"Is this the place?" Lin Chuan asked.

"Exactly." Zhou Kai nodded eagerly and said, "This is the territory of the Thirteen Grand Protectors. I guess there should be quite a few people in the tea house at this time."

"Kai, you two come with me." Lin Chuan glanced at Zhou Kai and Lu Dapao, then turned around and said to Zhao Zhonghai, "Brother Zhao, I'll leave the ground floor to you. If anything happens, just react accordingly."

"Mm-hmm!" Zhao Zhonghai nodded.

After that, the group immediately went upstairs.

The two security guards at the door wielding iron clubs didn't stop them but watched Lin Chuan and his group with a vigilant gaze. However, when they saw Lin Chuan and the other two going upstairs, they immediately breathed a sigh of relief. Perhaps, today's fight might not happen after all.

The tea house was doing good business, and upon entering, one was greeted by wafts of subtle tea fragrance. Those who came to such a high-end tea house to drink tea were either rich or noble. Ordinary young people from society wouldn't have the leisure or the resources for tea drinking. Keep in mind that in the Eight Horses Tea House, the tea was considered a luxury item. The cheapest would be 500 per pound for Ninghong tea, while the most expensive was the top-grade Da Hong Pao at 100,000 per pound, which is said to be supplied exclusively to Central South Sea. Average people really weren't fortunate enough to enjoy it.

Upon entering the tea house, everything inside was made of wood; it was almost hard to find any modern objects. Wooden stairs, walls, as well as various reliefs and carvings were essentially all made from wood, and even the ground was paved with durable, anti-corrosive wood. Walking here, one was enveloped by a natural ambiance that could make a person feel tranquil and at peace.

"Brother Chuan, let's go upstairs," Zhou Kai said.

"Let's go!" Lin Chuan nodded.

Then, the group went straight upstairs, heading directly for the fifth floor.

Going up the staircase, Lin Chuan could actually feel that there were many hidden security personnel around, and these people must be tough and fierce since the murderous aura they emitted was undeniable. However, Zhou Kai and Lu Dapao seemed completely oblivious to it.

Zhou Kai held two broadaxes in his hands, apparently ready to defend against any attack at any time. Lu Dapao, on the other hand, kept his machete in hand. Along the way, not a single person stood up to stop them, even the tea house's waiters and security stepped aside when they saw them, with no one daring to utter half a word.

"How odd, why isn't there anyone speaking up?" Lu Dapao asked curiously.

"Who cares, our goal is to talk to Feng Taibao," Zhou Kai snorted coldly, but his eyes didn't rest for a second, surveying his surroundings, as he feared that a large group of people lurking in the shadows would jump out and start a chaotic fight.

Lu Dapao let out a cold laugh and then said, "You're right."

At this moment, they had reached the fifth floor, where the door of one room was particularly imposing. At a glance, this door was different from the others. The door of this room was obviously much larger and more magnificent, not only with an extremely luxurious lintel but also flanked by two pillars on either side. The doors opened inwards, adorned with a huge relief sculpture. Conservatively estimating, the price of this door was definitely above ten thousand, and if it was made of more luxurious materials, the price would undoubtedly be astronomical.

Two young men in black suits stood at the door, watching Lin Chuan and his companions with grave expressions.

"Stop!" one of the men barked. "What's your business here? This is not a place for you to barge in!"

"Go inside and tell Feng Taibao that our Brother Chuan is here to see him," Zhou Kai swung the two broadaxes in his hand, then sneered, "Tell him to hurry out and kneel to greet us!"

"Fuck your granddad!" The suited young man exploded with fury, as the name of the protector wasn't something they could insult. Both men immediately lunged forward.

"I got this!" Seeing this, Lu Dapao pushed Zhou Kai aside and charged forward.

Zhou Kai, not outdone, couldn't help but swear loudly: "Da Pao, you son of a turtle, stealing my thunder."

Bang...

Lu Dapao kicked one flying, while the shirt of the other was torn by his machete, leaving a bright red wound. The young man in the black suit turned pale with fright. Lu Dapao revealed a fierce grin and said, "Heh heh, boy, this time Master Pao spares your life, but next time, you might not be so lucky."

Zhou Kai was shocked: "Shit, when did this kid become so fierce?"

Lu Dapao turned with a grin and said, "Brother Chuan, let's go."

"Da Pao, open the door," Zhou Kai called out.

"You got it!" Lu Dapao chuckled with a grin. He stepped forward and gave a kick.

Boom...

The massive door was immediately kicked open by Lu Dapao, the lock bursting and the lockhead flying out with a clump of wooden splinters.

In the room, more than ten people were sitting there.

On a not-so-large tea tray, there were quite a few cups placed.

The dozen or so people all turned their heads to look at the doorway, each with an angry expression on their faces and a murderous glint in their eyes. Among them was Long Wu, his shiny bald head standing out conspicuously among a sea of black hair.

"Oh, everyone's here?" Lin Chuan said with a smile.

"Damn it, this door was broken by you guys, can you afford to pay for it?" Long Wu immediately stood up.

"Cut the crap, it's just a shabby door," Zhou Kai said with a disdainful laugh: "It's just a matter of two thousand yuan, but for our Haiqing Pool... heh heh, I'm afraid even two hundred thousand won't solve the issue, eh?"

"Two thousand yuan?" Long Wu sneered: "Let me tell you, this door is made of a solid piece of black acid branch rosewood, just the cost of materials alone is over three hundred thousand. Including labor costs and the current surge in rosewood prices, it won't come down without five hundred thousand."

Zhou Kai was dumbfounded, and even Lu Dapao next to him was taken aback. How could they have imagined that this shabby door would actually cost five hundred thousand? That's almost the price of an entire apartment in Jiangbei City. Lu Dapao had the urge to cry; just now, Zhou Kai had told him to kick open the door, and he just wanted to show off his strength, but who would have thought... he ended up destroying a door worth five hundred thousand.

Even if Haiqing Pool was to be renovated again, it would definitely not cost five hundred thousand.

Thus, both of them turned their heads to look at Lin Chuan, as if pinning all their hopes on him.

Lin Chuan advanced at an unhurried pace with his left hand in his trouser pocket and a cigarette in his right hand. The dozen or so people seated were simply not within Lin Chuan's sight, but only Feng Taibao, who was situated right by the door, caught Lin Chuan's attention.

"Feng Taibao, there are unspoken rules and a code of ethics in this line of work," Lin Chuan started: "You ordering your men to set fire to my Haiqing Pool, what play is this?"

Lin Chuan didn't outright confront him, instead he spoke with a hint of politeness, adding a bit of the jargon of the streets.

"Sit!" Feng Taibao pointed to a chair opposite him.

Rustling sounds...

The dozen or so people opposite Feng Taibao all stood up, then one by one, they took their places behind him. A group of tall and burly men, with Long Wu standing at the front, a 1.8-meter tall man with a hefty physique. A short person wearing a black suit tried to squeeze to the front but no one would give him space. With no other choice, he grabbed a chair, stood on it, and suddenly towered above the people next to him, looking somewhat comical and out of place.

"Haha... moron!" Lu Dapao burst into laughter.

Lin Chuan slowly walked over and sat down on the chair opposite Feng Taibao.

"Have some tea," Feng Taibao suggested, pointing to an empty cup in front of Lin Chuan.

Lin Chuan smiled, picked up the cup, and extended it. Feng Taibao, holding the teapot, poured water into the cup.

Unexpectedly, the teapot contained freshly boiled, scalding hot water. Lin Chuan hurriedly let go.

"Young man, knowing to let go when it's hot is a good thing," Feng Taibao said with a smile: "In the underworld, who doesn't sip tea at the tea table like this? Being eager for quick success is not good. Truly good tea requires skill to brew. The underworld is just like a cup of tea; if one does not carefully taste and experience it, how can one savor its best flavor?"

"Master Pao, I didn't come today to listen to you talk about tea," Lin Chuan said with a cold chuckle.

"Of course I know why you've come," Feng Taibao said with a smile.

"Then let's cut to the chase," Lin Chuan flicked the tea table with his finger.

"I ordered the fire," Feng Taibao stated frankly.

Lin Chuan wasn't surprised, for he already knew this; however, what he needed now was not this information, but a solution to the problem. Lin Chuan looked at Feng Taibao with sharp eyes. Despite Lin Chuan's piercing gaze, Feng Taibao appeared completely unfazed, with the demeanor of a smiling tiger.

"And then?" Lin Chuan asked.

Feng Taibao smiled, then suddenly asked: "Lin Chuan, what kind of answer do you want then?"

Feng Taibao's question caught Lin Chuan off guard; in truth, Lin Chuan also hadn't thought about what exactly should be done. After all, the arsonist was already in his hands, and besides, renovating Haiqing Pool would only cost tens of thousands, which is not a large sum for Feng Taibao. But the damage to Haiqing Pool's reputation was significant. Having had incidents happen twice within a few months, who would dare to go there? Especially the future damage, which would be even greater.

"First, hand over Fan Gu to us to deal with; second, send people to refurbish Haiqing Pool again; third, due to the fire, Haiqing Pool suffered irreparable economic loss, so you must compensate us with one million!" Lin Chuan put forth his demands without being too greedy, after all, if it really came to a fight, his people might not be a match for Feng Taibao, and secondly, even if he really wanted to go to the mat, the Northeastern Tiger would inevitably reap the benefits. He might be left badly damaged.

So, Lin Chuan decided to take a step back.

A step back opens up a vast horizon, patience leads to a calm and tranquil environment.

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