A few hours later, two rugged SUVs roared to life.
The doors were flung open the moment they screeched to a halt.
Shen Xiong leaped out and rushed directly to Du Fei’s side.
"Mr. Du, what happened to you?"
Shen Xiong had found it strange when Du Fei had called him earlier, asking him to pick him up.
Du Fei had driven himself when he left, so why would he need a ride now?
However, as an old hand in the underworld, Shen Xiong knew better than to pry too deeply.
Ever since Du Fei had revealed his formidable martial arts prowess, Shen Xiong had been completely awestruck.
While ordinary people might not grasp the true nature of martial artists, Shen Xiong, as the underground king of Rongcheng, had learned of their existence through certain channels.
He had even witnessed a martial artist in action on a very rare occasion.
It was precisely because of this knowledge that when Shen Xiong discovered his old enemy, Crow, had brought a martial artist to exact revenge upon him, he had chosen to sacrifice himself to protect others.
What he hadn't expected was that Crow and the martial artist he brought with him had no intention of sparing anyone.
Fortunately, at the last moment, Du Fei, whom he had once helped, appeared.
The "Master Fei," who Shen Xiong believed possessed heaven-defying abilities, was swiftly defeated by Du Fei. This immediately elevated Du Fei's status in Shen Xiong's eyes to the highest possible level.
Therefore, when Du Fei called, Shen Xiong immediately dropped everything he was doing and rushed over with his subordinates.
However, upon his arrival, Shen Xiong was shocked to see Du Fei covered in blood and looking utterly disheveled.
In his estimation, even Master Fei was no match for Du Fei. How could he be in such a state after only a few hours?
"It's nothing, just a few injuries."
Du Fei brushed it off with a single sentence.
Hearing Du Fei's reply, Shen Xiong immediately realized he shouldn't press the matter.
If someone as capable as Du Fei were to become displeased due to his meddling, Shen Xiong would be shooting himself in the foot.
Consequently, Shen Xiong personally opened the car door for Du Fei. Once inside, he remained silent.
"Find me a quiet and secluded place. I need to rest for a couple of days. Don't worry, though, I won't have you working for free."
Du Fei said in a low voice.
He had actually intended to have Gong Chengbin pick him up. But after several attempts, Gong Chengbin hadn't answered, and he had no idea what he was busy with.
Then, Du Fei realized that in his current state, he couldn't possibly return to the traditional Chinese medicine clinic or be seen by Liu Shishi, as it would undoubtedly lead to a cascade of complications.
This was when he thought of Shen Xiong.
He hadn't expected Shen Xiong to arrive so quickly after a single phone call.
So, Du Fei casually asked Shen Xiong to find him a place to recover from his injuries.
"Mr. Du, you are my savior. It is my honor to be of service to you. As for anything else, you are truly humbling me."
Shen Xiong's tone was extremely respectful.
Following that, Shen Xiong instructed his subordinates to drive.
Du Fei had, for the most part, accurately predicted Shen Xiong's reaction.
After all, Shen Xiong had managed to thrive in the underworld for so many years; his intelligence and emotional quotient were undoubtedly at a high level.
Du Fei nodded and closed his eyes, settling in for some rest.
...
"Mr. Du, do you find this place satisfactory?"
Shen Xiong had brought Du Fei to a two-story building located in the suburbs of Rongcheng.
Although the building was not large, it was meticulously clean and tidy, giving off a very comfortable aura.
Shen Xiong walked beside Du Fei into the building and asked nervously as he observed Du Fei looking around.
Indeed, Shen Xiong had been a prominent figure in the martial world for twenty years, commanding over a thousand subordinates at his peak. To put it hyperbolically, a mere stomp of his foot would send tremors through the entire underworld of Rongcheng.
Yet, now, trailing Du Fei, Shen Xiong resembled nothing more than a subordinate trying to please his superior.
However, it was understandable. Having learned about the mystique and power of martial artists, Shen Xiong had dreamed of befriending such a significant individual.
His ultimate aspiration was to become a powerful martial artist himself one day. Even if he lacked talent, building a good relationship with such a figure would bring immeasurable benefits to his descendants.
"En, it's good. This will do," Du Fei nodded, then added, "Next, I'll have to trouble you to help me buy some things..."
Du Fei explained his needs to Shen Xiong, who listened attentively, fearful of missing any detail.
Once Du Fei finished, Shen Xiong repeated the list to ensure nothing was overlooked before turning to leave.
Du Fei then took out his phone and made calls to Liu Shishi and Wang Zhongling separately.
The former was his girlfriend, and he had to inform her about his disappearance for several days.
However, Du Fei had no intention of mentioning his injuries, as that would only cause her worry. He fabricated a white lie, and Liu Shishi, after reminding him to take care of himself, hung up the phone.
The call to Wang Zhongling, however, did not go as smoothly.
The moment Du Fei informed her that he would be unable to come to the traditional Chinese medicine clinic for a few days, Wang Zhongling immediately unleashed a torrent of abuse upon him, without any restraint.
After all, Du Fei had vanished for several days not long ago, and now, shortly after his return, he was planning to abandon the clinic again for several days. It was no wonder Wang Zhongling was so furious.
Despite her scolding, Wang Zhongling was also a reasonable person. She knew that Du Fei wouldn't abandon the clinic if it weren't for a genuine emergency.
After harshly delivering a few parting threats, Wang Zhongling finally let Du Fei go.
*Phew.*
Finally, he had managed to convey all the necessary information.
As his emotions began to relax, Du Fei immediately felt a throbbing pain in his shoulder.
Fortunately, there was a full-length mirror on the second floor of the house Shen Xiong had found. Du Fei took off his shirt and pants to examine his injuries.
His lower body had sustained minimal injuries, and his upper body, apart from large areas of bruising and some abrasions, was relatively intact.
The most severe injuries were to his left shoulder and the adjacent area of his back.
When Du Fei had removed his clothes earlier, the flesh and fabric had stuck together after so much time.
Gritting his teeth against the pain, Du Fei struggled for a considerable amount of time to peel off his shirt.
Looking closely at his left shoulder in the full-length mirror, Du Fei felt a sense of relief.
Thankfully, for reasons unknown, that giant had acted the way it did. Otherwise, with the force it had thrown him with, his shoulder would likely have been crushed by now.
Even so, Du Fei's shoulder injury would necessitate a major surgery if he were to go to a hospital.
"He actually bought everything I asked for so quickly?"
About an hour later, Du Fei saw Shen Xiong and his subordinates carrying several large bags of items and expressed his surprise.
Logically, given the location where Du Fei was, it would take at least half an hour to drive to the city. Furthermore, some of the items Du Fei had asked Shen Xiong to purchase were not easily obtainable.
"Hehe, Mr. Du, please take a look and see if anything is missing. By the way, I'm not sure how long you'll be staying here, so I've bought some daily necessities. I hope they are to your liking."
Shen Xiong had his subordinates set down all the purchased items and then waved them away.