Chapter 24: The Turmoil of Demolition

The new project manager was a man of swift action. On just his second day, he insisted on inspecting the area, determined to secure the land. Ye Fei and several other security guards were temporarily assigned to the task, in case any emergencies arose.

This was an old residential district. Skyward Company had long intended to develop here, but negotiations over the compensation for demolition had stalled, so no one had moved out. The delay dragged on for months, holding up the company's development project, with construction yet to begin.

When the Skyward Company team arrived, Ye Fei noticed many idle young men wandering the streets, their gazes sharp and predatory, as if wolves sizing up prey.

“Manager Wang, these people are all locals. The young ones used to work out of town, but when they heard about the demolition, they all returned. They're much more difficult than the older folks, and some are troublemakers. Many households have been riled up by them to demand higher compensation,” explained an uncle familiar with the area.

Wang Bing listened and nodded as his secretary took notes.

Their group consisted of eight: Project Manager Wang Bing, his assistant who doubled as driver, his female secretary, the local uncle, and four company security guards including Ye Fei and Xiao Li.

Barely had they stepped out of the car when they were surrounded by a group of young men.

A youth with a streak of red-dyed hair slouched forward, eyeing Wang Bing with insolence. “You lot from Skyward Company? Here to talk about demolition payments?”

Wang Bing remained silent, but his male assistant spoke up. “We are from Skyward Company. The compensation for the demolished houses will be paid to all villagers according to regulations.”

Red Hair swaggered forward, grinning. “House prices are soaring. The demolition money you offer barely covers buying a new place, not to mention renovations. We’re living comfortably here, and moving elsewhere brings us no benefit. Only a fool would agree to demolition.”

Wang Bing frowned. “Once our company's first phase is completed, local residents will have priority to purchase, with discounts—effectively a free upgrade to new homes. The policies are very generous. Besides, this is a city-supported project; making trouble won’t help you.”

“You threatening me? I’m not some pushover. If you don’t give new houses and compensation, forget about demolishing our homes,” Red Hair shouted.

“Yeah, Skyward Company get out!” the youths jeered. They all wanted a windfall; news reports often featured locals getting rich from hefty demolition payouts. Hearing their own neighborhood was up for demolition, the young men who had worked out of town returned to “defend their homes”—all to push up the compensation.

Red Hair even reached out and shoved Wang Bing.

Ye Fei and the other guards immediately stepped in. Though he disliked Wang Bing’s arrogant manner, duty demanded he handle such situations.

“Let go,” Ye Fei commanded, gripping Red Hair’s neck with one hand and tossing him aside.

“Hey! They hit me! Skyward Company’s people are beating us—they’re going to kill someone! Go call everyone!” Red Hair wailed, sprawled on the ground. His loud cries quickly drew a crowd of villagers.

Dozens surrounded the eight from Skyward Company.

“Don’t misunderstand! The guards acted impulsively. We’re here to discuss demolition—please calm down,” Wang Bing quickly explained.

“They hit us!”

“Skyward Company’s here to force demolition! Bringing thugs to bully us!” The villagers erupted in angry shouts. Wang Bing saw the situation spinning out of control and barked at Ye Fei, “Who told you to start hitting people? Go apologize! If you ruin this with your impulsiveness, don’t bother coming back to work!”

Damn it. Ye Fei’s anger flared. He shot Wang Bing a cold look and retorted, “I’m done with this. Whoever wants to deal with it, let them.”

He shoved through the crowd, shouting, “Move! I need to use the bathroom. Do whatever you want.” With that, Ye Fei strode off to find a restroom, leaving the others behind.

Xiao Li and the other guards exchanged helpless glances. None dared walk away as boldly as Ye Fei; they struggled on, protecting Wang Bing.

“Damn, Wang Bing deserves it. If he gets beaten up, it’s his own fault for driving Ye Fei away. If these villagers start a fight, who’ll stop them?” Xiao Li fumed inwardly.

The other guards felt the mounting pressure. They were just ordinary security guards, unsure if they could match the villagers one-on-one. Their earlier courage had stemmed from Ye Fei’s presence.

Though Ye Fei had left in anger, Red Hair and his group refused to let things go, continuing their relentless harassment. Both sides clashed over “beating people” and “demolition compensation.” The villagers wanted new homes and a payout, but Skyward Company wouldn’t agree to such costly terms. Negotiations stalled.

Suddenly, someone hurled a stone, striking Wang Bing squarely on the forehead. Blood quickly welled up in a frightening lump.

“Call the police!” the secretary exclaimed in panic, her first instinct to seek help from the authorities.

But her action provoked the villagers—they surged forward, snatched her phone, and smashed it. The confrontation erupted.

“Get Manager Wang in the car and to the hospital!” Xiao Li called out.

The three guards rushed forward, but were quickly overwhelmed. Red Hair and the other youths, eager for chaos, struck from the shadows, escalating the violence.

Xiao Li and his team had only wanted to get Wang Bing and the others safely away, but after being assaulted themselves, tempers flared—they fought back against the villagers.

The other two guards were surrounded and beaten, barely able to resist. Xiao Li, a former soldier, managed to injure two villagers before being swamped by the outraged crowd.

Wang Bing and his team were beaten as well.

Just then, Ye Fei returned from the restroom. Seeing the chaos, he rushed over. He could ignore Wang Bing, but Xiao Li was a friend—he couldn’t stand by as Xiao Li was assaulted.

“Stop!” Ye Fei shouted, still some distance away.

“He started it! This bastard dared come here and hit people—don’t let him escape!” Red Hair’s eyes lit up at the sight of his enemy.

“Ye Fei!” Xiao Li called.

Ye Fei charged in. Against these violent locals, he didn’t bother with restraint; his blows knocked opponents down one after another, quickly rescuing Xiao Li.

Xiao Li’s clothes were torn, his face bruised and filthy, marked with shoeprints.

“What’s the matter with you? Why bother helping that idiot—let him get beaten up and learn his lesson,” Ye Fei said.

Xiao Li managed a bitter smile; he couldn’t be as nonchalant as Ye Fei.

“Alright, let me check on the others,” Ye Fei said, standing up.

Except for the female secretary, the rest had been badly beaten. The secretary, spared physical blows because she was a woman, nevertheless had mud and handprints all over her clothes—especially her chest, which was covered in smeared marks, evidence of the young men’s opportunistic groping. Her face, neck, and short skirt were also marked—she’d been touched everywhere.

The secretary stood trembling.

Ye Fei gathered everyone together; the men were all battered and bruised.

“Can you drive? Go get the car!” Ye Fei said to Wang Bing’s assistant.

The man nodded hurriedly and ran to fetch the vehicle.

Red Hair, emboldened by numbers, tried to block them, but Ye Fei grabbed his neck and hurled him six or seven meters away.

At last, under Ye Fei’s protection, the eight climbed into the car and left.

But today’s events would surely leave Wang Bing with a lasting lesson.