C11 The Wind and Clouds Were Surging

Faang Ming was fearless. With swift steps, he sidestepped a thug's machete, seized his collar, and hurled him aside. This left Faang Ming's back exposed, giving the others a chance to strike. But they underestimated him. It was as if he had eyes in the back of his head; sensing the incoming iron rod, he ducked and swept his right leg, sending his attackers tumbling to the ground in agony.

"Damn! Are this kid's legs made of iron?" Lee Dafeng muttered, shivering from his hiding spot.

As the assailants continued their charge, Faang Ming's resolve hardened. He evaded an iron rod with a swift hand movement and struck back fiercely, landing blows on the backs of two men.

"Ah!"

Their screams were brief; they collapsed, faces contorted in pain. Faang Ming had held back; otherwise, they might not have screamed at all.

In no time, Faang Ming had laid out eight or nine burly men. The rest, seeing him approach with the iron rod, scrambled away in terror, as if cursing their own legs for not being fast enough.

Lee Dafeng hadn't expected a sudden retreat. Before he could flee, Faang Ming's strong grip was on his neck, pinning him to the ground. Trembling with fear, Lee Dafeng pleaded, "Brother Faang, Big Faang, Lord Faang, please spare me! I'll never dare again."

"Why would there be a next time?" Faang Ming asked, his brow furrowed.

"No... no more next times, I swear I won't dare again," Lee Dafeng stammered.

With that, Faang Ming let go and sent Lee Dafeng flying with a kick. "Get out of here! If it weren't for Aunt Lee needing her only son, you'd be on your way to the police station by now."

Relieved, Lee Dafeng bolted, paying no mind to his groaning companions.

"Faang Ming, are you okay? Are you hurt?" Chu Ning'er rushed over, inspecting him as if she feared he'd been injured.

"I'm fine, Ning'er. They're nothing to worry about," Faang Ming reassured her.

Chu Ning'er's anxiety eased. Looking at the men on the ground, she asked, "What about them?"

"We'll take them to the police station. You don't still believe Lee Dafeng's nonsense, do you? It's time he learned his lesson," Faang Ming said after a moment's thought.

"Okay!" Chu Ning'er agreed, finding his logic sound.

"Sister Ning'er, head home and wait for me. I'll drop these guys off at the Arrowguard police station and then come back," Faang Ming instructed.

"Alright, but be careful," Chu Ning'er advised, still concerned.

"You lot, get up and get in the car. Or do I need to carry you?" Faang Ming called out to the whimpering men on the ground.

And so, Faang Ming drove straight to the Arrowguard police station, delivering the culprits.

When questioned by the officers about the incident, Faang Ming simply explained, "They tried to vandalize my rose plantation, and I caught them red-handed, so I brought them in."

Faang Ming's straightforward explanation initially raised some skepticism among the officers at the police station. They proceeded to question the individuals who had been brought in, yet without exception, their accounts echoed Faang Ming's to the letter.

This was, of course, the result of Faang Ming's threats en route; under his pressure, they obediently complied, careful not to deviate from his story.

After making a few statements, Faang Ming left the police station with ease.

Once Faang Ming was gone, the officers checked the identities of the individuals and were shocked to find that they were all gangsters.

A few days after Faang Ming returned home, events unfolded just as he had predicted. Lee Dafeng continued to send henchmen to stir up trouble, though he was too frightened to show up himself.

Faang Ming dealt with the troublemakers with ease, employing the same tactics and once again delivering them to the police station.

The police began to sense that there was more to Faang Ming than met the eye. In a matter of days, he had sent two to three dozen people their way, all verified members of the Black Dragon Gang.

Yet, their testimonies matched Faang Ming's account perfectly, leaving the police with no angle to initiate an investigation.

Despite this, the officers couldn't fathom why two to three dozen gangsters would wantonly vandalize a rose garden. It seemed utterly absurd.

"Zhang, not only are you the pride of our station, but you're also our finest detective. What's your take on this?" In the Arrowguard office, a balding middle-aged man inquired of a composed young woman.

"Director Liu, this situation is anything but ordinary. If Faang Ming were just an average Joe, could he really convince hardened gangsters to turn themselves in willingly?"

"My investigation has revealed that these individuals are not only gangsters but also members of the Black Dragon Gang. They're notoriously brutal, and they've been linked to several recent murders. It's hard to believe such a ruthless gang would easily submit to a young man."

The speaker was Zhang Ruoyu, the celebrated detective of the Arrowguard station, renowned for her beauty and exceptional investigative skills.

"Hmm, Zhang, your analysis makes sense. However, our checks show that Faang Ming is just a regular young man from Autumnhold. Here's all the information we have on him. We can't just knock on his door and interrogate him; he's unlikely to confess even if we did."

"Plus, the kid's clearly dodging us. Every time we record his statement, he insists he didn't know they were gangsters and denies any feuds." The bald director expressed his frustration.

"Director Liu, I'm really intrigued by this guy. Please authorize me to go undercover to Autumnhold and investigate him discreetly. I promise to bring back a report that will satisfy you," Zhang Ruoyu said, ready for the challenge.

"But isn't that a bit much? He hasn't broken any laws, and he's just an ordinary person. What's more, if something happens to you, I'd have to answer to your father—we've been friends for years."

"Oh, come on! Nothing will go wrong. Don't you trust my abilities?" Zhang Ruoyu pleaded, turning on the charm.

Eventually, won over by Zhang Ruoyu's eloquent appeal, the bald director relented.

"Hehe, fantastic! Thank you, Director! You'll be hearing from me soon," Zhang Ruoyu said with a confident smile.

"Hold on! Take this gun with you. Use it for self-defense if necessary. If you don't uncover anything, just come back after a few days," the director advised, handing over his service weapon to Zhang Ruoyu.

"No way, Uncle Liu! You can't do this—it's against the rules. If the higher-ups catch wind of it, you'll be disciplined," Zhang Ruoyu expressed her concern.

"Ah, I'm aware, Ruoyu. But what can I do when your father and I are such good friends? Just remember to use it only as a last resort," the bald chief said with a resigned look.

"I won't forget, I promise!" Ruoyu replied with gratitude, then left the police station. After quickly packing her belongings, she boarded the bus to Autumnhold the following day.

In a dimly lit room in Arrowguard City, Lee Dafeng sat in a chair, furiously smoking. The floor was littered with cigarette butts, a clear testament to his inner turmoil.

Several thugs loitered in the cramped space, one of them speaking up, "Brother Lee, maybe we should just drop it. That kid's not normal. You've seen how many of our guys he's sent to the station."

Enraged, Lee Dafeng slammed his hand on the table and bellowed, "Nonsense! I made a promise to the boss to take that kid down a peg, and now, not only have I botched the job, but we've also lost good men. If I go back like this, the boss will have my head!"

"What can we do if we can't beat him?" the previous speaker chimed in again.

"What do you think I brought you all here for? Get to thinking of something, now!" Lee Dafeng snapped, clearly on edge.

One of the men stepped forward and offered, "Brother Lee, I might have a solution."

"What is it? Spit it out!" Lee Dafeng's eyes sparkled with a glimmer of hope.

"Remember Zhang Yijie from the Black Dragon Gang?"

"Cut to the chase, will you!" Lee Dafeng growled impatiently.

"Well, Brother Lee, don't forget that when Yijie was backed into a corner, you were the one who brought him into the gang. The kid's skilled, sure, but too principled for his own good—never really got on Wang Meng's good side. Why not call in a favor and have Yijie take a swing at it? With him, we might just have a shot at the kid."

Lee Dafeng slapped his forehead, exclaiming, "Of course! How could I have overlooked that?"

Meanwhile, Wang Meng, the head honcho of the Black Dragon Gang, was seething upon learning that Lee Dafeng had not only botched the task but also got over twenty of his men locked up. He was on a rampage, hunting for Lee Dafeng's whereabouts.

Zhao Hu, the gang's top enforcer, seized the moment to volunteer for the hit on Faang Ming, eager to score some points with Wang Meng.

Wang Meng was no fool. If twenty or thirty of his men couldn't handle a greenhorn, there had to be more to Faang Ming than met the eye. He decided to hold off on any rash moves and have someone dig a little deeper first.