"I'm no match for you," Howard Hayes said with a bitter smile.
"So what do you plan to do?" Ian Song continued, his anger mostly spent after crippling Deputy Director Xing and venting on more than twenty enforcers.
After a brief silence, Howard Hayes said nervously, "Little brother, I'll report this to the boss and let him decide. Can you wait a moment?"
"Alright," Ian nodded, then turned to Zoey Su. "Come here."
"What do you want? I'm not afraid of you!" Zoey Su jumped, thinking Ian was about to settle scores with her, and bluffed with a raised fist.
"Relax, I'm not going to do anything to you. Just help my cousin get dressed," Ian said gently.
"Alright... fine," Zoey replied.
Knowing she was in the wrong—and worried Ian might come after her later—Zoey could only agree.
Next, Ian carried Shelly Song back into the room, dragged Deputy Director Xing out, and dumped him in the corridor, then stood guard at the door like a sentry.
Howard Hayes put away his phone and said to Ian, "I've already called the boss. He'll be here soon."
Cliff Fu, in the stone-gambling area of the resort, was a bit surprised to receive Howard Hayes’s call. He paid Howard a monthly salary of two hundred thousand yuan mainly for his late-stage Postnatal strength, but now Howard had been defeated in a single move by a young man. Cliff’s interest was piqued: could this be the direct heir of a martial family or sect visiting his resort? If so, he ought to make connections.
He beckoned to two middle-aged men nearby.
Seeing his gesture, the two men quickly walked up and said respectfully, "Young Master, what are your orders?"
"Uncle Yong, Uncle Li, there’s trouble in the lodging area. Come with me," Cliff Fu said with a smile.
"Yes, Young Master."
The two middle-aged men nodded.
Just then, a striking woman in a dark blue tracksuit, radiating heroic energy, walked up with a smile. "Cliff, where are you headed?" she asked.
"There’s a situation in the lodging area. I’m going to handle it," Cliff Fu replied with a smile.
"Oh? Something serious enough that the boss himself has to step in? Your men must be pretty useless," Helen teased, half-joking.
Suddenly, Cliff had an idea. Although Helen was a woman, she was the strongest of the younger generation in the Hai Family. If he brought her along, she might help gauge the young man's true strength.
He replied, "It’s not that my men are useless—there’s just a young expert here. Even Howard Hayes couldn’t withstand a single move."
"Howard Hayes couldn’t take one move? Are you kidding me?" Helen Hai looked genuinely shocked, then quickly grew intrigued.
"That’s what Howard reported, and I trust he wouldn’t lie to me," Cliff Fu said with a smile.
"In that case, I’d like to see this so-called young expert for myself."
………
In room 303 of the lodging area, Shelly Song’s voice came from inside: "Brother, can you come in for a moment?"
"I’ll be right there." Ian Song glanced calmly at Howard Hayes, then turned and entered the room.
"Xiaoxue, are you alright?" Ian looked Shelly over; aside from her pale face, she seemed mostly fine.
"Brother, I’m fine. It’s all my fault for not listening to you and trusting that scumbag!" Shelly said, lowering her head in guilt. If she’d listened to Ian and not believed Deputy Director Xing’s lies, none of this would have happened.
"Silly girl, as long as you’re safe, how could I ever blame you?" Ian reached out and gently patted Shelly’s head.
"Thank you, brother," Shelly said gratefully, though her face soon filled with worry. She’d already woken up while Zoey Su was helping her get dressed, and since she knew Zoey, Zoey had given her an embellished account of everything that just happened.
Shelly was deeply moved—her brother had risked storming Redleaf Resort for her sake. She’d heard of the resort before, and had even visited once with Fiona Xiang, who told her it was owned by the eldest young master of the Fu Family.
The Fu Family was famous throughout Tianhe State. Though not quite as powerful as the Nangong Family, they weren’t far behind.
Now, with her brother forcing his way into Redleaf Resort, he was bound to offend the Fu Family.
Sensing the worry in Shelly’s eyes, Ian comforted her: "Don’t worry, Xiaoxue. We’ll be fine!"
"Mm."
The siblings chatted for a while longer, then footsteps sounded in the corridor. Ian was about to head out when Shelly stopped him: "Brother, be careful. The owner of Redleaf Resort is Cliff Fu, eldest young master of the Fu Family. Fiona told me their strength is just a notch below the Nangongs."
Ian’s heart sank at her words. The Nangong problem wasn’t solved yet, and now the Fu Family had appeared. Still, he put on a carefree front to avoid worrying Shelly. "Don’t worry, I can handle it," he said.
Ian then stepped out into the corridor. His gaze landed on a young man in brown casual wear, about thirty, with a dignified appearance and a steady aura. Beside him stood a short-haired woman in a dark blue tracksuit—judging by Ian’s eyes, she was no ordinary person, likely a martial artist. The two middle-aged men behind them also seemed formidable, probably skilled fighters as well.
"I’m Cliff Fu, owner of Redleaf Resort. May I ask your name, young man?" Cliff Fu smiled at Ian. He’d heard Ian was young from Howard Hayes, but seeing him in person was still a surprise.
To defeat Howard Hayes in a single move—something even most Postnatal-Perfection martial artists couldn’t do—meant that a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old at Postnatal Perfection was absolutely worth recruiting.
"Hello, Mr. Fu. I’m Ian Song," Ian replied calmly.
"Did you really beat Howard Hayes in one move?" Helen Hai interjected, eyeing Ian with keen interest.
"Miss Hai, I wouldn’t joke about something like that. Mr. Song is truly impressive—if he hadn’t held back, I might not even be standing here talking to you," Howard Hayes explained from the side.
Helen Hai’s eyes lit up at Howard’s words. She looked at Ian with curiosity. "Are you really a Postnatal-Perfection martial artist?"
"Something like that," Ian said in a low voice. Unsure if they were friend or foe, he decided to keep some things to himself.
"To reach Postnatal Perfection at such a young age—amazing! Let me test you." As soon as she finished speaking, Helen Hai stepped forward, closing the distance in a few strides and slicing a probing palm toward Ian’s shoulder.