Chapter 20: Triad

The streetlights cast a dim yellow glow as Xiang Qian and Zhou Huimin walked side by side on their way home. Zhou Huimin held a trophy in her hands, a faint smile on her face.

"Brother Cheng Long's performance today was absolutely brilliant," she said softly, "I never expected his martial arts to be so good."

Xiang Qian smiled. "Yes, he is a trained practitioner; the stunts in his movies are all genuine kung fu."

Just as they spoke, several flippant whistles suddenly came from the street corner.

"Yo, the little girl is quite pretty!"

Three hooligans with dyed yellow hair swaggered over. The leader, a tall and thin man, squinted as he sized up Zhou Huimin, a cigarette dangling from his mouth.

Xiang Qian immediately stepped in front of Zhou Huimin to shield her and said coldly, "Gentlemen, is there something you need?"

The tall thin man sneered. "Pretending to be a hero? We just want to chat with this beauty."

He reached out to grab Zhou Huimin. Xiang Qian, quick-eyed and fast-handed, seized his wrist and twisted it hard.

"Ah!" the tall thin man cried out in pain. "You damn—"

Before he could finish, Xiang Qian drove an elbow into his face, knocking him straight to the ground. Seeing this, the other two hooligans cursed and lunged forward.

Xiang Qian sidestepped the first man's punch and countered with a hook to his abdomen, causing the man to immediately double over and retch. As the third hooligan raised his stick, Xiang Qian had already kicked his knee, accompanied by a "Crack!" The man screamed and fell to his knees.

The entire process took only a few seconds; all three hooligans were down.

The tall thin man, clutching his bleeding face, struggled to his feet, his eyes dark and vicious. "Kid, do you know who I am?"

Xiang Qian looked at him coldly. "I have no interest in knowing."

"My name is Monkey!" the tall thin man ground out through his teeth. "Sister Siyan of the Kowloon Branch of Xinyi An is my boss! Just you wait, this isn't over!"

Xiang Qian's eyes sharpened. He stepped forward and kicked him down again. "Talk nonsense again, and I'll cripple you right now!"

The three hooligans scrambled away in a panic, not forgetting to shout threats as they fled. "Just you wait!"

Zhou Huimin's face was pale, tears streaming down her cheeks. Xiang Qian quickly turned and gently embraced her.

"It's okay, don't be afraid," he comforted her in a low voice. "I'm here; no one can hurt you."

Zhou Huimin leaned against his shoulder, her voice trembling. "Will they... will they take revenge?"

Xiang Qian patted her back. "Just a few small hooligans; they can't stir up any trouble. Let's go, I'll take you home first."

When they arrived at Zhou Huimin's doorstep, she was still shaken.

"Do you... want to come in for a while?" she asked in a small voice.

Xiang Qian shook his head. "It's too late. Rest well and don't think too much."

Zhou Huimin bit her lip. "Then you... be careful."

Xiang Qian smiled. "Don't worry. See you tomorrow."

Back home, Xiang Qian sat on the sofa, his brows knitted tight. He knew this matter was not so simple; Xinyi An was a well-known local gang, and getting involved with them was troublesome.

He took out his phone and dialed Sun Li's number.

"Sister Sun, I might have gotten into trouble."

On the other end of the line, Sun Li's voice immediately became serious. "What happened?"

Xiang Qian recounted the incident. Sun Li fell silent for a moment, then sighed. "You... are too impulsive."

"Those hooligans started it first," Xiang Qian said in a deep voice. "I couldn't just watch them harass A-Min."

Sun Li was helpless. "I understand, but Xinyi An is not easy to mess with. How about this? Tomorrow I'll have someone inquire and see if we can mediate."

Xiang Qian nodded. "Thank you, Sister Sun."

The next day at noon, Sun Li called.

"I've found out," her voice was somewhat solemn. "That Monkey is a small underling under Siyan of the Kowloon Branch of Xinyi An. Siyan has issued a statement saying you humiliated them and refuses to settle this peacefully."

Xiang Qian gripped his phone tight. "What do they want?"

Sun Li paused. "Unless... you give Zhou Huimin to them, you kowtow three times, and pay them one hundred thousand yuan, this matter will not be considered over."

Xiang Qian's eyes turned icy. "Dream on."

Sun Li sighed. "I knew you would say that. But Xinyi An has considerable power; you cannot withstand them alone."

Xiang Qian was silent for a moment, then said calmly. "I understand. Thank you, Sister Sun."

After hanging up, he stood by the window, looking out at the street, his gaze gradually becoming sharp.

He picked up his coat and strode out the door. Since the other side refused to give up, he would not sit idly by and wait for death.

In the shadows of the street corner, figures seemed to be moving. Xiang Qian sneered and walked forward without looking back.

"Xinyi An, is it? Then let's see who gives up first."