Chapter 115: A Kiss, a Deal, and a Pervert to Boot

Wealth is enticing and significant, especially in this era where money runs rampant, tempting a multitude of outlaws to sell their souls and embark on a life of crime.

Is Lin Yang truly the type of person who values money above all else? That is hard to say. He admits to loving money; while it is true that one cannot live without it, money is by no means a panacea.

When the man mentioned money, a cold sneer appeared on Lin Yang’s face, accompanied by a heavy dose of mockery—mockery because the man thought he understood him, yet put on such a pretentious display.

Under the man's puzzled gaze, Lin Yang shook his head with a cold laugh. A shake of the head is almost always interpreted as a negative response.

"What do you mean?" the man in black demanded coldly. When a target slips out of one's control, it creates an uncomfortable feeling; that was exactly what the man in black was experiencing at this moment.

Lin Yang did not speak, but instead cast his gaze toward Leng Nini behind him. She had been willing to sacrifice herself just to return to that cold-blooded family she despised, all for the sake of her own brother's safety. Now that there was such a rare opportunity to set conditions, and the man before him was a high-ranking manager of the Leng family, how could he possibly pass up such a golden opportunity for the sake of mere money? The answer was clearly no.

"A person. Someone who, even if they left the Leng family, would not cause the clan any loss. A minor, still growing up in the innocence of school," Lin Yang said with a smile. His cheeky expression gave no hint of what was truly on his mind.

Lin Yang’s voice was low, and those around him looked on in deep confusion. But to Leng Nini, his words were like a thunderbolt, a massive bombshell that caused her body to tremble uncontrollably.

"Who?" Despite having a vague guess, and letting his eyes linger on Leng Nini for a few seconds, the man in black maintained his look of confusion and coldly pressed for an answer.

Lin Yang had been maneuvering around the man in black. Ever since the man brought Leng Nini and severed Leng Qing’s arm as a gesture of sincerity for an apology, Lin Yang had formed a plan—a plan to resolve the issue once and for all. He did not want Leng Nini to return to that cold, unfeeling family where she had no emotional attachment left.

"Leng Tianyu, her younger brother," Lin Yang said, pointing at Leng Nini behind him with a mocking grin.

Having her suspicions confirmed by Lin Yang, Leng Nini burst into tears. Large, pea-sized droplets rolled down her cheeks, as if she intended to drown everything around her in her sorrow. In this moment, this very second, she could find no other outlet to express her overflowing joy; she was truly weeping with happiness.

She buried her soft, delicate frame deep into Lin Yang’s chest, her face radiant with relief and joy. After sobbing in his arms for a long while, she looked up, her large, watery eyes locked onto his. After a second, or perhaps an eternity—as Lin Yang began to feel uncomfortable under her gaze—Leng Nini did something daring and wild.

She gently stood on tiptoe, hooked her arms around Lin Yang’s neck, and with her head tilted back, she pressed her red lips against his in a lightning-fast motion.

There was no earth-shattering, passionate kiss; it was merely a light, dragonfly-like peck, yet it contained a wealth of emotion. With this simple gesture, the girl finally took the leap.

Yes! So what if he has Tang Yixue? So what if he rejects her? As long as she likes him, that is enough. No status, no future, and perhaps he might not even accept her—none of that mattered anymore. Leng Nini whispered to herself in her heart, soothing her fluttering, excited heart.

After the light peck, she felt no shyness, nor did she avoid Lin Yang’s astonished gaze. She stared tenderly at the slightly bewildered man.

Coughing awkwardly twice, Lin Yang hastily shifted his gaze back to the man in black, who hadn't interrupted them but maintained his icy demeanor.

"What, is it that difficult?" Lin Yang sneered, lighting a cigarette. He was in no rush. Although he didn’t know why this man was acting contrary to the rest of the Leng family by personally bringing Leng Nini to apologize, since he had done so, he didn't mind demanding a few extra things.

To bring Leng Tianyu away was, for the man in black, a trivial matter. As the head—or perhaps the owner—of the Killer Hall, the Leng family’s assassination organization, his high status within the clan was evident. The biggest difference between the Leng family and other clans was their system of multiple stewards.

The advantage of a one-party system is that any dissatisfaction or resistance is suppressed or eliminated; the trouble with a multi-party system is that everything requires a vote, which inevitably leaves the losing side filled with resentment. Over time, major conflicts arise, and the Leng family was like the latter.

Everything followed the Elder Council's decisions and voting, which led to endless trouble. The Killer Hall undoubtedly held a pivotal position in the Leng family, which explained why Leng Yilong dared to recklessly maim the direct descendant of the Great Elder, Leng Qing, and bring Leng Nini out of the trap that had been set for her.

"It can be done, but I hope to make a deal with Young Master Lin," the man in black—Leng Yilong—said, proposing a trade.

This piqued Lin Yang’s curiosity. It really is true that curiosity kills the cat.

"What kind of deal?" Lin Yang asked reflexively.

To his surprise, the man didn't get straight to the point. Instead, he took a long detour, first explaining the current state of the Leng family.

"Do you understand now?" After spending five minutes giving a brief overview of the Leng family's situation, Leng Yilong asked in a deep voice.

"Not really. What is your intention?" Playing dumb and pretending to be confused was Lin Yang’s specialty. As clever as he was, how could he not guess the man's hidden motives?

However, hearing the implications, he was surprised to learn that the Leng family was split down the middle. He had initially thought it was fractured into many factions, with every leader wanting the top spot. Instead, it was a binary split: the faction represented by Leng Yilong, which wanted to align with the Lin family, and the faction represented by the Elder Council, which wanted to align with the Jiang family—a power only slightly inferior to the Lins.

Lin Yang didn't rush to answer. With his current status, he couldn't represent the Lin family, even though the man hadn't proposed the specific conditions yet.

"You should at least reveal some details of the deal!" After hesitating, Lin Yang couldn't help but ask. He had his own ulterior motives; having an extra partner was better than having an extra enemy. Furthermore, in a sense, they could help each other take revenge on their common foes. Why not?

Unexpectedly, Leng Yilong didn't propose any harsh terms. The intent was simple: when their faction finally engaged in a decisive struggle against the Elder Council’s faction, Lin Yang was to provide assistance.

Having given a perfunctory answer, Lin Yang and his group left Jiangning City. It was always uncomfortable being outside his own turf.

Because they were afraid the Elder Council might target Leng Tianyu, Leng Yilong didn't bring him out immediately, promising instead to deliver him to Jinhai on time the next day.

It had been a thrilling battle with an unexpectedly perfect result. This was something Lin Yang hadn't foreseen. Sitting on the high-speed train back to Jinhai, his mind was still trying to process everything.

From the moment they boarded the train, Leng Nini, who felt as though she had been reborn, clung to Lin Yang, refusing to leave his side no matter what he said.

The temptation of a beautiful woman was truly a headache, especially for Lin Yang, who had little immunity to such things. Fortunately, he decided to just let it be and allowed the girl to stay in his arms.

Su Xiaodong, who had come along, didn't pester him to learn martial arts as usual; otherwise, in his current physical state, he would have been more than enough to teach that kid a lesson.

On the way back, Meng Hu’s brows remained tightly furrowed, showing no joy at the success of rescuing Lin Yang. Watching him for nearly half an hour, Lin Yang finally couldn't help but ask, "Brother Hu, what’s on your mind?"

"Nothing."

"Brother Hu, if you consider me a brother, don't hide it. Ever since we met Leng Yilong, I noticed you were frowning. I didn't pay much attention at first, but you've been doing it the whole way, and it feels strange to me." Lin Yang was slightly displeased that Meng Hu wouldn't answer honestly.

Since they had become friends after a fight, Meng Hu had always looked out for Lin Yang. Now that Meng Hu was troubled but unwilling to share it with him—someone who already viewed Meng Hu as an older brother—Lin Yang naturally felt a sense of resentment.

Knowing Lin Yang’s temper, Meng Hu let out a deep sigh before revealing the source of his confusion.

It was truly shocking; no one would have guessed that Meng Hu was troubled by such a strange issue.

The man in black was incredibly strong, possessed a murderous aura, and was devoid of any emotion. If they were to face off, Meng Hu knew he would not be a match for him.

Hearing this explanation, Lin Yang felt a complex mix of emotions. After a full half-minute, he couldn't help but burst into laughter. In the end, he gave his "big brother" a rather eccentric title.

A battle-crazed maniac.

Indeed, in his younger days, Meng Hu had been a battle-crazed maniac. Otherwise, he never could have attained his current status in Jinhai, navigating both the underworld and the legitimate world—that was no game for children, and one wrong move could lead to ruin. Yet, Meng Hu had held his position for ten years.

"If there’s a chance, I’ll definitely set you two up for a proper fight," Lin Yang said with a meaningful smile, staring at Meng Hu. He wouldn't mind seeing Meng Hu get beaten up for once.

Beside them, Su Xiaodong unceremoniously labeled Meng Hu as a "freak" in his heart.