The time was approaching noon, truly the hour for lunch. Qi Heng and Jin Weiguo had brought Su Zhantao and the others out for this excursion with the intention of treating them to a meal right here; there would be no need to return to the city center for lunch today. The dining location was set right at the stables. As for the midday meal, it was somewhat unexpected for Zhang Yang: Jin Weiguo had arranged for a barbecue—a natural barbecue featuring wild game. They had deer, lamb, and even wild pheasant among the selections. These animals were wild, yet they were farmed wild, making them conveniently available for capture and roasting.

“Drink heartily, eat freely, what a rush!” Savoring the wild game he had grilled himself, sipping Maotai that Jin Weiguo had men bring over in porcelain bowls, even Li Ya couldn't help but feel a surge of bravado, speaking loudly. Having grown accustomed to luxurious restaurants, experiencing this open-air barbecue felt distinctly unique.

“I never expected Zhang Yang’s skill to be this good; no one compares except for Zhiguo!” Huang Hai also exclaimed in appreciation, beautifully devouring a roasted lamb shank. What he was eating had been grilled by Zhang Yang. When it came to culinary arts, Wu Zhiguo was always ranked number one. Fatty Wu used to love eating so much that he honed an excellent skill set; even Zhang Yang admitted his own inferiority. It was a pity that Wu Zhiguo couldn't make it this time, or everyone could have enjoyed even more delectable cuisine. Besides Wu Zhiguo, Huang Hai and a few others knew how to grill meat too, but compared to Zhang Yang and Wu Zhiguo, their roasted meat was merely edible—it barely scraped by as something you could eat. Edible meant it was cooked through. What went into the mouth wasn't raw meat, whereas the meat roasted by Zhang Yang and Wu Zhiguo was delicious, in no way inferior to the skill of a restaurant chef. One only needed to look at how everyone scrambled to eat what Zhang Yang had grilled to understand the gulf between them.

As the group was happily tucking in, a white shadow approached, stopping beside Zhang Yang. The one walking over was Zhui Feng, who had been playing on the grass nearby with Shan Dian and the others. Some people secretly thought Zhang Yang was truly audacious to leave a Horse King of such immense value lying around so casually. What they didn't know was that Zhang Yang's biggest fear was Zhui Feng in a crowded place. His strength hadn't fully recovered yet. If Zhui Feng went completely wild, even Zhang Yang might not be able to control him. Leaving him to roam nearby was actually the safest option.

Looking at Zhui Feng, who stretched his head over, still panting slightly, a hint of surprise crossed Zhang Yang’s face. He glanced back at a large slab of venison he had just finished grilling in his hand. Zhui Feng’s beautiful eyes were fixed intently on that piece of venison. After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Yang immediately drew his knife, sliced off a piece of the venison, and presented it before Zhui Feng. Without the slightest pause, Zhui Feng opened his mouth and bit down on the piece, chewing it with relish. Everyone eating meat and drinking wine instantly froze where they were. What were they witnessing? A horse eating meat, and eating it so enthusiastically! Didn't horses only eat grass? Were there really horses that ate meat?

Zhui Feng paid no mind to their stares. Once the piece was gone, he looked at Zhang Yang with an expression of lingering desire, as if acting spoiled. Zhang Yang chuckled helplessly and then sliced the remaining venison into several smaller pieces, placing them on a plate for Zhui Feng. Zhui Feng had already tasted Hangzhou’s specialty, Fried Fish with Vinegar Sauce; it wasn't surprising he’d eat roast meat now—he ate everything to begin with. Besides Shan Dian, Wuying also came over to sample the delicious roast meat, but most of it ended up in Zhui Feng’s stomach; Wuying was simply too small.

“Truly worthy of being the Horse King; indeed, it is extraordinary!” After a while, Jin Weiguo exclaimed loudly. Many others nodded in agreement. They had certainly never seen an equine consumer of meat, but they also had never seen a Horse King that commanded the reverence of all horses. Perhaps being a bit unusual was to be expected. Many people then looked at Zhang Yang with envy again, though only Long Feng and Long Cheng remained unmoved. Zhui Feng was a spirit beast. Purely herbivorous spirit beasts were rare; even if Zhui Feng was a horse, it would certainly eat meat, and likely a lot of it. []

Zhui Feng’s meal was just a brief interlude; afterward, everyone resumed drinking. Among the attendees, several were customers of the stables, meeting Zhang Yang’s group for the first time. It was inevitable they would come up to offer toasts. In a short time, Zhang Yang had downed nearly two catties of baijiu. Having drunk so much, Zhang Yang’s face didn’t flush, nor did his heart race. His superhuman tolerance for alcohol earned him considerable goodwill. In these times, those who could drink well at the table often gained the admiration and respect of others.

Inside his luxurious stretch Lincoln, Xu Lang glanced back at the stables with a dark expression. Having always been arrogant, being forcefully ejected from the premises was something he simply could not accept, having lived a life cushioned by flattery and never having faced a setback. Fortunately, he was only overconfident, not entirely foolish. He knew causing a ruckus with his four bodyguards inside would yield no positive outcome, which is why he reluctantly gathered his men and left. He had left, but he certainly did not intend to let the matter rest there.

“Young Master, we found out. That Mr. Zhang is named Zhang Yang, and he is not from Hangzhou City!” Presently, a bodyguard approached the window and whispered a piece of information to him. This was all they could manage to discover in such a short period; given more time, they might gather more details. A cold glint flashed in Xu Lang’s eyes, and he murmured, “I don’t care where he’s from; I must have that Horse King. Since he is so willfully ignorant, he deserves to receive the punishment he’s earned. Make preparations immediately. The moment he leaves here, I want that horse and have it quickly sent home as a gift for my grandfather!” “Yes, Young Master!” The bodyguard acknowledged and immediately set about making arrangements. He knew his master’s character intimately and felt a touch of pity for Zhang Yang; that man was about to have bad luck. Xu Lang was arrogant, but some of his words were not without truth; what he desired, he truly never failed to obtain. This time would be no different. Since he had taken a liking to Zhui Feng, he was determined to acquire this Horse King. This horse meant too much to him; possessing the Horse King would secure his grandfather’s favor and grant him more authority within the family. The method of acquiring the Horse King was irrelevant. His privileged status ensured that the people here dared not confront him directly, which was the reason he dared to disrespect Jin Weiguo openly at the Jin family’s stables. He only had four bodyguards, but the Xu family had far more personnel in Hangzhou.

The bodyguards quickly made arrangements; more than a dozen men were converging from different locations. They were setting up an inescapable net, waiting only for Zhang Yang and his party to depart. These dozen men were all armed; two even carried firearms. If regulations concerning firearms in the mainland were not so strict, Xu Lang would have equipped everyone with guns. In his view, only weapons like guns offered him sufficient security.

Before Zhang Yang’s group could emerge, the bodyguards had finalized all their plans. On the necessary route from the stables back to the city, there was an isolated spot, perfect for their ambush. They prepared several trucks to seize the horse and rapidly haul it away, switching vehicles along the way before finally delivering it to the port. A ship would be waiting there to pick up the horse and transport it back to the Xu family estate. Xu Lang would watch from a distance but would not participate directly. The dozen men carrying out the action had no apparent connection to him; even if some were caught and traced back, no blame could fall upon Xu Lang. Without concrete evidence, they would not dare to touch him.

Zhang Yang at the stables naturally knew nothing of this. Even if he did, he would likely just laugh out loud. To dare to rob Zhui Feng—it was like a small lamb attempting to chase down a robust, ferocious tiger; it would surely be the lamb walking into the tiger’s mouth, a path with no return.

“Zhang Yang, my father knows you are here and specifically asked me to invite you to our home tomorrow!” After the meal, Qi Heng approached Zhang Yang and extended the invitation. Qi Heng’s father was the third master of the Qi family, working in Hangzhou for five years. He had visited the Elder Qi in Changjing previously and met Zhang Yang; they were acquainted. Since Zhang Yang had cured Elder Qi’s illness and was the son of his old friend Zhang Keqin, it was only proper to extend an invitation to visit once in Hangzhou. “Tell Uncle Qi that I will come tomorrow evening,” Zhang Yang replied after a moment’s thought, agreeing immediately. Qi Heng’s father was an elder, and since he had extended the courtesy, Zhang Yang found it difficult to refuse. However, Zhang Yang wasn't overthinking the visit; he simply considered it a normal courtesy call.

Huang Jing, who had been accompanying Zhang Yang, showed a different kind of joy in her eyes. She was well aware of who Qi Heng’s father was. Seeing Zhang Yang’s demeanor, it was clear he had a close relationship with the Qi family. Now that Zhang Yang, this powerful figure, was involved, the development of their company across the entire Zhejiang North Province would surely benefit greatly. That wasn't all. From Zhang Yang's bearing, he clearly possessed considerable background, which translated into huge advantages for the company's expansion in the mainland. This was definitely the most unexpected gain of the day for her. The more connections Zhang Yang had, the better it was for her. She began to admire her uncle’s foresight; at the time, she had felt pained by giving away so many shares all at once, but now she saw it as an extremely wise decision—some connections were priceless.

“Good, I will wait for you at home tomorrow evening then!” Qi Heng smiled as well. Zhang Yang’s agreement was reassuring. He was keenly aware of how highly his own grandfather valued Zhang Yang; building a good relationship with Zhang Yang could only benefit him. With Qi Heng’s matter settled, Zhang Yang was then invited over by Jin Weiguo. Jin Weiguo had a small request, nothing substantial: he wished to take a photograph with Zhui Feng for a souvenir. He had already abandoned the idea of inviting the Horse King to the stables after witnessing Zhang Yang's handling of Zhui Feng. Since he couldn't keep Zhui Feng, a photograph was the next best thing. Zhang Yang did not refuse this small request. With Zhang Yang's assistance, Jin Weiguo happily took several pictures with Zhui Feng. This set a precedent, and soon many others were asking for photos with Zhui Feng, including Su Zhantao and his group. Unfortunately, after just a few shots, Zhui Feng, looking displeased, walked away on its own. It disliked standing stiffly for photographs and loathed being surrounded by so many strangers. Even Su Zhantao and the others, whom it had met several times, were strangers in its eyes. In its heart, the only person it truly acknowledged was Zhang Yang; even Long Feng had not gained its full acceptance.