098: Reuniting with Sister Hua (7,000 words; please consider for recommendation and monthly votes)

(Page 1/3)
The security guard shot Baiwen and Chen Anquan a crooked glance. “Yicheng has so many paper mills. You people aren’t worth a damn speck!”

Baiwen was fuming. “My paper plant has the newest machines, best quality stock, and the fairest prices!”

“Then go and talk to our chairman,” the guard said with a smirk.

“Let me in.”

“Your credentials.”

“Damn it!” Baiwen raised his hand and swung.

“Ah—he’s hitting me! I’m calling the police!”

Just as his fist was about to land, an arm grabbed him. Chen Anquan had stopped Baiwen before the punch landed.
“Brother, don’t rush into violence. These days, collecting a debt by beating people is plain illegal. I’ve got a better way.”

The guard, who had looked half-dead a moment ago, suddenly puffed up again. “That little brother told you right—hitting people is illegal. Try it and I’ll call the police right now!” He pushed his grubby face close to Baiwen’s.

“Why did you stop me?” Baiwen snapped, close to knocking Chen Anquan down too.

Before he could move, Chen Anquan leaped and drove a fist straight into the guard’s face.
The wind of the blow cut like a blade. Startled, the guard staggered back and sat hard on the ground, just barely dodging the strike. “Damn it, you really did it!”

“Old fool, I was just teasing you,” Chen Anquan gave him a cold smile. “Come on, brother. Let’s go.”

As the two men walked away, the guard’s teeth ground with fury. “A pitiful little paper shop dares to come here for collections. That’s hilarious.”

Once they reached the roadside, Chen Anquan relaxed. He glanced at Baiwen’s furious face and said, “It’s already past nine. Li Defu said he’d be home at noon, didn’t he?”

“Mm.”

“Then we wait on the square. Once he comes out, we follow him home and collect from him there.”

“Collect at his house?” Baiwen froze. “You mean to threaten his family?”

In these years, no one collecting debts dares to threaten other people’s families. It is asking for death.

“We’ll go there for a meal and chat with his wife and kids. We’re not raising hands or cursing. But visiting as guests, that’s fine, right?”

“Absolutely.” Baiwen still couldn’t figure out what was in Chen Anquan’s head.

“As long as we don’t cross into crime, we can try it.”

“Good. I’ll keep up this tai chi over here. You keep an eye on him.”

“Fine.”

Chen Anquan walked to the square and began practicing tai chi.
Baiwen stayed in the car, scrolling his phone and waiting for the target.

“Damn! That tai chi is brutal!”

“That’s martial-arts tai chi. I’ve seen clips online!”

Soon enough, passersby had posted a video of Chen Anquan’s routine. A crowd gathered around him.

“Such a martial arts madman,” Baiwen muttered, not happy to watch people stare at him.

After more than an hour, a man in his fifties with oiled hair and a black suit came out of the office building.

“Chairman.” The guard beamed and called out. “Someone just came to collect from you. I scared him off.”

“Good.” Li Defu adjusted the document bag in his hand and moved with practiced authority, all the way a local tycoon through and through. “Those cheap, tiny mills should be made to wait a year to settle. To place orders with them gives them face. Good job, boss.”

“Take care, Chairman.”

Baiwen had been watching the building entrance while clutching his phone with one hand and an old movie in the other. When he saw Li Defu step out, he leaped. “Finally, Li Defu is out!” He shut off the romance film, shoved the car doors wide open with both hands, and hurried toward the square where Chen Anquan stood.

At that moment only a handful of onlookers remained, mostly a few young women and older women gawking at Chen Anquan’s form.

Baiwen slid through between the two women holding hands as if he were stealing, never bothering to meet their offended eyes. “Come on, brother, move!”

Chen Anquan stopped his routine and ran with him toward the car.

“Ah!” A young woman behind them sighed regretfully, “I didn’t even add him as a friend.”

Chen Anquan had changed a lot these days. With daily training, he’d grown taller than most men from the south and his complexion and bearing had deepened. His gaze had turned predatory, his temper quicker. He was no longer the easygoing novice who avoided trouble.

At that moment, Li Defu got into a black sedan by the curb.
Only after the car pulled away did Baiwen start his own engine and raise the windows to avoid being seen.

Li Defu’s car weaved through side streets and stopped at the edge of a big square near the county center.

“This Li Defu is crazy,” Baiwen muttered. “Going to the bank in broad daylight with money or not money? Damn, even when he’s got cash he still won’t settle!” He ground his teeth, nearly wanting to jump out and bite him.

Through the window, Chen Anquan watched as Li Defu entered the bank. “Relax. He has to come out. He’s not skipping lunch and going straight home.”

Soon, Li Defu disappeared into the bank’s doorway.

“Fine. We wait. I’m not buying he won’t go home for lunch.”

Chen Anquan laughed. “Lunch is mandatory. We just don’t know whose house he’ll have it at.”

Baiwen flashed a sly smile. “See? A man who’s had his way with real women has a different kind of swagger.”

“Please. You? You’re no flirt. The oldest woman you’ve had is older than you.” Chen Anquan knew Baiwen had slept with fewer than ten women.

Just then, another sedan by the curb opened its door. A disheveled man in his fifties got out. His hair had not been washed in days; his face was carved with hardship, streaks of gray obvious.

“That’s Niu Boss, isn’t it?” Baiwen recognized him. “How the hell did he turn into this?”

“You know this guy?” Chen Anquan asked. In this day and age, someone who drives a car worth tens of thousands usually isn’t starving.

The disheveled man shuffled toward the bank like a walking corpse, eyes lifeless, swaying slightly. But as he reached the entrance, he stopped. He seemed to be waiting for something.

“They’re in the same trade,” Baiwen gave a bitter smile, nodding toward him. “He’s another paper mill owner. He got rich and started wasteful living, kept mistresses, you know. He got so stupid he tried to elevate one of them; his legal wife filed for divorce, the mistress took the money and ran. He’s been on edge since then. Then Li Defu kept delaying payment for over a year; his mill folded. He now owes nearly ten million.”

“Ten million?” For all Chen Anquan’s life, he had never seen a ten-million amount in person.

He looked at Niu’s broken expression. “Can you blame him? It’s what he made himself. But why did you all let Li Defu put you up for over a year?”

“We are paper mill men,” Baiwen said. “We have zero leverage. Our survival depends on company orders. Even that disgusting guard said there are enough other mills willing to work for us.”

“True. Paper mills are everywhere. No bargaining power. Too much hassle.” Chen Anquan had never done business. But because he bought paper every day, he knew—if one supplier got dear, another would do.

“I worry this Niu will do something illegal,” Chen Anquan said, studying him.

Even in this peaceful era, last year the news was full of bank robberies. Even in small Yicheng, dozens die yearly from murder, revenge killings, brawls gone wrong.
Even in the best of times, some people cannot hold on to life.

“Brother, I know you just collected a reward of three hundred thousand. But don’t assume everyone is that wicked. Old Niu’s actually a simple man.”

(Page 2/3)
“A simple man?”

“You see.” Chen Anquan rolled down his window. Li Defu, briefcase in hand, emerged and walked out, earbuds in his ears, nodding slightly as he moved past Niu by the bank doors.

Whether Niu was too small for him to remember, or too miserable to recognize him, Li Defu gave him no second glance.

But the next second his nose crinkled and he pinched it with two fingers, then sidestepped away from Niu with a face of disgust.

Niu had gone days without bathing.

Damn. He actually started his attack.

Baiwen nearly shouted before thinking. He had watched this plenty in films, but seeing it happen in real life was something else.

From his waist, Niu pulled out a fruit knife, slipped in behind Li Defu, and kicked him in the back where he least expected. Li Defu, unprepared, had no time to look around and collapsed hard to the ground.

As he tried to turn, a heavy foot came toward his face.

“Ah!” Li Defu screamed in pain. A red shoe-print bloomed across his cheek, while blood trickled from his nose and lip.

The fruit knife remained sheathed, its blade glinting terrifyingly. Thankfully, he didn’t stab him with it.

To a man being beaten, that knife was already enough to freeze him.

He kept shouting, “Murder! Murder!”

An older guard from the bank rushed forward, shouting, “Hey! Don’t hit him!”

Clang. At that moment Niu drew the knife fully free, revealing a sharp edge. The guard snapped silent and ran inside.

What does a fight at a bank entrance have to do with us at the bank? I can only call the police at best!

“Ha! Didn’t think Li Defu would have a day like this,” Baiwen chuckled, wishing he’d watch him get half-dead.

“I’m not stepping in unless this ends in death,” Chen Anquan said. He didn’t care much for Li Defu. As long as Niu didn’t truly kill anyone, he had no interest.

The harder Li Defu got hit, the more cathartic it seemed.

Passersby saw Niu holding the knife and moved away.
Yes—far away. Some stayed back and became perfect spectators.
Some even smiled and lifted their phones to film. To them it was rare free entertainment.

“Drop dead, you bastard!” Niu hissed through clenched teeth, kicking Li Defu in the waist again. “You make me wait on payment and then act high and mighty?”

“Ow!” Li Defu’s mouth twisted; both hands clamped around his head, knees buckling like bent shrimp.
In the corner of his eye, he saw Niu. “Old Niu, why this! If you had a problem we could talk. This is illegal!”

“Illegal, my ass!” Niu, now fully enraged, kicked him again at the hips.

“Ha! This is glorious!” Baiwen laughed in the car. He stretched his legs straight, then his head smacked the car roof. “Damn, that hurt!”

“Yeah,” Chen Anquan agreed. “A villain like that deserves to feel the street’s medicine. Only then will they understand what others go through.”

For a moment, something stirred in Chen Anquan’s mind.
In the past, if he had the chance he would have rushed to save Li Defu and subdue Niu, no matter what.
Now his mindset had changed. Since he knew how vile Li Defu was, he almost wished Niu would finish him.
Truly, damn satisfying.

“Spare me, spare me—I can pay you back! Why did I have to come to this?” Li Defu cried, nose and tears running, crying out, legs shaking, still clinging to his head in panic.

He had already lost half his strength from the initial assault from behind and then that kick to the face. He was no match for Niu now.

The crowd grew denser.
Some brave souls came within five meters, phones raised high, filming.

In this age, these flowers who never faced true life-and-death loss act like they have nothing to lose.

Recently Chen Anquan had read a report: in a big city, a gunman held hostages and refused to release them; security guards shot and killed him at once.
But the reckless onlookers there had no fear even when the guards pulled out guns, and stayed where they were.

One unlucky viewer had a bullet graze his cheek. No headshot, and even that was lucky.

“Let’s go down,” Baiwen grumbled, annoyed. “These people don’t fear death. They’ve cornered both Niu and Li Defu.”

“Mm.” Chen Anquan nodded.

The two of them squeezed into the crowd and kept watching.

Niu’s blows were rough and satisfying, but oddly controlled. Despite the shiny fruit knife in his hand, he had not drawn blood yet.

He cursed and punched while he spoke: “You bastard! You resist me and I’ll stab you right through!”

That kept Li Defu from daring to fight back.

At that moment, Zhao Xuan and Sister Hua, who had been on assignment in the county, got word from the station: someone with a knife nearby, they must go interview.

“Armed assault?” Sister Hua complained wearily. She had already walked through a dozen households in the county and was exhausted, chest heaving. “I thought it would be some big story. If you’ve got it in you, you should stab someone to death!”

“Don’t talk like that,” Zhao Xuan said, clearly annoyed.

“It doesn’t matter if he’s dead; I don’t even know him,” Sister Hua rolled her eyes and trudged toward the bank.

“Come on, we’re close. Let’s hurry!” Zhao Xuan grabbed Sister Hua’s hand and jogged.

Being pulled along made Sister Hua, already exhausted, break free. She gave a quick resentful glance at Zhao Xuan’s bouncing chest, then at her own frame. A sour taste rose in her stomach.

“Why are we running? We’re not medics, not security guards. We’re journalists for post-incident reporting.”

“Hua-xuan,” Zhao Xuan stopped, looked down at her irritated face flushed in the cold wind, and said softly, “What if it turns into a hostage situation? I might help negotiate.”

“Good heavens. Xuanxuan, what are you thinking?” Sister Hua walked slowly, no intention of matching her pace.

“This is our professional duty,” Zhao Xuan said and kept jogging. “Little Xu, keep up.”
She did not wait for Sister Hua.

In the crowd, Baiwen and Chen Anquan stood side by side. The two men had stopped smiling.

Niu had been beating Li Defu for some time with no sign of stopping.
If they lingered too long, the guards would arrive.
Niu was now clearly committing serious crimes.

Ugh.
And then the reinforcements came.

From the direction of the guard office, police vehicles tore toward them one after another. Soon five patrol cars lined the curb.

“The guards are here! Why won’t that Niu run?” Baiwen whispered to him.

(Page 3/3)
He didn’t want Niu arrested either; after all, he was a colleague and a poor fool in a way.
But Niu was in full swing and could not hear Baiwen’s warning. The loud sirens finally did what Baiwen couldn’t.

“Drop the weapon! Drop the weapon!”

The first police car stopped by the curb and a warning blared through its loudspeaker.

The sirens and shouted warnings nearly unnerved Niu into panic. He spun around, eyes darting.

The crowd around him was mostly spectators, some even grinning like this was still just a show. He glanced down at the knife in his hand, bit down on his words, then shoved past Li Defu’s body to move behind him. His elbow pinned Li Defu’s neck from the front, the knife held at Li Defu’s throat. “None of you move!”

The sudden frenzy in Niu’s face shattered everyone. People bolted. Some ran immediately; others retreated several meters and became first-hand “sources” again.

“Old Niu, don’t kill me. I’ll pay you, I truly can! Let me go now and I’ll pay immediately!” Li Defu, hauled to his knees by Niu, trembled so hard his groin was damp.

“Too late. I’m tired of it.”

“Officer, officer, put down the fruit knife and we’ll go easy on you. Please cooperate.” A guard with a loudspeaker started pleading.

“Get over it, you dog-sire Li Defu. He delayed payment for over a year—he was trying to drive me to death!” Niu shouted.

Niu’s fists had already bruised and cut Li Defu’s face, who now cried without tears. “Old Niu, don’t misunderstand. You think running a company is easy? Let me go and I’ll settle today.”

“Did you hear that? The boss has agreed to pay.” The guards repeated from the side.

“I just can’t stand this bastard,” Niu said, then whined, like a scolded child, turning toward the guard.

“Anquan, your kung fu is enough. Think if we need to act. One death will ruin this for Niu.” Baiwen leaned in.

“Mm. A little beating is enough. If someone dies, we’ll kill Niu by law. I’ll watch for the right moment.” Chen Anquan nodded.

“Please move. I’m a reporter from the television station,” Zhao Xuan pushed into the crowd. Chen Anquan recognized her at once and did not greet her—timing was too wrong.

“Brother, do you know this lovely reporter?” Baiwen nudged Chen Anquan’s chest.

“I do,” he said without looking away from the two men. “Her name is Zhao Xuan. She interviewed me before.”

Niu pressed the fruit knife to Li Defu’s throat and dragged him toward a wall by the bank side. “Stay back, all of you. Otherwise I’ll stab him!”

Li Defu, like a newborn lamb, followed as Niu pulled him backward.

“Uncle, calm down.” Just then Zhao Xuan stepped out into the ring. She bent slightly, lowering her body to match Niu’s crouching stance.

Niu’s pupils pinched to pinpoints, hairs standing on end. “What are you doing?”

In a gentle voice, Zhao Xuan said, “Uncle, I’m a television reporter. If you drop the fruit knife now, it’ll be detention for a few days. Nothing too bad. Don’t be so stupid.”

“Your reporter friend is brave, all right,” Baiwen pushed Chen Anquan again. “Let’s go, too.”

He moved behind her. Chen Anquan followed.

He did not know how to negotiate or counsel anyone; he could only stand nearby and watch.

Zhao Xuan caught sight of him from the corner of her eye and blinked in surprise.
How had Chen Anquan come too?

She pulled herself back. “Uncle, you can still stop it. Don’t be reckless.”

The guard with the loudspeaker continued: “Comrade, can you hear me? Do not take an irreversible path. Release the hostage as soon as possible.”

The guards did not repeat Zhao Xuan’s soft minimization—kidnapping is already a felony; it was no small detention.

“Ha! You think I don’t know anything? I’m going to prison anyway. I won’t stand for this!” Niu’s voice cracked as he spoke, his right hand trembling around the knife.

The fruit blade rasped across skin at Li Defu’s throat, leaving bright red scratches already bleeding.

“Don’t move!”
“Don’t move!”

A detachment of high-ranking armed guards burst through the crowd, some with pistols, more with rifles.
The crowd gasped. Elite units had been deployed.

Pressed against the wall, Niu looked left and right, alert for a flank attack.

“If I’m to die anyway, I’ll take one scapegoat with me,” he said, looking down at Li Defu. “You son of a bitch, Li Defu—you won’t die easy.”

“Don’t let me die easy, don’t let me die easy!” Li Defu whimpered, still on his knees.

Zhao Xuan kept speaking softly, trying again. “Uncle, think of your wife. Think of your children. They’re still waiting for you at home. You are the pillar of that household. Don’t lose control.”

“My wife has remarried. The kids are grown. I’m buried in debt. I’ll never pay it all back.”

“Xuanxuan, you’re dead crazy,” Sister Hua muttered in a low voice from the crowd.

Chen Anquan stood just ahead of her and heard it. He turned. She gave him a once-seen-a-lifetime look: surprise, then an eye roll. “So it’s you, poor slob.”

“Damn and all, you’re one hell of a steady woman!” Chen Anquan retorted.

He stepped forward beside the guarded mic and spoke directly: “Officer, I’m Chen Anquan. For now, please don’t fire. I’ll try to take the knife from Niu.”

“You?” The guard looked like Chen Anquan was joking, but seeing his hard expression, he hesitated. The name stirred something.

“Ah. You’re that Chen Anquan?”

“Bah. Lucky enough, picked up 300,000 for nothing. Perfect for fixing your broken outhouse!” Sister Hua mocked him as he made for attention.

Chen Anquan nodded. He moved beside Zhao Xuan, who was still negotiating. “Xuanxuan, I’ll help.”

She froze; the words she was about to say lodged in her throat. A reporter with years in the field, yet here she suddenly couldn’t speak. Did Chen Anquan’s sudden presence unsteady her? She felt awkward even in front of him.

“Ha, you all want backup? I don’t want to live anyway!” Niu lifted the knife and drove it hard toward Li Defu’s neck.

The moment came.

Chen Anquan moved like a spearhead, closing distance in a flash and arriving before Niu could recover. With one hard chopping strike of his open hand, he hit the wrist holding the knife.

“Ah!”

The fruit knife clattered onto the ground; Niu himself went down from the pain, cursing, “You die, too!”

Even as he lay facedown, Niu’s left hand grabbed the fallen knife and, in a blind toss, threw it at Chen Anquan, who had already moved.

Whoosh.
He threw badly; the knife flew past Chen Anquan and landed near Sister Hua.

After publication, updates are usually one chapter a day, roughly five thousand to twenty thousand words.
The guild master may add an extra chapter, if possible.
Thanks to Qianzhen Li Jiu and Reader 52790 for their ticket support—much appreciated.