Chapter Forty-Nine: The Charisma of Leadership

Yang Jiekai let out a mocking laugh, tightening his grip on Wu Daode’s arm just enough that Wu Daode yelped in pain and released Lin Sha’s hand. Wu Daode cursed, “Damn—”

Before he could finish, there was a sharp crack and a bloody welt appeared on his greasy face. No one saw when Qin Feng had produced a leather belt studded with dense metal bumps, but he swung it across Wu Daode’s face without a word. Then he kicked Wu Daode hard in the stomach and shouted, “Brothers, get them!”

Both sides reacted at once, grabbing whatever was at hand, and a chaotic brawl broke out.

Yang Jiekai pulled Lin Sha to a slightly safer spot nearby. Watching her as she tried to recover from her fright, he quipped, “Assistant Lin, if I start fighting now, does this count as self-defense?”

Just then, someone burst from the melee, swinging a steel pipe directly at Lin Sha’s head.

Pale with terror, Lin Sha screamed and instinctively clung to Yang Jiekai, hiding her head behind his back.

Yang Jiekai caught the attacker’s wrist with ease and turned to Lin Sha. “Well, Assistant Lin, does this count as self-defense? If not, I’ll let go.”

“Yes, yes—” Assistant Lin stammered, staring at the black steel pipe, too frightened to think. She’d always been a model student, never witnessing such violence before.

“What do you mean, ‘yes’? Assistant Lin, at least explain yourself!” Yang Jiekai’s tone was still playful as he tightened his grip. The man with the steel pipe grimaced in pain and quickly abandoned any attempt at an attack, left helplessly pinned by his wrist.

Lin Sha, desperate for Yang Jiekai to deal with the threat, trembled, “It’s self-defense, perfectly legal!”

“Great!” Yang Jiekai called brightly, then pivoted and delivered a side kick that sent the man flying.

By now, the fight had reached its peak, with both sides battered but neither gaining the upper hand. Wu Daode’s face was unrecognizable, completely swollen and bruised. He had clearly underestimated Qin Feng and his crew’s strength. Though Wu Daode had called in some “street toughs,” Qin Feng and his fellow security guards were no less formidable in a fight—especially Qin Feng, who wielded his metal-studded belt with wild abandon.

Gongsun, the short and timid one, stayed at the back, shouting for show. He would seize the moment to dart in, land a few sneaky punches, then retreat. It looked a bit underhanded, but in a mass brawl, it was an excellent tactic.

When Yang Jiekai spotted Old Cane in the melee, he gave a slight “hmm,” but remained calm, quietly knocking down several of the enemy’s strongest fighters. This turned the tide decisively.

With a renewed surge, Qin Feng and his men routed Wu Daode’s gang, scattering them in all directions. Soon, only Wu Daode remained, surrounded.

Qin Feng wiped the blood from his face and grinned mischievously at Wu Daode. “Well, Captain Wu, you gained some weight in just a few minutes, didn’t you?”

Wu Daode, the instigator of all this, had taken the brunt of the beating. His face was a patchwork of bruises, his head swollen like a pig’s, and one eye badly puffed, barely able to open.

“I… I…” Wu Daode, trembling all over, had tried to run earlier. But as the main target, he had no chance—caught and dragged back after only a few steps. Still, after a moment, he managed to bluster, “Qin Feng, don’t get cocky! My big brother is on his way. You’d better let me go, or you’ll all pay for this!”

Laughter erupted from the crowd. Gongsun stepped forward and kicked Wu Daode hard, then a few others joined in, delivering a quick beating before Gongsun sneered, “Still acting tough, huh? Who’s your big brother? Let’s hear it—see if he’s worth a beating too!”

Mentioning his big brother, Wu Daode regained some confidence. Struggling to his knees, he shouted, “My big brother is Hu Paozi! He’ll be here any minute!”

“Hu what? I don’t care who he is—I’m coming for you first!” said a security guard who had always disliked Wu Daode. Seizing the opportunity, he lunged forward to deliver some payback.

“Wait!” Qin Feng raised a hand to stop him, frowning at Wu Daode. “The Hu Paozi you mean—is he the guy from the South District?”

Seeing that Qin Feng recognized the name, Wu Daode cocked his chin. “That’s right. I’ll tell you straight, Hu Paozi of the South District is my brother. I’ve already called him, he’ll be here any minute. You’ve still got time to get on your knees and apologize!”

Confirming the identity, Qin Feng’s expression grew grave.

“Brother Li, who is this Hu Paozi?” Gongsun sensed something was wrong—he knew Qin Feng was the fearless, hotheaded type, so his concern now meant Hu Paozi was no ordinary thug.

Qin Feng frowned, thought for a moment, then turned to Yang Jiekai. “Brother, you and Assistant Lin should leave. We’ll handle things here.”

Yang Jiekai picked up on the seriousness in Qin Feng’s voice. “Who is Hu Paozi?”

Qin Feng replied, “He runs the South District, not your average street thug. He’s a professional enforcer, and his crew are all ruthless. In Tianhai’s underworld, he’s a known figure.”

“Oh, is that so…” Yang Jiekai muttered. He knew little of China’s criminal underworld, only some vague history, and was even less familiar with Tianhai’s. But such figures didn’t particularly concern him.

He was about to say more when Lin Sha suddenly interjected, “I’m not going anywhere. I’ll wait right here.”

Her statement stunned everyone.

Yang Jiekai, too, was taken aback. This young woman had just been terrified—how had she found such courage now?

“Aren’t you afraid?” Yang Jiekai asked.

Lin Sha gave a cold laugh. “Afraid? Of course I’m afraid!” She glanced at the swollen-faced Wu Daode, then swept her gaze over the crowd, her tone steady. “As the assistant to the president of Silky Group, and since you are all company employees, it’s my duty to stand with you.”

Her words nearly moved the security guards to tears. This queenly figure, who usually looked down on them, was now choosing solidarity even in the face of danger.

Yang Jiekai silently admired her. His opinion of her changed instantly—clearly, Lin Sha hadn’t reached her position by luck or ability alone.

“But Assistant Lin, if there’s another fight, you won’t be much help…” Qin Feng said, still uneasy.

Assistant Lin replied calmly, “True, but at least I promise not to drag you down. Just take care of yourselves—you don’t need to worry about me.”

For a moment, silence fell. No one spoke; they simply steadied their breath and nerves, awaiting the coming storm. Not a single one considered backing down. If even a woman could face this, how could they, as men, do any less?

One by one, they tightened their grip on whatever makeshift weapons they held, slowly edging closer to Lin Sha. With just a few words, she had united them as one.

That is the charisma of a true leader.

Qin Feng knew just how formidable Hu Paozi was. Even if their numbers doubled, they wouldn’t stand a chance. The gap between professionals and amateurs was vast.

Wu Daode, meanwhile, was smug despite his pig-like face. “Heh, scared now? If you’d known, you wouldn’t have messed with me. Just wait—my brother will deal with all of you!”

Seeing his swagger, the security guards could barely restrain themselves from tearing him apart.

Lin Sha, eyes cold, turned to Qin Feng. “You’re Qin Feng from Security, right?”

Qin Feng was surprised. “You know my name?”

Lin Sha didn’t answer but turned to Gongsun, “You’re Gongsun.” Then she looked at Old Cane. “You’re Guo Zhifei.”

She continued, naming each of the security guards around her with precision, leaving them astonished. Silky Group wasn’t a top-tier company, but in Tianhai it was well respected, especially for women’s products. With just the office staff, there were hundreds of employees in the Silky Tower. For a high-ranking assistant to know all their names was almost unbelievable.

Lin Sha managed a rare smile. “Don’t be surprised. The reason I know all your names isn’t just because you’re employees of Silky Group. As your leader, it’s my duty to know every single one of you—even a security guard. If you want, I can even tell you your birthdays.”

As the group was nearly brought to tears, her tone suddenly turned icy.

“Second!” Lin Sha snapped her gaze to the bewildered Wu Daode. “Have you all forgotten what I always say? Even if you face an opponent you know you can’t beat, never give up. Find the weakest link and attack it. Even if you can’t win, make sure your opponent pays the price!”

She pointed straight at Wu Daode. “Right now, he’s the weakest link you’re facing—what are you waiting for!”