Chapter 23: Kicking an Iron Plate

“You… You dare hit me?!”

Zhang Ji’s head was somewhat dizzy as he glared at Xu Shaochen with a venomous gaze, speaking through gritted teeth.

“Smack!”

But before he could finish speaking, Xu Shaochen slapped him hard across the face. “It seems you’re still not fully awake. Originally, a simple apology could have settled this, but you forced my hand. You know, the thing I hate the most is someone like you—a person who causes trouble but doesn’t want to pay the price.”

“Damn it… You’ve got guts! If I don’t kill you today, my surname isn’t Zhang!”

Feeling the stinging pain on his face, Zhang Ji screamed hysterically at Xu Shaochen. When had he ever been humiliated like this? It was simply courting death.

“I don’t care what your surname is, as long as it’s not the same as mine. Today’s just a small lesson. When you do something wrong, you have to be ready to take the consequences. Got it? Now, get lost!”

Ignoring Zhang Ji’s threat, Xu Shaochen said coldly, glaring at him.

“Just wait… You’ll see, just wait.”

Clutching his head, Zhang Ji spat out a harsh threat before biting his lip and leaving.

“Shaochen, what happened?”

At this moment, Zhou Fan, Li Qi, and Liu Chao rushed over, looking anxiously at Xu Shaochen.

“Nothing. Just some clueless idiot harassing Weiwei.” Xu Shaochen shook his head.

“Then why the hell are we hesitating? Let’s beat the crap out of him!”

“Absolutely! He dared to mess with our brother’s girl, he’s asking for it!”

The three of them grabbed beer bottles, ready to chase after Zhang Ji and beat him senseless.

Walking ahead, Zhang Ji’s body stiffened and he instinctively quickened his steps.

“Alright, that’s enough, let it go.”

Xu Shaochen started sweating and hurriedly blocked the three of them. If they followed through, things would really get out of hand.

“That guy’s lucky today, otherwise we’d have beaten him to death.”

“Exactly. Scumbags like him won’t learn unless you beat them till it hurts.”

The three of them cursed as they set down their makeshift weapons. When it came to fights, the four of them usually acted as one.

“Are you alright?” Xu Shaochen asked, turning to Xie Wei beside him.

Xie Wei quickly shook her head, “No… No, I’m fine. Thank you.”

Xu Shaochen had good looks, was a top student, rich now, and made people feel safe around him. Honestly, Xie Wei was starting to really take an interest in him. Not in his money, but in Xu Shaochen as a person.

At this moment, the music in the bar abruptly stopped, and the main lights switched on, turning the place as bright as day.

“Who did this! Who the hell dares to hit my friend in my bar? You’re tired of living, huh?!”

At the same time, an arrogant and furious voice echoed throughout the room. When everyone saw who it was, their faces changed, and they quickly moved aside, their eyes filled with pity for Xu Shaochen.

Everyone knew the newcomer.

The one speaking was the owner of the bar.

Being so young and able to run such a large bar in a prime location, he definitely had some serious backing.

Xu Shaochen had hit the friend of the bar’s owner. In their eyes, Xu Shaochen was in big trouble.

“Oh man, that guy’s done for. He hit someone he shouldn’t have!”

“Yeah, it looks like it won’t be easy getting out of this tonight.”

“So what? If someone messed with my girlfriend like that, I’d hit them too.”

The crowd buzzed with low murmurs. Some were sympathetic, some were impressed, but a few were clearly gloating over his misfortune.

After all, there are always people who can’t stand to see others doing well.

“Brother Hua, it was him! That kid hit me! This is your turf, you’ve got to deal with him today!”

Clutching his head, Zhang Ji pointed at Xu Shaochen, glaring at Fu Hua with venomous eyes. His face was full of malice.

Damn it! This punk dared to hit me! Tonight I’ll show you that some people are not to be messed with.

But Fu Hua’s expression changed the moment he saw Xu Shaochen. His face became cloudy, as if unsure of what to do.

Only this morning, he’d seen Xu Shaochen at the hospital, and his father had been very polite to him. Intrigued, he had asked about it after they left.

His father told him that if it were possible, they had to become friends with Xu Shaochen, or at the very least, never offend him. Even the mightiest connections wouldn’t be able to save them otherwise.

Despite his usual laid-back attitude and penchant for chasing women, he was still sharp when it mattered. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have managed to run his bar so well.

He had committed that advice to memory, but never thought Zhang Ji’s grudge was with Xu Shaochen. Getting his head cracked open was nothing; if he got killed, it’d be well-deserved!

After a brief pause, Fu Hua suddenly flashed a welcoming smile and quickly walked over to Xu Shaochen. “Brother Xu, right? We met earlier today. This must be a misunderstanding. My friend didn’t recognize who he was dealing with, so I’ll apologize on his behalf. I hope Brother Xu won’t hold it against him.”

Gasp! Seeing this, the entire crowd erupted in shock.

They never expected that the once-aggressive Fu Hua would suddenly treat Xu Shaochen so respectfully, lowering himself and even showing a hint of flattery.

Xu Shaochen was also a bit surprised. He hadn’t expected the owner of the bar to be Fu Hua, the son of the City Hospital’s chief, Dean Fu. He smiled and said, “Small world, isn’t it?”

“Brother Hua, what’s going on here? Help me teach this kid a lesson!” Overcome with hatred and eager to see Xu Shaochen suffer, Zhang Ji grew impatient and stomped over, pointing at Xu Shaochen as he seethed.

Fu Hua’s smile froze, and he gave Xu Shaochen an uneasy look. “Brother Xu, he’s drunk and not thinking clearly. Please don’t take it to heart. Let me deal with him.”

With that, Fu Hua grabbed Zhang Ji and pulled him to the side, gnashing his teeth as he hissed, “Are you out of your damn mind?! You want to die, don’t drag me into it! Let me tell you, that guy’s not someone I or you can afford to offend. If I were you, I’d go apologize right now!”

Zhang Ji’s mind, which had been burning with rage, suddenly cleared up, and his face turned deathly pale. Cold sweat poured down his forehead, and his hands shook uncontrollably.

How could he not understand what Fu Hua was implying? Clearly, he had kicked an iron plate—a powerful figure he couldn’t afford to offend.

If someone like Fu Hua was this anxious, then he had messed with someone way out of his league. Harassing that man’s woman was practically courting death.

With his mouth dry and body trembling in fear, Zhang Ji rushed forward and, with a loud thud, dropped to his knees in front of Xu Shaochen.

“Brother Xu… No, Master Xu, please have mercy on me. It’s all my fault; I didn’t know who I was dealing with. Please, Master Xu, forgive me. I’ll never dare to do it again. I beg you to spare me this one time…”

The crowd watched this unexpected turn of events, their minds buzzing. The plot twist came so quickly that they couldn’t react.

But one thing was clear to everyone: Xu Shaochen was, without a doubt, someone they couldn’t afford to mess with.