I agreed to be a kept man, but I'm still being punished by the system.

Lin Yang glanced at the old man and nodded.

This time, he was not led to the backyard, but through the front hall to a more spacious hall.

A huge rosewood coffee table sits in the center, its intricate carvings and glossy finish exuding the steadiness of time.

Liu Laohu sat calmly in the main seat, his fingers gently stroking the large emerald gold ring.

On the coffee table, the purple clay tea set was already prepared, steaming gently.

Liu Shanshan, who had regained her composure, and Liu Lusheng, who was still somewhat absent-minded, stood on either side of Liu Laohu.

At this moment, Liu Shanshan's captivating eyes kept drifting towards Lin Yang, only to quickly look away again. The faint pink tinge at the base of her ears couldn't be hidden under the bright lights of the hall.

"Mr. Lin, please have a seat."

Liu Laohu gestured for Lin Yang to sit on the sofa opposite him.

Lin Yang sat down calmly, leaned back, relaxed, and met those unfathomable eyes with a peaceful gaze.

"Since Mr. Lin has defeated Master Guo," Liu Laohu's voice boomed, his smile unchanged, "from today onwards, Mr. Lin will temporarily be the Red Stick representative of Zhisongtang."

Lin Yang's eyebrows twitched slightly.

"Temporary?"

"Yes, temporarily."

Liu Laohu picked up his teacup, blew away the foam, and explained slowly, "After all, there are many people who want to compete for the title of 'Red Stick of Zhisong Hall.' Although Master Guo has lost, there's no guarantee that other masters won't come to challenge him."

Lin Yang cursed that old fox a hundred times in his heart.

Making empty promises and getting something for nothing—these underworld bosses are truly masters of their craft.

"There has to be a limit," Lin Yang said calmly. "I don't have that much time to fight every single one that comes my way."

"That's for sure." Liu Laohu put down his teacup, his smile deepening. "A month before the Red Stick representative competition of the Huahai Hongmen General Association begins, we will stop the challenges within the hall and finally determine one candidate."

"When will the competition begin?"

"According to tradition, it's on the eve of the Lunar New Year."

Lin Yang calculated the time in his mind.

There are still about two months until the Chinese New Year.

For the next two months, he's supposed to stay here as a henchman, dealing with the endless stream of challengers?

Think beautifully.

"Alright." Lin Yang leaned forward slightly. "But I have one condition."

His gaze swept over Liu Laohu, then drifted almost imperceptibly towards Liu Shanshan.

"I don't have that much time to waste on pointless challenges. Let them fight, compete, and battle among themselves. In the end, just pick the strongest one and notify me to come and deal with them."

These words were extremely arrogant, yet they exuded a sense of confidence.

Standing behind Liu Laohu, Liu Shanshan finally couldn't help but speak up.

"Tch, acting like nobody can beat you."

Her voice carried a hint of defiance, but the blush on her face betrayed her inner turmoil.

Liu Laohu turned around and glanced at his daughter, feigning displeasure.

"San'er, how dare you speak to Mr. Lin like that?"

He turned back and smiled apologetically at Lin Yang: "I'm sorry, Mr. Lin, my daughter is spoiled."

"fine."

Lin Yang's gaze bypassed Liu Laohu and locked onto Liu Shanshan.

"The third young lady has a very strong personality, and I like her very much."

Liu Shanshan's heart skipped a beat when he stared at her. She glared at him and turned her head away.

To openly confess one's feelings in front of someone's father—is this guy's skin made of a city wall?

Liu Laohu took in the entire interaction between the two, and a complex light flashed in the depths of his murky eyes.

"Okay." He slapped his thigh and readily agreed. "Then it's settled. Mr. Lin, you can come and fight one last match when the final selection is made."

"No problem." Lin Yang stood up. "Since the matter is settled, I'll be leaving now."

He paused, then added, "Just have Miss San inform me of the specific time."

Liu Laohu's smile grew even warmer.

"San'er, see Mr. Lin off."

Lin Yang walked in front, followed by Liu Shanshan, and the two of them walked silently through the corridor and across the courtyard.

Liu Shanshan stopped and spoke coldly only when she reached the heavy vermilion gate.

Where's your car?

"At the village entrance."

"Then you can go on your own. I won't see you off." After she finished speaking, she turned around and went back.

"Shanshan".

Lin Yang's voice came from behind.

Liu Shanshan paused in her steps.

He said in a somewhat aggrieved tone, "Aren't you going to walk me outside? It's so late and so dark, I'll be scared alone..."

Liu Shanshan turned around abruptly, looking at him in disbelief.

This guy just defeated a Hung Kuen master, and now he's telling her he's afraid of the dark?

She stared intently at Lin Yang's serious face.

"You're a grown man, afraid of the dark?"

"I'm truly impressed!"

She sighed heavily, and finally took a step forward, reluctantly walking ahead.

The two walked one after the other through the narrow alleyways of Shipai Village.

The dim streetlights cast long shadows on them.

As they approached the village entrance, Lin Yang's dark blue Porsche Cayenne was surrounded by several figures squatting by the roadside smoking.

A young thug with dyed yellow hair saw someone approaching, stood up nonchalantly, and went to greet them.

"Hey, still up so late..."

He was halfway through his sentence when, by the light of the streetlamp, he saw the woman next to Lin Yang.

His expression froze instantly, and he stood up straight, bowing at a ninety-degree angle.

"Third Sister! Good evening!"

His shout instantly roused the other thugs around him, who all stood up and respectfully greeted him.

"Good evening, Third Sister!"

Lin Yang watched this scene with great interest.

"The underlings of the gang."

Liu Shanshan was too lazy to waste words with him and gave the order directly in a cold voice.

"Call me Brother Yang."

The thugs were stunned for a moment, but they immediately reacted, turning to Lin Yang and bowing again.

"Good evening, Yang-ge!"

"Alright, everyone disperse." Liu Shanshan waved her hand, her tone leaving no room for argument. "Remember this license plate, and don't touch it again, understand?"

"Okay, Third Sister!"

The thugs, as if granted a pardon, scattered like birds and beasts, disappearing into the depths of the dark alley.

At the village entrance, only Lin Yang and Liu Shanshan remained.

The atmosphere became somewhat awkward for a moment.

Liu Shanshan stood there awkwardly, not daring to look at him.

"You can leave now."

Lin Yang didn't move, but simply reached out his hand to her.

A simple and direct action.

Liu Shanshan's body stiffened, and she instantly understood.

She bit her lower lip, a blush of embarrassment and indignation rising on her face.

She took out a black bank card from her exquisite little wallet and practically shoved it into Lin Yang's hand.

Here you go!

Her voice was both angry and anxious.

"A gigolo!"

"There's 500,000 inside. The password is my birthday. I'll text you later!"

Lin Yang took the still-warm bank card and smiled nonchalantly.

The next second, he suddenly stepped forward, opened his arms, and pulled the unsuspecting Liu Shanshan into his embrace.

"If you need my help," he lowered his head, his hot breath brushing against her earlobe, "just let me know, and I'll come right away."

"Moreover, their skills are superb; they can do everything."

Liu Shanshan's face flushed bright red, almost to the point of bleeding, and she pushed him away with all her might.

"Go to hell!"

[Inner monologue]: What kind of technology is it? I really want to know.

Lin Yang glanced at the bubbles on Liu Shanshan's head, smiled, opened the car door, got into the driver's seat, started the engine, and drove away.

As the two blinding headlights disappeared around the corner of the village entrance, Liu Shanshan remained standing there, her heart pounding.

She touched her burning cheeks, and finally, with some reluctance, picked up her phone. Her slender fingers typed a string of numbers on the screen and sent it.

The Cayenne drove smoothly on the way back to the city.

Lin Yang heard his phone vibrate slightly.

At the same time, the familiar dark blue text on his retina suddenly lit up, echoing in his mind with the system's unique cold, mechanical voice.

[Ding! Detected a gift from Liu Shanshan, the fourth in the "Soft Rice Guide": 4 RMB in cash.]

The mission "A Gift from the Fourth Target" has been completed!

[Points conversion in progress... Current conversion ratio 1:0.05, earning 25000 points.]

[Congratulations, host, you have been granted the opportunity to choose one of three special items.]

mission completed.

Lin Yang didn't look at the special item; he just let out a long sigh of relief, feeling his whole body relax.

This damn punishment—my penis is 5 centimeters shorter—is just too inhuman. It's better to avoid experiencing it if you can.