Chapter Fifty-Nine: Nothing but Nonsense

Beating someone up can become addictive—this is no exaggeration. Right now, Wang Ergou felt as if he’d just smoked marijuana, growing more exhilarated with each slap. Only when his victim, a bloated man whose fat quivered with every breath, began to gasp for air amid screams did Wang Ergou finally have to stop.

"You… you… all of you…" The man tried to utter some threat, but Cold Qing forced him to swallow his words. In this situation, saying even one more word would only invite more suffering.

Once the mess was cleaned up and the group was herded into police cars, Fierce Tiger finally arrived—just in time to miss a rare spectacle. He hurried into the villa and, seeing Lin Yang unharmed, finally breathed a sigh of relief. After hearing about Cold Qing and the others' miserable experience, he couldn't help but burst into laughter.

With sirens wailing, Wang Ergou took the criminals away, but the chaos left behind in the villa was yet to be addressed. Guns, smoke grenades, and nearly even hand grenades had been used—hoping the villa would remain unscathed was nothing but wishful thinking.

"Brother Yang, sob… sob…" Once her useless and despicable father had left, Cold Nini collapsed into Lin Yang’s arms, crying uncontrollably. The ordeal had left her with unbearable memories, especially the deaths of the four young bodyguards who lost their lives saving her. That guilt would likely haunt her forever.

Aside from Wu Peng, whom Lin Yang saved just in time, the other four fell victim to the assailants, murdered without exception.

Lin Yang had already seen the two corpses in the hall, but he hadn’t realized the other two had been suffocated to death in the bathroom. The ruthlessness of the perpetrators made him wonder if his own retribution had been too merciful.

"It’s all over," he said softly, patting Cold Nini’s trembling back, trying his best to comfort her. Though she always acted tough and wild, she had never witnessed such a brutal scene before. It was only natural for a girl to be frightened.

"Why? Why did they do this to me? Why did that bastard come too? Hugging women on both sides—he’s nothing but scum!" Nini’s grief overwhelmed her, the image of her mother’s suicide replaying in her mind like a curse, deepening her sorrow and driving her emotions into chaos.

She began to lose control—not that Lin Yang wanted to label it that way, but her fingernails, pressed into his skin, betrayed her desperation.

As Lin Yang held her, he sensed something was wrong. When he finally pushed her away in pain, he was startled by the look in her usually bright eyes—now so bloodshot that tears of blood streamed down her cheeks. Without thinking, Lin Yang struck a precise blow to her neck, knocking her unconscious.

He gently laid her flat in his arms and, worried for her wellbeing, began channeling his energy to examine her condition. It took half an hour, and by the time he finished, Lin Yang was drenched in sweat, his face pale from the exertion.

Once he was certain that Cold Nini was merely overcome with grief and would not suffer lasting blindness, he was finally relieved. He lifted her in his arms—after all, as one of the victims, he still needed to go to the police station to settle the aftermath.

Fierce Tiger, ever perceptive, saw Lin Yang comforting Cold Nini and wisely ordered his men to search the villa thoroughly for any remaining criminals or bodies, given that nearly half of Cold Qing’s men had fallen to Lin Yang.

Finding nothing, and with Nini unconscious from Lin Yang’s blow, he carried her to the bedroom, laid her on the bed, and covered her before leaving the room. He joined Fierce Tiger on the second-floor sofa, noting his somber expression. With a resigned shake of his head, he sat down, pulled out two cigarettes, tossed one to Fierce Tiger, and lit the other for himself.

"I’m truly sorry about your four brothers," Lin Yang said after a deep drag, his tone sincere. He placed a bank card on the table. "There’s half a million on this card—give it to the families of the fallen. If it’s not enough, I’ll make it up in a few days."

"Where did that bastard come from?" Fierce Tiger ignored the card, his eyes nearly bloodthirsty, his voice hoarse.

Despite his efforts to suppress his rage, Fierce Tiger’s murderous intent flared—his brothers’ deaths had ignited an intense desire for revenge.

Lin Yang understood all too well—even if Cold Qing was taken into custody, with his connections, it would only be a matter of time before he was released. Lin Yang himself dared not go too far, or he would have finished him off already.

"Tiger, I promise I’ll avenge our brothers, but now isn’t the time," Lin Yang said solemnly, then explained the Cold family’s power and influence.

Reluctant as he was, the facts were clear. With only his strength in Jinhai, going up against the Cold family would be suicide. Fierce Tiger wasn’t stupid; he knew when to bide his time.

"So what do we do?" Fierce Tiger finally lit his cigarette, unable to contain his question.

"We wait. But I’ve destroyed that guy’s tendons—he’ll be bedridden for life. Consider it interest for our fallen brothers. I’ll collect the rest, one by one." Lin Yang stubbed out his cigarette, tossed it into the ashtray, and walked to the shattered window, making his promise as his eyes grew distant.

"Good. I knew I wasn’t wrong about you," Fierce Tiger said, though he had other plans in mind.

"Let’s head to the police station. Wang Ergou can’t handle this alone. The Cold family will hear about this soon. He helped us; we can’t let him take the fall." As much of a scoundrel as Wang Ergou was, he was shrewd and useful to Lin Yang, who wouldn’t let him be ruined over this.

For safety, Fierce Tiger left his men behind, all armed with silenced pistols—not those taken from Cold Qing’s men, since those would be police evidence.

After two days riding in police cars, Lin Yang found the plush Range Rover a little stifling. He had to wait at red lights and in traffic, so a half-hour drive stretched to forty-five minutes.

When they finally reached Tianchen District Police Station, the entrance was packed with luxury cars from various factions—a sight more like an auto show than a police matter. Among them was a Rolls-Royce, rare even for Lin Yang, flaunted by some show-off seeking attention.

Hurrying inside, they were greeted by a cacophony of arguments. The tension was palpable, as if the place were boiling over.

Given Lin Yang’s recent dramatic incident at the station, few officers didn’t recognize him. As soon as he entered, someone came forward to greet him.

"Mr. Lin, you’re finally here. Our chief’s at his wit’s end—a bunch of arrogant thugs are demanding he release their people," a young officer reported, adding, "The city bureau called just now. If not for the deterrence of your friends, Chief Wang would have had no choice but to obey."

"Thank you. That’s why I’m here. Please take me to your chief," Lin Yang replied warmly, clapping the officer on the shoulder—a gesture of gratitude for the young man’s sharp judgment.

With a bang, he pushed open the office door, finding a scene as chaotic as a marketplace. The shouting was deafening.

His face darkened when he recognized several of those causing the commotion—in addition to Cold Nini’s cousins, there were others he didn’t know.

"You?" Cold Wolf, Cold Qing’s younger brother, was quick to recognize Lin Yang after a moment’s eye contact.

Ironically, Cold Qing, the one who suffered so much at Lin Yang’s hands, still didn’t know who had crippled him—a bitter twist of fate.

"Cold Wolf?" Lin Yang replied coolly, eyeing the man in the expensive designer suit, whose good looks did nothing to soften his scowl.

Of all the people Lin Yang had hated as a child, Cold Qing and Cold Wolf topped the list. Deal with one, and the other would appear—fate had a sense of humor, especially with such dramatic reunions.

"Lin Yang, did you hurt my brother?" Cold Wolf barked, striding toward Lin Yang, fists clenched as if ready for a fight.

"Baseless accusations—are you brain-damaged or did a pig trample your head? Don’t you know the law requires evidence? Slander like this could land you in court," Lin Yang retorted with his trademark sharp tongue, infuriating Cold Wolf, whose eyes blazed with murderous intent.

"Slander? You bastard!" Cold Wolf erupted, his temper flaring just like his brother’s, completely disregarding the authority of the police station.

That temper was his greatest flaw—just like his self-important brother, stubborn and foul-mouthed. Knowing this well, Lin Yang deliberately provoked him, baiting him into a fury.

If he couldn’t defeat them outright, he might as well enrage them to death.