Everyone noticed Nannan’s concern for Gu Cheng. Even Little Dai, her eyes red-rimmed, couldn't help but smile; it seemed Gu Cheng was close to achieving his goal, and a truly coupled life together was not far off.

After learning the specifics of what happened, both Little Dai and Nannan cursed Boss Wang again, threatening to report him to the police. Zhang Yang simply listened to their scolding with a smile, offering no interjection.

He knew about disciplining Boss Wang himself; there was no need to tell them, especially since the methods he employed were different. Hu Xin had to stay in the hospital for observation that evening, and Gu Cheng remained as well.

Neither Little Dai nor Nannan left, staying with them at the hospital. Seeing them all huddled together intimately, Zhang Yang and Mi Xue sensibly went home.

There was no need for them to linger; giving the others some space was better. While they were at the hospital, the Logistics Street district erupted in commotion.

The source of the uproar was Hu Xin’s situation. Boss Wang was a tyrant of Logistics Street, and anyone trying to run a business without sufficient backing who caught his eye faced a truly grim fate.

Those who managed to sustain a business on Logistics Street invariably had some connections—simply put, someone influential covering for them, ideally someone Boss Wang himself respected. Many had seen the efforts of Hu Xin and Gu Cheng, but they were students and not locals; what kind of background could they possibly possess?

When word spread that they had taken out loans to start their venture, and then learned Boss Wang had set his sights on them, some people merely sighed for them, believing that once Boss Wang targeted someone, their end was sealed. Others felt indignation on their behalf, but being themselves lacking in deep roots, they dared not directly offend Boss Wang, content only to curse him silently in their hearts.

When Boss Wang’s thugs stormed Hu Xin’s shop and beat him up, many began to wonder when these two young student entrepreneurs would finally yield. Generally, lacking influence and being targeted by Boss Wang left only compromise as the path forward.

Boss Wang’s power here was too immense; the two youngsters had no hope. Just as they were thinking this, the turn of events took an unexpected shift.

A young man suddenly arrived at Hu Xin’s shop. Alone, he not only injured Boss Wang’s notorious henchman, Scarface, but proceeded to take down everyone accompanying him.

That wasn't all; Boss Wang personally led over thirty men to seek revenge, yet this same single individual defeated them all just as they left the premises. One man, just one, had brought down more than fifty people—a terrifying feat unheard of on Logistics Street.

What followed was even more explosive news. The young man entered the company premises with Boss Wang.

Shortly after they apparently visited Boss Wang’s residence, the young man departed, reportedly driving away in a Mercedes. That wasn't the main point.

The key was that Boss Wang ended up in the hospital afterward; word was his arm was broken. They went in together, and when the young man left, Boss Wang’s arm was fractured.

This alone sent every resident of Logistics Street into shock. The day finally passed amidst speculation and heated debate, yet no one came forward to explain anything.

Even when inquiries were made, Boss Wang’s staff at the company were deeply tight-lipped, revealing nothing. The next morning, Gu Cheng returned to the company.

The business had to operate; halting commerce meant daily losses, especially when things were booming like now. Hu Xin needed continued recuperation.

Zhang Yang had already applied several needles and left behind some medicinal pills—high-grade pills formulated by Zhang Yang using superior medicinal ingredients. These pills, aided by Zhang Yang’s acupuncture techniques, would help him recover quickly.

After Gu Cheng returned, a few familiar acquaintances came by to probe for information, but they managed to learn nothing; Gu Cheng himself was still unaware of many details. Shortly after the company opened for business, an employee rushed in with concerning news—at least, concerning for Gu Cheng.

He reported that Boss Wang was approaching their location with two men. Boss Wang’s arm was still in a sling; his injury was even more severe than Hu Xin’s.

He had requested a one-day postponement of his surgery; he needed that day to resolve certain critical matters first. Some things could not be delayed, and Boss Wang dared not delay them.

Boss Wang’s arrival once again drew the attention of the Logistics Street crowd. Gossip enthusiasts immediately began speculating about his purpose this time.

Some suggested Boss Wang was delivering a final ultimatum to Hu Xin and Gu Cheng. Others believed Boss Wang was targeting Gu Cheng, demanding he hand over that formidable young man from yesterday.

Even more speculated that Boss Wang intended to make an example of Gu Cheng, punishing them severely; this time, Boss Wang wasn't just after the company, he was after Hu Xin and Gu Cheng’s lives. Wild speculation ran rampant, and soon, many people quietly gathered near the entrance of Hu Xin and Gu Cheng’s company.

To the onlookers’ disappointment, after entering the company, Boss Wang engaged in a private conversation with Gu Cheng. What they discussed remained a mystery.

A long time passed before Boss Wang left, but the words Boss Wang spoke upon departing were overheard by many. Boss Wang apologized to Gu Cheng for the previous day’s events.

Finally, he deliberately bowed deeply to Gu Cheng in respect before departing. Upon hearing this, many people’s jaws dropped.

No one expected the most ruthless figure on Logistics Street, Boss Wang, to submit to a young man like Gu Cheng and deliver a personal apology. Had it not been witnessed firsthand and heard directly, no one would have believed this news.

This development was even more explosive than the day before. Others had certainly clashed with Boss Wang in the past, and he had suffered setbacks, but he had always dealt with those enemies using ruthless methods; since then, Boss Wang had never lost face.

As for apologizing, that had never occurred. This explained the intense speculation; only the idea of a humiliating apology had been entirely absent from their predictions.

Gu Cheng was unaware of the reaction outside; he, too, was reeling from shock. Boss Wang had indeed come to apologize, but he had a more crucial matter to attend to.

He intended to transfer 5% of his company shares to Zhang Yang, and today was the day to finalize the paperwork; one of the two men accompanying him was a lawyer. This was the real reason Boss Wang endured the pain and postponed his surgery to appear in person.

He feared complications arising from delay; if he didn't settle this matter swiftly, Zhang Yang might grow angry. Hu Yan Aobo had already left yesterday; if even Hu Yan Aobo couldn't protect him, then certainly he had no recourse now.

For his own safety, he had to complete these arrangements first. At first, Gu Cheng hesitated to accept the shares, but after calling Zhang Yang and receiving his instructions, he signed to take possession on Zhang Yang’s behalf.

He was essentially accepting the shares for Zhang Yang. The agreed-upon price for these shares was a mere one million.

The money was simple enough; Zhang Yang wired it directly from the bank, which Gu Cheng was to pass on to Boss Wang. Buying shares worth tens of millions for one million—this deal looked overwhelmingly profitable.

Zhang Yang had no intention of managing these shares himself; they would eventually be handed over to Gu Cheng and Hu Xin. Boss Wang had tried to gain an advantage but ended up losing his own company in the process.

The outside world knew none of this until Hu Xin and Gu Cheng formally took charge of Boss Wang’s company and began directing operations. Only then did everyone realize that Boss Wang was the one who suffered the massive loss.

The loss was so severe that Boss Wang couldn't even retain his own company. This outcome sparked an even greater uproar.

From then on, no one dared to underestimate the young men Hu Xin and Gu Cheng. They finally understood that these two unassuming youths were the ones holding the real power.

But that was all in the future. Hu Xin was having a good recovery period; Little Dai cared for him daily.

Little Dai often brought delicious food from the restaurant for Hu Xin, making him almost wish his arm wouldn’t heal so quickly, claiming this current life was true comfort. Time passed steadily, and with Zhang Yang’s help, Hu Xin eventually recovered ahead of schedule.

During this period, besides monitoring the progress of his research project, Zhang Yang spent the rest of his time cultivating. Training the third level of Inner Strength was significantly slower than before.

The system hadn't assigned him any major tasks lately, only minor ones Zhang Yang occasionally accepted out of habit, as they offered something rather than nothing. These small tasks were not troublesome, but they still yielded slight increases in physical stats.

His current hearing and vision were far superior to other Inner Strength practitioners at the same level, as were his physical strength and agility. Spurred by Long Feng, all the accumulated Free Points from completing these missions were dedicated to boosting his Agility and Speed.

As a result, his speed was rapidly increasing, nearing the level of Zhang Yun'an, who was a peak expert at the fourth level of Inner Strength. “Zhang Yang, let’s go now, see who reaches the summit first!” In the deep darkness before dawn that morning, a voice suddenly rang out in Zhang Yang’s room, and a black silhouette shot out of the villa like lightning, flying toward the peak.

Zhang Yang’s eyes snapped open, a slight smile curling his lips. “This fellow, using surprise tactics!” Zhang Yang spoke calmly as his body was already in motion, leaping straight out of the window and beginning a swift sprint toward the mountaintop.

The challenger was naturally Long Feng, who had finally emerged from seclusion after more than a month of isolated training. During this month, he had consumed two Spirit Ape Essence Blood Pills and one Golden Crown Python Essence Blood Pill.

It seemed these three pills had significantly increased his strength, as his outward speed was noticeably faster than last time. Two figures raced up the mountain, followed by two white dots, one large and one small, which seemed to move even faster behind them.

Lightning and Shadow had not been idle during this time; they too had been cultivating diligently. Lightning’s strength had improved again.

Categorized among Inner Strength experts, it should now be at the late third level; cultivators at the middle third level were certainly no match for it. As for Shadow, its power was harder to gauge.

Its ability to project Inner Strength externally was something even many late third-level experts couldn't withstand; it had previously forced late third-level Zhang Yang into a hasty retreat. It was a pity that Shadow possessed only this single method of attack.

If it had more diverse abilities, even Zhang Yang might not be its match. (To be continued)