Remember: in youth, I once held ambitions that soared to the clouds, vowing to become the finest in all the world Chapter 145: To Beat a Dog, Why Bother Looking at Its Master? (2)

He smiled faintly, picked up a rag, and wiped the counter that had just been dirtied.

“Quite a boast, Young Master Zhu. Been eating celery?”

Once Tai Hongzhou and the others had left, Zhu Wei’s influence vanished with them. Seeing Cheng Chen and the others advancing with hostile expressions, he lost his nerve. He retreated toward the door while continuing to shout,

“Damn it, don’t get cocky too soon. As long as this Internet café stays open, don’t blame me for showing you no mercy!”

Only after Zhu Wei fled did Xia Churan come forward, patting her chest angrily.

“Fang Yu, I’m sorry. I made you pay out so much money again.”

“Exactly! Fang Yu, why did you give them that much? A thousand yuan! If you’d given it to me, I would’ve taken care of that Tai Hongzhou guy for you!” Zhao Bin came over, cursing under his breath.

“And you even agreed to pay them five thousand yuan every month. What were you thinking?” Cheng Chen asked, equally displeased.

Fang Yu, meanwhile, continued wiping the counter with an expressionless face.

“Do you really think my money is that easy to take? All right, keep an eye on the business. I have something to do outside.”

With that, he tossed down the rag and turned to leave.

“Hey, Fang Yu, where are you going?” Xia Churan hurriedly grabbed him.

“Hmm, I’m going to buy something. Stay here and behave yourself. I might be back late tonight, so have Cheng Chen take you home.” He smiled and gently ruffled the girl’s hair.

Watching Fang Yu act as though nothing had happened, the others were at a loss. Fortunately, the trouble had come to a temporary end. With Tai Hongzhou and his men no longer causing disturbances, quite a few students—unaware of what had happened—came into the Internet café to use the computers.

“Cheng Chen, give me your car. Tonight, you can drive my 640 and take Li Jing and Xia Churan home.” Fang Yu took out the keys.

The gesture reassured Cheng Chen and the others considerably. Since Fang Yu said he was going shopping, using a Santana 2000 to transport things was perfectly reasonable. Cheng Chen nodded and handed him the keys.

“Here. I’ll wait for you in the living room tonight, then. We’ll discuss everything when you get back.”

Fang Yu did not reply. He took the keys and walked out of the Internet café beneath Xia Churan’s concerned gaze. Then he quickly started the old Santana and drove away from the snack street.

It was a little after five in the evening. A great many students were pouring into the snack street to eat or go online. When Fang Yu reached the entrance to Blue Sea College, Tai Hongzhou and the others happened to stop several three-wheeled taxis and climb aboard.

“Hurry up. We’re going to the neighboring town.”

Driving the Santana 2000, Fang Yu followed the three-wheelers at an unhurried pace. About fifteen minutes later, all three stopped outside a supermarket in the neighboring town. Tai Hongzhou and his men climbed out smugly and disappeared inside.

Fang Yu parked leisurely, lowered the window, and waited. Before long, Tai Hongzhou emerged at the head of the group. Judging by the bags in their hands, they had bought several packs of expensive cigarettes—naturally with the money they had extorted earlier.

“Let’s go! Tonight, nobody leaves until they’re drunk! We’re going to the big-pot chicken place next door!”

Tai Hongzhou was in high spirits. He felt remarkably like the boss of a gang in a movie.

His underlings were all grinning as well. Big-pot chicken was naturally far tastier than the gutter oil served on the snack street, and it was not something they could afford to eat every day.

Zhu Wei was among them too, though his expression was rather ugly. He had spent the money without resolving anything, and the frustration was eating at him.

The town was small, and the big-pot chicken restaurant was just down a narrow lane beside the supermarket. Fang Yu watched carefully. Only after Tai Hongzhou and the others swaggered inside did he slowly make his way into the supermarket. He selected a large glass ashtray and bought it for fifteen yuan. Then he went to a small restaurant across from the big-pot chicken place.

“Boss, stir-fry a few small dishes. Make me some preserved-egg-and-tofu salad, a plate of peanuts, and—hmm—two bottles of beer.” He sat down with a smile and paid in advance with several small bills.

The restaurant owner looked curiously at the well-dressed young man who had even brought his own ashtray.

“Coming right up, young man. Just wait a moment.”

Fang Yu sat in the restaurant opposite the big-pot chicken place. Through its transparent glass doors, he had a clear view of everything happening inside.

The food and beer arrived soon afterward. He first wolfed down two substantial dishes to fill his stomach, then leisurely poured himself a glass of beer and sipped it little by little.

Across the way, Tai Hongzhou and his men were having a grand time, playing drinking games and forcing one another to down their liquor. They drank from six in the evening until nine at night before finally staggering out, supporting one another.

“Let’s go find somewhere to stay up all night! Nobody’s leaving tonight—we’re pulling an all-nighter!”

There were only two Internet cafés in the town, one at either end of the street. Tai Hongzhou and the others were heading to the one at the far end. According to Li Jing and the others, it was somewhat cleaner, though its prices were fifty cents higher.

Fang Yu slowly set down his glass. Despite his excellent tolerance for alcohol, he had drunk only half a bottle of beer in the past three hours.

He went outside and followed Tai Hongzhou’s group, trailing them like a ghost.

“I’ll brave the storms of the world, I’ll bask in the people’s gaze. I’ll brave the storms of the world and never need to look back…”

Tai Hongzhou hummed the off-key song to himself, swaggering as though he were the head of a gang.

The lane leading to the far end of the street was not long, but the town had few streetlights at that time. Between the darkness and their drunkenness, none of them noticed Fang Yu silently following behind.

“You boys go on ahead. I’m going to have a little fun.” Tai Hongzhou stopped halfway and pointed toward several small pink lights along a side lane.

“Enjoy yourself, Boss. We’ll wait for you at the Internet café.”

His underlings understood at once.

“Tch. So even an ugly guy has trouble getting it up. He actually has to come to a place like this.” Fang Yu laughed quietly. He had not expected Tai Hongzhou to be that sort of man as well.

Several pitch-dark lanes branched off from both sides of the narrow street. Here and there, a few sparse pink lights could be seen. Tai Hongzhou staggered to the entrance of one of the establishments and stopped. Within seconds, a scantily dressed young woman dragged him inside.

Fang Yu raised his wrist and checked the time. It was half past nine. The residents of the small town had gone to bed early, and there were already very few pedestrians on the street.

He immediately ambled a little farther into the lane and stopped behind a utility pole to smoke.

Before the cigarette had burned out, however, Tai Hongzhou drunkenly pushed open the glass door and emerged, adjusting the belt of his trousers.

“Pfft. A one-minute man. No wonder he can’t find a girlfriend.”

Tai Hongzhou was completely unaware that anyone was nearby. The alcohol had surged into his head, and he could barely walk straight.

Fang Yu crouched silently by the roadside. It was an overcast night, and the thick clouds made the dark lane even harder to navigate. Even he, who prided himself on being a night owl, could barely make out anything in the distance.

As the man drew closer, Fang Yu tightened his grip on the ashtray. After confirming that no one else was nearby, he suddenly sprang to his feet and delivered a perfectly executed side kick straight at Tai Hongzhou’s knee.