Chapter 147 — The Long-Awaited...

This Young Master Tian was none other than Tian Dongguang, the second young master of the Tian family. The last time Yang Ce had come to Donghai, he had also been driving Sun Jie's Audi R8, and Tian Dongguang had mistaken him for Sun Zhiwei. After Yang Ce gave him a thrashing, he had not nursed a grudge—on the contrary, he thought Yang Ce was tougher than he was and was always looking for a chance to learn a trick or two from him.

In fact, once he got home, Tian Dongguang had looked into it and learned that the man he had met was not Sun Zhiwei at all. But Yang Ce had left Donghai afterward, and Tian Dongguang had no way to find him.

So how could he not be thrilled to suddenly spot Yang Ce in the restaurant?

"What did you want with me? If it's about your dishes—well, I've already eaten them. How about you grab a stool and join us?" After all, Yang Ce had taken Sun Zhiwei's dishes, and he felt a little awkward about it, so he spoke politely.

Yang Juehuan's original intent had been for the server to arrange things and get the dishes out as quickly as possible; he had never expected the man to divert someone else's order.

"That'd be just great!" Tian Dongguang said happily the moment he heard it. "Then I'll gladly do as you say!" With that, he trotted off to fetch a stool, waving at the cronies at his table. "You all eat on your own—I'm going to eat at that table."

The head manager visibly breathed a sigh of relief. He had not expected the two parties to know each other, and from the looks of it, Young Master Tian seemed to hold the guests at the other table in some respect. That set his mind at ease—as long as they did not start brawling in the restaurant, he would be satisfied.

Still, the head manager was curious: just who had the clout to make the second young master of the Tian family, one of Donghai's notorious young hellions, so deferential?

Watching Tian Dongguang's antics, Yang Ce was so exasperated he almost laughed. He had only been making polite small talk—who would have thought the kid would actually take him up on it and climb right up the pole? But a word spoken was a word spilled, and now Yang Ce could hardly open his mouth to shoo him away.

He was hungry anyway, so Yang Ce simply ignored Tian Dongguang, leaving him to sit there unnoticed and unattended.

Tian Dongguang was not annoyed in the least. He just sat and watched Yang Ce eat. His main purpose was to get on closer terms with him, and after sitting down he did not even touch his chopsticks.

Yang Yongjin paid him no mind, and Lin Yanhe's parents could hardly say anything either. They could tell that Yang Yongjin was willing to talk to Tian Dongguang, so they pretended not to notice him.

Tian Dongguang was a little bored sitting there alone and wanted to strike up some conversation. Turning his head, he spotted Bao Lin beside him and clapped him on the shoulder. "Hey, brother, you run with Brother Yang?"

In Songjiang, there were really not many people who dared to speak to Bao Lin while clapping him on the shoulder like that. But he was out here on business with Yang Ce, and Bao Lin had no choice but to play the underling. If the boss had not lost his temper, how could a lackey stick his neck out and make a scene? Wouldn't that just show he had no sense of the rules?

Still, he had to give the kid credit for his sharp eyes—Bao Lin really did run with Yang Ce. So he nodded and grunted an "Mm" by way of confirming what Tian Dongguang had said.

"You look like a sturdy one. Let's find a chance to spar sometime." Tian Dongguang said, "Don't take it the wrong way, I'm not picking a fight. I run with Brother Yang too."

"Mm?" Bao Lin was taken aback. Since when does Yang Ce have a little brother like you? he thought. The way he can barely stand the sight of you, there's got to be a lot of hot air in what you're saying.

But Yang Juehuan's background was a mystery, and Bao Lin did not know much about him, so he could not be sure just what relationship this fellow in front of him really had with Yang Ce.

"My name's Tian Dongguang. What should I call you, brother?" Tian Dongguang said generously.

"Bao Lin." Bao Lin was resigned, but seeing that Yang Shuoxuan had not said anything, he had no choice but to keep humoring Tian Dongguang.

"What? Bao Lin?" Tian Dongguang was stunned. "Brother, you're not joking, are you? Your name's really Bao Lin?"

"Want to see my ID?" Bao Lin said, his face dark.

"No need for that—I believe you." Tian Dongguang said with a chuckle. "But brother, that's one hell of a name. I hear the big boss of the Songjiang underworld is called Bao Lin too."

"..." Bao Lin was speechless, his face a mask of black lines.

"Ahem, ahem." Yang Ce had just taken a sip of his drink, and at Tian Dongguang's words he choked badly, struggling to keep from spraying it out.

"Brother Yang, what's wrong?" Seeing Yang Ce cough, Tian Dongguang immediately turned and fawned.

"Nothing. You two keep talking, I'll eat." Yang Ce could not be bothered to explain. To him, Tian Dongguang was nothing more than a kid now, and he did not waste much thought on him.

Bao Lin had not intended to pay Tian Dongguang any more attention, but he had not expected Yang Ce to tell them to keep talking. With no way out, he steeled himself and resumed shooting the breeze with Tian Dongguang.

Yang Ce was afraid Tian Dongguang would pester him, so he used Bao Lin as a human shield.

"Fine, I'll go out and spar with you, all right?" Bao Lin, annoyed beyond endurance, simply stood up and said to Tian Dongguang.

"That's wonderful!" Tian Dongguang was especially keen on testing his skills, and at Bao Lin's words he immediately stood up too and ran out after him.

"Yang Ce, these two friends of yours—" Shen Yueping asked, watching their departing backs in surprise.

"Pay them no mind. Let's keep eating." Yang Ce did not much care.

To be continued.

715. Relatives

Quite a while later, after Yang Ce and the others had finished eating, Bao Lin finally came back with Tian Dongguang, whose face was swollen and bruised.

Tian Dongguang looked thoroughly dejected, while Bao Lin seemed more composed than before, betraying neither joy nor anger in his expression.

"You lost, Brother Yang. Your follower's pretty fierce too," Tian Dongguang said in a disgruntled tone.

"There's nothing strange about you losing to him." Yang Ce glanced at Tian Dongguang and smiled. "A few scrappy moves like yours—good for nothing but bluffing."

Over this stretch of time, Tian Dongguang had come to realize just how far his own skills fell short. His old reputation of being unbeatable throughout the whole family had only ever been because his men, constrained by the fact that he was the second young master of the Tian family, had gone easy on him. In truth, his martial skill was far from adequate.

Though Tian Dongguang had since hired several people to teach him martial arts, his progress had not been quick. Mastery was not something achieved overnight—did he think he was Yang Ce?

Still, despite his poor skills and his somewhat clingy nature, there was one quality about Tian Dongguang that Yang Ce genuinely appreciated: the man carried none of the airs of a young master. He solved his problems entirely through his own ability—if he won, he won; if he lost, so be it. It never occurred to him to call in his family's men to take revenge for him.

This bold, straightforward manner kept Yang Ce from growing distant with him—unlike Wang Lin, that spoiled young master who, at the first sign of trouble, wanted to borrow his family's people to retaliate against others.

Tian Dongguang no longer had the face to keep sitting there. After all, his face was covered in bruises, and he said somewhat sheepishly, "Brother Yang, that follower of yours is really something. When you have time, could you have him teach me a few moves?"