau—this man spoke with quite the tone. However, if he could truly mobilize these departments, keeping their restaurant open would indeed be difficult.

If they constantly found minor faults, forcing the place to close for rectification, even the busiest restaurant couldn't survive. After the man finished speaking and still saw no reaction from Mi Xue, a sudden look of fury crossed his face.

He had been talking for a long time; it seemed the other party was determined to deny him face. Thinking this, he actually reached out, intending to forcibly drag Mi Xue over.

There were restaurant security guards present, and even police officers from the local station. He paid no mind to the number of people around, extending his grasping hand towards Mi Xue as if no one else existed.

In his view, these security guards were not worth worrying about; a little intimidation would suffice. As for the police, with Li Ze around, they might even become their allies.

Li Ze was the son of the Deputy Director of the Police Bureau. His patience had worn down to the bare minimum.

A distinguished guest was due to arrive shortly, and he needed to resolve this matter completely before the guest arrived. Actually, the reason they insisted on dining here today was at the arrangement of that distinguished guest.

Mi Xue's restaurant was high-class, certainly, but Changjing had many establishments of higher standing. They had traveled a considerable distance; without a special reason, they wouldn't have come.

Arriving here and seeing Mi Xue, he finally realized: that esteemed customer must have taken a liking to the female boss here, which is why they were brought such a long way to give this boss face. Coming to that realization, he took it upon himself to invite Mi Xue to join them for drinks.

To his surprise, she offered him no face at all, refusing outright without even a polite evasion, leaving him deeply embarrassed. These were people accustomed to bullying others; their tempers instantly flared.

Now, he was acting not just for the sake of that distinguished guest, but also for his own honor. Regardless of the cost, he had to pull Mi Xue inside.

"Slap!" The moment his hand shot out, before it could even touch Mi Xue, his entire body spun around. A crisp sound caused the clamor in the hall to instantly fall silent.

Many people turned to look at Zhang Yang, whose hand had already dropped back to his side. The man called Brother Feng spun twice on the spot, then collapsed into the arms of the man behind him, immediately spitting out a mouthful of blood—a spray mixed with two large teeth, one white and one red.

The one who had struck was Zhang Yang. With that single slap, he had knocked out both of Brother Feng's front teeth.

Who was Mi Xue? She was his girlfriend, his future wife.

This man not only spoke lewdly but even dared to reach out. Zhang Yang had been in a good mood, but this disturbance instantly ruined it.

With his mood soured, he naturally could not offer the other party any pleasantries, so his strike was heavier. "This is bad!" Director Huang's head suddenly dropped slightly.

He had sensed something was amiss the moment Zhang Yang appeared. Who was Zhang Yang?

He was also a young master. Although he didn't know Zhang Yang's true identity, anyone who dared to disrespect a Deputy District Chief and had so many powerful young friends couldn't possibly have shallow influence.

Zhang Yang was formidable, but the man he struck was not insignificant either. Besides Li Ze being the son of a bureau leader, this Brother Feng who was hit seemed to have significant connections within the tax system.

Presumably, his family members were high-ranking officials, otherwise, he wouldn't dare threaten daily tax audits with a single sentence. If the tax bureau showed up daily to audit the books, this restaurant truly couldn't stay open.

Now, this was a confrontation between two tigers, a clash of titans. Director Huang began to regret bringing his team here.

If things went wrong, he could easily become collateral damage, especially since he was merely a low-ranking deputy director with no connections or background. However, he was rational enough to know that he shared some history with Zhang Yang.

At this moment, he said nothing. He wouldn't help, but he certainly wouldn't cause trouble.

As for Zhang Yang assaulting someone, he pretended not to see it. "You dare hit me?" After a full two minutes, the man called Brother Feng finally spoke, his voice trembling and his words slurred, his face etched with immense humiliation and rage.

Not only him, but the dozen or so men behind him stared blankly at Zhang Yang. None of them had expected the other side to dare initiate violence.

"Brother Feng was hit! Grab your weapons!" Another person snapped to awareness.

The dozen or so men seemed to instantly know what they needed to do, turning and looking around wildly. Grabbing weapons didn't mean they carried them on their persons; these men weren't gangsters with steel pipes or machetes.

They looked for anything useful nearby. Two individuals swiftly dashed to one side of the hall where there was a decorative water feature filled with various sizes of smooth river stones.

Each man grabbed a stone about the size of a brick and rushed back amidst the screams of a nearby waitress. Several others headed straight for the bar counter.

The bar held many bottles of liquor, which they began snatching up, eliciting another wave of screams. Their actions briefly stunned Director Huang; he hadn't even given the order to restrain them when people on Zhang Yang's side began moving.

"Brothers, quickly! Grab something!" The call came from Gao Fei.

Since the opposing group intended to fight Zhang Yang, they naturally couldn't stand by. His shout galvanized everyone except Wang Guohai, Zhu Zhixiang, and Wu Youdao; the rest charged forward.

Seeing anything they could use as a weapon, they scrambled to grab it. "What are you all still standing around for?" Xiao Dai scolded again.

The security guards who had been standing still suddenly awoke as if from a dream. One guard shouted and ran forward, brandishing his baton.

The scene instantly descended into utter chaos. Not everyone went for weapons.

Brother Feng and the few men behind him rushed directly at Zhang Yang, intending to teach him a lesson with their fists. These few men were quick, and the distance was short; they reached Zhang Yang before anyone else could react.

Reaching him did not guarantee victory. Their fate at Zhang Yang's hands was predictable.

Before Gao Fei could finish shouting and the guards could arrive brandishing their batons, Zhang Yang had already seized two of them, one in each hand, and tossed them aside. Without these immediate targets, everyone else turned their attention to the rest.

The restaurant hall immediately became the stage for a full-blown brawl. There were about ten security guards, and Gao Fei's group also numbered around ten.

Several of the opponents had already been dealt with by Zhang Yang, and with Zhang Yang moving in to assist a few more times, the mêlée, which had just begun, ended before it truly erupted. The dozen or so men, including Brother Feng, were piled up together, groaning in pain.

"Bastards, are you blind? Didn't you see them attacking?

Ouch, it hurts so much! I'm going to have my father fire all of you, dismiss you!" A young man, perhaps only twenty-one or twenty-two, was yelling, a swollen red patch on his face.

Director Huang was stunned again, his mouth agape, standing there awkwardly. This young man was shouting at him, and his words were certainly not idle threats; that young man's father truly possessed such authority.

Even if he didn't fire them, transferring them to remote mountain villages would be unbearable for them. The City Bureau Chief could easily deal with a small precinct like theirs.

The dozen or so men, after being thoroughly beaten, were once again heaped together. Some were muttering curses, others watched the people in front of them fearfully.

Two even had tears streaming down their faces. These were all pampered young masters who were used to bullying others, never having experienced being brutally thrashed themselves.

"Mr. Zhang, Mr.

Zhang!" Director Huang had no choice but to step forward, but he dared not try to rescue these men directly. Instead, he approached Zhang Yang.

He couldn't afford to offend these young masters, but Zhang Yang was someone he equally couldn't afford to cross. He knew the consequences for someone who offended a Deputy District Chief—they often ended up in prison, as had happened recently.

"Director Huang, sorry to trouble you again. You witnessed these people seeking trouble and causing a disturbance, didn't you?" Zhang Yang smiled faintly, causing Director Huang's mouth to twitch involuntarily.

He had been here long enough to understand the situation clearly: these people were indeed exhibiting signs of seeking trouble, but hadn't his people taught them a lesson before the trouble fully escalated? From his understanding of Zhang Yang, he knew Zhang Yang was about to preemptively file a complaint, effectively branding these men with the charge of 'seeking trouble.' "I—I saw it.

Sir, could it be a misunderstanding?" Director Huang forced himself to speak, lacking any confidence in front of Zhang Yang. Yet, he couldn't ignore the threat from the young master beside him; he was caught in the middle, struggling.

"Director Huang, don't worry. I'll handle anything that comes up.

You just watch," Zhang Yang said with a reassuring smile. He suddenly turned his head as a few more people entered the hotel from outside.

There weren't many patrons coming in to dine at this hour, so the arrival of more people was bound to draw attention. Three people entered this time.

To Zhang Yang's surprise, there was an acquaintance among them. This acquaintance looked somewhat astonished at the chaotic scene in the hall and walked briskly forward.

Zhang Yang noticed them, and the men who had just been disciplined by Gao Fei and the security guards also noticed the newcomers. Their eyes lit up upon seeing the arrivals, and their expressions immediately shifted to ones of greater grievance.