Chapter 7 (2/2)

He leaned close and whispered something in his ear. His voice was gentle, but his words caused Jiang Run’s eyes to fly open wide: “Go back and tell your parents that if something like this happens again, they’d better get your coffin ready.”

He straightened and waved his hand, at which the gangsters obediently released their hold. Jiang Run fell from the chair with a bang, scared enough to almost piss himself. He never expected Lin Jingzhe to guess the real instigator of today’s events.

From early childhood, he believed his cousin was nothing more than a shy, introverted wimp. This impression was now completely overturned.

He didn’t dare say anything more, just got up and ran. His legs were soft, and he fell after a few steps but was afraid to stop even for a moment. He scrambled to his feet and fled as if all the devils from hell were chasing him.

Almost everything had been dealt with, leaving only Xu Liang and the subordinates he’d brought.

Xu Liang’s shiny forehead was covered with large beads of sweat. When Lin Jingzhe’s gaze moved to him, he gulped then struggled to put a smile on his face. “Brother… Brother Lin…”

Called that, Lin Jingzhe frowned but soon his forehead smoothed out. He looked down on Xu Liang and held out a hand. “How come you’re sitting on the ground, Brother Xu? Let me help you up.”

“No, it’s fine!” Where did Xu Liang have the courage to take a hand still stained with “Azure Dragon” Zhang’s blood? He turned over and climbed to his feet with difficulty, fat shaking. He wiped the sweat on his face and quickly straightened his clothes, then felt about for a plastic chair. Upon touching one, he grabbed it, and zealously pushed it towards Lin Jingzhe: “Here, please sit down.”

“No need. I haven’t finished doing my homework yet.” Lin Jingzhe picked up a paper napkin on the table, calmly and deliberately unfolded it, then, staring into Xu Liang’s eyes, wiped the blood on his hands. With a warm smile, he said, “I made such a mess. Brother Xu, you must laugh at me.”

Xu Liang shuddered. He swallowed a mouthful of saliva and shook his head violently. “No, no, why would I laugh?”

“Why wouldn’t you?” Lin Jingzhe looked at him with a smile. “Wasn’t Brother Zhang funny just now?”

Xu Liang gawked at him. A few seconds later, his hands began to tremble, and his mouth cracked in a smile uglier than a grimace. “Ha! Ha! Ha! Yeah! It was funny! So funny!”

Lin Jingzhe nodded, threw the bloody napkin on the table, and patted Xu Liang on the shoulder. The fat man’s body softened and almost fell to the ground under that light touch.

“Since we had fun, it’s time to scatter, isn’t it?”

Xu Liang nodded so hard his head was about to fall off: “Yes! Leave! Leave!”

Lin Jingzhe seemed satisfied. He reached for an unopened bottle of beer on the table. “I didn’t expect to meet such an important person like Brother Xu today—please take care of me from now on. Before we leave, let me pay my respect and offer you a toast.”

Xu Liang almost jumped to grab the bottle. He hurriedly opened it, took a swig, then smiled widely. “How can this be? No need! I’ll drink!”

He hated that he couldn’t turn back time to before meeting this demon and slap himself. What if the teenager felt disrespected by his actions from back then and wanted to get even?

Despite his cry, Lin Jingzhe didn’t stop. He took another bottle, emptied it until there wasn’t even foam left, then gave a polite smile: “No, I must, or I would be too rude.”

“How could I let you?” Xu Liang’s sweat increased. As long as Lin Jingzhe spoke, he would drink every bottle on the table.

Lin Jingzhe didn’t embarrass him but simply gave a slight nod. “Then I’ll take my leave?”

Xu Liang followed him to the stall’s gate like an eager dog. “I’ll see you off, I’ll see you off.”

Lin Jingzhe’s eyes swept around the food stall. He took a wallet from his schoolbag, pulled out two hundred yuan and put it on the table, gently saying to the owner, who shrank under the cash register in fright, “I’m sorry for the trouble. Please take this in recompense for the business you lost tonight.”

“How could I dare let you pay!” Xu Liang’s voice rose sharply. He grabbed the money and shoved it back into Lin Jingzhe’s hands and took out all the bills he had in his pockets, pilling them on the table. “I’ll pay, I’ll pay, I invited you here, so of course it’s on me.”

Lin Jingzhe’ mouth twitched. As he looked around, his gaze fell on Gao Sheng and Zhou Haitang and stayed on them for a few seconds. Abruptly, his face sank. “Why are you standing there like fools?”

No longer paying attention to Xu Liang, he turned around, lifted his school bag to put it on his shoulder, and marched away.

Gao Sheng and Zhou Haitang pushed through the crowd and ran after him.

Seeing the three backs disappear in the distance, Xu Liang finally felt the mountain-like pressure lift off his shoulders. He leaned on the bar, lips white. He didn’t want to see Lin Jingzhe’s gentle smile ever again.

Jiang Run, scared out of his wits, staggered away and fled. However, as he rounded a second corner and ran into a narrow back alley, he was blocked by a group of people who waited there for him.

“Azure Dragon” Zhang was fortunate enough to get away with his life, but he still couldn’t walk and had to hang off somebody’s back. Though Lin Jingzhe had nearly killed him, he daren’t hate him. And so, his resentment fell on the chief culprit behind today’s trouble—Jiang Run.

Jiang Run stared in horror as the gangsters spread out and surrounded him, backing away with shaking steps until his back hit a wall.

Near the entrance to the alley, someone heard the commotion and turned to look. “Why is it so noisy inside?”

His companion hastily pushed him forward. “Come on, let’s go. It must be a fight between gangs again, don’t be too curious or you might get involved too. The order in our town is getting worse and worse lately.”