The laughing fruit seller and the newspaper vendor stopped laughing immediately.
Old Ye's action of slapping blocks into dust was inhuman; they were terrified to the extent that they couldn't talk, laugh, or even dare to breathe.
Those who were reading newspapers and discussing sneaked away quietly.
Tony quietly brought out the money he owed Old Ye; the arrogance and disdain he had earlier were all gone; he looked more like a tamed bunny.
"Please, take the money," the newspaper vendor said with a trembling voice.
He was claiming he didn't have any money, but he brought out the one thousand dollars that he owed Old Ye.
Receiving the money from them, Old Ye didn't bother responding to them; he turned around and left.
That is when the fruit seller and the newspaper vendor dared to breathe and sighed in relief.
"Who is that guy? He is so scary," Tony said, shuddering in fear.
Wiping beads of sweat from his forehead, the newspaper vendor said, "I almost peed in my pants."
Through the words of the mouths, the news that a strong young boy who could reduce blocks to powder with a slap was demanding the money anyone owes Old Ye spread in the wet market.
Those who don't have the money to pay back the money they owe fled their stores without inquiring if it was true.
Those who stayed back paid the money they owed immediately. After displaying the power of his fists, no one dared to cause trouble anymore.
Just then, a group of rascals barged into the market.
They were twenty in number, and all of them were smoking, and the leader of the gang was holding a knife.
"The dragon gang is here again; they are here to ask for money. I wish I could tear them apart with my hands."
"Shut up your mouth; don't let them hear you," the friend of the trader who spoke earlier covered his mouth and cautioned.
The dragon gang is the tyrant of the wet market and the environment; they unreasonably charge illegal fees, and if you don't pay, they will ruin your goods.
"Have you bought my tickets?" one of the dragon gang members spotted an unfamiliar face.
They were in the wet market for protection fees earlier, but they didn't remember collecting protection fees from this particular trader he was talking to.
"Sir, I don't have money now; I will pay in the evening; I have not sold anything; please, have mercy," the trader who was caught pleaded.
But the dragon gang members were infuriated by her begging; they pounced on her and tossed her wares to the ground.
"Scram out of this market for me; if you can't pay your protection fee, don't come here to beg, remain at home," the dragon gang leader shouted, loud enough for everyone around him to hear.
He didn't stop his gang members from ruining the goods of the trader, who didn't have the money to pay.
He swaggered forward with his underlinings following behind. As they swept through the market, collecting protection fees from those who hadn't paid, no one dared plead for mercy.
After learning from the trader that her goods had been destroyed earlier, they all became sensible.
"Is that not Old Ye's bicycle?" The dragon gang leader's eyes fell on the bicycle parked at the corner of Biggie's shop.
Although he looked puzzled, he was certain that the bicycle belonged to Old Ye. Even in the midst of a thousand bicycles, he would be able to recognise it because Old Ye always brought it to the market.
"Boss, we have hit the jackpot this time," his subordinate chimed in happily.
They were always paid by the Andersons to trouble Old Ye in the market, but ever since Old Ye stopped coming to the market, the payment also stopped coming.
The gang leader was also excited, but he looked around and didn't see Old Ye around. He looked at the space Old Ye always occupied and didn't see him either.
When he saw Old Ye's friend Steven, he asked coldly, "Hey, where is your friend? He dared to come to the market, but he didn't come to get permission from me before entering the market. I am now too little for him to recognise me."
What the dragon gang leader was saying was all nonsense, but his goal was simple: create unreasonable reasons to make life difficult for Old Ye.
"Lu Ji, Old Ye didn't come to the market; the bicycle was brought to the market by a young man; I don't know where he is," Steven replied unhappily, today must have been the worst day of his life in the wet market.
Disdained by a young man still wet behind his ears.
And now that he has caught Lu Ji's attention, the ruthless wet market overlord, how bad can his day get?
Lu Ji's face darkened; he didn't seem to believe whatever Steven said. He responded coldly, "You think I don't know you are lying to me; you are protecting your friend; let me see if he will not come and get his bicycle from me; if I take it away, men, get me that bicycle."
Everyone in the wet market was aware of Old Ye's love for his bicycle; he was the first person in the history of the wet market to go to the police station to make a report when his bicycle went missing.
Watching Old Ye's bicycle dragged away by the Dragon gang members, Steven's face was ugly, but he didn't have the guts to confront them.
After the dragon gang members left with the bicycle, that was when Old Ye returned from retrieving all the debts the former Old Ye was owed.
When he saw that the place where he parked the bicycle was empty, he furrowed his eyebrows in displeasure.
When Steven saw Old Ye, he shouted and said, "Quick, run away. The dragon gang is looking for you. Run back home. Don't let them see you."
"They took my bicycle?" Old Ye retorted with questioning.
Steven stared at Old Ye without saying a word. He was trying to help him escape, but the little brat was trying to court death.