Chong Tianbao's older brother was indeed on a much higher level than Chong Tianbao. Just the way he made his entrance, he didn't bring hundreds of subordinates with baseball bats to pad the numbers like Chong Tianbao did, because that would have seemed too low-class.
A line of black, long-wheelbase Mercedes-Benz sedans slowly drove onto the street, stopping low-key yet luxuriously by the roadside in front of the barbecue stall.
The number of people wasn't large, less than twenty, but as they alighted from the black Mercedes-Benz cars, the surrounding college students and Chong Tianbao's hundreds of subordinates all held their breath.
Zhao Yongchang and Zhang Xin were also awed by the imposing presence. Only Zhao Qingqing, seeing the group of somewhat familiar burly men in black, had her eyes gleam even brighter...
Because the other party's aura truly intimidated them. Even though they knew the newcomers weren't here for them, seeing those tall, powerful men in black suits and sunglasses made them tremble.
These burly men clearly looked like the kind who could take on a crowd, and more importantly, people who wouldn't hesitate to kill in a crucial moment.
As for their leader, he naturally made his entrance last. With a rough face and a bald head that gleamed, he might have looked a bit coarse, but he exuded an undeniable aura of a powerful figure, one that inspired awe.
As soon as the bald man stepped out, his imposing subordinates immediately flanked him. The bald man led the way, his domineering presence evident.
"Brother Qiang, save me!" Chong Tianbao cried out as soon as he saw the bald man emerge.
Like father, like son; like brother, like subordinate. Brother Bao's current actions were exactly the same as Xiao Qiang's earlier.
However, he was in a much more miserable state than Xiao Qiang, because Zhang Fan's foot was still blocking Chong Tianbao's mouth. After spitting out those few words, Chong Tianbao essentially licked the sole of Zhang Fan's shoe again, the sour and pungent taste making his eyes roll back.
Everyone held their breath, watching intently to see what this slightly coarse-faced, fleshy bald man would say.
According to the script, Brother Qiang should have responded with the word 'useless' to imply that the opponent had only defeated a worthless person, thereby diminishing the opponent's aura.
But Brother Qiang didn't say that. Because the moment he saw the young man stepping on Chong Tianbao, his expression turned indescribably complex.
"Baldy Qiang, you're his big brother?" Zhang Fan asked, slightly surprised. He hadn't expected to encounter an acquaintance.
"Baldy Qiang?" Hearing this address, Chong Tianbao and his numerous subordinates felt their hearts give a sudden jolt. They were almost scared stiff. In the entire North District, besides the other two big bosses, who else dared to call 'Brother Qiang' 'Baldy Qiang'?
In the North District, everyone knew that their boss's boss hated the nickname Baldy Qiang the most.
Thinking of how his big brother would react next, Chong Tianbao and his subordinates' hearts pounded, their blood boiling.
They imagined Brother Qiang brutally beating this impudent youngster, the scene being exceedingly bloody.
But after waiting for a while, Brother Qiang didn't fly into a rage as rumored. Moreover, Brother Qiang's subsequent actions shattered their worldview.
In their impression, the ruthless, flower-crushing, flamboyant Brother Qiang, upon hearing the name 'Baldy Qiang,' surprisingly did not get angry.
Instead, his rough face instantly broke into a simple and brilliant smile. Although everyone felt the smile was forced, they could still sense how hard Brother Qiang was trying to make his smile brighter.
"Mr. Zhang, it... it's you," Baldy Qiang stammered, his speech slightly disjointed. This was because, upon learning Zhang Fan's identity, Baldy Qiang's fear of Zhang Fan had reached a new height.
Yesterday, he had received a call from his master, who had thoroughly berated him. It was a scolding that could be described as a deluge of dog's blood, almost to the point of disownment. His master had told him to find a time to sincerely apologize to Zhang Fan, and if he couldn't get Zhang Fan's forgiveness, he might very well be expelled from the sect.
After all, that young man was not only a congenital master comparable to a martial arts legend but also his master's savior. Therefore, he had been contemplating how to apologize to Zhang Fan, and unexpectedly, he encountered him again today, and in such a situation.
So, the first moment he saw Zhang Fan, Brother Qiang, who had experienced various hardships and possessed excellent psychological resilience, almost collapsed. What kind of luck was this?
...
Mr. Zhang? Why does that sound so wrong?
Everyone's minds struggled to comprehend.
Chong Tianbao's older brother was addressing this seemingly ordinary young man as Mr. Zhang with an incredibly respectful smile?
Everyone felt like they were going crazy. Chong Tianbao and his subordinates, the onlookers, Zhao Yongchang and Zhang Xin beside Zhang Fan – they all wondered if this Brother Qiang was an impostor?
Why was the Brother Qiang, who had been so imposing moments ago, now appearing so humble, so lacking in the aura of a gangster?
"What's going on?" Baldy Qiang shifted his gaze towards Chong Tianbao, who was at Zhang Fan's feet. Chong Tianbao was completely bewildered. He didn't know what was happening either. He only knew that his subordinate had been beaten, then the other party had asked him to pick him up, then he was inexplicably beaten, and now his big brother was called to pick him up.
"Qiangzi, what's going on!" Chong Tianbao directed his gaze at the flat-headed Xiao Qiang lying beside him.
Xiao Qiang was also utterly bewildered. He had thought this was a simple job, but unexpectedly, it involved such a significant figure.
Xiao Qiang, with a tearful face, quickly explained the situation.
"Oh, so the barbecue stall opposite wants to ruin Qingqing Barbecue Stall?" Zhang Fan moved his foot away from Chong Tianbao and pointed to a barbecue stall across the street that seemed to be doing decent business.
"Yes." Brother Xiao Qiang nodded repeatedly, mentally cursing that bastard a thousand times.
"In that case, I'll leave the task of ruining it to you. I don't need to teach you how to do it, do I?" Zhang Fan said casually. If they wanted to ruin 'Qingqing Barbecue Stall,' they should be prepared for their own barbecue stall to be ruined.
"No, no need." Brother Xiao Qiang's heart leaped with joy, and he nodded repeatedly. It seemed like an opportunity to atone for his mistakes? He had to do well. After all, this was the first time in his life he had encountered such an important figure whom even his boss's boss had to treat respectfully.
"Baldy Qiang." Zhang Fan pondered for a moment and then looked at the trembling bald man. "Are you collecting protection fees on this street? How much do you earn from protection fees annually?"
"Mr. Zhang, the university town area is managed by my subordinate Chong Tianbao. Nearly a third of the entire North District is my territory. After deducting the share for my subordinates, I earn about thirty million yuan a year from protection fees," Baldy Qiang replied. This information should have been secret, but he dared not refuse Zhang Fan's inquiry.
As an international metropolis, Donghai City's North District alone was comparable in size to some third-tier cities. Baldy Qiang controlling a third of it indicated he was doing quite well.
"En, how about this. From now on, you'll be my subordinate. I'll protect you, and you'll pay me twenty million yuan annually. What do you think?" Zhang Fan asked, looking at the truly rough-looking Baldy Qiang.