The idea was indeed tempting, making the thug's heart pound for a long time. However, when he turned his gaze and saw the miserable state of his three companions lying on the ground, he felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head. He was convinced that Yang Hongtao was playing a trick on him and might use some cruel methods to deal with him next! Thinking of this, all that remained in his heart was fear, and he dared not harbor the slightest bit of wishful thinking.
Although they failed to complete the task assigned by the boss this time and will definitely be severely punished when they return, surely they won't lose an arm or a leg? They'll still be several times better off than the short-haired guy who started the fight. Besides, if he can escape this predicament, he can choose to leave Kunming and Zhongdu immediately and go far away. I don't think the boss would be so angry as to hunt him down all over the world for such an insignificant henchman.
After much deliberation, the cowardly thug finally decided to value his life and abandon his dignity! So he loosened his grip, threw his sharp double-headed dagger on the ground, and then his legs buckled, and he knelt down decisively in front of Yang Hongtao...
He raised his hand and slapped himself repeatedly across the face, crying and wailing, "Big brother... big brother, spare me! I'll never dare to offend you again! Today... today I was forced into this by the boss. If I had known you were so brave, dashing, handsome, and good-looking... even if someone pointed a gun at my head, I wouldn't have dared to come here and upset you! Big brother... big brother, please spare me today... I will remember your great kindness. I'll introduce my fiancée from my hometown to you later. She's a famous beauty in the surrounding area. If you like her, you can take her home for a few days, and I can take her back when you're done... big brother... no, grandpa... no, no, grandpa... please spare me!"
"Okay... you better stop right now!" Yang Hongtao had never seen such a shameless person before. In order to beg for mercy, he was actually going to offer up his fiancée to be abused for a few days! Uh... although this guy's words sounded like he was just talking nonsense, and it was even unknown whether he actually had a fiancée back in his hometown.
Even if it's something that's completely baseless, the fact that this person can say it out loud is shameless enough!
Yang Hongtao despised such a despicable person and was naturally unwilling to let him go so easily. He even wanted to beat him into the most seriously injured one among the four.
Faced with an enemy kneeling on the ground, Yang Hongtao, even if he really wanted to kick him a couple of times, was powerless. So he could only put on a stern face, give a heavy "humph," and say, "Fine... I can spare you! But... all three of them have broken bones to some extent. If you're the only one who's unharmed, that wouldn't make sense! Hmm... how about this? I don't need you to break any arms or legs. As long as you can knock out at least eight of your teeth, I'll let you go this time! How about it... if you can't bear to part with your teeth... humph... then get up and use your fists to defend your dignity and your teeth!"
"I...I...Okay, eight teeth, I'll knock them out and show them to you right now..."
After only a slight hesitation, the thug immediately made his choice between breaking off his hands and feet and knocking out his teeth.
Strangely enough, this guy was cowardly when facing enemies, but he could be really ruthless to himself. Without saying a word, he immediately swung his fists and punched his cheeks repeatedly. After a few punches, blood started gushing from his mouth and nose, and he spat out a mouthful of blood with a "poof." Then he lay there searching for his teeth on the ground...
"One...three...five...seven...ah! One short! Waaah...one short!"
As the thug counted the teeth he spat out onto the ground, he coughed up blood. As he counted, he realized that he was only missing one tooth. If he wanted to knock out another tooth, he would have to punch himself a few more times, and a few punches might result in more than just losing one or two more teeth... Thinking about how he was so young, yet would have to live with a mouthful of dentures in the future, he couldn't help but burst into tears.
"Good brother...look how pitiful this person is, could you...oh...Mr. Zhou! You...please don't look at me like that...I won't plead for him anymore!"
Although Xin Yue had always believed that these ordinary thugs could not possibly harm Yang Hongtao, she was still shocked and speechless for a long time after witnessing Yang Hongtao casually wave his hand a few times and cripple three fierce thugs.
Seeing the last cowardly thug kneeling and begging for mercy, only to have his teeth knocked out by Yang Hongtao, spitting blood and crying uncontrollably, she couldn't help but feel pity. She wanted to plead for him, but as soon as she opened her mouth, she saw the cold look in Yang Hongtao's eyes when he turned to look at her. She was immediately startled and hurriedly changed how she addressed Yang Hongtao. As for pleading, she dared not utter the words again!
"What are you doing here? Don't move! All of you, put your hands behind your heads and squat on the ground..."
Just then, two police officers in police uniforms came out of the barbecue street. The taller one saw several people lying on the ground with broken heads and broken bones, and another person lying there vomiting blood. His expression immediately turned stern. He reached out and pulled out the baton hanging on his waist and sternly shouted at Yang Hongtao, the only one who looked like the murderer.
Yang Hongtao frowned slightly and turned his head to look. When he saw the tall policeman's face clearly, he couldn't help but shudder slightly and exclaimed inwardly: Li Yifeng! Wow... how could it be this kid!
Volume 1 The Rebirth of a Prodigy Chapter 87 Meeting Without Recognition
Li Yifeng was the eldest roommate of Yang Hongtao in college in his previous life. According to his actual birth age, Li Yifeng should have been the second oldest in the dormitory.
However, this guy was born to love being the boss. From childhood to adulthood, he has fought countless unjustly for his so-called "little brothers" for this empty title, but he has never changed his mind.
Once in college, just for the sake of ranking in a dormitory, Li Yifeng deliberately lied about being a year older, just to grab the title of the leader.
Even after his real age was discovered, he refused to relinquish his position as the leader. He would rather grit his teeth and spend money to treat his buddies to a week of lavish meals before they would finally acknowledge his leadership.
During our four years of university, the four roommates got along like brothers. Although we didn't follow the example of the Oath of the Peach Garden and hold a ceremony to swear brotherhood, we all truly regarded the other three as our own brothers.
Of the four, only Yang Hongtao and the third brother were locals from Zhongdu, the eldest brother Li Yifeng was from Yunnan, and the second brother's home was even further away in the Northeast.
So after graduating from university, the four brothers went their separate ways, and only the third brother would occasionally get together with Yang Hongtao.
Although the brothers can't meet in person, modern communication is so convenient that they can not only make phone calls from anywhere in the world, but also meet online from time to time. So after graduation, the brothers didn't become estranged. On the contrary, the distance made them miss and care for each other even more.
Yang Hongtao recalled that Li Yifeng said in an online chat that after returning to his hometown, he had followed his father's arrangement to work for a well-known local state-owned enterprise. However, he later heard that the local police academy was urgently recruiting a batch of new students. If he passed the exam, he could become a police officer after a year of training.
Li Yifeng had dreamed of becoming a policeman since he was a child, the kind who could carry a gun on his waist and catch bad guys all over the world. However, he failed the physical examination when he took the college entrance exam, so he lost his eligibility to apply to the police academy. Now that the opportunity had come again, he certainly didn't want to let it go. He tried to apply, not expecting much, but he actually passed the exam!
After a year of training, Li Yifeng was assigned to the criminal investigation team. According to Li Yifeng's online account, he made numerous merits, both big and small, during those two years, earning more than a dozen medals and being promoted repeatedly.
Yang Hongtao still remembers that when he last contacted Li Yifeng online before his accident in his previous life, Li Yifeng said that he had earned another second-class merit and had been promoted to deputy director of a public security bureau in a border city in Yunnan.
But now, when Yang Hongtao saw Li Yifeng, he clearly looked like a local police officer from a street police station, and there was no trace of the deputy director's authority. Could it be... that this guy had been bragging to him all these years!
However, regardless of whether he was a deputy director or a lowly beat cop, in Yang Hongtao's eyes, Li Yifeng was always that righteous, generous, cool, and proud buddy from his four years of university!
Meeting an old friend in a foreign land always evokes a sense of nostalgia, especially since Yang Hongtao encountered a buddy he was once so close to that he felt like they were inseparable. So... Yang Hongtao's eyes suddenly welled up with tears. Looking at Li Yifeng's cool expression, a look of excitement and admiration naturally appeared in his eyes.
Unfortunately, Yang Hongtao has lived two lives now, and his appearance and physique are completely different from his previous life. In Li Yifeng's eyes, Yang Hongtao is a complete stranger he has never met before. No matter how rich Li Yifeng's imagination is, he would never be able to connect this sickly-looking young man with his college classmate.
So... when Li Yifeng noticed the uncontrollable genuine emotions in Yang Hongtao's eyes, he couldn't help but feel a chill and naturally categorized Yang Hongtao into the BL (Boys' Love) group, which has a special fetish.
"Hey... I'm talking to you! What are you looking at? Didn't you hear me? Right now, put your hands behind your head, squat down, and don't move!"
Li Yifeng brandished his baton and took a few steps closer to Yang Hongtao with an imposing air. Then, with a fierce glare, he pointed the baton at Yang Hongtao's nose, as if to say, "If you don't cooperate, I'll hit you with this baton."
A bitter smile appeared on Yang Hongtao's face. He obediently held his head and slowly squatted down on the spot.
At that moment, he suddenly realized that a certain comedian's classic line on the Spring Festival Gala... "The greatest tragedy in life is dying before you've spent all your money"... that's utter nonsense. Compared to that, he felt that he was the most tragic person at that moment.
The pain of being able to meet your best friend but not recognize him is unbearable!
"You're the one who injured these people, right?" Li Yifeng glanced at the three thugs lying on the ground and was secretly shocked. At the same time, he became more cautious and stern in his attitude towards Yang Hongtao.
"Yes...it was me who hit him."
Yang Hongtao acted in self-defense, which is why he injured these people. There's no way he can deny that. Moreover, he believes that Li Yifeng is not the kind of person who would distort the truth. Therefore, he has no objection to Li Yifeng's question.
"Alright... then please come with me first!" Upon hearing Yang Hongtao's admission, Li Yifeng's expression became even more solemn. He hurriedly took out handcuffs and was about to handcuff Yang Hongtao before he could feel at ease.
"Officer... I think you've misunderstood."
Seeing this, Xin Yue quickly ran over to Li Yifeng and said, "Officer, please understand the situation first, okay? My friend and I are clearly the victims... We were just leaving the food street when these four people surrounded us for no reason, and they even deliberately provoked us and tried to hurt us... I already called the police! Why are you arresting the victims without even asking any questions when you come here?"
"What? You said you just called the police?"
Li Yifeng was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, but after turning his head to look at the people on the scene, he couldn't help but smile wryly and say, "You're saying... these people lying on the ground are the ones who intended to commit the crime, and your friend is the victim? Uh... do you think he looks like a victim?"
Upon hearing this, Xin Yue flew into a rage, snorting loudly, and said, "Officer, what do you mean by that? Does that mean a victim can only be portrayed as pitiful? Let me ask you... if you were walking down the street in plainclothes and suddenly encountered a few thugs robbing you, would you only be considered a victim if they robbed you of all your money and beat you up badly? But if you fought back and defeated the robbers, would you then be considered a perpetrator?"
Li Yifeng was speechless after Xin Yue's words, but he didn't get angry. Instead, he nodded solemnly and said, "This lady is right. In that situation, your friend injuring the other party can only be considered as acting in self-defense. In essence, he is still a victim. However... sigh... life is truly lonely... uh... but who is right and who is wrong is not up to me to decide. It must be determined after investigation and evidence collection. And before the nature of this incident is determined... I can only trouble you all to come with me first!"
Volume 1 The Rebirth of a Prodigy Chapter 88: Life is as Lonely as Snow
Although Li Yifeng agreed with Xin Yue's words, he still dared not act recklessly before the truth was clear. If the three seriously injured men on the ground and the guy lying on the side coughing up blood were all injured by Yang Hongtao, then one could imagine how dangerous this man was.
So after a slight hesitation, Li Yifeng decided to handcuff Yang Hongtao first.
In comparison, among the people present, besides Xin Yue, only Yang Hongtao was completely unharmed. As for the others, even if they were thugs, they were either broken arms or had their heads smashed, so they no longer posed any threat. Not only should they not be handcuffed, but they should also be taken to the hospital as soon as possible.
"What are you doing? If you really dare to handcuff him, believe me, I can make one phone call and fire you immediately?"
Seeing that she had made herself clear, but this lowly policeman still wanted to handcuff Yang Hongtao, Xin Yue was instantly furious. She stepped in front of Yang Hongtao, like a mother hen protecting her chicks, glaring angrily at Li Yifeng, as if she was about to pounce on him and bite him at the slightest provocation.
Li Yifeng was the type of person who wouldn't listen to reason but wouldn't listen to force. Upon hearing Xin Yue's words, he immediately became stubborn. He flicked the handcuffs in his hand, glared at Xin Yue, and said with a sneer, "Since you put it that way, then I'll just have to handcuff him. If you're so capable, then go ahead and get me fired. Perfect... I don't want to work here anymore anyway!"
After saying that, Li Yifeng took a step forward, glared at Xin Yue, and said, "Get out of my way, or I'll sue you for obstructing official business!"
Xin Yue was also furious. She bit her lip hard and glared at Li Yifeng, saying, "I won't allow it. If you have the guts, come and sue me. Let's see if I'm afraid of a little police officer like you!"
"Damn it, don't push me too far!" Li Yifeng was so angry that his eyes were blazing with murderous intent, and he couldn't help but swear. He brandished the handcuffs in his hand fiercely and said, "If you don't give in, believe me, I'll handcuff you too!"
"Come on... come and handcuff me!" Xin Yue wasn't afraid at all. Upon hearing this, she immediately stretched out her hands in front of Li Yifeng and said with a sneer, "If you don't handcuff me today, you're not a man with guts!"
"Wow...you dare say I'm not a man! Well then I'll handcuff you and see what happens..."
Li Yifeng couldn't stand this kind of provocation. In a moment of impulsiveness, he no longer cared whether the woman in front of him had a background he couldn't afford to offend. He immediately grabbed the handcuffs and pressed them onto Xin Yue's wrists...
"Alright...you two shut up!"
Seeing that the two were getting more and more out of control, Yang Hongtao finally couldn't help but stand up abruptly and separated them.
"What are you trying to do? Who told you to get up..."
Upon seeing Yang Hongtao make any unusual movements, Li Yifeng immediately became alert. Holding handcuffs in one hand and a police baton in the other, he was fully focused on guarding against any dangerous actions Yang Hongtao might take. He was certain that if he discovered any more dangerous movements from Yang Hongtao, he would immediately strike him with the baton.
Yang Hongtao snorted and gave Li Yifeng a disdainful look, saying, "Come on! Li Yifeng, if I were really a bad guy, I would have run away as soon as I saw you. You're carrying a broken fire poker, do you think I'm really afraid of you?"
"How...how did you know my name is Li Yifeng?"
Upon hearing Yang Hongtao call out his name, Li Yifeng was taken aback and hurriedly asked, "Tell me... who exactly are you? Are you one of Miao Dashan's gang...?"
"Alright... stop guessing."
Yang Hongtao smiled slightly, looked up at the crescent moon that was faintly visible on the horizon, shook his head dramatically, and said, "Alas... life is truly as lonely as snow!"
"Ah...you...how did you know my catchphrase?"
"Hehe... I not only know your catchphrase, but I also know that your first love bit you on the left chest, that someone poked your right butt with a beer bottle, that your left foot stepped in the stinky poop of a German Shepherd, and that your right hand touched the big breasts of a Russian beauty..."
"Ah...wait, who...who are you! How...how do you know all this?"
Li Yifeng grew increasingly shocked, stumbling back several steps until he bumped into his colleague Xiao Wang, who had come with him. He then seemed to suddenly remember something, abruptly slapping his forehead. He looked up at Yang Hongtao and asked, "You know Lao Si… Yang Hongtao, right? Only Lao Si knows I touched the Russian big-breasted woman. How… how could he tell you? Who are you? And… even if you've heard him mention me, how could you recognize me at a glance?"
Yang Hongtao sighed softly, then said with a wry smile, "Who am I... Heh, to be honest, my friendship with him is much deeper than the friendship between the two of you. If you were to ask me who my best friend in this life is, it would definitely be him. And if you were to ask him who his best friend in this life is, it would definitely be me! The two of us... well, we're basically as close as one person. I know everything about him, and there are absolutely no secrets between us. As for recognizing you... that's very simple. I happened to be there when you two video chatted online several times, so of course I recognize you."
"You really are Lao Si's friend!" Li Yifeng's face lit up with excitement upon hearing this, but then, remembering that Yang Hongtao had been dead for several years, his expression darkened again. He sighed softly and said, "Since you are Lao Si's friend, then you are also my brother, Li Yifeng's brother. Don't worry... No matter what trouble you encounter in Kunming, your older brother will risk his life to help you sort it out. Consider it repayment for the many times Lao Si took the blame for me back then... Back then, the four of us brothers drank together, skipped classes together, chased girls together, and... Alas, life is truly lonely as snow! In the blink of an eye, Lao Si and I are separated by death, and I, as the older brother, didn't even have time to see him one last time..."
Li Yifeng grew increasingly sorrowful as he spoke, his eyes brimming with tears before he realized it. He stubbornly refused to cry, sniffling forcefully before glaring at the unfortunate men groaning on the ground. He snorted and said, "These guys are obviously no good. They dared to rob my little brother! Damn it… I'll make sure you're locked up in jail for the rest of your lives, and let you taste what it means to be utterly alone… Uh… Xiao Wang, call the branch office first and tell them to send an ambulance. Then take pictures of these guys and check them online later. I suspect they might have prior convictions! They might even be wanted fugitives!"
Volume 1: The Rebirth of a Prodigy, Chapter 89: Brothers
After saying that, Li Yifeng patted Yang Hongtao's shoulder reassuringly and said, "Brother, don't worry. When the people from the branch office arrive, I'll personally go with you to give a statement. It should be over soon. Um... don't underestimate my current position... it's not high, but I have connections and influence, so don't worry. Although what you did just now... was a bit too heavy-handed, even if it's classified as self-defense, it might still be considered excessive. But... don't take it to heart. Even if I have to risk my reputation and lose this police uniform, I'll make sure you're alright!"
Upon hearing this, Yang Hongtao's nose tingled, and he almost couldn't hold back his tears.
Unexpectedly, this former dormitory leader, whom I haven't seen for many years, is still as loyal as ever, still willing to disregard principles and act indiscriminately for his brothers.
Even if in his eyes I'm just a friend of a friend right now! What is brotherhood? This... is the most precious kind of brotherhood in the world!
Yang Hongtao also didn't shed tears. Instead, he patted Li Yifeng's shoulder forcefully and said, "Brother, you don't need to worry so much. Trust me... Although these guys have some connections, I can handle this myself. Don't ruin your future because of this, otherwise... I'll never have peace of mind for the rest of my life."
"What are you saying! Are you looking down on your elder brother?"
Upon hearing this, Li Yifeng glared at him and said with great dissatisfaction, "Since you call me 'Big Brother,' then I, Li Yifeng, will consider you my brother for life. How can I, as the big brother, ignore my brother's troubles? Stop talking... I'll take charge of this matter today. Even if you cause a major disaster, I, your big brother, will be there to support you!"
Yang Hongtao wanted to say something, but Li Yifeng waved his hand, put his arm around Yang Hongtao's shoulder, pulled him aside to avoid the attention of others, and then asked in a low voice, "Good brother, now it's just the two of us talking, you don't need to worry about anything, just tell me honestly, were those people really highway robbers? Who started it? Tell me the truth, and I can think of a way to help you."
Yang Hongtao smiled slightly and said, "What, brother, are you afraid I'll lie to you? Don't worry! I really was just acting in self-defense. Although those people weren't highway robbers, they were definitely deliberately causing trouble. And they did attack first, which is why I retaliated. Look... their weapons are still there, there's no faking it."
"Okay...that makes things much easier!"
Li Yifeng said excitedly, "Did you see that... there's a security camera on that wall over there? Because there are frequent thefts in that neighborhood, the property management company installed several hidden cameras there. Others may not know the location of those cameras, but I know it perfectly well. The place you were just now was right within the range of that camera. That means... the neighborhood's surveillance system must have recorded what just happened. I'll make a copy of the recording later; that will be the best evidence. Hmph... even if those people have some kind of background, we're not afraid. The evidence is irrefutable; let's see how they deny it!"
Yang Hongtao shook his head. He really didn't take this matter to heart. Even if Huang Lianshu was really up to something, Yang Hongtao wasn't going to take it lying down.