C28 A Prediction

As Deng Chong spoke, he flashed a covert expression at his female secretary—a silent signal they both understood. His intent was clear: once she left, she was to swiftly alert Ma San, the bodyguard in the meeting room, to come over.

Deng Chong prided himself on his cleverness, convinced his actions were seamless.

But he was mistaken!

To Shen Yong, known as the White-face War God, Deng Chong's attempt at subtlety was as blatant as an elephant in the room.

Yet, Shen Yong chose to ignore it.

He mused to himself that it wouldn't matter who Deng Chong summoned; even if the entire Canned Food Factory staff came at him, they wouldn't stand a chance.

"Alright! Boss!" the secretary acknowledged, her legs shaking as she exited the office.

"Brother, just take a moment to calm down! I'm the director of this factory, Deng Chong. If you're facing any troubles, you can take your time and explain them to me. I'm here to help you sort them out! Please, no rash actions!" Deng Chong pleaded, dabbing at the blood trickling from his nose.

"You're the director?"

Shen Yong had expected the director to be middle-aged, not a young man roughly his own age.

Despite his youth, Deng Chong's speech was laced with an authoritative air, a clear sign of being steeped in a culture of leadership from a young age.

"Surprised to see such a young director, huh? Are you a worker here at the factory?" Deng Chong inquired, regaining his composure as he rose to his feet. "Is your family going through some hardship? Feel free to share any issues with me. I'm willing to consider helping you resolve them."

However, Deng Chong's words were merely a ruse, a tactic to buy time.

He was biding his time, waiting for his bodyguard, Ma San, to arrive and subdue Shen Yong.

Shen Yong made his way to a black leather loveseat in the office, inspecting it for cleanliness. Finding no stains or stray hairs, he reclined on it, a cold smile playing on his lips. "I'm not one of your factory workers. I'm just an ordinary farmer from Mountain Peach Village."

At the mention of Mountain Peach Village, Shen Yong didn't need to elaborate further. Deng Chong's heart sank as he grasped the full implication.

"A measly little farmer strutting into my office? I'll show you the meaning of cruelty soon enough!"

Deng Chong seethed inwardly, yet his face bore a deceitfully insincere grin, betraying his sly nature.

"Ah, so you're here about that Mountain Peach Village issue! Say no more, I've got the full picture. This is going to be a tough one to crack!"

Deng Chong exuded confidence as he continued, "But it's not impossible to fix! Since you've come to me, I'll offer you a solution!"

Shen Yong hadn't even mentioned his problem yet, and here was Deng Chong, ready with a solution. Did Deng Chong possess some sort of clairvoyance?

Shen Yong was genuinely curious to hear what Deng Chong's proposed solution would be.

"Oh, really? Well then, enlighten me. How do you propose we solve this?" Shen Yong asked, sitting up with interest.

"The easiest and most effective way to handle Mountain Peach Village's problem is to have your village chief, Lee Kun, kowtow to me three times to admit his wrongs. Then, have your village's loaders work in my factory for a month, for free, without any wages!"

Deng Chong thought smugly to himself, "And let's not forget about that fool Shen Wanshan from your village who toppled my truck, causing me a significant loss. He'll have to pay me two hundred thousand in damages. Only if you meet these three demands will I consider buying your village's peaches at 30% of the market price. Otherwise, those peaches can just rot on the trees!"

What was this madness?

Was Deng Chong this brazen?

He twisted the truth and had the audacity to insult Shen Yong's father right to his face!

Most people wouldn't stand for this, and Shen Yong was no exception.

Enraged, Shen Yong sprang up from the sofa and, without a word, landed a solid punch on Deng Chong's nose.

Deng Chong was sent flying, his feet lifting off the ground. He crashed onto the desk behind him and tumbled to the floor, spewing a mouthful of blood.

Just then, a figure appeared at the office doorway, a scar encircling his left eye, dagger in hand.

"Who are you? How dare you harm Young Master Deng!" Ma San bellowed.

"Ma San! Why the hell did it take you so long to get here?! Hurry up and take out this idiot in the green coat! His head's obviously not right!" Deng Chong spat out in fury.

Ma San, once a Sanshou fighter, later made a name for himself in the underground boxing rings with an impressive winning streak.

Despite Ma San's formidable reputation, he shared one weakness with Deng Chong: an insatiable lust.

The female secretary, upon reaching the conference room door, heard strange noises from within. Peeking through the gap, she caught Ma San in the midst of a steamy encounter with a female colleague.

Fearing interruption and wary of Ma San's lecherous nature, she waited outside until their tryst ended before timidly knocking and relaying the news to Ma San.

Rushing to the scene, Ma San arrived too late; Deng Chong had already taken a beating from Shen Yong.

"Alright, Young Master Deng! I swear, this green-clad fool won't leave here in one piece!"

Clutching his dagger, Ma San charged at Shen Yong, aiming for his throat. But as he drew close, Shen Yong anticipated his move, and with a swift kick to the stomach, sent Ma San flying. He crumpled against the wall like a sack of mud and slid down, unconscious.

In the Cloud River County's underground boxing world, Ma San was known as "One-Punch Ma San" for his record of 23 knockouts at the start of his matches!

Deng Chong had paid a hefty sum to recruit Ma San as his personal bodyguard from the boxing scene.

Yet, there Ma San lay, the man with the dagger, flung aside like a paper doll before even laying a finger on Shen Yong.

"How... how is this possible!?" Deng Chong, propping himself up on the desk, stared in disbelief, his eyes bulging.

"Hmph! You think you can threaten me with that dagger? You're out of your league!" Shen Yong scoffed with a cold sneer.

"Who exactly are you? There's no way you're just a run-of-the-mill farmer!"

Deng Chong's brow furrowed as he asked with palpable tension, "What's your name? Are you affiliated with the Gray Path?"

Deng Chong hadn't been able to get a clear read on Shen Yong's abilities when he was on the receiving end of the beating.

But he had seen, with crystal clarity, the kick Shen Yong delivered to Ma San.

That kick was precise, swift, and packed a wallop; it was beyond the capabilities of any regular farmer.

Deng Chong had some dealings with folks from the Gray Path in Cloud River County and had picked up a thing or two about some of their heavy hitters.

That's why he was so eager to pin down Shen Yong's name, to figure out if he had inadvertently crossed a major player.

"You're overthinking it! I'm not mixed up in any Dao! I'm truly just a plain, ordinary, straightforward farmer!"

Shen Yong's expression darkened as he continued, "You want my name? Sure, you can have it! But first, you need to demonstrate some real sincerity! Otherwise, you'll end up in even worse shape than him!"

With that, Shen Yong gestured towards Ma San, crumpled at the foot of the wall.