Chapter 29: The First Brother, Mengzi!

“Thank you, Young Master Chu!”
“Thank you, Young Master Chu!”
Da Han lay prostrate on the ground, bowing deeply to Chu Feng.
Even Tianlong Ying, a man whose presence commanded respect, was treated with deference—how could a mere street thug like him dare to offend?
Not to mention Tianlong Ying himself, just his companion Panda was enough to intimidate Da Han into submission.
“Woof woof!”
In the distance, a massive chained pit bull barked fiercely at the octagonal cage.
Chu Feng tossed the severed finger of Da Han towards the dog.
The pit bull swallowed it whole without hesitation.
Everyone around gave Chu Feng a wide berth, their gazes tinged with caution.
Yet Chu Feng’s eyes remained fixed entirely on the cage.
Mengzi panted heavily, glancing at Chu Feng outside the cage as he pressed his foot onto the back of his defeated opponent.
It was clear that despite the recent skirmish, he had already won.
Mengzi was a nineteen-year-old youth, his face marred by numerous scars.
The recent fight had added fresh wounds to his face, blood streaming down.
Chu Feng felt a pang of sympathy.
Mengzi was actually the same age as him.
Back in prison, Chu Feng’s survival owed much to Mengzi’s help.
Chu Feng knew Mengzi’s purpose in fighting here was to raise medical funds for his sister.
But in the previous life, Mengzi had failed.
His sister lost the chance for the best surgery due to lack of money and eventually passed away.
Mengzi’s personality changed drastically after that; he became a violent fighter, having lost his only family.
Once, when someone brewed toilet wine in prison, and everyone was quietly drinking together avoiding inspection, Mengzi shared his troubles.
That was how Chu Feng learned of Mengzi’s story.
“Brother, thanks for the bet on my win,” Mengzi said shyly. He smiled with a youthful innocence.
Chu Feng extended his fist. “I’m rooting for you.”
“Hehe!” Mengzi smiled and bumped fists with Chu Feng.
This was a common gesture among fighters, akin to a handshake.

“Come on, let’s have a drink,” Chu Feng said.
Mengzi blinked in surprise, while a rooster-hawk-haired man teased, “Mengzi, why the daze? Young Master Chu’s drinks aren’t for just anyone. Say yes!”
“Thank you, Young Master Chu!” Mengzi bowed.
But Chu Feng caught Mengzi’s hands. “Big man, don’t be humble like a girl! Stand tall!”
“Hehe!” Mengzi scratched his head sheepishly.
“Chu Feng, you still fighting in the next match?” the rooster-hawk-haired man laughed. With Panda’s presence, the factory wasteland crowd treated Chu Feng with respect.
Chu Feng had won five hundred yuan, adding to his original five hundred, totaling a thousand. “This thousand’s on me, brothers! Let’s drink and watch the game together!”
“Alright! Monkey, call for takeaway!” the rooster-hawk-haired man ordered immediately.
“You’re generous, Young Master Chu!”
Many onlookers cast admiring glances at Chu Feng.
Chu Feng glanced at Da Han. “Da Han, how much did the hospital cost? I’ll pay you back tomorrow.”
“Slap one hand and give a honey date—the guy Chu Feng’s amazing! No wonder he knows Strong Brother,” Panda thought to himself, raising his estimation of Chu Feng.
Soon, the boxing match resumed, but this time Mengzi wasn’t on the stage; he sat opposite Chu Feng.
Chu Feng used a bottle opener to pop open a beer and handed it to Mengzi.
Mengzi was overwhelmed with gratitude, taking it with both hands. “Thank you, Young Master Chu.”
“Look at you, such a wimp!” Chu Feng teased. “You look like a college student; how did you end up fighting here?”
Chu Feng opened his own beer and took a long sip.
A few drinks in, Mengzi shared his story.
He sniffled and wiped tears away. “My sister has bone cancer in her hip… the doctor said she needs a hip replacement soon…”
“How much does it cost?” Chu Feng asked, picking up a skewer from the table.
Mengzi’s eyes reddened, tears falling uncontrollably. “Three hundred thousand… My parents were coal miners and died in a mine accident ten years ago. My sister supported me by working while raising me…”
“You dropped out later?” Chu Feng looked at him.
Mengzi nodded. “My grades were bad anyway. I quit school right after the college entrance exams… I’m good at fighting, so I learned underground boxing from a master. The money’s faster that way.”
He smiled with naive innocence.
Looking at Mengzi’s pure smile, Chu Feng recalled the Mengzi from his past life—a mad dog.

After his sister died, he let go of all restraint, reckless in everything, eventually landing in prison for his mistakes.
“Brother, thank you for believing in me. Knowing someone like you, a big shot, is my luck! Mengzi salutes you!” Mengzi said, opening a fresh beer and blowing into the bottle’s mouth.
Others nearby, also thugs, watched with mixed expressions.
“Young Master Chu… You’re close with Strong Brother and surely well off. Most of us here have no parents or have lost everything—we’re all desperate people. Mengzi’s a newcomer; you don’t need to worry too much about him,” Panda said, clinking his beer bottle with Chu Feng’s and taking a sip.
Mengzi’s face flushed red after drinking, breathing heavily, his eyes like bloodshot bulbs.
Chu Feng looked at Mengzi. “Come on, take me to your place.”
“Huh?” Mengzi was stunned.
Panda laughed and scolded, “What are you standing there for? Go bow to Young Master Chu!”
Mengzi instantly understood. Big shots like Chu Feng usually looked down on people like them.
Chu Feng’s offer to visit his home showed compassion.
Of course, they didn’t know Chu Feng’s true background—they assumed, like the Zhang family, he came from a powerful clan.
Chu Feng didn’t correct them. Though he disliked Zhang Fuqiang, he could still use this connection.
Besides, he wasn’t strong enough to confront Zhang Fuqiang yet!
“Thank you, Young Master Chu!” Mengzi dropped to his knees and tried to bow, but Chu Feng helped him up.
“Enough! I’m helping you because you remind me of a brother,” Chu Feng said, pulling Mengzi to his feet.
Mengzi looked at him in surprise.
“He’s also a fighter. But he was cheated against on stage, and he stabbed his opponent offstage,” Chu Feng explained.
Many eavesdroppers turned to listen, curious about this extraordinary “young master.”
“What happened to him?”
Chu Feng took a sip of his beer. “Went to jail… life sentence.”
Mengzi’s home was in a shantytown.
The shantytown was made up of relocated families.
In the eastern district of Jiangcheng, many families agreed to relocation, expecting new homes, but the real estate developer absconded with the money.
Mengzi’s family was among those left in limbo.
“Sis, I’m home.”
Mengzi hung his gloves on an iron hook attached to the asbestos tile wall, then turned and smiled awkwardly at Chu Feng. “Brother, the place is a bit messy. Don’t mind it.”