Chapter Seven: Beauty Without Brains?

Chapter 7: All Bust, No Brain?

“They’re not going to spank me, are they?” Feeling a chill, Guoguo swiftly sprang up and darted away from Ruan Qingshuang, hopping step by step until she stood before the still-dazed Xu Yun. “Daddy, Mommy’s already confessed her feelings. Don’t you think you should say something, too?”

“How should I respond?” Xu Yun was momentarily taken aback by Guoguo’s question.

Guoguo heaved a long sigh. “Some wood just can’t be carved...”

“Guoguo! Stop spouting nonsense! Do you not want the Mickey hairclip anymore?” Ruan Qingshuang shot Guoguo a glare. “If you keep talking nonsense, let’s see who’ll come soothe you to sleep at night!”

Guoguo stuck out her little tongue. She didn’t much care about a Mickey hairclip, but she was indeed afraid of sleeping alone at night. She lifted her tear-brimmed face toward Xu Yun. “Daddy, I keep having nightmares lately. What will I do if Mommy won’t comfort me?”

Xu Yun’s protective instinct flared up for no reason at all. “Don’t be scared! You still have me. If your godfather tucks you in, you won’t have to be afraid of nightmares!”

“But I’m still a little girl. How can I, a girl, and you, a boy—just the two of us—be in the same room at night? Um, it’s... what if something happens?” Guoguo wiped away her freshly gathered tears and spoke with utmost seriousness.

Damn! What goes on in this girl’s head? Xu Yun felt he might as well strangle himself with a noodle!

Afraid that Guoguo would say something even more scandalous, Ruan Qingshuang hurriedly changed the subject. “Xu Yun, I want to hire a server for the restaurant, and get you an assistant for the kitchen as well. What do you think?”

“Good idea. Just get me an assistant for prep—that’s enough.” Xu Yun, knowing how to read the situation, dropped the conversation with Guoguo. He only needed an assistant, because he was certain a “server” would show up on their own.

Ruan Qingshuang was decisive. “Since it’s quiet now, let’s head to the job market and see what we can find.”

“I’m coming, too!” Guoguo immediately bounced out of the previous topic. “But let’s make it clear: the salary can’t be more than a thousand, and it’s best to find a student working part-time—someone honest and reliable.”

Ruan Qingshuang and Xu Yun exchanged glances. They really couldn’t do without this little boss in tow. With such a shrewd Guoguo along, they certainly wouldn’t be shortchanged at the job market.

Yet, just as the three were about to head out, five gold-colored minivans screeched to a stop outside the medicinal restaurant, forming a pincer formation around the entrance. All at once, the doors slid open with a crash, and over thirty men poured out, storming right in.

Among the thirty or so, a bald, chubby man stood out the most—shoulders hunched, eyes like a hawk, his face as repellent as a jackal’s.

Xu Yun instantly knew this wasn’t a friendly visit. He strode forward, shielding Ruan Qingshuang and Guoguo behind him. “You’re here for a meal at this hour?”

“To eat,” the bald, jackal-eyed man barked. At his command, the thirty-odd men found seats.

“What kind of goddamn chairs are these? Rock hard! Trying to break my back?”

“Damn! Not even a drop of water? Where’s the tea?”

“Ma Bi! Get over here and clean this table!”

After sitting down, not one among the ragtag bunch—tall, short, fat, thin—refrained from banging tables, slamming chairs, or swearing. They exuded the unmistakable air of street thugs.

Ruan Qingshuang had never witnessed such a scene and immediately felt a surge of panic.

Guoguo quietly sidled behind Xu Yun and clung tightly to his shirt.

When it came to fighting, Xu Yun was practically a legend. He saw at a glance that these weren’t small-time punks like Qiangzi. Led by the bald man, each was a genuine hard case—men who’d surely wielded knives and done ruthless deeds.

“You must be from that so-called Stray Dog Gang, right? If you have business, let’s talk outside. Don’t frighten the child,” Xu Yun said, unwilling to dirty the restaurant’s floors.

The group bristled at Xu Yun’s insult to their gang, the Four Wolves. Each waited for Brother Wei’s order to pounce.

Ruan Qingshuang grabbed Guoguo and pushed her toward the stairs. “Guoguo, be good! Go upstairs by yourself!”

The bald man’s eyes flashed coldly at those words. “Kid, you’ve got some nerve, huh? I’m here to collect a debt, and I’ll do it right here! You dare mess with the Four Wolves? Hmph, today I’ll teach you a lesson—for free!”

As he spoke, the bald man’s sinister gaze slid to Ruan Qingshuang. He sneered, “Let me, Old Wei, have a taste of this little beauty later—see what kind of fire she stirs in men! I’ll let you sample the prowess of Old Wei’s golden spear—think of it as interest on your debt...”

Any underworld tough worth his salt would spit a stream of filthy curses before throwing a punch—laying down threats, and often much fouler ones.

But before he could finish, Xu Yun shot forward like a falcon descending from the heavens, his fist bulging with rage as it crashed into the bald man’s mouth! Half his teeth were shattered on the spot, blood gushing everywhere. His two-hundred-pound frame was sent flying, crushing the chair beneath him to splinters.

Wei Lao Si felt as if his entire face had been torn apart—a terror unlike any he’d ever known howled in his heart.

The gangsters were furious at the sight. These weren’t the sort to lose heart when their leader went down. They sprang to their feet, ready to pounce on the audacious bastard who’d dared touch Brother Wei.

Xu Yun spun, taking down one with a swift kick to the groin, then, as if from nowhere, grabbed a thick glass ashtray and smashed it over another’s face! The ashtray split clean in two, the man’s face left a bloody pulp.

Someone lurking at the back of the crowd suddenly swung a chair overhead, but before he could bring it down, he let out a yelp and dropped to one knee.

Xu Yun had certainly noticed the lethal projectile whistling in—a simple tree branch, yet thrown with deadly force. He stomped another man to the floor and quickly spotted a shadow flickering behind the plane tree outside.

“Impressive with hidden weapons—the infamous Violent Fox isn’t just legendary for her soft sword, Longyuan,” Xu Yun mused, but his hands didn’t pause; another swift kick took down yet another foe.

In the blink of an eye, more than half the thirty-plus Four Wolves gangsters were dispatched, thanks to the rivalry between two experts—one inside, one out, one overt, one in the shadows.

Just then, a blue-and-white police motorcycle screeched to a halt in front of the restaurant.

“Nobody move!” a crisp female voice rang out above the groans inside. At the door stood a strikingly valiant policewoman!

Xu Yun glanced over and couldn’t help but be startled. My god—she’s... impressive.

Her face was still tinged with the innocence of a police cadet, her brows arched like new moons, her features bright and lively, her figure graceful and perfectly proportioned. Under her slender waist, her shorts did little to conceal her long, alabaster legs. And her chest—those perfect crescents could swallow the seas! Xu Yun’s mind immediately leapt to a certain Nobel laureate’s novel, the first two words of that famed title.

“Stop right there! I’m the police!” The officer’s voice rang with righteous authority as her hands moved to her gun. This was China, after all—even those authorized to carry guns rarely drew them.

Some Four Wolves thugs tried to use the policewoman’s appearance as a distraction to attack Xu Yun.

But Xu Yun didn’t pause for a second. His left fist turned to a palm, stabbing one man hard in the throat, while his right foot snapped forward, toe pointed, kicking another square in the gut—clean, efficient, and down went another.

“Stop it! Everyone, hands on your head and squat!” The policewoman suddenly drew her sidearm with a flourish, her displeasure at being ignored evident.

Xu Yun was just about to unleash a waist lock and chokehold when he realized that, among all the brawlers, only he was still standing—every other combatant had already squatted with their hands on their heads.

No matter how skilled you are, you’re no match for a knife—let alone a gun.

The shadow behind the plane tree outside vanished in a flash, making Xu Yun smile. It seemed there was no need to hire a new server after all.

“What are you waiting for? Squat down! You were the most active in the fight, and now you’re playing dumb?” The policewoman pointed her gun at Xu Yun. “Hey, I’m talking to you.”

Hell! I’m a good guy, all right? Can’t you use your brain? All bust, no brain! Of course, Xu Yun only thought this. He smiled politely. “Officer, just look at me—do I look like one of them?”

“Address me as Officer Qin!” With a snap, the policewoman flashed her badge—three bold characters, Qin Wan’er, beside her photo, the official seal clear as day.

Qin Wan’er looked Xu Yun up and down: tank top, floral shorts, flip-flops... yikes.

Xu Yun obligingly turned in a circle under her gaze.

“You think you look cool dressed like this?” Qin Wan’er was at a loss.

Ruan Qingshuang quickly stepped forward to explain. “Officer Qin, Xu Yun is our chef—he’s not with those bad men!”

Qin Wan’er turned to Ruan Qingshuang, instantly liking this shop owner with her beauty that could sink fish and geese and a figure capable of toppling cities. Ruan Qingshuang radiated an innate charm that endeared her to anyone. “And you are...?”

“I’m Ruan Qingshuang, the owner of this medicinal restaurant.” Ruan Qingshuang smiled gently.

“So you’re the one who called the police?” Qin Wan’er frowned. The voice on the call had sounded childish—she hadn’t expected someone so elegant.

Ruan Qingshuang shook her head. She’d been too worried earlier and had completely forgotten to call the police.

She glanced at Xu Yun. He only shrugged—he certainly hadn’t had time to make the call and didn’t care for police meddling anyway.

Could it have been Qiu Yan? Xu Yun quickly dismissed the idea—the legendary Violent Fox Queen of the underworld wouldn’t call the cops, especially not for a bunch of small-time punks like these...

Suddenly, footsteps thundered down the stairs. Guoguo rushed down and dove straight into Qin Wan’er’s arms.

“Police lady, you finally came to save Guoguo!”

Everyone at last understood—the true caller had been here all along.