Chapter 493: with translation of chapter title

When Xu Jijun came up, Li Mingtang nearly spat out the half roll of roast duck he'd just shoved into his mouth; he widened his eyes, forced it down, gulped a mouthful of baijiu to catch his breath, and said, "What the hell? Xu Jijun hitting on your wife?"

He wore an expression of utter disbelief, as if he'd seen it all.

"You know him?"

Lin Dongfan awaited Li Mingtang's answer.

So far, the thing that confuses Lin Dongfan most is not knowing whether the Xu Jijun born in the compound is actually the same person as his old classmate.

"I do."

Li Mingtang pulled out a tissue and wiped the grease off his lips.

Li Mingtang spoke slowly to Lin Dongfan: "He's a third-generation red, about your age, though he himself hasn't gone into politics. I'm not exactly sure what he does, but he's certainly no ordinary person. The gang kids in the Naval Temple are no pushovers, and Xu Jijun is considered the highest-ranking among them. His grandfather, General Xu Lao, is a famous war hero, and his father still holds office—a genuine red scion."

Saying that, Li Mingtang took a sip of baijiu.

He then continued to sketch the character portrait:

"That Xu Jijun kid… how to put it, he's kind of an oddball."

Kids in the compound usually have a stubborn streak; they either go the straight route or pursue art to seem high-end and cool.

But that Xu Jijun kid is different—he likes to tear things apart.

I have a relative who lives next door to him; I used to drop by often and often saw him getting beaten. His old man would whip him with a belt, and he wouldn't shed a tear—he was incredibly stubborn.

From a young age he loved tinkering with machinery.

As a child he'd take apart radios, TVs, bicycles, motorcycles. Later he moved on to cars, even disassembling multi-million-yuan sports cars bought from abroad.

Saying that, Li Mingtang's face broke into a "you know what I mean" smile.

Li Mingtang continued:

"He doesn't mess with cars just to show off; people modify them, do rally racing, off-roading—pursuing speed and passion."

Among the earliest off-road enthusiasts in Jingcheng, he's considered number one.

Later I heard he set up a modification workshop.

Specializing in souping up those big-displacement hardcore off-roaders—Jeep Wranglers, Land Cruisers, etc. —he strips them down to the bone.

His workshop is the stronghold of Jingcheng's car‑playing troublemakers.

That bunch, hey, has a complicated background!

There are temple brats like him, wealthy second‑generations from business families, and pure‑skill mechanics who make a living from modifications.

But no matter their background, on Xu Jijun's turf they have to follow his rules.

His rule is: you can play with cars, but not with people; he despises petty, underhanded types, doesn't play dirty, and lets victory go to whoever's better.

Saying that, he sounds pretty upright.

Li Mingtang said that, glancing intentionally or not at Lin Dongfan's reaction.

And he added: "That kid's reputation in the circle is not bad—he's pretty righteous and can hold his own. He's just a bit obstinate, dead‑set on his principles, inflexible. Something like hitting on someone's wife is sleazy; he wouldn't do that. Do you have some misunderstanding about him? He couldn't possibly hit on your wife—your family's status is a notch above his."

After hearing all that from Li Mingtang, Lin Dongfan was basically certain—this Xu Jijun was his old schoolmate and good friend, the guy who used to take him racing.

Could it be that I really misunderstood his motive for asking Chu Lingxi out?

Or maybe it's better to get it straight.

Those old buddies, now out of touch for years, have become strangers. The world changes unpredictably—who knows if he's still a righteous, stand‑up guy.

Lin Dongfan stood up and said: "Come on, lead the way to the Naval Temple."

One hour later.

At the Naval Compound, armed guards stood stiffly at the gate, high walls and deep courtyards exuding an unspoken solemnity. Lin Dongfan's and Li Mingtang's cars were parked across the street.

Just after getting out of the car, Lin Dongfan's eyes were caught by a shocking sight not far from the compound gate.

A woman in Along, off‑white down jacket, slim‑figured, stood with her back to them, close to a tall man in a black leather jacket.

The man had one arm around her waist, the other seemed to be cupping her face, his head lowering.

The next second they were kissing.

That back view, that height, the style and color of that down jacket… were almost identical to the one Chu Lingxi wore when she left today!

Especially that long, smooth, shoulder‑length hair.

Lin Dongfan's head buzzed, a surge of jealous fury shot straight to the top of his skull, and he exploded! Damn those compound brats—do they think I'm invisible?

"Damn!"

Lin Dongfan's steps rushed faster than his thoughts could keep up, like an enraged leopard, and he crossed the road in a few strides.

"'Fan Ye, what are you doing? Don't be rash!'"

Li Mingtang shouted from behind, trying to pull him back but couldn't!

Lin Dongfan lunged onto the shameless scene and unleashed a vicious right hook that landed squarely on the leather‑jacketed man's cheek!

"Ugh!"

A low, muffled cry of pain.

The man, completely unprepared, staggered back, clutching his face, and after several steps managed to stay upright—blood instantly appeared at the corner of his mouth.

He lifted his head, shocked and angry: "Holy shit! Who the hell are you?! Are you sick?!"

At the same time.

The woman in the off‑white down jacket also cried out and turned around.

When he saw the other person's face clearly, Lin Dongfan's fist still hung in mid‑air, and he went numb—his whole rage felt like a bucket of ice water dumped over his head, freezing instantly.

Not Chu Lingxi?

The woman before him, though tall and with a similar silhouette from behind, looked completely different! Moreover, her face was full of shock and bewilderment—clearly she, too, had been stunned by the sudden violence.

Damn it!

I got the wrong person—what now?

Lin Dongfan's little heart went thump-thump, speeding up; to say he wasn't nervous would be a lie.

You little bastard! Ah! You're asking for death!

The man who'd been hit flew into a rage, wiped blood from the corner of his mouth, his eyes bloodshot, shouting curses as he charged forward and swung his fist to strike back.

Li Mingtang also came running, panting heavily.

Seeing the situation, his head swelled; he hurried to step in the middle to mediate, saying: "Misunderstanding! Misunderstanding! Brother, don't fight! Let's talk it out!"

Your mother's a misunderstanding!

The man, still fuming, shoved Li Mingtang aside, pointed at Lin Dongfan's nose and shouted: "This bastard hit me as soon as he came up! Look what he did to me! Today this isn't over!"

What do you mean 'not over'?

Seeing the other side repeatedly call him a bastard, Lin Dongfan, who originally felt he was in the wrong, also got angry.

Lin Dongfan brushed aside the other's hand.

He angrily retorted: "Try pointing again! I hit the wrong person—that's my fault; I'll compensate however needed, you can even call the police! But don't spew shit."

Damn! You're pretty arrogant!

Pi Ke Nan swung his hand and threw a punch; the next second someone let out an 'Oh-woo' cry of pain, but the one screaming wasn't Lin Dongfan—it was Li Mingtang, who had rushed forward to mediate.

Just as Lin Dongfan was about to unleash a burst strike.

An extremely rugged-modified military-green Jeep Wrangler with a super-high chassis and wide tires roared out of the compound.

The Wrangler let out a 'creak' and came to a precise stop beside the conflict scene.

The window rolled down, revealing a sharply defined face with a hint of rebelliousness. Crew-cut, his skin was a wheat tone from years of outdoor activity.

This person was Xu Jijun!

Upon seeing Lin Dongfan's side profile clearly, Xu Jijun frowned in surprise.

Then he warned Ke Pi Nan: "Lao Qi, you're itching for trouble again, huh? Dare to cause trouble right under my nose—apologize to my brother immediately!"