034 Fated Encounters

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Swish!

The door to the private room where Yang Tang and the others sat swung open again, but this time it wasn't the tea being served.

A dark-skinned man stood at the threshold with Da Fei behind him. He Jia-ni immediately flared up, "Does this teahouse still want to do business? How can anyone just walk in?"

"Miss, please calm down," the dark-skinned man interrupted, flashing a row of white teeth. "I am Black Screen Yang Tang, and surely you recognize Da Fei behind me?"

Yang Tang glanced sidelong at Da Fei, who remained silent, and replied in a cool tone, "What do you want?"

"Since you know each other, that's perfect. My boss wants to meet you," Black Screen said. "Please come with us."

Wu Hao exploded at that, "Outrageous! Since when does some nobody get to tell Tang where to go?"

Black Screen raised an eyebrow, his gaze turning sinister as he looked at Wu Hao.

Yang Tang felt a touch of helplessness at the scene. If a real conflict broke out and he had to choose between He Jia-ni and Wu Hao, he'd protect He Jia-ni first. The reason was simple—not only had He Jia-ni borrowed his old laptop, but He Yuan-hong held the rice bowl for Yang’s parents, so he would ensure He Jia-ni’s safety. As for saving Wu Hao on the basketball court last time, that was mere coincidence; if it came down to choosing, Wu Hao would be left out.

Of course, if things could be settled peacefully, that was best. Yang Tang’s physical strength had improved, but he wasn’t a superhuman who could take down dozens alone. If he couldn’t go all out, a scuffle would inevitably lead to injuries, and if He Jia-ni got hurt, it would be a loss.

So, after a brief calculation, Yang Tang stood up, patted Wu Hao’s shoulder, and said, "Haozi, it’s a small matter, don’t be impulsive!"

"But Tang, this guy—"

"It’s fine," Yang Tang waved him off and turned to Da Fei. "Old Cheng, today I’ll give you face and go meet Hua."

He Jia-ni stood up as well, "I’ll go with you."

"I’ll go too!" Wu Hao chimed in.

Yang Tang scolded, "Didn’t we order pre-Qing Dragon Well tea? Neither of you are allowed to come, otherwise the good tea goes to waste!"

"It’s been fifteen minutes, and the tea still isn’t here. To hell with pre-Qing Dragon Well!" He Jia-ni snapped, tugging at Yang Tang. "I don’t care, I’m going with you!"

Yang Tang shot her a fierce glare. "One is enough. Did you forget what happened last time when we went to buy laptop parts together?"

He Jia-ni fell silent.

After Yang Tang left with Black Screen and Da Fei, Wu Hao grumbled, "Jia-ni, are you really Tang’s girlfriend? You actually let him go alone?"

He Jia-ni didn’t refute Wu Hao’s claim, only waved her hand. "You don’t understand."

"What’s there not to understand? They're just some local thugs. I ran into them before when I was at school in the county. I’ll call my dad right now."

Unexpectedly, when the call connected, Wu Lie just laughed. "Hao, you don’t need to worry. I guarantee Yang Tang will be fine!"

"But, Dad—"

"No buts. Just stay in the teahouse. I’m busy, gotta go!"

An arcade on the street nearby.

Not a soul playing inside—the place had clearly been cleared out.

Brother Hua was shooting pool by the only table, not paying much attention. His men lounged about, leaning on fruit machines or smoking in corners.

Before long, Yang Tang entered, escorted by Black Screen and Da Fei, and his first words were, "Damn, the smoke in here could suffocate a rat!"

The blond with a pile of cigarette butts at his feet snarled, "What did you say?!"

"Big Jin," Brother Hua suddenly called out. "Yang Tang is my honored guest. What are you yelling for? Turn the exhaust fan to the max, open all the windows and doors!"

His men lazily complied.

Yang Tang, unceremonious, sat down at the counter fashioned from an old desk. Brother Hua circled around and sat opposite, getting straight to the point, "Brother, all those tricks you shared with my people have been passed on to me. I thought it over, and they're pretty insightful. Why not join me from now on?"

Yang Tang: "..."

"Don’t worry about money. As long as you agree, you get eight percent of all my monthly earnings," Brother Hua offered. Several of his men’s eyes reddened with envy.

But Yang Tang remained unmoved and sneered, "I’ll say it again—do you know any big shots in official circles? You don’t need to tell me everything, just the highest rank among them. Is it at township level, county division, or bureau?"

"To be honest, I’ve just connected with a deputy division chief recently," Brother Hua said.

Yang Tang asked, "Is he powerful?"

"Pretty, pretty decent."

"Then, within a radius of four or five kilometers centered on his jurisdiction, as long as he can control the ground, you can make quite a bit," Yang Tang noted.

Brother Hua’s eyes lit up, playing the pitiable card, "The trick is how to make it. Please teach me!"

Yang Tang fell silent, instead sweeping his eyes over the thugs around them.

Brother Hua immediately understood. "Everyone out!"

Black Screen hesitated, but ultimately led the others out.

Over ten minutes later, no one knew what Yang Tang had said, but Brother Hua was bowing and sending him off in person, even lining his men up on the roadside to shout in unison, "Farewell to Brother Yi of Yi Mu Yi!"

Once Yang Tang was out of sight, Brother Hua pulled aside Black Screen, Big Jin, and other trusted aides.

"How many businesses pay protection money on our turf?"

Black Screen paused. "Three hundred twenty-seven."

Brother Hua raised an eyebrow. Yang Tang’s advice suggested three hundred stores would suffice, but his ambitions were bigger. Since it was about quick money, he decided to go large. "Not enough shops. I want the number paying protection to reach five hundred by the end of this month, and the new shops must be spread out across our turf!"

Big Jin noted, "That will mean more tribute to Deputy Chief Huang!"

Whack! Brother Hua smacked Big Jin’s head. "What’s an extra ten thousand? I can afford it. Just get it done and don’t mess it up!"

"Understood," Big Jin nodded vigorously.

Brother Hua fell silent.

"What’s the next step, boss?" Black Screen probed.

"I’ll tell you once Big Jin finishes his part. If this works out, the old protection money will seem like nothing!"

"What?!" Black Screen and Big Jin were stunned.

Hundreds of shops, averaging a thousand each, meant tens of thousands a month, the main source of their lavish lifestyle. Looking down on that? How much money was that?

"Damn, Brother Yi’s advice is solid. Once we finish this round, we need more guidance from him!" Brother Hua was excited yet anxious. "No way, Brother Yi doesn’t care for illicit money. I’ll bring him some good wine—that should do it!"

As Brother Hua muttered to himself, the simple-minded Big Jin nudged Black Screen, "Hey, do you think the boss got tricked by that Yang kid?"

"Nonsense! The boss is sharp—if you’re fooled, he won’t be!"

No sooner had Black Screen spoken than Brother Hua shouted, "Hey Black, bring out my two bottles of thirty-year Yuntai. I’m going to drink with Brother Yi!"

Taihe Grand Restaurant, third-floor private room.

The dishes had just arrived.

Wu Hao was about to invite Yang Tang to start eating when the door was knocked.

The three exchanged glances. He Jia-ni called out, "Come in."

The door opened to reveal a server and another man—Brother Hua.

The waitress said, "Guests, this gentleman says he’s with your group."

Wu Hao’s face darkened instantly. "Nonsense, we don’t know him!"

Brother Hua’s expression shifted, but he saluted Yang Tang. "Brother Yi, no other reason—I heard you were dining here, so I brought two bottles of good wine for you!" He handed the Yuntai to the waitress and withdrew.

Once the waitress closed the door again, Wu Hao couldn’t help asking, "Tang, who was that guy? Why did he call you Brother Yi?"

He Jia-ni looked on with interest, waiting for Yang Tang to explain the nickname.

"Well, my surname is Yang—when split, it’s wood and Yi, so when I met Brother Hua, I just made up the nickname Brother Yi."

"Haha, so that’s what it is. Come on, Tang, eat! This wine—"

"No drinking, I have exams this afternoon!"

"I have to drive," said He Jia-ni.

"Fine, I’ll have a soda too."

After their meal, outside the Taihe restaurant parking lot.

Yang Tang got into He Jia-ni’s car and said to Wu Hao outside, "Haozi, come along. When I get to school, Jia-ni can drive you home."

"It’s the weekend, no one’s at home. I’m not going back. My classmate lives nearby; I’ll go play basketball with him!"

Yang Tang couldn’t persuade further. "Be careful at the court."

"I know. If there’s trouble and I can’t win, I’ll run and get revenge later!"

"As long as you understand. Jia-ni, drive."

Once Wen Tisha’s car disappeared, Wu Hao headed alone to the bus stop. Just a few steps away, he ran into Brother Hua at the corner.

"You?"

"Me," Brother Hua tilted his head. "I heard you’re going to play basketball. Mind if I join?"

"You? What’s your skill level? Can you keep up?" Wu Hao scoffed.

"You’ll know if we play."

...