The Martial Saint decisively shut up and lowered his head to slurp the noodles.
Helping is a favor, not helping is duty.
Even if it’s just lifting a finger.
"Whoa..."
While comfortably enjoying so authentic ran, suddenly, there was the sound of water splashing. The Martial Saint turned his head to look, only to see a group of burly n in suits outside the ran shop, at an unknown ti, holding buckets and splashing so unknown liquid onto the ran shop.
Tanki Liuli’s refined nose twitched a bit, and then she put down her chopsticks.
Not even foodies can ignore everything.
"Damn it! Gasoline!"
The pungent sll of gasoline was getting stronger. Not only the Martial Saint, but also the scattered other custors in the store slled it and anxiously looked outside, at a loss.
"Damn, it’s the mafia!"
The Martial Saint was astonished.
He had experienced Liao Xiangdong’s underground boxing ring, which was also conducted secretly. Splashing gasoline on a shop in broad daylight and in public, this was sothing he was witnessing for the first ti.
No wonder these were extraordinary days.
The n in suits outside the ran shop were blatantly arrogant, as if no one else was present.
Such behavior, if not the mafia, then what is it?
"Bro, what should we do? Should we run?"
The Martial Saint put down his chopsticks and asked.
"Aren’t you the one who speaks Japanese?"
The Martial Saint instinctively nodded, not yet realizing it, and then imdiately heard: "Go negotiate with them and ask what’s going on."
Faced with Brother Jiang Chen’s calm and earnest deanor, the Martial Saint was bewildered, looking innocent as he raised his hand in disbelief and pointed at himself.
"? Go negotiate?"
"What? Are you scared?"
A typical goading tactic.
But for a teenage lad, it was remarkably effective.
"Scared my ass!"
Although he didn’t know why as rely a bystander—no, a noodle eater—he had to go face danger, but how could a man back down?
With a face full of bravery, the Martial Saint propped himself on the table, suddenly stood up, and walked outside with great strides, decisively, with the aura of a warrior setting out on a journey of no return.
The slicked-back hairstyle of the suited n seed sowhat useful at this mont, although it was slightly disheveled.
"Sokka, nani shiteru no?"
As he walked out of the ran shop and stood at the entrance, facing a group of clearly not-so-friendly strapping n, the Martial Saint faced them fearlessly and shouted.
Having fully poured the gasoline, the n in suits paused, didn’t rush to ignite, and simultaneously looked at the Martial Saint.
One of them stepped forward and said sothing to the Martial Saint. Not ntioning what, at least his attitude was quite unusual, not fierce and vicious; quite the opposite, sowhat polite.
The Martial Saint’s Japanese was limited, unable to fully understand, but roughly grasped the aning: the issue was with the boss, irrelevant to others.
So "reasonable," is it really the mafia?
Looking at the other person’s amiable face, the Martial Saint had no wishful thinking. On the contrary, he realized he might have truly encountered a real underworld force.
Wasn’t this exactly the type of people he had explained to Sister Liuli last night?
"You’re splashing gasoline; do you know that’s against the law? Better scoot off, or I’ll call the cops."
The Martial Saint took a deep breath.
Inside the shop.
Jiang Chen sat there nonchalantly, occasionally not forgetting to eat so noodles.
Truly, what a family.
He didn’t disgrace his sister’s na.
"Get back here!"
Only after hearing the commotion, Cui Wen rushed out from the back kitchen, quickly bolting to the entrance, pulling the Martial Saint behind him at the sa ti.
"No problem, I’m not afraid!"
The Martial Saint was calm and righteous.
He certainly wasn’t dumb.
If he encountered such a situation alone, he would have already slipped away using so excuse. But now, with Brother Jiang Chen and Sister Liuli standing behind him, what was there to fear?
"It has nothing to do with you, go sit down."
Cui Wen faced the gang stoically, continuously pushing the Martial Saint back into the shop.
The Martial Saint took one last look at the not-so-tall back of the person in front and didn’t refuse any further, making way and returning.
"Bro, your friend told not to intervene."
Arriving at the table, he explained.
Jiang Chen nodded, gesturing for him to sit, "Eat your noodles."
Though a lot of gasoline was splashed, they did not set the street on fire. After negotiating for almost ten minutes, the n in suits packed up and left. Cui Wen returned to the shop to reassure the startled custors.
But after such a commotion, even if it turned out safe in the end, eating the noodles was out of the question for most; not everyone had the sa iron stomach as Jiang Chen and his companions.
The custors hurriedly paid their bills and left; in the blink of an eye, the shop was empty.
Cui Wen wore a bitter expression. He didn’t bother to clear the tables and stood for a mont before heading to the only occupied table.
"This isn’t back ho. If you encounter similar situations in the future, stay far away."
He advised Martial Saint.
"Why are they giving you trouble?" Martial Saint asked in return.
Cui Wen said nothing.
"The shop’s going to close, so you’re not paying the protection money anymore?"
Jiang Chen joked, as if nothing had happened. He recalled last year when he ca here, he’d seen the Japanese gang collect protection money; but back then, everyone was friendly. Cui Wen paid swiftly, and the gang left with no fuss.
"The protection money isn’t paid to them. This street is Inagawa-kai’s territory, and they’re from Yamaguchi-gumi."
Cui Wen said with a bitter smile, mixed with a hint of helplessness and gloom.
Inagawa-kai?
Yamaguchi-gumi?
Martial Saint raised an eyebrow, "Brother, your business isn’t big, but the gangs you’re dealing with sure are."
Cui Wen’s bitter smile deepened.
"Since it’s not about the protection money, can’t you go to Inagawa-kai? If you paid them, they’re obliged to maintain order."
Boss Jiang’s advice was indeed reasonable and feasible, but Cui Wen just shook his head.
"Inagawa-kai can’t help."
"Why? Can’t they handle Yamaguchi-gumi? Even if they can’t, they can’t neglect their duties after taking money, right?"
Martial Saint was indignant: "Otherwise, what’s the point of them existing? They might as well disband."
Cui Wen sighed deeply, sitting down on the chair he had been holding, "It’s not about whether they can handle it or not. It’s a personal vendetta between and Yamaguchi-gumi. Inagawa-kai can’t get involved."
Jiang Chen couldn’t help but be a little surprised.
Cui Wen was just a small business owner. What kind of personal vendetta could he have with one of the world’s most notorious criminal organizations?
"Brother, I couldn’t tell. You’re actually so bold, daring to offend the underground overlords while doing business in Japan. I respect you for being a real man!"
Martial Saint raised his glass solemnly.
Cui Wen felt awkward, sighing silently once again.
"What’s going on?"
Jiang Chen asked calmly.
As for Daoist Duanmu, seeing there was nothing much happening, he continued eating his noodles.
"Jiang Chen, it’s none of your concern. Just eat your food before it gets cold."
"Brother, we’re your custors, but we were frightened. As the boss, you should at least give us an explanation, right?"
Cui Wen glanced at the sharp-tongued Martial Saint, rembering how the young man stood up just now, and slowly exhaled.
"It’s actually not that complicated, just because of love."
Martial Saint was stunned for a mont, then quickly glanced at Brother Jiang Chen, his expression turning strange.
"You didn’t cuckold a gang boss, did you?"
Martial Saint asked tentatively, eyes glowing with curiosity.
"How could that be."
Cui Wen imdiately denied, "I’ve always kept myself clean, Jiang Chen knows this."
"Brother Jiang Chen, do you know?"
Martial Saint honestly asked.
Do you know?
It was really hard to answer.
He hadn’t seen the guy in years, and last year they only reunited in a foreign land because of Fang Qing. At that ti, the guy indeed didn’t have a girlfriend.
Without a girlfriend, that should count as keeping oneself clean, right?
"Then why do you say it’s because of love?"
Seeing Brother Jiang Chen staying silent, Martial Saint turned his attention back to gossiping with the ran shop owner.
"Because... I fell in love with a porn star."
"..."
"..."
"..."
The atmosphere instantly fell silent.
The air seed to freeze.
Martial Saint’s eyes widened, as if struck by lightning, staring dumbfounded at Jiang Chen’s old classmate, overwheld by shock that words couldn’t describe.
He was just joking, admiring the dedication of those public artists with goodwill.
But this guy.
Was serious?!
Even Jiang Chen, for a mont, was taken aback, gazing at his old friend who seed not to be joking, remaining speechless.
User Comments
0 comments from readers