Chapter 73: Human Nature
Chapter 73: Human Nature
"That Wu Tian, he's capable of hurting his own people, let alone you."
Bai Wei got into the car, fastening her seatbelt as she spoke, "For the next period, they might not do anything to you, but during the two days before you leave, there's a high chance they'll make a move. Honestly, it's best if you stay here and hide during this period."
"I know."
Jiang Cheng nodded, "I'm not afraid of them, but I'm afraid they'll harm my family."
Bai Wei sighed softly, "I heard from Zeng Shixu that your Short Stick skills are pretty good, you can fight back and forth with him. But I have to remind you, sparring in the dojo is very different from street fighting, especially with those from the Wild Wolf Gang. They're truly capable of killing you."
As she spoke, her gaze fixed intently on Jiang Cheng.
However, in his eyes, there was not a trace of hesitation, fear, or retreat, only determination.
"Don't worry, Senior Sister Bai. I understand. If I really have bad luck and they block my way, can't I fight and then run if I can't win?"
Bai Wei's skills were probably truly formidable, as that Wu Tian had been forced to slap his own face in public.
But evidently, she didn't have that ruthless aura.
The Wild Wolf Gang members did.
But on her, it was even more so!
"Alright."
Bai Wei was also helpless and could only say, "If you ever change your mind, you can come find me anytime."
"Thank you, Senior Sister Bai."
"No need. I also have a responsibility in this matter. These are things I should do, and besides, it's not a big deal."
After Bai Wei finished speaking, she turned the steering wheel and drove off.
On the way back, the atmosphere was quiet, and no one spoke.
After some time, familiar streets came into view.
The sedan slowly drove into the rear yard of the dojo. After Jiang Cheng repeatedly thanked her, she left.
What he didn't notice was, on the third floor, a figure stood by the window, watching this scene unfold.
"Crack, crack."
The person clenched their fist, emitting a sound of cracking joints.
...
Soon after, Jiang Cheng pushed his cart and arrived on the street.
His arrival caused a stir.
After all, it was rare for the Wild Wolf Gang and the Falcon Fist Gym to clash on the streets. What was even more unexpected was that the Wild Wolf Gang members directly bullied their own gang members.
As the instigator of this conflict, Jiang Cheng naturally attracted a lot of attention.
Everyone thought he would stop vending and go back to hide. But just a few hours later, he was back.
"Boss, I heard about what happened at noon," a regular customer walked over, sympathy in his eyes, "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Am I not looking good?"
Jiang Cheng smiled slightly.
"It's good that you're okay. But based on what I know about those people, they wouldn't dare do anything to you openly. But behind the scenes, it's hard to say. You have to be careful."
"I will. Thanks for the reminder." Jiang Cheng thanked him solemnly.
"It's nothing."
The man waved his hand and sighed, "I can only remind you. I can't help with anything else."
After chatting a bit more, he turned and left.
Gradually, more people came to express their concern, or perhaps just to gossip and find out more details.
Of course, there were also those who took pleasure in others' misfortune.
Most of them were street vendors from the area. Even if they didn't set up their stalls today, they still pointed and gossiped from a distance.
"I knew that kid would have a day like this!"
Xu Hai shouted to the people around him, "Back then, when I borrowed money from him, it was like I owed him my life! Now, he's offended the Wild Wolf Gang. Let's see how he deals with it!"
"That's right. He made so much money that he even bought the premium membership at the dojo. I heard that the premium membership costs 5,000 yuan a month!" A middle-aged woman stretched out her five fingers and shouted in an exaggerated tone.
"Five thousand!"
"Five thousand yuan a month!"
A collective gasp of astonishment rippled through the crowd.
"That kid is making a fortune!"
"Of course he is, with so many customers every day. He's definitely raking it in! But damn, he's not even lending us a penny of that fortune."
"Haha, what good is all that money if he's crossed the Wild Wolf Gang? We all know what's going to happen next, right? Now, even if he wanted to lend us money, he can't."
"Exactly! Even if he offered, we wouldn't take it!"
The group chatted, feeling a sense of malicious satisfaction.
Not far away, several members of the Wild Wolf Gang were also watching them.
"That kid dares to continue his street vending?" One of them sneered. "Does he think the support of the martial arts gym will stop us from teaching him a lesson?"
"Should we stand next to him and scare away customers so he can't sell a single roasted sweet potato?"
"No."
The leader shook his head. "If we do that, what if he goes back to the gym for help? Besides, have you forgotten Sky Brother's instructions? We're here to observe and find out more about his business. So, let's not alert him, but on another note..."
A smug smile appeared on his face. "...the more money that kid makes, the more we'll get in the end, right?"
"Absolutely!"
The group burst into laughter.
Indeed, all that hard work by the kid would ultimately benefit them.
"By the way, isn't that kid named Jiang Cheng?"
"Yes," a young man affirmed. "I saw his membership card, and it had the name 'Jiang Cheng' on it—three water drops and the character for 'city.'"
"Good. You two, go find Brother Bao. He's in charge of collecting management fees and has the addresses of everyone in this area. Find out where this kid lives and who's with him, then report back to me."
"Will do."
The two who were tasked nodded and headed off.
Not far away, Jiang Cheng also noticed their presence but chose to ignore them, continuing to roast sweet potatoes.
After the sweet potatoes were done, only one or two people came to buy them.
As time passed without any incidents, more customers started to purchase.
During this time, Lu Zicheng even paid a visit to express his concern, feeling apologetic for not being able to help.
As night fell and the street emptied, Jiang Cheng decided it was time to pack up.
He calculated his earnings, which amounted to three hundred yuan for the day. If he included the two to three hours when he wasn't vending, his net profit for the day would likely reach five hundred yuan.
"I didn't expect business to improve," Jiang Cheng thought to himself.
He attributed the improvement to the reduced competition with fewer vendors around.
Moreover, the incident at noon had spread his name, and many nearby residents, moved by his plight, came to buy a few sweet potatoes out of sympathy.
Most people, at their core, were kind-hearted.
After buying fresh sweet potatoes from the grocery store, Jiang Cheng pushed his cart towards home.
As Jiang Cheng made his way back, he couldn't help but feel a mix of relief and discomfort knowing that his grandmother and Chen Sao had moved to the outer borough.
On his return journey, he stayed vigilant, listening for any footsteps behind him, but thankfully, there were none.
Just as he approached his home, the sky had completely darkened, and he could barely make out a figure standing at his doorstep, fiddling with something.
Instinctively, Jiang Cheng wanted to shout, but to assess the situation, he parked his tricycle, lightened his footsteps, and drew a short stick from his back.
(End of Chapter)
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