C41 The Godly Doctor Xia Admitted His Identity

In the alleyway, Lee Chen was flanked by dozens of menacing figures, a flicker of indignation rising in his gaze.

"I bear no ill will toward any of you. What's the meaning of this?" he demanded, barely containing his irritation.

He had gone to great lengths to accompany Su Qingyin to A City, hoping to win her favor. Yet, on his very first day, he had run afoul of Lin Chen, that scoundrel, who had swindled him out of five hundred million yuan and embarrassed him in front of Qingyin. Now, it seemed every Tom, Dick, and Harry felt emboldened to hassle him.

"Look, we mean no harm, brother. We just want to have a word," one of the middle-aged men said, his smile polite but his eyes betraying a trace of scorn.

Back at the stone-gambling shop, Lee Chen's bets always turned up green—a miraculous skill. Anyone with sense would've made a beeline for a crowded place after cashing in. But Lee Chen had wandered into this alley, practically handing them an opportunity on a silver platter.

"Go with you?" Lee Chen's eyes narrowed, a chill glinting within. "And what if I refuse?"

He was convinced these were Lin Chen's goons, out for retribution.

"Guys, this kid's not the sharpest tool in the shed," the middle-aged man said to his cohorts, not expecting Lee Chen to comply without a fight. "Be careful not to damage his head when we get down to business, you catch my drift?"

The group murmured their assent, swiftly closing in on Lee Chen without a moment's hesitation.

"How long do you think Lee Chen can hold out, boss?" Qian Duoduo asked Lin Chen eagerly, watching from the mouth of the alley as Lee Chen braced for the onslaught.

"Hmm... Under normal circumstances, he should be able to hold out for a minute," Lin Chen responded without hesitation.

"Chen, you shouldn't underestimate Lee Chen," Su Qingyin warned. "He is, after all, the young master of the Lee family from the capital, and his strength has already reached the mid-Houtian realm. Meanwhile, the strongest among these folks are merely at the early Houtian stage."

Su Qingyin gave Lin Chen a meaningful look, subtly cautioning him.

"Qingyin, how about we make a bet?" Lin Chen proposed, his eyes alight with excitement. "I bet Lee Chen won't last a minute. If I win, just toss me a billion or so yuan. If you win, you name your prize. Fair enough?"

As Lin Chen gazed at her expectantly, a hint of resentment flickered in Su Qingyin's eyes. He had already tried to swindle her once with that calligraphy painting. Now, despite her friendly advice to watch out for Lee Chen's prowess, not only did he seem ungrateful, but he was also scheming to dupe her again? And where would she get a hundred billion yuan? If she had that kind of money, she'd have Lin Chen wrapped around her finger, writing and painting for her every day.

"Or maybe ten billion... or five billion would do?" Lin Chen suggested, undeterred by the look of grievance in Su Qingyin's eyes.

"I don't have any money, not a single penny!" Su Qingyin retorted, puffing her cheeks in frustration.

Determined not to be conned, Su Qingyin's stance left Lin Chen lost in thought.

"Chen, what's on your mind?" she inquired after a moment of his silence. "Did I say something wrong?"

"I'm pondering a serious question," Lin Chen replied gravely. "Is it that Qingyin is too clever, or has your brother Lin Chen's scamming skills taken a nosedive?"

"I..." Su Qingyin stammered, her pretty face clouding over with dismay. She had been genuinely concerned that Lin Chen might take offense.

Who would have guessed that this guy couldn't say anything nice?

What, am I too clever, or has your ability to swindle people taken a nosedive?

So, you're not satisfied until you've completely betrayed your own sister, huh?

"Qingyin, Lee Chen is about to take a beating."

"He did come here with you, after all. A little compensation might just persuade Chen to graciously save him."

"What do you say? It's a pretty sweet deal, right?"

Lin Chen watched as Lee Chen dominated the scene, doling out beatings left and right.

Then, turning to Su Qingyin with a smile, he remarked,

"I don't buy it. Plus, I'm not exactly flush with cash to wager against Chen."

"Whether Lee Chen ends up getting thrashed is no concern of mine."

A fleeting chill glinted in Su Qingyin's eyes as she spoke.

The power struggles among the capital's elite families were intricate and tangled.

She was well aware that Lee Chen's pursuit of her was merely at the behest of his family.

Their aim was simply to extract information about the Lin family's descendants from her own Su family.

"Well, looks like we're just in for a free show tonight," Lin Chen sighed, a hint of disappointment in his voice.

He glanced back at the fray where, in no time at all, Lee Chen had laid out a third of his opponents.

At this rate, he might just pull off an unexpected victory.

After a brief contemplation, Lin Chen casually picked up a few pebbles from the ground.

With a flick of his finger, the stones hit their mark on Lee Chen's body.

In the midst of the fight, Lee Chen's knees and shoulder blades erupted in pain, and he collapsed to the ground.

The onlookers seized the opportunity and swarmed him, quickly overpowering him.

"You scoundrels, release me!"

"Or else, I swear, I'll annihilate your entire families!"

Pinned down, with a boot crushing his face, Lee Chen's humiliation was eclipsed only by his rage.

Just like Lin Chen, these lowlifes resorted to dirty tricks when outmatched. Disgusting!

"Threatening to wipe out our families?"

"Listen, kid, if you don't spill the beans on that surefire secret of yours, you're in for it."

"Today, you're going to learn what it truly means to wish you were dead!"

The middle-aged man delivered a fierce kick to Lee Chen's abdomen and spoke with an icy tone.

Considering the number of people Lee Chen had injured, it was clear to him that this man was no ordinary character.

All he wanted now was to uncover the secret of the stone-gambling shop and make a quick getaway before Lee Chen's associates could seek retribution.

"The secret to a guaranteed green stone?"

"Hold on, you're after me just because of the stone-gambling incident?"

Lee Chen's realization hit him like a lightning bolt, and a deep murderous intent filled his eyes.

Was he suffering all this because of Lin Chen's treachery?

"The stone-gambling matter has nothing to do with me."

"It's all because of a scoundrel named Lin Chen who sent me to purchase these raw stones!"

With this thought, Lee Chen quickly set the record straight.

So Lin Chen wanted to set him up? Fine, he'll turn the tables and expose him. Let Lin Chen wait for these thugs to come knocking, ready to take him down!

"A guy named Lin Chen sent you to buy these raw stones?"

The middle-aged man's eyebrows arched, his skepticism palpable.

Lee Chen didn't appear to be lying, but the gravity of the secret demanded his caution.

At the mouth of the alley, Qian Duoduo's eyes widened with panic as Lee Chen spilled the beans about Lin Chen.

"Boss, what's our move?"

"If they get wind of this, they won't let you off the hook."

It wasn't just Qian Duoduo feeling the heat; even Su Qingyin's expression was tinged with concern.

Lin Chen's surefire stone-gambling scheme and his plan to pin it on Lee Chen might have been clever, but if the truth came out, it would all be for naught.

"What's the big deal?"

"Just hang tight. I'll be right back."

Lin Chen shrugged nonchalantly and strolled toward the center of the action.

The corner of Lee Chen's eye caught sight of Lin Chen entering the alley, and his face lit up with excitement.

Without a second thought, he blurted out to those around him, "That jerk is the one who had me buy those raw stones."

In that moment, he could almost see Lin Chen getting mobbed.

When the opportunity arose, he was determined to crush that scoundrel's legs underfoot.

"Kid, are you really the one behind all this?"

The middle-aged man stared intently at Lin Chen, skepticism evident in his gaze.

Clad in cheap streetwear, Lin Chen hardly looked the part of someone privy to the secrets of stone gambling.

"Absolutely, I'm the guy who can bet on stones and always hit green."

"I'm Lin Chen, a security guard with Ann's Group in A City."

Without a moment's hesitation, Lin Chen confirmed it.

He even volunteered his identity to the onlookers.

Before the crowd could process the information, Lin Chen's eyes fell on Lee Chen, who was pinned to the ground.

Biting back frustration, he addressed the onlookers, "Young Master Lee is from a prominent capital family."

"He's not involved in this."

"Release him, and I'll go with you. Plus, I'll share the stone gambling secret!"

Lee Chen's mind reeled at Lin Chen's declaration.

What in the world?

Was this guy really ready to throw himself to the wolves just to save me?

That's just not logical!

"Verify his identity."

The middle-aged man glanced at Lin Chen, then directed his men.

"Boss, everything the kid said is true."

"He really is a security guard at Ann's Group."

The subordinate quickly confirmed the facts to the middle-aged man.

"Folks, he's confessed voluntarily."

"What are you waiting for?"

"Go on, grab him before he bolts."

"Otherwise, you can kiss the stone gambling secret goodbye!"

Lee Chen, too agitated to ponder Lin Chen's motives, prodded the others urgently.

At the alley's mouth.

Qian Duoduo and Liu Wu were taken aback by Lin Chen's forthright admission.

If outsiders learned this secret, they might dodge today's bullet, but Lin Chen would face a relentless stream of future troubles.

"Brother Qian, use my phone to call Vice-chairman Liu for backup."

"I'm going to try and shield Brother Lin from some of the harm!"

Liu Wu handed his phone to Qian Duoduo with instructions.

As Liu Wu prepared to dive into the fray, Su Qingyin blocked his path.

"Miss Su, what's the meaning of this?"

"As fellow cultivators, you could at least help, but why stop me?"

Liu Wu, clearly displeased, questioned Su Qingyin.

"Consider their statuses carefully," he urged.

"Put yourself in their shoes. Who would you believe holds the secret to stone-gambling—Brother Lin Chen or Lee Chen?"

Su Qingyin replied to Liu Wu with composure.