Chapter 16: Chen Sheng Comes to the Rescue

Brother Wolf was stunned as well. He stared at Jiang Yuan in shock, never expecting his opponent to be so ruthless.

On the street, many passersby, seeing the fight, hurriedly moved away, while some curious onlookers watched from a distance.

"Cut him down!" Brother Wolf roared.

A thug pulled a knife from behind his waist.

Jiang Butong smashed a brick onto one of the thugs. He took a heavy blow to the head, blood streaming down. His vision blurred, and his body staggered, only for Chen Pan’er to rush forward and steady him.

"You're bleeding..." Chen Pan’er pressed a handkerchief to Jiang Butong’s wound.

Jiang Butong felt his mind grow dim.

Suddenly, the glint of a knife caught his eye. He urgently warned Jiang Yuan.

"Yuan, watch out!"

Jiang Yuan instinctively stepped back, and the knife grazed his chest.

His shirt tore, and blood welled up in a thin line.

"Damn it!" Jiang Yuan was enraged by the sight of his own blood.

Brother Wolf saw that three of his men were already down, while the other side’s two still had fight left in them.

Suppressing his alarm, he whistled sharply.

Seven or eight more thugs rushed in from the alley, all now wielding blades.

"Run!"

Jiang Butong knew they couldn’t stay any longer; this was the enemy’s turf, and the numbers would only grow.

Chen Pan’er abandoned her stall, half-carrying Jiang Butong as they retreated.

Jiang Yuan, understanding the odds, fought while covering Jiang Butong’s escape.

The three fled down the narrow alleyway.

Brother Wolf spat on the ground, sneering, "You think you can turn my turf upside down?"

The gang surged after them into the alley.

Just then, a middle-aged man on a bicycle appeared at the other end of the alley. He was about to leave, but when he saw Jiang Butong and Jiang Yuan, he stopped.

He jumped off his bike, hefted it in one hand, and charged at the group of thugs.

The alley was narrow, allowing only three abreast. Jiang Yuan, standing firm, blocked the thugs with an imposing presence.

Both his iron swords were now nicked and battered.

"Move aside!"

A powerful voice sounded behind Jiang Butong.

He turned; it was Chen Sheng!

"Sheng, what are you doing here?" Jiang Butong asked.

"I was negotiating with an ad agency, happened to run into you!"

Chen Sheng moved quickly. He yanked Jiang Yuan back, causing a thug’s blade to miss its mark.

Jiang Yuan shot Chen Sheng a grateful look, shaken by the close call. If not for Chen Sheng, that strike could have landed on his head.

Chen Sheng swung his old bicycle, blocking the thugs. None could advance another step.

"Where’s Hou San? Tell Hou San to get out here!"

Chen Sheng drove the thugs back, his gaze cold and piercing.

Brother Wolf had been ready to send his men forward, but hearing Hou San’s name, he signaled his men to halt.

"Who are you? Why are you calling my boss’s name?" Brother Wolf eyed Chen Sheng.

Chen Sheng set down the bicycle, wiped sweat from his face, and snarled, "Damn it, even the likes of Hou San are bosses now? Tell him to come see me!"

Brother Wolf realized Chen Sheng knew Hou San, and judging by his tone, didn’t seem to hold him in high regard. He began to weigh his options.

"Just tell Hou San, someone named Chen Sheng is looking for him."

Chen Sheng’s aura exploded, not something ordinary people possessed.

Brother Wolf hesitated, then nodded to one of his underlings.

That man retreated, clearly off to fetch the boss.

After a while, a young man with a hunched back and a gold chain around his neck arrived.

He immediately spotted Chen Sheng, his eyes wide in astonishment, and hurried over.

"Sheng, what are you doing here?" Hou San offered Chen Sheng a cigarette, showing deep respect.

"You’ve got guts, beating up my brothers." Chen Sheng slapped the cigarette away, gesturing toward Jiang Butong.

Hou San was shrewd. He glanced at the scene and asked Brother Wolf, "What’s going on here?"

After an explanation, Chen Sheng and Hou San understood the situation.

"Sheng, Dragon King’s Temple flooded by high waters—just a misunderstanding."

"Misunderstanding? Then how do you explain my brother’s wounds?"

Jiang Butong looked over at Jiang Yuan’s injuries; fortunately, they were superficial and nothing serious—a few days' rest would suffice.

"Butong, are you alright?" Jiang Yuan asked, recalling the blow to Jiang Butong’s head.

"I’m fine," Jiang Butong waved it off.

"My apologies, brothers. We're all on the same side—just a misunderstanding. Don’t leave tonight! I’ll set a table as an apology." Hou San clasped his hands to Jiang Butong and Jiang Yuan.

"No need for a banquet. From now on, when my brothers set up their stalls here, I don’t want to see this happen again," Chen Sheng said coldly.

"Absolutely, absolutely!" Hou San apologized repeatedly, keeping his posture humble.

"Eagle, go help these two brothers pack up their stall," Hou San instructed his men.

After some pleasantries, Hou San compensated Jiang Yuan with a hundred yuan, and Chen Pan’er’s stall remained unaffected.

With another apology, Hou San led his men away.

Chen Sheng’s gaze lingered on Jiang Yuan, silently impressed. If he’d been in the game for ten years, Jiang Yuan would surely be a figure in the underworld by now.

"Thanks to you, Sheng," Jiang Butong said with a smile.

"Butong, don’t be a stranger. We’re family," Chen Sheng replied.

"What’s Hou San’s background?" Jiang Yuan asked.

"He’s... an old acquaintance," Chen Sheng glanced at Chen Pan’er, unwilling to elaborate on his past.

Jiang Butong noticed—Chen Sheng was far more than he appeared.

With nothing accomplished that day, the group prepared to head back.

Jiang Butong asked, "Sheng, how’s the signboard coming along?"

Chen Sheng grinned, "With your big brother taking charge, it’s a breeze."

"I told Hou San, from now on, when you set up your stalls, they won’t bother you," Chen Sheng assured them.

Jiang Butong nodded, but it only heightened his urge to expand. His current influence was still too weak.

These thugs were stumbling blocks. One day, he would sweep them away for good!

Inside an abandoned building at the wholesale market.

Hou San’s cheerful demeanor vanished as soon as he entered.

He stood with hands behind his back, eyes dark.

Wolf, seeing his boss’s expression, asked, "San, who was that guy?"

Hou San turned to Wolf, coldly replying, "He’s just an old gangster who’s retired."

Wolf was surprised at Hou San’s dismissive tone. "Then why did you show him respect?"

Hou San pulled out a cigarette and took a drag. "His name is Chen Sheng. I used to run with him for a few days. Then he washed his hands of the business, so I stopped following him. Today, I owed him a favor."

Wolf nodded, then asked, "If they set up their stalls again, should we charge protection fees?"

Hou San sneered, "If Chen Sheng still had his old influence, we couldn’t. But now? A plucked phoenix is no better than a chicken."

In these times, who would turn down money?

Wolf nodded, understanding his boss’s intentions.

Jiang Butong and his group returned to the restaurant.

The Chen Family Eatery was still bustling, and the new restaurant progressed smoothly. Once the sign went up tomorrow, renovations would take at least half a month, and business could start at the beginning of next month.

Jiang Butong still lounged at the cashier, cracking sunflower seeds.

Seeing that Jiang Butong was alright, Chen Pan’er went off to help.

Jiang Yuan was visibly wounded, but they were only surface injuries. Rural folk were tough by nature. He quickly bandaged himself and went to lend a hand.

Once most of the customers had left, Chen Sheng came from the kitchen.

"Butong, I want to discuss something with you."

Chen Sheng sat next to him.

"What’s up, Sheng? Why so serious?"

"That kid Jiang Yuan—I’ve taken a liking to him. I want to make him my apprentice. What do you think?"

Chen Sheng looked at Jiang Butong. Although Butong was the youngest, Chen Sheng saw he was the core of the trio—even Jiang Yuan and Jiang Dazhuang listened to him.

"As a chef?" Jiang Butong was surprised.

"Not a chef," Chen Sheng waved his hand, indicating Jiang Butong misunderstood.