He Shao never expected that by just glancing over at Li Yundong from the corner where he was hiding, he would actually notice something!

The moment Li Yundong turned his head and glared in his direction, He Shao instantly felt like he was being stared down by a wild beast, and he quickly ducked out of sight in fright.

Even He Shao himself didn't know why he hid; it was purely a subconscious fear of that sharp, piercing gaze, as if he had committed some foul deed.

Only after Li Yundong had left did He Shao dare to emerge. He spat viciously onto the ground, gritting his teeth as he cursed, "Damn it, this son of a bitch is lucky to be alive, and he sure has no shortage of women! Hell!"

"He Shao!" a voice called from not far away.

He Shao turned his head to see Xie Fei waving at him.

He Shao glared at him, then beckoned him over. When Xie Fei approached, He Shao slapped him across the face: "What the hell do you want, calling me out here? Don't you know things are tight right now? You dare to call me over here?"

The slap left Xie Fei's face burning hot. He covered his cheek, not daring to retaliate, and merely forced a wry smile. "He Shao, I wanted to ask you for some money. Things are a bit tense now, could I possibly..."

He Shao delivered another slap: "You know things are tight, yet you call me here! You have the nerve to ask me for money? I told you to just take care of him yourself—look at the dogshit job you did! I didn't give you a gun for children to play with! Damn it, look at the mess you've made! Why didn't you just find someone professional to finish him off, why bring in that idiot Zhao Yujian!"

Xie Fei clutched both sides of his face, his expression mournful, and pleaded, "How was I supposed to know that idiot Zhao Yujian had a gun and still couldn't handle Li Yundong? He Shao, my sworn brother, should I call you my uncle? They’re really cracking down now, and you know cases involving firearms are a major headache. Those cops are clinging on like dogs!"

He Shao glared fiercely at Xie Fei, his anger boiling over. "Screw it, if you hadn't been mouthing off about Li Yundong in front of me last time, saying you had a life-and-death feud with him, I wouldn't have bothered with a failure like you! You're completely useless, go die. I’m not keeping some useless trash like you around!"

Xie Fei abandoned all pretense of dignity and fell to his knees before He Shao, clutching his leg and begging, "He Shao, my true benefactor, you can’t just watch me die! If I get implicated..."

A terrifying killing intent instantly flared in He Shao's eyes. He spoke with a ferocious look, "What? You want to drag me into this? Do you have any idea who my father is? I could crush a piece of trash like you with a single pinky finger. Even if you were locked up in the precinct, I could finish you before you managed to open your mouth!"

Xie Fei slapped himself hard across the face. "I misspoke, I was talking nonsense, that’s not what I meant, He Shao! What I mean is, if I disappear far away, wouldn't that save you trouble, sir? You are the son of a noble house, you shouldn't be involving yourself in my affairs, right?"

He Shao kicked Xie Fei, sending him tumbling. "Go to hell! 'Son of a noble house, shouldn't be involving himself'! Idiot, you must have fed your books to the dogs! You're completely illiterate. You can't read worth a damn, and you can't fight either. Damn it, and you call yourself a university student—what use are you? Why don't you just die?"

Xie Fei slapped himself again, adopting a fawning smile. "Yes, yes, my education was all for nothing. It’s you, He Shao, who is truly learned! Don't worry, just give me some money, and I promise I will vanish far away and never let you see me again."

Seeing that he was still pushing for money, He Shao’s anger surged, giving rise to murderous intent. His eyes flickered dangerously as he stared at Xie Fei without uttering a word.

Xie Fei was chilled to the bone under He Shao’s gaze, and he stammered, "He Shao, you... you’re not thinking of silencing me, are you? I... I have brothers who know I did things for you. There are people here who saw me meeting with you too. You... you can’t act recklessly!"

He Shao realized he was stuck with this persistent leech. He let out an angry laugh, gritting his teeth as he kicked Xie Fei over again. "Damn it, I wondered why you dragged me to the school—it turns out you lined up all these witnesses for yourself! Damn it! Fine, you’ve got guts. One hundred thousand. Get as far away from me as you possibly can! Remember, don't let me see you again, or else... Hmph. Tiannan City is huge; one less street thug won't be noticed!"

Xie Fei scrambled to his feet, wishing he had a tail to run away faster. With a sycophantic grin, he said, "Don't worry, I promise I'll roll far away!"

He Shao felt disgusted watching Xie Fei’s expression, which seemed ready to lick anything clean. He glared at Xie Fei. "Get lost!" He then pulled a checkbook from his coat, signed a check, and handed it over. "Damn it, you didn't accomplish anything, and now you cost me this much money! Be careful with this money—don't let it burn your hands or make you too uncomfortable, or you might die on the road!"

Xie Fei bowed obsequiously, smiling. "No, no."

He Shao shook his head, waving him off impatiently. "Go, go, hurry up and get out! Just looking at you annoys me!"

As he spoke, he suddenly noticed some girls on the nearby road pointing and whispering at them. He Shao roared at them suddenly, "What are you looking at? Haven't you ever seen handsome guys before!"

The girls shrieked in fright, and He Shao immediately burst into a triumphant laugh.

...

Guided by Zhou Qin, Li Yundong and Su Chan arrived at a high-end Western restaurant located in the center of a commercial office building in the Beizha District of Tiannan City.

The restaurant was called Biarritz French Cuisine, the most exclusive Western dining establishment in Tiannan City. The entrance was richly decorated in a French Parisian style. As soon as they entered, neatly dressed waiters greeted them—actual foreigners, their expressions carrying a touch of characteristic French pride and reserve—and ushered Li Yundong and his companions to the dining area.

"What would you like to eat?" Zhou Qin skillfully fastened a napkin around her neck, then handed the menu to Li Yundong, asking with a smile.

Li Yundong glanced at the intensely French decor and the promised delicacies, offering a wry smile. "I've never eaten authentic Western food before, so I don't really know what to get. You order for me. I don't want to make a fool of myself!"

Zhou Qin smiled slightly. "French cuisine is one of the world's three great cuisines, on par with Chinese food. The French dishes here are very authentic; I ate here last time, and it was excellent." With that, she didn't even open her menu, simply handing it to the waiter who was waiting respectfully nearby, and spoke fluently and confidently in French: "Please serve us a standard full course meal."

The waiter looked at Zhou Qin with a hint of surprise and replied in French as well, "You would like the complete set, Madam?"

Zhou Qin nodded. "Yes. Also, bring a bottle of Caillan Royal wine. And, is your foie gras the freshest available? I want the absolute freshest. Also, the last time I was here, the only caviar you had was from Osetra sturgeon; today, I want Beluga sturgeon roe!"

The waiter's eyes widened. "You—you want Beluga sturgeon roe? Good heavens, are you asking for the Pearl of the Caspian?"

Zhou Qin offered him an elegant smile. "My French should be passable, right? I don't think I misspoke!"

The waiter realized he was dealing with a customer knowledgeable about French cuisine and wealthy. This single caviar order alone would likely exceed six figures!

He became even more respectful. "Your French is as flawless and fluent as a native-born Frenchman! Your beauty is as captivating as your elegant French. It is my honor to serve you."

Zhou Qin was clearly accustomed to such flattery. With the reserve and hauteur characteristic of the elite, she handed the waiter a one-hundred-unit tip. "Thank you for the compliment, my friends are quite hungry."

The waiter accepted the tip, bowed skillfully and gracefully, but couldn't resist looking back at Zhou Qin before leaving, thinking: I've been in China for several years, and I have never encountered such an elegant and noble young lady! Is she descended from Chinese royalty? She must be!

As he was musing, he suddenly noticed Zhou Qin speaking to Li Yundong. His sharp eyes quickly detected the admiration and fascination Zhou Qin showed the young man before her, clearly indicating she was pursuing him.

Good heavens, such a beautiful and high-class lady is chasing a man? Who is this man?

The waiter couldn't help but look Li Yundong over again, trying to discern his status and position from his attire, demeanor, and conversation.

But as he was thinking, he suddenly bumped into someone and nearly fell. The waiter quickly apologized, then, unnerved by the other person's displeased gaze, walked away in a daze.

Li Yundong looked at Zhou Qin and laughed. "You speak French too? Impressive, I have a new respect for you!"

Zhou Qin smiled slightly. "My father wanted me to study abroad in Paris once, so he forced me to learn French."

Li Yundong sighed. "Ah, my English is terrible, yet you speak French so smoothly. I am truly impressed!"

Zhou Qin looked at Li Yundong sincerely and said, "There are millions of people in this world who speak several foreign languages! But someone like you, who can risk his own safety to save others, and who can catch a person falling from the fifth floor with his bare hands—there is probably only one hero like you in the world!"

Even Li Yundong, though thick-skinned, blushed slightly at the praise. He laughed. "Praising me more won't help; I’m not going to let you save money today."

Zhou Qin knew Li Yundong hadn't ordered yet, so his comment was just a joke. She laughed at his humor and quick response.

Su Chan, looking around curiously, tugged on Li Yundong's arm. "Yundong, there's something I wanted to ask you both?"

Li Yundong looked at Su Chan with a hint of wariness. "What is it? If it's a mischievous question, don't ask it!"

Su Chan pouted charmingly. "Naughty! Who's being mischievous? This little girl is behaving very well right now!"

Li Yundong smiled. "Alright, ask away!"

As they were talking, the waiter pushing the service cart had already arrived. The traditional French menu consists of thirteen courses. The first course was the cold appetizer platter. The waiter first presented a plate of foie gras, then poured the Caillan Royal red wine for Li Yundong, Su Chan, and Zhou Qin.

Zhou Qin, seated across from them, smiled as she picked up her wine glass, savoring the smooth, refreshing red wine while talking to Li Yundong and Su Chan.

Su Chan pointed at the knife and fork on the table, asking confusedly, "Do we have to perform surgery here? Why are there knives and forks set out?"

"Pfft!" Zhou Qin immediately spat out a mouthful of red wine.

Fortunately, Li Yundong, seated opposite her, reacted quickly and immediately held up his napkin, narrowly avoiding the spray.

The waiter who was pouring wine also jerked, knocking over the glass and splashing wine onto Zhou Qin's dress.

Li Yundong lowered his napkin, still feeling the close call, and saw Zhou Qin stand up in a flurry, frantically dabbing at her dress amidst the strange looks from surrounding diners.

Li Yundong turned to look at Su Chan with an expression of utter helplessness. The little girl seemed to realize she had spoken out of turn again; she shrank into the corner of her seat, looking timidly at Li Yundong, a picture of fear and anxiety.

The waiter who spilled the wine glanced at Su Chan and was instantly stunned, thinking wildly: Good Lord, such a pitiable, delicate girl! Her mournful eyes could make any man die for her!

While he was staring blankly, the neck of the bottle in his hand tilted unintentionally, and more wine cascaded out.

The wine on Zhou Qin's dress hadn't even been fully wiped off when it was splashed again. She said irritably, "Hey, are you trying to flood the place?"

The waiter snapped back to reality and hurriedly apologized. "Sorry, I am so sorry!"

Zhou Qin frowned and waved him away. "Go on, shoo!"

After the waiter apologized repeatedly and cleaned up the table, he finally retreated, looking utterly ashamed.

Li Yundong sighed at Su Chan. "Please, saying the wrong thing can be disastrous!"

Su Chan whispered weakly, "But why use knives and forks for food? We're not savages!"

Although her voice was low, everyone nearby heard it clearly, and suddenly, various looks were directed their way. Li Yundong felt a monumental headache coming on.

However, Zhou Qin suddenly smiled as she looked at Su Chan. She said, "You're right. We are inheritors of Chinese civilization; we are civilized people. We shouldn't use such barbaric implements to eat."

Saying this, she snapped her fingers and called the waiter over.

A new waiter appeared—the one who had caused the consecutive spills clearly didn't dare approach again.

Zhou Qin smiled at the new waiter and said, "Please bring us three pairs of chopsticks!"

After this statement, the expression on the waiter's face was priceless; he stared at Zhou Qin as if he couldn't believe his ears, utterly dumbfounded.

Li Yundong realized Zhou Qin had suddenly developed a mischievous streak and couldn't help but laugh. "Hey, isn't that a bit inappropriate? This is a Western restaurant."

Zhou Qin winked playfully at Li Yundong. "It's fine, we have to cater to Chinese national conditions!"

Li Yundong burst out laughing, gave Zhou Qin a silent thumbs-up, then smiled at the still-stunned waiter. "Didn't you hear? Waiter, bring three pairs of chopsticks!"