Seeing Uncle Yi push him away, Zhang Liunian knew this was not the time to stop. He had already seen the people he had just repelled coming at him again.
Without bothering with anything else, Zhang Liunian immediately grabbed the iron bar at his feet and blocked above his head. Then, with a loud shout, he deflected the descending saber.
The Zhu brothers, seeing him cornered from outside, showed expressions of relief.
The second Zhu brother even declared, "Zhang Liunian, you should just beg for mercy! If you don't, all your men will die."
Zhang Liunian would never beg for mercy; those two words were absent from his life's creed. Gripping the iron bar in his hand, he continued to fight.
However, he was already injured, and with Uncle Yi and the others completely defeated, the pressure fell entirely on him. Slowly, he too began to sustain injuries.
Seeing that he still wouldn't surrender, the second Zhu brother had no choice but to fire a shot at Zhang Liunian's leg.
This time, there was no one to take the bullet for Zhang Liunian. Moreover, Zhang Liunian was in the midst of chaotic combat, facing attacks from all sides, and had no mental capacity to pay attention to whether the second Zhu brother outside would shoot him.
By the time he heard the sound, the bullet had already grazed his calf and passed through.
"Ah!" Zhang Liunian cried out in pain. He lost his footing, falling to his knees, and then several sabers descended upon his neck, rendering him completely immobile.
Zhang Liunian instantly became a lamb awaiting slaughter.
"You never shed tears until you see the coffin. Now you've fallen into our hands," the second Zhu brother mocked, putting away his gun and approaching Zhang Liunian.
Hearing this, Zhang Liunian did not reply. He merely glanced at Uncle Yi, who was lying injured on the ground, and asked, "Can you send him for treatment first?"
He had lost and would naturally follow them. However, Uncle Yi's abdomen was injured and could not be delayed.
"Heh, when your own brother was injured earlier, you didn't seem so anxious. Yet, you're worried sick about a subordinate. You're truly strange." The second Zhu brother, hearing Zhang Liunian concede for a subordinate, looked down on him with contempt.
Earlier, Zhang Liuxing had fallen before him, and he hadn't asked for help. Now, to act like this for a subordinate, it was truly beneath him.
What was the point of saving a subordinate? If they died, they died. But a brother was different; they were connected by blood. Yet Zhang Liunian chose to save a subordinate instead of his brother. It was truly peculiar.
Zhang Liunian heard the meaning behind his words and offered no explanation. He and Zhang Liuxing had not been brothers for a long time. For a brother who constantly sought to harm him, he would rather have none.
Uncle Yi was different. He had helped him rescue his wife and daughter and had even taken a bullet for him. The man had never harmed him, and even though he wasn't his man from the start, he was grateful for Uncle Yi taking bullets for him time and again.
"Don't you want me to go with you? I'm willing to leave with you. Let's go now!" Zhang Liunian realized they might not grant his wish and decided to leave with them immediately. As for the injured Uncle Yi, they certainly wouldn't care.
However, his thoughts were seen through by the eldest Zhu brother. Seeing that he had finally become sensible, the man waved his hand and said, "Take them all away."
"..."
Even the injured wouldn't be spared? Zhang Liunian thought to himself. Just as he was about to speak, he heard an extremely familiar voice.
"Who dares touch Comrade Zhang Liunian?"
Zhang Liunian looked up sharply. Wasn't that Mr. Xue's voice? Why was he here? Although he was perplexed, he then felt a surge of joy, thinking he had encountered a savior.
Perhaps then, he wouldn't be taken away by the Zhu family gang.
But things seemed to be different from what he imagined. Mr. Xue was a notable figure in Nancheng, but in Port City, where powerful figures were as common as dogs, he wasn't exactly prominent.
Indeed, when the eldest Zhu brother saw Mr. Xue appear with his men, he showed no surprise and responded with disdain, "So it's Xue Changgong. Just a laborer. I advise you not to snatch food from a tiger's mouth. Zhang Liunian is someone we need to take back. Don't meddle in our affairs here."
Hearing the eldest Zhu brother refer to him as Changgong, Mr. Xue's expression soured. He hadn't heard that title in a long time. This Zhu family gang was treating him with far too little respect.
He used to be a laborer, but now he was a boss with some assets. Although he couldn't compare to Mr. Fu, he was still a minor figure. Yet, the people from the Zhu family gang spoke to him like this. It was clear they didn't take him seriously and were slapping his face.
"I may be humble, but do you not recognize who they are?" Mr. Xue was too lazy to argue with them. He simply revealed the two men beside him, allowing the Zhu family gang to get a good look.
These two were none other than the ones who had appeared before the Zhu family gang yesterday, demanding Jiang Qingqing.
They were also Mr. Fu's men.
If Mr. Xue were asking for people, they might not take it seriously. But if Mr. Fu wanted to save Zhang Liunian, they could only swallow their pride and endure.
"Is Xue Changgong perhaps borrowing prestige to scare me? I don't believe Mr. Fu would care about the life and death of such a person." The eldest Zhu brother's expression was very grim. They had just taken Jiang Qingqing away yesterday, and today they were coming to save Zhang Liunian. What was the meaning of all this?
"Whose intention? Of course, it's Mr. Fu's intention. He wants to see Zhang Liunian." Mr. Xue didn't mind invoking Mr. Fu's name. As long as they released the person, he wouldn't care about saving face.
"Don't push your luck. You came here once yesterday, and now you're back again?" The eldest Zhu brother was very angry. His brothers just wanted to avenge themselves, but why was it so difficult?
If Mr. Fu continued to help Zhang Liunian, their third and fourth brothers' revenge would never be avenged.
The second Zhu brother was equally angry, but he was less patient than the eldest Zhu brother. He stepped forward, pointing at Mr. Xue's nose and cursing, "Who do you think you are? You think you can just order us to release him? No way, I don't agree. If you want to take Zhang Liunian away, you'll have to step over me."
After saying this, he looked back at the numerous subordinates of the Zhu family gang and said, "Brothers, attack! Let them see how formidable our Zhu family gang is. Do you really think anyone can just stomp on us? Impossible."
However, after he finished speaking, not a single subordinate stepped forward to join him in the fight.
He turned back in confusion, only to see that the faces of the Zhu family gang members were all etched with difficulty.
Clearly, they were intimidated by the name of Mr. Fu and dared not make a move.
"..." The second Zhu brother was infuriated by their cowardly display. They were all useless. Just hearing Mr. Fu's name, they all became as still as little chicks, utterly spineless.
Although the second Zhu brother had heard his elder brother say that Mr. Fu was very powerful, he had never faced him directly or experienced his might. Therefore, he didn't feel much fear towards this rumored Mr. Fu.
But others were different. They had all lived under Mr. Fu's formidable reputation and occasionally heard of his great deeds. Over time, who wouldn't fear the number one boss of Port City?