Chapter 92: Collision

The room was a wreck. Qi Kun and Zhang Cuijian were both bruised and swollen-faced, one sitting on one side of the table, the other on the opposite side, glaring at each other.

When Yang Meng and the others came in, Zhang Cuijian slapped the table. “Brother Qi, I’m not bullying you. We fought and neither of us won. Now we each bring in our people and compare notes again! Though it looks like you haven’t brought many. Too few, aren’t they?”

Qi Kun snorted. “A winter melon is still a vegetable. What good is it to drag in a whole bunch of turnips?”

Zhang Cuijian refused to be outdone. “Then let’s see what you’ve got. Who are these people you brought? And you even dragged in two who look like they just escaped from a hospital? Don’t tell me you found temporary workers at the clinic?”

Qi Kun was taken aback as well. He could not make sense of why Yang Meng had brought along two bandaged men. Then he looked more closely and laughed. He did not know Bai Ze, but how could he not know Long Teng?

“I say, Young Master Long, what in the world happened to you? Who beat you up like this?” Qi Kun felt far more at ease now that it was Long Teng.

Long Teng pointed at Yang Meng. “Brother Yang’s trial was a little strict. I slipped up and ended up like this.”

At the word “Long Teng,” Zhang Cuijian was startled. He was a member of the Longyun Fitness Club, so how could he not know Long Teng? He wondered if it might be someone with the same name, but who would have such an unusual name and be mistaken for another? He took a careful look at the fellow covering his face, only his eyes, nostrils, and mouth exposed, one of his eyes swollen shut, and he almost wanted to ask Qi Kun how he could possibly recognize him as Long Teng.

In truth, Qi Kun had not recognized Long Teng either. He had only identified him by the clothes Long Teng was wearing that day, by his build, and most importantly because Duan Bowen was walking in at the very back. With all of that together, he naturally knew it was Long Teng.

Long Teng turned to Zhang Cuijian. “Oh? Isn’t this Mr. Zhang? What are you doing here? Is ordinary training no longer enough and you want to taste some real combat? You should have come to me. Why lay a hand on my friend? Can’t we talk things through peacefully?”

That settled it. Zhang Cuijian was certain now that it really was Long Teng.

“Coach Long? It really is you? This Qi Kun here is your friend?” Zhang Cuijian asked.

Long Teng nodded. “Yes, they’re all my friends. What exactly are you doing?”

Zhang Cuijian drew a deep breath. “Coach Long, it’s not that I won’t give you face, but today I really have to settle this with Qi Kun! He’s crossed my bottom line!”

Long Teng gave a bitter smile. “Mr. Zhang, do you think I was just now trying to smooth things over for my friend? You’ve misunderstood. I was helping you! Don’t be fooled by how many people you brought; it’s truly useless. Let me introduce you to Mr. Yang. He’s the chief instructor of our club’s combat division. To put it plainly, the entire combat division together still isn’t his match, including me and this Bai Ze here—you should know him too. I’m not bragging for Brother Yang; it’s all true.”

Zhang Cuijian blinked. “This is the man who took you down in one move last time? I thought they were making it up.”

Long Teng was helpless. Good news may not travel far, but bad news flies a thousand miles. So that was how it was. The whole world knew he had been defeated by Yang Meng in a single move?

Still, he nodded. “The one who took me down in one move was indeed Mr. Yang. So before you do anything, you really need to think carefully. I can stake my reputation on this: all the people you’ve brought here together still are no match for Mr. Yang. Zhai Dacheng didn’t believe it either, and now look at him. You’re a member of my club, so I’m telling you this. Consider it my responsibility to my members.”

Zhang Cuijian drew in a sharp breath. He knew about Zhai Dacheng’s matter as well. Since Long Teng was willing to stand behind it with his own reputation, then it definitely could not be nonsense. He looked at Yang Meng. Earlier, when they were soaking in the pool together, he had not felt this fellow was so terrifying.

Qi Kun perked up immediately. “Zhang Cuijian, what use is it bringing in more people? Where was all that confidence just now?”

Yang Meng slapped Qi Kun on the head. “I say, Lobster, what are you two doing? Earlier you were as close as brothers, and now you’ve turned on each other? And it’s blown up this badly too. What exactly happened?”

Qi Kun pointed at Zhang Cuijian. “Damn it, if you knew what was going on, you’d beat him too!”

Yang Meng asked, puzzled, “What do you mean? Why would I beat him?”

Qi Kun jabbed a finger at Zhang Cuijian. “Mr. Zhang! Take out your phone and show my brothers! Let them see whether I’m spouting nonsense!”

At that, Zhang Cuijian slapped the table. “Who’s afraid of whom? Fine, look!” He pulled out his phone and unlocked the screen.

Yang Meng was still bewildered, but Qi Kun walked over to Zhang Cuijian’s side. “Yes, yes, this is the photo! Meng Meng! Second Fool! Come over here and take a look!”

Yang Meng and Hu Erleng exchanged a glance. Neither of them knew what those two were up to, so they curiously crowded over to Zhang Cuijian’s side and looked at his phone. It was a photo of a young woman.

Zhang Cuijian widened his eyes. “I thought this brother Qi was someone worth trusting, so I showed him a photo of my girlfriend. After seeing it, he started talking nonsense! I’ve seen my share of women, and Xiaorui is the only woman I’ve ever truly cared about. Otherwise I wouldn’t have gone to the trouble of working out and losing weight! I won’t tolerate anyone insulting my Xiaorui. Hmm? Why are you both making those faces?”

He was still fuming when he noticed that Yang Meng and Hu Erleng were both staring at him in confusion.

Yang Meng spoke first. “Brother, what did Lobster say that made you this angry?”

Zhang Cuijian glared at Qi Kun before saying, “He saw my Xiaorui photo and insisted she was his cousin-in-law, and that she had slept with his cousin! How is that not an insult to my Xiaorui? Look, look! This is a picture of Xiaorui and me on a trip together! See how close we are? I’ve already decided to spend the rest of my life with her, and he comes here spouting nonsense? I may be fat, but I’m a real man! Anyone who wants to hurt my woman will have to step over my dead body!”

After looking at the photo on Zhang Cuijian’s phone, Yang Meng scratched his head. “Uh, Mr. Zhang... may I ask whether this Xiaorui of yours has a twin?”

Zhang Cuijian shook his head. “She’s an only child...” Then he froze and looked at Yang Meng. “What do you mean by that?”

Yang Meng gave a wry smile. “If she isn’t a twin, if she doesn’t have a twin sister who was separated from her long ago, then yes, she really is my brother’s girlfriend. It’s just that her name isn’t Xiaorui. Her name is Liu Zhaoting.”

“Huh? How can you be so sure?” Zhang Cuijian asked.

Yang Meng pointed at Qi Kun. “His cousin is a cop. Wouldn’t that make it easy to tell? I don’t know exactly what happened—whether she was with you first and then got together with my brother, or whether she was with my brother first and then tangled up with you later—but it sure looks like she’s playing both sides.”

Zhang Cuijian still did not believe him. “You’re sure you didn’t mistake her for someone else?”

Yang Meng took the phone and looked closely. “I’m sure. See this outfit? She was wearing exactly this when she met us. That night... well, I don’t know whether you know about the night Zhai Dacheng ran into trouble, but it was at Focal Point Bar. We had originally arranged for her to come out with us for fun, but she said she had a friend’s birthday party and didn’t come. A few days later, we all had a meal together, and she was wearing this exact same outfit.”

After hearing that, Zhang Cuijian was silent for a long moment before saying, “I know about the night Focal Point had its trouble. That evening Xiaorui’s friend came from out of town for a trip, and she asked me to help pick her up from the airport. I treated them to dinner and even arranged a hotel for her friend. Over the next few days, I stayed with them as they toured our city.”

“She’s called Liu Zhaoting!” Qi Kun corrected him.

Yang Meng shrugged. “Forget it. There’s no point arguing over this now. The world really is that small. Second Fool, call Crazy over. He’s one of the people involved, so let’s hear what he has to say.”

But Hu Erleng said, “That unlucky bastard’s phone is off. We can’t get through to him at all.”

Yang Meng looked at Zhang Cuijian, who was sitting there in stunned silence. “Mr. Zhang, I think we’d better calm down for now. The person at the center of this isn’t here, so no matter how much we say, it won’t help.”

At that moment, Zhang Cuijian’s mind was a blank.

He was thirty-eight this year and had always been a proud bachelor.

What was so bad about being single? He kept his money for himself, spent it as he liked, and did whatever he wanted.

Though he was fat, he had never lacked women. That was what money was for.

Until he met Xiaorui.

He still remembered that rainy day, when he had been waiting at the office building entrance for his driver to pick him up. He saw Xiaorui pass by in a white dress, holding an umbrella, and when she noticed him looking at her, she actually thought he was trying to get to the bus stop but was being blocked by the rain. She kindly offered to share her umbrella and walked him all the way to the bus stop.

Somehow, Zhang Cuijian followed Xiaorui to the bus stop, and they chatted all the way there. The more they talked, the more they clicked. Zhang Cuijian felt he had met a true angel: kind-hearted, beautiful, and innocent. So he launched a fierce pursuit of Xiaorui.

And Xiaorui really was a “silly” girl. She did not even recognize the luxury brands he bought for her! Later, once she learned the actual prices, the first thing she did was return all the gifts to Zhang Cuijian, saying they were too expensive.

With no other choice, Zhang Cuijian had to get someone to “forge evidence” for him and use fake receipts to tell Xiaorui that the expensive luxury clothes he had bought were actually knockoffs, that they had not cost much at all. Only then did she agree to accept them.

What satisfied Zhang Cuijian most was this: Xiaorui was pure to a frightening degree. After spending so long together, let alone going all the way, even holding hands would make Xiaorui blush!

In this age, there were plenty of women willing to strip for money, but girls like Xiaorui were truly too rare.

Zhang Cuijian had already been planning to marry Xiaorui and was even preparing to lay his cards on the table and propose in these very days—only for everything to turn into this. How could he not be depressed?

He was furious enough to kill.