Liu Zhe had overestimated himself. His leg techniques were indeed powerful within the context of a taekwondo gymnasium, capable of breaking several wooden boards with a single kick.
However, there was a catch.
The premise for his attack was that Ning Beichen was an ordinary person, or at least someone whose strength and reaction speed were inferior to his own.
But Ning Beichen's reactions were exponentially faster. Before Liu Zhe's leg could connect with Ning Beichen's neck, Ning Beichen lunged forward, grabbed his leg, and without hesitation, delivered a "Long River Piercing the Sun" strike directly to his cheek.
*Crack.*
It sounded like a broken nasal bone.
Ignoring Liu Zhe's pained screams, Ning Beichen held his leg and began to spin him around.
*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...*
A few seconds later.
Ning Beichen released his grip.
Liu Zhe, like a spinning top, was flung by Ning Beichen and crashed violently against the wall, sliding down. His defeat came no slower than that of his subordinates.
*Clang!*
Upon hitting the ground, Liu Zhe felt dizzy and saw stars.
His nose had been caved in by Ning Beichen's "Long River Piercing the Sun," and he had lost several front teeth. Blood splattered onto his clothes, forming small red blossoms.
If Ning Beichen hadn't intended to spare his life, Liu Zhe would have already joined the ranks of the deceased.
For Ning Beichen, these taekwondo practitioners were merely a way to loosen up. They were far from being a threat he needed to eliminate.
"I apologize, Boss. These people attacked first, and I had no choice but to retaliate. I hope this hasn't disrupted your meeting with an important client."
Ning Beichen turned away from Liu Zhe and, with a seemingly apologetic expression, explained to a stunned Liu Yilin, "No... it won't be."
Liu Yilin's eyelids twitched. She looked at Ning Beichen with a complicated gaze.
As much as she disliked Ning Beichen, she had to admit that the way he fought was incredibly cool, each punch and kick resembling a form of violent art.
However, she couldn't help but feel exasperated with her best friend. Was this the "expert" her friend had arranged to deal with Ning Beichen over the phone?
She had witnessed the entire confrontation. The so-called "experts" her best friend spoke of were utterly defenseless against Ning Beichen.
Liu Yilin dared not let Ning Beichen know that this whole setup was orchestrated specifically for him, and that she wasn't meeting an important client. So, she had to play along. She pretended to go inside, then found an excuse to call her best friend. Afterward, she explained to Ning Beichen that the important client had a last-minute issue and couldn't make it. She then left with Ning Beichen.
Fang Qing, who had been hiding upstairs, was terrified. Only after Ning Beichen left did she cautiously come downstairs. Seeing Liu Zhe lying on the ground, she became furious. She walked over, kicked him, and yelled,
"Useless! You claimed to be an expert, unmatched in Hai Zhou New Town, boasting about your taekwondo being the best in the world. Yet, you're just a flashy but useless pillow."
Liu Zhe, lying on the ground with a broken nose and missing teeth, could only whine incoherently to Fang Qing, tears streaming down his face.
He wished he could explain what happened, but he himself didn't understand how he lost to Ning Beichen, let alone articulate it.
After a tirade, Fang Qing left the taekwondo gymnasium, unconvinced. Twice she had hired people to deal with Ning Beichen, and both times she had failed. This left her feeling dejected and perplexed as to why this guy was so formidable.
"It seems ordinary methods won't work against him. I'll have to resort to more drastic measures."
Fang Qing gritted her teeth, her resolve to deal with Ning Beichen unbroken.
"Boss, I'd like to go to the supermarket to buy some food to store in the refrigerator at home."
After leaving the taekwondo gymnasium, Ning Beichen drove past a supermarket and suddenly remembered they had no food at home. He said this to Liu Yilin.
Liu Yilin, feeling flustered, nodded without objection.
However, after Ning Beichen got out and walked a few steps, he jogged back and said to her, "Boss, I'm worried about you being outside alone. Why don't you come inside with me?"
"Why is this so troublesome?"
Liu Yilin frowned but had no choice but to get out of the car and go into the supermarket with Ning Beichen.
"Boss, we have no food at home, and I want to buy a lot to store. What do you think?"
The real reason Ning Beichen wanted Liu Yilin to come in was that he was out of cash. Not entirely out of money, but his funds were in overseas accounts, and he hadn't had time to transfer them back.
So, his concern about her being alone was false; in reality, he wanted Liu Yilin to pay for him.
Soon, Ning Beichen had a cart full of items and arrived at the checkout counter, looking at Liu Yilin with wide, innocent eyes.
"Boss, I haven't been paid yet. Could you cover me for now?"
"You're a grown man, and you don't even have this much money?"
Liu Yilin was utterly exasperated. Her best friend was right; this guy was after her for both her affection and her money.
However, Liu Yilin paid for him anyway, unwilling to lose face in front of so many onlookers.
"Thank you, Boss. I'll pay you back as soon as I get paid."
Ning Beichen felt no embarrassment. He, the King of Darkness, was condescending to protect her. In the overseas elite circles, no one would even consider engaging his services for less than a hundred million.
"No need. Are we leaving?"
Liu Yilin hurried him, noticing that many people were staring at them, and she was worried about being recognized.
"We're done, Boss."
Ning Beichen walked out of the supermarket contentedly, carrying two large bags.
Liu Yilin followed behind him with a grim expression. With her IQ of 230, she couldn't figure out a way to deal with Ning Beichen.
Ning Beichen put the groceries in the trunk of the car. As he opened the car door and was about to ask Liu Yilin to get in, he suddenly felt an inexplicable premonition – a vigilance honed from countless life-or-death encounters over the years.
Ning Beichen immediately deduced that someone was aiming at his location from a distance with a weapon. He wasn't sure if the target was him or Liu Yilin.
Ning Beichen grabbed the car door with one hand and shielded Liu Yilin with the other, using the car door and his body to protect her. He then closed his eyes slightly, using a form of sensory perception to locate the enemy.