Chen Jian briefly instructed Hu Pan to accompany the bosses on their tour and then apologized to the bosses before heading towards the stairs.
Hu Pan was clever and guessed something must have happened downstairs. She immediately led the bosses to the gym on the third floor for a visit.
Chen Jian calmly descended two steps of the stairs before suddenly rushing down, basically clearing each flight of stairs in two leaps.
Chen Dahu’s appearance at any other time wouldn’t have rattled him this much, but today was Da Yin’s opening day, and nothing could go wrong.
However, Chen Dahu chose such a day to come, clearly aiming to cause trouble.
Chen Erhu probably didn’t even know his brother would come today. After all the effort he and Sanbing’s group had put into the shop, inside and out, if his brother made any move, Chen Erhu wouldn’t have kept it a secret.
Bastard.
Chen Jian’s anger continued to burn as he descended the stairs.
He had invested too much energy in this shop, for money, and for a seemingly tangible hope.
Sister Zhao, Hu Pan, and possibly Sanbing shared the same feeling.
All the colleagues in the shop were counting on this place.
I’d like to see who the hell tries to cause trouble on such a happy opening day!
I’d like to see who the hell wants this shop to be unlucky.
Whoever dares to cause trouble today gets beaten, and if the boss dares to cause trouble, he gets beaten too!
When Chen Jian rushed to the first floor, the atmosphere was already tense. The employees from the other shops inside were either sitting or standing, gathered in the restaurant area. Although none of them overtly looked like they were watching a show, they were all looking in this direction.
Watching someone else’s drama while getting paid, what a bargain.
Chen Dahu, with two thugs who looked like they were from the old town, was casually smoking at the bar. This calm demeanor was a bit more sophisticated than his brother’s mental card game in the courtyard.
At least he smoked and blew smoke rings.
But compared to Shan Yu, who sat opposite him in a wheelchair, composed and without any superfluous decorative movements, he was still far less skilled.
“Why are you down here?” Shan Yu asked when he saw Chen Jian.
“Just checking,” Chen Jian said in a low voice. He didn’t walk towards Shan Yu but went straight to the bar, looking at Chen Dahu.
Chen Dahu blew a puff of smoke at his face: “Manager Chen, quite a big shot now, aren’t you?”
“Something wrong?” Chen Jian didn’t move.
“This is between me and Boss Shan,” Chen Dahu leaned against the bar. “It has nothing to do with you. Don’t go looking for trouble, or you’ll run into it yourself.”
“What did you just call me?” Chen Jian asked.
“Manager Chen, why?” Chen Dahu looked at him.
“So I’m the manager of this shop,” Chen Jian said. “If you want to find trouble with Shan Yu, don’t do it in my shop.”
Chen Dahu was startled.
Shan Yu also paused, resting his arm on the wheelchair armrest, fingers supporting his temple, a little tempted to laugh.
The manager’s logic was so overbearing.
So ruthless.
“Chen Jian, stop playing games with your brother. Today, I’m letting you off out of respect for my brother,” Chen Dahu said. “Don’t be endless.”
“Get out,” Chen Jian said.
Was the manager really going to kick out Chen Dahu and the boss?
Shan Yu looked at Chen Jian’s back, couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. That back actually had a bit of a murderous aura.
Chen Dahu sneered but didn’t move.
Chen Jian turned his head and glanced at Shan Yu. Chen Erhu and Sanbing’s group were all standing beside Shan Yu.
Chen Erhu seemed to have lost his usual arrogant expression, looking anxious and nervous. After all, he was facing Chen Dahu, who had treated him like a spinning top since childhood. The fact that he could still firmly stand there with his men now already showed his stance.
Chen Jian didn’t want to make the first move, but Chen Dahu would definitely not cooperate. If he continued to drag this on here, the outcome would most likely be the same.
The glance he turned back wasn’t for Shan Yu, but for Chen Erhu and Sanbing.
Sanbing moved before Chen Erhu, walking towards him.
Chen Erhu hesitated for half a second, then also moved.
As Lao Si and Lao Wu and the others were also about to come over, Shan Yu sighed, raised his hand, and poked Chen Erhu’s back with his folded crutch.
Chen Erhu stopped and looked back.
“Chen Dahu, right?” Shan Yu looked at Chen Dahu, speaking what was probably the first sentence since Chen Dahu entered.
“Don’t play dumb,” Chen Dahu also turned his body, facing Shan Yu. “Brother doesn’t like beating around the bush. You know why I’m here today.”
“Since you don’t like beating around the bush,” Shan Yu said, “don’t demonstrate it yourself. Just say it directly.”
Chen Dahu’s mouth twitched.
The next second, he grabbed a glass from the bar and threw it to the ground.
Chen Jian had some understanding of this person. He had been watching his hand when his mouth twitched those two times. The moment his hand went up, Chen Jian had already reached out to block from below.
Chen Dahu’s downward smashing momentum was interrupted. His hand hit Chen Jian’s arm, and the glass slipped from his hand. When it hit the ground, Chen Jian’s foot cushioned it, and it rolled to the side.
“Don’t butt in!” Chen Dahu immediately exploded, his finger almost poking Chen Jian’s face.
Chen Jian didn’t speak. He bent down, picked up the glass, and didn’t put it back on the bar. He held it in his hand with the bottom facing forward.
As a hooligan with some practical experience, Chen Dahu knew that the bottom of this glass could at any moment be slammed onto his head before he could make a move, so he didn’t immediately act.
“Hey, hey,” Shan Yu raised his chin at Chen Dahu, “Let’s talk business.”
“Alright, alright,” Chen Dahu nodded. “I originally intended to give you some face today. You want me to speak directly, right? Then I’ll…”
“How about we go to the meeting room…” Chen Jian heard that there was still room for negotiation.
Chen Dahu might have realized he underestimated the cripple in front of him, or perhaps he didn’t expect Chen Jian, who usually avoided direct conflict with him, to be so disrespectful. He probably also didn’t expect his brother to side with the opposition.
He brought too few people.
Boss, be careful what you say, there’s still a chance.
But the astute Shan Yu didn’t cooperate with him. He interrupted directly: “Speak.”
“What about the money you owe me!” Chen Dahu roared, raising his voice.
Damn.
“What money?” Shan Yu asked, his gaze sweeping towards Chen Jian as he spoke.
Sure enough, it was still because of the dispute with Qian Yu.
But I don’t know what exactly happened!
Chen Jian looked at Shan Yu, clearly sensing the surprise and displeasure in Shan Yu’s eyes.
“The money Qian Yu owes me, the money this guesthouse owes me,” Chen Dahu looked at Shan Yu. “Give me an explanation today. I’m not an unreasonable person.”
Shan Yu was silent for a moment, leaned back, and looked at Chen Dahu: “The money Qian Yu owes you, you’re asking me for it? Are you face-blind or illiterate?”
Before Chen Dahu could speak, he added: “Also, don’t keep calling me ‘brother, brother, brother’ here. If you say ‘brother’ one more time, I’ll be your dad.”
Chen Dahu glared at him for two seconds, then roared: “Smash it for me!”
“I’d like to see who dares!” Chen Jian also roared.
“Brother!” Chen Erhu rushed forward, wrapping his arms around Chen Dahu, trying to pull him away. “Brother, give me some face, let’s pick another time…”
Chen Dahu elbowed Chen Erhu in the face: “Get lost, you old man!”
Then, as if to provoke, he put one arm around Chen Erhu’s neck and repeatedly slammed his other elbow into Chen Erhu’s face.
In no time, blood began to seep from Chen Erhu’s eye corner.
“Brother Erhu!” Sanbing got anxious and also rushed forward. Lao Si and the others followed suit, pouncing to pull Chen Erhu out of his grip.
The two thugs Chen Dahu brought also took advantage of the chaos to try and sweep the items off the bar onto the floor.
“Hey, don’t touch these things!” Zhao Fangfang, who had been stunned behind the bar, got anxious and rushed to block them.
One thug reached out, intending to strike Zhao Fangfang’s head.
“Go to hell!” Chen Jian swung his arm, smashing the glass in his hand onto the thug’s wrist.
The scene was chaotic, but they had more people, so they wouldn’t suffer losses. However, Chen Dahu was incredibly strong, and several people couldn’t free Chen Erhu from his grip.
One more squeeze, and it felt like they could just collect the body.
Chen Jian’s head was throbbing. While waving his hand to make Zhao Fangfang back away, he looked back at Shan Yu.
Shan Yu had somehow gotten out of his wheelchair and walked to the side of the chaotic crowd, holding his unopened crutch.
“Don’t make things worse!” Chen Jian said in a low voice, still pulling a thug’s collar, dragging him out of the crowd.
He didn’t dare to shout too loudly, but the scene was a mess, and his words were lost.
“Hey!” Shan Yu shouted from beside the chaotic crowd.
No one stopped.
Shan Yu fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a lighter and a small red object.
Firecracker?
Where did that come from?!
Did he pick it up in the courtyard?
Chen Jian forcefully slammed the thug in his hand onto the ground, kicked the fallen man, and turned to walk towards Shan Yu.
“What are you…”
Before he finished speaking, Shan Yu lit the firecracker in his hand, then flicked his fingertips, and the firecracker’s fuse, sparking, flew into the crowd, immediately exploding beside their ears.
The opening firecrackers Chen Erhu bought were especially loud. Even this single one, when it exploded indoors, made people a bit dazed. Everyone stopped at that instant.
Chen Jian immediately reacted. Taking advantage of everyone’s dazed state, he rushed over and grabbed Chen Dahu’s arm.
But Shan Yu also acted at the same time.
With his back turned, Chen Jian didn’t even see how Shan Yu walked over without his crutch.
He only saw the crutch in his hand sweep past his eyes, chopping down on the side of Chen Dahu’s neck.
The next second, Chen Jian felt Chen Dahu’s arm, which was holding his brother, lose strength. When he looked over, Chen Dahu had already fallen stiffly to the side.
He was still holding Chen Dahu’s arm, but he couldn’t hold him up. He simply followed the momentum and lowered him to the ground.
Everyone watched in silent shock at Chen Dahu, who had just been trying to strangle Chen Erhu and was now motionless.
“You…” Chen Erhu, with a face red from being choked by his brother, was stunned for a long time before turning to look at Shan Yu. “Did you kill my brother?”
“He fainted,” Shan Yu said, finally shaking the crutch in his hand, leaning on it as he slowly retreated to his wheelchair and sat down. “Take him to the room.”
The two thugs saw the situation and immediately stepped back two paces towards the door.
“You two,” Chen Jian immediately pointed at them. “Carry him.”
The two thugs looked annoyed but could only walk over, grab Chen Dahu’s arms, and drag him behind Chen Jian towards the guest room on the first floor.
Chen Erhu and Sanbing scrambled behind, grabbing their brother’s feet and following him into the guest room.
Shan Yu flicked the control stick of his wheelchair, slowly driving to the guest room door, then turned and glanced at the restaurant area, saying: “Sorry, everyone, have fun. Lao Si, Lao Wu, you entertain them.”
“Okay,” Lao Si and Lao Wu hadn’t fully recovered, but they immediately responded and walked towards the restaurant.
“Would you like something to drink!” Lao Wu even asked.
Shan Yu entered the guest room. Chen Dahu had already been placed on the bed.
Chen Jian went over and closed the guest room door.
“Boss, with things like this, how do we clean up the mess now?” one thug asked Shan Yu, pointing at Chen Dahu on the bed.
“Did it even start to need cleaning up?” Shan Yu said. “Is he dead?”
“You…” The thug tried to speak again.
“Wait for him to wake up,” Chen Jian interrupted him.
This scene truly was… Chen Jian couldn’t help but glance at Shan Yu.
He wasn’t dead, but how long would it take him to wake up?
A circle of people standing around like a wake.
Shan Yu leaned back leisurely and also glanced at him.
But Shan Yu’s gaze now was different from his usual calm. Chen Jian could feel it.
Shan Yu was angry.
Chen Dahu on the bed woke up after a while, probably only having been unconscious for two or three minutes.
When he opened his eyes, he was able to leap up, although he immediately fell back onto the bed.
“Have some water,” Shan Yu said.
Sanbing picked up a bottle of water from the nearby table, unscrewed it, and handed it to Chen Dahu.
Chen Dahu was a bit dazed. He took the water and gulped a couple of mouthfuls before coming back to his senses. He stood up and looked at Shan Yu: “You’re something else, your hand is so heavy!”
“About the money, let’s talk about it,” Shan Yu looked at him.
“I don’t care if you genuinely don’t know or are pretending not to know,” Chen Dahu said. “Back then, Qian Yu promised me a 100,000 share in this shop. How much effort did I put into claiming territory for his damn shop in the old town! And he just ran off! Now I only recognize this shop!”
“I don’t know about this,” Shan Yu said. “I need to clarify it first.”
Chen Dahu looked at him without speaking.
“After I clarify it, I’ll find you,” Shan Yu continued unhurriedly. “Before that, don’t let me see you again. If I hear that you’re near this shop again, or bothering my people, I don’t mind going back in for three years. Don’t cause trouble you can’t handle.”
These words made Chen Dahu’s expression subtly change. He glanced at Chen Erhu, seemingly seeking confirmation.
But Chen Erhu had his head down and didn’t look at him.
“Also, disturbing my opening ceremony,” Shan Yu flicked dust off his trousers. “I’ve noted this down. We’ll settle it later.”
Chen Dahu sneered, not daring to easily take up that challenge.
“Manager Chen, Sanbing, please escort Mr. Chen out,” Shan Yu’s wheelchair turned around.
Chen Jian went over and opened the guest room door, then walked out behind his wheelchair.
The restaurant was empty now. It seemed Lao Si and the others had driven everyone out to the garden for “sightseeing and entertainment.”
Zhao Fangfang was by the bar, tidying up the tables and chairs that had been knocked over in the earlier scuffle.
“Sister Zhao,” Shan Yu called out to her. “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine, I’m fine,” Zhao Fangfang waved her hand, then looked towards the guest room. Seeing Chen Dahu emerge from inside, she breathed a sigh of relief. “It’s nothing, I’ll just tidy up.”
“Mm,” Shan Yu responded. His wheelchair moved to the elevator. “Chen Jian, come up with me.”
“Oh,” Chen Jian responded.
The bosses’ voices seemed to be coming from the scenic balcony on the fourth floor. Chen Jian followed him into the office and closed the door.
Shan Yu didn’t move after entering the office. His wheelchair was parked in the middle of the room.
Chen Jian also didn’t move. The office was well soundproofed, so he couldn’t hear any sounds now, but his ears were still ringing with the buzzing of the recent chaos.
“Want a Coke?” Chen Jian asked. “Sister Zhao put a few bottles in your mini-fridge.”
Shan Yu didn’t speak or move.
After a while, he slowly turned around and looked at him: “Did you know about this?”
“…I don’t know the details,” Chen Jian frowned. “I only know they seemed to have some financial dispute.”
“That’s not detailed enough?” Shan Yu’s voice was still steady, but his anger was audible.
“I told you they had a conflict,” Chen Jian said in a muffled voice. He was also very annoyed today, with such a mess happening on the opening day.
“Why didn’t you say it was about money?” Shan Yu said. “Don’t you know how troublesome people like this can be when money is involved?”
You didn’t ask either.
Chen Jian didn’t speak.
“Get me a bottle of Coke,” Shan Yu said.
Chen Jian went over, opened the mini-fridge, and handed a can of Coke to Shan Yu.
“You go out first,” Shan Yu unscrewed the Coke. “Deal with your hand injury.”
“Want a cup?” Chen Jian asked.
“Get out,” Shan Yu said.
Chen Jian turned and walked out of the office.
