Chapter Twenty-Four [Are You Satisfied Now?]
Wu Dalei was actually only thirty years old this year, but because he looked older than his age, he seemed closer to forty. In his younger days, he was sentenced to two years for assault during a fight. He was released early after serving one and a half years for good behavior.
After his release, Wu Dalei suddenly saw the light, realizing that simply being brave and fierce wasn't a sustainable path. During the year and a half in prison, he had met a big shot. Wu Dalei, being quite adept at currying favor, waited on him hand and foot for over a year. It seemed his ingratiating service had worked. The big shot was released from prison first and, before leaving, gave Wu Dalei an address.
Once out, Wu Dalei decisively went to latch onto this powerful connection. After a few visits, he truly succeeded.
With the support of the big shot, he gradually established his business dealing in stolen vehicles and fencing stolen goods.
Over two or three years, he made quite a name for himself. Nowadays, when he walked the streets, his prematurely aged appearance gave him the distinct air of an old hand.
But as a man of the Jianghu, with one foot in the legitimate world and one in the criminal underworld, his business of fencing stolen goods brought him an annual income of well over a hundred thousand—a considerable sum in those days.
Wu Dalei kept a substantial amount of cash at home. This was partly for regularly purchasing stolen vehicles and partly because his own record wasn't clean. Who knew when an incident might force him to flee? So, having cash on hand was essential.
Thus, it all fell to Chen Nuo's advantage.
At the moment, two men lay in the yard.
The two tall, thin car thieves clutched their wrists, whimpering on the ground; the teenager had broken both their wrists.
Wu Dalei had already retreated to an inner room.
It was around dinnertime, and his usual three or five underlings had all gone out to eat.
Initially, Wu Dalei wasn't scared. He grabbed a wrench used for modifying cars, intending to resist, but then a chain lock struck him squarely on the ankle.
As Wu Dalei shivered in pain, Chen Nuo seized the moment and pulled. The chain lock snagged Wu Dalei's ankle, forcing him into an immediate, painful split.
"FUCK!!!"
Wu Dalei cried out in agony, collapsing to the ground, unable to rise for two minutes.
Although he hadn't heard a distinct sound, Wu Dalei felt certain something had broken!
The pain was so intense that half of Wu Dalei's body went limp. He wanted to shout some tough words, but all that came out were pained, whimpering cries.
Then, a metal skewer, pulled from a modified car wheel, was pressed against his neck.
"The money's in the counter."
Wu Dalei promptly conceded.
His Jianghu experience wasn't extensive, but Wu Dalei understood one thing: don't push these greenhorns too hard. Young people, when provoked, act without restraint.
This damn kid really doesn't pull any punches!
Watching the boy take the money and leave, Wu Dalei, enduring the pain, crawled to the counter, picked up his phone, and dialed a number.
"Where the fuck are you all slacking off! Get your asses back here! Our place has been raided!!"
With his schoolbag slung over his shoulder, Chen Nuo strolled out of the residential complex.
He reached the end of Tangzi Street and, after a few steps, relying on memories from his past life, found "Luo's Pan-fried Buns."
It was diagonally opposite the complex, not far away.
The small, street-front shop wasn't large, with only two tables inside, though another four or five were set up by the roadside.
In the round, flat iron pan, oil sizzled at the bottom. He scooped out four pan-fried buns and got a bowl of wonton soup.
First, one gently bites a small hole into the bun, creating a tiny opening, then leans in to suck out a mouthful of rich broth—the flavor was incredibly clear and vibrant!
After savoring the juice inside the bun, another bite combined the crispy, pan-fried skin with the tender meat filling, a delightful swirl in the mouth.
If it felt too dry, a sip of wonton soup washed it down perfectly.
Chen Nuo ate four pan-fried buns in one go and finished nearly half the bowl of wontons, instantly feeling a warmth spread through his body.
From the inside out, every pore felt comfortable and relaxed.
Only then did he open his schoolbag to briefly survey his haul.
Not bad. Without counting closely, there was definitely 40,000 to 50,000.
Chen Nuo added some chili oil to his wonton soup, spooning it into his mouth while his eyes watched the entrance of the complex across the street.
Before long, a gray Jetta came speeding up and stopped right at the curb by the complex gate. Incredibly, five or six brawny men squeezed out of the small car and hurried into the complex.
Chen Nuo chuckled, then lifted his bowl and swallowed the remaining wontons in one gulp.
"Boss, eight more pan-fried buns, to go. I'll be back for them in a bit."
Saying this, he dropped the money and leisurely walked away.
Wu Dalei's henchmen rushed over in a panic, only to find their boss lying on the ground.
When they helped him up, Wu Dalei screamed repeatedly in pain, his hands clutching his crotch.
"Find him! Find that bastard for me!! I'll fucking kill him! I'll cripple him!! That little son of a bitch!!" Wu Dalei was seething. Sixty thousand! That little punk took 60,000! That was the cash I'd set aside to buy a few motorcycles in the next few days!
The tall and thin duo was also dragged before Wu Dalei, who slapped each one across the face. "Talk! How did that guy follow you back! And where did you get today's car from!!"
The two were so dazed by the slaps they saw stars.
The taller one, slightly quicker-witted despite the agonizing pain from his broken wrists, howled, "No. 8 Middle School! Jiangning No.8 Middle School!!"
"Find him!! Find that person for me!!" Wu Dalei slammed the table in anger.
One of his underlings asked, "Boss, what does he look like?"
"Motherfucker, just a half-grown kid! Looks ordinary, wearing a school uniform! Not very old!"
"Boss, was he also carrying a schoolbag?"
"Yes, yes, yes!"
"And does he saunter around?"
"Exactly, exactly!" Wu Dalei froze. "Fuck, how do you know?"
His subordinate pointed outside the courtyard. "Boss, look over there. See that guy? Does he look like him?"
Chen Nuo, smiling cheerfully, walked back into the yard and looked at the chaotic crowd inside the house.
Wu Dalei's eyes widened. "Fuck! How the hell did you come back?"
Chen Nuo shrugged. "I never said I was leaving, did I?" He pointed at the Giant bicycle in the yard. "My bike's still here. I just went out for a bite to eat."
"...I'll be damned..." Wu Dalei choked for a moment, then roared, "Get him! Beat him! Beat him to death!!"
Five of his men charged out. Some grabbed wrenches from the corner, others picked up screwdrivers, and one even pulled an iron rod from near the doorway.
Wu Dalei's eyes were bloodshot. "Lock the gate! Lock the gate! Don't let him escape!! The money's on him!"
Chen Nuo stood in the middle of the yard, unconcerned as two henchmen circled behind him to close the large iron gate.
"Shit!"
The foremost man swung a wrench down at Chen Nuo's head.
Before it could land, Chen Nuo reached out and grabbed the man's wrist. The man instantly felt as if his wrist were caught in an iron vise, and half his body went numb!
Chen Nuo sidestepped with lightning speed, his other hand shooting out to strike the elbow of the arm holding the wrench. With a sharp application of force—
CRACK!
A pained scream erupted as the man's elbow bent outwards at a ninety-degree angle.
GULP!
Inside the house, Wu Dalei's eyes bulged as he swallowed hard.
Chen Nuo bent down, picked up the fallen wrench, blew the dust off it, and walked towards Wu Dalei with a smile.
"Go on, get him! Attack!!"
Seconds later, Wu Dalei collapsed limply onto his chair.
In the yard, all five of his henchmen lay on the ground, every one of them injured in exactly the same way: their right elbow bent outwards.
Wu Dalei trembled uncontrollably.
Although he had been a fierce brawler in his youth—he had never encountered anyone this formidable!!
What chilled Wu Dalei to the bone was that even after dishing out such brutal injuries, the young man's face still wore a smile as he looked at him.
Chen Nuo pulled over a stool, placed it in front of Wu Dalei, and sat down, facing him. He gently tapped Wu Dalei's cheek with the wrench in his hand.
"Why don't you make another call? Get some more backup?" Chen Nuo picked up the cell phone from the table and held it out to Wu Dalei.
Wu Dalei's teeth chattered, and he swallowed hard several times. "B-Big Brother, look, let's just call this a misunderstanding, alright?"
"Don't be like that. I know you're probably not satisfied," Chen Nuo said with a smile. "Finding me is easy; you've already asked where the bike came from. Instead of gathering your men later to hunt me down, why not settle everything tonight? Go on, make the call. I'll give you time. I won't touch you until your men arrive. How about that?"
THUD! Wu Dalei slid off the chair onto the floor.
He wasn't stupid; he knew he had run into an immovable object.
And not just any ordinary one!
Gather more men?
With the reputation Wu Dalei had built over the past two years and his status as a seasoned figure, he could still rally another dozen or twenty men with a few calls.
But... could they even beat this guy?
In just that short while, counting the tall and thin duo, a total of eight people on his side were down!
The problem was, the kid hadn't even broken a sweat, not a hair out of place.
Just how skilled was he?
Would another ten or twenty men even be enough to take him down?
If not... then what about me...
Even if they could, this guy had such incredible strength and skill. If they couldn't beat him and he escaped, the future trouble for me would be endless!
I can't have a dozen or twenty bodyguards with me every day, can I?
My home and my illicit business are right here! He found his way here once...
I can run, but my business can't.
In an instant, Wu Dalei understood.
With this young man... either you take him out completely in one go, or... you submit!
"Big Brother, I was wrong! Completely wrong!!" Wu Dalei immediately softened, not even glancing at the offered phone. He pleaded, "I admit defeat. Can you please let me go? You've got the money, and my men are all down. It was just about a bicycle, after all! Big Brother!! It's not a big deal!"
Chen Nuo nodded. "I'm tired of riding bicycles. Coincidentally, you can find me something more exciting here."
Wu Dalei's eyes instantly lit up; he understood the implication. Ignoring the pain in his groin, he scrambled up from the floor and hobbled into the yard, pointing to a motorcycle in the corner.
"Big Brother, this one! I just got it last week. It's been completely customized, top to bottom, fresh paint job! Genuine Japanese import, an authentic Yamaha! Not a single locally made part! I even installed the exhaust pipe myself!" As he spoke, Wu Dalei looked at Chen Nuo pitifully. "What do you think? Are you satisfied?"
Chen Nuo smiled, looking at the motorcycle. "It's missing a helmet, though."
"Have one, have one! Got it all!" Wu Dalei turned and went back into the house, emerging shortly with a brand-new black helmet. "It's carbon fiber, with an anti-fog lens! This bike and helmet, I actually got them for myself, never intended to sell them. I haven't used them even once."
With that, the bald man presented the helmet. "Here, take it. For your enjoyment."
Chen Nuo squinted at him and said slowly, "You're reasonably sensible. Originally, I might have let you off just like that. But I have this pet peeve, see. I really hate bald heads. Tell me, what's the point of guys like you deliberately shaving your heads to look tough? What if you scare the little children on the street?"
THUD!
Wu Dalei dropped to his knees, wailing, "Big Brother, it's not shaved! I have seborrheic alopecia!!"