"Oh! My hand, my hand hurts so much! What if it becomes useless from now on? And my barbecue stall... I bought this with all my savings!" Shen Tong instantly collapsed on the ground, drawing the attention of everyone on the street.
Liang Xiaoyuan found himself surrounded by onlookers as he watched Shen Tong's shameless act. He felt both embarrassed and angry. This woman could change her demeanor faster than the weather. It was a pity she didn't pursue a career in acting! She looked so elegant and refined, yet she could act so...
Just as Liang Xiaoyuan was searching for the right words to describe her, Shen Tong pointed at him and shouted loudly, "I want my compensation, give me a £1,000 pounds!"
"A £1,000 pounds?" Liang Xiaoyuan was startled by the amount she demanded, "What you're asking for isn't compensation, it's daylight robbery!"
Although £1,000 pounds was nothing to Liang Xiaoyuan, Shen Tong's shameless behavior was infuriating.
Many Chinese people, hearing Shen Tong speaking in Chinese, gathered around to see what was happening.
"Someone is being shameless! He knocked over my stall and burned my hand! My hand! I can't do anything with it now!" Shen Tong saw the crowd growing larger and shouted even louder. She didn't care about saving face; she just wanted to get the money and head back to China!
"Hey! Stop shouting!" Liang Xiaoyuan squatted down and covered Shen Tong's mouth. "You're the one being shameless! I never said I wouldn't compensate you; I just don't have any cash on me. Besides, I clearly offered to take you to the hospital! But you, demanding such a large amount for a small stall and a minor burn, it's blatant extortion!"
Shen Tong broke free from Liang Xiaoyuan's hand and whispered, "Now you see how tough I can be, right?"
"How did I end up encountering someone like you? Calling me shameless! It's like the pot calling the kettle black!" Liang Xiaoyuan frowned, looking exasperated. He looked at Shen Tong's expression, still full of grievance, making anyone unaware of the situation believe he was the culprit.
Shen Tong looked at Liang Xiaoyuan smugly, "Who told you to mess with me? Calling me shameless! I'm just giving you a taste of your own medicine! Are you going to pay the compensation or not?"
Afraid that Shen Tong would continue to make a scene, Liang Xiaoyuan reluctantly nodded in agreement.
"Now you have to give me £2,000 pounds!" Shen Tong saw Liang Xiaoyuan's sour expression and demanded an extra thousand pounds out of spite.
Liang Xiaoyuan thought he had misheard and asked, "What did you say? £2,000 pounds?"
"Yes!" Shen Tong nodded confidently, "The extra £1,000 pounds is for my performance! Do you know how exhausting it is to lie on the ground and scream?"
"Performance fee? You're the epitome of shamelessness!" Liang Xiaoyuan was utterly furious.
Seeing Liang Xiaoyuan curse at her, Shen Tong immediately stood up from the ground, "You have the nerve to call me the epitome of shamelessness? Then what about you? You're a well-dressed scoundrel! Parading around in your fancy car, yet you can't even compensate for a small stall!"
"Did I ever say I wouldn't pay? You're the one twisting my words!" Liang Xiaoyuan, enraged, turned away from Shen Tong, "You're a decent girl, but you insist on doing things that make others look down on you!"
"Ha!" Shen Tong sneered, "Do you know what the most pathetic thing in the world is? It's being looked down upon by someone you yourself despise!"
"You!" Liang Xiaoyuan was so angry that he couldn't speak.
Shen Tong continued, "So what if I'm running a street stall? Just because your family is a bit better off, does that give you the right to look down on people like us who earn our living through our own efforts?"
"When did I ever say I looked down on people who earn their living through their own efforts? Please stop twisting my words!" Liang Xiaoyuan was on the verge of collapse. "It seems you're not just a shameless person, but the most shameless person I've ever met! You're a top-tier shameless person!"
"A top-tier shameless person? Alright, to thank you for giving me such a nice title, I'll let you experience what a true top-tier shameless person is like today!" Shen Tong looked as if she was ready to go all out.
Liang Xiaoyuan suddenly had a strong sense of foreboding. "You, what exactly are you planning to do?"
"I'll let you see what a true shameless person is like!" Shen Tong said proudly.
"A true shameless person? Fine! If you really want to act shameless, I'm more than happy to oblige!" Liang Xiaoyuan sneered and shouted loudly, "Someone come here! Everyone, come and judge this!"
Shen Tong was bewildered by Liang Xiaoyuan's actions. What was this guy up to?
Liang Xiaoyuan walked over to Shen Tong's barbecue stall, which had been knocked over by his car and was now lying in ruins. He pointed at the mess and said, "I accidentally hit this girl's food stall with my car today, and now she's demanding compensation..."
"Isn't it right to ask for compensation if you've damaged my stall?" Shen Tong quickly interrupted Liang Xiaoyuan, loudly questioning the onlookers.
The onlookers began to discuss amongst themselves: "There's nothing wrong with that! If you break someone's things, it's normal to pay compensation!"
"What I want everyone's help with is that she's demanding £2,000 pounds! Don't you think asking for £2,000 pounds for such a small stall is a bit too much?" Liang Xiaoyuan said, looking smugly at Shen Tong.
"£2,000 pounds is too much! Such a small stall would be more than covered with £350!" The crowd began to side with Liang Xiaoyuan.
Shen Tong hurriedly explained, "The £2,000 pounds includes medical expenses and emotional distress! If it's not acceptable, we can resolve this through legal means!"
After speaking, she raised her injured hand.
"If you want to resolve it through legal means, I'm up for it! But let me remind you, your stall was hit because you kept illegally moving it out of the designated area into the street!" Liang Xiaoyuan was really set on confronting Shen Tong this time.
"I..." Shen Tong was suddenly at a loss for words.
"Furthermore, my car got scratched up on the front and body because of your stall! Apart from the £2,000 pounds compensation you're asking for, you should compensate me £10,000 pounds for car repairs! Miss Shen Tong, do you still want to resolve this through legal means?" Liang Xiaoyuan asked knowingly.
"I've seen shameless people, but never someone this shameless!" Shen Tong was full of anger, but there was nothing she could do.
Liang Xiaoyuan chuckled, "You're too kind! Compared to you, I am just a nobody!"
After saying this, Liang Xiaoyuan turned and dispersed the crowd. "Thank you all for helping me judge this situation. It's been resolved, please go about your own business."
After the crowd dispersed, Liang Xiaoyuan said to Shen Tong, "Get in the car with me. I'll take you to the hospital. And I'll also give you a £100 pounds as compensation!"
"Thank you for your kindness! No need!" Shen Tong said, looking at Liang Xiaoyuan as if nothing had happened. She was so angry that she gritted her teeth and left without another word.