Chapter 338: The Onlooker Sees Things Clearly

“Some things cannot be openly discussed!”

The bearded man’s face turned beet red as he yelled at Mei Liangxin.

“Oh, oh, oh! It’s not something shameful, so why can’t we talk about it? It’s all an excuse! I’ve seen through everything!”

With Xu Shaochen around, Mei Liangxin was completely unrestrained. When it came to verbal sparring, he feared no one.

In short, he was the kind of guy who never shies away from a verbal fight but immediately backs down in a physical one. He was like a human husky.

“I…”

The bearded man was at a loss for words.

He shot a glance at his wife, signaling her to cooperate as they planned to steal Mei Liangxin’s phone and wallet.

Running a tofu shop was just a side job for them; thievery was their main profession. Their ‘career’ was on the rise recently, so they had planned to do a few more jobs to secure their income.

But when he heard Mei Liangxin make flirtatious remarks towards his wife, all business thoughts flew out of his mind. First, he needed to beat him up.

After the fight, another idea struck them. They could extort Mei Liangxin instead. This could turn into a classic ‘honey trap’ scenario, potentially yielding more money than theft.

Could he say such things out loud? Of course not. So now, he was left speechless under Mei Liangxin’s verbal assault.

“I don’t care. I’m not going to argue with you. All I know is you insulted my wife, and you need to pay up! If not, you’re not leaving today!”

The bearded man started causing a scene, explicitly showing his intent to extort money.

“Just say it, how much?”

Xu Shaochen said coldly. From the bearded man’s hemming and hawing, it was obvious that Mei Liangxin had been set up.

However, Xu Shaochen couldn’t be bothered to waste time on such small fry. It wasn’t worth it. Giving them some cash and sending them off was better, maybe they could buy a coffin with it.

The bearded man was taken aback. He didn’t expect Xu Shaochen to be so straightforward. He looked at the Audi, then at Long Yi and Long Er, and gritted his teeth, saying, “30,000! Give me 30,000, and we’ll drop the matter. Otherwise, we’ll have no end of trouble!”

The bearded man’s wife and the three accomplices behind him were shocked. Weren’t they supposed to ask for 3,000? The bearded man’s demand was a calculated risk. Judging by Xu Shaochen’s demeanor, money wasn’t an issue for him, so that’s why he named that amount.

Besides, there were four of them, and only three and a half on Xu Shaochen’s side (in the bearded man’s eyes, Mei Liangxin’s combat abilities only counted as half a person). So, he figured he had the upper hand in strength, making him bold enough to ask for more.

After all, as the saying goes, the bolder you are, the more you can gain.

“You really think I’m a fool, huh? 30,000? Why don’t you just rob me!”

Xu Shaochen sneered. He had plenty of money, but that didn’t mean he enjoyed being played for a fool.

For two or three thousand, he wouldn’t argue, as a casual tip could amount to that. But asking for five digits, 30,000 to be exact, that’s already someone’s annual income. And they had the nerve to ask for it.

“You have to pay 30,000, or this won’t end. If you don’t pay up, I’ll have to spill some blood today.”

The bearded man threatened. He believed that rich people feared death above all else.

“Fine, 30,000, right? All right, I’ll give it to you.”

Xu Shaochen chuckled in rage. Did he seem that easy to bully?

“Then hurry and get the money. Don’t waste everyone’s time; we’re all busy people.”

The bearded man looked even more disdainful. After a few harsh words, Xu Shaochen was now obediently handing over the money. Was he asking for too little? The bearded man began to reconsider. If 30,000 was easy, what about 50,000? Or maybe even kidnapping him or a relative? That could net them hundreds of thousands, even millions.

“Shaochen, you…” Mei Liangxin was a bit anxious. This 30,000 should never be given.

“Give them the 30,000, then smash their shop. Beat anyone who tries to stop you until they’re half-dead.”

Xu Shaochen coldly ordered Long Yi and Long Er before turning and getting back into the car.

The bearded man and his gang were momentarily stunned. It wasn’t until Long Yi and Long Er started smashing the shop that they snapped out of it.

“What are you doing? Stop! Are you asking for death?”

The bearded man roared angrily, pulling out a foldable knife and charging forward.

“Bang!”

Long Yi knocked him straight to the ground with a kick, sending the knife flying.

The others, seeing this, didn’t dare make a move, and could only watch as Long Yi and Long Er demolished the shop.

Afterward, Long Yi made a quick transaction on his phone and tossed the card holding the last 30,000 onto the ground: “Password is the last six digits of the card number.”

With that, the two walked away without looking back, got into the car, and calmly drove off.

“We’ve lost big time, big time!”

The bearded man looked at the wreckage of his tofu shop, on the verge of tears.

Not only was he kicked, but the shop was also destroyed. Restoring it to its original state would require a substantial sum. After dividing the 30,000 among his accomplices, it wouldn’t even cover the repair costs.

He was filled with regret. If only he had asked for less. Now, not only did he not make a profit, but he might end up losing money. This job was a total disaster.

…

“Boss, thank you for today. Otherwise, I would’ve been scammed brutally.”

In the car, Mei Liangxin held Xu Shaochen’s hand, gazing at him affectionately.

“Get lost! Can you tone it down? If it weren’t for your loose mouth, would any of this have happened?”

Xu Shaochen snapped back. If he didn’t know Mei Liangxin wouldn’t speak without reason, he wouldn’t have bothered with him.

“Don’t you know me by now? Apart from patronizing brothels, I’m all about sweet-talking women. I actually thought that woman was flirting with me.” Mei Liangxin looked as if he was about to burst into tears.

Xu Shaochen gave him a once-over and said, “Big Brother, don’t you have any self-awareness about your looks? She’s not blind, why would she flirt with you?”

“I’ve always had self-awareness, so I believe I meet the basic criteria for a woman trying to flirt with me—being handsome.” Mei Liangxin said this as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Xu Shaochen: “…”

Indeed, those involved often miss what’s obvious. Mei Liangxin had no idea how ugly he was, while Xu Shaochen, watching from the sidelines, had a clear view.

“Get out! I’ve got things to do.”

As Xu Shaochen spoke, Long Er had already pulled over.

“Wait, when are we going to Songshan?” Mei Liangxin quickly asked.

“After my school’s anniversary celebrations.”

As Xu Shaochen was talking, he opened the car door and promptly booted Mei Liangxin out with a kick.

“Damn it! Ungrateful bastard!”

Mei Liangxin stumbled before regaining his balance and immediately began cursing Xu Shaochen.

However, after just a few curses, he stopped. He felt as if he were cursing himself.

“Go to the School.”

Ignoring the raving Mei Liangxin outside the car, Xu Shaochen ordered Long Er.

At this moment, Xu Shaochen was on his way to school, but the Zhou Sixian he was thinking of was in trouble.