Chapter 450: What Did You Just Say? I Didn't Hear Clearly, Could You Repeat It?

Chapter 450: What Did You Just Say? I Didn't Hear Clearly, Could You Repeat It?

It was 10 PM, the peak time for late-night snacks.

At Zhang's Snail and Duck Feet Hotpot on Nanning Snack Street, the Zhang family of four was busy.

Ever since his sister and brother-in-law showed them the way, Zhang Shouguo and his wife spent money to learn the skills of making snail and duck feet hotpot from a master chef. This dish was quite popular in Guangxi, and their snail shop had been doing very well since it opened.

Moreover, their brother-in-law had provided them with long-term rent-free space, which significantly increased their profit margin without the pressure of rent.

Zhang Shouguo has three children. His eldest son, Zhang Bohui, is 18 years old, and his second son, Zhang Bohu, is 16. Both brothers inherited the Zhang family's genes and had no talent for studies, so they barely finished junior high school and dropped out.

Only his daughter, Zhang Boqiu, had decent academic performance and was currently attending Longtan Junior High School.

At the moment, it was naturally his two sons who were helping out in the shop.

In fact, not only was Zhang Shouguo's business thriving, but his three younger brothers' businesses were also doing well. The four brothers' shops were adjacent to each other, which made it convenient for them to look after each other.

While the Zhang family of four was busy, a group of people, with cigarettes in their mouths, walked over with a swagger that seemed to ignore all familial ties. They all looked quite unruly, and although they had no tattoos, their demeanor clearly indicated they were not good people.

Zhang's wife, though somewhat nervous, greeted them politely: "Bosses, please come in and take a seat."

The leader, a young man with a buzz cut, responded and found a seat. He ordered three snail and duck feet hotpots, a case of beer, three dishes of peanuts, and three dishes of sunflower seeds. The group then sat down and began chatting as if no one else was around.

Once the beer, peanuts, and sunflower seeds were served, they started playing dice and drinking.

This was a common scene in the night market, as many diners along the street were also playing dice and drinking.

Seeing that they had no intention of causing trouble, Zhang's wife gradually relaxed. The other diners also paid no attention and continued to enjoy their meals with their friends.

Unnoticed, the time had passed midnight, and the number of diners on the snack street began to dwindle.

In Zhang Shouguo's shop, all the other diners had paid and left, leaving only the unruly group.

At this point, the unruly diners had finished their meal. The young man with the buzz cut suddenly called over Zhang Shouguo: "Boss, come here for a moment."

Zhang Shouguo walked over and asked with a smile: "Bosses, do you need anything else?"

The young man with yellow hair next to him took a puff of his cigarette and blew it towards Zhang Shouguo, reminding him: "Boss, just saying thank you isn't enough. We, the Wolf Gang, need to eat too. You should know what to do."

Zhang Shouguo, though he understood, still asked: "Brother, what do you mean?"

The young man with yellow hair frowned: "Boss, are you really that clueless or just pretending?"

The other young men also glared at Zhang Shouguo, ready to start a fight at the slightest provocation.

Seeing this, Zhang's wife immediately gave her eldest son a look, and Zhang Bohui quickly slipped out of the shop to call for his uncles.

Zhang Shouguo still maintained a smile: "I really don't understand. Could you please enlighten me, brothers?"

The young man with yellow hair said coldly: "Boss, I'll be straightforward. Since our Wolf Gang is protecting your snail shop, you should pay us a monthly fee. I'm sure you have no objection to this, right?"

Zhang Shouguo's smile faded: "So, you're here to collect protection money?"

The young man with the buzz cut replied calmly: "That's right. Let me tell you, our Wolf Gang has over a hundred brothers. Not only your snail shop, but all the shops on this snack street have to pay us protection money."

Zhang Shouguo frowned: "Brothers, this is a small business. I ask for your mercy."

"Bang!"

The young man with yellow hair suddenly lost his temper, slamming his hand on the table and shouting: "Stop your bullshit. I'm asking you one thing: will you pay the protection money or not? If you pay, your snail shop will be safe. If you don't, don't blame us if something happens to your shop."

At this moment, Zhang Bohui had already brought his three uncles and the relatives who helped them, all wielding steel pipes.

The Zhang family of four knew how chaotic the times were. They ran a late-night snack business, and the night was the domain of certain people. Having steel pipes ready in the shop was a necessary precaution.

When Zhang Bohui and the others rushed back, they saw the young man with yellow hair slamming the table at his father. Anger flared up immediately, and he led the charge, pointing the steel pipe at the yellow-haired youth and shouting: "Damn it, you dare to cause trouble in our shop? Are you sick of living?"

Zhang Shoumin, Zhang Shoujun, Zhang Shoushan, and others also rushed in with steel pipes and asked, "Brother, what happened?"

The young man with the buzz cut and his group saw that seven or eight people had suddenly rushed in with steel pipes, and their faces changed dramatically. They immediately grabbed small stools for defense and shouted, "Don't do anything rash!"

Zhang Shouguo extended his hand to stop his eldest son and replied, "They are here to collect protection money."

Among the four brothers, Zhang Shoujun had the most volatile temper. Upon hearing this, he immediately cursed, "Damn, you must be blind! You actually dare to collect protection money from us? You've got some nerve!"

The young man with the buzz cut's face turned very grim. He had originally thought that the small business owners on the snack street would absolutely not dare to provoke their Wolf Gang. As long as they asked, collecting protection money would be an easy task.

However, he did not expect that the owner of this shop would not be afraid of them at all, and it seemed that the owner had some power on this snack street. He could easily call in seven or eight people with weapons, which was completely unexpected.

If he had known this would happen, he would have brought more brothers, and they wouldn't be in such a passive position now.

However, they were used to the rough life, and fighting was a daily occurrence for them. They were not about to be scared by a few people with steel pipes.

The young man with the buzz cut said coldly, "Boss, think carefully. Are you sure you want to oppose our Wolf Gang?"

The young man with yellow hair also threatened, "Our Wolf Gang has over a hundred brothers. If you dare to touch us, none of you will escape, and your snail shop won't be able to stay open."

"Is the Wolf Gang so impressive? People from Bobai are not afraid of threats."

Eighteen-year-old Zhang Bohui was in the prime of his youth. With his aunt as a powerful backing, he was not afraid of the Wolf Gang in Nanning. He looked at his father and asked, "Dad, should we take them out?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere between the two sides became tense.

The commotion had already attracted the attention of the other shop owners and customers nearby. Chinese people love to watch the spectacle, and seeing the conflict, they all gathered around to find out what was happening.

When they realized that someone was trying to collect protection money, the faces of the other snack shop owners changed instantly. They were most afraid of this in their business, having to hand over a sum of money every month, which was a painful memory for many business owners in the 1980s and 1990s.

Initially, they were just here to watch, but now they realized it was also relevant to them. They all stretched their necks to see how the situation would develop.

Zhang Shouguo stopped his eldest son again and looked at the members of the Wolf Gang, asking sternly, "Do you know who the big boss of this snack street is? You dare to collect protection money on his territory? Does your Wolf Gang want to be wiped out?"

As the saying goes, it's better to lose a battle than to lose face. Although the situation was dire, the young man with the buzz cut still sneered, "Do you think we're scared?"

If it weren't for the need to do business safely, Zhang Shouguo would have had no hesitation in taking these guys out. But he would have to stay and do business here in the future. As the saying goes, it's easy to dodge a direct attack but hard to guard against a hidden one. If this issue wasn't resolved thoroughly, there would definitely be more trouble to come.

Not to mention, if one day someone was well-prepared and brought a group of people to slash and cut, it would really be a matter of life and death.

Thinking about this, Zhang Shouguo said to his second son, "Ah Hu, go call your aunt and tell her what's happening here."

Zhang Bohu responded and ran out to find a phone booth to call his aunt.

After his second son left, Zhang Shouguo said to the members of the Wolf Gang, "I'm a businessman and don't want any violence. My son has already informed the big boss of the snack street. You should also send someone to tell your leader to come and handle this matter personally."

The young man with the buzz cut felt a weight lifted off his chest. He said to one of his brothers, "Xiao Liu, go back and tell the boss what happened."

The young man named Xiao Liu responded and then put down his stool, slipping out of the snail shop under the watchful eyes of Zhang Bohui and the others, to bring reinforcements.

Zhang Shouguo then said, "Gentlemen, put down the stools, have a cup of tea to sober up, and we'll talk when the others arrive."

The young man with the buzz cut led the way in putting down his stool, and the other young men followed suit.

Zhang Shouguo waved his hand, and Zhang Bohui and the others also put away their steel pipes. The tense atmosphere immediately eased.

Seeing this, Zhang's wife brought a pot of tea and served it to them.

The atmosphere had already turned sour, and the young men with the buzz cut and his group did not speak, just sitting quietly and drinking tea.

At the same time, they were pondering who the big boss of the snack street could be.

From the sound of it, the owner of the snail shop seemed to suggest that the big boss of the snack street had immense power, capable of wiping out their Wolf Gang at any moment.

The young man with the buzz cut was half-convinced, half-doubtful. Although their Wolf Gang was relatively new, they did have over a hundred members and were a significant force in Nanning, with many merchants paying them protection money.

Such a force was not something just anyone could take down easily.

However, the shop owner in front of them appeared very confident, despite knowing the strength of their Wolf Gang. Clearly, in his mind, the boss of the snack street was much more powerful than their Wolf Gang.

Less than ten minutes later, three cars drove into the snack street and stopped in front of Zhang's Snail and Duck Feet Hotpot. Deng Shirong and his two sons, along with several security personnel, got out of the cars.

"Uncle Jiu!"

"Uncle Jiu!"

"Uncle Jiu!"

Zhang Shouguo and the others greeted Deng Shirong respectfully.

Deng Shirong nodded and looked at the young man with the buzz cut and his group, asking, "Are these the ones who came to collect protection money?"

Zhang Shouguo nodded and said, "Yes, Uncle Jiu. I've already had them send someone back to inform their boss. He should be here soon."

Deng Shirong sat down on a stool and said, "Let's wait for their boss to arrive."

Soon, more than ten motorcycles arrived, each carrying three people armed with standard weapons, exuding a formidable presence. These were the security personnel from the Wuyue Square.

They stood quietly on the side, ready to act on command.

At this moment, the faces of the young man with the buzz cut and his group turned pale. Although their Wolf Gang had over a hundred members, it was difficult to gather even a few dozen people on short notice, let alone rush them here in such a short time.

The other side had managed to gather so many people so quickly, and these people clearly weren't to be trifled with. It was evident that the other side was indeed powerful, and they might have really bitten off more than they could chew tonight.

Three minutes, five minutes, ten minutes...

The waiting was undoubtedly the hardest part, especially for the young man with the buzz cut and his group. Under the watchful eyes of so many people, every second felt like an eternity. They silently prayed that their boss would arrive quickly; they were struggling to hold their ground.

To pass the time, they even took the initiative to pay for their meal.

The onlookers, including the diners, began to murmur among themselves.

"Is the Wolf Gang's boss really too scared to show up?"

"He shouldn't be. If the Wolf Gang's boss doesn't show up tonight, they won't be able to survive in Nanning!"

"Why is it taking so long? If he doesn't come soon, the situation will be over."

"That's understandable. It's late, and they need to gather people and get here, which takes time."

"How did the shop owner manage to gather so many people so quickly?"

"Haven't you heard? He notified the real boss of the snack street. The one who controls such a large snack street must have immense power!"

"You're right. Looks like the Wolf Gang is in for a rough night."

"..."

The other snack shop owners couldn't help but feel excited. The strength of the snack street's big boss was good news for them.

After several more minutes, a large truck drove into the snack street and parked next to the three cars. Several dozen armed Wolf Gang members jumped out of the truck.

The security personnel brought by Deng Shirong immediately stepped forward to confront the Wolf Gang members.

The passenger side of the truck opened, and the Wolf Gang's boss, Duan Ping, stepped out with a "burning stick" in his hand and a cigarette in his mouth. He asked arrogantly, "Who wants to see me?"

Deng Shirong stood up and asked calmly, "You're the boss of the Wolf Gang?"

Duan Ping spat the cigarette on the ground and said proudly, "That's right. I'm the boss. What do you want?"

Deng Shirong pushed aside the two security personnel guarding him and walked up to Duan Ping, saying, "This snack street is my territory. Sending people to collect protection money shows that you don't respect me."

Duan Ping suddenly pointed his "burning stick" at Deng Shirong and sneered, "I don't respect you. What are you going to do about it?"

He wasn't a fool. The moment he got out of the truck, he noticed that the other side had as many people as his own. But he was a man of the streets, and even if he knew the other side was formidable, he had to maintain a tough stance.

Otherwise, how could he lead his gang or compete with other forces for territory?

"Father, be careful!"

"Uncle Jiu, be careful!"

"Boss, be careful!"

Seeing this, everyone on their side couldn't help but feel tense.

After all, this was a "burning stick." If it accidentally went off, that would be no laughing matter.

However, Deng Shirong's reaction caught everyone by surprise. He suddenly moved, snatching the "burning stick" from Duan Ping's hand with a speed that left no room for reaction, and then pointed it back at him, saying, "What did you just say? I didn't hear clearly, could you repeat it?"

This move stunned everyone on the scene.

Even the highly skilled retired soldiers were taken aback by their boss's bold action. This wasn't a movie; in real life, who would dare to make a move when someone was pointing a "burning stick" at them?

Let alone grabbing the "burning stick" directly. Such a move was almost miraculous. If it went off by accident, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Duan Ping was also stunned. He never dreamed that there would be someone like Deng Shirong, who would dare to snatch the "burning stick" from his hand and actually succeed. Could such a fearless person really be a billionaire owner of a snack street?

Weren't rich people usually more afraid of death?

How could this billionaire snack street owner seem even less afraid of death than Duan Ping, the leader of the Wolf Gang?

With money, connections, and fearlessness, Duan Ping knew he couldn't afford to provoke such a person. With the "burning stick" now pointed at him, he couldn't care less about his reputation and immediately conceded, "Boss, I was wrong. I apologize. I was blind. Since this snack street is your territory, we will never interfere here again. I hope you, the great man, can forgive us."

Deng Shirong stared at him for a full half-minute, making Duan Ping feel extremely uneasy. Finally, he put the "burning stick" away and said, "From now on, if you come here to eat, all the snack street owners will welcome you. But if you dare to collect protection money again, don't blame me for wiping you out."

Duan Ping sighed in relief and quickly replied, "Boss, rest assured. I guarantee this won't happen again."

Deng Shirong then said, "Also, spread the word for me. The snack street and Wuyue Square are my territories. I don't want any forces coming here to collect protection money."

"Understood, Boss. I'll spread the word tomorrow."

As he agreed, Duan Ping couldn't help but laugh bitterly. Damn, if he had known that the snack street and Wuyue Square were owned by the same person, he would never have sent anyone to collect protection money here! After all, everyone in the underworld knew that Wuyue Square had dozens of retired soldiers conducting military training there. Since Wuyue Square opened, no one had dared to come there to collect protection money.

Seeing that the matter was resolved, Deng Shirong waved his hand and said, "Alright, it's late. Everyone, go home!"

Duan Ping nodded and gathered his brothers to leave. He didn't dare to mention the "burning stick" he had lost.

Soon, the Wolf Gang members left in their vehicles. The onlookers, who had witnessed the entire incident, were excitedly discussing it.

"My goodness, tonight was really intense."

"I thought it was going to turn into a fight. I never expected the snack street owner to be so cool. He was pointed at with a 'burning stick' and still managed to snatch it away. That's really impressive!"

"Indeed, if someone pointed a 'burning stick' at me, I'd probably wet my pants. This boss is really something!"

"Rich people are usually more afraid of death, but this boss is an exception."

"The snack street and Wuyue Square are owned by the same person. No wonder the Wolf Gang leader conceded so quickly."

"..."

The other snack shop owners were also smiling. With such a powerful landlord, they, as tenants, would naturally benefit. At least they wouldn't have to worry about protection money or disturbances.

At this moment, Zhang's wife walked over and said politely, "Uncle Jiu, it's so late and you still had to come here to handle this. I'm really sorry."

Deng Shirong smiled and said, "Don't worry about it. These people coming to collect protection money could have a significant impact on the snack street's development."

Zhang Shouguo, still feeling a bit frightened, said, "Uncle Jiu, what you did just now was really risky. If that 'burning stick' had gone off, it would have been serious."

"Don't worry. If I didn't have absolute confidence, I wouldn't have taken the risk. It's late, so let's pack up and go home."

Deng Shirong then looked at the security personnel and said with a smile, "And you guys, go home and rest. Thank you for your help tonight."

"Boss, it's our duty."

...

PS: Trying to write a conflict scene, it's quite challenging. (_`)

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end