Chapter 30: The Newborn Calf Fears Not the Tiger

Zheng Rutong and his two companions had been gone for a while, yet the villa’s grand hall remained enveloped in a heavy, suffocating silence. Lin Guodong, Lin Guoliang, and Lin Guoan—men of significant standing in Luocheng—all wore faces as grim as stone. They had been pointedly threatened, told the Lin family would be erased from the city, and yet they hadn't dared to utter a single word in retaliation. It was humiliating.

Lin Guodong was so incensed that blood rushed to his head, and he nearly collapsed. It was only when a bodyguard stepped in to steady him that he managed to remain standing.

"It seems we underestimated the situation," Lin Guoan said, his voice bitter. "Simply yielding the land in the North District won't be enough to satisfy Zhou Hailong’s appetite."

"Big Brother, what do we do now?" Lin Guoliang, a man of considerable stature, looked utterly adrift.

"What else can we do?" Li Ailing cast a glance at Xiao Nan, who stood to the side with an indifferent expression, as if none of this concerned him. Her anger flared instantly. "Didn't that man named Zheng make it clear enough? As long as we hand over Xiao Nan and pay a price, they won't bother us anymore. Why are we still hesitating? Didn't Xiao Nan act so capable when he had people beat up the Hailong Gang? Let him go to the Hailong Gang himself!"

"Mom!" Lin Shuyun’s face drained of color at the thought of her mother sending Xiao Nan to the gang. "No, we absolutely cannot hand him over. Xiao Nan beat their people; given the gang’s vindictive nature, they will surely torture him to death." She turned to the others. "Even though Xiao Nan and Ziqing aren't officially married, the engagement banquet has already been held. Everyone knows he is the Lin family's son-in-law. If we just hand him over, how will the rest of Luocheng view us?"

"Sister!" Lin Ziqing stepped forward, facing her sister. "How can you still speak up for this jerk? Didn't you hear what Zheng Rutong said? If we don't hand him over, the Hailong Gang will erase our entire family from Luocheng! Do you even know what that means? It means the end of the entire Lin family—you, me, Mom, Dad, our uncles—everyone. Every single one of us will be buried alongside him. Do you think the Hailong Gang hasn't done this before? Do you really think Zheng Rutong was just trying to scare us?"

Ziqing turned her gaze toward Xiao Nan, her voice icy. "If you are still a man, you should take responsibility for the disaster you’ve created, rather than dragging the entire Lin family down with you."

"Enough!"

Lin Guodong suddenly slammed his hand onto the table. His expression was resolute. "If it weren't for Xiao Nan, would I even be standing here talking to you right now? My bones would likely be rotting in the ground. If I knew that handing him over meant certain death, and I did it anyway, would I even be human?"

He looked around the room. "I’ll say this once: under no circumstances will I hand Xiao Nan over to the Hailong Gang. He is my son-in-law, and whatever happens, we face it together. Anyone who speaks of this again can get out of the Lin family."

At that moment, Lin Guodong’s authority as the head of the household was absolute. Even Li Ailing and Lin Ziqing, who despised Xiao Nan to the core, fell silent, not daring to mention the subject again.

Once the hall had settled, Lin Guodong walked over to Xiao Nan and patted his shoulder. "Don't worry, Xiao Nan. Even if you hadn't done this to protect Ziqing or to vent her frustrations, even if you had provoked the gang for some other reason, I would never hand you over. It’s late; you should go rest. I will find a way to deal with this."

Lin Guodong turned and walked toward the exit. In those few minutes, he seemed to have aged significantly. In truth, the "way" he spoke of was merely the last stubborn flicker of pride from a man who knew he was outmatched by the juggernaut that was the Hailong Gang. He knew he was powerless against such a killing machine. He had already decided to take the deed to the North District land and several of the family’s most valuable assets to plead with Zhou Hailong the next morning.

"Uncle Lin," Xiao Nan called out suddenly.

Lin Guodong paused and looked back.

Xiao Nan stared directly into his eyes. "If you trust me, don't do anything tomorrow. Act as if none of this ever happened. I guarantee that by this time tomorrow, Zhou Hailong of the Hailong Gang will come here in person to apologize to the Lin family."

Lin Guodong rubbed his temples. The boy was truly blinded by his own arrogance, a newborn calf unafraid of the tiger. Fearing that Xiao Nan would only stir up more trouble, he said, "I told you, I will handle this. Stay home tomorrow and don't do anything rash. Zhou Hailong is not like Li Yunbao."

Lin Guoliang stepped up to Xiao Nan as well, his voice low and warning. "Zhou Hailong is not a man to be trifled with; he’s a snake that strikes fear into everyone in Luocheng. Rumor has it his cultivation has reached the Mystic Realm. You would do well to listen to my brother, or you will only bring ruin upon yourself and others."

Seeing their bone-deep fear of the so-called "Boss Long," Xiao Nan said no more.

"The greatest regret of my life was listening to my sister that day and letting you into my car." After the men left, Lin Ziqing walked up to Xiao Nan and left him with those icy words before heading upstairs.

Lin Shuyun, her pretty face etched with worry, walked over to him softly. "Xiao Nan, don't worry. Dad and the others have weathered many storms; they will find a way through this. You... you must..."

Xiao Nan touched his nose, offering a faint smile. "Miss Lin, are you afraid that I’ll act recklessly and bring even more trouble to the family?"

Truth be told, Lin Shuyun was terrified. Even though she knew Xiao Nan had practiced martial arts since childhood and seemed capable, she didn't believe for a second that he could go toe-to-toe with a renowned expert like Zhou Hailong—a man who commanded thousands of subordinates. Still, out of respect for his pride, she shook her head quickly. "No, that’s not what I meant. I just..."

"Don't worry, I won't do anything reckless," Xiao Nan interrupted. "It's late. Go and rest."

*Zhou Hailong?* Xiao Nan sneered internally. From the moment Zheng Rutong had uttered those threats in this hall, Zhou Hailong was already a dead man in his eyes.

"Ring, ring..."

Just as Xiao Nan was preparing to shower and start his cultivation, his phone rang. It was Li Yunbao. He must have consumed the Qi-Gathering Pill and made a breakthrough.

"Hello," Xiao Nan answered. He was just about to give Li Yunbao some instructions; the timing was perfect.