"Ah Qiang, how long have you been with me?"
Hu Qiang stood straight before a middle-aged man.
The middle-aged man sat in a meticulously crafted grand tutor's chair, holding a long-stemmed pipe and puffing on it.
"Brother Zhu, I've been with you for three and a half years now," Hu Qiang replied, his head lowered.
The person sitting in the grand tutor's chair was Chen Xinzhu, Hu Qiang's boss. Unlike many newly rich individuals who liked to emulate movie big shots by smoking cigars, Chen Xinzhu had a particular fondness for his long-stemmed pipe. However, despite the humble pipe, the tobacco inside was by no means cheaper than a cigar. For instance, Chen Xinzhu's favorite Golden Leaf tobacco was a specialty of Yunzhou, known for its rich oils, potent flavor, and unique aroma. As for the price, it was a staggering several hundred yuan per liang.
*Pah-tah.*
Chen Xinzhu placed the pipe on the wooden table beside him. "Ah Qiang, since you've been with me for so long, you should know what kind of person I am. 'Reward and punishment are clear' – I told you those four words the very first day you followed me. If you can't even handle a dozen households on a single street, and if Wang Dama Zi finds out, where will my reputation as Chen Xinzhu stand!"
Chen Xinzhu's tone was initially unhurried, but by the end, his voice had become sharp and loud.
"I'm sorry, Brother Zhu, I accept the punishment." Hu Qiang wanted to explain, but he knew that since Chen Xinzhu had already spoken, his mind was made up, and his words would be futile. Rather than wasting breath explaining, it was better to readily accept the penalty.
Chen Xinzhu nodded and gestured with his chin towards the person standing beside him. A subordinate, who had been prepared, immediately escorted Hu Qiang away.
About fifteen minutes later, Hu Qiang was helped back, his face pale and a bloody gash on his lip.
"Sit down and tell me exactly what happened," Chen Xinzhu said, pointing to a stool in front of him as he saw Hu Qiang's weakened state.
Hu Qiang was helped to sit down and then recounted the events of his attempt to collect from Jianghua Street in detail.
"A young man called Doctor Du? He's very capable?" Chen Xinzhu raised an eyebrow slightly after hearing Hu Qiang's description.
Hu Qiang, who understood Chen Xinzhu well, knew that the Doctor Du who had injured him had now made an impression on Chen Xinzhu. Those who made an impression on Chen Xinzhu typically didn't have a good end.
Hearing his boss inquire, Hu Qiang repeated the details of his confrontation with Du Fei.
"Brother Zhu, afterwards I told Monkey and the others not to act, because I felt that the opponent was skilled. Even if all of them attacked together, it would have been pointless. So I decided to come back and tell you about it first." Hu Qiang then explained why he hadn't let his three accomplices attack.
Chen Xinzhu nodded upon hearing this. He was quite satisfied with Hu Qiang as a subordinate. Although he had only been with him for three and a half years, he was brave and willing to fight, qualities Chen Xinzhu admired. He hadn't expected him to be injured this time, and right under his nose, which greatly surprised Chen Xinzhu.
Suddenly, a commotion erupted outside, and the noise grew louder.
"What's going on?" Chen Xinzhu slammed his hand on the table, clearly angered. The subordinate next to him immediately went towards the door to investigate. However, before he could reach the door, the door to Chen Xinzhu's room was pushed open from the outside.
"Boss, bad news, someone is causing trouble here."
Seeing his subordinate's panicked state, Chen Xinzhu's expression was already filled with anger. But he then considered that since the other party dared to come to his stronghold to cause trouble, they must have been prepared. So, instead of unleashing his anger on his subordinate, he waved his hand, leading the people in the room out.
"Damn it, you dare to come here and cause trouble? You're asking for death!"
"Fuck, don't anyone fight me over this, I'm going to kill this guy!"
"He came alone? Is this guy deliberately walking into his own death?"
In the main hall, a group of thugs, armed with weapons and dressed haphazardly, surrounded a young man. They cursed and were ready to attack at any moment. However, despite being surrounded by so many people, the young man in the middle remained composed, as if he weren't the one being cornered.
"It's you?" When Chen Xinzhu emerged with his subordinates, Hu Qiang, who was behind him, couldn't help but exclaim.
Hearing Hu Qiang speak, Chen Xinzhu turned to look at him.
"Boss, this guy is the Doctor Du I told you about earlier, the one who stopped me from collecting." Hu Qiang quickly explained.
Chen Xinzhu's eyes widened in disbelief. The person his subordinate had just mentioned was now daring to cause trouble on his territory. Did this guy really think he was invincible?
As Hu Qiang cried out in surprise, the young man being surrounded, Du Fei, also noticed him immediately. Then, Du Fei's gaze fell upon Chen Xinzhu, who was leading the group.
"As expected, a newborn calf fears no tiger. My subordinate just mentioned you, and you dare to come to my territory to cause trouble. Good, good, very good." As Chen Xinzhu appeared, the thugs surrounding Du Fei stepped back slightly, making way for their boss.
Du Fei, however, looked at Chen Xinzhu and said, "You are Hu Qiang's boss, and you sent him to Jianghua Street to forcibly collect from the residents?"
"Kid! Is it your turn to speak? Shut up!" Seeing Du Fei directly question Chen Xinzhu, a thug standing closest to him immediately pointed his cleaver at Du Fei.
Du Fei turned his head and glanced at him. The thug suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, a sense of fear causing him to take two steps back. When he realized what had happened, he saw everyone, including Chen Xinzhu, staring at him. The thug's face flushed with embarrassment.
"Damn you!" To save face, the thug swung his blade at Du Fei. He obviously didn't intend to kill Du Fei on the spot, but merely to intimidate him.
*Bang!* *Pa-ta.*
However, instead of intimidating Du Fei, he himself flew several meters like a kite with a broken string, landing on the ground dazed. The others stared at Du Fei with wide eyes, as if they had witnessed something incredible. Chen Xinzhu had also seen the scene. With his more than ten or twenty years of experience in the underworld, he hadn't even seen how Du Fei had made his move. It seemed this young man was indeed not simple. No wonder Hu Qiang and the others had suffered at his hands, Chen Xinzhu thought to himself.