C7 Troublesome Aunt

With an agonizing shriek, Master Zuo's little finger was swiftly severed by Zhang Cheng's blade.

Truth be told, Zhang Cheng had an aversion to such gory acts, feeling somewhat queasy inside. Yet, to uncover the truth about the events of that year, he was prepared to go to extreme lengths.

"Speak or die?" Zhang Cheng's voice was light, yet it sent shivers down Master Zuo's spine. A veteran of many battles, Master Zuo felt the proximity of death as never before.

"I'll talk! I'll talk!" Master Zuo could no longer bear the pain.

He spilled everything about the past incident.

But even after his account, Zhang Cheng was no closer to identifying the mastermind. Master Zuo recounted receiving a mysterious phone call that year, with an offer of 100,000 yuan upfront and a promise of a million upon completion.

Despite Zhang Cheng's persistent questioning, no further details were forthcoming.

Seeing Master Zuo's state, Zhang Cheng was convinced of his honesty.

Zhang Cheng picked up the half of the finger he had chopped off.

"Hand it over."

"Huh?" Master Zuo was momentarily confused, not grasping Zhang Cheng's intent.

"Your hand!" Zhang Cheng's tone grew more forceful, prompting Master Zuo to extend his hand.

Zhang Cheng reattached the severed digit.

Master Zuo's eyes bulged with bewilderment. What was this supposed to mean?

A severe itching sensation followed, and then Master Zuo reacted as if he had seen a ghost.

Incredibly, the finger had reattached itself. How could this be possible?

Flexing his pinky, Master Zuo would have doubted the entire episode if not for the bloodstains on the table and his palm, almost convincing him it had been an illusion.

"You're... you're definitely a ghost," Master Zuo stammered, his body shaking, his eyes wide with madness.

Zhang Cheng, too, was in discomfort. Reattaching the finger had nearly drained all of his Spiritual Force, and he suspected it would take days to recover.

But he had his reasons for doing what he did.

"I'm no ghost. Remember, I was once the boss of the Great Red Society! You're only in charge when I'm not around, just to help manage things, got it?"

Hearing Zhang Cheng's icy voice sent shivers down his spine. Master Zuo had no choice but to comply.

Before, he might have seen Zhang Cheng as merely a man of exceptional talent, but now, Zhang Cheng had ascended to a godlike status in his eyes. The methods Zhang Cheng had just employed had utterly upended his lifelong worldview. His heart was filled with fear and awe.

"What... what's your name, so I can let the others know?" Master Zuo's voice trembled.

Zhang Cheng pondered for a moment before shaking his head. "Never mind. There's no need for a change in leadership. You'll remain the boss, but from now on, you'll follow my directives, got it?"

"Understood, understood," Master Zuo replied, nodding vigorously.

Zhang Cheng asked for his phone number and entered it into his outdated Android phone. Through their conversation, he learned that the real name of the Great Hong Association's boss was Zuo Kun.

Zhang Cheng instructed Zuo Kun to thoroughly investigate the past kidnapping case and to find out who was behind that mysterious phone call.

Zuo Kun promised to leave no stone unturned in his investigation.

Afterward, Zhang Cheng gave him his own mobile number before taking his leave. He wasn't worried about Zuo Kun trying any tricks; his previous display had undoubtedly left a lasting impression.

By the time it was past 5 p.m., Zhang Cheng arrived at a phone store and purchased a new phone. He was fed up with his old Android phone's sluggishness—watching videos at night and having it freeze was intolerable for a bachelor like him!

With a brand new Xiaomi 9 in hand, Zhang Cheng cheerfully hailed a cab.

It wasn't until he returned to the Liwen Garden District that he realized he hadn't bought any new clothes. He couldn't remember how long he'd been wearing the same worn-out attire...

As the sky darkened, Zhang Cheng decided against going out again, considering most places were closed by then.

Inside his villa, Zhang Cheng enjoyed his new phone and the large TV, casually smoking and relaxing.

Zhao Qingyu hadn't come home last night and was absent tonight as well. What Zhang Cheng found even more puzzling was the continued absence of his sister-in-law.

By 11pm, he was ready to retire to his room for the night when his sister-in-law burst in, frantic.

"Hey, hey! Got any cash on you?"

Zhang Cheng was taken aback, unsure of what was troubling his sister-in-law, but he did have nearly half a million yuan on him, all from cashing Zhao Qingyu's check the day before yesterday.

"A few hundred thousand, why?"

"I need it now! It's urgent, hurry!"

Zhang Cheng shook his head emphatically. He wasn't about to be fooled; he had finally amassed a small fortune and planned to splurge on new clothes tomorrow. Why would he hand it over to his sister-in-law?

"Give it to me! I'll pay you back later, okay?"

Seeing the desperation in his sister-in-law's eyes, Zhang Cheng grew suspicious.

"What's the matter? Explain yourself, and maybe I'll consider it."

"Why all the questions? Just give it to me."

Her voice dropped, her gaze darting away.

Zhang Cheng laughed lightly.

"Without a clear explanation, I'm not parting with any money."

Zhao Qingya's face flushed with urgency, and after a long pause, she finally spoke, "You can't tell my sister or anyone else what I'm about to say!"

"Mhmm, I won't breathe a word, I promise."

She seemed to doubt his sincerity.

"Swear to it!"

"Alright, I swear."

"That's not a proper oath! Say the whole thing!"

Ugh...

Zhang Cheng was at a loss.

"I swear, if I spill today's secrets to anyone, may I... may I never find a wife. Satisfied?"

Upon hearing such a dire oath, his sister-in-law relented.

She revealed that earlier in the afternoon, she and eight of her close high school friends had gone out. They'd had a few drinks, and somehow, one of the guys got into a heated argument with someone at the bar.

The altercation escalated quickly.

As the chaos unfolded, only she and two of her girlfriends refrained from joining in the fray.

The other six guys had also had a bit too much to drink. They were close friends and, in the heat of the moment, charged into the fray.

The scuffle resulted in a lot of broken items.

The bar owner was no pushover. He demanded 100,000 yuan from each person, threatening that they wouldn't be allowed to leave otherwise.

She was determined to get the money to free them.

With a hint of red in her eyes, the sister-in-law finished her story.

"My classmate is usually such a gentle soul. How could he get into a fight? If it weren't for him, the others wouldn't have resorted to violence."

Zhang Cheng gave a wry smile.

"Were you at that bar yesterday afternoon?"

His sister-in-law nodded, looking puzzled.

"Did you end up spending lavishly?"

"How did you know? I even tipped a waiter a thousand yuan."

Zhang Cheng paused, taken aback.

This sister-in-law was something else.

The bar was probably shady to begin with. Seeing her throw money around and dressed in designer labels, and now this fight, it seemed likely that the bar owner had set a trap for them.

"How much money do you have on you?" Zhang Cheng inquired.

"I've got about 200,000 yuan," she replied.

"Your sister gave me 500,000 yuan a few days back, and I've got 100,000 yuan myself. Transfer 200,000 yuan to me on your phone, and let's go help them out together."