Chapter 4: Sanctions from Version T0

“Damn it, Xiao Chu has gone mad!” Li Deshou was furious, snatching an A4 sheet and tearing it to shreds.

“What are you people doing here?”

As Li Deshou cursed loudly, a booming voice startled them all.

Turning around, they saw an old man standing at the doorway, holding a flashlight.

“Who are you?” Li Deshou snapped impatiently, “This doesn’t concern you. Get lost.”

“Oh? Quite bold, aren’t you? This is my house. What are you doing here?” The old man pushed the door open without fear, shining the flashlight directly into Li Deshou’s eyes.

Li Deshou squinted, nearly blinded, “Move that broken light away from me!”

“Old man, what do you think you’re doing?” a few burly men stepped forward.

Unexpectedly, the old man remained unfazed and took out his phone. “Hello, 110? I’m reporting a break-in…”

Before he could finish, Li Deshou snatched the phone away. “Sir, let’s talk this through.”

Cold sweat dripped down Li Deshou’s brow. If the police got involved, their forced entry could land them in trouble, and they had more important matters to handle.

“We’re colleagues of Xu Qingfeng, here to find him.”

The old man rolled his eyes and snorted, “Xiao Xu has moved out.”

“Do you know where he went?” Li Deshou pressed.

The old man said nothing, shining his flashlight around the room. “Let’s not talk about Xiao Xu for now. You broke this door, didn’t you?”

He rubbed his fingers suggestively.

Li Deshou gritted his teeth, “We’ll pay for it.”

“Ten thousand.”

Li Deshou clenched his jaw so hard he felt his teeth grinding, “Fine. As long as you tell us where Xiao Xu went, I’ll pay you.”

The old man nodded, one hand behind his back, the other holding the flashlight as he inspected the house. “You damaged the walls too, didn’t you?”

Li Deshou snapped, “Don’t push your luck!”

Without a word, the old man pulled out his phone and expertly dialed 110.

Li Deshou’s face darkened. Through clenched teeth, he muttered, “I’ll pay.”

“The curtains are damaged. One thousand.”

“Don’t push it! What do the curtains have to do with us?” Li Deshou’s veins bulged on his forehead.

The old man remained calm and pointed to the surveillance camera above the TV. “There’s a camera in this room. You damaged the curtains pulling them.”

Li Deshou was shocked. He hadn’t noticed the surveillance before. Approaching it, his expression worsened.

Damn. The camera was obviously new.

They’d walked right into a trap.

The old man, flashlight in hand, meticulously inspected the peeling paint and other damages, then presented a compensation list totaling fifty thousand yuan.

“Are you robbing me?” Li Deshou barked.

The old man shook his head, “Robbery? That’s the easiest job there is.”

Li Deshou laughed bitterly, “Proud of that?”

“Cut the crap. You broke in. So, will you pay or not?” The old man was even more assertive, finger poised over the dial button on 110.

Li Deshou looked at the gray-haired old man and then at the ruined door. Reluctantly, he pinched his nose and conceded.

This old man was a level T0—untouchable.

If they insisted on making a fuss, no one there would leave today peacefully.

After some bargaining, Li Deshou forked over thirty thousand yuan just to get away.

“Bad luck!” he cursed. Not only had they failed to find Xu Qingfeng, but they’d also been extorted. Li Deshou grumbled as they headed for the exit.

While waiting for the elevator, the old man’s loud voice rang out again.

“Let me tell you, I’m glad I came quickly. I ran into some idiots who pried the door open… compensation is a must… you gotta be smart, I’ll return your deposit later. Alright, alright, maybe we’ll cooperate next time.”

Li Deshou’s eyebrows shot up. “Who are you talking to? That bastard Xu Qingfeng?”

The old man rolled his eyes. “Mind your own business.”

Li Deshou gave a signal, and the men stepped forward, surrounding the old man.

Suddenly, the once vigorous old man began staggering, his right hand trembling as he clutched his chest, the other arm bracing against the wall, gasping for air.

???

Li Deshou was startled. “Old man, this has nothing to do with us!”

The old man waved his hand weakly and rasped, “You all go.”

The men exchanged glances and fled in panic, not waiting for the elevator, but pounding down the stairs.

Li Deshou had just descended one floor when he heard the old man’s loud curse, “Bah! Idiots! Trying to scare me? I’ve seen it all before.”

Fuming, Li Deshou turned back, ready to confront him.

“Boss Li, calm down!” The men held him back firmly, wiping sweat from their brows.

“This old guy’s not to be trifled with. We’ve got bigger problems.”

Li Deshou calmed down. Xu Qingfeng’s mess was still unresolved, and this old man was not someone to provoke.

The group hurriedly left.

...

Meanwhile, Xu Qingfeng, now settled in his new place, burst into laughter upon receiving a call from the landlord, Old Wang.

Old Wang was the one Xu Qingfeng had called earlier.

The new surveillance camera was his purchase today. Hearing the commotion, he had rushed over with a flashlight to give Li Deshou a “Lanxing Edition Damage Assessment.”

Old Wang was actually a decent landlord. At first, he’d been reluctant about such a shady plan.

“Old Wang, I was right about you having a sense of justice. But that Li Deshou is a beast…”

“Is that so? Leave it to me. That brat Xiao Chu needs a good lesson.”

Fueled by righteous indignation, Old Wang gave Li Deshou a harsh dressing down.

After collecting thirty thousand from Li Deshou, he promptly returned Xu Qingfeng’s rental deposit.

What a good man.

No sooner had the call ended than Xu Qingfeng’s phone rang again.

“Damn, dude, are you crazy?” Zhao Kaixin’s voice came through, stunned and confused.

Zhao Kaixin was another internet celebrity, a bit of a goofball, always lighthearted just like his name.

“I’m not crazy.”

“Then why did you mess with that bastard Li Deshou?” Zhao Kaixin was both angry and anxious. “Forget Zhang Hongbo, that’s one thing, but Li Deshou is the vice president of Xinghui Entertainment. Don’t you want to stay in showbiz?”

“What if Xinghui blacklists you?”

Being in the entertainment industry, Zhao Kaixin knew the rules all too well.

Popularity trophies were nonsense; capital held all the power.

Zhang Hongbo was just an up-and-coming star; offending him was no big deal. But Li Deshou represented the capital—they absolutely could not be crossed.

Zhao Kaixin went on and on before Xu Qingfeng finally spoke.

“Capital? Li Deshou isn’t worth a damn. He’s sure to face worse consequences than me.”

Zhao Kaixin was even more bewildered.

“Don’t worry, I know my limits.”

Xu Qingfeng hung up, glancing at the caller ID.

“Xu Qingfeng, are you out of your mind? Delete that Weibo post now…”

“Idiot, I’m your father!” Xu Qingfeng shot back sharply, cutting off the call before Li Deshou could finish.

He took the call only to insult Li Deshou once more.

That fool thought he could bully him like a pushover.