"Tiger Soul?"
Upon hearing Du Fei mention Tiger Soul with such disdain, Zhou Dacheng looked at him in surprise.
It wasn't surprising he reacted that way. Tiger Soul was a legendary figure in Dian Province, especially in Chuncheng. All those involved in the underworld revered him like a deity.
For a moment, Zhou Dacheng couldn't quite gauge Du Fei's identity.
This was troublesome, as if he had provoked a figure far beyond his reach.
However, just as Zhou Dacheng's heart pounded with anxiety, one of his underlings whispered to him, "Boss, this kid is bluffing. Tiger Soul's reign is already over."
"En?"
The subordinate's reminder jolted Zhou Dacheng back to reality.
There had been widespread rumors recently that the underground kingpin, Tiger Soul, had been killed.
Initially, the underworld figures wondered who dared to spread such news, fearing death for their families. But as time passed and the rumors grew, territories previously belonging to Tiger Soul began to change hands one after another. This finally convinced everyone that the rumors were true.
What astonished them was how someone so powerful could uproot Tiger Soul and his entire operation overnight, given Tiger Soul's status as a supreme leader in Dian Province.
With this thought, Zhou Dacheng breathed a sigh of relief. He figured Du Fei had merely heard of Tiger Soul's name somewhere and was trying to scare him.
What infuriated him was that he had almost fallen for Du Fei's bluff earlier. His visible tension and worry must have been noticed by his subordinates and Jiang Yan, which made Zhou Dacheng furious. He glared at Du Fei with renewed anger.
"Alright, you brat, you claim to look down on even Tiger Soul. Today, I'll see what incredible abilities you have!"
"If you were just bluffing earlier, I'll break all your limbs later and make you crawl away from here. As for Boss Jiang, you thought inviting such a clown could scare me? You underestimate me, Zhou Dacheng!"
Now believing he had seen through Du Fei's trick, Zhou Dacheng's face contorted into a ferocious and menacing expression.
"Heh, this guy really doesn't know when to stop."
As soon as Zhou Dacheng finished speaking, Du Fei was about to make his move, intending to show him and his men what it meant to court death.
But just as Du Fei was about to act, Jiang Shan pulled him aside.
When Du Fei turned to look at Jiang Shan, the latter said with a guilty expression, "Du Fei, this has nothing to do with you. I'll handle it later."
"Elder Mr. Jiang, these people are not worth worrying about. Give me two minutes, and I'll sort them out immediately."
Du Fei's words were quite diplomatic. If he had unleashed his full strength, Zhou Dacheng and his men would have been incapacitated within thirty seconds.
"Du Fei, I know you mean well, but even if we drive them away today, they'll come back to cause trouble later. As the saying goes, a thief can steal for a thousand days, but a guard can only be on alert for a thousand days. Once these people target you, they will find every means to persecute you. The only solution now is to pay them off to avert disaster."
However, Jiang Shan's next reaction showed he didn't believe Du Fei's words at all. He believed Du Fei was saying this partly because he was a young man who valued his reputation. Even though his plan to scare Zhou Dacheng with Tiger Soul's name had been exposed, Du Fei wanted to maintain appearances.
Jiang Yan, who had initially resolved not to yield to Zhou Dacheng and his gang, saw her father and Du Fei surrounded and the thugs about to attack. After a moment's hesitation, she finally spoke, "I can give you money, but you cannot hurt anyone!"
"Fortunately, I wasn't fooled." Hearing Jiang Shan and Jiang Yan's words, Zhou Dacheng's face lit up with a smug smile. He said coldly, "Alright, you can leave, but this guy just injured my brother. I need compensation for medical expenses, don't I?"
"You... How much do you want?"
Since she had decided to pay them off, Jiang Yan saw no point in arguing further with Zhou Dacheng. Besides, Du Fei had acted to protect her father, so it was reasonable for her to cover the medical expenses.
"One million!" Zhou Dacheng slowly held up one finger.
"What!"
"A million for medical expenses? Are you insane?"
Both Jiang Shan and Jiang Yan were shocked by Zhou Dacheng's exorbitant demand. Although Zhou Dacheng's subordinate was injured, it couldn't possibly cost a million for treatment. Furthermore, it was common knowledge that such money rarely reached the injured party.
"What, you don't want to pay? Fine, then don't blame me for being ruthless!" Zhou Dacheng's smile vanished instantly. As he spoke, his subordinates stepped forward in unison, surrounding Jiang Shan, his daughter, and Du Fei.
"Fine, one million. Take the money and leave immediately!" Jiang Shan gritted his teeth. Since this trouble had started because of him, he didn't want to implicate Du Fei any further. For the Jiang family, a million wasn't an insurmountable sum.
Upon hearing Jiang Shan's swift agreement, Zhou Dacheng immediately began to regret asking for too little. He thought if he had known Jiang Shan would agree so readily, he would have asked for 1.5 million or even 2 million.
However, just as Zhou Dacheng was happily anticipating the money, an unexpected event occurred.
"Elder Mr. Jiang, we can't give them this money!" Du Fei stepped forward, stopping him with a serious expression.
Jiang Shan, having decided to pay, wanted to resolve the matter quickly. He hadn't expected Du Fei to intervene at the last moment.
"Do you think you're some kind of fighter? I can call hundreds of people with one phone call, and I'll see how many of you can fight! Also, you've successfully angered me. So, the previous one million is not enough. I want two million!!"
Initially angered by Du Fei's interruption, Zhou Dacheng thought for a moment and then became gleeful. He used this as an excuse to extort two million.
At this point, both Jiang Shan and Jiang Yan frowned. The matter that could have been settled for one million had escalated due to Du Fei's words, allowing Zhou Dacheng to seize the opportunity for a greater demand. This was a deeply uncomfortable situation.
"Elder Mr. Jiang, I know what you're worried about. Don't worry, I'll make a phone call later that will completely resolve this matter, leaving you with no future worries." Du Fei saw the concern in Jiang Shan's eyes and tried to comfort him.
Zhou Dacheng chuckled, "Kid, you truly refuse to see the truth until it's staring you in the face. You're still courting death? Fine, I'll oblige you. Xi Gou, call someone! Today, I'll make this guy beg for mercy!"