Chapter 511: The Hooligan Father and Son
When they heard they had to go to the police station, the uncle seemed to panic. He let go of the boss’s collar and said, “No need to go to the police station. It’s just a small matter. No need to trouble you. It’s a family issue, a family issue. I’ll be going now. Enjoy your meal, everyone!”
The two of them left without looking back, and the commotion finally ended. The boss apologized to the customers, “Sorry for disturbing everyone.”
Soon, the shop returned to its usual calm. Chen Shi said, “Good thing it didn’t escalate to the point where we had to go to the station. Otherwise, our day off would have been wasted.”
“Feels like a messy situation, but that uncle doesn’t seem like a decent person.”
“Let’s go.”
“Alright.”
“Wait a moment.” The boss came over, sat down, and looked at the cups and bowls on the table. “Thank you for what you did earlier. This meal is on the house.”
Chen Shi said, “No worries. It would be our dereliction of duty if we didn’t intervene.”
The boss, a thin man wearing black-rimmed glasses, looked quite scholarly. If not for his uniform and nametag, it would be hard to associate him with running a noodle shop.
“Can I take up five minutes of your time to tell you about my family’s situation?”
Chen Shi and Lin Dongxue exchanged glances. Chen Shi said, “Go ahead.”
“The situation is not as he described. I didn’t seize any property. This shop originally belonged to my grandfather. When he passed away suddenly without leaving a will, the property was legally divided between his two sons. But since it was a storefront and couldn’t be split, my father proposed that he take the shop and pay my uncle half its value, which was 600,000 yuan. It was a significant expense for our family, and we only finished paying it off a couple of years ago. But my uncle is insatiable, claiming that with real estate prices rising, the shop is now worth at least 30,000 yuan per square meter, and I owe him another 600,000 yuan. Is that reasonable?”
Chen Shi chuckled, “By that rogue logic, if property prices drop one day, does he have to pay you back?”
“No way he’d do that,” the boss smiled. “This shop is an old business, operating for decades. When my father took over from my grandfather, my uncle was out causing trouble. He hasn’t held a proper job since the 1980s. His name is Zhang Farong. You can check his record; he’s done a lot of bad things. Now he’s just an old troublemaker. And his son, Zhang Kui, is also a hooligan. He got into trouble and came back home to hide. Those people are still looking for him, threatening to kill his whole family.”
“It’s obvious neither of them are good people,” Lin Dongxue said. “Do you need to file a report at the police station? I can make a call.”
“No need. I can handle it. The police station is just across the street. They wouldn’t dare do anything reckless.”
“Just make sure not to act impulsively. Keep evidence and follow legal procedures,” Chen Shi advised.
“I know. No matter what, I won’t resort to violence.”
Chen Shi looked at the empty bowls, “The food is really good. I’ll definitely come back.”
“When you do, the meal is on me. Thanks again today!” the boss smiled.
Leaving the shop, Lin Dongxue sighed, “Having relatives like that is such bad luck.”
“Don’t believe just one side of the story. Family disputes often have two sides. Why do you think he refused our offer to file a report?”
“Alright, this isn’t really our concern… So where should we go today?”
“How about a movie?”
“Sounds great!” Lin Dongxue agreed happily.
Frustrated, Zhang Farong smoked a cigarette on the street corner, glaring at the bustling shop. His son, Zhang Kui, asked, “Should I get some guys to smash up his shop?”
“Idiot! If we do that, we’ll be the ones in the wrong. How will we get the money then?”
“Then let’s kidnap Zhang Hao’s son!”
Zhang Farong poked his son’s head, “Pig brain! All you come up with are bad ideas. What if he calls the police? We won’t get a penny.”
“Would he dare call the police? Grandpa died mysteriously, and Dad disappeared these past two years. I bet Zhang Hao has something to hide!”
“That’s exactly why we need to use that against him, but we can’t push him to the point of desperation or alert the police. Understand? You’ve been out causing trouble for two years and learned nothing?”
Zhang Kui grinned, “You’re still the smarter one, Dad. How about we find a place to eat?”
“All you think about is food!” Zhang Farong stubbed out his cigarette angrily.
They went to a wonton shop on another street. Zhang Kui suddenly whistled at a woman, “Hey, taking a break today?”
The woman, disgusted, quickly paid and left without finishing her breakfast. Zhang Kui called after her, “Hey, pay for ours too! So heartless!”
“Who was that?” Zhang Farong asked.
“An old fling. Great ass, felt amazing to squeeze!”
Zhang Farong squinted at the departing woman, “Don’t you know how to show some respect to your old man?”
“Want me to find you one?”
“No need. Paying for it is a waste, and they’re dirty.”
“Who said anything about paying? I never spend money on women. Must be in the genes.”
“Shut up! Get me one. Your mom’s been gone for years. I haven’t touched a woman since.”
“Today?”
“Today!”
“No problem!”
After their meal, the father and son started their plan. They went to the busiest shopping street. Zhang Kui acted like a salesman, chatting up single women passing by, while Zhang Farong sat on the roadside, smoking and watching proudly.
Zhang Kui wasn’t great at flirting, relying on clichés like, “Hey, have we met before?”, “You look like my ex-girlfriend,” and “Can I get your number?”
With his thick skin, he kept trying despite constant rejections until he found someone willing to engage. He bought her a drink and then ran back excitedly, “Got her WeChat! Am I good or what?”
“Good? It took you four hours to get one girl. Back in my day…”
“Alright, alright. I know you were great back then.”
“I’m still great!”
“Right, right. Still in your prime.”
The two laughed, and Zhang Farong said seriously, “That girl looks decent. Can you get her to come out?”
“I’ll give it a try!”