Blue Scarf Gang, resurrected?
The patrons in the restaurant couldn't help but reveal looks of terror on their faces.
Although the Blue Scarf Gang's time on Iron Stone Street wasn't long, and not many had been robbed or extorted, the gruesome fate of those who refused to pay had already been enough to strike fear into everyone's heart.
Not to mention, a large group of the Blue Scarf Gang had barged in so aggressively!
Among the Blue Scarf Gang members who entered the restaurant, only two weren't wearing blue scarves.
One was the leader, a thin young man with a buzz cut, always wearing a smile on his face.
It was none other than "Luo Tuo."
The other was a man beside Luo Tuo, a towering and burly figure, at least two meters tall, like an imposing iron tower. His two-meter-tall stature made him difficult to ignore in any setting, and he followed Luo Tuo expressionlessly.
"Business is booming, Miss Ji."
Luo Tuo grinned as he looked toward the young woman behind the counter, his eyes unabashedly scanning her body, "Haven't seen you in a month, looking prettier, huh? Was I blind before not to notice?"
The Blue Scarf Gang members behind him all laughed.
The young woman's face turned somewhat pale, and she instinctively took a half step back.
Usually, when she was out in the shop, she would try to dress as plainly as possible. It was only because she heard that the Blue Scarf Gang had disbanded and saw Lin Qing come by that she specially dolled herself up.
Could it be... the Blue Scarf Gang had returned?
"Luo older brother."
At that moment, a man in his thirties wearing a suit hurried over, stepping in behind the young woman. He forced a smile, "What brings you here?"
"Brother..." The young woman bit her lip, knowing that she was about to shell out a hefty sum again.
"Miss Ji's business is doing so well. Looks like you've been making a pretty penny recently."
Luo Tuo spoke with a smile, "I came today with no particular matter, just been busy and haven't made it over for four weeks, so it would be trouble for Miss Ji to make up the payment for these two months."
"Two months?" The suited man's complexion changed slightly.
Luo Tuo glanced at the patrons inside the restaurant and said, "With so many customers and business so good, shouldn't Miss Ji be thankful for our protection?"
As he spoke, he pulled out a pack of cigarettes, flicked one out to his lips, and grinned, "Miss Ji, could you do me a favor and light it?"
The suited man took a deep breath, pulled out a lighter from his pocket, and managed a strained smile, "Luo older brother, the shop's finances are a bit tight recently, would it be possible to just pay for one month for now?"
"Oh?"
Luo Tuo chuckled, "You mean, just pay for last month and starting this month, you don't need our protection anymore?"
The suited man's face changed.
He understood the true implication of those words – ceasing their protection meant endless harassment and vandalism would follow.
At that point, forget running a business, even personal safety would be questionable.
As for calling the police?
If that were effective, would he need to be so humiliatingly submissive?
The suited man quickly pleaded, "Luo older brother, that's not what I mean. It's just that things have been really tight at home recently..."
"I don't care about that."
Luo Tuo cut him off, "Who doesn't have their troubles? I've got a whole bunch of brothers here waiting to eat. Miss Ji, can't we just understand each other, right?"
At the end, impatience was evident on his face, "Hurry up, the brothers are waiting to move on to the next place."
The suited man took a deep breath.
Just then—
"Hey! Kid, what are you filming?"
A gang member suddenly pointed at a customer in the store and shouted, "Hand over the phone to me!"
Someone was recording?
Luo Tuo turned his head and looked, a mocking smile curling on his lips.
This wasn't extortion, but legitimate business, even taxable. What was wrong with discussing business face-to-face?
Even if the police were called, he wasn't concerned; someone would speak on his behalf.
Still, he was a bit curious, who was so bold?
"Hmm?"
The next moment, Luo Tuo saw the young man who was filming, and the smile on his face suddenly stiffened.
"Are you deaf, when I'm talking to you?"
The first thug to notice that the man was still filming cursed and pulled out a baton from behind, quickly stepping forward.
But he had only taken a few steps when he felt a shock at the back of his head, followed by a surge of great force that made his vision go black. He couldn't stay on his feet and fell to the ground.
"Fuck, who was that?"
Enraged, he got up and turned around, only to find Luo Tuo looking at him with a cold glare. He felt as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped on him, and his anger immediately extinguished.
"Boss...?"
Luo Tuo said with a cold face, "Aren't you going to apologize to Director Lin now?"
"Director Lin?" The thug suddenly recalled the new Patrol Officer from Iron Stone Street that his boss had mentioned, and he shuddered.
Ignoring the pain, he quickly got up, walked over, and bowed his head, "Director Lin, I failed to recognize a superior, please forgive me..."
"Go apologize to the Public Security."
Lin Qing interrupted him and held up his phone to record his face, saying, "You dare to extort protection money right in front of a law enforcement officer?"
The thug's face turned pale.
"Haha, Director Lin, you're falsely accusing us."
Luo Tuo laughed heartily as he walked over, "We are a security company, just doing business. If you don't believe me, here is my business card."
Saying this, he handed a business card to Lin Qing.
Lin Qing didn't even look at it and said, "Does forcing sales count as doing business?"
"Forcing sales?" Luo Tuo was surprised. "Then you must have misunderstood."
He turned to the man in the suit, smiling but not smiling, "Mr. Ji, why don't you say something fair? If we had forced you, you could say it right now."
The man in the suit remained silent.
Of course, Luo Tuo hadn't forced or threatened him. But if he didn't agree, they had ways to ruin his business and the people who would act were well hidden. Even if they were caught, they would deny any connection to the Blue Scarf Gang.
Just vandalism like throwing paint or feces at a place wouldn't result in a long sentence.
Plus, Luo Tuo seemed to have strong connections; even if he called the police, they wouldn't be afraid.
What could he do?
That's why, even though he knew this young man was officially from the Patrol Department, he never thought of asking for help.
The Patrol Department was only responsible for patrolling and searching; what could they do to these people?
"Director Lin, see, Mr. Ji said nothing happened."
Luo Tuo looked at Lin Qing with a smile, "You've seriously misunderstood us."
"Misunderstood?"
Lin Qing said, "What you're doing, you know it, and I know it; there's no need to say these things in front of me."
He glanced at the towering hulky man behind Luo Tuo, then at the shattered glass door, "Did you guys kick that door? Intentionally destroying public property?"
Luo Tuo immediately grinned sheepishly, "No way, the restaurant's glass door was so clean, and my brother didn't see the glass in front. He's too strong and accidentally kicked it like that. Don't worry, we will definitely pay for it."
"What an accident." Lin Qing put down his phone and said, "After you pay, you can go."
The towering man stared at him fiercely.
Luo Tuo wasn't offended and merely nodded with a smile, "Had I known you were dining here, we wouldn't have come to bother you."
He immediately turned to the man in the suit, smiling as he urged, "Mr. Ji, how much is this door? Just deduct it from the next two months' maintenance fees. Since Director Lin is dining today, we won't disturb you. It'll give you time to gather the money. We'll return tomorrow."
The man in the suit reluctantly said, "Brother Luo, I'll try to gather the money tonight."
Lin Qing sat quietly aside, not saying a word.
Even if he intervened, it wouldn't change the outcome. The Blue Scarf Gang just didn't want to provoke his Patrol Department identity.
But they'd still make the money they were after.
That's just how the world worked.
The World Government didn't care much about the areas outside the urban circle; it seemed as if everything was insignificant. All civilization and order appeared to be real only within the urban circle.
Outside the urban circle, so-called regulations were mostly just a cover.