Upon hearing Lin Xiao's words, the two teens were left in utter bewilderment. They were hardly minions of Brother Tiger. Granted, Brother Tiger was far from being a significant figure in Jinghai City, yet he held a bit of clout in the Yongnan District.

Merely students fascinated by the underworld, they had learned about 'Brother Tiger' from local thugs during their escapades. Later, they spent all their savings on a drink with Brother Tiger, managing to secure his contact information after a few words of conversation. With this, they falsely assumed the identity of Brother Tiger's underlings, an act that proved effective on numerous occasions.

This reputation was their weapon against Lin Xiao, or so they thought. Contrary to their expectations, Lin Xiao seemed unimpressed, even daring to challenge them directly, leaving them dumbstruck.

Despite their initial shock, they now found themselves in a quandary. Looking at Lin Xiao's calm demeanor, they ground their teeth and retorted, "Well, just wait and see."

They huddled together, whispering briefly before one of them pulled out his phone. Descending to the first floor, he dialed a number that was promptly answered.

"Hello, Brother Tiger? Yes, it's me, Little Zhang, your former companion..."

"I need a favor, Brother Tiger..."

"Yes, yes, I understand Brother Tiger is busy, I wouldn't ask you to come without compensation. I'm prepared to offer 5,000 yuan as a gesture of gratitude."

“I am aware such a sum might seem trivial to Brother Tiger, but consider it a token of goodwill. I'm willing to raise my offer to 8,000 yuan, just for you to make an appearance."

"Thank you, Brother Tiger. Rest assured, it's just a white-collar guy we're dealing with, it should be a piece of cake."

"Alright, I'll eagerly await your arrival, Brother Tiger."

***

Upstairs, Yuan Yu watched one of the teenagers descending. She turned to the remaining one, her expression tense, "What are you doing? Leave now or I'm calling your parents."

"Yuan Yu, do as you please. I won't rest until he learns his lesson today," the remaining teen retorted, his gaze fixated on Lin Xiao with palpable animosity.

"You..." Yuan Yu, fuming, stared at the teen but found herself powerless against their antics, a fact evidenced by their constant harassment.

She whispered to Lin Xiao, "Brother Lin, perhaps it's best you leave first. That Brother Tiger isn't to be trifled with."

Even though Yuan Yu seldom ventured out, having resided in Yongnan District for over a decade, she had heard whispers of Brother Tiger. His actual strength remained a mystery to her, but she was certain he wasn't someone to be taken lightly.

As for Lin Xiao, she knew he was her brother's army companion and a retired soldier. The specifics of their service were unknown to her due to confidentiality, so she assumed they served in an ordinary unit.

Lin Xiao, noticing Yuan Yu's unease, reassured her with a comforting smile, "Don't worry, everything's under control."

He wasn't certain if this Brother Tiger was the same person he had encountered days earlier, but what did it matter? Even if it wasn't him, the situation might get more complicated, but the outcome would remain the same.

Witnessing Lin Xiao's unflinching calm, Yuan Yu put aside her concerns. Despite their brief acquaintance, she held unwavering trust in Lin Xiao. Though apprehensive, she held her tongue. If Brother Lin insisted it was fine, it surely would be.

Minutes later, the teen who made the call returned, a smug grin plastered on his face. "Brother Tiger will arrive shortly. I can't wait to see how arrogant you'll be then," he taunted Lin Xiao.

Lin Xiao merely offered a dismissive smirk, disregarding them and instead consoling Yuan Yu.

Seeing Lin Xiao brush them off and engage with Yuan Yu intimately sent a surge of rage coursing through the two teenagers. However, recalling Lin Xiao's formidable abilities, they managed to rein in their tempers.

"Wait and watch. You'll be crying soon," the two teens assured themselves.

About a dozen minutes later, a van halted in the complex where Yuan Yu resided, out of which several hulking brutes, wielding steel pipes, descended.

The most striking among them was the bald, burly man leading the pack. His left hand was encased in white plaster and slung around his neck with a white gauze strap.

A young man, who had been anxiously waiting downstairs, perked up at their arrival, hurriedly waving his hand and shouting, "Brother Tiger, Brother Tiger, over here."

Hearing the boy's call, the brawny men, led by Brother Tiger, ambled in his direction.

"Brother Tiger… what happened to you?" The young man's eyes widened upon noticing Brother Tiger's cast, asking with a tinge of bewilderment.

In his mind, anyone daring to harm Brother Tiger, a well-known figure in Yongnan District, was unimaginable.

A shadow crossed Brother Tiger's face. The memory of the incident a few days ago flashed through his mind. It still filled him with a sense of foreboding, despite the passing days.

"That's none of your concern. Where's the person you want me to deal with?"

"Brother Tiger, he's upstairs. I'll lead you there. He's a piece of cake, just a pretty boy."

Sensing Brother Tiger's reluctance to elaborate, the young man dropped the subject, his heart pounding with trepidation over who could have had the audacity to harm Brother Tiger.

"Fine, let's hurry. I'm pressed for time."

"Yes, Brother Tiger."

With that, he guided Brother Tiger and his crew up the stairwell.

Meanwhile, the boy upstairs heard the approaching footsteps, his face twisting into a sardonic grin as he addressed Lin Xiao, "Brother Tiger has arrived. Your end is here."

"Is that so?" Lin Xiao peered towards the stairwell, a mischievous smile playing on his lips as Brother Tiger ascended.

The boy crowed triumphantly, "Ha, I bet you're regretting now, aren't you? But it's too late."

However, he was oblivious to the horror-stricken face of Brother Tiger, now halfway up the stairs behind him, looking as if he'd seen a ghastly beast.

At this moment, Brother Tiger felt as if he was walking into a trap. As Lin Xiao had guessed, this was the same Brother Tiger he had thoroughly trounced a few days ago.

After that harsh encounter with Lin Xiao, Brother Tiger pulled a lot of strings to escape the police's clutches.

Ever since his release, he had been nursing his wounds and trying to shake off the recent streak of bad luck. Bored at home, he had decided to hit the bar with his buddies for some diversion, but before they could unwind, a call had arrived, beckoning him to 'teach someone a lesson'.

He was initially reluctant, but the promise of easy money and a supposedly easy target swayed him.

But was this the 'easy target'?

Upon seeing Lin Xiao on the second floor, a pang of regret seized Brother Tiger. He wished he could slap himself and make a quick exit.

He was genuinely scared of Lin Xiao. His previous victim was still hospitalized, and he had no wish to share his fate.

Yet, looking at Lin Xiao's smirking face, he swallowed his fear and trudged up to the second floor.

"Brother Tiger, it's him. This is the guy. Rest assured, as soon as you take care of this pretty boy, your reward will be promptly delivered."

Due to the dim lighting, the two young men failed to notice the change in Brother Tiger's complexion. Upon his arrival upstairs, they excitedly pointed at Lin Xiao.

They stared at Lin Xiao, their faces beaming with smug anticipation as if envisioning the forthcoming spectacle of Lin Xiao's humiliation.

However, their smugness was abruptly replaced with stunned disbelief in the next moment.

"Hello, big brother."