DREB CHAPTER 52

Li Yan sat alone at the far left of the bar, holding a half-empty bottle of liquor the bartender had given him. When Liu Qing walked in, he spotted Li Yan right away.

Liu Qing walked over and greeted the bartender, who called him “Liu-ge” and handed him a matching bottle.

It was still early, and the bar was quiet with only a few patrons. On stage, a singer who had only started a few days ago was adjusting the sound equipment.

Liu Qing took a seat beside Li Yan and clinked his bottle against his, producing a crisp sound as the glass collided.

Li Yan snapped out of his daze and looked up. Liu Qing joked, “What’s up? Feeling down?”

Li Yan shook his head and denied, “No.”

“Tsk, isn’t it just about acknowledging a father? Did you see how happy Master Qin was yesterday? That thick red envelope he gave you—our Yan-ge’s hands must’ve struggled to hold it…”

“Which eye of yours saw him being happy?” Li Yan couldn’t help but feel both amused and helpless at Liu Qing’s exaggeration.

“He didn’t show it on his face, but he was smiling on the inside,” Liu Qing insisted confidently, giving Li Yan a slap on the shoulder. “Come on, it’s still early before this place fills up. Let’s grab some ramen and skewers first.”

Li Yan put down his bottle immediately and asked, “Which ramen place? Is Uncle Wu’s still open?”

“Listen to you! Open? He’s already opened three branches!” Liu Qing pulled him out of the bar.

Li Yan was back to the carefree days of the past, hanging out with friends, smelling of cigarettes and alcohol, drinking, playing cards, and smoking. If they got too drunk, they’d just sleep at one of the establishments—most of them owned by the Qin family anyway.

After midnight, the area near the border of City F and Wujingwan Town was bustling, like a small entertainment city. Wujingwan Town had seen significant development in recent years, largely thanks to Qin Liu, who attracted numerous business investments by capitalizing on its proximity to the affluent City F.

By three or four in the morning, Liu Qing and the group called Li Yan for a late-night snack. Li Yan glanced at the time, joking that if they waited any longer, it would be breakfast.

Driven by their excitement, they decided to play cards after their meal.

Though Li Yan came across as good-natured, he was a remarkably skilled card player. By 8 AM, he’d won a table full of small change, grinning brightly with his white teeth.

For the rest of that summer, Li Yan savored those long-overdue, carefree days.

Then came the first rain of early autumn. A strong wind accompanied by a steady drizzle dropped the temperature, leaving the air feeling chilly.

Late that evening, amidst the bleak winds, about ten black luxury cars rolled into Wujingwan Town. The wheels splashed through the mud and water, some of it spraying onto the cars.

Lu Lianning stepped out of his vehicle, followed by several private bodyguards emerging from the sleek black cars, holding umbrellas as they waited for him in the rain.

His gaze passed over the black umbrellas and settled on a small building in the distance, its faint lights flickering from inside.

Just as he was about to step out, he noticed the mud splattered on the pants and black leather shoes of the bodyguard next to him.

So, he pulled his foot back inside.

The so-called “small building” wasn’t small at all.

It was a nearly 400-500-square-meter courtyard villa—Qin Liu’s current residence.

By the time Lu Lianning’s car arrived, Qi Zhen, Lin Cheng, and Lin Shen[mfn]This is not Lin Sheng. All the people in the Lin family just have similar names.[/mfn] were already there. Seeing Lu Lianning’s delayed yet grand entrance, Qi Zhen couldn’t help but laugh. He walked over and tapped on Lu Lianning’s car window, while a bodyguard shielded him under an umbrella as the rain hammered down.

“What’s this? Are you here to capture a Beta or launch a raid with this entourage!”

Lu Lianning rolled down the window and glanced at Lin Cheng. “You can start.”

Taking that as a command, Lin Cheng promptly made a call on his phone.

Qi Zhen listened nearby, his face lighting up with excitement and keen interest. “So, it really is a raid! Ah Ning! How could you not give me a heads-up for something like this!”

Qi Zhen practically jumped with joy and quickly hurried over to join Lin Cheng. Before leaving, he asked Lu Lianning why he still hadn’t gotten out of the car. When Lu Lianning ignored him, Qi Zhen followed Lin Cheng to smash up the shops, unable to wait any longer.

What happened that night would be talked about in Wujingwan Town for years to come.

Dozens of businesses owned by the Qin family, who held a monopoly in the area, were ransacked in a single night.

Naturally, the men working for the Qin family didn’t stand by idly. They fought back against the unfamiliar bodyguards who had stormed in. However, they were no match for the highly trained and well-paid professionals hired by the Lu family.

The scene turned bloody. Bottles, marble countertops, and even the grand crystal chandeliers were smashed to pieces. An expensive wine rack was reduced to rubble.

Three hours later, Lu Lianning finally stepped out of his expensive car. His feet touched down on a long black velvet carpet rolled out for him. Surrounded by several bodyguards holding black umbrellas, they shielded him tightly, escorting him through the front door of the Qin residence without allowing a single drop of rain to touch him.

Qin Liu had already been informed, and the household staff no longer attempted to stop Lu Lianning. Even Qin Liu was curious to meet this fearless and audacious visitor.

As Lu Lianning entered the Qin family mansion, he saw that the living room was already packed with people—bare-chested and tattooed, all glaring at him with fiery intensity.

It was clear there was more than one entrance to the house; otherwise, with Lu Lianning’s car blocking the main entrance, these men wouldn’t have been able to gather here.

The man seated at the head of the room could only be the infamous Qin Liu.

Lu Lianning walked into the living room and stopped, going no further. His eyes settled on Qin Liu, and his expression shifted subtly.

Qin Liu looked surprisingly young. Despite being forty-five, he didn’t appear his age at all.

Seated on an intricately carved pearwood chair, Qin Liu occasionally sipped his tea.

He exuded an air of gentleness and elegance, with no trace of the banditry that Lu Lianning had envisioned based on the descriptions he’d read about Qin Liu.

When Qi Zhen entered, he brought the dampness of the rain with him, leaving muddy footprints on the polished floors of the Qin residence.

Despite the thick tension in the air, Qi Zhen seemed completely oblivious. He wiped his face with one hand and enthusiastically moved to pat Lu Lianning on the shoulder. Lu Lianning frowned slightly and dodged.

Qi Zhen paused, taking a good look at Lu Lianning.

From head to toe, Lu Lianning remained impeccably elegant and pristine. He wore a cashmere coat over a suit that made him appear even taller and straighter. His handmade leather shoes were spotless. His handsome but icy, aloof face only heightened his untouchable and arrogant demeanor.

His features had always carried an aggressive edge, and now that intensity was even more pronounced.

Unlike Lu Lianning, Qi Zhen, Lin Cheng, and Lin Shen were all soaked in mud up to their knees, their bodies damp from the rain.

Lu Lianning had come here to drag Li Yan back, but he made sure to present himself flawlessly as if he couldn’t tolerate even the slightest hint of disarray from head to toe.

Qi Zhen sighed, thinking to himself that this guy was insane.

The room was deathly quiet. Lu Lianning was the first to break the silence. He asked, “Where is Li Yan?”

Qin Liu paused for a moment, his hand holding the teacup suspended mid-air, before glancing at Lu Lianning and replying, “So you’ve come for Xiao Yan. I was wondering what all this commotion was about.”

He poured himself another cup of hot water, the steam rising into the air.

“Bring him out. I’m taking him with me.” Lu Lianning stood there, uttering these words, his gaze sharp as a knife slicing across Qin Liu.

The room immediately erupted into chaos.

“Don’t even think about it! We’d never betray our brother!”

“Keep dreaming!”

“If it comes to that, we’ll fight!”

“Who the hell are these people… and how did we provoke them…”

Qin Liu remained silent, not bothering to stop the commotion.

He knew all too well that this was someone he couldn’t afford to offend. Even Lin Cheng of the Lin family from City F had to step aside in this man’s presence. By now, his identity no longer mattered.

The prolonged silence started to irritate Lu Lianning. He spoke again, “Are you sure you want to keep this going?”

Qin Liu had more than ten businesses in the area, including joint ventures with others, and there were still three shops that hadn’t been smashed yet.

The atmosphere suddenly became tense. As people began to grasp the implications of Lu Lianning’s words, anger surged. Faces flushed red as some prepared to start a fight.

At this critical moment, Li Yan appeared.

Lu Lianning had never seen him like this before.

Dressed in a black short-sleeved shirt and a black cap, with a half-smoked cigarette dangling from his lips, Li Yan descended from the second floor. The crowd slowly parted to make way for him.

Several people called out, “Xiao Yan-ge…”

Liu Qing, looking serious, reached out to pull Li Yan back, but Li Yan patted his hand in reassurance and moved away.

He walked over without so much as a glance at Lu Lianning and slowly removed his hat, placing it on a pearwood table. Then, he pressed his cigarette into the ashtray, extinguishing it while half of it remained unburned. His hesitation made it seem as though he regretted wasting it.

After doing all of this, he stepped to the center of the room and knelt before Qin Liu, bowing three times, each bow hitting the floor with a resounding thud that echoed through the Qin house.

“Forgive me for causing you trouble, godfather.” Li Yan finished the three bows and stood up.

Qin Liu, seated in his grand chair, kept his eyes half-closed, giving no clear hint of his emotions. But after a long pause, he broke his silence with a low “Hmm.”

Li Yan returned to the table to retrieve his black hat and put it back on. His gaze was calm as he made his way toward Lu Lianning, step by step.

He stopped in front of Lu Lianning, who studied him for a moment before reaching out and lifting Li Yan’s face from beneath the brim of his cap. Glancing back at Qin Liu, who was watching from his seat, Lu Lianning asked with a malicious smirk, “Godson? What kind of godson?”

Li Yan remained silent. The faint scent of smoke lingered on him, catching Lu Lianning’s attention. “I didn’t know you smoked.”

At this, Li Yan suddenly lifted his eyes, locking them directly onto Lu Lianning. “I quit a while ago to save money for Chen Yu’s treatment.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Lu Lianning raised his hand.

Li Yan braced himself for a slap, but instead, Lu Lianning knocked the black cap off his head. The hat hit the ground between them with a soft thud.

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Translator’s note:

I updated the cover for this novel with art that was used for merch. But if you prefer the old one, just let me know!