After breaking up with my boyfriend, I made a fortune and rose rapidly in my career.

Chen Ping helped his mother into the supermarket; Li Xiufang's hands were still trembling slightly.

"Lie it flat, are those people really not coming back?"

"No, it won't happen again." Chen Ping poured his mother a glass of hot water. "Mom, you and Dad rest first. I'm going out to take care of something."

Chen Dashan sat in the chair, his face still pale. He looked at his son, his lips moved, but in the end he just nodded.

Chen Ping walked out of the supermarket and lit a cigarette.

The disciplinary committee's car had long since driven away, and the streets had returned to quiet.

My phone vibrated.

Guo Xiaojun sent a message: "Pingfang, there's some movement from Liu Laosan's side. He's calling for reinforcements; it looks like he's going to make a move tonight."

Chen Ping stopped walking and quickly typed a few words on the screen: "How many people?"

"More than twenty, all of them desperate criminals," Guo Xiaojun replied quickly. "Call the police immediately, don't confront them head-on."

Chen Ping didn't reply to the message; instead, he found a number called "Old Nine" in his contacts.

He pressed the dial button.

The phone rang three times before a deep male voice came from the other end: "Mr. Chen."

"Old Ninth, I'm in the old county town, I need your help."

"Please speak."

"Bring twenty brothers over; they'll be there within half an hour."

"clear."

Chen Ping hung up the phone and turned to walk back to the supermarket.

He pushed open the back door and saw a line of words carved in red paint on the door frame: "Mind your own business, your whole family will die."

Chen Ping stared at the line of text, his knuckles turning white from gripping the phone so tightly.

……

Nine o'clock in the evening, at the entrance of Chen's Supermarket.

The streetlights were on, and the surrounding shops had all closed early.

Several vans stopped at the intersection, the doors opened, and more than twenty thugs wielding steel pipes jumped out.

The leader was Liu Laosan, a bald man with a blue dragon tattooed on his neck.

He held a cigarette in his mouth, looked at the sign of Chen's Supermarket, and smiled disdainfully.

"Where's that kid Chen Pingfang? Get out here right now!"

Hearing the noise, the neighbors immediately closed their windows and didn't even dare to turn on the lights.

One of Liu Laosan's henchmen stepped forward, swung a steel pipe, and smashed it against the supermarket's glass door.

Splash!

Glass shattered all over the floor.

"Chen Pingfang, you dare to mess with Director Liu? Today I'll teach you what rules are!" Liu Laosan's voice was loud. "Hand over the recording, and I might spare your life."

The supermarket was quiet.

Liu Laosan frowned, about to wave for someone to rush in.

The supermarket doors opened.

Chen Ping walked out, wearing a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and a cigarette between his fingers.

Liu Laosan was taken aback at first, then laughed.

"Oh, you actually dare to come out?" Liu Laosan walked up to Chen Pingfang and patted him on the shoulder with his steel pipe. "I thought a coward like you who sits in an office would hide inside and call the police."

Chen Pingfang didn't speak, but simply raised his head and glanced at the end of the street.

Liu Laosan followed Chen Pingfang's gaze and looked over, but there was nothing there.

"Playing tricks." Liu Laosan sneered. "Brothers, give it to me..."

Before he could finish speaking, a row of blinding car lights suddenly lit up at the end of the street, followed by the roar of engines.

Several black SUVs sped up and came to an abrupt stop in front of the supermarket.

The car door opened, and about thirty burly men dressed in black got out.

The man in the lead was in his forties, with a buzz cut and a scar on his face.

He strode up to Chen Pingfang, bowed slightly, and said respectfully, "Mr. Chen, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

The smile on Liu Laosan's face froze instantly.

His henchmen behind him were also dumbfounded.

Chen Ping slowly and deliberately flicked his cigarette ash, his gaze landing on Liu Laosan: "Liu Laosan, right?"

Liu Laosan swallowed hard, his hand gripping the steel pipe began to tremble.

“Who…who are you?”

Chen Ping didn't answer, but turned to Lao Jiu and said, "Clean it up."

"clear."

With a wave of his hand, Lao Jiu immediately surrounded him.

Liu Laosan and his gang tried to escape, but it was too late.

In less than three minutes, all twenty-odd thugs were pinned to the ground, their steel pipes scattered everywhere.

Liu Laosan's legs went weak, and he knelt on the ground, his face deathly pale.

Chen Ping walked up to him, took off his coat and casually tossed it to the person next to him, then slowly and deliberately unbuttoned his shirt cuffs. His face was expressionless, but his movements exuded a chilling aura.

"How much money did Wang Jianzhong give you?"

Liu Laosan's lips trembled, and he couldn't utter a single word.

Chen Ping was too lazy to ask any more questions. He simply reached out and grabbed Liu Laosan by the neck, pinning him firmly against the wall.

Liu Laosan's face flushed red instantly, and he grabbed at himself haphazardly.

One of the henchmen couldn't stand it and tried to rush forward, but Chen Ping didn't turn around, snatched the steel pipe from him, and slapped him on the leg.

Click.

The henchman's leg broke, and he fell to the ground with a scream.

Chen Ping released his grip, and Liu Laosan collapsed on the ground like a lump of mud, panting heavily.

"I'll ask you one more time." Chen Ping squatted down, pressing a steel pipe against Liu Laosan's throat, "How much money did Wang Jianzhong give you?"

"Five...five hundred thousand..." Liu Laosan's voice trembled. "It was Sun Zhigang who contacted me...he gave me those additives and told me to put them in the Chen family's warehouse..."

"Where's the recording?"

"It's...on my phone..."

Chen Ping reached into Liu Laosan's pocket, took out his phone, and opened the call log.

It contains several recordings of phone calls with Sun Zhigang.

Chen Ping clicked on one of the messages.

"Liu Laosan, is everything settled?"

"Don't worry, the item has been put in. Director Liu will check it tomorrow."

"Good, this time we must make sure that Chen Pingfang can't recover. Mayor Wang said that once it's done, the project payment for you will be credited to your account immediately."

After listening, Chen Ping put his phone in his pocket. He stood up, took his coat and put it back on, straightening his collar as if nothing had happened.

"Ninth Brother, clean it up."

"clear."

Chen Ping turned and walked back to the supermarket without looking back. His heart-wrenching cries were immediately muffled by someone covering his mouth.

……

Inside the supermarket, Chen Dashan and Li Xiufang were still sitting on their chairs, their faces full of tension.

Chen Ping walked in and smiled at them: "Dad, Mom, it's alright now."

"Lie it flat, those people outside..." Li Xiufang's voice was still trembling.

"They're all gone." Chen Ping poured himself a glass of water. "No one will bother us anymore."

Chen Dashan looked at his son, his lips moved, but he ultimately didn't say anything.

Chen Ping patted his father on the shoulder: "Dad, there are some things you don't need to ask. I know what I'm doing."

Chen Dashan was silent for a moment, then nodded.

Chen Ping walked to the window and looked at the empty streets outside.

He took out his phone and opened the recording he had just received.

Chen Ping opened his contacts and sent a message to Guo Xiaojun: "Old Guo, help me check Sun Zhigang's recent financial transactions."

Guo Xiaojun quickly replied, "What happened?"

"I obtained evidence that Sun Zhigang framed my father."

"I'll check right away."