Chapter 121: An Unexpected Event

After learning the location of the startup park from his secretary, Zhao Fan immediately called Chen Jianyu and asked him to bring some people to follow him there.

Half an hour later, Zhao Fan arrived at the startup park in North City, carrying a cake he had bought.

No sooner had he arrived than he received a call from Yang Yuqing.

“Zhao Fan, have you arrived?” Yang Yuqing’s voice was steady, betraying no emotion.

Zhao Fan glanced at the cake in his hands. “I’m here. Where should I deliver this?”

“Just stand by the entrance. Someone will come to get it,” she replied.

Zhao Fan narrowed his eyes. On the way here, he had suspected Yang Yuqing was being controlled by someone, but hearing her calm tone now made him wonder if she was actually fine.

A few minutes later, Zhao Fan saw a woman in high heels appear. She was holding a towel over her face, glancing around furtively as if she were doing something secretive.

“Are you Zhao Fan?” she asked.

Zhao Fan nodded slightly. “Yes.”

“Follow me,” she said.

Zhao Fan looked at the cake in his hands, abandoned the idea of handing it over, and followed the woman.

“I’m Yuqing’s close friend, Du Xinyan,” the woman introduced herself.

“Hello,” Zhao Fan greeted her plainly. “Zhao Fan.”

“I know about you. Yuqing often speaks of you. You’re impressive—sharp and decisive,” Du Xinyan praised.

“Thanks for the compliment. Just luck, really,” Zhao Fan replied modestly.

As they walked deeper into the startup park, Du Xinyan suddenly stopped.

“This is where it ends for you,” she said.

“What?” Zhao Fan asked.

“I mean, this is where I deal with you,” she said with a sly smile.

“Deal with me?” Zhao Fan wasn’t surprised by her words; in fact, he felt a sense of inevitability. Something had been off from the start.

“How exactly do you plan to deal with me?”

Du Xinyan’s eyes curved into a smile. “I’m a very law-abiding person.”

Zhao Fan nodded. “And?”

“So I don’t break the law. But… sometimes when I get angry, I like to teach people a lesson.”

Zhao Fan chuckled. The “someone” she meant was obviously him.

“Where is Yang Yuqing?”

“Relax. She’s the heiress of the Yang family. I wouldn’t dare offend them just to teach you a lesson.”

As Du Xinyan’s words fell, people began to gather around intermittently. Each was tall, muscular, and imposing.

Zhao Fan withdrew his gaze and smiled lightly. “I appreciate your confidence, but who’s going to teach whom a lesson today is still up in the air.”

He took a few steps back, placed the cake on the ground, and slowly rolled up his sleeves.

“Everyone you brought is here?”

He counted eight men in his line of sight.

Du Xinyan frowned slightly. “That’s right. You think you can take on the people I’ve brought?”

One person? What a joke.

Zhao Fan sighed. “Do I look like a fool? Why hide? Come on out.”

Chen Jianyu and his men jumped out, forming a new circle around them.

“Heh heh, little beauty, looks like it’s your turn to be taught a lesson,” Chen Jianyu said, having summoned every capable fighter—over twenty in total.

Facing them, Du Xinyan’s eyes flickered with momentary panic but quickly steadied.

“Fighting isn’t about numbers. Attack!” she commanded.

Before she could finish, Zhao Fan grabbed her by the neck.

Her startled cry alerted the men she had brought.

“Let her go.”

“The young lady of the Du family from Jingdu is not someone you can touch. Release her at once.”

Zhao Fan said nothing but was surprised by what he heard.

“Wait, you said she’s from Jingdu?”

The Du family of Jingdu?

From the tone and the name, the Du family of Jingdu seemed to be a powerful clan.

But no matter how hard Zhao Fan searched his memory, he couldn’t recall any impression of them.

Perhaps it was natural—his previous life was spent toiling under Wang Ying’s family, focusing solely on hard work, with little knowledge of the influential families outside Yang City.

The men exchanged glances, apparently thinking Zhao Fan was intimidated by the reputation. Relief flickered across their faces.

If he was shaken, the matter would be easier to handle.

The man who had earlier revealed Du Xinyan’s background spoke up: “The Du family of Jingdu is one of the three great clans. If you don’t want trouble, you’d better release her now.”

Zhao Fan scoffed. “One should know their limits. Those who know it’s about this woman’s background, and those who don’t might think you’re talking about yourself. You almost scared me to death.”

His expression suddenly darkened.

“Fight!”

At that command, Chen Jianyu and the others charged forward with shouts, ready to battle.

The opposing side hadn’t expected Zhao Fan to start fighting so abruptly and were caught off guard.

The eight tall, burly men were quickly pinned to the ground after just a few exchanges.

Chen Jianyu clicked his tongue. “They look tough, but that’s all show?”

Zhao Fan was speechless.

They were certainly intimidating in appearance, but that was all smoke and mirrors.

“I’m asking, Miss Du, where is Yang Yuqing?”

Fear flickered across Du Xinyan’s face. “I—I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?” Zhao Fan laughed angrily. “She called me, and you were right there, and now you say you don’t know where she is? Miss Du, if you’re going to lie, at least make it believable.”

He tightened his grip on her hand, slowly applying pressure. Forget about not hurting a woman—a stranger or a familiar one, anyone would make a choice.

“I’m not very patient. If you don’t cooperate, don’t blame me for using force.”

“I—I really don’t know. Before coming here, Bai Yu took her away. He said Yang Yuqing set her sights on you, even willing to betray their relationship, and wanted to do… ah!”

Zhao Fan threw Du Xinyan to the ground, towering over her with a cold gaze.

“You’d better hope nothing happens to Yang Yuqing. Chen Jianyu, watch her closely.”

“Got it,” Chen Jianyu replied and ran over to lift Du Xinyan up, sighing.

“I’m telling you, you’re a pretty girl. Why meddle in someone else’s love affairs? Don’t you know that love is the easiest thing to misunderstand and cause trouble?”

Du Xinyan rubbed her bruised hand. “I, I just…”

“Stupidity isn’t scary; the scary thing is having no sense of boundaries.”

While Chen Jianyu scolded Du Xinyan, Zhao Fan called his company to inquire about the Yang family’s contact information.

After some effort, he finally reached Yang Tiancheng.

“Your daughter was taken away by Bai Yu,” Zhao Fan said, stunning Yang Tiancheng before he could speak.

“When did this happen?”

“About an hour ago.”

“Understood.”

The call ended.

Zhao Fan looked at the call screen and smiled faintly. With Yang Tiancheng investigating, this matter would likely be resolved smoothly.

“Chen Jianyu, take everyone to the Yang family and hand them over personally.”