Chapter 171: A Major Misunderstanding

「Meanwhile.」

In a dim room at the back of the casino.

The curtains were drawn tight. The air was thick with the faint smell of tobacco as a young man lay in bed, rubbing his drowsy eyes.

Zhou Yuan hung up and tossed his phone onto the nightstand. The corner of his mouth twitched as he let out a cold snort.

"I can’t believe someone in this day and age would have the nerve to steal a Zhou Family black card. How audacious."

He rolled over, ready to go back to sleep.

However, less than three seconds after closing his eyes, they snapped open again.

’Something’s not right!’

The Zhou Family only had a few black cards in total. Each one had a unique serial number, and the identities of the cardholders were strictly registered. Anyone who could obtain one was, without exception, one of the Zhou Family’s most valued guests.

’Something like that... how could it possibly be stolen so easily?’

’Forget stealing it, most people would never even get to see one.’

The more Zhou Yuan thought about it, the more wrong it felt. The drowsiness he felt moments ago instantly vanished. He sat up, grabbed his phone, found his grandfather Zhou Kunlun’s number, and dialed.

"Hello, Grandpa. It’s me."

"Yuan, what is it?"

On the other end of the line, Zhou Kunlun’s voice, though aged, was strong and full of vigor.

"Grandpa, I want to ask you something."

Zhou Yuan chose his words carefully. "Have any of our family’s black cards been given out recently?"

There was a second of silence on the other end.

"Yes."

Zhou Kunlun’s voice was calm. "Yesterday, I gave one to a young man myself."

Zhou Yuan shot up from the bed as if he’d been struck by lightning.

"What?!"

"What’s wrong? Did something happen?"

Zhou Kunlun asked, sensing the strange tone in his grandson’s voice.

Zhou Yuan took a deep breath and relayed everything Qian Peichuan had just reported to him.

After hearing the story, Zhou Kunlun’s tone changed instantly, now laced with anger. "That young man’s name is Yang Xun! He’s the one who cured my illness! I gave him that black card willingly. You get over there and release him right now! If a single hair on Yang Xun’s head is harmed, I’ll hold you responsible!"

Zhou Yuan was completely stunned.

’Grandpa’s illness... was really cured?’

’The guy Qian Peichuan called a ’black card thief’ is actually Grandpa’s savior?!’

"Fuck..."

Zhou Yuan cursed under his breath, his face instantly turning pale.

’This misunderstanding has gotten way out of hand!’

He didn’t even dare to imagine the consequences if Qian Peichuan and his men had already made a move.

Zhou Yuan didn’t even bother to put his shoes on properly. He rushed out of the room with one foot bare, frantically dialing Qian Peichuan’s number as he ran.

...

「On the other side.」

Inside Qian Peichuan’s office.

The atmosphere had dropped to a freezing point.

A dozen burly men surrounded Yang Xun, armed to the teeth and radiating killing intent.

Meng Qiaofei hid behind Yang Xun, shaking like a leaf. Her face was drained of all color, and her lips trembled so much she couldn’t even speak.

Meanwhile, Xu Feifan, who was cowering in the corner, was scared out of his wits. He suddenly jumped up, pointed at Yang Xun’s nose, and started screaming curses.

"Yang Xun!! You bastard!! I knew you were no good!! Stealing someone’s black card, do you have a death wish?! I’m telling you, what you did has nothing to do with me!!"

With tears and snot streaming down his face, Xu Feifan turned to Qian Peichuan, his voice cracking. "Manager Qian, this was all his doing! It has nothing to do with me! I’m a victim too!! He’s the Xu Family’s live-in son-in-law, and I’ve wanted to sever ties with him for a long time!"

Hearing this, Meng Qiaofei stared at Xu Feifan in utter disbelief.

Although she was terrified and couldn’t understand what was going on with the black card, Xu Feifan’s eagerness to distance himself and sell someone out to save his own skin still sent a chill down her spine.

"To think you’d steal a black card from my Zhou Family!!"

Qian Peichuan stood up from his chair and leaned forward, his hands planted on the desk. His gloomy eyes were fixed on Yang Xun, and a cruel smile crept onto his lips.

"Kid, I gave you a chance."

He lifted his chin and jerked his head toward the thugs around them, his tone icy. "What are you all standing around for? Kill him."

The moment he finished speaking, the dozen or so burly men took a step forward in unison.

CRACK!

Yang Xun clenched his fists, his knuckles letting out a sharp sound.

His gaze swept over the men closing in on him, his eyes filled with an intense killing intent.

But inwardly, he had a splitting headache.

’He never expected that the black card he got for saving Zhou Kunlun’s life would turn out to be such a hot potato.’

’He’d obtained it fair and square, but now he was being treated like a thief.’

’What shitty luck.’

But a headache was just a headache. If they were going to make a move, he wasn’t about to just stand there and take it.

Yang Xun secretly circulated the Yin Yang Dragon and Phoenix Technique. A thread of True Qi surged through his body, and every muscle instantly tensed to its limit. He was ready to strike at any moment. If worst came to worst, he would just tear this casino apart today.

’He’d deal with the consequences later!’

"RING RING RING!!"

Just as the thugs were about to charge, the phone on Qian Peichuan’s desk suddenly started ringing.

The caller was Zhou Yuan.

A flicker of confusion crossed Qian Peichuan’s eyes, but he answered immediately.

"Qian Peichuan!! You listen to me!!"

On the other end, Zhou Yuan’s voice was practically a roar, thick with panic. "Don’t do anything! No one is to make a move!! Wait for me to get there! I will handle this personally. Remember... do not do anything!"

"Young Master?"

Qian Peichuan was taken aback and asked instinctively, "What’s wrong? This person..."

BEEP BEEP BEEP...

Before Qian Peichuan could finish, the call was disconnected.

Qian Peichuan held his phone, a puzzled look on his face.

’The Young Master’s tone... why did he sound so panicked?’

But since the Young Master had given an order, he didn’t dare disobey.

Qian Peichuan raised a hand, gesturing for the surrounding thugs to stop. "Everyone, back off. Don’t do anything for now."

"Manager?"

A few of the thugs looked confused.

"The Young Master is coming to deal with this person himself."

Qian Peichuan slowly sat back down in his chair, a cold, meaningful smile on his lips.

At his words, the thugs instantly understood. They all retreated to the sides, but the way they looked at Yang Xun now held a hint of pity.

"Buddy, you’re in deep shit now."

A bald-headed thug with a toothpick in his mouth chuckled, his tone mocking. "Young Master Zhou is coming to deal with you personally. Do you know what that means?"

A tattooed man next to him chimed in, "Last month, some guy was caught cheating in the casino by Young Master Zhou. All ten of his fingers were broken, one by one. By the time they dragged him out, he’d already gone insane."

"And the guy the month before that, who owed money and wouldn’t pay up... Young Master Zhou had him tied to a pillar and whipped with a belt for two hours..."

"Heheheh, you’d better watch your back, buddy."

The group of men went back and forth, describing the scenes vividly, their tones full of gloating.

Yang Xun stood his ground, his expression calm. He didn’t say a word.

Their threats were like water off a duck’s back to him; he paid them no mind at all.

But the same couldn’t be said for Meng Qiaofei and Xu Feifan.

Meng Qiaofei’s face had turned deathly pale. Her beautiful eyes were filled with despair as she gripped the corner of Yang Xun’s shirt, her knuckles white.

As for Xu Feifan, he collapsed straight to the floor, a shivering mess, muttering over and over, "It’s over, it’s all over. It’s all that bastard Yang Xun’s fault..."

"BANG!!"

Just then, the office door was violently shoved open from the outside.

Everyone’s eyes snapped toward the sound.

A young man in black casual wear strode in. He looked to be in his mid-twenties, with sharp, well-defined features and an innate, piercing intensity in his eyes.

It was Zhou Yuan.

As soon as he entered, his eyes swept across the office, finally landing on Yang Xun, who was surrounded in the middle.

Zhou Yuan sized up Yang Xun for a few seconds, a flash of surprise in his eyes.

’He hadn’t expected the miracle doctor who cured his grandfather... to be so young.’

’He looked to be in his early twenties, maybe even a few years younger than himself.’

"Young Master!"

Qian Peichuan immediately shot up from his chair and hurried over, his face plastered with a deferential smile as he pointed at Yang Xun.

"We’ve kept him for you. This is the guy who stole the black card."

Qian Peichuan rubbed his hands together, his tone clearly looking for praise. "Young Master, what’s the verdict? Should we break his legs and feed him to the dogs, or..."

"SLAP!!"

Before he could finish his sentence, a resounding slap struck Qian Peichuan across the face.

The entire office fell deathly silent...