The unmistakable prints of several bright red palms instantly bloomed on both sides of Ishino Koutarou's face; Zhang Yang had completely stunned him!

"Good!"

Whether it was one of the patrons in the restaurant who shouted it first, it was immediately followed by a thunderous chorus of applause. None of the surrounding people showed the slightest sympathy for the Japanese man whose face was covered in red handprints.

"You, Zhinaren, how dare you strike our young master!"

The preceding event happened so fast that Ishino Koutarou's three bodyguards couldn't react in time. Hearing the loud cheers from the surrounding crowd, these men finally realized that the person struck was their Young Master Ishino!

The three bodyguards charged towards Zhang Yang simultaneously, with the one named Fujii Ichirou stepping forward to take the lead!

Swish!

A graceful, slender figure instantly blocked his path. It was only then that Fujii Ichirou clearly saw that the person blocking him was the young woman dining with the man who had just struck the young master Ishino.

This young woman was naturally Qu Meilan. While Zhang Yang was teaching that arrogant Japanese kid a lesson, these three bodyguards actually intended to gang up on Zhang Yang, who had his back turned. Qu Meilan certainly wouldn't allow it, so she stepped directly in front of the three bodyguards to stop them from advancing.

The aisle of the restaurant wasn't wide to begin with. With Qu Meilan standing right in the middle, she suddenly possessed the imposing aura of a lone sentinel guarding an impassable pass.

Fujii Ichirou let out a sinister grin and swung his fist, showing not an ounce of chivalry. This young woman dared to stand in his way; she was courting death!

Thud!

Fujii Ichirou’s punch was forcefully blocked in mid-air by a small hand. At that moment, Fujii Ichirou’s expression drastically changed!

He was acutely aware of his own strength; having cultivated to the first layer of Neijin (Internal Strength), the force of this punch was something even a grown, strong man couldn't withstand. Yet, this young woman before him had blocked his fist with effortless ease!

Qu Meilan gave these bodyguards no chance to recover. After stopping Fujii Ichirou’s fully charged blow, she unleashed a rapid succession of strikes—swish, swish, swish!

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Although Qu Meilan's fists looked small, these few blows landed on Fujii Ichirou as if struck by a piece of solid iron. He immediately lost control of his body, flipping backward and crashing through several tables and chairs in succession!

"Baka!"

The remaining two bodyguards saw Fujii Ichirou felled by a seemingly weak woman, their eyes instantly turning red with fury. They charged forward without a word, intending to use their superior physique and strength to take down Qu Meilan instantly.

"Bang! Bang!"

These three bodyguards barely possessed the strength of the first layer of Neijin. In front of Qu Meilan, they were completely outmatched. The two who charged were easily knocked aside by Qu Meilan, joining Fujii Ichirou on the ground, curled up and clutching themselves in pain, unable to rise!

This astonishing scene once again shocked the entire restaurant!

Three adult men couldn't last a single move against a slender woman before being knocked down consecutively. A fresh wave of applause surged through the dining area!

Zhang Yang let go of Ishino Koutarou and stood up, casually pulling a paper napkin from a nearby table, wiping his hands, and tossing it aside.

Qu Meilan quietly stepped back behind Zhang Yang, lowering her head. She knew that even if those three bodyguards managed to reach Zhang Yang, they wouldn't gain any advantage. Fearing that Zhang Yang might chide her for interfering, she softly called out, "Master."

Whoosh—

The sound of applause in the restaurant instantly ceased!

Although Qu Meilan's address of "Master" was not loud, it was clear enough for everyone nearby to hear. This woman, who had casually dispatched three adult men much stronger than herself, called this man Master?

"Is... is this Zhongguo Kung Fu?" Near Zhang Yang's table, a man with blonde hair and blue eyes stared at Zhang Yang, his gaze vacant and astonished.

"Honey, look, look! His female disciple is already so formidable. Should I also seek to become his student and learn a move or two?" On the other side, a fashionable woman nearing thirty shook the man beside her, looking at Zhang Yang with undisguised infatuation, her eyes gleaming.

The eyes of everyone in the restaurant, filled with astonishment, now held a trace of fervor and adoration for Zhang Yang!

Zhang Yang was long accustomed to such gazes and paid them no mind. He merely gave Qu Meilan an approving look for a job well done, then took Mi Xue’s hand and said, "Mi Xue, let's go. It seems this evening’s dinner has been ruined by this one piece of rubbish."

Mi Xue nodded obediently, looking at Zhang Yang with gentle warmth.

"No one is allowed to leave!"

Just as Zhang Yang was about to leave with Mi Xue and Qu Meilan, a balding middle-aged man rushed breathlessly into the restaurant from outside. Already obese and slightly flabby, he struggled his way through the onlookers, sweat dripping from his brow as he stood before Zhang Yang.

"Boss!"

The young female manager from earlier stared at the bald man in surprise, softly murmuring his title.

So much trouble had erupted in her restaurant, and now the incident was almost concluded, yet the boss was only just showing his face? Most people in the restaurant cast disdainful glances at the bald man, a stark contrast to the worshipful looks they directed at Zhang Yang.

"What? Do you have business?"

No one could stop Zhang Yang if he wanted to leave, but out of politeness, he still asked.

"I have already called the police. You must compensate us for the damages you caused by fighting in my restaurant!" The bald middle-aged man wiped the sweat from his forehead before shouting at Zhang Yang.

Zhang Yang frowned, but before he could speak, someone nearby shouted first.

"It was those Japanese guys who provoked the fight first! The compensation should come from them!"

"Exactly!"

However, the bald restaurant owner seemed unable to hear the surrounding shouts. He cast a sidelong glance at the three Japanese men who were now struggling to stand up after being knocked down by Qu Meilan, then aggressively addressed Zhang Yang: "I don't care; you were the one who threw the first punch, so you must compensate. If you don't pay, you can't leave!"

During the earlier scuffle, only a few tables and chairs had been overturned, causing no significant damage. Even if some of the Western restaurant’s precious items were broken, compensation was not an issue for Zhang Yang. But seeing the owner’s obvious partiality towards the Japanese men, Zhang Yang changed his mind.

"Heh heh, what if I refuse to compensate?" Zhang Yang looked at the bald middle-aged man and said calmly.

"Refuse to compensate?" The restaurant owner paused, clearly not expecting Zhang Yang to be so defiant. He immediately sneered and said, "I specifically called Director Huang. Since you refuse to cover our losses, you can explain it to Director Huang yourself later."

Zhang Yang frowned. Just then, the unmistakable wail of police sirens sounded outside the Western restaurant.

Through the glass, Zhang Yang caught sight of the police car parked outside the entrance, and the corner of his mouth couldn't help but curve upwards, simultaneously smoothing the frown from his brow and revealing a meaningful smile.

"Ouch... ouch..."

Ishino Koutarou, who had been slapped dozens of times by Zhang Yang, finally came to his senses and struggled to his feet. He then noticed that his three bodyguards were also unsteadily helping each other up, looking utterly wretched. A look of fury immediately crossed his face!

"Young Master Ishino, I am truly sorry that such a thing happened to you in my restaurant..." Seeing Ishino Koutarou rise, the bald owner hurried over, supporting him with an ingratiating smile.

"Baka yarou!" Ishino glared at Zhang Yang, his eyes seemingly spitting fire. But seeing that all his bodyguards had been taken down by the opponent, he knew he couldn't win a fight, so he only dared to glare.

"Young Master Ishino, please calm your anger. Don't trouble yourself with these commoners. When Director Huang arrives, I promise I will make him compensate you for your losses!" the bald owner said, bowing his head obsequiously to Ishino.

Now Zhang Yang understood; this Western restaurant owner knew the Japanese group. He knew Ishino Koutarou was someone important, but he clearly viewed Zhang Yang as just an ordinary customer, which explained his greater favoritism toward the Japanese contingent!

Several police officers finally arrived late. Upon seeing the man leading the group, the bald owner’s face broke into a brilliant smile, and he hastily waved and called out, "Director Huang, Director Huang!"

The leading police officer approached. After the crowd parted, he saw Zhang Yang first, and his heart instantly dropped, his face changing instantly!

How could it be this revered deity?

The leading police officer walked forward with a bitter expression, taking slow steps. He absolutely did not want to see Zhang Yang, because every encounter with Zhang Yang usually led to trouble.

Zhang Yang looked at the newcomer, and the smile on his face grew even brighter. It was truly fate; every time Zhang Yang got into a fight in Changjing and the police arrived, the one leading them was always this same person. He hadn't expected that this time it would also be him—Huang Ze.

"Director Huang, it was this man. He injured these Japanese friends in my restaurant and refused to compensate us for the damage to the establishment!" The bald man’s eyes lit up upon seeing Huang Ze, and without considering the consequences, he immediately pinned all the blame on Zhang Yang.

As he spoke, the bald man pointed to Ishino Koutarou, whom he was supporting, particularly highlighting the still-swollen slap marks on his face, adding, "Director Huang, this gentleman is an important Japanese friend specifically invited to attend some kind of medical exchange event, yet he suffered such abuse here!"

Unexpectedly, Huang Ze ignored him entirely, not even sparing a glance at the Japanese men. Instead, he turned to Zhang Yang and said with a wry smile, "Mr. Zhang, what is the situation this time?"