Chapter 16: Nearly Scared Out of My Wits

Back Alley Behind the Internet Café.

Before Wang Jinzhou and Chu Dawang, seated on a motorcycle, could even get close, they spotted the bicycle lying under the streetlamp at the alley entrance from a distance.

“Looks like Azheng and the others cornered Chen Fan right in the alley. Plus, there are no people or cameras around—pretty well done!” Chu Dawang, sitting behind on the motorcycle, commented with a hint of pride.

Wang Jinzhou, driving the motorcycle, grinned slyly and said, “Never thought we’d finish the job that Ze Ge assigned so quickly. Once we wrap up the final details, Ze Ge’s going to give us an extra two hundred yuan for the hard work. A full night’s work without breaking a sweat, and we pocket three hundred and forty yuan—more and faster than those petty tricks from those brats!”

“I told you following Ze Ge was the right call. He’s definitely someone who does big things and makes big money. You didn’t believe me before, but now you do, right?”

“Alright, alright. I was short-sighted and underestimated Ze Ge’s strength. Dawang, you really have a good eye for people.”

Praised, Chu Dawang chuckled smugly, squinting toward the bicycle lying at the alley entrance. “Ze Ge told me Chen Fan’s family is somewhat well-off. Why don’t we take this chance to intimidate him a bit and maybe recruit him as a little brother? If we can get him on our side, we’d have a few hundred yuan in pocket money every month. Plus, we’d have a foothold in the high school. Students at the county high school aren’t like those in the town schools; they’re probably all wealthy. What do you think, Lao Wang?”

Wang Jinzhou parked the motorcycle by the roadside and waved him off, shaking his head. “County town’s one thing, the town’s another. Have you ever seen any street brothers shaking down money at the county’s number one high school? You better drop that idea. It’s dangerous. But shaking down Chen Fan? That’s doable. There are five of us, and he’s alone—he can’t fight back. He’ll just have to comply.”

“True! With the New Year coming, it’s the perfect time to make some money from Chen Fan to improve our lives.”

The two men chuckled quietly as they strode into the alley.

The further they went, the darker the alley became, and they could barely make out several shadowy figures squatting ahead.

Aside from the cold wind whistling through, there was no other sound.

“Mouse, I have a bad feeling about this,” Wang Jinzhou muttered suspiciously.

Chu Dawang quickened his pace slightly and frowned, nodding. “Azheng, A’le, Kaizi, is that you?”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than one dark figure suddenly sprang up.

At the same moment, the moon, previously hidden behind clouds, emerged, its light illuminating the intruders’ faces.

Ahead, Chu Dawang caught sight of Chen Fan’s face, then a fist the size of a sandbag shot into view.

A dull thud echoed!

Just as Chu Dawang reached behind his waist, he was knocked to the ground by a single punch, eyes rolling back as he lost consciousness.

Wang Jinzhou, a step away, didn’t retreat. He quickly drew a hairpin from his waist and thrust it at Chen Fan.

Chen Fan nimbly dodged, grabbed Wang Jinzhou’s right arm, pulled hard, lowered his body, lifted Wang’s arm high, and twisted it fiercely.

The hairpin fell to the ground instantly, and the sharp pain shooting through his arm drained the color from Wang’s face.

Smack!

A crisp slap landed, and Chen Fan sent Wang Jinzhou flying with a powerful backhand. Stars exploded before Wang’s eyes; his left cheek burned fiercely with a vivid red handprint against his pale face.

Meanwhile, Zhang Zheng, Li Le, and Hu Kai, squatting with their heads in their hands nearby, dared not breathe loudly, trembling uncontrollably.

Initially, the three had pinned their hopes on Chu Dawang and Wang Jinzhou.

After all, these two were their big brothers, seasoned and battle-hardened from years on the streets.

But none of them expected that after a single encounter, Chu Dawang and Wang Jinzhou would be instantly defeated by Chen Fan, with no chance to fight back.

You tell me, is this really a high schooler?

No one would believe it!

The five-man team, once brimming with confidence and momentum, was completely wiped out.

Chen Fan tossed the two chicken-like Chu and Wang beside the trembling trio.

The three held their breath, forcing their bodies not to shake.

“You, wake this blond freak up, quickly!” Chen Fan kicked Li Le, who dared not breathe, and pointed at the unconscious Chu Dawang.

Li Le looked at Chu Dawang’s rolled-back eyes and drooling mouth, muttered an apology, and slapped him across the face.

Moments later, Chu Dawang let out a painful howl as he woke, glaring at Li Le and cursing loudly, “Damn it, Li Le! You’re looking for death, huh? How dare you—”

“Shut up!” Chen Fan’s size 43 shoe slammed into Chu’s face.

With a shoe print left on his cheek, Chu Dawang shrank his head, biting back the pain into silence.

“I’m giving you a chance. Answer my questions honestly, or else…”

Chen Fan sneered, raised his fist, and smashed two bricks on the ground.

Crack!

The stacked bricks shattered into pieces.

The only sound in the alley was the incessant howl of the cold wind.

Chu Dawang and the other three stared wide-eyed at the broken bricks, their breathing quickening in fear.

“Tell me, who sent you to block me?”

“Xiao... Xiao Ze.”

“Why did he send you?”

“He paid us to rough you up and then wanted us to get something from you afterward.”

“What?”

“He said it’s a video!”

Chen Fan’s eyes darkened as Yang Hua’s image flashed in his mind.

Page 2:

Never expected society to send people after me so soon!

Typical Yang Hua style!

Luckily, my body has undergone a complete transformation; otherwise, fighting five at once would’ve been tough.

Chen Fan gripped Chu Dawang’s wrist tightly, fingers digging in. “Call Xiao Ze and bring him here. If he comes, I’ll let you five go.”

Chu Dawang, nearly in pain from the grip, gasped and nodded, hurriedly pulling out his phone to dial Xiao Ze.

The call disconnected within seconds.

“Keep trying! Don’t hang up until you get through!” Chen Fan ordered coldly.

Sweat beading on his forehead, Chu Dawang dialed again.

After three or four attempts, the call either got hung up or was temporarily unreachable.

Growing hopeless and nearly in tears from the pain in his wrist, Chu Dawang suddenly received a text message.

[Just arrived in the city; wait until I get back to deal with this!] —Xiao Ze.

“Chen Bro, the guy named Xiao just texted,” Chu Dawang trembled as he handed over the phone.

Chen Fan sighed helplessly. Looks like solving this all in one go today isn’t possible.

Still, the name Xiao Ze triggered some vague memories from his past life, though he couldn’t immediately place who he was.

He saved the number and looked at Chu Dawang squatting nearby. “How much did Xiao pay you to block me? Be honest.”

Hesitating, Chu Dawang glanced at Li Le and the others, then closed his eyes and said, “Two hundred now, another two hundred after it’s done.”

Zhang Zheng, Li Le, and Hu Kai stared at him in disbelief, full of disappointment.

“Damn, only four hundred yuan, and you risked your life for that?”

Chen Fan turned to the other three. “What about you guys?”

Zhang Zheng, still nursing a sore head, glared at Chu Dawang. “We got twenty yuan a head!”

“Damn!”

Chen Fan was stunned for a moment, then patted Chu Dawang’s head. “As big brother, you’re a ruthless money grabber—earning a couple hundred without lifting a finger. You’re scarier than any middleman! If you don’t want to lose a hand or foot, hand over the money in your pocket and that guy’s!”

Chu Dawang sulkily handed over 130 yuan, then Wang Jinzhou was searched for another 150 yuan.

Chen Fan counted the money, then looked at Zhang Zheng and the others. “You three help me with something. After it’s done, all this money is yours. How about it?”

“Just say the word, Chen Bro.”

“Fan Bro, whatever you ask, we’re in. Money or no money.”

“We’ll follow Fan Bro through fire and water.”

The three were utterly convinced by Chen Fan’s terrifying strength and didn’t dare ask for more.

Seeing their agreement, Chen Fan threw the money to them and pointed at Chu Dawang and Wang Jinzhou. “You two, do this...”

Six or seven minutes later.

Stripped down to just their underwear, Chu Dawang and Wang Jinzhou crouched in the cold, shivering in humiliation.

Zhang Zheng, Li Le, and Hu Kai cracked their knuckles, ready for action.

“Damn, we treat you two as big brothers, but you treat us like fools. Nice play, Mouse Bro, Gold Bro.”

“Enough talk, let’s beat them up!”

Soon, muffled thuds of fists landing, curses from the three, and the cries and pleas of Chu and Wang being punched and kicked on the ground echoed through the alley.

As for Chen Fan.

After snapping photos of Chu Dawang and Wang Jinzhou naked, he hopped on his bike and left.

But he didn’t go straight home. Instead, he stopped at the county hospital to have the wound on his hand bandaged before returning.

If his parents saw the injury, they’d immediately know he’d been in a fight outside.

Having it bandaged gave him an excuse to explain.

Midnight.

With hands wrapped in gauze, Chen Fan quietly pushed his bike into the shop and gently closed the small door.

He went upstairs to find the living room light still on.

A woman in her forties, wrapped in a blanket, leaned against the sofa, knitting while watching TV.

She was Chen Fan’s mother, He Lian.

In his previous life, because of his blind devotion, she had fallen ill from overwork and never recovered.

He never forgot the despair, helplessness, and bitter disappointment in her eyes before she died.

Now, looking at his mother’s still dark hair and only faint wrinkles, Chen Fan felt a sting in his nose and an itch in his eyes.

He took a deep breath, held back tears, smiled, and approached. “Mom, still up so late? Waiting for your precious son?”

He Lian glanced at him, feigning anger with a cold snort. “You brat, I was gone only two days, and you’re already so restless, coming home at midnight.”

Then she noticed his hands wrapped in gauze, quickly dropping her knitting needles to grab his hands. “What happened? Are the injuries serious? Do you need to go to the city hospital?”

“I fell off my bike on the way home because it was too dark. I already went to the county hospital; the doctor said just keep applying medicine. It’s nothing serious,” Chen Fan replied with a smile. He looked at the covered soup bowl on the coffee table, changing the subject. “Mom, what did you bring back? I can smell something delicious even with the lid on.”

“You’re lucky your dog nose is sharp. I didn’t smell a thing, but you could!” He Lian laughed and scolded, then handed him chopsticks and a stool, lifting the lid. “You’ve always been craving the mutton noodles from Shiguan Xiuxiang. Your dad and I picked up a bowl on our way back. Eat quickly.”

“Thanks, dear mother!” Chen Fan sat down and began slurping the noodles, though the bandages on his hands slowed him down.

“Son, who installed the security cameras in the shop?”

“I did. Both of them are dummies, didn’t cost a thing.”

Chen Fan explained the purpose and deterrence of the cameras as he ate.

He Lian sighed with genuine pride. “My son’s really grown up, taking care of the family. Eat up and rest. Your dad and I have to go to the countryside tomorrow. When you wake up, just eat out.”

“Got it!”

Watching her son devour the noodles, He Lian’s face softened with a loving smile as she wrapped herself in the blanket and went to the bedroom.

Minutes later.

Full and satisfied, Chen Fan patted his belly and returned to his room.

He sat at the computer and uploaded all the photos of Chu Dawang and Wang Jinzhou from his phone.

Besides wanting to avoid being bothered by these two small-time thugs, his main goal was to use them against Xiao Ze.

From what he heard in the alley, Xiao Ze was a somewhat notorious gang leader in the county with at least a hundred or two dozen subordinates.

Yang Hua had hired Xiao Ze to retrieve the surveillance video.

As long as the video wasn’t recovered, Xiao Ze would keep causing trouble.

Though Chen Fan could take on five at once, even a tiger can’t face a pack of wolves.

Especially since Xiao Ze was a gang leader with many subordinates.

So, after taking the photos, Chen Fan threatened Chu Dawang and Wang Jinzhou to act as his eyes and ears within Xiao Ze’s ranks.

If Xiao Ze made any moves, they had to notify him immediately so he could respond accordingly.

Regarding the police.

Chen Fan had considered asking the authorities for help.

But in this era, that wasn’t a good option.

The society of 2005 was far from peaceful compared to a decade or more later.

Thanks to certain movies, the youth were all fiery and reckless.

Plus, after a major crackdown, many criminals were released back into society.

Thus, 2005 was chaotic.

To put it simply, some people might look innocent carrying a bag, but if you peek inside, it’s filled not with anything legal, but knives and steel pipes.

Fights, brawls, group disturbances, and street duels under bridges were all common.

In short, people rarely sought police help over conflicts; they either settled scores by force or fought it out on the spot.

Not convinced?

Then the fighting continued until one side was subdued.

The government rarely interfered in small-time gang affairs, and the security system was far from perfect.

Even if someone was caught, the worst punishment was a lecture or a few days in jail.

Gangsters even took pride in serving time and weren’t afraid at all.

So Chen Fan decided to confront Xiao Ze head-on, either to subdue him or see him rot in prison.

“Is this Xiao Ze the same person from my past life memories?”

Lying on his bed, Chen Fan murmured.

He hadn’t met Xiao Ze yet.

No photos of Xiao Ze were in Chu or Wang’s phones.

If it really was the Xiao Ze from his past life, dealing with him would be ridding society of a scourge.

“Once I settle Xiao Ze, I need to prepare for my first pot of gold. Time waits for no one!”

Soon, barely half a minute after lying down, Chen Fan fell into a deep sleep.

What he didn’t know was that he had already crossed paths with Xiao Ze today.

But in the afternoon, the guard at the internet café had changed his hairstyle, dramatically altering his appearance.

Plus, Xiao Ze had kept his head down at the computer; all Chen Fan saw was an oily scalp full of dandruff, so it wasn’t his fault for not recognizing him.

...

In a filthy and messy rented room in the eastern part of the county town.

Bruised and battered, Chu Dawang and Wang Jinzhou helped each other apply ointment.

Their bodies were covered in bruises, not a single unmarked spot.

“Damn, is Chen Fan even human? His strength’s like a bull’s!” Wang Jinzhou shuddered, recalling how Chen Fan had sent him flying with a single slap. The sheer power terrified him.

Chu Dawang shivered and sighed. “Now we need to figure out how to get those photos from Chen Fan. If we agree to be his informants, we’d be traitors and won’t be able to stay in this county anymore.”

Wang Jinzhou lit a cigarette and chuckled. “There’s no way we can beat Chen Fan, but how can a student compare to us?”

“You got a plan?” Chu Dawang asked suspiciously.

Wang Jinzhou leaned in and whispered.

After a moment, Chu Dawang’s face lit up with excitement. “Alright, let’s do it your way, Lao Wang! After we handle Chen Fan, we’ll take care of Zhang Zheng and those three little bastards.”