C7 Identity

Splash!

A basin of water soaked the hefty man to the bone, jolting him awake. As he recalled the events leading up to his blackout, he was about to explode in anger, only to find himself tied to a tree like livestock. Su Wen stood before him, eyeing him with amusement.

"Damn it, let me go! Do you have a death wish? Do you even know who I am?"

"Oh, I don't know, nor do I care. I'm just curious about the name of the big shot pulling the strings."

The hefty man scoffed.

"You think you're worthy of knowing my boss's name?"

"Heh, you sure talk tough for a fat pig."

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Suer sat on a tiny stool, her gaze fixed on the scene as Su Wen laid into the hefty man. Despite the brutality, she listened with keen interest, never growing tired of anything related to Su Wen.

"Big brother, please, no more... I can't take it..."

Ever since the hefty man had started working for his boss, he hadn't taken such a beating. He was used to being the one dishing out the punches, not receiving them.

"Oh."

Su Wen showed no signs of letting up, and the hefty man's face swelled even more from the beating.

"Stop! My boss will make you pay! Do you have any idea who he is? You'd be terrified if I told you!"

Su Wen's lips twisted into a smirk, realizing he didn't even need to ask.

"Oh, I'm shaking in my boots."

"My boss is Young Master Su! You've heard of Su's Group, right? That's his family's business! Lay another finger on me, and you'll regret it!"

"Goodness, are you talking about Su Tanhua?"

Su Wen feigned astonishment, and the hefty man finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"You're pretty well-informed, kid. Now untie me!"

Baldy Chen sauntered over, affectionately ruffling Suer's hair.

"Wen, I've heard of this Su Tanhua guy. He's bad news, using his family's money to recruit thugs and terrorize the streets. He preys on pretty girls. Just recently, I heard he drove a female college student to suicide. And yet, he faced no consequences."

"Oh? The Su family wields that much influence now?"

Baldy Chen's face was seething with frustration.

"When you left, the Su family was just a small, obscure clan. But in recent years, a woman named Su Xia took charge and revitalized Su's Group. Now they call the shots. Actually, I haven't heard of any other Su family members causing trouble, except for this Su Tanhua. He's a real piece of work, using his family's money and influence to act above the law. Wen, we're no match for someone like that. I'm thinking it's best to take Suer and lay low back home for a while."

Su Wen looked bemused.

"Old Chen, did you forget? I'm a Su too..."

"Cut the crap. There are plenty of Sus out there. If you were one of them, would you be out on the streets dressed like a beggar? To me, it seems like nothing beats being born into the right family. That Su Tanhua is the lowest of the low, yet he's thriving."

Old Chen wasn't being alarmist. Su Wen wasn't particularly bothered, but Su Tanhua's reputation in Shengjing was indeed significant, albeit for all the wrong reasons.

"Did you hear that, kid? Release me now! You'll regret it when my boss gets involved! Every tough guy from the east to the west side of the city has ties to my boss. By the time they're done with you, you won't even know how you died!"

Su Wen couldn't help but be amused. He never imagined that Su Tanhua, whom he used to beat up as a kid, would become so infamous, almost to the point of being a boogeyman to scare children.

"Fine, if your boss is so incredible, let him come. I'll be waiting."

...

Su Tanhua was like a teapot without a spout, full of bitterness with no way to pour it out. He had finally found some sense of superiority in recent years, but as soon as Su Wen returned, he was knocked back down to earth. He had wanted to regain his standing, but instead, his father, a man with a dark disposition, gave him a harsh scolding.

"Father, that punk had the nerve to disgrace me as soon as he returned! He even took my car! We can't let him get away with this arrogance!"

"Idiot! Can't you see which branch of the Su family holds power now? Su Xia, that wretched girl, is in charge, and we can't afford to cross her at the moment. And you! Here I am, racking my brain trying to get on Su Wen's good side, and you've already managed to offend him!"

"Father, I..."

"Go find him now! That new car you bought has satellite positioning, doesn't it? Use it to find him! Apologize profusely! Do you know how to grovel? Just mimic how your underlings bow and scrape to you!"

"Father, isn't this a bit too..."

"You don't know anything! Get going! Are my words falling on deaf ears?"

Su Tanhua feared two people the most: Su Wen, who always smiled at him, and his stern father, Su Mingshan, who was now standing before him with a dark expression.

After his son slinked out of the room, Su Mingshan cleared his throat, and a gaunt man emerged from the back room.

"Mr. Hu, I'm doing the right thing, aren't I?"

With the Su family's rising fortunes, Su Mingshan's status had soared, especially as the uncle of the Su family's powerholder, Su Xia, making him a VIP in Shengjing. It was unusual for him to be so deferential to such an unremarkable man.

"Now is the time to feign weakness. Ms. Su Xia and her brother won't last long. Once I make my move, the Su family will be yours for the taking, won't it?"

"Ha, very well, Mr. Hu, I'm relying on you. But Ms. Su Xia isn't easy to handle. Are you confident?"

"Eighty to ninety percent sure. There are no guarantees in life."

Since the passing of the former patriarch, Su Daichuan, the Su family estate had been shrouded in gloom. Neither Su Wen nor Su Xia wanted to return, preferring to stay at the company. Eventually, Su Xia even set up her own branch of the family.

...

"Hey, what's going on?"

"Boss, it's me, Fatty Three."

Fatty had taken a beating from Su Wen. Despite his scholarly appearance, Su Wen was more vicious in a fight than any thug.

"Spit it out!"

"The girl you had us keep tabs on..."

"What about her? Has her family finally agreed? Hahaha, excellent, you've done well!"

"No, no, it's not that. The brothers all took a fall today... Some young guy came out of nowhere and stirred things up, even had the nerve to say he'd give us a beating, and break your three legs..."

"What! Are you guys pigs or something? You're usually so tough and ready to fight, and you let one guy take you all down?"

"He... He also said he wanted you to come over so he could give you a proper education in person..."

"What the hell? Who is this little punk? Tell him to wait; I'll be there as soon as I'm done here. If I don't beat him so bad his own mother can't recognize him, I don't deserve my last name!"

The phone slammed down, leaving the chubby man visibly mortified. Su Wen wore an amused look.

"So, when is your boss supposed to get here?"

"Uh..."

Just then, a young man entered the front of the noodle shop, bellowing in a hoarse voice.

"Hello? Is anybody here?"

Su Wen's smile turned sly, recognizing the voice—it was none other than Su Tanhua.