Chapter 49: Contradictions Deepen

  Zhao Heng thought to himself that besides studying and improving at Huahai University, his most important goal was to take down the strategic location of Huahai, using it as a springboard to enter the vision of the four major families. To take down Huahai, he couldn't avoid cultivating his own power. Being a lone hero was easy, but conquering the world was purely a fantasy.

  Taking tonight as an example, although he single-handedly knocked down over a hundred Qing Bang disciples, it was no big deal for Zhang Xiao Lin. As long as he wanted to, he could simply crook his finger and summon hundreds or thousands of people to surround and kill him, until the Qing Bang regained its face. This is the advantage of being in a superior position, where problems can be solved without having to get personally involved.

  So Zhao Heng had the idea of developing together in a group.

  If it were someone else, Zhao Heng would not have considered it, but Song Qingguan had already been involved in the Jianghu grudges due to the Song family's property. If he didn't protect him, Song Qingguan would surely end up dead on the streets one day. So it was better to support the declining Song family and give himself a foundation. As for Qiao Baozi, Zhao Heng had long known that this was an unyielding master.

  Even if he doesn't bring it himself, Fatso will still mess around on his own, so it's better to gather him by your side and make the most of his potential.

  "Great!"

  Qiao Pangzi and Song Qingguan almost simultaneously drank, with the same excitement on their faces. Qiao Pangzi loudly said: "From now on, we will live and die together, share wealth and poverty, and choose a beautiful garden to make a vow of brotherhood, swearing to share joys and sorrows, difficulties and hardships, and good fortune."

  Song Qingguan cut in impatiently: "The Peach Garden Oath, why make it so complicated?"

  Qiao Pangzi jumped off the iron bed: "Right, sworn brothers, Heng Ge, how is it?"

  Although Zhao Heng wasn't very interested in these formalities, he also knew that this would put people's minds at ease and prevent the two of them from thinking they had abandoned him. So he sat up as well: "Alright, I'll join you in this oath of brotherhood. From now on, we'll share life and death together. In this society, unity is what gives us strength to stand firm."

  "Absolutely right!"

  Qiao Baozi quickly became busy, soon finding a bread that was about to expire and running next door to find birthday candles. After lighting them with a pop, he smiled at Zhao Heng: "In the middle of the night, there's not much to be found, fortunately form doesn't matter, what's important is that we brothers are united in heart, our friendship can cut through gold."

  Song Qingyuan also slid down from the bed and stood in front of the two: "Let's go!"

  The three of them quickly pulled over a table and were about to kneel down together when Zhao Heng suddenly thought of something. He turned his head to look at the two of them and added, "Right, this sworn brotherhood still needs to include one more person, Lu Meng, my good brother who has grown up with me since childhood. If I don't count him in, I will feel somewhat uneasy."

  "Lu Meng?"

  Qiao Pangzi was taken aback for a moment before bursting into laughter, rubbing his large head and saying: "Is this how you want to be sworn brothers? Alright, whatever the boss says goes! If someone can make the boss look up to them, they must be a dragon among men, with unlimited prospects. It's an honor for me to be sworn brothers with such a person!"

  Song Qingguan naturally had no problem either.

  Three candles lit up quickly, the dormitory brightened up, and three people recited in unison: "Zhao Heng, Qiao Yuncai, Song Qingguan, Lu Meng, share hardships together, enjoy blessings together, do not seek to be born on the same year, month, and day, only wish to die on the same year, month, and day, Heaven and Earth witness this heart, betraying righteousness and forgetting kindness will be punished by heaven and man."

  After the division, four people quickly lined up in order: Zhao Heng as the eldest, Baozi as the second, Song Qingguan as the third, and Lu Meng naturally became the fourth. Qiao Baozi exaggeratedly hugged Zhao Heng on the spot, making a show of crying and wailing: "Big brother!" Then he hugged Song Qingguan again: "Third brother! We've finally found each other after being separated for so many years."

  The next second, Qiao Baozi was scolded by Zhao Heng and Song Qingguan!

  As the three of them calmed down and fell asleep again, Zhao Heng gazed at the ceiling and let out a quiet sigh: no matter what, he had taken the first step in conquering Huahai. Qiao Baozi and Song Qingguan would definitely become great talents. But just as he was about to close his eyes, Zhao Heng thought of another question: "Baozi, what's going on with your chess game? Tell me the truth!"

  Qiao Pangzi suddenly made a snoring sound, making people feel like they had been asleep for a long time. Song Qingguan didn't hesitate to burst out: "Pangzi spent 200 yuan installing a popular chess software on his phone, and when he played against others on the computer, he would transfer it to his phone. Following the phone's prompts, he would defeat his opponents without leaving any room for doubt, achieving his plan to pick up girls."

  "Unfortunately, I met Zhao Siqing and saw through his true face at once."

  Qiao Baozi shouted: "Officer, don't take him away!"

  Zhao Heng's face turned gloomy and he lost his smile: "Bastard... Tomorrow, you'll be punished by being made to cook meals..."

  Although Zhao Heng scolded Qiao Yuncai with a smile, he had other thoughts in his heart: he absolutely did not believe that Qiao Yuncai cheated.

  The next evening, Zhao Heng, who had been lying in bed for a day, was preparing to go downstairs to the cafeteria to eat. Qiao Song and the others tried to persuade him not to go, but he wouldn't listen, so they could only follow him. As soon as the three of them walked out onto the campus road, they ran into Ding Lingling and her group returning from class. When she saw Zhao Heng, her face was filled with shock, as if she had seen a ghost in broad daylight. Gou Hong's mouth hung open:

  "You... you're back?"

  "Didn't Qingbang want your life last night?"

  In his imagination, Zhao Heng would have been crippled even if he hadn't died, how could he be so intact?

  "What? You wish I were dead?"

  Looking at Tu Honggang, who still hasn't figured out the truth about the bar and probably never will, Zhao Heng sneers: "Unfortunately, I've disappointed you. I, Zhao Heng, don't want to die, and no one can take my life. Also, please pass on a message to Officer Zhao for me - I'll remember her fainting last night, and I'm truly disappointed in her."

  Qiao Pangzi also snorted: "Want Brother Heng to die? Next life."

  Song Qingguan was also staring at Tu Honggang, thinking about when he would slap him two big slaps.

  Ding Ling stared at Zhao Heng, muttering to herself: "How is it possible? How can he come out unscathed?" To think that last night, the Qing Bang had at least a hundred members, all of whom were armed with machetes, and among them were five skilled fighters. With so many people, they couldn't even kill a tiger, let alone someone as seemingly weak as Zhao Heng?

  They escorted Zhao Siqing out of the bar last night, and to avoid Zhao Siqing rushing back to the bar to stop the incident, Ding Lingling directly sent her to the door of her home ten kilometers away. Later, because of Du Ziyuan's phone call, she went to the Du family, so she didn't have a chance to investigate the bar incident, nor did she know about Zhao Heng's reversal.

  Moreover, in her subconscious mind, Zhao Heng was bound to die, but unexpectedly this bastard was still alive and well. Ding Lingling glanced at Zhao Heng from head to toe, but didn't see any missing parts on him. She couldn't help but mutter that Qing Bangtai was incompetent, as so many people hadn't managed to cripple Zhao Heng. This also made her curious about what had happened last night.

  "Let's eat!"

  Zhao Heng ignored the group of young masters and misses, leading the two people directly through the middle of Ding Lingling's group. Tu Honggang had already finished a phone call and obtained some not-too-accurate information: "This kid is lucky, Zhao Siqing last night after parting ways with us, turned around and brought more than ten police officers to the bar to rescue someone."

  "Zhao Heng was thus able to save his life."

  Ding Ling's expression softened, and she couldn't help but regret not keeping an eye on Zhao Siqing last night: "Siqing sister is really something, she could have just gotten drunk until this morning, what was the point of making a U-turn to save Zhao Heng? Not only did it make Zhao Heng uncomfortable in front of me, but she would also offend Qing Bang because of it."

  She had already offended Qing Bang, and was sent out to study early in the morning. It would take a month or so for her to return to Huahai. My uncle said that if it weren't for Zhao Siqing's relationship with Du Furen, Qing Bang would have probably killed her by now. They didn't touch her purely to give face to the Du family.

  Ding Lingling shook her head, a hint of an arc at the corner of her mouth: "Sister Siqing is really self-inflicted, if she had just pretended to be drunk and slept until dawn, nothing would have happened?" She and Tu Honggang didn't investigate the truth about the bar incident either, they simply thought Zhao Siqing saved Zhao Heng. With their level of understanding, how could they think that it was Zhao Heng who single-handedly killed his way out?

  "She sighed and said: 'Zhao Heng... what a pity.'"

  "It doesn't matter, there will be plenty of opportunities."

  Hong Gang's eyes sparkled with fighting spirit, his fists clenched involuntarily: "He can't be lucky every time." Then he thought of an important question and said: "Right, Lingling, next weekend each association will recruit members. If you want to match Du Ziyuan and Ding Sanshao, you can guide Du Ziyuan to join Ding Sanshao's Taekwondo club."

  "By increasing their chances of getting together, they can develop feelings for each other over time."

  Ding Ling's eyes lit up: "Brilliant plan!"