Now that his worries from behind had been dealt with, Chen Hao walked out satisfied. As for Brother Ji, even with the grim reaper gone, he still didn't dare to move a muscle. He would have never thought that a mere designated driver was actually a high-ranking member of the Hong Association...
The other small-time thugs had been so scared by Chen Hao's consecutive moves that they didn't dare to make a single move, thinking that after going after their boss, Chen Hao was now coming for them. With sour faces, they watched him nervously, wanting to run, but there were still a few behind...
"That's it, it's all taken care of. Let these little wretches go, or else they might think I'm bullying them," Chen Hao said, pointing at the guys. Suddenly, he noticed Old Zhao's stall in the distance, a sorry sight with broken chairs and tables everywhere, and some food that had fallen to the ground.
After a moment of thought, he approached the small-time thugs, and without caring if they agreed or not, quickly took all the money from their pockets. After a brief look, he estimated it came to about a thousand or so.
At this moment, the small-time thugs didn't dare to resist. This sort of thing had always been their specialty, but now the tables were turned. Even if they were utterly unwilling, they didn't dare let out a peep, watching helplessly as their money was taken away.
"Scram!"
He bellowed at the small-time thugs and they turned tail and ran, soiling themselves in their haste. As for their boss, Brother Ji, they had completely forgotten about him...
"Brother Hao, that was a pretty slick move, when are you going to teach me? Damn, it's enough that you're good-looking; but to fight so handsomely too, incredible, truly freaking incredible!" After letting the small-time thugs go, Xu Wenjun and a few guys came up, laughing cheerily.
"I've always said, what about Brother Hao? Even his farts smell good."
Damn!
Chen Hao was rendered speechless by these guys' lack of shame; he had long since gotten used to it. Holding the money, he then came before Old Zhao and said, "Take this money for yourself; it should be about enough to cover the damages."
"No, no, no, I really can't take it. You've helped me so much today, how could I possibly accept this?" Old Zhao's face looked as bitter as a bitter melon as he repeatedly declined, yet he couldn't feel happy about it.
Chen Hao, however, smiled and forcefully stuffed the money into his hand, saying, "They smashed your stuff, it's only right that they compensate. Take it!"
With no other choice, Old Zhao accepted the money and thanked him, then called to his granddaughter to start cleaning up.
The granddaughter was quite obedient, using both hands and feet to tidy up quickly.
Watching the grandfather and granddaughter busy at work, Chen Hao sighed deep inside. He looked down in thought, then approached Old Zhao's granddaughter, asking with a smile, "Little sister, I see you here every time I come. You have to attend school during the day, then help out here at night. It must be tiring, right?"
"Not tired," the little granddaughter stood up and shook her head, her bright eyes looking intently at Chen Hao as she said, "I'm not a little sister, my name is Qing, and I'm already fifteen years old."
"Heh," Chen Hao was taken aback and then laughed, "Oh, fifteen, already a young lady. Here, I have something small for you. If those thugs come to trouble you again, just show them this, and you'll be alright."
As he spoke, Chen Hao handed over a small token to her.
Of course, that token was the Blood Token.
Since Brother Ji was so afraid of it just now, it was clear that the token was a terrifying object for small-time thugs. Since it was useless in his own possession, he might as well give it to them so it could serve the purpose the Blood Token was meant to fulfill.
A token that wasn't anything good in itself became valuable when used in the right place.
Zhao Qing looked at the Blood Token in Chen Hao's hand, hesitated for a moment, then took it and examined it closely in her hand. She looked up and asked, "What is this? Why were those gangsters afraid?"
Huh?
This left Chen Hao unable to explain himself clearly. Scratching his head, he said, "I'm not quite sure what it is either, but those punks just now were really scared of it. So, in the future, if any thugs come to bother you, just show this to them, and it will ensure that your stall won't have any trouble."
"Really?" Zhao Qing looked at the Token in her hand with skepticism. She turned it over and over, feeling it was just a very finely made badge, yet it seemed to have nothing special about it.
However, having seen how formidable Chen Hao had been, effortlessly sending those whom her grandfather feared scurrying away in moments, she thought that something given by such a powerful person couldn't be bad.
She lifted her head and gave a sweet smile, revealing two dimples, "Thank you, then I'll keep it."
"Mm-hmm." Chen Hao nodded.
Chen Hao didn't realize that his casual act that day had planted a time bomb for the entire Zhonghai underground world. Several years later, this girl helping her grandfather at the barbecue stall would become an influential figure in the Zhonghai underworld. Even Zhou Mei would have to address her as Sister Zhao!
Of course, that's a story for later and not worth mentioning for now.
Managing a little issue during a barbecue meal was no big deal for them, and the group didn't pay it much mind; they continued to finish their food. In Xu Wenjun's words, stopping halfway through a meal is like pausing intimate activities halfway through in bed; the frustration is... well, incredibly frustrating.
When it came time to pay, Old Zhao refused to take any money. After all, Chen Hao and the others had helped him with a significant problem that day. Even if the solution was temporary, the problem was resolved for the moment.
Of course, Chen Hao wouldn't leave without paying. He put two hundred yuan on the table and then quickly dashed off with his buddies, running faster than rabbits. To those unaware, it might have seemed they were making a dash for it without paying.
Old Zhao watched their retreating figures and then started to clean up. At that moment, Zhao Qing came up to help, picking up plates while speaking to her grandfather, "Grandpa, that man just now gave me something. He said if someone bullies us in the future, to show them this."
With that, she took out the small badge to show Old Zhao.
"Hmm? What's that?" Old Zhao grunted and turned to look. His eyes instantly narrowed. When he got a clear view of it in his hands, his whole body jerked, and he almost dropped the small badge.
"This is..."
After a long while, Old Zhao came back to his senses. He looked around carefully, then quickly stuffed the badge into Zhao Qing's pocket. After checking again to ensure it wouldn't fall out, he spoke to her, "Girl, pack up quickly. We're going home. Don't set up the stall here anymore."
"Huh? Why?" Zhao Qing looked at Old Zhao, surprised. "Grandpa, why can't we set up here anymore? We've changed spots so many times before, and this place has the best business and the most people."
"No more talk, pack up quickly and go home!" Old Zhao, usually rather indulgent toward his granddaughter, suddenly became stern.
"Oh." Although Zhao Qing didn't understand why and rarely saw her grandfather with such an expression, she obediently hastened to pack everything up.