Chapter 21: The Incident Ferments

On a gloomy afternoon, Xiang Qian walked into a secluded knife shop. The interior was dimly lit, with shelves lined with various knives.

The owner was a middle-aged man with a face full of coarse flesh; he glanced up to size him up. "What do you want to buy?"

Xiang Qian's gaze swept over the display case before finally resting on an ancient-looking long blade. "This one, has it been sharpened?"

The owner grinned. "Sharpened and ready, very sharp." He pulled the knife from under the counter, its blade gleaming with cold light. "Want to try it?"

Xiang Qian took the knife, his fingers lightly stroking the blade, his expression stern. "Wrap it up."

Back at the apartment arranged by the Shaw family, Xiang Qian retrieved a set of black combat gear from the depths of the closet—a hooded jacket and trousers identical to Zhang Qiling's. He put them on slowly, his movements meticulous, finally fastening the hood to cover half his face.

Before the mirror, he silently stared at his reflection, his eyes sharp as a blade. He knew the principle: strike one fist to open the way, and avoid a hundred fists coming.

Picking up his phone, he dialed Zhang Guorong's number.

"Brother Rong, I have a favor to ask of you."

On the other end of the line, Zhang Guorong's voice carried a smile. "So polite? Speak, what is it?"

"Trouble you to send someone to pick up my parents and Zhou Huimin's parents, and find a safe place for them to stay for a few days."

Zhang Guorong's laughter stopped abruptly. "What happened?"

"Nothing, just in case." Xiang Qian's tone was calm. "Don't tell A-Min, so she doesn't worry."

Zhang Guorong fell silent for a moment. "Xiao Qian, did you get yourself into trouble?"

"Brother Rong, please." Xiang Qian did not answer directly and hung up the phone.

Hearing the busy tone in the phone, Zhang Guorong frowned tightly. He immediately called back, but only heard the prompt that the phone was switched off.

"Something is wrong..." he muttered to himself, then dialed Cheng Long's number. "Ah Long, something has happened."

An hour later, at Zhang Guorong's villa, Cheng Long, Anita Mui, and Sun Li arrived in a hurry.

"What exactly happened?" Cheng Long asked eagerly as soon as he entered. "What's wrong with Xiao Qian?"

Zhang Guorong wore a solemn expression. "He just called, asking me to arrange for his parents and Zhou Huimin's parents to hide, but he refused to say why."

Sun Li sighed. "I know the reason." She recounted the matter of Xin Yi An in detail. "... Now the other party refuses to settle, unless..."

"Unless what?" Anita Mui pressed.

Sun Li shook her head. "The conditions are too humiliating; Xiao Qian would never agree."

Cheng Long smashed his fist onto the coffee table. "Damn it, those bastards!"

Zhang Guorong looked at Sun Li. "What did the Shaw family say? Can they mediate?"

Sun Li gave a bitter smile. "I just came from the company. The higher-ups' view is... Xiang Qian hasn't earned money for the company yet, so it's not worth offending Xin Yi An over him."

Anita Mui's face turned pale with anger. "These snobs!"

Cheng Long paced back and forth. "We can't let him go risk it alone. That group from Xin Yi An are ruthless; they'll do anything."

Zhang Guorong pondered for a moment. "I know Sir Chen at the police station. Should we..."

Sun Li shook her head. "It's useless. Xin Yi An has people in the police force too; unless someone dies, they won't get involved in such disputes."

Anita Mui suddenly stood up. "I'll go find Xiang Qian!"

"Do you know where he is?" Cheng Long asked.

Anita Mui gritted her teeth. "With his personality, he must have gone straight to Xin Yi An to settle the score!"

Zhang Guorong made an immediate decision. "Ah Long, contact the stuntmen brothers and gather more manpower. Ah Mei, you and I will go look near Xin Yi An's territory."

Cheng Long nodded. "I'll make the call right away."

Sun Li picked up her coat. "I'll go to Zhou Huimin's place; she must not know about this."

As night deepened, Xiang Qian walked alone down the dim street. The long blade on his back was heavy, and every step he took was firm.