173: Chapter 173 Brave!

In October, the evening wind in Yancheng already carried a chill.

Xu Weidong drove a standard dark gray sedan, merging into the traffic on the main road of Haiyang District.

The car was borrowed from his father's garage; it cost just over a hundred thousand, had been driven for several years, and the leather on the steering wheel was worn smooth and shiny.

Mu Ruxue sat in the passenger seat, holding her phone, scrolling through the photos taken at the engagement party today with a smile on her lips.

"Brother Comrade Weidong, look at this one. Auntie is holding my hand, smiling so happily."

She handed him the phone. Xu Weidong glanced over and laughed, "My mom is just smiling because you're pretty. She wouldn't smile like that for anyone else."

Mu Ruxue rolled her eyes at him, took back the phone, and continued scrolling through the photos.

Outside the car window, the night in Yancheng gradually unfolded. Neon lights lit up one by one, and the silhouettes of the skyscrapers looked particularly spectacular in the twilight.

They were leaving Haiyang District and needed to cross two main roads to get to Grandpa Ning's house in the West District.

This was something Xu Tianhua had specifically requested: after the engagement party, take Mu Ruxue to visit Elder Ning.

The old man was advanced in age and couldn't easily come out, but he was thinking of this junior.

The car waited at a red light at the intersection. Xu Weidong tapped his fingers lightly on the steering wheel, his mind occupied with what to say when he met Grandpa Ning later.

Mu Ruxue suddenly turned her head to look at him, her voice as soft as the wind.

"Brother Comrade Weidong, will Grandpa Ning not like me?"

Xu Weidong glanced at her and reached out to gently pat the back of her hand.

"That won't happen. Grandpa Ning is someone who dotes on the younger generation the most; you'll see once we get there."

The green light turned on. Xu Weidong released the brake, and the car slowly drove through the intersection.

Just as he passed the zebra crossing, a dull thud suddenly came from behind, and the whole car lurched forward violently.

Xu Weidong's body slammed hard against the steering wheel. Mu Ruxue let out a scream, and her phone flew out, landing on the floor mat.

Xu Weidong steadied the steering wheel, stepped on the brake, and pulled over to the side of the road.

His expression darkened; he unbuckled his seatbelt, pushed the door open, and got out.

The car behind was a black luxury sedan with a dented front bumper and headlight fragments scattered all over the ground.

His own rear bumper was also deformed, the trunk lid was popped up, and the bumper was askew.

A middle-aged man in a flashy shirt stumbled out of the luxury car's driver seat. He had a potbelly, a face as red as a monkey's butt, and reeked of strong alcohol.

A woman also got out from the passenger side, wearing a tight dress. She had a hot figure, wore heavy makeup and large sunglasses, and had long hair draped over her shoulders. Her waist swayed like a water snake as she walked.

Mu Ruxue also got out of the car. When she saw the woman, she paused for a moment, then leaned into Xu Weidong's ear and whispered something.

"Brother Comrade Weidong, that's a celebrity. She's acted in several period dramas."

Xu Weidong glanced at the woman and recognized her. Indeed, she was a second-tier celebrity who often played the second female lead in TV dramas.

He didn't look for long, his gaze falling on the middle-aged man. His voice was not loud, but very calm.

"Have you been drinking?"

The middle-aged man squinted at him, looked him up and down, then glanced at his beat-up car, a look of disdain curling his lips.

He took out his wallet, pulled out a stack of bills—about ten or so—and tossed them onto the roof of Xu Weidong's car.

"Bad luck. Take the money and get lost; don't waste my time."

Xu Weidong looked at the stack of bills on the roof, then at the middle-aged man's face, which was as red as pig liver, and frowned slightly.

He did not reach for the money, his voice remaining calm.

"You rear-ended me; you are fully liable. I have already called the police. We will wait for the traffic police to handle it."

The middle-aged man's expression changed. He glared at Xu Weidong, his voice rising an octave.

"Call the police? What the hell are you calling the police for? I gave you money, what else do you want? Do you know who I am?"

The celebrity also walked over, wearing a mask that revealed only her eyes. She glanced at Xu Weidong, then at Mu Ruxue.

Her lips curled slightly, but she didn't speak, standing beside the middle-aged man as if watching a show.

"I don't care who you are."

Xu Weidong leaned against the car door, arms crossed over his chest, his tone indifferent.

"You're driving under the influence, you rear-ended me, and you think you can just pay and leave? This is Yancheng, not your countryside."

The middle-aged man was enraged by these words, pointing at Xu Weidong's nose, spittle flying.

"Who the hell are you calling countryside? I've been in Yancheng for twenty years, what haven't I seen? You poor ghost driving a piece of junk, who are you trying to act tough in front of?"

While cursing, he took out his phone, dialed a number, and turned his back on Xu Weidong. His voice was lowered, but still audible.

"Hey, Brother Wang, it's me, Lao Wu. Something happened in Haiyang District; I rear-ended someone... No, it's that I'm being extorted by some asshole. Come over and have a word with the traffic police here."

After hanging up, he turned around and glared at Xu Weidong, his gaze filled with a vicious 'just you wait' look.

He walked over to the celebrity, put his arm around her waist, and whispered something in her ear. The celebrity gave a coy whimper and punched him in the chest.

The traffic police arrived quickly; a police motorcycle pulled over to the side of the road.

Two young traffic police officers walked over, inspected the scene, took photos, and then walked up to the middle-aged man and saluted.

"Comrade, please show your driver's license and vehicle registration."

The middle-aged man impatiently took his documents out of his pocket, tossed them to the officer, and muttered.

"Hurry up and deal with it; I have things to do."

The officer took the documents, glanced at them, then at him, and frowned.

"Comrade, have you been drinking?"

"I had a little, so what? I'm not drunk."

The officer ignored him, took out a breathalyzer, and handed it over.

"Comrade, please cooperate and blow."

The middle-aged man's expression grew even uglier. He shoved the breathalyzer away, his voice rising another octave.

"Blow what? I said I'm not drunk! Do you know what kind of relationship I have with your bureau chief?"

The younger traffic officer glanced at him, then at Xu Weidong, his eyes showing the helplessness of encountering another troublesome character.

The older officer remained composed. Holding the breathalyzer, he said in a tone neither servile nor overbearing, "Comrade, please cooperate with law enforcement. If you do not cooperate, we can take mandatory measures in accordance with the law."

Just as the middle-aged man was about to explode, his phone rang.

He glanced at the caller ID, and his voice changed instantly, adopting a fawning smile: "Brother Wang, you've arrived? Yes, yes, yes, I'm right here, come on over."

A black SUV pulled over to the side of the road. A middle-aged man in a jacket got out; he was burly, with a face full of flab, and looked like bad news at first glance.

He walked over, glanced at the traffic police, then at Xu Weidong, and finally walked over to the middle-aged man and whispered a few words.

The middle-aged man nodded repeatedly, the smile on his face growing more smug.

The middle-aged man turned around, looked at Xu Weidong, and pulled another stack of bills from his pocket.

This time it was even more, about three or four thousand yuan, which he tossed onto the hood of Xu Weidong's car.

"Take the money and get lost; don't refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit."

Xu Weidong looked at the stack of bills on the hood, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly with an indefinable coldness.

He turned around, took out his phone from his pocket, and dialed a number.

It rang twice before being answered, the voice on the other end steady and polite.

"Is that Comrade Weidong? Elder Ning is waiting for you. Have you arrived?"

Xu Weidong's voice was not loud: "Uncle Chen, something happened in Haiyang District; I was rear-ended. I might be a little late. Could you please let Grandpa Ning know?"

Secretary Chen on the other end was silent for a second. His voice remained steady but carried a hint of concern: "Comrade Weidong, are you okay? Is it serious?"

"I'm fine, just a minor accident. It's just that the other party is driving under the influence, has a bad attitude, and isn't cooperating."

Xu Weidong glanced at the middle-aged man, his voice still calm.

"It might take a little longer."

Seeing Xu Weidong making a phone call, the middle-aged man's anger flared up even more. He pointed at Xu Weidong, his voice like thunder.

"Oh, calling for backup? Do you think you're the only one with connections? Let me tell you, on this patch of land in Yancheng, who doesn't know the power of Fifth Master? Even if you called the district government leaders here, they couldn't do anything to me!"

He strode over, snatched the phone from Xu Weidong, and roared into the receiver: "Who the hell are you? Let me tell you, you can't handle this!"

"If you're smart, stay out of it, or I'll deal with you too! I am Fifth Master; who in Haiyang District doesn't know me? If you've got guts, come here!"

There was silence on the other end. The middle-aged man laughed triumphantly and threw the phone back to Xu Weidong.

He turned around, put his arm around the celebrity's waist, and walked toward his luxury car.

Xu Weidong thought to himself, *Braveheart* was just an average movie; how could it compare to the bravery of the man in front of him?