Chapter 58: Turmoil
Chapter 58: Turmoil
"A thirty percent increase?"
Upon hearing this news, Jiang Cheng was also taken aback.
"Yes."
Lu Zicheng frowned and sighed, "It's already difficult enough to make a living by setting up a stall, and now they're suddenly increasing it by thirty percent. How can anyone bear this? Moreover, this gives me an ominous feeling."
Jiang Cheng, upon hearing this, also had his suspicions, "You mean, the management fee might also increase?"
Lu Zicheng nodded.
He glanced around and then lowered his voice, "Do you remember the rumor I told you about a few days ago?"
"Of course I do."
"It seems that the Wild Wolf Gang has most likely been defeated and is forced to abandon this area. That's why they're squeezing us before they leave, just like the previous gang did."
As Jiang Cheng listened to him, memories of his previous life flashed through his mind.
It seemed to be true.
Whenever a gang was defeated by outsiders, they would often extort a large sum.
These vendors, already paying a significant amount for their stall fees, would struggle with the sudden increase. Even if they could afford it, they might not be able to pay this month, and they couldn't just stop setting up their stalls, could they?
While they might not pay the stall fee, the management fee was unavoidable.
"Jiang Cheng, in three days, when the Wild Wolf Gang comes to collect the stall fee, you'll probably pay it, right?" Lu Zicheng said enviously, "After all, your business is so good; even with a thirty percent increase, you'll still make a profit."
Jiang Cheng's heart sank upon hearing this; he wasn't as optimistic as Lu Zicheng.
If the stall fee increased, it made sense that the management fee would follow suit.
With this change, the number of people coming to support his business would undoubtedly decrease, but by how much was uncertain.
"What about you?"
Jiang Cheng asked in return.
"I'm still thinking about it."
Lu Zicheng's expression turned troubled, "A thirty percent increase in the stall fee isn't a small amount. If the management fee also goes up, after paying the stall fee, I might not be able to afford the management fee. If I don't pay, I'll have no income, and I can't just stay home and sleep all day. Moreover, if many people don't pay, there will be fewer vendors, and business might become easier."
"Perhaps."
Jiang Cheng fell silent for a moment before responding.
Only time would tell how the situation would unfold.
Fortunately, he had already obtained a premium membership, temporarily relieving him of these worries.
"By the way, Jiang Cheng," Lu Zicheng hesitated.
Jiang Cheng immediately understood, "You're not thinking of borrowing money from me, are you?"
"No, no," Lu Zicheng waved his hand and then scratched his head, his tone awkward, "I can't say it's not the case. I just wanted to give you a heads-up. If I really run out of money later, could you lend me a few hundred? I'll definitely pay you back."
Jiang Cheng sighed, neither agreeing nor refusing, "Let's see how things go. To be honest, I don't have any money on me right now, and not only that, I owe quite a bit."
"Huh?"
Doubt flashed in Lu Zicheng's eyes.
He had witnessed Jiang Cheng's booming business over the past few days and estimated that he had made at least three thousand.
"You'll know in a couple of days."
Jiang Cheng shook his head and didn't elaborate further.
"Alright then."
Lu Zicheng touched his nose and walked back.
As noon approached, the street remained bustling with people coming and going.
The vendors, full of energy, enthusiastically shouted their wares.
Most pedestrians seemed unaware of the situation.
When the time reached two or three in the afternoon, things took a turn.
From the other end of the street, a group of people approached, all wearing sleeveless vests, exposing their tattooed backs and arms. What was frightening was that, except for the leader, each of the others carried watermelon knives, their eyes filled with malice.
As they appeared, the once bustling environment suddenly fell silent.
Members of the Wild Wolf Gang.
Only the Wild Wolf Gang would dare to walk the streets openly, brandishing knives in broad daylight.
The pedestrians scattered like birds and beasts.
The vendors froze in their places, afraid to move.
Those nearby even called out "Sky Brother" with every breath.
Jiang Cheng squinted his eyes, staring at the group.
Although his original body had dealt with these people numerous times, this was the first time he had seen them.
The leader among them was named Wu Tian, known as Sky Brother. Like Brother Bao, who went door-to-door collecting management fees at the end of each month, Wu Tian was a small leader of the Wild Wolf Gang, responsible for different territories. Their big brother was the true core of the gang.
Seeing them looking in his direction, Jiang Cheng quickly lowered his head, pretending to be afraid.
It must be said that the aura these gang members exuded was completely different from Liu Yang and even Jiang Xiong's group.
These people had truly killed before, and they didn't blink an eye when taking a life.
And if they were to kill someone on this street, they would do it without hesitation.
"You've all heard about the incident this morning, right?"
Wu Tian took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, pulled out one, and was about to put it in his mouth when a gang member behind him took out a lighter and lit the cigarette.
Taking a satisfying puff, he looked around and said, "It hasn't been easy for us, the Wild Wolf Gang, to manage this street these past two years. You've all seen how we've been doing. We didn't want to raise the fees, but recently the gang has encountered some difficulties. We have no choice but to increase the price, just by three percent. No complaints, right?"
Everyone around lowered their heads.
How could they possibly complain?
Ever since the Wild Wolf Gang took over this street, the stall fees had been increasing relentlessly, and today they had demanded a three percent hike, a huge jump!
But no one was foolish enough to voice dissent. Everyone knew that the early bird catches the worm, and anyone speaking up now would face dire consequences.
"No one has anything to say?"
Wu Tian smiled nonchalantly, "Alright, then I'll take your silence as consent. In three days, come to me to pay the stall fees, and be punctual."
His voice paused, and the smile on his face vanished instantly, "Those who don't pay, don't bother coming back after that day. Otherwise, if I catch you, it won't be a matter of just a few words."
After saying this, he turned and left without even going to the other side of the street.
But the message had clearly been conveyed.
Even those who hadn't heard clearly would soon find out what was said, and those who did hear didn't need to inquire further.
Soon, sighs and laments filled the air.
Technically, there were still four or five days until the end of the month, but Wu Tian's words were clear—those who didn't plan to pay didn't need to come back in three days, effectively wasting two days. Despite their internal objections, no one dared to speak up.
By the afternoon, around five o'clock, the pedestrian traffic on the street had noticeably decreased.
Even Jiang Cheng's business was affected.
By six o'clock, as the stalls were being packed up, Jiang Cheng counted his earnings for the day, which were less than 500 yuan, a significant drop from the usual 500-plus yuan.
Jiang Cheng's brows furrowed tightly.
Something must have happened.
He couldn't help but worry—would his earnings for the next few days continue to decrease?
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
