Chapter 153: Playing Dirty with Sneak Attacks

Chapter (1/3) Long Fei clapped his hands first, followed by Gouzi and Tieniu, and then by Yang Batian and Wen Hua. On the opposite side, Bai Yaowu and his two companions remained completely expressionless, watching Long Fei entirely like spectators, as if this whole matter had nothing to do with them whatsoever. It was as though Huang Tang's humiliation was of no consequence to them.

Huang Tang felt more bitter than coptis roots, yet he had no choice but to take another shot, conceding another 40 points. His score now stood at 100 points—negative 100 points, of course.

"Hey, right, pretty boy, what's his name?" Long Fei stood up, walked over to Huang Tang, and asked Bai Yaowu with a smile.

Just as he had done with Yang Batian, Long Fei had given Bai Yaowu a nickname.

A peculiar glint flashed in Bai Yaowu's eyes. As if cooperating with Long Fei, he answered, "Huang Tang."

"Yellow Weasel?" Long Fei turned to the pale-faced Huang Tang and smiled. "That's quite a unique name you've got. If your last name were White, wouldn't you have to name yourself Turncoat?" Long Fei intentionally glanced at Bai Yaowu, clearly directing those words at him.

"My name is Huang Tang," Huang Tang had to explain.

"Oh, Huang Tang, is it? Remember this—are you still not going to admit defeat?" Long Fei chuckled coldly.

Huang Tang remained silent, though he felt profoundly wronged and aggrieved.

Seeing that Huang Tang didn't reply and knowing what was on his mind, Long Fei said, "I know you must be unconvinced. Come to think of it, you haven't even had a chance to pot a ball. But isn't snooker played this way? I didn't break any rules, haha. Alright, to make you concede wholeheartedly, let me demonstrate how this kind of shot should be played. If I can not only clear this difficult layout but also pot a ball, will you finally admit defeat?"

Upon hearing this, a glimmer of hope rekindled in Huang Tang's heart. It wasn't that he looked down on Long Fei's billiard skills; rather, he genuinely believed this layout was completely unsolvable. Even if Long Fei was skilled at positioning, escaping this layout while still managing to pot a red ball bordered on the impossible. Without hesitation, Huang Tang agreed, "Fine, it's a deal!"

"Then just watch and learn!" Long Fei rested his cue on his shoulder and walked over to the cue ball.

He suddenly recalled a movie starring Stephen Chow. In that film, there seemed to be a scene where the protagonist leaped high into the air, using the tip of his cue to smash an unhittable cue ball into an arc before potting it. Long Fei smiled inwardly. Of course, he didn't need to make such an exaggerated leap, but he had already basically mastered how to use internal energy to control the trajectory of the cue ball.

Glancing at Yang Batian, who was watching the fun from the sidelines, Long Fei felt a sense of gratitude toward him. If Yang Batian hadn't previously beaten him five games in a row, Long Fei would never have tried using internal energy to control the balls. Moreover, as if possessed by extreme talent, Long Fei had mastered this unbelievable ball-control technique—which others could only dream of—in a very short span of time.

It was precisely because Long Fei had learned to control billiards with internal energy that he dared to boast about challenging Huang Tang and humiliating him in such an arrogant fashion.

Silently circulating a surge of internal energy into the cue, Long Fei bent over. His posture still looked entirely unprofessional, but in everyone's eyes, no matter how poor his stance was, his current presence carried a tremendous shockwave. His previous performance had been so jaw-dropping that they couldn't help but feel a deep sense of respect. Therefore, even though Long Fei was once again acting remarkably domineering about clearing the table, no one dared to underestimate him anymore. Even with lingering doubts in their hearts, they still felt it wasn't entirely impossible for him to pull it off.

Thud.

Following a crisp sound, the cue ball spun within an extremely tight radius, then rebounded toward the left rail at an uncanny angle. After a series of consecutive collisions, it miraculously bypassed every single color ball on the table, struck the red ball near the bottom-right pocket, and watched as the red ball smoothly dropped into the pocket. The cue ball then rolled a short distance further, obediently stopping just a short distance away from the seven-point spot—from this angle, the black ball could be potted perfectly.

There was no thunderous applause, but everyone couldn't help silently praising him in their hearts while staring wide-eyed at Long Fei. Ye Qian murmured, "So handsome!"

Yang Batian similarly whispered, "A genius, a genius among geniuses!"

Long Fei looked around. Aside from Bai Yaowu, whose expression showed no major shock, everyone stared at him in astonishment as if encountering a monster.

Extremely satisfied with the atmosphere he had created, Long Fei finally broke the silence and smiled at the stunned Huang Tang, "Yellow Weasel, well? Do you submit?"

"I—" What could Huang Tang, having finally regained his senses, possibly say? Yet if he truly conceded defeat, he feared Bai Yaowu's displeasure, making him quite hesitant. On the other hand, refusing to yield would make him look utterly shameless.

"Huang Tang, since you've lost, just admit defeat. There's no need to continue playing; he's clearly superior to you." Bai Yaowu stood up, walked toward Long Fei accompanied by Wang Ji and Liu Xianrong, a faint smile playing on the corner of his lips.

Ye Qian hurriedly pulled Gouzi and Tieniu to stand behind Long Fei, creating a standoff between the two factions. Only Yang Batian and Wen Hua didn't crowd over to watch the spectacle. A strange glint flashed in Yang Batian's eyes, while Wen Hua maintained his usual unperturbed demeanor. However, he kept a constant watch on Yang Batian's expressions, though after observing for a long time, he couldn't read anything from them. No matter how calm Yang Batian acted, Wen Hua knew very well that Yang Batian was far from being mere acquaintances with Long Fei as he claimed. According to intelligence from Tianhai, Yang Batian had dined and drank with Long Fei and Chen Xin, and had even gotten into a violent confrontation with Ding Lifeng precisely because of Long Fei.

In truth, Wen Hua and Yang Batian belonged to the exact same category of people. They played the game of politics with effortless mastery, avoiding faction-building in ordinary times, refusing to attach themselves to any single faction, and excelling at concealing their ambitions. The only difference lay in their chosen methods: Yang Batian maintained a low profile while keeping a high profile, whereas Wen Hua lurked entirely within obscurity. From this perspective, however, Yang Batian held a slight upper hand. As the saying goes, true hermits hide in the city, while lesser ones hide in the mountains; by this measure, Yang Batian was undoubtedly a master of concealment.

Long Fei shook his head and stared at Huang Tang. The latter, feeling thoroughly convinced yet still somewhat reluctant, said to Long Fei, "Fine, I admit defeat."

"What's the use of telling me? Do you still remember our wager? You need to greet your Master Dog properly." Long Fei pointed at Gouzi. Although Gouzi was the shortest of the group, he stared at Huang Tang with a slouched, devil-may-care posture. Still dressed in a floral-print shirt that gave him a somewhat feminine vibe, Gouzi looked at Huang Tang with a lustful glint in his eyes, causing Huang Tang to instinctively step backward, suspecting Gouzi harbored unconventional tendencies.

Chapter (1/3)

Chapter (2/3)

Huang Tang's guess was actually spot on; Gouzi indeed possessed certain rather unpleasant hobbies—such as using rather intimate methods to torture men. When capturing an adversary he particularly disliked, his favorite pastime was putting on a show. What kind of show? Playing the chrysanthemum, of course! You don't understand that? Then do you know what a chrysanthemum refers to? Still don't get it? Then I can only congratulate you on being thoroughly outdated.

Huang Tang's complexion turned exceptionally pale. He looked toward Bai Yaowu, a trace of defiance in his eyes. What depressed him, however, was that Bai Yaowu completely ignored his gaze, turning a blind eye to his plight. In truth, Bai Yaowu was clearly communicating his stance to Huang Tang: he could only stand idly by this time, summed up in four words—powerless to help.

"Long Fei, leave a way out in everything you do so we can still be on good terms in the future. I've already admitted defeat; why must you push me into a corner?" Huang Tang said with great difficulty. He had never been driven to such a desperate pass by anyone before.

With a wicked smile, Long Fei retorted, "Oh, right, I almost forgot you're backed by the Bai family. Ah, should I give you some face?"

Though furious, Huang Tang had no rebuttal. Seeing Long Fei's expression, he genuinely hoped Long Fei would let him off the hook or at least grant him some dignity. After apologizing, if he truly had to address that wretched-looking Gouzi as "Master," his reputation would be completely ruined.

"What a pity!" Long Fei thought for a moment before smiling. "Pity that I really don't want to leave any way out. When I do things, I always go ten parts out of ten rather than eight. What's the use of leaving a margin? Good terms? Even if we cross paths again, I'll treat you the same way! Hurry up and call him. If you don't, I can't guarantee whether my brother here will treat you politely!"

Huang Tang was so angry he nearly vomited blood; Long Fei was truly pushing people past their limits.

Glancing at Bai Yaowu, Huang Tang prepared to resist to the bitter end.

"Forget it, Long Fei. Let's just let this matter pass, how about that?" Bai Yaowu finally decided to grant Huang Tang a shred of dignity. Considering he might still need Huang Tang's help in the future, he had no choice but to step in and defuse the situation.

"No way! Unless you can beat me in a game." Long Fei refused to give Bai Yaowu any face at all. If Bai Yaowu had remained silent, Long Fei wouldn't have been annoyed; but the moment Bai Yaowu spoke up, Long Fei genuinely grew irritated. He had no intention of pandering to this pretty boy who wanted to poach his people.

"At billiards, I am no match for you, and I concede. But can we switch to a different method for another match?" A thought flickered through Bai Yaowu's mind.

Long Fei paused. "Let's hear it. If I find it interesting, perhaps I'll play a round with you."

"I want to fight you!" Bai Yaowu locked eyes with Long Fei, a fierce heat burning in his gaze.

Long Fei looked Bai Yaowu up and down, then chuckled, "You mean a fistfight?"

Bai Yaowu nodded.

"Very well. Only, my strikes tend to be heavy. I'm afraid if I injure you and alarm the old man in your family, I won't be able to handle the fallout," Long Fei deliberately mocked.

"This is a matter between the two of us, unrelated to anyone else. It's a pure sparring match. If you manage to hurt me, I won't have a single complaint, and so many people here can bear witness," Bai Yaowu said solemnly.

Upon hearing the word "fight," Yang Batian instantly perked up. He hurried over with Wen Hua and laughed heartily, "Little Bai, you really want to fight Long Fei? Excellent, excellent! I've been dying to watch you two brawl. How about this—I'll act as the referee, what do you say?"
Yang Batian no longer called Bai Yaowu "Pretty Boy," though he had merely shortened it by one character: "Xiao Bai" (Little Bai), one of the hottest buzzwords on the internet, which Yang Batian felt fit the occasion perfectly.

"Very well. Having Young Master Yang as referee couldn't be better. However, win or lose, I don't want outsiders to find out about today's fight," Bai Yaowu said coldly, sweeping a heavy warning glance across the surrounding crowd.

This time, Long Fei didn't argue with him, instead nodding with a smile. "Good, I was thinking the same thing. Let's find a place and have a go. If you lose, that fellow surnamed Huang won't be allowed to back out of his promise later. Let me make this clear beforehand: my brother here has some rather special tastes. If you refuse to call him master later tonight, I can only let him graciously invite you to rest at our quarters for the evening. Hehe, though I can't guarantee your safety, nor whether you'll suffer any... intimate violations."

Ye Qian's face flushed red. She glanced at Gouzi and, the more she looked, the more he resembled a pervert. Feeling a chill run down her spine, she hurriedly huddled closer to Tieniu.

"Huang Tang, if I happen to lose later, I can only wrong you today. You don't have any objections, do you?" Bai Yaowu gave Huang Tang a heads-up.

What could Huang Tang say? He could only wipe away cold sweat and nod in agreement. After all, Bai Yaowu was standing up for him; what more could he dare to奢求?

The club featured a professional boxing ring located in the basement. Bai Yaowu led his three companions into the elevator first, while Yang Batian and Wen Hua followed suit, leaving Long Fei and his crew to take another car.

Hearing that a martial arts duel was about to take place, Ye Qian instantly grew excited and urged Long Fei, "Long Fei, teach him a good lesson later! Make sure you beat him until his teeth are scattered all over the floor."

Giving Ye Qian a peculiar look, Long Fei chuckled, "It seems the old saying 'the most venomous heart belongs to a woman' is truly accurate. I don't get it—isn't he your fiancé? Why are you so eager to see him destroyed? Do you really want me to cripple him or turn him into a eunuch?"

"It's one thing when others say it, but you're saying it too? Long Fei, do you have any conscience left? Wasn't I doing this for you?" Ye Qian protested coquettishly.

Chapter (2/3)

Chapter (3/3)

"But he has no grievances with you, and he likes you so much." Long Fei genuinely felt a bit of pity for Bai Yaowu—madly falling in love with a woman who was secretly plotting how to mutilate him.

Ye Qian obstinately replied, "Who says we have no grievances?"

"What grievances could you possibly have?" Long Fei rolled his eyes at her.

"I don't like him, yet he likes me—that's the biggest grievance of all!" Ye Qian declared righteously.

Long Fei was left speechless.

Good grief, since when was falling in love a crime?

The Chang'an Club housed a boxing arena in its basement.

No underground deathmatches were held here; it was simply meant for club members to amuse themselves. However, this did not mean the facilities lacked professionalism. On the contrary, precisely because this was the Chang'an Club—the top-tier private club in Huaxia—its facilities were fully aligned with international standards. Whether it was the design of the boxing ring itself or the surrounding spectator stands, everything reeked of pure professionalism.

"Brother Fei, let me fight him instead!" Tieniu grinned honestly, stepping in front of Long Fei. Although Long Fei wasn't short, Tieniu still towered over him by more than half a head, built like an iron pagoda. Standing beside him would instill a sense of absolute security in anyone.

Long Fei smiled and patted Tieniu's arm. "Alright, Tieniu, I know your heart's in the right place, but Brother Fei can't rely on you for everything. I still have to face certain things myself. Don't worry, Brother Fei won't lose, right?"

"Brother Fei won't lose!" Tieniu answered naturally, genuinely believing it.

"Hey, Long Fei, don't forget what I told you earlier! Make sure you beat him black and blue!" Ye Qian warned Long Fei once more, calling him back just as he had walked away a few steps.

"You need something else?" Long Fei paused; this woman was rather troublesome.

Ye Qian opened her mouth as if to speak, but ultimately said nothing. In truth, she had wanted to tell Long Fei to be careful. She knew Bai Yaowu was exceptionally skilled in combat—she had known since childhood, having once tested Bai Yaowu by pitting him against the villa's top bodyguards. The bodyguards had lost miserably, unable to get out of bed for three months.

She didn't want to add pressure to Long Fei. Of course, she hadn't expected that Long Fei's understanding of Bai Yaowu went far deeper than a mere superficial rivalry over a woman—which was precisely why Long Fei had agreed to the match in the first place.

Despise the enemy strategically, but take them seriously tactically.

Long Fei always approached his adversaries this way.

Stepping lightly on the edge of the ring with one foot, his entire body soared several meters into the air before landing steadily in the exact center of the ring. Long Fei was showing off. With a chuckle, he nodded toward Bai Yaowu. Fortunately, the audience below consisted of only a handful of people, otherwise Long Fei suspected he would have had to bow to the crowd as well.

"Yaowu, let me go instead!" Liu Xianrong looked at Bai Yaowu with lingering anxiety. Clearly, he recognized that Long Fei possessed extraordinary strength. Even without Long Fei's showy leap into the ring, he firmly believed Long Fei was no ordinary man—the Azure Dragon Ring was not something just anyone could wear.

Bai Yaowu shook his head with a smile. "No need, Uncle Liu. Let us younger folks handle these matters. Besides, you've watched me grow up; don't you know me by now? I won't be reckless."

Liu Xianrong nodded in relief. "Good. Be careful no matter what."

Nodding in return, Bai Yaowu strode briskly toward the ring. Unlike Long Fei's flashy entrance, he kept a low profile, parting the protective ropes and slipping through. Yet to Long Fei, this seemingly modest action was simply another form of showing off. As the saying went: showing off was a true state of mind, and sometimes, keeping a low profile was the ultimate form of arrogance.

Bai Yaowu's entrance impact was no less impressive than Long Fei's, leaving Long Fei slightly vexed. With a provocative tone, he called out, "Hey, pretty boy, come on up! Perfect, I've been itching to test the martial arts of the Bai family's young master. Hehe, I hear your skills are good, but I bet your real combat abilities are even better. Don't hold anything back today—give it your all, otherwise, you're going to lose very ugly!"

"Fine, I'll grant your wish—"

Before Bai Yaowu could finish speaking, he saw Long Fei launch a ferocious assault. Lunging forward abruptly, though he didn't repeat his signature devastating kick to the groin, he remained utterly shameless.

Ambush—what they played was pure ambush!