Chapter 20: I Still Prefer You Unruly and Defiant

Teacher Li was stunned, her mouth agape.

"Mr. Ye Long, what are you planning to do?"

"Die with your eyes closed? You... you don't mean to kill Mr. Zhang, do you?"

Ye Long did not refute her; instead, a playful smirk spread across his face. The twenty martial artists immediately stepped forward, surrounding the two. Once he was certain that Zhang Fan could not escape, Ye Long continued his taunts.

"What else could it be?"

"His daughter dared to disfigure my son!"

"Since that's the case, don't blame me for being ruthless. Tonight is the death date for both father and daughter."

Teacher Li was nearly frantic with anxiety. Is this something I was supposed to hear? If he is speaking so plainly in front of me, doesn't that mean he intends to kill me too? The thought terrified her, and her complexion turned ghastly pale.

"Mr. Ye Long, I was there that day."

"It was truly your son, Ye Xiu, who went too far, which provoked student Zhang Qingyun’s extreme reaction. Ultimately, this is a matter between children. Please, don't be impulsive! If this comes to light, aren't you afraid of the consequences?"

Ye Long laughed in anger. He pointed a finger at Zhang Fan, his eyes splitting with rage.

"Fine! Matters between children, I won't pursue. But he shaved my wife’s head bald—that is a disgrace to me!"

"I am the mighty Ye Long, the richest man in Hai City. Everyone fears me, yet he dared to do this. He must die!"

Teacher Li’s delicate frame trembled uncontrollably. She was on the verge of tears. What kind of situation is this? She had only wanted to get a little closer to Mr. Zhang, and now she was about to become a pair of doomed lovers?

Zhang Fan, however, showed no signs of fear from start to finish.

"Are you done?"

"If you're going to talk so much nonsense, you might as well just make your move."

Teacher Li’s body trembled again. If Zhang Fan wasn't afraid, it meant he had a plan! Yes, that must be it.

Teacher Li’s face was deathly white as she hid behind Zhang Fan, whispering in a low voice, "Mr. Zhang, my life is in your hands. If we survive this, I... I will serve you in every way you can imagine!"

Zhang Fan was speechless. What is going on in this woman's head?

Ye Long’s eyes turned cold. Having been provoked, he was clearly enraged, his expression darkening to the extreme.

"Zhang Fan, do you think I'm joking with you?"

"The number of people who have died at my hands is at least a dozen!"

"Since I dared to bring men to deal with you tonight, there is no way you are leaving here alive."

Zhang Fan felt nothing but boredom.

"Cut the crap."

Ye Long’s eyes widened. "You!!!"

"Get him! Kill him! I will take responsibility for all consequences!"

At Ye Long’s command, the twenty well-trained martial artists closed in on Zhang Fan from all directions. Zhang Fan remained motionless in the face of the lead thug. He didn't even make a move when the man was only a few meters away.

Ye Long breathed a sigh of relief. No wonder he was so arrogant. It turns out he knew death was inevitable and just decided to give up.

A sneer crossed the lead thug’s mouth. He gripped a dagger and lunged straight for Zhang Fan’s throat.

"In your next life, be more careful. Not everyone in this world is someone you can afford to offend."

"You..."

Before he could finish, *bang!*

The thug looked down in disbelief, seeing blood gushing from his chest. He looked up again to see a gun in Zhang Fan’s hand, a wisp of smoke drifting from the barrel.

How is this possible...

The thug collapsed and died on the spot.

Zhang Fan looked at the stunned Ye Long, feeling a bit shocked himself.

"Hey, buddy. I mean, what century is this? Still using cold weapons for an assassination?"

"What?"

Before Ye Long could react, *bang! Bang! Bang!*

A dozen shots rang out in rapid succession until the magazine was empty. All thirteen thugs lay dead on the ground. The remaining seven were so terrified they had wet their pants. Not one of them dared to move forward!

"Within seven steps, the blade is quick and lethal?" Go to hell! Whoever said that must have never faced modern firearms! They had no idea how terrifying they were! Even these seven martial arts experts dared not approach Zhang Fan.

Ye Long, a man of the world, had veins bulging on his neck in fury. "What are you dazed for? Charge and kill him!"

"He fired over a dozen shots; he must be out of ammo! Do it now!"

But how could the seven men dare to move? Out of ammo? In this pitch-black forest, without a fire, it was impossible to tell what kind of handgun Zhang Fan was holding. Some pistols could hold dozens of rounds! Who the hell knew if Zhang Fan had a spare magazine?

One of the thugs cursed loudly. "Ye Long, you’re out of your mind!"

"What? You’re betting your life that his gun is empty? Who do you think you are, a movie hero? It’s not your life on the line! Screw this, I’m out!"

As the first thug fled in terror, the remaining six followed suit, leaving Ye Long alone.

Watching Zhang Fan walk slowly toward him, Ye Long demonstrated the concept of "the wise man submits to circumstances" perfectly. Without a moment's hesitation, he fell to his knees before Zhang Fan, putting on a fawning smile.

"Zhang Fan, you can't kill me. I am the richest man in Hai City."

"If you kill me, it won't just shake Hai City; it will shake all of China, and even the world."

"You will be exposed! If nothing else, the ballistics will trace the bullets back to your identity."

Zhang Fan looked at Ye Long with amusement. In an instant, the hot barrel of the gun pressed against Ye Long’s forehead.

At that moment, every pore on Ye Long's body exploded with cold sweat! An endless chill surged from within, and his voice carried a distinct, whimpering tremor.

"Zhang Fan, I know I was wrong, truly!"

"I won't dare to do it again, I really won't! If you let me go, I’ll transfer a huge sum of money to you, and I’ll have my son transfer schools immediately. What do you say?"

Zhang Fan smiled playfully, finding it quite interesting, and turned to translate for Teacher Li.

"The first sentence translates to: 'Damn it, I wasn't well-prepared today.'"

"The second sentence is: 'Once I’m prepared, I’ll come back for you!'"

"The third one is even simpler..."

Teacher Li, having caught on, blurted out, "As soon as you let him go, he’s going back to get his armed security team to turn you and your daughter into sieves."

Zhang Fan looked back at Ye Long’s shattered expression and smiled slightly.

"I still prefer how you looked earlier—arrogant and unyielding."

"Didn't you love to guess? Now, take a guess: is there a bullet left in this gun or not?"

Ye Long’s mind went blank. How could this be! Looking at Zhang Fan’s demeanor, he really wanted to kill him! But how dare he?! Could my assessment of him be wrong? If he can have Zhu Qing'an chasing after him, perhaps his background is deep enough to rival the Zhu family? If that were the case, everything would make sense.

Just as Ye Long’s mind raced and he hovered on the verge of a breakdown, Zhang Fan’s next action caused the super-rich tycoon to wet himself.