Chapter 30: A Man's Pride

Qin Ruo gave a faint smile, raising his right hand. The veins on his arm bulged menacingly as a powerful aura surged from his body. With a single punch, he struck the lock on the iron door. Boom! The iron lock shattered into fragments, and Qin Ruo pushed the door open with ease, stepping out.

Seeing Qin Ruo appear out of nowhere before her, Lin Yan'er’s beautiful eyes widened in disbelief, as if she were witnessing a dream.

Still unable to believe it, she reached out to touch Qin Ruo’s cheek. Feeling the distinct texture of a man’s skin, she finally reacted.

Lin Yan’er’s mouth fell open, her expression one of utter astonishment.

The few lackeys behind her were completely dumbfounded. Good heavens, was this guy a monster? He shattered an iron lock with a single punch!

Was this really just a restaurant owner? The more they looked, the more they felt he was some incredibly awesome figure!

“Boss, should we get out too?” two of Li Wenlong’s underlings whispered behind him.

“Get out, my ass! This big shot has real strength. Maybe he came to the detention center just because he was bored and wanted to experience life for fun. Didn’t you see that beautiful police officer peeling grapes for him? Let’s just stay put in the detention center. We’ll be out in a few days anyway!” Li Wenlong, being somewhat smarter, reasoned.

“Right, right, Boss is wise!” The two underlings immediately agreed, realizing that a fierce man who could shatter prison locks was far beyond small fries like them.

“Let’s go. It’s not convenient to talk here,” Qin Ruo said to Lin Yan’er.

“Okay, sure!” Lin Yan’er nodded, and the two of them walked out of the detention center together.

Lin Yan’er looked at Qin Ruo and noticed that the lazy aura about him had gradually faded, replaced by a cold and serious demeanor. Especially his eyes—they seemed to pierce through the darkness, bright and intimidating.

“Yan’er, do you know what’s going on?” Qin Ruo asked.

Lin Yan’er shook her head. “I’m not too sure. Big Brother Liu Hu might have offended someone!”

“Liu Hu offended someone?” A cold smile curled at the corner of Qin Ruo’s mouth. After a pause, he said, “There’s only one person in Binhai City he could have offended!”

“Who?” Lin Yan’er asked curiously.

“Ye Long!” Qin Ruo said slowly.

Ye Long? Wait, that name sounds familiar. I remember now! Isn’t he the boss of Ye Clan Corporation, one of Binhai City’s top ten enterprises last year?

Lin Yan’er recalled this figure in her mind. After all, the boss of one of Binhai City’s top ten business enterprises was quite well-known.

Qin Ruo looked at Lin Yan’er and said, “Do you know about Ye Long’s other identity?”

Lin Yan’er shook her head.

“He’s also the boss of Binhai City’s underworld, controlling hundreds of KTVs and other entertainment venues, with thousands of thugs under his command!” Qin Ruo explained.

“What!” Lin Yan’er was shocked. As a member of the police force, she had no idea such a terrifying underworld force existed in Binhai City.

Qin Ruo smiled, looking at Lin Yan’er’s gaping mouth. “Alright, let’s head home first. I’ll check if Dai Keni and Xia Fei Xuan are injured!”

“Okay, take my car!” Lin Yan’er understood the gravity of the situation and didn’t ask further, though she silently committed the name Ye Long to memory. She had even seen this prominent Binhai City businessman on TV before.

At the same time, atop the brightly lit Ye Clan Corporation building in the bustling heart of Binhai City, activity buzzed. In the expansive basement, hundreds of Night Dragon Gang thugs stood on either side, with Elder Ma and other key gang members at the forefront. All eyes were fixed ahead.

There, a man with a bare torso, resembling a ferocious tiger or wild beast, growled continuously. His hands were bound by incredibly tough iron chains, coiled like snakes, suspending him a foot above the ground. His body was covered in blood, fresh wounds layered over old ones, looking utterly gruesome.

Standing directly in front of him was none other than Ye Long, the leader of the Night Dragon Gang.

Ye Long looked at Liu Hu and sneered twice. “Liu Hu, do you know why I haven’t killed you yet?”

Liu Hu spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, aiming it right at the chest of Ye Long’s suit. “Night Dragon, don’t delude yourself. You think I don’t know your little scheme? You just want the true martial arts secrets of my Liu Clan, don’t you? You broke through to Mid Qi Strength five or six years ago, right? But your cultivation hasn’t progressed at all since then. Hahaha, do you know why?”

“Why?” Ye Long roared, veins bulging on his forehead, his five fingers clenching tightly into his palm. Over the years, he had enjoyed the feeling of power and status—money, women, influence, he had it all. But the more he reveled in this feeling, the more he realized the importance of strength!

If he lost his strength, all this glory would no longer belong to him. Everything would slip away.

“Heh, because back then, my father saw that your heart for martial arts wasn’t pure, so he didn’t teach you the complete Liu Clan techniques. My Liu Clan’s ultimate techniques are among the top three in Yue City. If practiced to their depths, even reaching Late Qi Strength wouldn’t be an issue. How could someone like you stagnate at Mid Qi Strength with no progress?” Liu Hu spat again. “Night Dragon, haha, you didn’t expect that, did you? Hahaha!”

Hearing this, Ye Long’s eyes flared with rage. That damned old man had dared to hide such a crucial secret from him. A wave of killing intent surged within him!

Grabbing an iron whip, he lashed out fiercely at Liu Hu, venting his anger on the current heir of the Liu Clan. The iron chains straightened like rigid snakes, striking Liu Hu’s body. Even a man as beastly as him let out a pained howl at this moment.

Yet Liu Hu didn’t yield. He glared at Ye Long with fierce tiger-like eyes.

“I’ll give you one day. If you don’t tell me the complete Liu Clan ultimate techniques, tomorrow next year will be your death anniversary!” Ye Long flung the iron whip aside and stood with his hands behind his back.

“Haha, I advise you to give up. You ungrateful wolf, even if I die, I won’t let you off!” Liu Hu growled through gritted teeth in pain.

“Hmph!” Ye Long snorted coldly, casting an icy gaze at Elder Ma nearby. Elder Ma nodded and approached Liu Hu, while Ye Long took the elevator and left the basement.

“Liu Hu, you’re the most unyielding man I, Iron Horse, have seen in years. If you hand over the latter half of the Liu Clan techniques, I swear on my name, Iron Horse, to ensure your survival!” Elder Ma looked at Liu Hu, a flicker of softness in his heart, though his gaze soon turned cold again.

Liu Hu sneered twice and shook his head. “Forget it. I won’t hand it over to that ungrateful wolf. Otherwise, how could I face my father or my brother after death?”

“Sigh!” Iron Horse sighed, turning to leave. Before going, he instructed the surrounding thugs, “Keep a close eye on Liu Hu. Oh, and prepare some good food and wine. After all, he’s a true man. If we don’t treat him well before he goes, I’d feel uneasy!”

While Liu Hu endured brutal torture, Qin Ruo and Lin Yan’er arrived at the villa, finding it brightly lit inside.

Qin Ruo and Lin Yan’er got out of the car and pushed open the door. Xia Fei Xuan and Dai Keni sat on the sofa in silence.

Seeing Qin Ruo arrive, the two women quickly stood up. Xia Fei Xuan rushed over to Qin Ruo and said, “Landlord, Big Brother Liu Hu was taken by a group of people!”

Qin Ruo looked at her worried face, nodded, and said, “I know about it.”

“Landlord, you have to save Big Brother Liu Hu! I truly see him as my own brother!” Xia Fei Xuan’s heart ached at the thought of Liu Hu being captured. She had noticed the care this honest, simple man had shown her over the past few days.

“I will!” Qin Ruo didn’t say much. Liu Hu had already become like a brother to him. Whoever dared to touch his brother, even if it were the heavens themselves, Qin Ruo would tear a hole through them.

Lin Yan’er sat down, and Dai Keni poured a few cups of water for Qin Ruo and the others. Qin Ruo took a slow sip while the three women fixed their gazes on him. Qin Ruo smiled. “Three beautiful ladies, what do you want, staring at me like that?”

Hearing Qin Ruo crack a joke at such a critical moment, Xia Fei Xuan shot him a fierce glare. “Damn landlord, you still have the mood to joke around? Hurry up and come up with a plan!”

Qin Ruo nodded. “Coming up with a plan isn’t a problem. First, we need to confirm Liu Hu’s current location before we can start preparing a rescue!”

“Ye Clan Corporation. It must be at Ye Clan Corporation!” Lin Yan’er said from the side.

Qin Ruo turned around, looking at her with uncertainty. “Yan’er, how can you be so sure it’s at Ye Clan Corporation?”

Lin Yan’er quickly replied, “Since the culprit is Ye Long, it has to be at Ye Clan Corporation!”

“Alright, no wonder the criminal investigation team didn’t want you!” Qin Ruo said something that greatly annoyed Lin Yan’er. She immediately waved her small fists and swung at Qin Ruo!

“Go to hell! How dare you look down on me!” Lin Yan’er looked like a little lioness gone mad.

“Lady warrior, I was just joking!” Qin Ruo didn’t dare to fight back and smirked mischievously.

“Hmph!”

“Alright, little sister Yan’er, Qin Ruo, what do we do now?” Dai Keni, who was also very anxious, asked.

Qin Ruo replied, “Since Officer Lin says it’s at Ye Clan Corporation, then we’ll pay Ye Clan Corporation a visit. You two stay at the villa and don’t go anywhere!”

Xia Fei Xuan refused, insisting on going with Qin Ruo.

“No, you stay at the villa!” Qin Ruo glared at her sternly, suddenly exuding an air of authority.

The usually proud Xia Fei Xuan, like a little swan, immediately softened and muttered, “Stinky landlord, why so fierce? Fine, I won’t go!”

“Little sister Yan’er, Qin Ruo, you must be careful!” Dai Keni said worriedly.

“Don’t worry. With me here, Yan’er won’t lose a single hair!” Qin Ruo stood up. Lin Yan’er glanced at him, and the two nodded before hurriedly leaving the villa.

Watching their departing figures, Xia Fei Xuan said with some concern, “Sister Dai, do you think the landlord will be in danger?”

Dai Keni seemed a bit hesitant but eventually nodded, choosing to trust Qin Ruo. “Don’t worry, Qin Ruo will be fine!”