Chapter 280: The Big Boss from Above Arrives

Wang Kai was kicked out in the chaos.

As a result he knocked over a few henchmen outside the door and got a bout of punches and kicks.

He now even has the desire to kill.

"Kai bro… sorry, sorry!" the henchmen scrambled to help him up.

"We really didn't see clearly that it was you, we thought the person you were going to deal with had escaped, broke my front tooth, I… I just—"

At that moment, a crack opened in the door of the private room.

Someone wanted to see what was happening outside.

Wang Kai, furious beyond measure, shouted, "What are you looking at! Get back! Keep looking and I'll gouge out your eyeballs! Damn…"

The peeking person, frightened, quickly shut the private room door.

"Kai bro, if there's nothing else, can we leave?" Ning Jingli's voice suddenly rang out.

Wang Kai, scared, stepped back several paces and hid behind a few henchmen.

Because he had just been kicked out by Ning Jingli.

He never could have imagined that a young woman who looked beautiful and gentle could fight so ferociously, with strength far beyond that of a normal person!

This time he was truly frightened.

The few henchmen guarding the corridor only then realized the private room was a mess; dozens of brothers lay on the floor, some whimpering in pain, others simply fainting.

Yet the young woman who walked to the doorway to speak, along with her several companions, were all completely unharmed.

"Want to leave? Dream on!" Wang Kai, though scared, couldn't lose face, snarled fiercely, "I'm underprepared today, the boat capsized in the gutter, fine, I admit it! But this isn't over!"

Ning Jingli crossed her arms, leaning against the private room door with a smile, "You called over forty thugs, and still couldn't do anything to us. Do you think you can still stop us?"

Wang Kai swallowed, stiffened his neck, and said, "If you insist on leaving, I truly can't stop you, but I tell you, the situation has escalated. If you don't give me a satisfactory answer today, and you dare step through that door, I will make sure you and your relatives and friends have no peace ever in Xinghan City!"

Ning Jingli's eyebrows twitched slightly.

There's a saying, something like, not afraid of being stolen by a thief, but afraid of the thief keeping you in mind.

The same applies to a street thug like Wang Kai who has a bit of influence.

Ning Jingli wasn't worried about herself or Xiao Qidi being entangled, harassed, or even plotted against, but she had to consider two friends and three male classmates.

Ting Ting and Xiao Yan, though both studying abroad, have their families in Xinghan City.

Of those three righteous male classmates, two are from elsewhere, but the remaining one is also a native of Xinghan.

If Wang Kai targets them, their families won't be able to rest.

Ning Jingli pondered internally whether to mobilize state power to eliminate any future trouble.

Of course, such low‑level thugs aren't enough to rouse Sister Ying or senior officials; you wouldn't use a nuclear bomb to kill a mosquito.

Or should we find a municipal‑level official?

She only needs one phone call, and someone will definitely come in person.

But that's like using an anti‑aircraft gun on a mosquito; even if the official is willing to help, Ning Jingli would feel uneasy.

Forget it, let's first probe what backing Wang Kai actually has.

Wang Kai saw Ning Jingli's furrowed, thoughtful expression.

Wang Kai, thinking she was merely intimidated, regained his composure, pushed aside the henchmen shielding him, pointed at Ning Jingli's nose, and said, "I'm telling you honestly, that line I just said wasn't bragging! If you don't believe it, you can try."

Ning Jingli continued, "You talk as if you control the whole Xinghan City, able to deal with anyone you want. I've lived here for over twenty years and have never heard of anyone so powerful."

Wang Kai sneered, "You haven't fallen into the sea so you don't know how deep the water is, little girl. You now have only one way left, which is to let your boyfriend be captured, honestly let me eliminate him, then you become my concubine, and this matter will be over. If you insist on provoking a real big boss, the consequences for you will be even worse."

Ning Jingli's mouth twitched, "You've made me curious, a real big boss? Let me see, let me find out who the holy figure actually is."

Wang Kai's face grew grim, "Little girl, I'm not being alarmist; if the big boss above me steps in, you'll either die or get injured."

"Call him over, we'll wait." Ning Jingli said calmly, then turned back to the private room.

She really wanted to see this big figure that Wang Kai described as the underground king of Xinghan City.

If I recall correctly, the only ones barely fitting that background were Yang Zhengxing and his father, but that father‑son pair were eliminated last year, and later Xinghan City's law‑enforcement cleaned up the various illegal crime groups they controlled.

Logically, such a person shouldn't exist in Xinghan City anymore.

"Zheng Xing… you have guts… really have guts!" Wang Kai, angered by Ning Jingli's attitude, recalling the humiliation he suffered tonight, steeled himself, and pulled out his phone to call.

The call connected quickly.

Wang Kai, subconsciously showing respect, hunched his neck and waist, cradling the phone, walked to a corner of the corridor, "Third Uncle, hello… it's me, yes, yes, I'm Xiao Kai, sorry to disturb you so late, the situation is like this…"

On the other end of the line.

Wu Sanye was in the antique shop, listening to Wang Kai's description while fiddling with a recently acquired, well‑preserved old item.

He had some impression of this kid named Wang Kai.

Since Wu Sanye got close to Ning Jingli's side, his antique business kept expanding. Although he no longer uses the usual underworld tricks, the trade inevitably involves dealing with shady people, and the larger the business, the more often this happens.

Therefore, Wu Sanye inevitably needs some people who operate in the gray area to do his bidding.

Wang Kai is one of them.

The kid is under thirty, with a terrible temperament, but he can handle the trouble Wu Sanye needs dealt with covertly quite well.

He's like a flawed knife that, in certain situations, proves rather handy.

However, Wu Sanye doesn't want to be openly linked to this knife; otherwise, any mishap could implicate Third Uncle himself.

After hearing Wang Kai's account, Wu Sanye set the old item aside, lit a cigarette, and in a deep voice asked, "You didn't just spout nonsense, did you? Over forty henchmen couldn't handle a few fresh youngsters? And you brag about hard Qi Gong? Why didn't you say you were cultivating? Reading novels messed up your brain?"

Wang Kai, sweating profusely, pleaded, "Third Uncle, if the situation weren't special, I wouldn't dare disturb you… you're experienced and powerful, I can only ask you to step in. If we can't resolve this today, I fear I'll have no face to survive in society, how could I then serve you faithfully?"

Third Uncle, hearing this, was silent for a few seconds, took a deep drag, and said, "Give me the address, I'll be there right away."

Wang Kai rejoiced, "Thank you, Third Uncle! Thank you, Third Uncle!"

——

The antique shop where Wu Sanye is located isn't far from this hotel.

Less than ten minutes.

A limited-edition Rolls-Royce pulled up to the hotel entrance.

The hotel manager personally opened the door, greeting him with a smile: "Third Uncle, as soon as I saw you arrive, my heart finally settled."

He wasn't just flattering.

As the saying goes, Yama is easy to see, but the little ghosts are hard to deal with.

Wu Sanye is wealthy and powerful, prestigious and image-conscious, which actually makes him easy to talk to.

But those little ghosts who brandish a tiger's skin as a banner are not so easy to handle.

"Did those guys disturb any other guests in your hotel?" Wu Sanye asked after getting out of the car.

The hotel manager said, "No, no, the situation is still under control in the two private suites—for now—but I'm worried it might escalate… I might not be able to contain it. Anyway, now that you're here, I can relax!"

"Take me there; I want to see what's really going on."

"Yes, Third Uncle, this way please."

——

In the private room, Xiao Qidi and Ning Jinli sat on the sofa scrolling on their phones as if nothing had happened.

Ting Ting, Xiao Yan, and the three male classmates were still shaken.

They hadn't yet recovered from the recent brawl, and they were on edge about what might happen next.

The three male classmates squeezed onto another sofa, bodies tense, sitting upright, alternately glancing at the thugs sprawled on the floor and at Ning Jinli and Xiao Qidi.

Although their minds were filled with shock and questions, none of them dared to speak.

If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, they could never have imagined that Ning Jinli's boyfriend could fight so well—he was practically more skilled than any martial arts master they'd seen on TV.

But even more unbelievable was that Ning Jinli herself was also a formidable fighter.

When she fought, she looked like an ordinary person brawling, with no discernible technique—just one word: fierce!

A single slap could send a thug spinning in place, foaming at the mouth; a kick could launch him three meters away.

Is… this still the gentle, quiet, soft-spoken An An they knew?

"Um…" Ting Ting said hesitantly, "Jinli, over the past six months… what have you been through? You're not like those brain‑hole dramas where you accidentally fall off a cliff and then somehow learn some secret martial art, are you?"

Xiao Yan pinched Ning Jinli's arm and muttered, "Your arms are still as soft and slender as before—where do you get all that strength?"

Ning Jinli chuckled, "If it ever becomes convenient to talk about, I'll definitely tell you all."

Ting Ting and Xiao Yan exchanged glances.

The unconscious thugs gradually came to, and when they saw Xiao Qidi and Ning Jinli, they looked as if they'd seen a ghost; even with dizzy heads and aching bodies, they scrambled to get out the door, crawling if they couldn't stand.

Little did they know, this was already Xiao Qidi and Ning Jinli showing mercy.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have kept their lives.

Dozens of bruised and battered thugs crowded the hallway, each face still marked with fear, looking like frost‑bitten eggplants—wilted and listless.

Wang Kai paced back and forth, glancing at his watch now and then, then at the elevator at the end of the hall.

Even though only ten or so minutes had passed since he made the call, it felt like ages.

Finally, in his eager anticipation, the elevator doors opened.

The hotel manager led Wu Sanye into his view, and behind Third Uncle followed two obviously formidable bodyguards.

The underlings present had never seen Wu Sanye before, so they showed no reaction.

"Third Uncle… Third Uncle!" Wang Kai hurried over, happier than seeing his own father, "Third Uncle, you've finally come!"

All the underlings, seeing this, turned to look.

"Is that the rumored Wu Sanye?"

"Holy shit, our Brother Kai is awesome—one call and he got Third Uncle to come!"

"Hurry up, don't let Brother Kai down—let's put on a good show!"

The underlings endured their aches, struggled to stand straight, and when Wang Kai led Third Uncle over, they formed a line, bowed in unison, and shouted together, "Hello, Third Uncle!"

Wu Sanye glanced around, his face darkening involuntarily: "You… you're all beaten up?"

He had thought Wang Kai was exaggerating on the phone, but now he saw it was true.

The underlings nodded repeatedly.

Wu Sanye pondered briefly, then said, "Once I understand the situation, as long as you haven't gone too far, I'll make sure whoever beat you knows the consequences."

The underlings' eyes instantly reddened, and they kept saying, "Thank you, Third Uncle."

Wang Kai held up his two crooked fingers, voice trembling, and said, "Third Uncle, I won't mention the injuries on my face and body—look at this hand… I might not even be able to hold chopsticks properly from now on."

Wu Sanye adjusted the gold‑rimmed glasses on his nose; his expression hadn't changed much, yet his whole presence now exuded the aura of a jianghu big shot. "Come on, follow me inside."

The two bodyguards behind him, at that moment, skillfully drew the daggers and retractable batons hidden in their suits, ready to strike.

"Yes, Third Uncle!" Wang Kai straightened his back and told the underlings by the door, "Open the door!"

Inside the private room.

Ning Jinli had just faintly heard a crowd shouting something about "Third Uncle," and she couldn't help but look toward the door with a puzzled expression.

At that moment, the private room door was shoved open.

Wang Kai strode in head‑high, chest out, with a step that showed no regard for kin.

Wu Sanye's face darkened, then he stepped in; the two professional bodyguards flanked him left and right, their eyes sharp as hawks.

But the next second.

When Wu Sanye's gaze met Ning Jinli's, they both froze.

Wang Kai, oblivious to the subtle shift, shouted at Ning Jinli, "You wanted to see some action, huh? And you're still sitting there?! Get over here and greet Third Uncle!"

As his words fell, Ning Jinli burst out laughing.

Wu Sanye felt terrible, his face flushed with embarrassment, and for a moment he was lost for words.

"What are you laughing at?" Wang Kai flew into a rage, shouting at Ning Jinli, "Third Uncle can make you all not see tomorrow's sun in a split second! I'm telling you, the two bodyguards beside Third Uncle used to be top-tier mercenaries who fought their way out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood; even if you and your boyfriend are good fighters, those two could slaughter you as easily as crushing an ant!"