TL: Etude
Zhao Changgui rushed forward, intercepting everyone and holding them at bay.
Fang Aiguo cunningly hid behind the two, unable to fight head-on, he resorted to underhanded tricks.
Tall and strong, with a background as a special forces soldier, Zhao Changgui's combat strength was overwhelming. The punches landed on him by those guys were like tickling.
But if Zhao Changgui landed a punch on someone, they'd have to lie on the ground, groaning in pain.
Soon, all eight men were knocked down by Zhao Changgui, wailing in agony.
Slap! Slap!
Chen Jianghai squatted down, grabbed Feng Renjie by the collar, and hoisted him up, delivering two resounding slaps to his face, immediately marking it with five crimson finger stripes.
"Do you dare to covet my wife, seeking death?" Chen Jianghai's voice was cold.
Despite usually being mild-mannered, Lin Wanqiu was his Achilles' heel; anyone who touched her would face Chen Jianghai's wrath.
Zhao Changgui and Fang Aiguo exchanged glances, kicking those lying on the ground a few times.
"Scram now, or you'll get another beating!"
Hearing Fang Aiguo's words, those who were originally lying on the ground scrambled up and ran away. In reality, they weren't seriously injured; they were just afraid of Zhao Changgui's punches and had been feigning death.
Seeing this, Feng Renjie was dumbfounded.
"Will you dare to mess with my wife again?" Without waiting for a response, Chen Jianghai slapped him twice more.
Tasting the blood in his mouth, Feng Renjie quickly pleaded, "Chen, my father is the deputy factory director. If you keep hitting me, Lin Wanqiu won't be able to continue working there!"
The initial blows had dazed Feng Renjie.
Only then did he think of invoking his father's position.
As long as Chen Jianghai wanted to preserve Lin Wanqiu's job, he wouldn't dare hit him again.
But mentioning that his father was the deputy factory director only welcomed more ruthless slaps for Feng Renjie.
Slap! Slap!
Slap! Slap!
After a series of slaps, Chen Jianghai spoke dismissively.
"Who are you trying to frighten? So what if your father is the deputy factory director? Even if the factory director came, I'd still beat you!"
He was actually worried about how to persuade Wanqiu to resign; let's see if your father can fire my wife.
Of course, Chen Jianghai didn't say this out loud.
Feng Renjie usually caused trouble outside, targeting those he could afford to provoke.
Most people were from the factory and, out of respect for his father, few dared to confront him.
But this approach was useless against Chen Jianghai.
He didn't care for such things.
This truly stunned Feng Renjie; Chen Jianghai was not playing by the usual rules.
"Big brother, stop hitting me, I was wrong, I won't dare again, please have mercy!"
Facing the grim situation, Feng Renjie finally begged for mercy, no longer daring to be defiant.
If the beating continued, he feared even his teeth would be knocked out.
Chen Jianghai pointed at Feng Renjie's nose and said sternly, "If you dare to come near Wanqiu again, I will beat you every time I see you, understand?"
"I understand, I understand, big brother, I won't dare anymore!"
Feng Renjie hastily agreed, not daring to utter a word of dissent.
Chen Jianghai let go, dropping him to the ground, and then left with Zhao Changgui and Fang Aiguo.
After a while, Feng Renjie struggled to stand, touching his swollen cheek, wincing in pain, and muttered with hatred.
"Damn it, how dare he hit me, Chen, you wait, I'll pay you back twofold!"
...
On the other side, Chen Jianghai and his two companions returned to the hotel as if nothing had happened.
"How about it, is the food not yet fully served?" Chen Jianghai swept his gaze around and asked with a smile.
Lin Wanqiu felt relieved to see Chen Jianghai unharmed.
Lin Jianguo couldn't help but ask, "Son-in-law, are you alright?"
"It's nothing, what could happen? We just went out for a smoke," Chen Jianghai said cheerfully.
"What about the other guy?"
"Uncle, rest assured, that kid knew better and left on his own!"
Fang Aiguo also chimed in with a laugh.
The people at the dinner table naturally understood the meaning behind these words and didn't bring up the unpleasant matter again.
All of this was seen by Xue Chunli.
In the past, Chen Jianghai would surely have caused a big scene right then and there, turning everything upside down and eventually parting on bad terms.
But the way Chen Jianghai handled the situation just now was impeccable.
It was just… a bit violent.
Even she thought that it was well handled.
Can a person's character really change so drastically in such a short time?
Xue Chunli found herself increasingly unable to comprehend Chen Jianghai, her heart growing more and more uneasy.
Chen Jianghai had changed so much that it was hard for others to adapt.
So much so that while others were enjoying the delicious meal, these exquisite dishes couldn't stimulate much appetite in her.
When it came time to pay the bill, Xue Chunli and her husband were astounded.
A meal had cost a whole 260 yuan!
In such a place, it was impossible to falsify a bill.
Even if Chen Jianghai wanted to deceive, the money was real and tangible; he couldn't possibly use counterfeit cash for the payment.
In fact, at this point, Xue Chunli was almost certain that what her daughter had said before was true.
But she simply could not understand how a person could change so completely in such a short time!
Suddenly, Xue Chunli's expression changed; another possibility crossed her mind.
But seeing her daughter's beaming face, Xue Chunli knew it wasn't the time to speak of such things.
Throughout the meal, Feng Renjie didn't show up again.
After eating, Zhao Changgui and Fang Aiguo said their goodbyes and left.
Chen Jianghai and Lin Wanqiu naturally didn't dwell on the incident, and together with Lin Jianguo, they began to browse through the Zhongbai store.
Faced with the dazzling array of products on the shelves, Lin Jianguo immediately lost his bearings.
Chen Jianghai was also willing to spend money; he took whatever his father-in-law liked, preparing to pay for them all together later.
Lin Wanqiu wore a face full of smiles, without a hint of reluctance.
This scene was precisely what she had always hoped to see.
Smiles adorned everyone's faces, but a hint of worry persisted on Xue Chunli's.
Lin Wanqiu noticed as well, from the moment they left the hotel, her mother had not smiled.
Jianghai had already done so much, could it still not satisfy her?
"Mom, what's wrong, you seem to be troubled?"
Lin Wanqiu approached and took her mother's arm, just like when she was a little girl holding her mother's hand.
Xue Chunli forced a smile: "My girl, how could I not be happy if you are living well?"
"But, you haven't smiled since earlier," Lin Wanqiu said, frowning.
Xue Chunli sighed and muttered softly, "Daughter, can Chen Jianghai really make so much money from repairs?"
In the end, Xue Chunli couldn't believe that a person could earn so much money in such a short period.
It was entirely beyond her understanding.
In Xue Chunli's mind, the only way to achieve this was through illegal activities.