Chapter 113: Lanbao's Father

"Grand… Grandfather?" Lanbao's father was momentarily disconcerted. Having traversed the underworld for years, this was the first time someone dared address him so. Could this young man be the choice of his daughter? Perhaps a formidable youth indeed?

"Young man, do you know who I am?" he demanded sternly, his fearsome demeanor capable of frightening children. Yet, to intimidate Zhang Fan, he was far from sufficient.

"I do not," Zhang Fan admitted with honest simplicity, leaving Lanbao's father speechless. How should he proceed now?

"You're being rude, young man. This is my father," Lanbao interjected, tapping Zhang Fan's forehead in a pretense of reprimand. Her half-hearted act was so obvious that even a child could see through it, let alone a seasoned underworld figure like her father.

"Alright, you two conspiring against me? Interesting. Come inside, I've been waiting," Lanbao's father said with a laugh, waving them into the house.

"Teacher Lanbao, you're not using me as a shield, are you?" Zhang Fan quickly caught on to the situation, realizing the play at hand.

"Brat, you should consider this an honor," Lanbao retorted, her cheeks flushing briefly before she leaned close to Zhang Fan, whispering threats.

"You could have warned me," Zhang Fan sighed, understanding her intentions. Why did she have to choose him, her student?

"What are you whispering about?" Lanbao's father interrupted, his authoritative voice booming, his usual sternness returning. Calling him 'grandfather' indeed seemed an understatement.

"So, Teacher Lan… Sister, should you not introduce your father to me?" Zhang Fan asked upon settling in the living room, deciding to play along with Lanbao's scheme. He had intended to address her as 'Teacher' but swiftly corrected himself after her glare, though calling her 'sister' felt odd.

"Right, father, let me introduce you. This is Zhang Fan, an S-class Martial Detective of the Assault Department in Tokyo Martial Detective High. And father, you already know your own identity – a figure in the underworld," Lanbao boldly introduced, blatantly acknowledging her father's underworld connections.

"Zhang Fan? The famed master of guns and swords?" Lanbao's father, Xiang Tianxiong, seemed familiar with Zhang Fan's reputation, which wasn't surprising. As a prominent underworld figure, he would naturally gather information on powerful martial detectives, friend or foe.

"I'm flattered, but you can just call me Zhang Fan. However, I'm curious, why do you and Teacher Lanbao have different surnames?" Zhang Fan inquired modestly, followed by a question that had been on his mind.

"I chose for her to take her mother's surname, to honor her memory. The name Xiang Tianxiong is not one to be proud of," Xiang Tianxiong explained with a hint of sorrow. As a leader in the underworld, he had many enemies. Lanbao's mother had died in a conflict with rivals when Lanbao was only three. In her memory, he let Lanbao carry her mother's name. To his surprise, Lanbao fully inherited the Xiang family's traits and grew up to be a formidable S-class martial detective, feared even by his enemies.

"I see. My apologies for bringing up a painful memory," Zhang Fan said, realizing he had touched on a sensitive topic. He was struck by the depth of emotion shown by a man of Xiang Tianxiong's stature, contrasting with the cold-heartedness often found in the underworld.

"It's in the past. Let's talk about you two now. Didn't I arrange a match for you? Why did you bring your own man back?" Xiang Tianxiong brushed off the melancholy and turned his attention to Lanbao.

"I've said it before – I'll choose my own man!" Lanbao declared defiantly, even referring to herself in a domineering manner in front of her father, a display that both Zhang Fan and Xiang Tianxiong found overwhelming.

"That's a problem. I've already set the date for the arranged meeting with the Blue Gang," Xiang Tianxiong expressed his concern over his headstrong daughter.

"I wonder, Uncle, is this arranged meeting for the benefit of the gangs, or is it truly for Teacher Lanbao's happiness?" Zhang Fan asked boldly, a question that might provoke anger from Xiang Tianxiong but felt necessary to ask.

"Inter-gang affairs always involve interests. But this arrangement is indeed for her happiness. After all, they are from similar backgrounds and should be compatible," Xiang Tianxiong explained surprisingly calmly, acknowledging the practicality of such unions.

"I won't go, no matter what," Lanbao asserted, uninterested in marrying into the underworld and preferring a martial detective, perhaps someone like Zhang Fan.

"Don't be stubborn; you have to attend this arranged meeting!" Xiang Tianxiong insisted, his tone leaving no room for argument.