Chapter 25: Greetings, Mr. Xue!

Hu Dajun hung up the phone and looked at Xue An with a smug expression.

Meanwhile, the crowd of onlookers began to whisper among themselves.

"Who is this guy? He’s bold enough to beat up Hu Dajun’s men?"

"I don't know him! But he's impressive!"

"God, this guy is so incredibly handsome!"

"Shh, keep it down. This Hu Dajun isn't someone to mess with; he has powerful backing. I heard it’s Brother Kun, a famous figure in Beijiang!"

Many felt worried for Xue An. A few of the braver ones couldn't help but shout, "Hey, buddy, you better run! A wise man doesn't fight when the odds are against him!"

"Yeah, man, you've got your girlfriend with you! Get out of here; that Brother Kun is not to be trifled with!"

Xue An remained unmoved. He simply smiled slightly at them and said calmly, "It's fine. I actually want to see just how capable this Brother Kun is."

Some of the more cautious onlookers shook their heads. "Young people, always too eager to prove themselves."

As they were speaking, Lu Kun arrived with his men. He had come quickly, just as Hu Dajun had said, since he was currently staying in the vicinity.

Lu Kun was filled with resentment and fury. Because of the incident at the Dragon Emperor Terrace, his boss, Du Fan, had driven him out of the city and sent him to this desolate place, under the guise of overseeing the ice rink. In plain terms, it was exile.

That was only a secondary concern, though. What pained Lu Kun most was the loss of his hair. Every time he looked in the mirror, his heart bled. Xue An had been truly ruthless, plucking every single strand until his head was as smooth and shiny as a meatball, reflective enough to see a silhouette in. Would it ever grow back?

Every time he thought of this, Lu Kun wanted to hack Xue An into pieces, but he could only harbor such thoughts in private. Du Fan had issued a strict warning: stay as far away from Xue An as possible. If anything happened, even Du Fan couldn't protect him. Thus, Lu Kun could only vent his frustration internally. Having received Hu Dajun’s call while already bursting with suppressed anger, he had immediately gathered his men and rushed over.

Hu Dajun hurriedly bowed and scraped as he greeted him. "Brother Kun! Why aren't you wearing a hat? It’s so cold out today!"

The mention of hair or anything related to it was a sensitive trigger for Lu Kun, so he glared at Hu Dajun sharply. "I do what I want!"

"Yes, yes, of course! Brother Kun, look at my finger—it’s been severed. This kid is too arrogant; he even beat all our men to the ground."

Lu Kun’s face was filled with murderous intent. "Damn it, I've had such bad luck these past few days. Everywhere I go, there’s trouble. It looks like I'll have to kill a few people to set things straight!"

As he spoke, he looked in the direction Hu Dajun was pointing. Then, he froze. He saw Xue An standing under the lights, a mocking smile on his face.

"Brother Kun, it's this brat. That girl is his, too. Let's finish him off first, and then I’ll hand the girl over to you..."

Before Hu Dajun could finish, Lu Kun slapped him hard across the face. *Smack!*

The blow was vicious. Hu Dajun spun three times on the ground, then clutched his face, staring at Lu Kun in utter confusion. "Brother Kun, you..."

Then, Lu Kun did something that stunned everyone present. He took a few steps forward, dropped to his knees in front of Xue An, and said with the utmost reverence, "Greetings, Mr. Xue!"

Silence descended upon the scene. Hu Dajun and the woman with the seven-point appearance were so shocked their jaws dropped wide enough to fit an egg.

Xue An looked down at the kneeling Lu Kun and said calmly, "You’re quite sensible."

Lu Kun shuddered and replied respectfully, "Mr. Xue, I truly didn't know it was you. Had I known, I would have come to welcome you personally!"

Xue An shook his head. "That won't be necessary. It’s just that your men don't seem very welcoming toward me."

Lu Kun jumped up, his eyes bloodshot, and kicked Hu Dajun to the ground. "You blind fool! Do you know who this is? This is Mr. Xue! Are you tired of living, acting wild in front of Mr. Xue?"

Hu Dajun was terrified. A thought suddenly flashed through his mind. A rumor had been spreading like wildfire through Beijiang over the last two days—a legend about a man who had savagely beaten Lu Kun at the Dragon Emperor Terrace, forced Du Fan to bow and concede, and was even received personally by the young mistress of the Qin family, the power behind the establishment. Could it be... this man?

With this realization, Hu Dajun scrambled to his knees and began kowtowing frantically. "Mr. Xue, spare me! Mr. Xue, have mercy! I was ignorant; I had eyes but failed to recognize you!"

The shocking reversal left the onlookers dumbfounded, watching as the once-arrogant Hu Dajun groveled like a servant. Even the well-known Lu Kun was begging for mercy. Many now looked at Xue An with complex expressions.

Xue An turned his gaze toward the petrified woman. "You see, I told you I was in a good mood back then and let you off, yet you kept pushing your luck and courting death. You can't blame me for this, can you?"

The woman went pale. Hu Dajun, now incensed, realized everything was her fault. If not for her instigation, he wouldn't be in this position, nor would he have lost two fingers. He jumped up and slapped her hard. The nose she had just recently had fixed was knocked crooked again.

Lu Kun stood to the side, drenched in cold sweat, not daring to look Xue An in the eye. This man had left an indelible mark on his memory.

Xue An smiled faintly. "Actually, you look quite pleasant with a bald head."

Lu Kun offered a smile that looked worse than a sob. "Yes, yes, indeed!"

Xue An then took Tang Xuan'er by the hand and turned to leave. To Xue An, these social dregs weren't even worth the effort of killing.

Once Xue An was far away, Hu Dajun tentatively approached. "Brother Kun..."

"Brother your head! Do you have any idea how close you came to getting me killed?" Lu Kun roared. In his heart, he no longer held even a shred of resentment. Those few minutes near Xue An had taught him the true meaning of killing intent. He had no doubt that if he hadn't reacted quickly, he would have been a headless corpse by now. Compared to that, losing his hair was nothing.

Hu Dajun didn't dare to make another sound.

Lu Kun took a deep breath and ordered, "From now on, whenever you see this man, stay as far away as possible. If you can't avoid him, kneel down and play the fool, understand?"

"Yes," Hu Dajun replied, bowing his head.

"Don't think I'm trying to scare you. This advice came directly from Brother Fan himself! If you think you're tougher than Brother Fan, then go ahead and try your luck."