Chapter 25: Benefactor

“What!!! That kid actually dared to hit Old Zhou the Skinflint?”

“No way! Am I seeing things?”

“He’s in real trouble this time…”

“Exactly, Zhou’s got someone powerful backing him, otherwise he couldn’t swagger around town like this.”

“This boy is just too young and impulsive. He’s messed with someone way out of his league!”

The crowd buzzed with nervous chatter, all secretly anxious for Zeng Xiaofan.

Zhou Xiaohu was both shocked and furious, unable to believe anyone would dare lay a hand on him on his own turf.

“You!!!”

“You little bastard, you dare hit me!!!”

Zhou Xiaohu glared at Zeng Xiaofan, his eyes nearly spitting fire.

Zeng Xiaofan didn’t answer. Instead, he raised his hand and slapped him again.

Slap!

The sound rang out, crisp and sharp.

“I hit you, so what?”

“I don’t need to pick a special day to hit you, do I?”

“I’m hitting you because you’re a filthy, foul-mouthed scum!”

Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap!

Zeng Xiaofan’s hand fell again and again, leaving everyone utterly stunned.

“Incredible! He’s absolutely wild!”

“Arrogant! He’s even more arrogant than Old Zhou!”

“Still… I have to admit, this is so satisfying to watch.”

“It’s a pity, though. No matter how satisfying it is, this kind of impulsiveness brings endless trouble. Zhou’s got real connections…”

Everyone looked at Zeng Xiaofan’s brash display, shaking their heads. In their hearts, they were sure he was doomed.

Zhou Xiaohu was completely dumbfounded. He’d only ever raised his hand to others—never had he been humiliated like this!

“You son of a bitch!!! You… you’re dead!”

Realizing he was no match for Zeng Xiaofan, Zhou Xiaohu clutched his face and pulled out his phone to make a call.

Moments later, a van packed with men screeched to a halt at the curb.

As the door slid open, a gang of burly thugs, armed with machetes and iron rods, poured out and quickly surrounded Zeng Xiaofan.

“Hey, punk! Damn you!”

“Weren’t you acting all tough just now?”

“Come on, show me how tough you are now!”

With his men behind him, Zhou Xiaohu immediately regained his swagger and started shouting.

Everyone thought Zeng Xiaofan would finally back down.

But Zeng Xiaofan only curled his lips into a slight smile and said coldly,

“Alright then!”

“I’ll show you just how tough I am!”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Zeng Xiaofan lifted his hand and slapped Zhou Xiaohu again.

Gasps rippled through the crowd—no one had expected that even now, he’d still be so brazen!

Zhou Xiaohu was driven mad with rage and howled,

“Kill him!!!”

“Break his legs!!!”

“Break his damn—!!!”

“Ruin him!!!”

Zhou Xiaohu, hysterical, grabbed a machete from one of his men and charged at Zeng Xiaofan.

The others surged forward, brandishing their weapons, the air filled with shouts and chaos.

Terrified, the onlookers screamed and scattered. Several girls shrieked and ran away.

Everyone thought Zeng Xiaofan was finished, surrounded by so many armed thugs.

But Zeng Xiaofan’s confidence was well-founded.

He remained calm as the men rushed him—not only did he not retreat, he strode forward to meet them!

With a powerful right kick, he sent Zhou Xiaohu sprawling to the ground.

Then came a flurry of lightning-fast punches, and one thug after another crumpled at his feet.

The crowd broke into exclamations of astonishment.

After a few moments, everyone was awestruck by Zeng Xiaofan’s skill.

“Who is this guy, anyway?”

“He’s incredible!”

“He’s trained in martial arts!”

“Not only can he fight, he looks amazing doing it! He’s practically superhuman…”

“A legend!!!”

“A legendary plus!!!”

The crowd cheered wildly, momentarily forgetting all about Zhou’s fearsome reputation, and burst into applause for Zeng Xiaofan.

In the blink of an eye, every thug willing to step forward had been floored, and the rest, seeing the tide turn, fled for their lives.

Only then did Zeng Xiaofan stroll slowly up to Zhou Xiaohu and say coldly,

“Had enough?”

“If not, call for more men. I’ll wait.”

Zhou Xiaohu nodded viciously.

“Fine! You think you’re tough, don’t you?!”

“You really don’t know what’s coming to you!”

“You can fight, huh? Let’s see how many you can take!”

Zhou Xiaohu picked up the phone and started calling in reinforcements. Within minutes, seven or eight more vans arrived.

The number of thugs doubled, then doubled again—soon, a black mass of over a hundred men surrounded Zeng Xiaofan.

This time, even the bystanders backed far away, and the atmosphere turned grim and murderous.

Zhou Xiaohu sneered,

“Well, well, didn’t see this coming, did you?”

“Didn’t expect I’d have this many at my command, did you?”

“You dare act tough on my turf? You should’ve learned who I am!”

He laughed coldly.

“I’ll give you a chance—get on your knees and kowtow to me three times right now, and I’ll let you keep one leg. Otherwise, you’ll never walk again!”

Zeng Xiaofan smiled crookedly, calmly stretched out a finger, and beckoned to Zhou Xiaohu.

“Come at me, all of you.”

“Still mouthing off!” Zhou Xiaohu roared. “Fine! Smash his mouth in first!”

At his command, the hundred-strong mob surged forward.

Just then, a clear voice rang out from behind the crowd,

“Stop!”

Everyone turned to look. A white Mercedes had appeared at the curb, and from it stepped a stunning woman in white tailored trousers, her shapely figure drawing every eye.

“Isn’t that Fan Bing, CEO of Clearwater Group?”

“That’s her! The legendary ‘Boss Fan’—the beautiful business queen! What’s she doing here?”

“My god, she’s even more beautiful in person than on TV!”

“Look at that figure, absolutely gorgeous!”

“Damn, what kind of man could ever deserve someone like Fan Bing…”

Someone recognized her, and a stir rippled through the crowd.

As the CEO of the largest taxpayer in Taoyuan County, Fan Bing carried natural prestige in the area.

Before starting her business, she’d worked in the entertainment industry, starring in numerous acclaimed films and TV shows—a true celebrity. Though she had left showbiz for personal reasons, her influence persisted, and her appearance drew all eyes immediately.

Zhou Xiaohu was no exception. The moment he saw Fan Bing, his eyes flashed with undisguised greed and desire.

But he quickly masked those emotions, replacing them with a look of respect, even sycophancy.

“President… President Fan!”

“Were you… were you talking to me just now?”

“What an honor! I’ve heard so much about you!”

He immediately bowed and extended his hand, eager for a handshake.

But Fan Bing ignored him completely, brushed past, and walked straight up to Zeng Xiaofan.

With a graceful bow, she said,

“Savior! Thank you for saving my life yesterday!”