Chapter 32: Who Dealt the Sneak Attack?

"Ah!" Zhang Yanran let out a sharp scream.

She had expected Chu Feng to be struck, but no cry of pain followed. Opening her eyes, she was stunned to see Chu Feng holding the edge of the electric guitar with just one hand.

"How did he get so strong?" Shi Fei felt a jolt of shock. He felt as if the guitar were clamped in a pair of iron pliers; he couldn't pull it away!

"What the hell are you two waiting for? Come and help!" Shi Fei barked at his two lackeys standing behind him.

The pair exchanged a look and immediately rushed toward Chu Feng, fists raised to strike. Chu Feng released his grip, shoved Zhang Yanran onto a nearby sofa, and spun around with a kick!

*Thwack!*

Chu Feng’s pointed leather shoe landed squarely on the soft face of one of the lackeys. He delivered the kick with all the pent-up resentment from the bullying he had endured during his freshman year. The force of the blow sent the lackey flying, crashing hard into a piano worth tens of thousands.

The other man tried to wrap his arms around Chu Feng’s waist, but Chu Feng sneered and drove his elbow downward.

*Thud!*

The elbow strike landed precisely on the man’s third thoracic vertebra. The force was immense, as if someone had slammed a heavy weight against his back, sending him sprawling to the floor.

"Get lost!" As the man hit the ground, Chu Feng delivered another kick to his abdomen.

Chu Feng’s thirteen years in prison were not spent in vain. In prison, disputes were resolved with fists and feet; there were endless opportunities for street fighting. You had to beat your opponent into total submission, or you could never be sure if they would pull out a toothbrush embedded with razor blades. Chu Feng had seen far too many people suffer for their mercy. In this world, the strong prey on the weak; only with sufficient strength could one protect oneself.

With that final kick, the lackey curled up like a cooked shrimp.

Shi Fei, still standing at the door holding the electric guitar, stood frozen in shock. Even Zhang Yanran’s lips trembled in disbelief.

"Is this really the timid Chu Feng from before? How is he so fierce?" she wondered in alarm.

Chu Feng walked toward Shi Fei, his hands in his pockets. He said coldly, "Go ahead, smash it! Smash it right on my head!"

"I... I..."

Shi Fei was merely a bully who relied on numbers to intimidate others; he had never encountered someone so ruthless. In an instant, his two lackeys had been neutralized, and the way Chu Feng fought was completely devoid of hesitation.

"Hit me! If you don't, I will!" Chu Feng barked.

"Yeah!" Shi Fei shut his eyes and swung the guitar toward Chu Feng’s face.

*Smack!*

A palm, fueled by all of Chu Feng’s rage, descended and struck Shi Fei’s face with such force it nearly dislocated his jaw. The side of his face swelled up visibly.

"You’re useless even when given a chance! Just what kind of person are you?" Chu Feng spat, his saliva landing directly on Shi Fei’s face.

Shi Fei was infuriated, his ears ringing. He rushed at Chu Feng again. But Chu Feng was well-versed in boxing, and armed with the power of the "Esoteric Joy Zen," his speed and strength far surpassed that of an ordinary person. He saw through Shi Fei’s attack instantly.

Chu Feng side-stepped and leaped high into the air.

*Smack!*

This slap was even more violent than the first, sending Shi Fei crashing to the ground.

"There, now both sides of your face are even! Don't let me see you again, or it won't just be a slap next time!" Chu Feng immediately grabbed Zhang Yanran’s hand.

Zhang Yanran stared at him, not resisting, just watching. If she had kissed him before, it was only because he was the only person she could trust. But this time, she was truly dazzled by him. She had never liked "good boys" and had always been drawn to the arrogant, free-spirited bad boys. Had her father, Zhang Fuqiang, not been so strict, she likely would have been in a relationship long ago. Now, she felt as if she had discovered a new world, and suddenly, the Chu Feng before her seemed much more appealing.

Ignoring the others, Chu Feng left with Zhang Yanran.

"Shi Fei’s father is the owner of the Yinghuang Nightclub, the largest one in Jiangcheng. I heard he has many thugs under his command," Zhang Yanran said, looking at Chu Feng with concern.

Chu Feng grinned. "Soldiers come to block, water comes to cover—what is there to fear?" He glanced at Zhang Yanran; she was no longer as resistant to him as before. It seemed that the "meal" he had only dared to dream of might actually be within his reach. If one Li Xueli was comparable to a grand imperial feast, and he added a Zhang Yanran to the mix, wouldn't that be…

Chu Feng wiped his nose, knowing that for a girl like Zhang Yanran, who had just begun to experience the stirrings of love, he couldn't rush things. If he was going to take revenge, he would do it thoroughly. If one day the self-righteous Zhang Fuqiang found out that both Zhang Yanran and Li Xueli were on Chu Feng's side, how would he react? His expression would surely be spectacular!

"Yanran, I will look into that phone number for you. I will definitely clear your mother’s name," Chu Feng promised.

Zhang Yanran was becoming accustomed to Chu Feng’s unpredictable temperament. Moved, she bit her lip and whispered, "Thank you..."

"Is there a reward?" Chu Feng teased with a wicked smile.

Seeing people passing by, Zhang Yanran pouted, "You're annoying! There are so many people here!"

Chu Feng chuckled and didn't push it. Zhang Yanran looked at him and remarked, "Chu Feng, you seem different."

"Different?"

"Yes, but more reliable." A small smile played on her lips.

Chu Feng had intended to send Zhang Yanran back to her villa, but upon seeing the Zhang family driver at the entrance, he decided against it. It was still too early for Zhang Fuqiang to know they were close. When the time was right, a surprise would be far more effective.

He checked his watch; it was eleven in the morning. He lit a cigarette and headed to the noodle shop closest to the school, ordering a bowl of pickled mustard greens and shredded pork noodles.

"This place still makes the best noodles," he said, taking a hearty bite. In his previous life, while in prison, he had reminisced about this shop countless times but could never taste them. He vaguely remembered his father taking him here to eat when he first arrived at school.

"Once I finish these things, I’ll head back home for the October holiday." Chu Feng sipped his iced herbal tea, planning to pay off his family’s debts first and show his parents some filial piety.

However, just as he finished his meal and prepared to leave, a burlap sack descended from the sky and was pulled over his head. Everything went pitch black.

"Who’s there?" Chu Feng struggled.

Just as he reached up to pull the sack off, a heavy blow from a club struck the back of his head, and his world went black.