The meal was nearly over for everyone, and after He Biao's disturbance, no one felt like continuing to eat. After sitting in the room and chatting idly for a while, Huang Feiming originally wanted to invite Xu Changzhi and the other two to stay at the guesthouse. But Ye Qing has already had Old Fifth Yang arrange their accommodation, and this opportunity was naturally seized by Old Fifth Yang again.

To this day, Old Fifth Yang still didn't know Xu Changzhi's identity, but he could tell that Huang Feiming was very cautious when speaking to Xu Changzhi, so he was clear that Xu Changzhi was no ordinary person. Therefore, he was extremely respectful to Xu Changzhi, and getting such an opportunity excited him even more. He didn't arrange for a hotel or anything, but directly invited Xu Changzhi and the others to stay in his favorite villa.

Xu Changzhi and his two companions had arrived early in the morning and had had a tiring morning, so they were nearly drained. Knowing that Ye Qing wasn't involved in the Lu Family's annihilation case, Xu Changzhi finally gave a long sigh of relief. Having nothing else to do, he also planned to stay in Jiuchuan County for a day or two and take the opportunity to treat it like a tourist visit.

After the meal, Old Fifth Yang sent Xu Changzhi and the others to his villa. Since Xu Changzhi was going, Huang Feiming naturally followed, and he also went to Old Fifth Yang's villa. For Old Fifth Yang, this was simply tremendous good news. No matter what Xu Changzhi's status was, to him, Huang Feiming was the key figure as he oversaw all the police in Dengyang City and was the figure Old Fifth Yang was most likely to interact with. If he could establish a good relationship with Huang Feiming, then he could secure a footing in Dengyang City in the future!

The three men, Xu Changzhi included, were tired, so they went to rest at Old Fifth Yang's place. Ye Qing went back to the hospital to check on his father, Ye Changwen, who was also doing quite well. Moreover, Chen Junhou San and the others had returned to the hospital and were showing good signs of recovery. As for Gu Xianping, by the time Ye Qing returned to the hospital, he was already not in his bed.

"Where did Teacher Gu go?" Ye Qing asked in surprise, turning to Chen Jun who was eating an apple nearby.

Chen Jun, with his wound dressed and after a blood transfusion, found it not too difficult to do simple tasks. His parents had passed away early, and he had no other family, just a few brothers who had been hanging out with him, who were now taking care of him at the hospital. To say they were taking care of him was really just to say they were mooching meals there.

Ordinarily, these people made a living doing odd jobs around the marketplace, and although Chen Jun had some influence there, he still had no money, no connections, no backing, and so was still involved in minor hustles. Their daily earnings were barely enough to cover food and cigarettes, and they could afford to drink alcohol only if it was bulk-purchased baijiu. Managing to eat meat twice a month would be considered good.

After Chen Jun was hospitalized, these men had to take care of Chen Jun and still work, so naturally, their earnings decreased, and even eating became a problem. However, it just so happened that the meals that were delivered to Chen Jun were personally prepared by someone sent by Old Fifth Yang, with high-quality and hearty portions. After coming a few times, they realized that eating here was much better than eating out, and eventually, they simply came to the hospital for meals.

However, these meals were nothing in Old Fifth Yang's eyes. Upon learning that Chen Jun's brothers were eating here, he even had someone make a few more good dishes and sent them over, allowing these non-patients to eat well, thereby earning a lot of face for Ye Qing. So, in these few days, Chen Jun's brothers held Ye Qing in high regard. Especially after learning that they would be going with Ye Qing to Shenchuan City to make money in the future, everyone started to treat Ye Qing like another big brother!

Chen Jun, while eating his apple, looked over at Gu Xianping's empty bed and wondered, "Right, Teacher Gu said he was going out for a bit, but it has been an hour or so, and he hasn't shown up yet? Baldie, have you seen Teacher Gu?"

"Nope," a man with sparse hair replied.

Another man said, "I saw Teacher Gu heading outside the hospital a while ago, and he even took his handcart with him. He wouldn't have gone back to set up his stall, would he?"

"Really?" Baldie replied, "Although his injuries aren't serious, there's no need to be so eager to make money, right?"

Chen Jun frowned and said, "I think it's possible. Teacher Gu does have two kids, after all. Even when he first started setting up his stall, he'd be there on time every day despite heavy rain. Forget it, Baldie, you go check out the market."

"No need, I'll go take a look!" Ye Qing waved his hand, saying, "Baldie, you bring a brother later and go help out in my dad's ward upstairs. My sister has gone to work this afternoon, and only my aunt is there managing on her own, so she's a bit overwhelmed."

"Alright!" Baldie immediately stood up and called another person to go upstairs with him.

Just as Ye Qing reached the hospital entrance, a Range Rover drove up, with Da Fei at the wheel. Sticking his head out the window, he called out from a distance, "Big Brother, where to?"

That morning, after Huang Feiming learned about Ye Qing's connection with Xu Changzhi, he called to have Mad Dog released from Linnei County, and Da Fei had just finished picking up Mad Dog and bringing him back.

Ye Qing got into the vehicle and said, "To the marketplace."

Then, looking at Mad Dog sitting beside him, he asked, "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine!" Mad Dog smiled and said, "The police only detained me for a day, and I didn't lack for food or drink."

"That's good to hear!" Ye Qing nodded, patting Mad Dog's shoulder, "Brother, thanks!"

Mad Dog earnestly said, "Big brother, you saved my life. Not to mention staying for a day, even if you asked me to go to prison for a few years, as long as you take care of my brothers, I absolutely wouldn't frown!"

"Don't worry, none of us will have any trouble!" Ye Qing replied with a smile.

"Right, we're definitely going to make a fortune in the future!" Da Fei, driving the car, excitedly said, "Big brother, I just got a call that the construction crew is in position, and they've already started working. I guess by the time we get back in a few days, they'll already have started on the foundations, right?"

Ye Qing nodded in satisfaction. The two things he was most concerned about were whether his brother was still alive and the matter of the orphanage. After all, with so many children there, the sooner the orphanage got up and running, the better!

Upon arriving at the market, indeed, from a distance, they could see Gu Xianping sitting next to his handcart, arranging his books one by one. Possibly because his injuries had not fully healed, his movements were slow, and his hands trembling. Seeing his staggering figure, Ye Qing felt a moistness in his eyes. A once proud and erudite man was now so down and out—it was truly lamentable!

The market was bustling with people, and vehicles simply couldn't get through. Ye Qing was about to get out and walk over when he saw He Tao leading a group of teenagers, around seventeen or eighteen years old, rushing out. Before even reaching Gu Xianping's book stall, He Tao cursed from afar, "You old bastard, you dare to show up!"

With that, He Tao sprinted forward, delivering a kick to Gu Xianping's waist, directly knocking him to the ground.

Ye Qing's expression changed, and he immediately got out of the car and ran towards them. But, though he was still some distance away, He Tao and his group surrounded Gu Xianping and began to beat him mercilessly.

"Hit him! Beat him to death for me! Damn it, he dared to get my brother thrown in jail, I'll take your life today!" He Tao yelled beside them, "Yeah! Beat him to death! Beat him to death! Are you guys not eating well or what, hit harder! Hit the head, the head! I fuck your mother, kill him. Bastard, you think knowing a few cops is enough? Let me tell you, I'm not even eighteen yet, what the hell can you do to me after I kill you?"

After He Biao was taken to the police station, the underage He Tao was released by someone. This only emboldened his arrogant demeanor, thinking that since he was not yet eighteen, the police couldn't do anything to him, so right after being released he gathered a group of underage kids, intending to come over and kill Gu Xianping for revenge.

"Beat him to death for me, beat him till he's dead!" He Tao yelled loudly, his arrogance extreme.

Gu Xianping covered his head with his hands, his face already bloodied from the beating, his appearance utterly pitiful.

Finally, Ye Qing arrived, roaring from a distance, "He Tao, you're looking for death!"

He Tao turned his head to see Ye Qing and was initially stunned. Then his face turned cold with rage, "All right, stand up everyone, let's deal with this bastard first."

As he spoke, He Tao pulled out a dagger from his person and watched Ye Qing coldly, "Ye, my brother didn't dare kill you, but I'm different. I'm fucking underage, it's not a crime to kill you. Today, I'm going to leave you dead right here!"

"You're illiterate, and you're also ignorant of the law!" Da Fei, who had run over with Ye Qing, yelled loudly, "Who told you that killing someone under eighteen isn't a crime? Damn, haven't you ever heard of juvenile detention? Wait until you're old enough, and they'll still shoot you!"

He Tao, of course, had never heard of these things. He hesitated for a moment, looking uncertain. However, he quickly waved his hand dismissively, "You're fucking trying to scare me? Juvenile detention? What the fuck is that? Let me tell you, I'm still a minor, what can you do to me!"

Ye Qing had already reached Gu Xianping's side, quickly bending over to help him up. He had been beaten badly, his clothes stained red here and there, and stood gasping for breath.

Ye Qing's gaze grew colder as he slowly turned to look at the lawless He Tao.

"He Tao, I originally thought you were just a kid. So, I blamed all the things you did on He Biao!" Ye Qing paused for a moment, then suddenly pointed at He Tao, "But now I see. Even though you're a kid, you're more cruel than adults. Someone like you is a menace and shouldn't be left around!"

"Fuck off, you talk so big, what can you do to me?" He Tao said arrogantly, "I'm standing right here, if you've got the balls, come and kill me. Come on, come! I don't believe you have what it takes, I dare you to kill me!"

"Damn it, don't be too arrogant!" Da Fei cried out indignantly, unable to stand He Tao's attitude.