Chapter 44: Conflict with Zhang Shaowen
Zhang Shaowen walked over, plopped down next to Ding Lan, and said with a smirk that didn't reach his eyes, "Lan, how come you went out to eat without telling me?"
"I thought you were busy," Ding Lan said.
"I'm not. When it comes to you, I have all the time in the world. By the way, what were you two talking about?" Zhang Shaowen looked at Zhao Dong, a flicker of malice in his eyes.
Ding Lan was silent for a moment before saying, "Zhao Dong saved a patient today. I was just asking him how he did it."
Zhang Shaowen froze, then the smirk returned. "Your ex-boyfriend is just a discharged soldier, right? He can cure people? What a joke!"
Ding Lan frowned but said nothing. She didn't believe it either, but it had actually happened.
Zhao Dong remained silent, quietly eating his meal.
Zhang Shaowen no longer bothered to hide his contempt for Zhao Dong, smiling strangely as he asked, "Zhao Dong, where's that girlfriend of yours from last time?"
"She's busy. Why?"
"Busy?" Zhang Shaowen chuckled, his words laced with insinuation. "I don't think she's busy. You hired that girlfriend to put on a show, didn't you?"
Zhao Dong was startled. "A show?"
Ding Lan was also slightly taken aback, and she studied Zhao Dong with a curious expression.
Zhang Shaowen snorted. "I thought it was strange back then. Just look at yourself. How could you land a woman like that? That girlfriend and your car… I bet they were both rented, right?"
Zhao Dong was so angry he laughed. He shook his head, having no desire to argue with Zhang Shaowen.
Zhang Shaowen turned to Ding Lan with a slight smile. "Lan, this ex-boyfriend of yours isn't an honest man. It's one thing to be poor, but resorting to shady tricks like renting a car and a girl just to show off? He's bad news."
Zhang Shaowen's words were now a direct attack, a far cry from the gentlemanly front he had maintained earlier. Seeing Zhao Dong and Ding Lan eating together today, he decided he wasn't going to hold back any longer. He had to thoroughly humiliate Zhao Dong today!
Seeing Zhao Dong stay silent with his head down, just eating his food, Zhang Shaowen lost his composure and snapped, "What are you, some kind of reincarnated starving ghost? Have you never eaten before?"
The hand Zhao Dong was holding his chopsticks with paused. He slowly set them down and looked at Zhang Shaowen. "What did you say?"
Zhang Shaowen sneered, "I said, are you some poor bastard who starved to death in your last life? Have you never seen food before?"
Nearby, Ding Lan frowned. "Shaowen, that's enough."
Zhang Shaowen sneered coldly, "What is it now, Lan? Are you taking your ex's side?"
Ding Lan's face turned pale as she bit her lip.
Zhao Dong's eyes narrowed, his gaze turning icy. "First, we have no grudge between us, yet you insist on insulting me. I won't tolerate it. Second, your girlfriend invited me here to discuss a work matter, so this has nothing to do with you. Third, I wouldn't stoop to renting a car and a person to show off. Apologize to me."
Zhang Shaowen burst out into a furious laugh. "Apologize? Go eat shit, you motherfucker! Why don't you take a piss and look at your own reflection! Apologize my ass!"
A cold glint flashed in Zhao Dong's eyes. Before Zhang Shaowen could react, Zhao Dong shot to his feet, grabbed Zhang Shaowen's head, and shoved his face straight into the bowl of vegetable soup on the table!
Vegetable leaves instantly plastered themselves all over Zhang Shaowen's face. Unable to catch his breath, he inhaled a mouthful of soup through his nose, which immediately filled with bits of greens. He let out a muffled scream and tried to struggle, but his strength was no match for Zhao Dong's. He was held firmly in the soup, cursing incoherently in pain.
Zhao Dong held his head down. "Can't speak properly, huh? Then you might as well drink some more soup."
Beside them, Ding Lan was white with fear. "Zhao Dong, let go! Are you crazy?" she urged hastily.
Just as Zhang Shaowen looked like he was about to suffocate, Zhao Dong released him. Zhang Shaowen's vision went dark, and he collapsed onto the floor. The dishes on the table had been knocked over, spilling all over him and leaving him in a pathetic state.
Zhao Dong dusted off his hands and looked down at the man on the ground. He grinned. "Still feeling mouthy?"
Ding Lan was terrified. Zhang Shaowen's family was wealthy and powerful. Offending him meant a terrible end for Zhao Dong! She glared at Zhao Dong before hurrying to help Zhang Shaowen up. "Shaowen, are you okay?"
Having never suffered such humiliation, Zhang Shaowen's face was flushed crimson with rage. He roared at Zhao Dong, "You son of a bitch, you dare hit me?"
Zhao Dong glanced at him sideways. "So what if I did?"
Infuriated and embarrassed, Zhang Shaowen leaped up and swung his fists at Zhao Dong. With lightning-fast reflexes, Zhao Dong kicked him squarely in the chest. Zhang Shaowen was sent flying seven or eight meters, crashing near the restroom door.
"Zhao Dong! You're insane!" Ding Lan shrieked.
"I'm not insane. He was asking for it."
Ding Lan stomped her foot in anger, regretting bringing Zhao Dong to dinner even more, and rushed over to Zhang Shaowen.
Zhang Shaowen spat out a mouthful of blood, pointing a trembling finger at Zhao Dong from the floor. "You… you bastard! Don't you dare go anywhere! I'm calling my guys right now!"
Zhao Dong leaned back in his chair nonchalantly. "Go on, call them. Call a big group. Let's see who shows up."
Ding Lan, helping Zhang Shaowen, was also furious with Zhao Dong. "Zhao Dong, you went too far!"
"How did I go too far?" Zhao Dong retorted coldly. "Why didn't you say he was going too far when he was cursing at me?"
"Cursing is wrong, but that's no reason to get physical! Is brute force all you learned in the army?"
Ding Lan looked at Zhao Dong with deep disappointment. Zhao Dong gave a cold laugh. "Yes, this brute force is all I have. I can't compare to the boyfriend you found, who's so rich and powerful."
Hearing his sarcastic words, a sharp pain lanced through Ding Lan's heart. She turned away from him and focused on helping Zhang Shaowen up. "Shaowen, are you alright? Should I take you to the hospital?"
Zhang Shaowen shoved her away. He shot a venomous glare at Zhao Dong, then pulled out his phone and made a call. "Hey, Brother Long, I got beat up! At the Vienna Restaurant… Yeah, he's alone. Bring some guys. He's an ex-soldier!"
Hanging up, Zhang Shaowen pointed viciously at Zhao Dong and cursed, "You little bastard! You'll find out soon enough what happens when you mess with me. You think you're tough because you were a soldier? So you can fight, huh? We'll see how tough you really are in a little while!"
Beside him, Ding Lan's face went pale. "Shaowen, the person you called… is it Lei Long?"
Zhang Shaowen nodded bitterly. "That's right. Today, I'm going to cripple this bastard Zhao!"
Ding Lan bit her lip, her face a mask of regret and terror. Lei Long was a member of the Qingyu Hall, one of East Sea's three largest underground gangs, said to be responsible for at least a few hundred deaths. Lei Long himself was notoriously ferocious. Rumor had it that after a simple argument in a bar, he had his men chop off his opponents' legs and bury them alive that very night. He was utterly ruthless and killed without blinking.
She looked at Zhao Dong, her face deathly pale with fear, and frantically tried to signal for him to leave.
Zhao Dong noticed her gestures, a little surprised she would try to warn him. However, he looked completely unfazed and had no intention of going anywhere.
Seeing her signals were useless, Ding Lan turned to Zhang Shaowen and pleaded, "Shaowen, Lei Long is ruthless. If you bring him here, someone could get killed. There are so many people here. We can't let this get out of hand!" Her words were a subtle warning to Zhao Dong about how dangerous Lei Long was, while also reminding Zhang Shaowen of the consequences.
But Zhang Shaowen just ground his teeth and snarled, "So what if someone dies? My dad can handle it! I'm going to make sure that bastard dies today!"
Zhao Dong sat calmly in his chair, lit a cigarette, and said coolly, "Trouble starts from the mouth. I suggest you watch what you say, or you can't blame me for crippling you today."
Zhang Shaowen was about to unleash a torrent of curses, but the memory of his recent beating made him clamp his mouth shut, the hatred in his eyes growing even more intense. "Just you wait! When Brother Long gets here, he'll definitely cripple you!"
Ding Lan was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. Although she was angry at Zhao Dong for hitting Zhang Shaowen, it shouldn't go as far as crippling him! Now that her repeated signals were being ignored, she felt helpless. She'd done her part and warned him. If something happened to Zhao Dong now, he only had himself to blame!
A few moments later, several black cars screeched to a halt outside, surrounding the restaurant's entrance. The doors flew open, and a group of men poured out.
The leader was a man with a long, ferocious-looking scar across his face. He wore a thick gold chain and had a fat cigar clenched in his mouth. Tattoos covered his broad-shouldered, thick-waisted frame. The ten or so men behind him were all armed with iron bars and steel pipes. The group swaggered into the restaurant like an invading army.
Ding Lan turned ghastly pale, her entire body trembling. Lei Long was here.