The man stood there, not even glancing at Evan Lin who was seated nearby, and spoke slowly: "It's getting late. Don't keep hanging around with unsavory people. I'll take you home—your mother is getting worried."
"No need, you go ahead and leave first."
Rachel Liu shook her head slightly, looking at the newcomer with a complicated expression in her eyes.
"I know I hurt you deeply before, but this time I promise none of that will ever happen again. Now I have the ability to take responsibility for our future together."
Caleb Li looked at Rachel Liu, his words steady and resolute, each one full of conviction.
The women nearby felt their hearts skip a beat at Caleb Li's words.
"I wish someone would say that to me!"
"Is this a confession? So romantic! I’m so jealous of that girl."
"He drives a luxury car and looks so handsome. Honestly, he and that girl really do make a perfect couple."
All eyes in the crowd turned to the man who had just arrived.
Evan Lin took a bite of his skewer, glanced at the man standing there, and said, "I’ll count to three. Either you leave, or I’ll make you leave."
"You’re the Evan Lin that Rachel mentioned before?"
Hearing Evan Lin’s words, the man finally turned his head, his gaze icy. "I’m Caleb Li. From now on, stay away from Rachel, or don’t blame me for being rude."
"Caleb Li?"
"He said he’s Caleb Li?"
"Oh my god, isn’t that the Li family’s young master who was just in the news a few days ago? The Li family—the richest clan in River City!"
Someone in the crowd caught on, and their eyes grew even brighter as they looked at Caleb Li.
The Li family holds immense status in River City, owning two listed companies and assets worth billions. Calling them the city’s wealthiest is no exaggeration.
"Three."
Evan Lin switched to a new skewer, tossed the used stick onto the table, yawned, and coolly spat out a single word.
Seeing that Evan Lin didn’t take him seriously at all, Caleb Li’s gaze darkened sharply. "I know you’re good at fighting, Evan Lin, but no matter how strong you are, this world still runs on money. Even if I refuse to leave, do you dare lay a finger on me?"
"Two."
Evan Lin took two napkins from the dispenser and calmly wiped his fingers, his tone indifferent and unmoved.
"Since you insist on being stubborn, let’s see just how tough you really are."
Caleb Li’s eyes went fully cold and vicious as he glared at Evan Lin. He clenched his fists, shifting his stance, and in an instant his aura changed from aristocrat to battle-hardened warrior.
Especially in Caleb Li’s eyes, a hint of dark blood-red flashed through his pupils.
"Hmm?"
Evan Lin raised an eyebrow, sensing something unusual. He glanced at Caleb Li, eyes amused. "Tsk, you’re a bit more interesting than I thought."
"Enough talk. I want to see just how tough you really are—the guy Rachel thinks is a fighter!"
Caleb Li’s expression hardened. With a furious shout, he lifted his leg for a sweeping kick.
His sweeping kick was lightning-fast, slicing through the air with a cold wind. The air itself seemed to whistle, as if being split apart.
"Stop!"
Rachel Liu’s face changed when she saw what was happening.
She wanted to stop the two, but it was already too late.
Her heart skipped a beat.
Evan Lin remained indifferent, placing the napkin he’d just used on the table. Facing Caleb Li’s sweeping kick, he simply raised his arm.
The ferocious kick smashed into Evan Lin’s wrist, but the speed instantly dropped to zero—the whole scene seemed to freeze.
"With just that much strength, you think you can act tough in front of me?"
Evan Lin sneered, his dark eyes coldly fixed on Caleb Li.
Caleb Li’s whole body trembled as he roared, "Die!"
He abruptly retracted his right leg, then lunged forward with both hands, trying to grab Evan Lin’s head and follow up with a left knee strike.
But Evan Lin, who hadn’t moved at all until now, slowly extended one finger. It looked leisurely, but in the next instant, that finger was already pressed against Caleb Li’s chest.
"Break."
Evan Lin spat out the word icily.
Caleb Li froze for a moment, eyes wide, as crisp crackling sounds echoed from inside his body. He was blasted backward, crashing into the parked Maserati and coughing up blood.
"Canghai!"
Seeing this, Rachel Liu’s face changed as she jumped up from her seat and hurried over.
The Li and Liu families are closely tied; it’s fair to say the Liu family only got this far thanks to the Li family’s support.
Seeing Caleb Li sent flying by Evan Lin’s single finger, Rachel Liu rushed over.
The crowd, who had been waiting for a show, froze at the scene. They forgot to eat their skewers, staring at Evan Lin and swallowing nervously. "What just happened?"
"Did he just send Caleb Li flying with a single finger?"
"Damn, it feels like a dream. I still don’t know how those other guys got sent flying earlier."
"Caleb Li looks impressive, but maybe he’s just as useless in bed."
The diners now looked at Evan Lin with awe in their eyes.
Most of the men had wanted to beat up the showy Caleb Li themselves but never had the chance. Now, seeing Evan Lin do it, they couldn’t help but give him a mental thumbs-up.
Rachel Liu supported Caleb Li, who was slumped against the Maserati. Caleb spat blood, gritting his teeth as he glared at Evan Lin at the barbecue stall.
The barbecue stall owner’s face turned pale and bitter. He was just trying to make a living and never wanted this kind of trouble.
Now that the Li family’s young master had been beaten up here, how was he supposed to keep running his business?
"Here, take the money. No need for change—I broke a few of your things. Sorry about that."
Seeing Evan Lin walking toward him, the barbecue stall owner broke out in a cold sweat, thinking he was about to get beaten too. He started to force a flattering smile, ready to beg for a free meal to avoid trouble.
As a small business owner, he was always the weakest in these situations. He never expected Evan Lin to suddenly pull out a wad of cash from his pocket and place it in his hand.
The barbecue stall owner was stunned by the gesture.
"Thank you, thank you!"
Staring at the money in his hand, the owner kept thanking Evan Lin, his face flushed with excitement and his hand trembling.
It wasn’t just about the money; more importantly, the owner felt that this young man actually treated him like a person.
"No need to thank me. You earned it."
Evan Lin smiled, a skewer in his mouth, and strolled over toward Caleb Li.
"Caleb Li, huh? That’s quite a grand name. Looking at you, you’re barely more than a ditch." Evan Lin glanced at the defeated Caleb Li, his eyes indifferent.