Seeing that Zhang Man had calmed down, Liu Ergou stood up and led her outside. As they walked, he said, "Sha Sha, just wait for me at home. I'll be back soon!"

Leng Shasha, still lying on the sofa, simply nodded and closed her eyes to rest.

Meanwhile, Liu Ergou took Zhang Man out to the sports car. As soon as they got in, he seemed to remember something and turned to her.

"Right, Xiaoman, I almost forgot. Your dad is an influential figure in the city, isn't he? Why don't you ask him for help? If your father were to step in, this whole thing could be resolved much more easily!"

Hearing this, Zhang Man shook her head vigorously. "No, absolutely not! I can't let my dad find out. If he does, I'm finished! Er Gou, you have to help me!"

Liu Ergou looked at her and shook his head helplessly. He then said in an earnest tone, "Xiaoman, don't worry. This situation started because of us, so I'll definitely help you. You can count on that."

"But I need to be clear. If this gets beyond what we can handle, you must not hide it from your father. No matter what, he'll be able to solve it for you. Do you understand?"

Zhang Man nodded forcefully. "I get it, Er Gou! Don't worry, I'll be on my best behavior from now on. I won't cause any more trouble. If you can't solve this, I'll tell my father."

Hearing her promise, Liu Ergou finally nodded and settled into the driver's seat. He said to Zhang Man in the passenger seat, "Good, as long as you understand. Now, tell me, where did Sun Gang arrange to meet you?"

Zhang Man told him the address. Liu Ergou started the car and headed for the designated location.

Soon, Liu Ergou arrived at the meeting spot—a Western restaurant.

Neither Liu Ergou nor Zhang Man had ever been to this particular restaurant, but she knew of it.

Looking at the restaurant, Zhang Man whispered to Liu Ergou, "Er Gou, it looks like Sun Gang is prepared to make a move on us. This place is one of his properties. I'm sure it's filled with his men. If a fight breaks out..."

Her voice trailed off as she looked at Liu Ergou with a worried expression. After hearing her out, he just calmly patted her on the back.

"Relax, Xiaoman, it's fine. Don't you worry about a thing. You know what I'm like in a fight. It doesn't matter how many of them there are, they're no match for me... unless they have a gun and put a couple of bullets in me! Otherwise, I'm a modern-day Lu Bu!" Liu Ergou declared, even striking a pose.

Zhang Man couldn't help but burst out laughing. "You and your smart mouth! This isn't the time for joking. Let's go in."

With that, Zhang Man led Liu Ergou into the restaurant. The moment they stepped inside, a waiter approached. Without Zhang Man needing to say a word, he led them directly to a private room. Liu Ergou pushed the door open and ushered Zhang Man inside, where they saw Sun Gang sitting at the head of the table, happily tucking into a steak.

Hearing the footsteps, Sun Gang looked up. He showed little reaction upon seeing Liu Ergou, simply pointing a finger at the empty seat across from him. "You're here," he said. "Sit. Let's eat first. We can talk business after the meal. It's hard to discuss things properly on an empty stomach."

Liu Ergou nodded, boldly taking the seat opposite Sun Gang and starting on the steak that was set out for him.

After a single bite, however, Liu Ergou's expression soured. He looked down at the steak on his plate, which was still streaked with blood.

Looking at the steak, Liu Ergou scoffed, "Is this your idea of hospitality, Sun Gang? Inviting someone to a meal just to serve them an undercooked steak? This thing is practically bleeding! Back in the countryside, we'd call this raw beef. You don't invite guests over to feed them raw meat!"

At this, Sun Gang, sitting opposite him, looked startled for a moment before bursting into laughter. "Hahaha, Liu Ergou, you're a real piece of work! If I hadn't already investigated your background, I'd be making fun of you right now. But I know you're just a country boy who hasn't seen much of the world. I get it, so I won't mock you."

"Besides, this isn't raw. It's a rare steak—my favorite. You don't like it?"

Liu Ergou shook his head. "No. It's raw beef, and I have no taste for it."

A look of regret crossed Sun Gang's face. "Ah, Liu Ergou, it seems we're just not compatible. I was thinking that if you could handle this steak, I might have reluctantly offered you a spot as my subordinate. After all, I do recognize your skills. But it seems that's not going to work."

Liu Ergou couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. To think this Sun Gang wants me to be his subordinate. How interesting. Setting aside whether I'd even agree, isn't he afraid I'd just turn around and stab him in the back?

Seeing Liu Ergou's silence, Sun Gang continued, "Alright, enough small talk. Let's get down to business. Remember what I told Zhang Man the other day? As much as I despise my worthless brother, he's still my brother. When he gets into trouble, I have to take care of it. So, my purpose today is simple: have Zhang Man keep my brother company for a few days. After that, we can consider this matter settled. What do you say?"

Liu Ergou rejected the proposal without a second thought. "Heh. Sun Gang, did you eat so much raw beef that you got a parasite in your brain?" he said bluntly. "You want Zhang Man to keep your brother company? What a joke. It looks like we're done here. Goodbye."

With that, Liu Ergou stood up to leave. But just as he did, he seemed to remember something and turned back. "Sun Gang," he said, "whatever you've got planned next, bring it on. I'm waiting to see what you're really capable of."

Finished speaking, Liu Ergou turned to go. Watching his retreating back, Sun Gang didn't look angry at all. He just stated calmly, "My methods are more than you can handle. Liu Ergou, I've looked into you. You've already offended Mi Xiaoying. If you make an enemy of me too, you'll find yourself completely surrounded."