Chapter 80: Pull a big job

Who the hell are you?!

Xiao Shangzong again repeated his anger; back when his father Shang Keqing was involved in officialdom, he also seemed to have no grudge with the anti‑corruption bureau.

Corruption charges, settling accounts after autumn?

That also doesn't seem right; his father back then was pushed out because of his stupid pride, unwilling to go along with certain people, so he was squeezed until disheartened and had to leave office for business.

After thinking it over, he still couldn't figure it out.

Xiao Shangzong again pressed Lin Dongfan: "You're messing with me just to let Tang Jing vent? You're really fucking desperate—any random KTV girl would be more exciting than her."

"Now I can only say this: I am a hurdle in your life that you cannot get past."

Lin Dongfan noticed that the cup of wine laced with phlegm was still sitting on the coffee table.

He then pushed that cup toward Xiao Shangzong.

At that moment, the cigarette on his lips still had Along ash; a light shake would make it fall, so Lin Dongfan quickly flicked the ash into the cup.

Then he smiled at Xiao Shangzong:

"You wanted me to drink this cup, didn't you? I like reciprocity, so I'm returning the favor in the same way—drink it and I'll let you get past this hurdle."

"I'll drink your mom's cunt!"

Xiao Shangzong is indeed a hot‑tempered spoiled rich kid; he lifted the cup and splashed the wine at Lin Dongfan's face.

What's more tragic is: he thought he was a heaven‑favored prodigy who could summon wind and rain, but in Lin Dongfan's eyes he was merely a joke.

Lin Dongfan had already anticipated all his actions.

A casual sidestep let him easily dodge that cup of garbage.

Lin Dongfan shook his head regretfully: "This hurdle of yours—you probably can't get past it. If nothing unexpected happens, within a week you'll lose everything you have now."

Hearing this, Xiao Shangzong didn't get angry; instead he revealed a faintly arrogant smile.

He looked at Lin Dongfan as if he were looking at an idiot:

"You want me to lose everything I have—who do you think you are? I can put up a one‑million‑dollar bounty today and spend ten million tomorrow to buy your dog's life! You damn profiteering poor bastard, I'll have you dead in the street tomorrow—you won't even see the day after! Do you even know who you're messing with?"

Just then, Yang Qing walked in with two police officers.

Lin Dongfan immediately passed the task to Yang Qing: "You heard that, right? This idiot rich kid is threatening me—do you want to stand up for us commoners?"

Yang Qing said nothing, gestured, and the two officers behind him immediately slapped handcuffs on Xiao Shangzong.

Xiao Shangzong's veins bulged with anger:

"Who threatened him? I'm rich and I do as I please! You won't even let me speak the truth? Let me go! On what grounds are you arresting me? I'm the victim! The big footprint on my chest is proof!"

"That's just ash—where's any footprint?"

Yang Qing considerately patted the shoe print on Xiao Shangzong's clothes.

The originally somewhat clear size‑42 footprint was instantly smudged to the point that even the outline of the shoe print disappeared.

Xiao Shangzong's eyes widened in fury: "You damn destroyed the evidence!" He wanted to kick Yang Qing to death, but his arms were held by the officers, so he couldn't land a kick.

"Take him away."

Yang Qing waved his hand, and the two officers immediately escorted Xiao Shangzong away.

Xiao Shangzong shouted all the way: "You anti‑rich bastards, I've noted this debt—just you wait, old man! Sooner or later you'll be crying…"

Lin Dongfan and Yang Qing acted as if they hadn't heard a thing.

Yang Qing lit a cigarette and leisurely told Lin Dongfan: "As soon as we sealed Emperor No. 1, my phone's been blowing up—calls from city officials to bureau chiefs, one after another."

What did they say?

Lin Dongfan got up, opened the karaoke system, and prepared to sing "Utmost Loyalty to the Country."

"Answering the phone just means getting scolded—I'm not stupid, I didn't pick up a single call, and now it's off." Yang Qing pushed open the restroom door, intending to relieve himself, when a blood‑curdling scream suddenly came from inside.

Startled, Yang Qing jerked his hand back and hastily shut the door.

Yang Qing glared at Lin Dongfan, annoyed: "Why didn't you tell me there was a girl in there?"

You didn't ask me.

As he spoke, the stirring, uplifting prelude of "Utmost Loyalty to the Country" began to play in the private room.

Lin Dongfan picked up the microphone and cleared his throat twice.

He tested the sound.

When the lyric subtitles on the screen began to change color, Brother Fan belted out with vigor: "Beacon fires rise, I gaze north over the land! Dragon banner unfurls, horses neigh long, sword energy like frost…"

Yang Qing hastily pulled out a pair of built‑in earplugs and stuffed his ears.

Every time he goes to KTV with Lin Dongfan to play,

earplugs are essential gear.

It's not that Yang Qing doesn't love this fiery, passionate song; it's that he wants to live a few more years, because Lin Dongfan's powerful, hoarse singing combined with his tricky pitch‑shifting technique is truly deadly.

Zhang Yong, who rushed over upon hearing it, also broke out in a black line of sweat.

"What on earth stimulated him?" Zhang Yong patted Yang Qing's shoulder.

Yang Qing, covering his ears, shouted: "What did you say?"

Forget it, I didn't say anything.

Zhang Yong covered his ears, turned and left—if he didn't, he feared he couldn't restrain himself from slamming Lin Dongfan to the ground and beating him up, which would be a gross disrespect to the classic song.

At that moment, Tang Jing walked out of the restroom—the person who had screamed earlier was her.

She glanced at Lin Dongfan.

She also glanced at Yang Qing, smoking on the sofa, and asked puzzledly: "Aren't you supposed to be cracking down on porn? Why are you singing?"

Seeing the beautiful woman approach, Yang Qing hastily removed his earplugs.

He stared at Tang Jing's head and asked: "You got hit with a bottle—aren't you going to the hospital to get it checked?"

"I just cleaned the wound—it's just a scraped skin, a swollen bump, not serious." Tang Jing then asked Yang Qing: "Should I go to the police station to give a statement?"

Lin Dongfan, microphone in hand, suddenly stopped singing and said: "We still have official business to attend to; you take a taxi home yourself."

Oh.

Tang Jing then got up and left.

Yang Qing gazed at her slender back, his eyes full of infatuation, and in his heart he couldn't help admiring: a soft girl who can dance, this figure is perfect!

Until Tang Jing disappeared from sight.

Yang Qing then withdrew his gaze, gave Lin Dongfan a withering look, and said: "She looks like my future girlfriend; not helping her is bad enough, but you drove her away—do you want me to stay single for life?"

She wants to be a big star, not suitable to be your wife.

Lin Dongfan replied while holding the microphone, his voice echoing throughout the private room, likely audible in the hallway outside.

Startled, Yang Qing rushed out in a hurry and hastily closed the private room door.

Lin Dongfan asked with a smile: "Is she really your dream goddess?"

"Carrots and greens, each to their own taste—I like this type." Yang Qing analyzed: "The point is, she's your wife's close friend. A woman who hangs out with your wife probably isn't of bad character."

"She came to this kind of place to meet Chief Xiao Shang, which shows she's willing to accept the industry's unspoken rules to get ahead." Lin Dongfan said: "Stay sober. I'm not saying she has bad character; everyone has their own way of life, all for livelihood and dreams. I'm just saying she's not right for you—you can't give her the life she wants…"

Enough, annoying—play 'Again, Looking Back' for me.

Yang Qing snatched the microphone.

Lin Dongfan found the song Yang Qing wanted to sing in the music library, queued it, then turned and asked with a smile: "The boss of Emperor No. 1 should be arriving soon, right?"

Probably on the way.

The music started, Yang Qing rose to his feet, his right foot stepping to the rhythm of 'Again, Looking Back,' bearing the aura of a police star.

Before he could start singing, Zhang Yong pushed the door open: "Captain Yang, the situation's a bit off—division leadership called, asking why you didn't answer the phone, ordering us to pull back immediately."

Catch this big fish, and I am the division leadership.

Yang Qing, now possessed by a domineering spirit, ignored the leadership's order and ignored the lyrics on the big screen.

He clung to the microphone and belted out the chorus: "I once chased kisses among Youyou, An'an, Fanfan, and Fufu—only then did I realize that Pingping, Dandan, Congcong, and Rongrong are the real…"

It seemed as if this were the life he had dreamed of.

Hearing this voice, hoarse with regret as if it had made his duodenum turn blue, Zhang Yong broke out in another black line, his face bewildered as he asked Lin Dongfan: "Brother Fan, is Captain Yang going through a breakup?"

Shhh~~

Lin Dongfan made a hushing gesture.

He pulled Zhang Yong to the door and whispered: "Emperor No. 1 has an underground wine cellar; bring people to guard its entrance, don't let anyone approach—tonight we're pulling off a big job, root and branch."