Chapter 379: Turn Their Tricks Against Them

Chapter 379: Turn Their Tricks Against Them

Guangzhou.

Yuexiu South Bus Station.

A bus from Nanning slowly pulled into the station.

"Ancestor Ninth, the bus we had a conflict with is this one from Nanning."

Deng Silong said, "We have already investigated, and the driver of this bus is also the owner of the large bus. He is a local from Guangzhou and, in addition to this bus, he owns five other large buses. Among these six buses, two run to Nanning, two to Guilin, and two to Wuzhou. He is quite a capable individual entrepreneur."

Deng Shirong said, "Once all the passengers have left, you can go and question him as I instructed."

Deng Silong replied, "He will definitely not admit it."

Deng Shirong said, "It doesn't matter if he admits it or not. I have my ways to determine if Ah Qiang was indeed beaten by his people."

Deng Silong nodded and said, "Alright, the passengers have almost all left. We will go and question him now."

"Good, go ahead, but make sure you don't start a fight."

He then added, "Of course, if they start it, don't just stand there and take it. You must defend yourselves."

"Understood, Ancestor Ninth."

Deng Silong responded and then led four or five clan brothers towards the Nanning bus.

Deng Shirong did not follow but stayed in his car, observing the situation through the system space's perspective.

...

As the passengers were getting off and collecting their luggage, Wang Wantong, sitting in the driver's seat, lit a cigarette and started smoking slowly.

When the cigarette was almost finished and the passengers had left with their luggage, Wang Wantong was about to get out to take his nephew for a meal.

Just as he was about to move, he saw a few of his "enemies" walking over together. Wang Wantong immediately tensed up, but when he saw that they were unarmed, his heart calmed down.

Soon, Deng Silong and his group approached Wang Wantong. Without any small talk, they got straight to the point and asked, "Wang, our Ah Qiang was beaten up the other night. Was it you who did it?"

Wang Wantong replied, "You can eat anything, but you can't say anything. What does it have to do with me if your people were beaten up?"

Deng Silong coldly laughed, "Whether it has anything to do with you, you know it in your heart. It's just that we haven't caught you yet. Otherwise, you wouldn't be sitting here talking to us now."

Wang Wantong's face darkened as he said, "Are you threatening me?"

Deng Silong said indifferently, "This isn't a threat, but the truth. You'd better not give us a reason to catch you, or you'll regret it."

Wang Wantong coldly laughed, "I'm not afraid of anything. This is Guangzhou, not your hometown. If you start trouble here, don't think I won't make you pay."

Deng Silong sneered, "You won't admit to beating someone, no matter how much you boast. I consider it all hot air."

Wang Wantong narrowed his eyes and said, "I'm not a fool. I won't admit to something I didn't do."

Deng Silong coldly snorted and then turned to his clan brothers and said, "Let's go."

Then, they walked away.

Wang Wantong's nephew had been watching the entire scene. Once they were far enough away, the nephew said, "Uncle, what are they trying to do?"

Wang Wantong coldly laughed, "Their people were beaten up, and they don't know who did it. They suspect it was us, so they came to probe us. They think they can trick me with such a small trick. They are too naive."

The nephew laughed, "Uncle, you really know how to handle things. You secretly set traps for them, and no matter how they guess or ask, you just won't admit it. As long as we don't get caught, they can't do anything to us."

"Even the police need evidence. Without evidence, they are afraid of wrongfully accusing someone."

"Uncle, your strategy is really impressive."

Wang Wantong smiled. He was in his forties, and in the 1970s, he was an envied driver. In the 1980s, he saw the potential in the bus industry and took a loan to buy a large bus to start long-distance routes.

Over the years, he had accumulated six large buses, bringing him substantial profits every day.

However, with the rise of the bus industry, competition became inevitable.

Facing competition, Wang Wantong, who had a somewhat domineering personality, began to secretly instigate conflicts and then have his people beat up the drivers of his competitors.

The importance of a driver to a bus is self-evident. If a driver is injured, the bus has to stop running. A few times can be tolerated, but if it happens too often, the competitors would start to suspect what was going on and be forced to change their routes.

Over the years, Wang Wantong had forced at least three competitors to change their routes, and one competitor even had to exit the bus industry entirely.

Wang Wantong was extremely proud of these results.

He had long understood that in this era, making money depended on who had the bigger fists. If you were weak, you had no place in the bus industry.

He knew that in some places, bus stations were considered the territory of certain individuals. All buses operating from these stations had to join the bus company they ran, and the company would take a significant portion of the profits.

If a bus operator didn't want to join their company, they would have to switch to a different city. Otherwise, they would face constant beatings from the company's "thugs" until they either quit the business or agreed to their terms.

Compared to these people's tyranny, Wang Wantong felt he was already quite merciful. As long as no one competed with him for routes, there would be no problems.

Now, it seemed that the fellow operators running the Nanning route were getting a bit too arrogant. It looked like the beating the other night wasn't enough; they would need a few more.

...

Through the system space's perspective, Deng Shirong had a clear understanding of what had happened.

After Deng Silong and the others returned, they recounted the conversation. Deng Silong concluded, "Ancestor Ninth, he still didn't admit it."

Deng Shirong said, "You guessed right; it was indeed them who did it."

Deng Silong, who had deep faith in Ancestor Ninth's judgment, immediately reached for a steel pipe in the driver's seat and said, "Damn, it was this bastard. Brothers, let's get our weapons and go avenge Ah Qiang."

Deng Shirong shook his head, "Ailong, don't rush. It's broad daylight; if you go and retaliate openly, do you really think the police are just for show? If you want to get back at them, do it secretly. Learn from their methods and don't give them any leverage."

Deng Silong put the steel pipe down and said, "Ancestor Ninth is right; I was too hasty. I'll arrange for someone to follow that guy and find an opportunity to put a sack over his head. We'll make sure Ah Qiang's injuries are repaid twofold."

"Leave this to me; I'll handle it. You focus on driving."

"Ancestor Ninth, we have people in Guangzhou. Just give the word if you need us to act."

"No need. I'll find someone else, but you should be on high alert. Once I have them taken care of, they will suspect you and might send people to retaliate."

"Ancestor Ninth, don't worry; we aren't easy to bully."

...

Wang Wantong took his nephew out for a meal, planning to return home and rest after they finished eating.

As for the large bus he had just driven back from Nanning, another driver would take over.

All the long-distance buses under his name were driven by a single driver throughout the journey, rather than two drivers taking turns.

This allowed him to work one day and rest the next.

In contrast, the large buses of Tenglong Bus Company were driven by three drivers. One driver would be on leave while the other two were on the bus, taking turns to drive. This prevented driver fatigue and made the journey much safer.

Since he earned a good income, Wang Wantong didn't skimp on food. At a restaurant, he ordered several dishes and a few bottles of beer, and he and his nephew enjoyed their meal.

After they were full and satisfied, it was over an hour later. As they left the restaurant, his nephew, still smelling of alcohol, said, "Uncle, those guys were pretty aggressive. Should we send someone to lie in wait and deal with them tonight?"

Wang Wantong replied, "Not yet. They will be on guard now, and sending someone to lie in wait won't give us an opportunity to act."

His nephew said, "We don't need to use underhanded tactics. Send a few more people and go after them directly. This is Guangzhou, our territory; they won't stand a chance against us."

Wang Wantong said, "If too many people are involved in a beating, it could attract the police. If the police intensify their investigation, it will cause us trouble. It's better to find a chance to put a sack over their heads in secret. Just injuring one or two people, not seriously, and with the difficulty of investigation, the police won't spend too much time on it."

His nephew said, "Uncle, you always think ahead."

At that moment, two bricks, seemingly from nowhere, flew rapidly towards Wang Wantong and his nephew.

Before they could react, the bricks hit their shins with precision. The sudden, intense pain made them both cry out and fall to the ground, curling up like shrimp, clutching their shins and gasping for breath. Cold sweat immediately broke out on their foreheads.

From a distance of several hundred meters, Deng Shirong observed that their shins were likely broken and would take months to heal. Satisfied, he left.

Breaking their legs was just to avenge Ah Qiang. Next, he would deal with them in business.

Since they liked to use tactics, Deng Shirong, with his system space, was unparalleled in this world when it came to playing such games.

...

Ajiu Liu was a driver. Even though it was already the late 1980s, being a driver wasn't as coveted as it was in the 1960s and 1970s, but it was still a highly respected profession with a higher income than many other industries.

Ajiu Liu was a long-distance bus driver. Even though it was already the late 1980s, being a driver wasn't as coveted as it was in the 1960s and 1970s, but it was still a highly respected profession with a higher income than many other industries. Each time he went out on a trip, he had to drive the entire journey alone, which often lasted over ten hours, making it a very arduous task.

Fortunately, he could rest for a day after driving for one, which helped him manage the workload. Today, it was Ajiu Liu's turn to drive again. He had rested well and, after having the attendant check the number of passengers to ensure everyone was on board, he started the vehicle and drove towards the exit, heading for Guilin, Guangxi.

However, as soon as the bus started and hadn't even traveled ten meters, all six tires mysteriously developed holes. Within a few seconds, all six tires were completely flat.

Ajiu Liu quickly got out to check and saw that all six tires were flat. His eyes widened in disbelief. The tires were fine before he started the journey, and the bus had only traveled a few meters before all six tires were ruined. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn't have believed such a thing could happen.

At that moment, the attendant also got out and saw the scene, his face showing a similar shock.

The attendant asked, bewildered, "What's going on?"

Ajiu Liu shook his head, "I have no idea. I've never encountered anything like this before."

The attendant frowned, "What should we do now?"

Ajiu Liu replied, "We'll have to get someone to come and fix the tires."

The attendant said, "Calling someone to fix six tires will take at least a couple of hours. If the tires are badly damaged, it could take even longer. What about the passengers?"

Ajiu Liu said, "There's nothing we can do about it. We'll have to ask them to wait."

The attendant sighed, "I'll inform the passengers. You better find someone to fix the tires quickly."

Ajiu Liu nodded, "Alright."

The Yuexiu South Bus Station wasn't very large, so the news of all six tires going flat spread quickly throughout the station. Everyone came to see what was happening, including some members of the Ye Deng Clan, who laughed at the misfortune.

The passengers on the bus were naturally very unhappy. Who didn't value their time? Being delayed for a couple of hours would make anyone upset. However, there was nothing they could do; in those days, getting a bus was not easy, so they had to wait.

The waiting time was the hardest to endure. After three and a half hours, the six tires were finally fixed, and the attendant, who was the boss's representative, paid for the repairs. It was already around 6:00 PM.

Both Ajiu Liu and the other passengers had taken the opportunity to have dinner while the tires were being fixed. Setting off at this time was perfect, as they wouldn't need to stop for food along the way.

Ajiu Liu quickly got back into the driver's seat. But before he could start the vehicle, he saw a snake coiled up on the windshield, its tongue flicking out at him. The sudden appearance of the snake made Ajiu Liu scream in fright and jump out of the vehicle immediately.

This scene shocked the attendant and the passengers.

One of the passengers, who was closer to the front, also saw the snake and rushed to the door, shouting, "Oh my God, there's a snake in the bus!"

The other passengers, who initially didn't know what was happening, also scrambled off the bus, fearing they might be bitten if they were too slow.

After about ten minutes, the snake was killed. Experienced people identified it as a non-venomous grass snake.

However, after this terrifying experience, none of the passengers dared to get back on the bus.

Even Ajiu Liu, the driver, was too scared to drive the bus. The day's events had been too strange. First, all six tires went flat, and then a snake appeared on the bus. He couldn't help but wonder what other bizarre things might happen next.

In short, Ajiu Liu now wanted to go home and pray to the gods to ward off the evil spirits. No matter what, he wasn't going to drive this bus today.

The attendant was also shaken by the day's events and didn't want to continue on this trip.

Moreover, the passengers were unwilling to get back on the bus and went to the ticket office to request refunds. They refused to ride on this "cursed" bus.

The news quickly spread throughout the station, sparking intense discussions. In an era with limited entertainment, such a mysterious and bizarre story easily became the top gossip, with people talking about it non-stop.

Among those who heard the news, the members of the Ye Deng Clan and the bus operators who had been forced to change their routes by Wang Wantong's underhanded tactics were particularly delighted.

After deciding to cancel the trip for the day, the attendant went out to call the boss and report the situation.

However, after waiting for over ten minutes, the boss still hadn't called back. The attendant tried calling again but still received no response after another ten minutes.

Thinking that the boss had been driving for a long time and might already be asleep, the attendant gave up and decided to report the situation to the boss the next day.

He naturally didn't know that his boss had already been sent to the hospital, where he was in excruciating pain!

...

In the following days, the entire Yuexiu South Bus Station was in turmoil.

Each of Wang Wantong's six large buses began to experience frequent accidents just before departure.

Sometimes the bus tires would suddenly lose air, or a snake, a rat, or a swarm of cockroaches would suddenly appear on the bus. Other times, the windshield would crack, or the brakes would fail and bring the bus to a sudden stop.

In short, all sorts of strange things happened, and no one could find a reason, making everything seem very eerie.

Moreover, news spread that a few days ago, Wang Wantong had been hit by two bricks that came out of nowhere, breaking his right shin. He was now in the hospital receiving treatment!

With so many bizarre events happening at once, everyone came to the same conclusion: Wang Wantong, the boss, must have been targeted by some unclean force, which was causing all these strange things to happen.

No matter what era it was, there were always superstitious people, and the people of Guangdong were especially so.

Anyone who had worked in Guangdong knew how to distinguish between locals and outsiders: if a household had altars for deities, it was almost certainly a local. If not, it was definitely an outsider.

This shows that the people of Guangdong were quite superstitious.

The drivers of Wang Wantong's six large buses were all local Guangdong residents. When the buses they drove began to experience these inexplicable strange events, they all believed that their boss had been targeted by some unclean force.

To avoid being implicated, every single driver chose to resign.

As experienced drivers, they were in high demand in this era and had no trouble finding new jobs. There was no need for them to get involved in such eerie matters.

With the drivers resigning, Wang Wantong's six large buses were completely shut down.

Wang Wantong was both depressed and increasingly afraid. When he and his nephew were hit by the bricks that flew out of nowhere and broke their legs, he immediately looked around but saw no one. He had no idea where the bricks had come from.

Combined with the various strange incidents involving his buses, he felt that he must have been cursed.

So, Wang Wantong immediately asked his wife to find a master to consult, hoping to find a way to resolve this crisis.

...

All of this was, of course, the work of Deng Shirong. With the system space, he had become extremely adept at such tactics. He intended to make it impossible for Wang Wantong to continue in the bus industry, a strategy known as "turning their tricks against them," a technique from the Gu Su Murong family.

As Wang Wantong's six large buses were shut down, the Tenglong Bus Company, under Deng Shirong's direction, quickly took over the three routes.

Thus, passengers on these routes were not affected at all during this period.

It's unknown what the master told Wang Wantong, but a week later, he had someone spread the word at the bus station that he was selling his six large buses and planning to exit the bus industry entirely.

The price he asked was not high, but no one at the bus station dared to take them over.

Reluctantly, Wang Wantong lowered the price several times, preparing to sell the buses at a significant discount.

To be honest, many people were interested, but no one was willing to take the risk.

After all, everyone at the bus station knew about the strange incidents involving these six buses. Who would dare to take over such cursed vehicles? If they were targeted by some unclean force, they would lose both their investment and their business.

No one dared to take that risk.

Ultimately, under Deng Shirong's instruction, the Tenglong Bus Company sent someone to buy the six large buses at a rock-bottom price.

These six large buses never reappeared at the bus station, and no one knew if similar strange events continued to occur.

With this, the matter was considered resolved.

Due to Deng Shirong's ingenious operations, Wang Wantong never suspected that this was the work of his competitors. After all, many of the incidents were unexplainable by science, and the master had also said it was the work of unclean forces, which Wang Wantong naturally believed.

Having perfectly resolved the matter, Deng Shirong boarded the clan's large bus, preparing to return to Nanning.

As he sat on the bus, closing his eyes to rest while waiting for the bus to depart, a familiar voice filled with surprise came from nearby: "Uncle, we meet again."

Deng Shirong opened his eyes and saw the young woman he had met twice before, couldn't help but marvel at how small the world was.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end