Chapter 46: The Eldest Brother’s Plight

Just as the two were watching with great interest, four stunning women in athletic wear strolled over toward Sufang Pavilion. Who else could they be but the Four Beauties of the Four Great Families? The moment Chen Erpao noticed them, they too caught sight of him, and following his gaze across the way, they naturally saw the passionate scene as well. Even though Chen Erpao was thick-skinned by most standards, he couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed.

“Someone’s coming, let’s go,” Chen Erpao hurriedly tugged at Li Hai, who was still absorbed in what he was watching, urging him to leave first. When Li Hai saw the Four Beauties heading in their direction, he too ducked his head in embarrassment and quickly made his exit.

Chen Erpao forced a serious expression, walked over to the Four Beauties at a measured pace, and said, “On such an important day, that colleague of mine actually came here to slack off. I came looking for him. It’s best if you don’t go over there—a bit too much for young ladies.” With that, he immediately quickened his pace, ready to leave.

Suddenly, a delicate voice called out from behind, “Enjoyed the show, didn’t you?” Without thinking, Chen Erpao replied, “It was alright.”

The surroundings fell silent in an instant. Chen Erpao turned his head slightly and saw the four women glaring at him in disdain. Realizing his reputation was ruined, he hurried off without looking back.

He hadn’t gone far when Huangmao called, saying he was waiting at the school gate.

Chen Erpao was genuinely satisfied with this younger brother of his, so he made his way to the gate quickly. By the time he arrived, Wang Xing was already there, though it was impossible not to notice his ears were red and swollen.

“Brother Pao!” Huangmao beamed with a wide smile.

Chen Erpao nodded, walked straight to Wang Xing, and examined his ears. “Ah Xing, when did your ears turn into pig’s ears?”

Wang Xing shot him a disdainful look and grumbled, “You already know the answer! If Beauty had been behind you, would you have acted any differently?”

Chen Erpao put on an innocent face. “You can’t blame me! Ah Hai was right there too. You were on a roll, and I wanted you to have your moment, to show your manly spirit. Who could have predicted what happened… sigh.” He let out a heavy sigh.

“Heartless! One of these days I’ll go whisper sweet nothings in Xue Mei’s ear, just see to it you don’t give me any dirt to use against you!” Wang Xing laughed wickedly.

“Go ahead! I have a clear conscience and nothing to hide,” Chen Erpao replied nonchalantly, though inside he was worried. He’d better be more careful chasing girls in the future, just in case Wang Xing really did decide to stir things up.

They turned to Huangmao. “So what’s up? Try not to come to the school unless you have to. Don’t ruin our shining image!”

Huangmao grinned sheepishly. “Brother Pao, Brother Xing, I get it. Here’s the deal: we’ve basically got all the venues near Lingnan University under our control, but yesterday, Tian Yi, the son of Hong Xing’s boss in Tuen Mun, suddenly showed up with a big crew. He demanded we hand over half our profits, or else they’d take everything. So I came to tell you.”

“Damn, Tian Yi again.” Chen Erpao cursed. He still remembered being chased through several streets by dozens of Tian Yi’s men last time. If nothing else, he had to thank him for one thing: he’d gotten a starlet to act as his driver.

“So what should we do?” Huangmao asked, anxiety clear in his voice. “Even if I gather all my guys, I’ve only got about twenty. But Hong Xing can easily bring together a hundred men in Tuen Mun.” In his eyes, Hong Xing was a behemoth of the criminal world.

“What’s there to fear? With Brother Pao here, Tian Yi is nothing! Don’t worry, Brother Pao will handle it,” Wang Xing said loudly, passing the responsibility to Chen Erpao with a vengeful look of satisfaction.

Looking at the hopeful faces of his little brothers, Chen Erpao knew he couldn’t back down now. He’d taken their money enough times—now it was time to step up. Brimming with confidence, he said, “Tonight, arrange for Tian Yi to meet us at one of our venues. With me and Ah Xing there, what’s Hong Xing got to be afraid of?”

“Yes, Brother Pao! With your word, there’s nothing for us to worry about. I’ll go make the arrangements,” Huangmao replied, finally at ease. With the invincible Brother Xing and the even more mysterious Brother Pao on their side, he figured it didn’t matter how many men Hong Xing brought.

“Brother Pao, what’s the plan? Why not bring the whole campus security team? That’s dozens of people right there,” Wang Xing suggested.

Chen Erpao knocked him on the head. “That’s a terrible idea! If we really get into it with Hong Xing and all the security guards end up bandaged and limping into work the next day—or worse, in hospital—no one could save our jobs.”

“True, I hadn’t thought of that. But don’t we have guns now? Wave a few around and I doubt they’ll dare rush us.”

“Heh, guns can make a difference, but we can’t just start shooting. Maybe the first time we scare them off, but what about the second or third time? We need to put on a show, gather enough people so they see we’ve got real power over these streets. Only then will they think twice about starting a fight.” Chen Erpao paused, deep in thought.

“But aside from Huangmao’s crew, where can we find more people?” Wang Xing asked, puzzled.

Chen Erpao pointed toward the school and grinned. “There are tens of thousands of people here—how could we not find enough? After today’s sports meet, go round up a hundred or so senior-year athletes. Just tell them Brother Pao’s treating everyone to a night at the club with free drinks. We’re big names on campus now; we can pull that off. A hundred guys, two or three beers each, that’s only a few hundred bottles. Since it’s our turf now, we’ll buy the beer outside and bring it in. Tell the club manager we won’t collect protection money for three months. Imagine us standing there with a hundred-plus athletes behind us, plus a few guns. No matter how cocky Tian Yi is, he won’t dare make a move! Hong Xing’s tough, sure, but this is Tuen Mun, their weakest territory.”

“Brilliant! Brother Pao, you’re a genius—I’m in awe! Only problem is, I’ve only got a thousand bucks left, nowhere near enough for that much beer.” Wang Xing’s face shifted from admiring to miserable.

Chen Erpao’s own expression turned sour. Next week, whether or not Wang Xuemei won her competition, he’d promised to take her to Disneyland, which would cost a fortune. After a long search of his pockets, he reluctantly handed Wang Xing two thousand yuan.

“Use it wisely! Whatever’s left, bring back to me,” Chen Erpao said mournfully, looking at his now nearly empty pockets with a pained expression.

“Sigh! Who’d have thought being a boss meant paying out of pocket? Others live the high life, drinking fine wine and holding beauties, but we’re still shelling out,” Wang Xing said with a helpless shake of his head.

Chen Erpao was beginning to question whether being the boss was a mistake after all, shaking his head in shared misery.

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Word count: 2300