Chapter 38: You Betrayed Me?

As soon as Wang Zhongjun finished speaking, Lu Ming swung his hand and delivered two sharp slaps.

The crisp sound of the blows echoed through the hall.

Wang Zhongjun was stunned, his head spinning as he tried to process what had just happened.

"You dare hit me?"

"What, do I need to check the time before I hit you?" Lu Ming replied coldly.

"Boys, get him!" Wang Zhongjun roared in his fury, and the seven or eight thugs behind him, wielding clubs, swung them at Lu Ming with full force.

At that moment, Li Xiujun was beside herself with worry, her heart pounding in her throat. She knew these men were notorious in the county—no one dared provoke them, and brawling was their daily routine.

Chen Bing’s friend didn’t know better; he actually dared to slap Wang Zhongjun. There was no way Wang Zhongjun would let this go.

Yet Yun Ketian and Chen Bing remained calm. Yun Ketian even wore a smile. Although he didn’t know if Lu Ming had martial skills, he was already so obsessed with Lu Ming that he regarded him as something of a deity; a few thugs could never harm Brother Lu.

Chen Bing, even more so, understood how formidable his own leader was. Back when he was a mercenary, he could move freely through barrages of bullets; his skills were unfathomable. These thugs weren’t even enough to get stuck in the boss’s teeth.

Sure enough, just as the clubs were about to strike, Lu Ming moved as if strolling through a garden, weaving effortlessly through the falling weapons. With a few swift kicks, the attackers were sent flying.

Wang Zhongjun was frozen, staring in disbelief at his men sprawled across the floor.

"You, you—"

Before he could finish, Lu Ming dashed forward, grabbed Wang Zhongjun’s arm, and twisted.

A sickening crack resounded; Wang Zhongjun’s arm snapped, the bone gleaming white through the torn flesh, blood gushing.

Clutching his arm, Wang Zhongjun howled like a slaughtered pig.

Lu Ming calmly returned to his seat, sat down, and said, "Let’s eat."

Yun Ketian wasted no time, picking up his chopsticks and digging in. Chen Bing followed suit, eating quietly.

Li Xiujun stamped her feet in frustration. "How can you think about eating now? What are you going to do? Hurry up and run!"

She was so anxious she could barely string words together.

Lu Ming smiled, "It’s fine. You should eat something too."

"I can’t think about food! These people are trouble. You may be able to fight, but there are more of them. If you don’t leave now, when Wang Liu comes, you won’t be able to escape," Li Xiujun said urgently.

At that moment, Wang Zhongjun recovered from his pain, and his men struggled to their feet.

He snarled, "You’ve got guts, kid. Wait here—when Master Liu comes, you’ll regret it."

With that threat, Wang Zhongjun, supported by his men, fled in haste.

Lu Ming watched him go and smiled at Li Xiujun. "Why worry? I’m waiting for that Wang Liu. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have let him leave."

He picked up a bite of food and ate.

Li Xiujun sighed, her face filled with anxiety. "That Wang Liu is trained, I’ve heard he’s formidable. He’s got plenty of men and connections in the county. You should just leave; an arm can’t twist a thigh."

Seeing how concerned Li Xiujun was, persistently urging them to leave, Lu Ming grew ever fonder of her—a good woman.

Watching Chen Bing eat awkwardly with his left hand, Lu Ming seemed thoughtful.

"What are you thinking about? Get Chen Bing out of here, or you really won’t be able to leave soon," Li Xiujun said loudly, seeing Lu Ming slip into a daze.

"Don’t worry, miss. With us here, no one will dare touch Brother Chen," Yun Ketian interjected.

Li Xiujun glanced at the tall, thin Yun Ketian. "You don’t know how dangerous Wang Liu is. He’s run wild in this county for over ten years—he runs casinos, KTVs, and rumor has it he’s killed people. Still nothing’s happened to him. We can’t afford to provoke him."

Yun Ketian responded, "Damn, he’s that tough? Brother Lu, when Wang Liu shows up, you’ll have to teach him a lesson. Fighting isn’t my strong suit."

Lu Ming’s voice grew serious. "He’s the one who ordered the bulldozer that killed Chen Bing’s father. Wang Liu must pay a heavy price."

"Mm," Yun Ketian nodded between bites.

Chen Bing bit his lip, sadness clouding his face.

The three ate and talked, while Li Xiujun paced anxiously nearby, circling them, at a loss for how to make them listen.

Just then, several men entered the restaurant, all in police uniforms, accompanied by a burly man of about forty with a hooked nose and sharp, triangular eyes. He stared coldly at Lu Ming and his companions.

With their arrival, Li Xiujun sighed inwardly.

Wang Liu had come, and he’d brought the police. Now, there was no way to escape. Seeing the three men eating calmly, Li Xiujun shook her head, knowing it was too late for any advice.

The officers approached Lu Ming’s table. One of them spoke, "Someone just reported an assault—a man’s arm was broken. Who did it?"

Yun Ketian pointed at Lu Ming. "He did."

Lu Ming was startled, then laughed, "You’re selling me out?"

"I’m just telling the truth," Yun Ketian mumbled through a mouthful of food.

Li Xiujun shook her head—at a time like this, the two could still joke. Chen Bing, too, ate calmly, apparently unruffled—a heart so big it amazed her.

The lead officer said, "Since you admit it, come with us. The victim’s in the hospital; this is serious. Don’t make us use force."

He drew a pair of handcuffs from his belt and looked at Lu Ming.

Lu Ming frowned, "They attacked first. I was defending myself; handcuffs aren’t necessary."

"You don’t decide what happened. We’ll investigate. For now, come with us, or you’ll add obstruction of justice to your charges," the officer replied.

Lu Ming looked at the officer and said slowly, "They crushed someone to death and you did nothing. I defend myself and break an arm, and you rush right over."

Li Xiujun tugged urgently at his sleeve, signaling him not to say more.

The officer’s face darkened. "Enough talk. Come with us."

He moved toward Lu Ming, ready to cuff him.

Wang Liu smiled.

Foolish kid, courting his own death—he had only himself to blame.

Just then, a panting fat man burst into the restaurant, followed by a young man in glasses.

He looked around and called out, "Young Master Yun!"

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