169: Find fault

Li Zhan hung up the phone.

The softness on his face vanished instantly, his gaze becoming sharp and cold, and the air around him seemed to freeze.

"What's wrong?"

Lin Xia keenly sensed his change, the smile on her face fading as she asked with concern.

Li Zhan quickly suppressed the harshness in his eyes, patted the back of her hand, and offered a reassuring smile.

"It's nothing, don't worry. There's a small problem at the club, and my subordinates can't handle it, so I need to go check it out."

He turned his head and instructed Big Ox, who was carrying various bags, "Big Ox, take Miss Lin back. Ensure her safety."

Although Lin Xia was somewhat puzzled, seeing Li Zhan's calm demeanor and thinking of his current status and influence in Changan Town, she relaxed and nodded obediently.

"Alright, then take care of yourself. I'll go back and wait for you."

"Mn, go back and try on your new clothes."

Li Zhan smiled at her and watched as she and Big Ox walked toward the parking lot exit.

Only when their figures disappeared into the crowd did the smile on his face completely fade, replaced by a deep chill.

As he walked quickly toward his car, he dialed A Shen's number again. His voice was cold.

"What exactly happened? Explain it clearly..."

On the other end of the line, A Shen's voice still carried panic and anger.

"Brother Zhan... It's a Deputy Captain surnamed Wang from the Changan Fire Brigade!

He brought five or six people over, saying it was a surprise inspection.

He's nitpicking, insisting that we have clutter in the fire escape, that several fire extinguishers have slightly low pressure, and that an emergency light isn't working..."

"These are clearly minor issues that could be resolved with a simple heads-up, but they are blowing it out of proportion. They issued a notice of rectification with a deadline and even said they want to temporarily seal off two private rooms in the VIP area.

Sister Hua went to communicate with them earlier, and that bastard... that Deputy Captain Wang spoke in a sarcastic, snide manner, and his eyes were off. It's clear he's here to look for trouble!"

Li Zhan sat in the driver's seat, his eyes narrowing. "Deputy Captain Wang? Why is he looking for trouble?"

A Shen's voice on the other end was filled with frustration and uncertainty.

"Brother Zhan, we don't know exactly where we offended him... Looking at his attitude of being 'official' while deliberately nitpicking, it doesn't feel like it's his own idea. It seems more like... like he was sent by someone to specifically cause trouble!"

Sent by someone?

Li Zhan's gaze tightened, and he instantly understood.

As the saying goes, it's easier to deal with the King of Hell than the little devils.

Although he, Li Zhan, had risen rapidly in the Changan underworld and become king, the time had been too short.

His reputation and influence were mostly limited to the underground level and a few high-ranking officials, such as town leaders and leaders of the Sub-bureau...

For the vast number of mid-level and grassroots officials in the government system, they might not understand the situation of the Changan underworld at all.

They only know the little power they hold and are accustomed to maximizing its use—or even abusing it—within their jurisdiction to gain some twisted sense of satisfaction or benefit.

It seems his deterrent power is still far from enough.

Any Tom, Dick, or Harry dares to jump out, and without even showing their face, they can just send some cannon fodder to pull the tiger's whiskers?

A cold, faint smile curled the corners of Li Zhan's mouth.

That's fine...

He could just use this opportunity to establish his authority using this ignorant "little devil" and the mastermind who might be behind him.

Let those self-righteous officials in Changan Town, who hold iron rice bowls and wield petty power, open their eyes and see clearly who is the one person in this Changan Town who truly cannot be provoked!

"Alright, I understand."

Li Zhan's voice returned to calm. "Find a way to appease them first, don't get into direct conflict. Call Old Zhou and Shui Sheng, and have them bring people over immediately. I'll be there soon."

"Understood, Brother Zhan!"

After hanging up, Li Zhan stepped on the gas, and his car shot toward "Heaven on Earth" like a black arrow.

—— At the entrance of the Heaven on Earth nightclub

Just as Li Zhan's car came to a stop, A Shen and Sister Hua, who had been waiting at the entrance, immediately came up to meet him.

Sister Hua was wearing a proper professional suit today, her makeup exquisite, but between her brows was an unconcealable worry and fatigue.

Seeing Li Zhan, she seemed to have found her backbone; she immediately stepped forward to take his arm, her red lips slightly parted, wanting to lean in and whisper something.

Li Zhan gently raised his hand to stop her.

His gaze swept over the slightly tense atmosphere around them. "We'll talk later. Where are they?"

Sister Hua immediately understood, swallowed her words, nodded, and pointed inside the lobby.

At this moment, two black SUVs also sped up.

Old Zhou and Shui Sheng, along with a few brothers with sharp eyes and capable movements, quickly got out of the car and stood silently behind Li Zhan.

Li Zhan adjusted his collar, his expression calm.

With Old Zhou, Shui Sheng, A Shen, and Sister Hua, the group walked into the lobby with steady momentum.

In the magnificent lobby, the music had stopped, and the lights were much brighter than usual.

Most of the guests had been evacuated or arranged to watch from a distance.

Only a few people in blue firefighter uniforms were particularly conspicuous; they were standing in front of a fire hydrant, pointing and gesturing with an air of seriousness.

The leader was a man who looked to be in his thirties, slightly chubby, with a belly that was already starting to show signs of weight gain.

He wore glasses, his hair combed meticulously, trying to create a sense of authority.

However, those small, shrewd eyes that flickered with a hint of superiority, along with his slightly raised chin, betrayed his inner bluffing and habitual posturing.

He was none other than Deputy Captain Wang of the Changan Fire Brigade.

Seeing Li Zhan's group walk in, especially sensing the cold, unusual aura on Old Zhou, Shui Sheng, and the others, a trace of imperceptible panic flashed in Deputy Captain Wang's small eyes.

But immediately, he puffed out his chest, trying hard to maintain his official dignity.

Li Zhan walked straight up to them, his gaze falling calmly on Deputy Captain Wang...

His powerful aura made those few firefighters subconsciously take half a step back.

Deputy Captain Wang's heart skipped a beat, and he secretly groaned.

He knew that anyone capable of opening such a large nightclub in Changan was definitely not someone to be trifled with.

The young man in front of him had calm eyes but carried an invisible sense of oppression, and the subordinates behind him had sharp gazes; one look told him they were not to be messed with.

He couldn't help but regret why he had tried to act like a big shot at the dinner table yesterday, taking up the words of that Section Chief Sun from the Municipal Government Office and patting his chest, guaranteeing that he would give "Heaven on Earth" a taste of trouble.

Now he was truly riding a tiger and hard to get off.

But he still feigned calmness, puffed out his slightly protruding belly, and spoke first, his tone carrying official jargon.

"Are you the person in charge here?

We are from the Fire Brigade, conducting a surprise fire safety inspection.

The problems here are very serious!

The fire escape is cluttered, fire extinguisher pressure is low, emergency lighting is ineffective...

These are major safety hazards!

You must rectify them immediately!

We have already legally sealed off the relevant areas temporarily..."