Conversely, if you could appear in someone's dream to do them a good deed, reminding them what to do and what to be careful about, that would be an incredibly rewarding thing, something that would make them burn incense and kowtow in gratitude every day. To give a more direct and simple example, if you could appear in a lottery player's dream and tell them what the winning numbers would be the next day, and they bought a ticket on a whim, and then won the grand prize the next day… what an incredibly shocking and exhilarating feeling that would be!
Of course, that's impossible.
At least for now, Xu Zhengyang doesn't possess the ability to predict or even manipulate lottery results. Otherwise, he would likely be grimacing and thinking to himself, "If I knew the lottery results, would I tell anyone? Nonsense..."
Suddenly, a question popped into Xu Zhengyang's mind: "Where is the City God's office? And where is the Judge? As the Chief Clerk, I must report to my superiors every now and then, right?"
The jade stone shows no markings on the local record; it is as smooth as a mirror.
"Do you want me to go to the Heavenly Court?"
After a short while, the Jade Earth Record showed: "The Earth God, the Merit Officer, and the Judge shall not enter the Heavenly Court without the Heavenly Emperor's decree. They may be appointed to the lowest divine rank in the Heavenly Court, such as the City God in the human realm or the Yama in the underworld."
"Oh, then who's in charge of me?"
The local records of jade did not provide an answer.
"Is nobody in charge?" Xu Zhengyang scratched his head, then chuckled and thought it was good that nobody was in charge. The emperor was far away, and he was in charge of his own territory... As for whether he could go to the Heavenly Court, that was unimportant. Only someone who was bored and had nothing better to do would think about going to the Heavenly Court. It was like a village chief who could act arrogantly in his village, but when he went to the township or county, he could only bow and scrape.
Xu Zhengyang picked up the jade stone, pretended to stuff it into his belt, and then put it into his body. He then picked up his tea and drank it with relish.
Just then, the glass door was pushed open, and several young men walked in shouting.
The leader was none other than Guo Tian, the culprit who framed Cao Gangchuan and Zhang Hao! Behind them were two pretty girls, dressed rather flamboyantly and fashionably for the rural area.
Xu Zhengyang frowned and quickly lowered his head, pretending to drink water, afraid of being recognized.
Well, don't look down on Xu Zhengyang. As the saying goes, a wise man doesn't fight a losing battle. Xu Zhengyang doesn't think he can take on these equally experienced thugs one-on-one. If it were before, he might not have been so worried about causing a conflict. After all, since the most intense brawl more than a year ago, both sides' parents had eased the tension through mediation. Although there was still some resentment between the young people, they weren't as hostile as before, and they wouldn't start fighting without saying a word as soon as they met.
So for more than a year, Xu Zhengyang has been doing business exchanging millet in the surrounding villages without any problems.
But things are different now. Because of Cao Gangchuan and Zhang Hao's cases, their conflict with Guo Tian has escalated again, and it's irreconcilable in the short term. Moreover, even if a mediator were to step in now, Xu Zhengyang probably wouldn't agree. After suffering so much, does he really think a little mediation will solve everything?
Without retaliation, or at least achieving a stalemate, a peace agreement is absolutely impossible.
That's just how young people are! To paraphrase a line from a TV drama: "If they weren't spirited, would they still be young?"
Similarly, Guo Tian should understand this now, so... Xu Zhengyang lowered his head and drank water, took out his phone to send a text message to Zhou Qiang and Zhong Zhijun to consider whether to change restaurants.
After all, we are short-handed right now, and Futou Town is Guo Tian's territory.
"Hey, this guy looks familiar..."
A young man following behind Guo Tian walked up to Xu Zhengyang with a sneer. His exposed arms were covered with round scars from cigarette burns, and the word "endure" was tattooed on his wrist.
Xu Zhengyang helplessly raised his head. Since he had been recognized, there was no need to hide. That wasn't in his nature; his pride was paramount. Xu Zhengyang looked calmly at the young man who had come up to him, without a trace of panic. He grinned slightly and said contemptuously, "What's wrong, Chu Bo? Don't you recognize me?"
"How could I not recognize you? I see you shouting to exchange millet every day in the village, how could I not recognize you, haha." The young man called Chu Bo laughed sarcastically.
They all laughed, especially the two girls who were dressed up in a flamboyant manner, who had a disdainful smile on their faces. They recognized Xu Zhengyang, and one of them was Jin Yan, Xu Zhengyang's classmate from junior high school.
Jin Yan sneered, "Xu Zhengyang, didn't you go to exchange your millet today? How come you're willing to eat at Tianwaitian?"
"Is it profitable to switch to Xiaomi phones?" another female companion asked, feigning doubt, which caused another burst of laughter.
Xu Zhengyang ignored their mockery, picked up his cup, and calmly took a sip of tea.
Guo Tian's smile faded. He walked a few steps to the opposite side of Xu Zhengyang, pulled out a chair, sat down, tilted his head, and said in a provocative tone, "Zhengyang, you're not bad."
"Not bad." Xu Zhengyang nodded, then leaned back in his chair, smiling as he looked at Guo Tian.
Guo Tian was rather thin, with noticeably more white circles under his eyes and slanted eyes than most people. He had short, upturned eyebrows and long hair parted in a 50/50 split. He casually tossed his hair, took out a cigarette, lit it, took two deep drags, and then said with a playful tone, "I was bedridden for more than half a year. I could get out of bed and walk around now, but my legs and arms were still weak. It's only now that I'm completely recovered..."
"Really?" Xu Zhengyang smiled and shook his head, saying, "It's good that you can learn a lesson."
"Damn it, are you itching for a beating?" Chu Bo said, swinging his arm to rush at Xu Zhengyang, but Guo Tian reached out and grabbed him.
Guo Tian said with an arrogant and contemptuous look, "Yes, I've learned my lesson. Thanks to your help! That's why I've been thinking of thanking you properly these past few days, hehe." He chuckled coldly and continued, "How many of you were there back then? Hmm, I can't remember right now. Well, Chen Chaojiang and Liu Bin are in jail and will have to stay for a few more years. Cao Gangchuan and Zhang Hao are about to go in too, and you almost went in as well... You got lucky, but it was only a matter of time. I just wonder, will you ever learn your lesson?"
Xu Zhengyang smiled, picked up the cup, drank the tea in it, then put the cup down, stood up, and casually touched the glass of water he had just put down with his right hand, as if he was about to leave.
"Hey, don't go, let's have a chat for a bit." Another young man, wearing a black vest with a menacing dragon tattoo on his bare shoulder, raised his arm and blocked Xu Zhengyang's way with a sneer.
Xu Zhengyang looked at him. Hmm, Lu Dong'an. Isn't this the guy who got slapped by Chen Chaojiang back then to teach him a lesson for tattooing a dragon on his body to show off?
Xu Zhengyang smiled slightly at the other person and said softly, "I have no intention of leaving!"
Volume Two, Chapter 36: Wow! A man!
Only a fool would think of a safe way out in this situation.
Therefore, Xu Zhengyang never intended to walk out of the "Outer Heaven" gate peacefully. Instead, he wanted to... take the initiative and rush out! The reason he stood up and pretended to leave, and then smiled innocently and said that he didn't intend to leave, was just to take advantage of the situation, vent his anger, and run away.
Before the words had even finished, Xu Zhengyang swung his right hand violently, leaned forward, and smashed the glass hard against Guo Tian's forehead. With a loud bang, the glass shattered, Guo Tian cried out in pain, and fell to the side, his chair tipping over and crashing onto the table with a loud crash.
Having landed a successful blow, Xu Zhengyang didn't pause. While his opponent was still in shock, he grabbed a chair and smashed it over Lu Dong'an's head. Amidst the cracking of the chair legs and the sound of it breaking apart, Lu Dong'an cried out in pain and stumbled backward, managing to grab a table to keep from falling.
Chu Bo and two others rushed forward, throwing punches and kicks at Xu Zhengyang.
Even the best of both worlds can't fight off four opponents, and even a hero can't withstand a large number of enemies. Xu Zhengyang wasn't a martial arts master, but after gaining the upper hand by striking first, he threw down his chair, grabbed a glass ashtray from the table, and started smashing it at his opponent. Of course, he also inevitably got hit by the opponent's fists and kicks...
The shouts and curses echoed through the hotel lobby, and the girl's terrified screams were so shrill they seemed to shatter the glass.
Xu Zhengyang tried to rush out, but lost his balance in the melee and fell to the ground. He was immediately surrounded and kicked violently. He struggled desperately, using one arm to protect his head and face, while his other hand tightly gripped the glass ashtray and smashed it hard against the other person's legs and feet.
In the chaos of the fight, Xu Zhengyang pushed someone down, struggled to his feet, but found that the ashtray in his hand had disappeared.
He grabbed Guo Tian's hair, ignoring the punches, kicks, and chairs thrown at him from behind, and suddenly raised his right leg, pressing down hard with his hand, slamming his knee heavily into Guo Tian's nose.
Anyone who has experienced it knows that the pain of being hit hard on the bridge of the nose is so intense that it can make you scream out in agony and burst into tears, blurring your vision in an instant.
Having landed a successful blow, Xu Zhengyang swung a chair around and then shoved aside Lu Dong'an, who was blocking his way, before making his escape.
If I hadn't run, I might have had my legs broken today...
Xu Zhengyang is not as fierce as Chen Chaojiang, or as hard-hearted and cold-blooded as he is, who doesn't even care about himself.
A chair slammed down on him from behind with a loud bang. Xu Zhengyang felt a heavy blow to the back of his head, and he stumbled and fell onto a table. Just as he was about to rush towards the door despite the pain and dizziness, he heard a loud shout: "Stop! Stop! Don't move!"
Several police officers rushed in.
"Wow, what a stroke of luck!" Xu Zhengyang thought with relief, then slumped into the chair next to him. Half-lying on the table, he rubbed the back of his head, cursing inwardly, "Damn, that hurts!"
"A bunch of brats! Arrest them all! Look what they've done to these tables and chairs!" The proprietress, who had been watching the scene from the stairwell, immediately spoke with a cold, displeased expression upon seeing the police. There wasn't a trace of fear or surprise in her eyes; she'd seen far more violent fights than this, let alone a brawl between a few young people. Besides, what kind of place was Tianwaitian? Wouldn't they all obediently send over the compensation money later?
Guo Tian, clutching his bleeding forehead, walked up to the police and shouted, "Brother Zheng, this bastard is Xu Zhengyang! Look, he's broken my head! Arrest him!" He then yelled at the other police officers, "Arrest him! That bastard!"
"Cuff him and take him away!" The policeman surnamed Zheng frowned, then waved his hand with a cold smile.
Two policemen immediately stepped forward and, without saying a word, tied Guo Tian's arms behind his back, then pulled out handcuffs and snapped them onto his back.
"Brother Zheng, what are you doing?" Guo Tian asked, his face full of confusion and anger.
*Slap!* A policeman slapped Guo Tian on the back of the head: "Behave yourself! Shut up!"
"You all better behave yourselves." The policeman surnamed Zheng pointed at Guo Tian and his gang one by one, "Take them all back to the station!"
Several police officers immediately stepped forward, waving their hands and slapping the young men on the head and pushing their shoulders to pull them away. However, they paid no attention to the two girls who had come with Guo Tian and his group.
The policeman surnamed Zheng slapped Xu Zhengyang on the shoulder and yelled, "Get up! Let's go!"
Just then, a policeman of medium build, who looked to be in his forties, walked in with a stern face: "What happened? People are all bleeding from their heads..." Then the policeman saw Xu Zhengyang, paused for a moment, and then smiled: "Oh, Xu Zhengyang!"
"Director Wu, hello." Xu Zhengyang stood up, rubbing the back of his head with a smile, and said with a feeling of grievance, "I originally made an appointment with a friend to have a meal, but I ran into Guo Tian and his gang. Well, look at what they did to me..." Xu Zhengyang pointed to the bruises on his arm and the cut on his lip, "Several people beat me up!"
"You little rascal!" Wu Feng stepped forward, patted Xu Zhengyang on the shoulder with a smile, and then said to the policeman, "Zheng Hong, take them all back first, and lock Guo Tian up alone!"
"Okay!" Zheng Hong agreed and turned to leave.
"Wait a minute." Xu Zhengyang remembered something and said to Wu Feng, "Chief Wu, the one who stole and robbed Haigang Construction Company's property with Guo Tian is that guy with the dragon tattoo on his body, his name is Lu Dong'an."
"Hmm?" Wu Feng looked puzzled.
Xu Zhengyang nodded very seriously and said, "That's right, it's definitely him."
"I understand." Wu Feng turned to Zheng Hong with some doubt and said, "That Lu Dong'an, lock him up in a separate place too!" After saying that, Wu Feng turned to Zheng Hong again and said, "Come on, come with me to the station to give a statement... Hmm, don't worry, although it seems that you didn't suffer much, but rather gained a lot, there were several people ganging up on you, and there are also waiters here as witnesses, so you'll be fine."
"That's right, that's right, I'm the victim!" Xu Zhengyang nodded repeatedly, then, as if remembering something, quickly said, "Director Wu, can I not go? I made plans to have dinner with my friends, they'll be here soon..."
Wu Feng paused for a moment, then nodded and said, "Okay, go back to the station and get a supplementary statement. Oh, by the way..." Wu Feng leaned closer to Xu Zhengyang and whispered, "You're really something, kid. I was almost starting to believe in that local deity. Let me tell you, Shen Qun was taken away by the Municipal Bureau this morning. So, arresting Guo Tian was also on orders from above..."
"That's great!" Xu Zhengyang chuckled and said, "Are you also getting promoted to a full-fledged employee?"
Wu Feng was embarrassed; those words were so direct! However, he wasn't particularly angry with the young man, simply waving his hand with a smile before turning and leaving. Wu Feng understood, of course, that he would definitely be promoted after this incident, and might even be transferred to the branch office. After all, he had stood firmly and fearlessly against Shen Qun from the beginning in the Cao Gangchuan and Zhang Hao case, making an absolute contribution to bringing the case back to light. What puzzled and shocked him now was whether this young Xu Zhengyang truly had some kind of connection with the so-called gods that only existed in legends.
Otherwise, how could he have known everything about the case from the very beginning?
Moreover, Zhong Shan, the director of Huaxiang Police Station, seems to believe this very much!
Wu Feng's initial skepticism had begun to tip. If it were true, then... they could make a big deal out of Xu Zhengyang later!
In the restaurant lobby, Xu Zhengyang rubbed his still-aching head with one hand, pulled out a cigarette from his pocket with the other, pressed the bottom of the pack, took one out, lit it, took two deep drags, and sat back down to rest. He grumbled to himself: "Damn it, why didn't Zhong Zhijun and Zhou Qiang come sooner? Otherwise, just because of Zhong Zhijun's police uniform, I wouldn't have gotten this beating!"
Jin Yan and another girl stared at Xu Zhengyang as if they didn't recognize him; they had been stunned for quite a while.
For them, who often caused trouble in the town, Wu Feng, the deputy director of the police station, must have known them, even though Wu Qun did not know them.
What they found hard to believe was that Guo Tian, the nephew of the police station chief Shen Qun, had been arrested by Wu Feng, while Xu Zhengyang, who had beaten people until their heads bled, had not been arrested. It seemed that... he was quite familiar with the deputy chief Wu Feng. The two of them spoke to each other with smiles, polite and casual, and very friendly.
What does this tell us?
Although the two girls couldn't figure it out in a short time, even they could guess that Guo Tian's uncle, Shen Qun, was no longer useful!
But what kind of skills could Xu Zhengyang, this poor, good-for-nothing kid, have besides showing off and fighting with a bunch of poor buddies the year before last? How did he get involved with the deputy director of the police station? It's absolutely impossible that they're relatives, because Director Wu has been in Futou Town for more than just a year or two! Xu Zhengyang has never seemed to amount to anything before.
For them, having a relative who is the deputy director of the police station meant they shouldn't have to resort to exchanging Xiaomi'er.
Just as the two girls were still wondering, Xu Zhengyang waved to the landlady who was directing the male and female waiters to tidy up the room and said, "Auntie, I'm so sorry, um... look, I've broken all your tables and chairs, and um, I've smashed a few water glasses too..."
"It's alright, whoever damaged it will have to pay for it," the proprietress said with a smile. What she meant was that even if Guo Tian and his gang got out of the police station, they would still have to compensate the restaurant for the damage. Were they crazy? Didn't they even know whose hotel it was, or what the hotel's signboard looked like?
Normally, Xu Zhengyang would definitely be responsible for compensating for the losses caused by this fight. Guo Tian shouldn't be made to pay, because he's the nephew of Shen Qun, the director of the Futou Town Police Station. It's not that Tianwaitian Hotel is afraid of Shen Qun or needs to curry favor with him; it's just that it's better to avoid trouble. Running a restaurant in the area inevitably involves dealing with the police, doesn't it?
But this time was different. Seeing Guo Tian being arrested by Wu Feng, the deputy director of the police station, and his men, how could the proprietress of Tianwaitian, who was so clever, not see through the trickery?
Meanwhile, Wu Feng, who was in his forties, was greeting this young man in his twenties intimately, exchanging pleasantries and whispering to him…
This loss cannot be compensated by Xu Zhengyang.
But her statement that "whoever broke it pays" led Xu Zhengyang to misunderstand. Scratching his head, he looked around at the mess in the room. He thought for a moment: he had smashed a chair, overturned two tables, and broken several glasses, a teapot, and an ashtray. The rest was done by Guo Tian and his gang. Hmm, roughly calculating, two hundred yuan should be enough, right?
Xu Zhengyang took out his wallet from his pocket, pulled out a wad of hundred-yuan bills, walked a few steps to the proprietress, took out three hundred yuan and handed it to her, saying, "It doesn't matter how much or how little, I'll give you three hundred yuan. If it's not enough, Guo Tian and the others can make up the difference. I can't pay for everything myself, right, Auntie?"
"Oh, young man, what are you saying? How could I let you pay?" The proprietress smiled and politely declined, pushing Xu Zhengyang's hand, which was holding the money, back to her. "I saw it all clearly; it was a group of them who bullied you. They're the ones who should pay for it, so don't worry about it..."
"I'm so sorry!" Xu Zhengyang said with a simple and honest smile.
"Don't mention it, just come and patronize my business often from now on." The proprietress, still charming in her thirties, gave Xu Zhengyang's shoulder a gentle nudge with her delicate fingers and said with a flirtatious smile, "Aren't you waiting for someone to eat? There are two more people, right? Let's go to the private room on the second floor. This meal is on me to help you calm down. Is this your first time at Tianwaitian, young man? I'm so sorry to have made you suffer in our restaurant. Consider it my apology. You can't refuse!"