Chapter 19: No One Will Leave

Yellow Hair followed the sound and saw Lu Ming lazily rise and walk over to Xue Dongni. He smiled, patted her shoulder, and then addressed Yellow Hair.

“If you want to take my sister away, have you asked her brother first?”

Yellow Hair glanced at Lu Ming, sizing him up from head to toe. His hair was messy, he wore a T-shirt that hadn’t been washed for days, a pair of large shorts, and flip-flops.

“Heh, brother? Fine, don’t take her away, but are you going to pay the money?” Yellow Hair replied disdainfully.

Lu Ming ignored him and instead turned to Xue Dongni and Li Wei. “Can you tell me how this happened?”

Li Wei looked terrified and refused to speak. Seeing this, Xue Dongni recounted the whole story, including the matter of the nude photos, which she had only learned about that day. She told Lu Ming everything.

In truth, she didn’t need to explain; Lu Ming had already overheard. He simply wanted to know why the money had been borrowed.

After listening to Xue Dongni’s account, Lu Ming had a clear picture: a typical girl blinded by love, and it was obvious Li Wei had been duped, though she hadn’t realized it herself.

As for Lu Ming, he certainly wouldn’t let Xue Dongni use the money her brother had risked his life to earn to pay these scoundrels.

While considering whether to resolve the situation with force, Lu Ming’s phone rang.

He picked it up and saw it was Futu calling. Lu Ming answered.

“Mr. Lu, I have news about the person you asked me to look into.”

“Oh? What’s the situation?”

“She was seen last night at a bar in the west part of the city. I’ve stationed people there and have others searching nearby. I’ll notify you immediately if there’s any new development.”

“Good. But right now, there’s something else I need you to handle. Come to the noodle shop opposite the gate of Xijing University immediately.”

“Yes, Mr. Lu. I’ll be there at once.”

Futu didn’t ask what the matter was; he never needed to. Whatever Mr. Lu instructed, he would carry out, even at the risk of his life.

After hanging up, Lu Ming smiled at Yellow Hair. “Wait a moment. Someone will be here soon to bring you the money.”

Lu Ming had decided to let Futu handle the situation. As the underground king of Xijing, Futu would surely be able to deal with such matters.

Yellow Hair heard this and sat down with a swagger, blocking the doorway. “Fine, I’ll wait right here. If the money doesn’t show up soon, I’ll cut you up first, then take those two girls for a ride.”

Lu Ming chuckled. “No problem.”

He then took Xue Dongni’s hand and led her to his table. Li Wei, trembling, sat beside Xue Dongni.

“How are your studies lately?” Lu Ming asked Xue Dongni.

With worry clouding her face, Xue Dongni replied, “Brother Lu, you still have the mind to ask about my studies? With so much money at stake, what are we going to do?”

Xue Dongni had no idea about Lu Ming’s true identity. She’d always believed he was simply her brother’s good friend.

Moreover, nothing about Lu Ming suggested he was wealthy, so Xue Dongni didn’t believe he could come up with such a large sum.

“Don’t worry. Your brother will help you resolve this. If need be, the lady beside me is a CEO worth hundreds of millions. She could easily help with the money.”

Lu Ming glanced at Huo Yutong with a teasing smile.

Huo Yutong smiled. If Lu Ming needed it, she’d find a way to come up with not just a few hundred thousand, but millions or tens of millions.

But she knew that with Lu Ming’s abilities, it would never come to her helping. She simply smiled.

Xue Dongni, still worried, said, “Brother Lu, I don’t even know this lady. How could I ask her for help?”

At that moment, Li Wei, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up. “Mr. Lu, Miss, if you help me, my boyfriend will surely pay you back once he gets through this.”

She didn’t know Lu Ming or Huo Yutong; she was just repeating how Xue Dongni addressed them.

Hearing they were willing to help, Li Wei clung to this lifeline and begged. She was being blackmailed, and if she couldn't pay, once those photos were released, she’d be utterly disgraced.

Lu Ming shook his head, feeling deep regret at Li Wei’s naivety. He couldn’t help but remind her.

“You’re still thinking about your boyfriend? Can’t you see he set you up?”

Li Wei’s face flushed red. “Impossible. Yifan would never deceive me.”

Lu Ming nearly choked on his own words. How could she not see such an obvious fact?

“If your boyfriend hasn’t deceived you, why is he nowhere to be found when it’s time to pay up?” Lu Ming pressed.

Li Wei answered immediately, “He’s just busy with work. There’s no way he’d betray me. I won’t believe it, so stop slandering him.”

Seeing her so vehement, Lu Ming was dumbfounded.

Ah!

Lu Ming sighed. If not for Xue Dongni being involved, he would have walked away by now. Such foolishness deserved its own consequences.

Huo Yutong also felt helpless. The girl was truly blinded by love, and who knew when she’d wake up.

Xue Dongni’s expression turned sour as well. Brother Lu was trying to help and guide her, yet she responded so stubbornly, making things awkward for everyone.

Tired of dealing with such ignorance, Lu Ming turned his conversation to Xue Dongni, chatting idly.

Yellow Hair, still blocking the door, watched them coldly, determined to deal with Lu Ming first if no one showed up with the money, and then take the girls.

About twenty minutes later, Futu arrived at the noodle shop with an assistant.

“Mr. Lu.”

Futu didn’t even glance at Yellow Hair and his gang at the door, but hurried to greet Lu Ming.

Lu Ming nodded.

The man beside Futu was someone Lu Ming recognized—one of Huang Chao’s most loyal followers, and one of the three whom Lu Ming had saved that night.

“What’s happened?” Futu came to Lu Ming’s side and bowed.

Lu Ming gestured toward Yellow Hair and his group. “A friend of mine was tricked into taking their loan. Fifty thousand became seventy-five thousand in a month. Unable to pay, they threatened with nude photos. What do you think?”

“And your instructions, Mr. Lu?” Futu inquired.

“My friend won’t be paying this debt. The photos must be deleted for good. If even one is released, you can go join Huang Chao yourself.” Lu Ming said coolly.

Futu nodded immediately. “No problem, Mr. Lu. I know what to do.”

He only asked to be sure, fearful of making a mistake. Now that Mr. Lu had laid out the rules, he would follow them exactly—nothing more needed to be said.

The leader of the yellow-haired gang, hearing Lu Ming say the money wouldn’t be paid, exploded with rage. He leapt up, shouting, “Damn it, so you’ve been messing with us all along! Today, none of you are leaving!”

He pulled a knife from his waistband, glaring ferociously at Lu Ming and his companions. His henchmen followed suit, brandishing their own weapons, clearly ready to attack at the slightest provocation.

Xue Dongni and Li Wei, never having witnessed such a scene, were terrified, huddling together in fright.

Huo Yutong was calmer. She was used to storms in the business world, and in Lu Ming’s presence, she felt a strange sense of security. She relaxed after a brief moment of tension.

Seeing their movements, Lu Ming smiled at Futu. “For a so-called boss of Xijing’s underworld, you seem a bit overrated.”

Futu bowed his head in embarrassment. “Forgive me, Mr. Lu. I’ll handle this.”

“Go ahead.” Lu Ming gestured, leaving the matter to him.

Futu stepped up to the yellow-haired leader and asked, “Who’s your boss? Tell me his name.”

The leader sneered, “None of your damn business who I follow! Stop pretending to be a big shot!”

Futu frowned. These kids looked only seventeen or eighteen, just street punks from the bottom of society. It was normal they didn’t recognize him.

Futu’s intention was to get their boss’s name, make a call, and resolve the issue easily, leaving a good impression for Mr. Lu. It would be shameful to lay hands on a group of youths.

But since they refused to cooperate, he had no choice. The pain they were about to suffer was their own doing.

Futu stepped aside, and the burly man behind him surged forward, landing a punch squarely on the yellow-haired leader’s chest.

The leader, fearless as a calf before a tiger, thrust his knife at the burly man’s chest.

This man, known as Huang Seven, was an orphan taken in by Huang Chao, ranked seventh among Huang Chao’s loyal followers. He had been trained by the post-celestial master for nearly ten years and had survived countless battles.

Just days earlier, he had endured a deadly fight. Though only at the external stage, even regular internal martial artists wouldn’t dare take him lightly.

Dealing with these petty thugs was like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

Huang Seven caught the knife with his left hand and, without pausing, drove his right fist into the leader’s chest.

With a loud thud, the leader was sent flying, landing heavily on the ground and vomiting blood.

Discarding the knife, Huang Seven charged at the stunned gang, scattering them like a tiger among sheep. With a few punches and kicks, he laid them all flat.

The yellow-haired gang lay on the ground, groaning. Some had broken ribs, others broken arms or legs—a scene of utter misery.

Especially the leader, struck square in the chest by Huang Seven, was no match for a seasoned fighter who had survived life-and-death struggles. The punch had severely damaged his organs; without urgent medical attention, his life was at risk.

Having swiftly dealt with the gang, Huang Seven quietly returned to stand behind Futu.

Futu then stepped up to the leader and asked calmly, “Now, will you tell me who your boss is?”