Chapter 148: Brother Hao

Li Ziyang trembled with rage, his nostrils flaring slightly.

The others were even more stunned:

“Holy hell! Is this kid crazy?”

“Damn, what guts!”

“What an arrogant bastard!”

Li Ziyang clenched his teeth, grinding them audibly, and slowly lifted his head, ready to lash out.

But Zeng Xiaofan was faster. Without hesitation, he slapped Li Ziyang sharply.

A crisp smack echoed through the air.

In the next instant, Zeng Xiaofan grabbed Li Ziyang’s throat with one hand and twisted his arm fiercely with the other.

Li Ziyang’s entire body twisted as if Zeng Xiaofan could snap his arm with just a little more force.

The intense pain made Li Ziyang want to scream, but his throat was gripped so tightly that no sound escaped.

Everyone around was frozen by Zeng Xiaofan’s sudden ruthlessness.

After all, these wealthy second-generation brats were only used to bullying others with their status; they had never truly fought tooth and nail.

Now, facing a real tough opponent, they were utterly lost, standing dumbfounded in place.

Li Ziyang’s face turned purple, his eyes rolled back, and he looked like he was about to pass out.

Yet no one dared to interfere with Zeng Xiaofan in the slightest.

Zeng Xiaofan cast a cold glance around at the bystanders, and one by one, they lowered their heads under his gaze.

Finally, his eyes settled on Li Ziyang’s face, and he spoke slowly and clearly:

“I, Zeng Xiaofan, am giving you face. You can take it.”

“But if I don’t give face, you have no right to force it!”

His voice was low, but to those around, it thundered like a shock.

His domineering presence surged forth, draining the color from their faces instantly.

Li Ziyang nodded repeatedly, his eyes full of terror.

At that moment, others noticed the unusual scene.

Chen Lini, sensing something was wrong, hurriedly called out:

“What’s going on? Fan Ge?”

Zeng Xiaofan smiled calmly and released Li Ziyang, his expression as casual as a breeze.

“Nothing. This guy just wanted to show off his drinking skills to me.”

“Right?”

Zeng Xiaofan lightly tapped Li Ziyang, who coughed a few times and nodded vigorously.

“Yeah, yeah…”

Li Ziyang dared not say more, quickly grabbing the wine glass from Zeng Xiaofan’s hand, filling it to the brim, and downing it in one gulp.

Zeng Xiaofan clapped his hands softly and said with a faint smile:

“Good!”

“Applause?”

He glanced at the surrounding group, and several rich young masters immediately nodded eagerly and began to applaud enthusiastically.

“Yes, yes, very good!”

“Good, good…”

Their faces pale but forcing smiles, they watched as Zeng Xiaofan sat back down.

Only then did they slink away, humiliated.

Li Ziyang’s face was even more sullen than if he had swallowed something foul.

He had intended to mock Zeng Xiaofan, but never expected such a fierce backlash—it was like shooting himself in the foot.

Frustrated, he hurriedly pulled his provocatively dressed girlfriend, clad in an ultra-short skirt, to the side.

Liu Yujie noticed the change in atmosphere and followed, whispering a few words to Li Ziyang.

Li Ziyang responded quietly, and Liu Yujie glanced at Zeng Xiaofan with a look mixing surprise, contempt, and amusement.

Zeng Xiaofan ignored their whispered conversation and returned to his seat to continue eating.

Before long, a middle-aged woman in a dazzling red evening gown and heavy makeup knocked and entered, her voice sultry:

“Good evening, Young Master Liu. I heard downstairs that you wanted to upgrade to the Imperial VIP room but couldn’t…”

“Really sorry, it’s already been taken by other guests today.”

“To make up for it, please accept this bottle of 1998 Lafite on the house.”

“Apologies again~”

Her words caused another stir among the crowd.

Liu Yujie’s face beamed with pride as he nodded arrogantly:

“Madam, you really know how to treat people. Thank you!”

“Just hearing you say that makes my day. I won’t hold it against them.”

“Of course, thank you for your kindness, Young Master Liu~”

The middle-aged beauty lightly clasped Liu Yujie’s arm and coquettishly fluttered her eyelashes.

Her strong perfume and stunning appearance left everyone momentarily dazed.

After she left, the crowd erupted again:

“Wow! Only Young Master Liu could get the madam herself to toast him!”

“Yeah, to have the madam personally come over like that!”

“No kidding, that woman’s got some real style…”

“I wonder what kind of man could satisfy a mature beauty like that—she looks like she’s been through a lot…”

One young man’s eyes gleamed lecherously, prompting another to quickly hush him:

“Shh! Don’t talk nonsense…”

“That madam is not someone we can mess with.”

“Pfft, she’s just a restaurant owner. What’s so great about that?”

“That woman belongs to Hao Ge… you think you can mess with her?”

“Hao Ge? Which Hao…”

The brash young man suddenly realized something, his face paling instantly:

“You mean Liu Tianhao… Hao Ge?”

A companion nodded:

“Who else? The stunning madam of Peach Blossom Feast—only Hao Ge could have her.”

At that, the group fell silent, the mood tense.

Even the usually arrogant Liu Yujie’s face paled slightly, cautious not to speak out of turn.

He forced a nervous smile:

“Uh… maybe we shouldn’t pry into Hao Ge’s affairs…”

“That guy’s some big-time underground boss…”

“Yeah, yeah, come on! Let’s drink! Drink up~”

Everyone quickly changed the subject, and the atmosphere warmed again.

After all, Liu Tianhao was a notorious underground kingpin in Biyuan City, infamous for his violent temper and ruthless methods.

Even these small-town rich kids had heard the stories.

One young boy, curious about the reaction, whispered:

“What’s Hao Ge’s background? Is he really that powerful?”

“Shh! Keep it down,” Li Ziyang said solemnly.

“Seriously? You haven’t heard of Hao Ge?”

“Let me put it this way: in Biyuan City, anyone who’s anyone knows Hao Ge.”

“He’s a legendary boss, nicknamed Mad Hao… totally insane…”

“Last year, some deadbeat owed him money and kept shirking the debt. Guess what happened?”

“That night, Hao Ge’s men dragged the guy to the train station, tied him to the tracks—scared him so bad he lost control.”

“The debtor immediately handed over all his secret savings, but Hao Ge still waited for the train to crush both his legs before sending him to the hospital…”

The tale left everyone speechless.