Han put her pistol away and turned toward the robust man. "Thank you for your help, sir. May I ask how should I address you""There’s no need to thank me. I was just assigned by Miss Leng to guard her...Chapter 690: A Modern Version of "The Deer鼎記" - Wuyou Chinese Web Novel

"Cheng, do you believe I'll give you a beating" Chang Xiaobao looked very indignant.

"I believe it," the young man surnamed Zheng said calmly. "However, Brother Xiaobao, do you remember Mr. Li"

"Are you talking about that charlatan Li Dao Ming" Chang Xiaobao sneered.

The young man surnamed Zheng smiled slightly: "Brother Xiaobao, everyone in Beijing knows that Master Li is a genuine half-god; what he says is mostly true. Back then when you slapped me twice, I wanted to return the favor, but Master Li told me not to do anything and said that you would suffer retribution. And indeed, haven't you been sitting on that wheelchair for over two years now"

"Zheng Keliang, do you believe I'll slap you two more times" Chang Xiaobao angrily said.

Zheng Keliang smiled faintly: "I believe so. However, I also believe that if you were to slap me again, your spine would break once more. It's said that you encountered a divine doctor who cured your spine, but whether or not you'll have such good luck next time is uncertain. Of course, I don't know either, whether breaking just your neck the next time around will be enough for even gods to fail in saving you."

"Zheng Keliang, are you threatening me" Chang Xiaobao's eyes shot out beams of furious divine light. "Two years ago, it was this bastard who had someone secretly ambush and break my spine, right"

Zheng Keliang smiled faintly again: "Brother Xiao Bao, don't speak without evidence. How could I ever do something like that I already told you earlier; this is merely your karma catching up with you. Master Li's predictions have always been accurate."

"I spit!" Chang Xiaobao spat on the ground. "You dare talk to me about karma If there were such a thing as karma, you would've gone straight to hell long ago!"

"Little Brother Xiaobao, there are some things you just have to believe!" Zheng Keliang shook his head and said, "Forget it, since you don’t believe me, I won't bother to say anymore. I’m not going to disturb Little Brother Xiaobao."

Speaking of which, Zheng Keliang turned to the woman beside him and said, "Ah Ke, let's go back first."

"Alright." The woman named Ah Ke answered in a gentle tone.

Zheng Keliang and Ah Ke left leisurely. Moments later, they got into a Lamborghini and drove away from the hospital.

"Damn, what a pair of lovers!" Chang Xiaobao grumbled angrily.

"Do you like the one called Ah Ke

I asked out of boredom, although I wasn't entirely clear on the situation. However, I could make a rough guess about what was going on. Of course, this had nothing to do with me personally, but since I was bored, I just asked.

"I used to like her very much, but she doesn’t like me; she only likes that Zheng Keliang guy," said Chang Xiaobao dejectedly. "But actually, I almost won her over. Just when things were going well, someone attacked me and broke my spine. I always suspected it was Zheng Keliang who had people do this to me, but there's no evidence, so all I can do is take the loss."

The names Chang Xiaobao, Zheng Keliang, and Ah Ke are easily linked by those familiar with "The Deer鼎記" (likely a reference to "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer," or more accurately translated as "The Deer and the Hero") to three characters in the book. In fact, back then, Chang Xiaobao also called himself Beijing Wei Xiaobao and claimed he would find seven wives just like in the story. However, before he could even find one wife, he met Ah Ke.

Ah Ke's full name is Lin Ruoke, and her family background isn't bad; both her parents are high-ranking officials in the capital city. As for Chang Xiaobao, although his grandfather, Chang Donglin, was a godfather figure on the streets of Beijing, Chang Xiaobao's own parents had already passed away years ago. Moreover, since Chang Donglin officially retired from the underworld long ago, many people view Chang Xiaobao’s family background as rather ordinary. Some even think he is just like the real Wei Xiaobao—a mere street thug.

At least that's how Lin Ruoke sees it; in her eyes, Chang Xiaobao couldn't compare to Zheng Keliang either by looks or family status. While Chang Xiaobao himself was no slouch in appearance, he wasn't as handsome as Zheng Keliang. As for lineage, Chang Xiaobao fell even shorter—he simply couldn’t measure up to Zheng Keliang, whose father was a well-known tycoon in Beijing with countless assets under his name.

In summary, the relationship between these three individuals can be likened to a modern version of "The Deer and the Cauldron." As in the novel, Lin Ruoke likes Zheng Kelang, while Chang Xiaobao likes Lin Ruoke. The difference is that in "The Deer and the Cauldron," Wei Xiaobao ultimately ends up with Ah Kuo, leaving Zheng Kesuang as a tragic figure. In this case, however, Chang Xiaobao, who resembles Wei Xiaobao, fails to outdo Zheng Kelang, making him the tragic one instead, nearly spending his entire life in a wheelchair.

"Damn it! Ah Kuo always says I'm a lowlife and that Zheng Kelang comes from a clean background. What bull**! Whether she's pretending to be innocent or truly naive, how can Zheng Kelang claim he has a clean background when his father, Zheng Nanxin, used to be in the criminal underworld He’s just washed up on the surface now!" Chang Xiaobao expresses his resentment.

Summer interjects at this point: "You just said that kid's dad is Zheng Nanxin"

"Yes, Brother Tian. Zheng Nanxin is quite wealthy and has close ties with many officials in the capital city, giving him a high status. So even though I suspected Zheng Kelang of secretly sabotaging me back then, without any evidence, Grandpa wouldn't have taken action," Chang Xiaobao appears rather helpless. In the capital city, engaging in criminal activities requires extreme caution; despite being a major figure in the underworld like Chang Donglin, one cannot casually take lives to avoid serious repercussions that could bury others and oneself.

Pausing for a moment, Chang Xiaobao then asks curiously: "Brother Tian, do you know Zheng Nanxin"

"I don’t know him," Xia Tian shook his head, "But I’ve heard this name before. I’m not sure if it’s the Zheng Nanxin you’re talking about."

After some thought, Xia Tian asked another question: "Is that guy named Zheng Nanxin very superstitious"

"That's correct," Chang Xiao bao nodded and said, "There's a geomancer by the name of Li Daoming around Zheng Nanxin. That guy is nothing more than a charlatan but he calls himself half-a-sage Li. Some people in Beijing who believe him call him Master Li. He claims to be an expert not only in feng shui but also in destiny reading, and specializes in fortune-telling for wealthy individuals and officials." Chang Xiao bao continued, "It’s said that Zheng Nanxin rose to prominence after meeting Li Daoming, so he trusts Li Daoming completely. Whatever Li Daoming says, Zheng Nanxin believes it. I even suspect that if Li Daoming were to say Zheng Nanxin and Zheng Keliang clash with each other, Zheng Nanxin might actually get rid of Zheng Keliang, at the very least driving him away."

"So it really is that Zheng Nanxin," Xia Tian muttered to himself, then looked at Chang Xiao bao and asked, "Hey, since Zheng Keliang took your woman, do you want revenge"did not budge. They had a Chief Fang in their department, but everyone knew that it was the newly transferred-in Officer Cold who held the most power. Although Cold Ice was only Deputy Chief, her word...