Chapter Fifty-Seven: The Event That Must Be Prevented in the Depths of Memory

Often, the higher the price offered, the more astonishing the profits to be made. It might seem like a mere handover could earn you five thousand yuan, but if you held onto those storefronts yourself, the profits would not just be ten times greater—they would far exceed that. That was precisely why Li Yulong was willing to offer such a price. As for Liu Wentao, Li Yulong had no fear; what was so impressive about being a brute? If they were connected to the underworld, provoking them would be akin to courting death, for there were many ways to send them straight to prison.

Liu Wentao was no fool. After Zhang Ye’s detailed explanation and observing the manner of these men, he clearly saw the value of these shops. In Liu Wentao’s mind, once something was in hand, there was no reason to give it away. So, without needing Zhang Ye’s nod, he simply shook his head and refused.

“Don’t be so stubborn. My big brother is offering you money as a courtesy. If you don’t care about saving face, don’t blame us if we stop being polite,” a young man standing behind Li Yulong stepped forward, his handsome face twisted with malice.

“Li Yifan,” Zhao Haidong finally noticed the man behind Li Yulong and called out in a low voice.

“You know him?” Zhang Ye took a step closer and asked.

Zhao Haidong, instead, gave Zhang Ye a curious look. “You don’t know him?” He explained quietly, “He’s from Class Six, Grade Eleven—one of the most prominent figures in the whole grade. It’s said even the seniors respect him. He knows plenty of people outside school, and no one dares cross him. If he targets you, even if he beats you up, it’s for nothing; even the police hesitate to get involved.”

Zhang Ye’s brow rose as he finally remembered who he was. After all, more than ten years had passed, and many memories had faded, especially since Zhang Ye had always been quiet and reserved, never paying much attention to outside affairs. The reason he remembered Li Yifan was not because of the brawls or displays of bravado, but because...

At that thought, Zhang Ye’s heart tightened, and a decision formed in his mind.

This matter was a scar for Zhang Ye, and indeed for the entire school—a tragedy he was determined to prevent, buried deep in his memory. As for Li Yifan, the main culprit, although he had not yet committed the deed, Zhang Ye’s hatred for him had not diminished. On the contrary, being confronted with him now only intensified that feeling.

“You’re Zhao Haidong from Class Three, Grade Ten, right? Give us some respect. You won’t lose out anyway,” Li Yifan said, his voice low but clearly audible as he recognized Zhao Haidong’s stout figure, his tone tinged with pride as he shot him a sidelong glance.

Zhao Haidong’s face turned pale, and he was at a loss for words. In school, Li Yifan was an absolute tyrant, always surrounded by his gang, bullying students as a matter of course. Zhao Haidong was just an ordinary student; being overweight didn’t make him any stronger, only more timid. He could boast behind people’s backs all he liked, but faced with a schoolyard overlord, his courage melted away.

“So, you want to threaten us?” Zhang Ye had to step forward. Usually, he didn’t concern himself with Li Yifan’s bullying, but when it came to his own friends, he didn’t care what others thought or what status he had. Besides, he felt a deep-rooted disgust and anger toward Li Yifan.

“Threaten? That’s too strong a word. Still, if someone doesn’t know what’s good for them, I won’t hesitate to use my fists,” Li Yifan cracked his neck and sneered.

The atmosphere grew tense.

Neither side was to be trifled with. The young woman nearby began to panic; if a fight broke out and things got smashed up, she would be the one to suffer. She hurried forward, forcing a smile. “Young Master Li, and you gentlemen, let’s talk things over—peace brings prosperity. There are dozens of empty storefronts here. No need to fight; there’s enough for everyone…” She bowed slightly as she spoke, desperately trying not to offend either side.

Liu Wentao, tall and imposing, looked every bit the gangster, and while Li Yulong was formidable, she feared the likes of Liu Wentao even more. Before, she thought Liu Wentao was easy to deal with, but now, cold sweat trickled down her back.

“Let’s go. There’s no point in arguing with them,” Liu Wentao suddenly said, smiling as he patted Zhang Ye and Zhao Haidong on the shoulders.

Zhang Ye was momentarily surprised, then nodded in agreement. They were here to make money, not to get tangled up in pointless disputes. Though Li Yifan seemed intent on threatening Zhao Haidong, Zhang Ye was confident that as long as he was around, nothing would happen to his friend.

After these days of training, Zhang Ye had a good grasp of his own strength. In terms of physical fitness, he was not inferior to his peak in his previous life, and with training in both kicks and punches, he was not afraid of a fight.

“What’s wrong, getting scared?” Li Yifan tried to provoke them, but Zhang Ye and his companions, having already made up their minds, ignored his taunts and walked straight out of the office.

“Stop right there!” At that moment, the tall, thin young man who had blocked them earlier received a signal from Li Yulong and rushed to block their path again. “Young Master Li hasn’t given you permission to leave. I’d like to see who dares walk out.”

He was accustomed to throwing his weight around and, forgetting his fear of Liu Wentao, his face twisted with a hint of savagery. Following Li Yulong, he knew well what happened to those who crossed him. In his eyes, Zhang Ye and his friends were simply ignorant.

So what if he was a gangster? In the eyes of the truly powerful and wealthy, gangsters were just slightly more troublesome ants. The more notorious someone was, the more they cowered before these privileged children. After all, if they really offended them, who knew what might happen? Besides, who could say for sure that this Liu Wentao was even a real gangster?

Liu Wentao, without hesitation, reached out with a slight motion and tossed the blocking youth aside as if he were weightless, not even breaking stride as he stepped over him, not sparing him a glance.

A man whose body had been hollowed out by wine and excess hardly required any effort to deal with.

“You—!” The youth’s face flushed red with humiliation as he glared at them. Never in his life had he been so thoroughly embarrassed. Tossed aside like a monkey for amusement, he could only imagine how ridiculous he must have seemed in the eyes of Li Yulong and Li Yifan.

Just as he was about to pursue them, the memory of Liu Wentao’s terrifying strength made him hesitate. Chasing after them would likely only earn him another beating.

Fortunately, Li Yulong called him back at that moment. He stopped, feigning anger and shouting, “You got lucky this time!” before slinking back, cursing under his breath—quiet enough that Zhang Ye and his companions couldn’t hear, but loud enough for Li Yulong and the others to sense his frustration and resentment.

This was his own little way of coping. His father’s position meant that he was naturally a rung below the likes of Li Yulong, but he still had his ways of getting others to stand up for him.