"What should I call you?" I gestured with my chin.
"Chen Xiaowu..."
Holy crap! I almost jumped out of my chair, glaring at him and yelling, "Are you fucking kidding me?"
"No!" the guy said with a pained expression. "My surname really is Chen! I have five brothers, and I'm the youngest..."
The henchmen next to him were stunned. Only then did they realize what was happening, and some of them couldn't help but burst out laughing.
I sighed helplessly and sat down again: "Okay... then tell me, what happened today?"
Chen Xiaowu also looked helpless: "Friend, my brothers and I are just trying to make a living. We were doing this for someone, we took their money... We don't know that woman, and we didn't know she had anything to do with you. It's just a misunderstanding, consider it collateral damage. We're all in the same business, we'll run into each other again someday. We admit defeat today, we've really messed with them, we back down. Judging by your appearance, you're a boss, can you give us a way out?"
I nodded. This guy was quite fluent in social niceties; he seemed to be a seasoned veteran.
But that's understandable, judging from their methods of kidnapping and extortion. They must be a regular at this kind of place.
I then questioned them further and learned that these guys were a group of thugs from the streets, two of whom had served two years in prison. Now, after their release, they were recruited to work for an underground money lending company, mainly collecting debts and chasing after people. They also did some "business" of helping people get revenge.
For example, today, that scumbag somehow got to know this underground finance company, found them, and paid them to come and extort money from Ning Yan. These people only care about money, not reason; they'll do anything for money. The only thing that surprised me was that scumbag's appetite seemed quite large! He actually offered to get 100,000 yuan back from Ning Yan!
One hundred thousand! What makes him think Ning Yan would give him one hundred thousand?
I got all the answers I needed to know. I told Awei to stop hitting them and just leave them aside. I even gave them cigarettes. Then I brought that scumbag over.
"Your surname is Zhu, right?" I leaned back in my chair.
"Yes...yes." The guy was curled up in a ball, soaked to the bone, his hair matted together and hanging down in front of his forehead.
I casually pulled out the divorce agreement from my pocket and placed it in front of him: "Sign it."
The man glanced at it, but didn't say anything or move.
I frowned slightly. I gave a wink to one of the henchmen next to me, who immediately understood and slapped me across the face.
Snap!
The bastard was knocked off balance and had to lean against the wall to steady himself.
I looked at him coldly: "What's wrong? Don't want to sign?"
There was a hint of panic in his eyes, but he immediately lowered his head and remained silent and still.
I stood up, slowly walked over, and looked down at him. In a calm, measured tone, I said, "Actually, I know what you're thinking..."
At this point, I chuckled. Then my tone gradually turned cold:
"You're incompetent and penniless, so Ning Yan is your cash cow. She's the kind of woman who's sentimental and weak-willed. Most importantly, she has some money and a good income... As a piece of trash like you, as long as you're shameless and ruthless enough, and you go to her door every now and then to pester her, you can usually get a little something. As long as you keep hanging on to Ning Yan, it's like having a long-term meal ticket... Every now and then, you can get some benefits from her, a steady stream of income... right?"
He didn't speak, but his body trembled.
I snorted and continued, "So, you're a complete scoundrel. Now you've made up your mind. You think the worst you can do is beat you up. You plan to tough it out, suffer a bit, and get through this. As long as you get through today, you'll suffer a little, but if you keep putting up with it, you can go back to pestering Ning Yan and keep trying to get something out of her. In short, you just won't let go and are determined to cling to this woman no matter what! Isn't that right?"
He still didn't speak, but his face had turned pale.
I chuckled and said in a friendly tone, "Kid, stop pretending to be a bachelor in front of me! Don't worry, I told you, I won't hit you."
Then I gestured to Awei to bring Chen Xiaowu and the others over to me.
The guys looked a little less miserable. The one who had been beaten by Awei was given a coat, and although his lips were bleeding from the pain, he could still barely stand.
"Chen Xiaowu..." I hesitated for a moment... Damn it, why does it feel so awkward to say that name out of my own mouth...
I curse his ancestors for eighteen generations… um… never mind. We all have the surname Chen, and if we go back eighteen generations, we might even be from the same clan! Oh well…
I coughed and pointed at the scumbag surnamed Zhu on the ground: "Well, now I'll give you a way out! I told you I wouldn't lay a hand on this guy... You can come and do it, just don't kill or cripple him! Go ahead... I'll let you go whenever I'm satisfied."
I finished speaking with a smile, then suddenly remembered something: "By the way, how much money did he promise to give you?"
"Ten...ten thousand," Chen Xiaowu stammered.
I shrugged: "Okay, then you can start fighting now, because he definitely can't pay this 10,000."
Then I lit a cigarette, leaned back in my chair, lazily took a drag, and slowly exhaled through my nose, squinting as I chuckled, "What are you standing there for? Waiting for me to treat you to dinner? Let's get started..."
Book 1, A Man in the Martial World, Helpless in His Own Way, Chapter 86: I'm Doomed...
I took a drag of my cigarette, then whispered to Awei, "You watch, make them stop in five minutes." Then I left the men who were punching and kicking me and slowly walked out.
Then he winked at his two henchmen behind him, and the two immediately took out their phones, turned on the camera function, and started snapping photos of the men punching and kicking them.
"Idiot! Focus the camera! Watch the light! Use a wide-angle lens, a wide-angle lens! Hey, it's not like I'm making a movie, just make sure it's clear! Stop shaking around! Okay... that's it..." Listening to Awei's cursing behind me, I had already strolled out of the warehouse.
Standing outside, looking at the sky, I stretched and sighed. Just then, my phone rang. I saw the number was Fang Nan, and a chill ran down my spine. I gritted my teeth and answered.
"Chen Yang, why didn't you come to pick me up?" Fang Nan's tone on the phone didn't reveal whether she was angry or not, but it did sound a little tired.
"I... have something urgent to attend to." I answered cautiously, "Actually, I've already been there..."
"No need to say anything more." Fang Nan interrupted me, her voice still calm, but carrying an indescribable sense of loneliness: "I'm so disappointed in you... Chen Yang!"
I suddenly felt a pang of guilt... I don't know how to describe this feeling. It's like a needle is gently pricking me, one prick at a time. It doesn't hurt much, but it's twitching, one prick at a time.
Fang Nan paused for a moment on the phone, then gritted her teeth and said, "Chen Yang... are you even a man?!"
I was about to say something when the call ended.
"Beep...beep...beep...beep..."
I froze, and for some reason, Fang Nan's face suddenly appeared in my mind... the face in my head. As beautiful as ever, her eyes held resentment, her face was full of melancholy, her gaze sorrowful...
I shook my head and went back into the warehouse.
The beating of that scumbag has temporarily come to an end, and I suddenly feel a surge of resentment.
Damn it, if it weren't for this bastard, would my business have been delayed today? Suddenly filled with anger, I looked around and saw a wooden stick in the corner. I walked over carefully, took out a tissue to cover my hand, picked it up, and then threw it in front of Chen Xiaowu: "Pick it up!"
"ah?"
I squinted: "Do I have to say it a second time?"
He probably sensed my hostile gaze. Without hesitation, he grabbed the wooden stick.
I pointed at the guy surnamed Zhu on the ground and said, "Break his legs!"
Seeing Chen Xiaowu standing there in a daze, I suddenly shouted, "Hit him! Are you deaf?"
Then I turned to Awei and said, "Watch him fight! If he doesn't fight, break his legs!"
This time, I didn't need to urge him; Chen Xiaowu grabbed the wooden stick and smashed it down...
The man surnamed Zhu, who had been beaten so badly he couldn't even scream, suddenly found some strength to struggle and let out a pained cry. Then, a cracking sound was heard…
...
…………
The warehouse fell silent, save for the screams of the scumbag surnamed Zhu on the ground and Chen Xiaowu's panting. I remained expressionless, walked over, took the phone from one of my underlings, glanced at the footage, and nodded in satisfaction.
He took the divorce agreement again, squatted down and looked at the man surnamed Zhu: "I'll ask you one more time, are you going to sign it or not? If you don't sign it, it's up to you."
After saying that, I stood up: "Break his other leg too! Then find a sack, put him in it, and throw him into the moat!"
Awei was stunned for a moment; he hadn't expected me to go so far. He hesitated, about to speak, but I stopped him with a look…
Sure enough, the man surnamed Zhu broke down, screaming like a pig being slaughtered: "I'll sign! I'll sign!!"
After taking the signed agreement, they had the man surnamed Zhu put his fingerprint on it.
I squatted down in front of him, slapped his face hard, and said coldly, "I know you're scared right now, aren't you? You hate me, don't you? Are you still thinking of going out and calling the police to arrest me?" I sighed, "Don't forget, I haven't laid a finger on you from beginning to end! I didn't hit you, it wasn't me who did it, it was all these people you brought... If you call the police, I can just have someone anonymously send out the video I filmed... As for you, I advise you... leave Nanjing. Aren't you from out of town? Get lost, get as far away as possible, otherwise, if I see you again, it won't be as simple as breaking a leg." I stood up, looking down at him, "Kid, trash like you, I can kill you in a minute!"
I glanced at Chen Xiaowu again, and he jumped back in fright. I looked at him and said, "Alright, the matter is settled. You can go now, but..." I walked over, patted him on the shoulder, and said calmly, "Change your name. You're not allowed to be called Xiaowu anymore, understand?"
I took out my wallet, pulled out all the large bills of cash—about two or three thousand—without even looking at them, and then tossed them to Awei: "I was going to treat the brothers to dinner, but I have something to do now and have to go. You take the brothers out to eat, the usual place. If I'm free tonight, I'll come over and find you guys."
Afterwards, I left Awei to handle the aftermath, and drove out of the warehouse.
I have principles when it comes to handling things. The current situation won't cause me any trouble.
I'm not afraid of Zhu's retaliation. He's a nobody. At most, he'll call the police, but that's useless. I wasn't the one who beat him up, so he has no evidence. I have a video of someone else assaulting him. I can just anonymously hand it over, and it won't implicate me.
As for Chen Xiaowu and his gang, I'm even less afraid of them. These guys are all seasoned criminals; if you show them more strength, they'll have no choice but to accept their fate. If they want revenge, I'm not afraid either. I've already interrogated them and found out their names, addresses, and identities; they can't escape. I won't even need to lift a finger; I'll just hand the video over to the police, and someone will take care of them.
In this world, violence isn't always the only way to survive; sometimes, you have to be strategic!
Once I was driving on the street, I immediately called Fang Nan. It rang a dozen times, but no one answered. I hesitated for a moment, then dialed again, but still no one answered.
With a sigh, I called the company to find Qian Pan.
"Sister Qian Pan... Has President Fang returned yet?"
"No! Chen Yang, didn't you go to pick her up?" Qian Pan's voice was surprised, then she said in a deep voice, "What are you doing? Didn't you pick her up?"
"Um... I'll talk to you later." I mumbled a couple of vague words and hung up the phone.
After a moment's thought, I turned the car around and headed towards Fang Nan's residence.
I parked my car in front of Fang Nan's house. Looking out the window, I saw the lights were on. I breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed Fang Nan had come home.
I took a deep breath and rang the doorbell...
...
No response.
Press again!
Still no response.
Frustrated, I pounded on the door, making a loud thumping sound, but there was no response from inside.
Fang Nan seemed very angry. I gave a wry smile.
I had to see her. Whatever happened today, it was my fault. I promised to pick her up, but I left her alone at the airport. And… I also planned to have a serious talk with her today, as a way of giving her an explanation before I leave!
Fang Nan inside didn't answer or open the door, which left me feeling somewhat helpless.
Fortunately, I remembered the last time I went back to Fang Nan's house, I knew the combination lock on her front door. I tried entering the code...
Bang!
The door actually opened! I took a deep breath and stepped inside. I slammed the door shut behind me, calling out loudly, "Fang Nan! I'm in! Can we talk this over?"
The living room lights were on, and the cushions on the sofa were a bit messy. A suitcase was lying at the bottom of the stairs, and there was a cigarette butt in the ashtray on the coffee table, along with a half-empty glass of red wine.