C56 After Being Slapped in the Face the Grudges Were Resolved

Yan Zhuang's face still bore the marks of a recent bruising.

His laughter was quite comical.

Yet, no one joined in.

Everyone present was stunned by his sudden betrayal.

This included the boys who had been following him.

Yan Zhuang was Wang Chengxin's close friend and the ringleader of their group. Now, shockingly, he had turned on Wang Chengxin for the sake of Lin Dong.

It was completely unexpected!

Yan Zhuang ignored the reactions around him and strode over to Lin Dong. Turning to face the boys behind him, he declared, "Listen up, everyone. If anyone dares to lay a finger on my brother Dong today, they're answering to me, Yan Zhuang!"

With those words, Yan Zhuang exuded the air of an elder brother.

His days spent at the Hongmei Disco had exposed him to unsavory elements, and he had a reputation that could intimidate even the other students.

His friends followed his lead without question.

Although Wang Chengxin was wealthy, when it came to influence, Yan Zhuang had the upper hand.

Moreover, they were on the turf of Yan Zhuang's cousin, Yan Guanglee.

The boys all nodded in agreement.

Just then, Wang Chengxin emerged from beneath the table.

Clutching his stomach in anger, he glared at Yan Zhuang and bellowed, "What's your problem? Why did you hit me!?"

Yan Zhuang didn't bother with an explanation. Dismissively, he gestured and commanded, "Get him out of here, so he's not an eyesore to Dong!"

The boys still heeded his words. Upon his command, they approached Wang Chengxin to escort him away.

Wang Chengxin resisted desperately, yelling, "I won't go! Let me go! Touch me and I'll fight back!"

"Come on, Brother Zhuang has given the order!"

"Just do as you're told, or it's going to hurt a lot more!"

"Grab his shoulders!"

...

The boys swarmed him, and despite Wang Chengxin's fury, he was powerless to resist and was hauled away.

Only four or five boys remained with Yan Zhuang.

Silence fell over the scene abruptly.

Liu Wenming exchanged glances with Tian Chao and Zhou Hengyu, and the disbelief was palpable in their eyes.

None of them could fathom the reason behind the sudden change. Moments ago, the atmosphere was charged with aggression, and Yan Zhuang had been right in the thick of it, even knocking Tian Chao to the ground. Yet, in Lin Dong's presence, his bravado seemed to have evaporated.

Lin Dong had a hint of understanding. He offered Yan Zhuang a slight smile and said, "You've done well. I'm quite pleased with your actions."

At the mention of Lin Dong's approval, Yan Zhuang's face broke into a wide grin. "Haha! As long as Dong's happy, that's all that matters. Today's incident was just a big misunderstanding, all thanks to Wang Chengxin's misguided orders. I'll make sure he learns his lesson!"

Lin Dong allowed himself another smile, but his gaze sharpened as he added, "A misunderstanding it may be, but my brothers were still hurt. How do you propose we resolve this?"

Yan Zhuang was taken aback by the turn of events. He had thought a few kind words would put the matter to rest, but Lin Dong wasn't letting it go that easily.

Zhou Hengyu discreetly pulled at Lin Dong's sleeve, signaling that it might be time to drop the issue. Escalating tensions now would only lead to more trouble. They had all managed to walk away without serious harm; it was best to leave while they could.

But Lin Dong stood his ground, his unwavering gaze fixed on Yan Zhuang.

Under that intense scrutiny, Yan Zhuang clenched his jaw and, with a swift motion, slapped himself across the face three times, each hit resonating with sincerity.

Liu Wenming, Tian Chao, Zhou Hengyu, and Ma Chenchen were all taken aback by the display.

Yan Zhuang, still facing Lin Dong, said, "Dong, I was in the wrong. I've punished myself as an apology. I hope the three brothers can forgive me."

Lin Dong glanced back at Liu Wenming and the others. Liu Wenming hurriedly interjected, "Hey, let's call it even. We're square now."

He was visibly shaken, not just by Yan Zhuang's self-inflicted punishment, but also by the man's deference to Lin Dong, which was puzzling. He didn't want to stir up more trouble.

Tian Chao and Zhou Hengyu nodded in agreement. It was a situation where doing less meant more. They had received an apology and even witnessed Yan Zhuang's self-reproach, which salvaged their pride and settled the matter.

Lin Dong noticed his friends weren't pressing the issue, so he said, "Good, let's put this matter to rest."

Yan Zhuang breathed a sigh of relief.

Aware of Lin Dong's formidable connections (or so he believed), he wanted to avoid retaliation and the risk of dragging his cousin Yan Guanglee's turf into trouble. Bowing his head at this moment was a move for self-preservation.