The next day, Chen Fan continuously received news from Xiang Jingzhu through various channels.
These messages, without exception, indicated which martial artists had entered the capital.
The sheer number was astonishing. The Northern martial arts world was a given, but even the Southern martial arts world had moved, with many experts arriving.
Chen Fan was not very familiar with the martial arts world, but he had heard of some of the names.
The authorities had also notified some influential and reputable figures in the martial arts world, urging them to refrain from causing trouble.
However, it was uncertain how much restraint such official notices would have.
The secular world and the martial arts world were intertwined, with a brewing storm. The final outcome was still unknown.
As for the date of the battle between Xiao Kai and Watanabe Gui Ming, it had not yet been clarified.
The general consensus was that unless the authorities explicitly forbade it, the fight would certainly not wait for a month.
After all, the authorities did not want to see numerous martial artists gathered in the capital region, becoming a source of instability. If they could not prevent the fight, then it should be concluded as quickly as possible.
By late morning, at the Long Teng branch, Chen Fan had nothing much to do until Yu Fuguo arrived again.
He had no particular business, just came to socialize with Chen Fan and, in his words, gauge the relationship between Chen Fan and Wu Chaoyang.
Clearly, the people behind him knew that Chen Fan had met Wu Chaoyang and were curious about what they had discussed.
Chen Fan brushed it off by saying Wu Chaoyang was grateful for his life-saving grace and had hosted a banquet to express his thanks.
Yu Fuguo’s subsequent invitations for Chen Fan to visit the horse farm or the Yun Jian Club were all declined by Chen Fan.
After encountering Du Fumin and Xu Yuntian, the lead through Yu Fuguo had essentially lost its value.
Following this line of inquiry, Chen Fan had considered a possibility: that they already knew his identity and were merely playing dumb.
After all, if Wu Chaoyang could find out, there was no reason why the higher-ups of the Brotherhood could not.
While they might have been fooled during their initial meetings, after these past few days, especially after the incident with Wu Chaoyang, it was impossible that they hadn't investigated his background.
The reason they hadn't taken action was out of fear of Chen Fan's skills and power.
This Northern Brotherhood, in Chen Fan's eyes, had only a veil left to lift, and its threat was diminishing! Enemies hidden in the dark were truly terrifying, but once one had sufficient understanding of an enemy, even the most formidable one would be no match for Chen Fan.
Unveiling this veil was actually quite easy; forcibly questioning Du Fumin or Xu Yuntian would surely yield results.
However, doing so would have severe repercussions and could easily lead the enemy to cut off their losses and disappear entirely, so he needed to wait.
A single Du Fumin or Xu Yuntian was far from enough.
He believed that the other party would soon make another move!
The day passed quickly. Apart from receiving a call from Xu Yuntian, who inquired about Wu Chaoyang's situation and exchanged pleasantries, nothing particularly noteworthy occurred.
As dinner time approached, Chen Fan received a call from Chen Xing’er.
"Brother, someone invited you to dinner tonight," Chen Xing’er said.
"Oh? Who?"
Chen Fan narrowed his eyes.
"Who else could it be? It's that scoundrel Han Tong," Chen Xing’er said. "He's afraid to approach you directly, fearing you'll tell his sister Han Wei, which would spell disaster for him. So, he's been pestering me to invite you to dinner. Perfect, we can fleece him!"
"Alright!" Chen Fan had nothing else planned for today and had been spending little time with Chen Xing’er recently. After a moment of thought, he agreed: "Let's go somewhere quiet."
Mainly, while Han Tong's value to him was limited, he had still been a great help, so he felt some obligation to give him face.
"He's already arranged it at the Water Pavilion. I haven't been there in a while either," Chen Xing’er said happily when Chen Fan agreed.
After hanging up the phone, Chen Fan left work and headed directly to the Water Pavilion, a renowned imperial cuisine restaurant in the capital, rumored to have recipes passed down from former imperial chefs.
Upon arrival, Chen Xing’er and Han Tong were already waiting in a private room.
"Brother!" Seeing Chen Fan, Han Tong immediately scurried over like a lackey, bowing and scraping. "It's not easy to see you these days. Have you finished investigating what you needed to?"
He had indeed tried to arrange meetings with Chen Fan several times during this period, but Chen Fan had been too busy to spare him any time.
Chen Fan replied, "Just a little bit more!"
"Sit, Brother, please sit!"
Han Tong enthusiastically pulled out a chair and winked, saying, "So, Brother, did you win over my sister?"
Chen Fan froze for a moment, then slapped him, saying, "What nonsense are you spouting?"
Han Tong put on a pained expression and said, "Brother, you're allowed to do things, but I'm not allowed to ask?"
"What do you mean 'win over my sister'? Han Tong, what are you implying? My brother and your sister they..." Chen Xing’er asked in surprise.
"Don't you two jump to conclusions."
Chen Fan was displeased and said, "How about this, Han Tong, see if your sister has some free time? I can have her come over and explain things to you both?"
Han Tong was startled and quickly waved his hands, "No, no, Brother."
"I only invited you to dinner through Xing'er because I wasn't sure if you and my sister were together," he admitted, clearly terrified of Han Wei.
Seeing Han Tong's reaction, Chen Fan's mind raced, and he bluffed, "It seems you have something to say. Speak up, and I'll decide if I need to tell your sister."
"No, Brother, there's... actually, there's nothing," Han Tong stammered.
"Fine, I'll wait until your sister asks you about it," Chen Fan said casually, then added, "Let's order the food."
"Order, order!"
Han Tong signaled the waiter to serve the dishes and then sheepishly said, "Brother, it's actually nothing big, just a trivial matter, truly insignificant."
Chen Xing’er giggled, "Then say it. If it's a small matter, I'll call Sister Han Wei and have her help resolve it. Sister Han Wei had dinner with me a few days ago."
"Is that so?" Chen Fan asked with surprise.
Chen Xing’er smiled, "Although I don't see Sister Han Wei very often, we are acquainted. A few days ago, she invited me to dinner and specifically asked me not to let you know. She asked me a lot about you, Brother."
Chen Fan was a little speechless.
Han Tong's face twitched. It wasn't because of Chen Xing’er's threat, but rather he suddenly realized that if things continued like this, his chances with Chen Xing’er were becoming increasingly slim.
He wasn't foolish; he could see that his elder sister had feelings for Chen Fan. If this relationship worked out, he and Chen Xing’er would become in-laws.
If it didn't work out, and the relationship between both parties soured, he would have even less of a chance.
Thinking this, Han Tong felt immense sadness:
Why was it always him who had to pay the price and bear the suffering?
He cleared his throat and, resigned, said, "Brother, it's like this. Um, someone has completely humiliated our entire circle, we've lost face even internationally."
"So, we have no choice but to ask for your intervention to restore our honor?"