Chapter 244 — What Are You Running Out Here For? "Half a Lover?" Wei Zhao was somewhat at a loss for words. A lover, and only half of one?

"Exactly. We announce to the world that we're a couple, but in reality, I won't fulfill any of the obligations of a girlfriend!" Sun Jingyan nodded. "From now on, you'll appear before my friends as my boyfriend!"

Wei Zhao finally realized just how he'd been conned—and what a con it was! Not only did he have to steal the data for Sun Jingyan, he now had to pretend to be her boyfriend as well!

Wasn't this deal a total loss? But these were the terms and the payment he himself had set. Who else was there to blame?

No wonder something had felt off to him earlier. It was off indeed—very much so!

"You're ruthless..." Wei Zhao had no intention of going back on his word; he wasn't so shameless as that. A promise was a promise. "But the other party's boss went to all this trouble just to make you his lover?"

"If you don't believe me, go ask him yourself. Everyone in the industry knows he has designs on me," Sun Jingyan said.

"Isn't that Wu Chengtian pursuing you? Why not get him to handle it?" Wei Zhao asked. Wu Chengtian, known as Wu the Iron Hand, was highly skilled—stealing a bit of data should be no trouble for him at all.

"I don't want to get too tangled up with him. I feel nothing for him," Sun Jingyan shook her head. "Are you trying to back out?"

"No. Where's the data? I'll get it for you." Seeing that Sun Jingyan didn't want to discuss Wu Chengtian further, Wei Zhao let it drop.

"The data is at his residence. We move tonight," Sun Jingyan said.

"Fine, tonight then." Wei Zhao didn't much care. "And I won't take that half-a-lover fee."

"That won't do!" Sun Jingyan refused flatly, shaking her head again and again. "I've told you many times before—you insisted on taking half of the other party's terms as your payment, and you confirmed it over and over. Now you want to back out?"

"I can't even refuse it?" Wei Zhao smiled bitterly.

"No! Absolutely not!" Sun Jingyan said. "You do the work for me, I pay you. That's only right!"

"Fine..." Wei Zhao was somewhat helpless, but seeing how adamant Sun Jingyan was, there was nothing he could do. After all, he had indeed agreed to it before.

As the two were talking, a gang of local thugs came running toward them, Scarface among them. As he ran, he was saying to one of the others: "Brother Guang, it's him—this brat right here! He blocked me from collecting protection money and even hit me!"

It had to be said, Scarface had quite the imagination. He had turned his own ugly business of harassing Sun Jingyan into Wei Zhao obstructing his collection of protection fees, tricking his boss into coming down here to settle the score.

When the owner of the food stall saw who was coming, his expression changed at once. He hurried to warn Wei Zhao and Sun Jingyan: "Young man, you'd better run! Brother Scarface has brought his boss down here—he's sure to teach you a lesson!"

"Ha, I haven't finished eating yet. If they want to come, let them come." Wei Zhao didn't mind in the least, unhurriedly continuing to eat his spicy skewers.

"Ai!" The skewer-stall owner sighed. He'd done all he could, and since the man wouldn't listen, there was nothing more he could do. He only hoped that when Brother Guang arrived, he wouldn't get dragged into it too!

"Hey, there are a lot of them. Are you sure you can handle it?" Though Sun Jingyan thought Wei Zhao was highly skilled, two fists were no match for four hands after all. With so many coming to make trouble, could Wei Zhao really deal with them?

"A lot of them?" Wei Zhao tossed aside the bamboo skewer in his hand. He looked up—and burst out laughing. It was an old acquaintance! And this acquaintance was shouting threats right now!

"Who dares screw around on North District turf? Do you think nothing of Brother Guang's face?" Scarface's boss swaggered over, rather full of himself, and shouted into the skewer stall.

"Ha, we meet again?" Wei Zhao gave a faint smile and looked at "Brother Guang." "They say a broken bone takes a hundred days to heal. Shouldn't you be lying at home? What are you running out here for—trying to turn yourself into a cripple?"

The moment Brother Guang saw Wei Zhao, his expression changed at once! This Brother Guang was, naturally, Zou Ruoguang, the thug boss of the North District. He had never expected that the man he'd run into at the hospital a few days ago would turn up here as well!

In the hospital, Wei Zhao's ruthlessness had left Zou Ruoguang with an unforgettable impression. The young man was a sheer violence addict; when he tormented people, he did not even blink, and he had treated Zou Ruoguang's wrist like a toy, wrenching and twisting until it broke several times over.

At this moment, Zou Ruoguang's expression was ugly. Though he had many men under him, he did not dare move lightly against Wei Zhao. In truth, his courage was quite small; he feared that if his men proved no match for Wei Zhao, his own fate today would be far worse than it had been a couple of days ago.

Last time it had been a broken wrist; this time it might well be a broken leg.

"Ha... it's you, brother..." Zou Ruoguang forced a laugh. For the moment he dared not provoke Wei Zhao, yet he did not want to lose face either, so he could only pretend to be well acquainted with him. "What a flood washing over the Dragon King's temple—family failing to recognize family! Scarface, this brother here surely wouldn't interfere with your protection racket for no reason. Tell the truth now, what actually happened?"

In fact, how could Zou Ruoguang not know that Scarface was making a mountain out of a molehill? Scarface's underlings could not possibly be so loyal to him, and Zou Ruoguang had long since heard word of what had happened before.

As for stepping in for Scarface even after knowing the truth, on one hand it was because Scarface was his underling no matter how one looked at it; when a underling was bullied, the boss naturally had to step forward.

On the other hand, it was also because he had been taught a lesson by Wei Zhao over the weekend and dared not strike back, leaving him pent up inside, so he had meant to discipline a few others and vent his anger. In the end, he ran into Wei Zhao again here, and Zou Ruoguang silently cursed his rotten luck.

Scarface was stunned. He had not expected that the moment their leader arrived, his attitude would change, and he instantly realized something was off. That he could rise to lead the area around the market meant he was no fool.

Brother Guang had come to stand up for him, yet his attitude toward Wei Zhao was exceedingly friendly, which gave Scarface a bad premonition. Could this man truly be a ruthless figure, one whom even the leader had to treat with respect?

"I'm sorry, Brother Guang... it was me who stirred up trouble. I only said a couple of words to this... this big brother's woman..." Scarface did not try to argue his way out; he knew that at a time like this, Brother Guang was going to make an example of him.

"Smack!" Zou Ruoguang slapped him across the face. "That'll teach you to show off! Now apologize!"

"I'm sorry!" Scarface apologized to Wei Zhao and Sun Jingyan without missing a beat.

"All right, enough of the act. I haven't got the time to watch you two put on a show." Wei Zhao waved his hand with some impatience. "Boss, the bill!"

"This..." The skewer stand owner was not a man lacking in street sense. Seeing that even Zou Ruoguang dared not offend Wei Zhao, how would he dare take Wei Zhao's money? "No need, brother. This meal is on me, no charge..."