Chapter 84: Showing You the Way

Liang Shi hurriedly grabbed hold of Old Chen, dragging and pulling him back into the office. If he really killed someone in public, Zejian Company would be finished, waiting for a shutdown and investigation. Not only would Old Chen, the assailant, go to jail, but a few of the executives would get dragged into trouble as well.

It would be even worse if he didn’t kill the man. A rascal like this, even a minor scrape or bump, would latch onto Zejian and never let go. How would they carry out any work after that?

“Director Zhao, where’s Director Jiang?!” Old Chen, who had just been trying to intimidate Ren Jifu, took advantage of being pulled away to vent his anger, tossed the sledgehammer aside, and asked Liang Shi, still fuming.

“They both went to driving school, didn’t they?”

“What about Junzi?”

“He’s around, but I sent him away. How could I let him know about this? If he found out, there’s no telling what kind of trouble he’d stir up!” Right now, Junzi’s presence was what Liang Shi feared most. If that hammer swing had been Junzi’s, it might really have come down, and then they’d be in real trouble.

“Did you notify Director Zhao?” Old Chen asked.

“I called, and he’s on his way back,” Liang Shi replied. “Old Chen, here’s what you do—go out and get the workers back to their jobs, don’t let them crowd around here. It’s not a good look. I’ll try to talk to him first.”

“Will he even talk to you?”

“It’s worth a try.”

The two of them went outside again, and the crowd had only grown. Ren Jifu, acting as if telling a story, was shouting with exaggerated detail about how Zejian Company was a bunch of cheats, and how Zhao Zejun was a cold-blooded scoundrel.

The makeshift office had a water tap right at the door, and Ren Jifu wasn’t stupid—he’d chosen a prime spot in the summer heat, taking long swigs of water whenever he claimed to be thirsty.

Old Chen walked past Ren Jifu, shooting him a look of disgust, then waved at the onlookers: “Alright, break it up, get back to work! You think wages fall from the sky if you just stand around?”

Liang Shi frowned and said to Ren Jifu, “Blocking the doorway isn’t going to solve anything. If you have a grievance, come into the office and talk to me.”

“And who the hell are you? Whose pants were too loose and let you slip out?” Ren Jifu sneered, looking at him with contempt.

Liang Shi, being an educated man, couldn’t stomach such foul language and snapped, “If you want to speak, do it cleanly.”

“You don’t like my words? Fine, give me my house back and I’ll leave right now!” Ren Jifu looked Liang Shi up and down, snorting, “Can you even make that decision?”

“Tell me first, I’ll report it to the leadership,” Liang Shi replied.

“Damn it, so you’re just an errand boy…” Ren Jifu turned away, ignoring Liang Shi, and started shouting to the dispersing crowd, “Hey, don’t go! Let me tell you, Zejian Company is the worst—”

Before he could finish, someone strode up behind him and, without warning, delivered a stinging slap across his face.

The sound was sharp and loud, like a firecracker going off. The crowd, just about to disperse, instinctively turned back at the noise.

No one knew when Zhao Zejun had returned, but he now stood in the doorway of the makeshift office, Junzi beside him, expressionless and shaking out his wrist.

“Everyone, move along now. Zejian’s matters will be handled by Zejian,” Zhao Zejun said calmly, waving his hand at the crowd.

With Zhao Zejun’s sudden appearance, the workers from the other companies grew even more interested. In construction, incidents like this—people demanding back pay, causing trouble—were daily occurrences. Among the nineteen companies in Gaogang Village, Zejian’s boss was the youngest, still a student. The others were curious to see how this young boss would handle things.

It seemed this young Director Zhao had quite the temper—resorting to a slap right away. How would he wrap things up now?

Ren Jifu was left dizzy and disoriented by Junzi’s slap, tumbling to the ground and rolling over once. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and he clutched his face for a long time before regaining his senses.

Squinting up at Zhao Zejun, his first reaction was a jolt of fear—despite the summer heat, a chill crept up his spine. He thought he was ready to play the ruffian, but facing Zhao Zejun in person, he couldn’t help but feel afraid.

He wasn’t scared of Old Chen or Liang Shi because he knew they wouldn’t dare to truly do anything to him.

But Zhao Zejun was different.

That last incident, when he was nearly run down by a car, had left a deep shadow in his mind. Someone who could, without a flicker of emotion, nearly kill a man with a car—this was a real harbinger of death standing before him!

But things had come to this—he had no choice but to grit his teeth and go on. If he didn’t get money from Zhao Zejun, the casino would never let him go. Zhao Zejun, at least, was a legitimate businessman. Compared to the casino, trying his luck with Zhao Zejun still offered some hope.

With a hardened heart, Ren Jifu clutched his face and wailed, “Murder! Zhao from Zejian Company is trying to kill me!”

“Director Zhao,” Liang Shi stepped forward to explain, but Zhao Zejun waved him off. “Alright, I know. You all get back to work. I’ll talk to him alone. Don’t come in unless I call.”

Then he nudged Ren Jifu’s lame leg with his foot, looked down at him, and said, “Come inside.”

Without waiting for a response, Zhao Zejun turned and walked into the makeshift office.

Ren Jifu hesitated for a few seconds, stopped howling, then hauled himself up, leaning heavily on his crutch, and followed.

Junzi closed the office door behind them, lit a cigarette, and stood guard.

Inside, Zhao Zejun lounged in the boss’s chair, nodding toward the seat opposite. “Sit down and let’s talk. What exactly do you want?”

Ren Jifu glanced nervously at the door. The office was large and empty, with only the two of them inside. Outside, the machines rumbled on the construction site, but inside, it felt deathly quiet—save for the humming of the oscillating fan.

He decided to go for broke. No matter how vicious Zhao Zejun was, he wouldn’t dare commit murder in broad daylight, in an office.

“What do you think I want? You swindled me out of my house, you’re raking in big money, and I have nowhere to live. You can’t just walk away from this!”

“I’m asking why you’re here again, making trouble,” Zhao Zejun leaned back in his chair, his gaze drifting with a half-smile to Ren Jifu’s lame leg. “Seems the last lesson wasn’t harsh enough.”

Ren Jifu, putting on a fierce front, shouted, “Cut the crap! I’m not afraid of you! Zhao, if you’ve got the guts, kill me this time! Don’t say I didn’t warn you—everyone knows I came to your place to make trouble. If anything happens to me, the police will come for you first!”

Zhao Zejun studied him for a moment, then laughed. “I get it. You racked up gambling debts again, didn’t you?”

“Whether I did or not has nothing to do with you. I’m telling you, I’ve got no money, no home, and a bum leg—I’ve got nothing left to lose…”

“Alright.” Zhao Zejun waved his hand. “What do you want? If I find you a place to stay, will that satisfy you?”

“You swindled away my house, so you have to get me another place to live—and you’ll have to pay me too!”

“How much?” Zhao Zejun asked, unhurried.

“My house—once demolished, you must have made at least three hundred thousand. I won’t ask for much, just give me half! And my leg is ruined. I can’t work for the rest of my life, so you should take care of that too. Altogether, give me…give me three hundred thousand! I’ll never bother you again!”

The more Ren Jifu talked, the more justified he felt. Wasn’t it true—if Zhao Zejun hadn’t bought his house, he wouldn’t have had gambling money, wouldn’t have lost everything, wouldn’t owe so much. With no debt, he wouldn’t have to come to Zhao Zejun for money…

So even if his accident wasn’t orchestrated by Zhao Zejun, it was still his fault.

Without Zhao Zejun, he’d have several apartments now, plus tens of thousands in compensation! He wouldn’t have to work another day—just collecting rent would let him live the good life!

Besides, now that he knew all the casino’s tricks, if he got a few tens of thousands in compensation, he could collude with the casino and make easy money!

Thinking it over, his hopes for wealth and health were all dashed by Zhao Zejun!

The more righteous he felt, the bolder Ren Jifu became. His mind grew sharper, his tone hardening, swaggering, “I’m telling you, if you don’t give me the money, I’ll show up here every day and make trouble. I’ll go to the demolition office, the courts, the government! If you won’t let me live, I won’t let you have peace!”

Zhao Zejun listened in silence, calmly lighting a cigarette. After a moment, he shook the pack at Ren Jifu, offering him a smoke.

If Zhao Zejun had started cursing, turned red with rage, or even hit him, Ren Jifu would have expected all that. But this calmness made him uneasy. For the first time, with easy pickings in front of him, he didn’t dare take the cigarette. He asked suspiciously, “What do you mean by this?”

Zhao Zejun tucked the half-empty pack into a drawer, shot him a glance, and sneered, “There’s nothing wrong with your head, is there?”

“You’re just toying with me, aren’t you! Fine, just wait—I’ll make sure you regret this. If I don’t, my name isn’t Ren!”

“No need to get worked up.” Zhao Zejun waved his hand, leaned back, and narrowed his eyes, speaking coolly, “There’s no one else here, so I’ll be frank. If you really insist on those demands, then there’s nothing more to discuss. Do as you like—go to the courts, the police, wherever you want. In the end, see if they side with a penniless, lame pauper like you, or with a rich man like me.”

Ren Jifu was about to retort, but Zhao Zejun cut him off, a trace of impatience creeping in. “Let’s take it a step further. At worst, I could spend a few thousand to hire a couple of fugitives to finish you off, toss you in the cement mixer, and pour you into a building. There wouldn’t even be bones left. You know what Jiang Xuan does for me, don’t you?”

The more casually Zhao Zejun spoke, the more unnerving it became. If he had shouted or slammed the table, it would have been less intimidating.

Ren Jifu glanced at the roaring cement mixer outside the door, his scalp tingling, but he forced himself to sound tough. “Don’t try to scare me—I’m not easily frightened. You think killing me will solve your problems?!”

“Of course it would cause trouble, which is why I’m still here talking with you.”

Once more, Zhao Zejun pulled out his cigarettes, tossing one over.

Sensing Zhao Zejun’s tone had softened, Ren Jifu hesitated, then accepted the cigarette. Zhao Zejun smiled. “That’s more like it. We’re all out here hustling—no need to force each other into a corner. There’s always a way out.”

“Fine, I won’t ask for three hundred thousand. Just give me—”

Zhao Zejun frowned, cutting him off. “I won’t give you a penny. But listen—I know you don’t have a place to stay. I can show you a path to fortune, where you’ll have food and shelter. The only question is whether you have the guts for it.”

“What path?” Ren Jifu asked, puzzled.

“He Da Peng—you know him?”

“Of course. Da Pengzi and I grew up together, running around naked as kids.”

Both were notorious in Gaogang Village, one a ruffian, the other a thug. It would be strange if they didn’t know each other after all these years. Zhao Zejun nodded. “That’s right. His house isn’t smaller than yours, is it?”

“No, his is three stories. He’s getting a lot of money this time, isn’t he?” Mention of money made Ren Jifu’s eyes light up.

“I’ll tell you—Demolition Office promised He Da Peng six apartments and three hundred thousand cash, but he still refuses to move.” Zhao Zejun pointed out the window. “See? His house is still there—the last holdout.”

Ren Jifu followed Zhao Zejun’s finger, but it was too far to see clearly. He muttered, “Damn, that guy’s greedy! How much is he asking for?” Thinking of his own house, which wasn’t much smaller, he realized that if he still had it, he could have gotten three or four apartments and over a hundred thousand at least.

Zhao Zejun didn’t care whether he saw or not. “He’s demanding five hundred thousand cash and six new apartments on the original site. Once those are built, they’ll be worth over a million!”

“Damn it!” Ren Jifu was both jealous and resentful, cursing under his breath. Then he turned and asked, “What’s that got to do with me?”