The skinny youth's words instantly drew many gazes.
"That kid is done for. These guys actually know Brother Leopard."
"Which one is Brother Leopard? None of them look like it."
"Brother Leopard isn't here, but do you see the flat-headed youth leading them? He's Brother Leopard's direct subordinate – 'Brother Xiao Qiang.' It's said that this entire snack street is Brother Leopard's territory, which he assigned to 'Brother Xiao Qiang'."
Everyone within the barbecue stall, upon seeing the group of youths exuding a powerful aura, especially the flat-headed youth at the front, their expressions changed. Clearly, Brother Xiao Qiang was quite well-known along this snack street.
When Zhang Fan heard the name 'Brother Xiao Qiang,' it felt somewhat familiar. He turned his head and indeed saw a familiar-looking flat-headed youth.
"Hey, Flat-head, what are you doing?" Zhang Fan asked, a smile appearing on his face as he observed Brother Xiao Qiang's imposing demeanor.
"Damn it, you're looking to die! How dare you be so arrogant when you see my Brother Xiao Qiang!" The skinny youth pointed at Zhang Fan and cursed.
The three brothers beside him also sneered. He had just taken his two injured brothers to see Brother Leopard. Upon hearing that they were beaten at Qingqing Barbecue Stall, Brother Leopard's face immediately darkened and he quickly ordered Brother Xiao Qiang to bring the culprits to him.
When told that the opponent was very skilled in fighting, Brother Leopard, to be on the safe side, handed a handgun to Brother Xiao Qiang. This made the four of them tremble inwardly. They never expected Brother Leopard to resort to firearms for such a minor matter. He truly lived up to his reputation as the overlord of the university district; his temper was fiery.
Seeing how angry Brother Leopard was, the black-clothed youth felt a surge of joy. He had prepared some provocative words, but they turned out to be unnecessary.
Meanwhile, Zhang Fan found it amusing that Brother Xiao Qiang dared to be so arrogant, which made the skinny youth inwardly smug, thinking he could finally show off.
However, he failed to notice that the moment Brother Xiao Qiang saw Zhang Fan, his entire body froze. The subordinates behind Brother Xiao Qiang also froze.
"What a coincidence," was the thought echoing in the minds of Brother Xiao Qiang and his subordinates. However, before he could think further, a fool beside him pointed at Zhang Fan and started cursing. This action nearly made Brother Xiao Qiang's heart stop.
"Damn it, how can you live if you don't even know Brother Fan!" Brother Xiao Qiang suddenly slapped the skinny youth across the face with all his might, showing no restraint.
The slap was incredibly loud, and some people even saw a slightly yellow tooth fly out of the skinny youth's mouth and roll onto the ground. At this moment, the air became utterly silent.
The skinny youth touched his stinging face and was stunned, forgetting his pain. He looked at Brother Xiao Qiang in disbelief, unable to comprehend why he was so angry.
His other three brothers also hadn't reacted and were staring at the scene incredulously, not knowing what to say for a moment.
The people within the barbecue stall were also bewildered by this sudden turn of events. Wasn't Brother Xiao Qiang supposed to be their help? Why was he fighting his own people?
"Brother Fan." After slapping the burly youth hard on the face, Brother Xiao Qiang's hand even hurt a little. But at this moment, he couldn't care less. He quickly ran to Zhang Fan's front and said respectfully.
"Brother Fan." Brother Xiao Qiang's subordinates also quickly rushed to Zhang Fan's front, speaking with great respect.
This sudden shift in the situation left many people stunned. In the quiet air, the skinny youth and his four brothers turned pale. Even if they were foolish, they understood that they had landed themselves in serious trouble.
"Brother Fan?" Many people heard this moniker that had become popular in the past few days and thought of someone, their eyes lighting up.
Yuan Li, who had been worried upon seeing Brother Xiao Qiang arrive, was also stunned. She murmured softly, "Brother Fan, Brother Fan?"
"Could it be him?"
Qiao Ruxin and the others were also taken aback. They had expected another fight, but this outcome was unexpected. When did Zhang Fan become the "Brother Fan" of these thugs?
They had their doubts, but the atmosphere was tense, so they remained silent, watching from the side.
...
"I asked you why you brought so many people here?" Zhang Fan asked again.
Brother Xiao Qiang's heart skipped a beat. It seemed Brother Fan wasn't in a good mood. He quickly explained, "These individuals said someone was causing trouble at Qingqing Barbecue Stall. Brother Leopard heard about it and immediately told me to bring the troublemaker over."
"Mm," Zhang Fan nodded, his expression softening slightly. "Take these four people over. Tell Chongtian Bao that from now on, I don't want to see these four people on this street again."
"Understood, Brother Fan." Brother Xiao Qiang nodded quickly, his tone firm.
"Alright, go," Zhang Fan waved his hand dismissively, not even bothering to look at the four pale-faced thugs. Such minor characters were not worth his concern.
After Zhang Fan left, the quiet barbecue stall erupted in a noisy discussion.
"Holy crap, who is that young man? Brother Xiao Qiang was so respectful, and judging by the young man's tone, it seems even Brother Leopard listens to him!" exclaimed a college student who was eating barbecue, clearly shocked.
"You don't even know Brother Fan?" The youth behind him, drinking a bottle of alcohol while watching the scene, widened his eyes in surprise.
"Who is Brother Fan? I've heard people mention him recently. Is he that awesome? Is he Brother Leopard's boss?" the college student joked.
"Yeah, he looks really formidable. Who exactly is he?" someone else asked.
"He's not Chongtian Leopard's boss," the youth holding the beer bottle shook his head, looking at Zhang Fan with admiration. "He's the boss of Brother Leopard's boss."
The surrounding people's pupils constricted upon hearing this. The silence was instantaneous.
...
"Brother Xiao Qiang, was that young man Brother Fan just now?" The black-clothed youth stood in place, watching Zhang Fan and his companions leave, feeling all his strength drain away, his body going weak.
"Let's go see Brother Leopard. You'd better tell the truth later, and maybe Brother Leopard will be in a good mood, and you might even keep your lives," Brother Xiao Qiang said, not elaborating further before leading his subordinates away from the snack street.
He still remembered how his boss's boss – Yan Qianghu – had described Brother Fan: Because of Brother Fan's existence, their Black Tiger Gang had the possibility of unifying the underworld of Donghai City.
How terrifying was that existence? Donghai City, as one of China's few first-tier cities, had incredibly complex factions and far-reaching influences. Yet, that young man possessed the power to help the small Black Tiger Gang conquer the entire underworld of Donghai City. Brother Xiao Qiang couldn't even imagine the immense power Brother Fan wielded!
However, these four hoodlums, who hadn't even truly started their criminal careers, had provoked Brother Fan. This made Brother Xiao Qiang feel a mix of pity and anger towards them.
Because these hoodlums were already considered potential subordinates of Brother Leopard, yet they had caused such a huge problem. Fortunately, Brother Fan didn't pursue the matter at that moment, otherwise, it wouldn't have ended so easily today.