Chapter Sixty-One: I’ve Come to Find My Bride

Although Lin Sha was a woman, her long-standing position of authority within the company had cultivated a commanding presence. At her sharp rebuke, the burly men instinctively halted their actions.

“What are you doing? Why are you attacking our employee?” Though fear flickered in her heart, Lin Sha gritted her teeth and shouted.

The group of men, hearing this sort of question for the third time today, found it even more amusing since this time the person confronting them was a beautiful woman.

“Well, well, and a beauty too,” the leader sneered, taking two steps toward her.

Terrified, Lin Sha staggered backward but managed to keep her face composed. “Stop! Don’t come any closer—I’ve called the police!”

“Go ahead, try it,” the thug replied with utter disdain, glaring at Lin Sha with a menacing look.

Biting her lip, Lin Sha summoned her courage and reached for her phone in her shoulder bag. Just as she was about to dial, the man abruptly raised his hand to slap her.

“Stubborn woman! You don’t know what’s good for you!” he roared, swinging his massive palm toward her without a hint of mercy.

With a startled cry, Lin Sha squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for the blow. But nothing happened. After a brief pause, she opened her eyes in confusion to see the thug’s hand frozen in midair—and a man now stood between them.

For reasons she could not explain, a sense of security welled up within Lin Sha as she looked at the man who had stepped in front of her. It was as if she instinctively believed he could protect her.

With one hand gripping the thug’s wrist, Yang Jiekai narrowed his eyes and said, “I don’t know who you are, and I have no interest in finding out, but I suggest you leave—right now.”

Yang Jiekai was naturally unafraid of these men; he simply didn’t want to cause unnecessary trouble, which was why he hadn’t acted sooner.

The thug tried to wrench his wrist free, only to find that it was clamped as tightly as if caught in an iron vise. Furious, he swung his free fist at Yang Jiekai.

“You bastard!”

What a hassle, Yang Jiekai thought. Without moving his feet, he deftly twisted the man’s wrist, redirecting the force and sending the punch wide. Then, with a gentle trip of his foot, he sent the thug sprawling face-first to the ground.

Yang Jiekai had only wanted to teach the man a lesson and prevent further violence, not escalate the situation. But he overlooked one thing: not everyone behind him shared his restraint.

Qin Feng, who had been silently unbuckling his belt since the start, immediately lashed out with his custom-made leather belt at the other thugs as soon as Yang Jiekai intervened.

The rest of the security guards quickly joined in, clashing with the burly men.

Yang Jiekai shrugged helplessly. Great—what had started as a minor incident had now turned into a brawl. Yet, watching Qin Feng and Gongsun wield their belts with vigor in the fray, he felt a surge of warmth. These guys were loyal, if nothing else.

These thugs were all burly and used to brawling in the streets—a daily occurrence for them. As such, they were physically stronger than the security guards, who were untrained and spent their days idly wandering.

In less than half a minute, aside from the fiercely tenacious Qin Feng, the remaining guards had been beaten down, unable to fight back. Gongsun was faring the worst—pinned to the ground and kicked repeatedly as someone yanked his hair.

Gongsun, known for his sneaky tactics during group fights, had earned the particular ire of his opponents. Once they identified him as the culprit, they seized him and dealt him a merciless beating.

Yang Jiekai noticed that while the thugs were rough, they were clearly ordinary men, not trained fighters. Gongsun was unlikely to suffer any serious harm—for now.

Still, he couldn’t just stand by and watch Gongsun suffer. As Yang Jiekai prepared to step in, the old man standing quietly beside him suddenly sprang into action.

A cigarette butt whizzed through the air, striking one thug square in the eye. The man howled in pain, and before he could react, the old man charged forward and landed a solid kick that sent the thug flying.

In an instant, the usually listless and frail-looking old man transformed, his movements powerful and swift. Within moments, he had knocked the remaining thugs to the ground. He then helped Gongsun up and returned to his spot, silent and stooped, as if nothing had happened.

The onlookers were utterly dumbfounded. Who could have guessed that the security department hid such a master? All eyes turned curiously to the unremarkable, dark-skinned, skinny guard.

Feeling awkward under the attention, the old man grabbed Gongsun and shuffled away without a word, exuding the air of a reclusive master.

The thugs, clearly wounded, lay groaning on the ground for several moments before slowly hauling themselves up. Their unsteady stance made it obvious they were in no shape to continue the fight.

Smack!

Qin Feng, unwilling to let things rest, whipped his belt across the leader’s face, leaving a red welt. Though he had fared best in the scuffle, he’d still taken a few hits, and his eyes blazed with fury.

Just as Qin Feng was about to strike again, Yang Jiekai stepped in and raised a hand to stop him.

“Assistant Lin, these men came here to cause trouble, which makes this a matter for the security department. I suggest we handle it internally,” Yang Jiekai said to Lin Sha, who was still somewhat shaken.

Nodding, Lin Sha replied, “Alright, but handle it appropriately. If necessary, contact the police.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it,” Yang Jiekai assured her.

Relieved, Lin Sha dispersed the onlookers and instructed two male employees to take the bruised and battered Zhang Hua to the hospital.

Zhang Hua’s face was swollen and bruised; his lips puffed up like steamed buns, and terror filled his eyes. It was evidently his first time encountering such violence—he didn’t even dare look at the thugs as he was helped away.

Yang Jiekai signaled for several security guards to escort the thugs to the security office. Lighting a cigarette, he watched Zhang Hua’s retreating figure with a sneer. “Coward, spineless wimp.”

Yang Jiekai had always despised men without backbone. Back in his mercenary days, those prisoners who begged for mercy were the ones he punished most severely, while those who remained defiant earned his respect.

“But in terms of marketing, he truly is one of the best in the industry,” Lin Sha, standing nearby, agreed with Yang Jiekai’s assessment but added a fair comment.

“What’s his story?” Yang Jiekai asked.

“Zhang Hua’s something of a self-made inspiration. A poor boy from the countryside, he clawed his way up through sheer effort. It hasn’t been easy for him,” Lin Sha replied.

“Oh, I thought he was some rich kid.” Yang Jiekai’s irritation lessened upon hearing this. He’d always admired people who fought for their success and despised those who relied on family connections.

“So, what will you do with those men?” Lin Sha asked.

Exhaling a plume of smoke, Yang Jiekai answered, “I’ll get to the bottom of this first, then handle it accordingly. If the police should be involved, we’ll call them. If a beating’s warranted, they’ll get one.”

“Why are you so rough? Always resorting to violence,” Lin Sha laughed softly. Yang Jiekai had just saved her for the second time, and a trace of gratitude crept into her heart.

“I didn’t even do anything just now,” Yang Jiekai said seriously as he flicked away his cigarette. “We’re civilized people—we reason things out, not with our fists.”

Lin Sha was amused by his act. “Don’t think I didn’t notice. Even if you didn’t fight just now, the way you stopped that man shows you’ve been in plenty of fights yourself.”

“It was just instinct,” Yang Jiekai replied dismissively.

“Instinct? To perform the Wudang school’s wrist lock as an instinct? You must be something else,” Lin Sha teased.

Yang Jiekai was stunned, staring at her in disbelief. “You know martial arts?”

“Of course not. Otherwise, why would I need your help? But I’ve seen enough martial arts dramas to recognize the moves,” she replied, quickly changing the subject. “Come on, let’s go handle this,” she said, turning toward the security office.

Watching her walk away, a wry smile played at Yang Jiekai’s lips. From her gait, it was clear she had no martial arts training, yet she’d recognized the Wudang wrist lock at a glance. Not so simple, this woman. Martial arts dramas on TV? Who does she think she’s fooling?

He didn’t believe her story but saw no reason to press the matter. Shrugging, he followed her inside.

In the security office, the thugs squatted in a row, hands on their heads.

Qin Feng, hands on his hips, berated them loudly, waving his sinister-looking belt and playing the interrogator, occasionally delivering another lash.

“Talk! Who sent you? Are you spies sent to steal company secrets? Confess!” Qin Feng’s voice rang out as Yang Jiekai and Lin Sha reached the doorway, both amused by his antics. Clearly, Qin Feng had watched too many spy dramas—who would try to steal secrets by causing a ruckus at the front door?

“Qin Feng, enough,” Lin Sha entered, stopping him just in time.

“Hello, Assistant Lin. I was interrogating them. I suspect they’re spies sent by competitors,” Qin Feng said, snapping to attention and saluting with mock seriousness.

“Get out of here,” Yang Jiekai said, delivering a kick to Qin Feng’s backside. “Who steals company secrets by blocking the front entrance?”

Qin Feng rubbed his backside, grinning. “All’s fair in war, right?”

Ignoring him, Yang Jiekai turned to the trembling thugs, lit a cigarette, and asked, “Who’s in charge here?”

When no one responded, Qin Feng cracked his belt against the wall. “Didn’t you hear him? Answer!”

The tactic worked—a thug flinched, slowly raised his head, and stammered with fear, “Me…”

“Then speak. Why did you come here to cause trouble?” Yang Jiekai asked coolly.

“I wasn’t here to cause trouble. I came to find my wife,” the man replied.

“Nonsense!” Qin Feng snapped, raising his hand again. The man quickly wailed, “I swear, I’m here for my wife—her name is Wu Caiyue!”