"Mr. Zhang is truly generous. I apologize on behalf of my unruly disciple." Lin Dahai breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.
It was evident that he was quite protective of Guangtianqiang.
"If Mr. Zhang is concerned about the auction, there's no need to be. If you happen to fancy anything during the event, just say the word, and I, Xu, will ensure it's safely and properly delivered to you," Xu Tianlei interjected.
Zhang Fan pondered for a moment, then finally nodded. He wasn't confident he could earn much in a week, and it would be rather awkward if he found something he liked but lacked the funds.
"I'll remember this favor," Zhang Fan said.
Xu Tianlei was naturally delighted; wasn't this precisely what he had done all this for?
To have a congenital grandmaster owe him a favor was exceptionally difficult, something no amount of money could measure. In certain circumstances, this single favor could even save his life.
"It's getting late. I've reserved a table at Jinjiang Grand Hotel. Shall we have dinner together?" Xu Tianlei invited.
Zhang Fan considered it. Xu Tianlei had indeed helped him out, and he was about to agree when his phone rang at that precise moment.
Zhang Fan felt a bad premonition. Based on typical narrative patterns, phones that rang at critical junctures rarely brought good news.
As expected.
The call was from his cousin Zhao Qingqing. As soon as Zhang Fan answered, he heard her tearful voice: "Brother Zhang Fan, Dad's been beaten..."
Zhang Fan grew anxious. His uncle had been attacked? His uncle's family were all honest folk, unlikely to provoke anyone.
"Is he badly injured? Where is he?" Zhang Fan asked urgently.
Cousin Zhao Qingqing quickly relayed the location to Zhang Fan.
Zhang Fan hung up the phone and looked at Xu Tianlei with an apologetic expression. "Something's come up at home. We'll have to get together another day."
"What's happened? Do you need any help? Mr. Zhang, please don't hesitate to ask if there's anything," Xu Tianlei inquired with concern.
"No need, it's a minor matter," Zhang Fan replied, feeling that such a small issue didn't warrant bothering anyone.
"Yueru, please see Mr. Zhang out," Lin Dahai said promptly upon seeing the situation.
Lin Yueru immediately nodded. She had wanted to become Zhang Fan's disciple and learn martial arts from him, so naturally, she seized any opportunity to get closer to him.
Zhang Fan repeatedly refused, "See me out again? I'll soon be your personal chauffeur."
...
After leaving 'Donghu Lijing' alone, Zhang Fan hailed a taxi and headed towards the university town in the northern district.
Zhang Fan's paternal aunt and uncle ran a barbecue stall near the university town in the northern district. Although it had a decent flow of customers, after deducting expenses like rent and protection fees, they could only barely make ends meet.
When Zhang Fan arrived at his aunt's barbecue stall, the tables and chairs were already scattered on the ground, askew. The barbecue ingredients and equipment had also been smashed into pieces. The entire stall looked like a mess. Some people were pointing and gossiping nearby, but no one stepped forward to help.
His aunt's family of three appeared disheveled as they tidied up the chaotic scene. His uncle had footprints all over him, looking rather battered, with a bit of blood at the corner of his mouth. Zhang Fan felt a sense of relief upon seeing this; it was good that he wasn't seriously injured.
"Brother Zhang Fan," Zhao Qingqing exclaimed upon seeing Zhang Fan's arrival. She threw herself into his arms, seemingly having suffered greatly, and burst into tears.
"Don't be afraid, I'm here for you," Zhang Fan said, gently stroking Zhao Qingqing's delicate back through her thin dress, offering comfort.
It seemed Zhang Fan indeed provided Zhao Qingqing with a strong sense of security. Under his comforting embrace, she gradually calmed down and stopped crying. However, her eyes were still red, and tears lingered in her pupils, making her look extraordinarily lovely and pitiable.
"Xiao Fan, you're here." Uncle Zhao Yongchang looked somewhat dejected but still managed a strained smile at Zhang Fan.
"What happened?" Zhang Fan asked. He had been in a rush on the phone and didn't know the specifics.
"It's nothing, just some people fighting here, and the barbecue stall got caught in the crossfire," Uncle Zhao Yongchang said. Aunt Zhang Xin, upon hearing this, looked as though she had something to say but held back.
"Dad, why aren't you telling the truth? Brother Zhang Fan is very good at fighting; he can definitely help us," Zhao Qingqing urged.
"Qingqing, don't talk nonsense!" Uncle Zhao Yongchang reprimanded her.
In his eyes, even if Zhang Fan was skilled at fighting, it was merely a scuffle between children. The other party was a group of adults, and they were all thugs. He didn't want to drag Zhang Fan into this.
"Uncle, don't worry, I can handle anything, no matter how big," Zhang Fan promised.
Indeed, with his current strength, comparable to a congenital grandmaster, there were few matters in the entire Donghai City that he couldn't resolve.
"Xiao Fan, you don't need to worry about it. We can just close this barbecue stall," Uncle Zhao Yongchang said, shaking his head.
Zhao Qingqing, listening from the side, grew anxious and directly pulled Zhang Fan away. Uncle Zhao Yongchang watched them go with a helpless expression, "This child Qingqing is too thoughtless."
Aunt Zhang Xin, however, felt a glimmer of hope in her heart. Perhaps Xiao Fan truly had a solution... maybe?
...
"You know what happened, don't you?" Zhang Fan asked as Zhao Qingqing walked away with him.
"En," Zhao Qingqing nodded and said, "Today, while I was helping Dad set up the stall, some thugs from this street came and demanded protection fees. Dad said he had just paid them the day before, but the thugs were relentless and insisted he pay again.
"How could Dad agree? Paying once a month was already pushing the limits of what this barbecue stall could afford. If he paid twice, they'd likely have worked for free for the month and even lost money.
"Seeing that Dad refused, the thugs started smashing the stall and scattering the ingredients. When Dad tried to stop them, they beat him up. Before they left, they said they would come back tomorrow for protection fees, and if he couldn't pay, they would smash the stall every time he tried to open it." As she spoke, Zhao Qingqing's bright eyes looked at Zhang Fan, full of expectation.
If it were before today, she probably wouldn't have told Zhang Fan about this. After all, if he couldn't solve it, it would only add to his troubles. But after the 'Golden Palace KTV' incident, Zhao Qingqing believed Zhang Fan had the ability to resolve this matter.
"Heh, alright, then I'll wait for them here tomorrow. Let's go help your father clean up," Zhang Fan said, a cold glint flashing in his eyes as he listened to Zhao Qingqing's account. He nodded.
"En." Zhao Qingqing's tense heart relaxed upon hearing this. Her beautiful face broke into a smile, and her mood instantly became joyful. She quickly skipped back to catch up.
After tidying up the stall, Zhang Fan returned to their residence with his aunt and uncle. They couldn't continue running the stall in its current state today.
...
Back at home, Uncle Zhao Yongchang wore a perpetually worried expression. The barbecue stall was essentially their family's sole source of livelihood. If they were forced to close it, their lives would fall into extreme hardship.
However, he was just an ordinary citizen in Donghai City with no connections. Faced with such a situation, he could only endure it silently.
Zhang Fan saw his uncle and aunt's worried expressions and wanted to comfort them. But he knew it would be futile for now; everything would be resolved tomorrow anyway.