Bai Lu took a single look at him, and without saying anything, he took the tray back into the kitchen.
He San Qing walked back to his seat. "That was more than $3k. How come there wasn't even a word of gratitude?"
Gao Yuan sneered. "$3k? I bought a bowl of soup here yesterday, and I paid $10k."
"This guy is truly evil. He is really aggressive at exploiting others." He San Qing shook his head.
"Stop your unfair labeling. Since when did he attempt to exploit you? He only wanted a $100, yet you insisted on putting on a show. You were the one that tipped him willingly. Serves you right." After he scolded He San Qing, Gao Yuan thought about his own experiences from yesterday night. He felt his heart became heavy.
They did not want to leave. The two people from the 6th table also did not want to leave. After a while, when they realized that the boss was not coming out to entertain them, they started to smack the tables again.
Bai Lu came out of the kitchen with a laugh. "Smack, smack harder. It's $10k per table, and if you damaged it, I would call the cops."
He San Qing burst out with sounds of laughter, he said to Gao Yuan, "So is that considered exploitation?"
"You ****ing think it's embroidered with gold? $10k for these lousy tables—"
Before he could finish his sentence, Bai Lu rushed over, grabbed him by his neck and lifted him off the floor. And he just maintained that position. He squeezed his fingers, and the guy was in a chokehold. Not more than 15 seconds passed, and that man's face was turning purple. He struggled and flailed his limbs around.
He San Qing shook his head, and he thought, "This guy is ruthless." Then he persuaded him with a soft voice. "Just let go. Any longer and he might be dead."
Bai Lu had an icy gaze. He stared directly into the eyes of the man and said, "Never use vulgarities on me again." His tone was distant and mind-numbingly cold.
Gao Yuan suddenly recalled that he used a lot of vulgarities on him last night. It looks like Bai Lu cared about him.
After strangling him for about a minute, Bai Lu slowly released his grip. "Scram." When the guy was lowered back to the ground, his legs gave way, and he collapsed right away. It took a while for him to regain his strength. Then he got up and ran away in a sorry state. The other guy that was with him at the same table saw the stressful situation and had already escaped long ago.
There were initially a few people gathered outside the restaurant. They endured and waited for the customers in the restaurant to leave so that they could enter for a meal. However, the glass was entirely transparent, and they could see everything in the restaurant. When they realized what had happened, their appetite disappeared right away, and one by one they left.
Bai Lu did not even bother to look at them, he just dispatched away the flies and went back to his kitchen to cook.
He San Qing grabbed hold of Gao Yuan. "Brother Yuan, how did you manage to meet this person? That was so cool."
After another 20 minutes, Bai Lu took out four thermal lunch boxes. "It's all filled up."
Gao Yuan received it over, and he said, "Thanks." When he wanted to leave, the door was pushed open, and three people came inside. The two behind were police officers, while the one in front was the guy that was strangled previously. He pointed at Bai Lu and said, "That's him. I came for a meal, and he assaulted me."
"It's you two again?" Bai Lu laughed. Just now when the baldy—the guy who wanted to collect protection fees—called the cops, it was these two officers that were dispatched.
Hearing what Bai Lu said, the older police officer spoke, "There are bruises on his neck. You will have to come back with us to the station."
The two police officers didn't want to bother with this incident, but since there was a police report, they had to be dispatched. If they did not want to do so? Sure, but be ready to receive punishment.
"Police Uncle, we were eating in the restaurant all the while. Therefore, we could testify that he did not assault anyone." He San Qing giggled and commented.
Si Ma Zhi also said, "Indeed indeed, I did not see it either. This lad might be framing him."
"You guys are liars!" The guy who made the police report was a hoodlum. Probably in his thirties, he looked like he could neither be moved by force nor persuasion.
"So what if we lied, are you going to bite me?" He San Qing said mockingly.
"You, you. Police Officer, look at them." That guy tried to rally more support.
The two officers knew that the three young masters were not to be trifled with, as even the police station chief officer was ready to come and go at their beck and call; let alone the two of them? That was why they pretended not to hear, and they asked Bai Lu, "Did you strangle him or not?" Reading between the lines, it seemed like as long as Bai Lu said that he did not, then they would be prepared to leave.
That guy had enough. "Who interrogates people like this?"
Bai Lu laughed and said, "I strangled him."
The two of them listened, and thought, "Is this guy for real? How could he be so unorthodox?" With a serious expression, they said, "Then please come with us back to the station. We need to take your statement."
No one wished to offend another person, not even the police officers. That was why they tried their best to use a gentler tone.
Bai Lu giggled. "May I have a few words with him? Hopefully, he could change his mind."
The two officers exchanged a glance, and they nodded simultaneously. "Yes, you may."
Bai Lu did not even try to avoid the taboo topic. Right in front of everybody in the shop, he spoke with the other person seriously. "Remember this well. My name is Bai Lu. I am a very rational person. If you pick on me, I will not let you off. Although you have alerted the police, I will take it as though you were unaware of the situation. So I will give you a chance, to inform the police officers, that it was all a misunderstanding, and then I will let you leave. Otherwise, I will help you to collect the evidence that you need. Do take out your phone for pictures, because right now I will break both of your legs so that you would have a more convincing case and better chance to sue me. I can assure you. If the court dares to sentence me, I will make sure you suffer."
There was air conditioning in the restaurant, so it was crisp and refreshing. But when Bai Lu finished his speech, it was as though the room had a sudden cold gust of frigid wind. That guy was so afraid to the point of shivering. He pointed at Bai Lu and said to the police officers, "He was threatening me. You guys heard what he said. He threatened me.
Bai Lu smiled. "I did threaten you. Did you bring your phone? Come, take some photos."
Threatening someone in the presence of the police, the craziness of this person had no boundaries. The two officers felt embarrassed, and they said with a serious tone, "What rubbish are you saying? Please come back with us for investigations."
Bai Lu did not care about the cops. With a smile on his face, he asked, "Are you seriously letting me go to the police station?"
This problem was started because of a simple meal: That guy behaved shamelessly, which angered Bai Lu. Such a simple matter that could be resolved quickly. Was there really a need to visit the local police station?
Gao Yuan stood up and said, "It's just a meal. Do you really want to press charges against him?" His voice was equally chilling.
The two police officers saw that the issue at hand might be blown out of proportions, so they urged the guy softly. "What kind of unsolvable issue is this that warrants a visit to the local police station? Just try to resolve this peacefully. If this goes out of hand, both sides will stand to lose."
"But he assaulted me, and he even threatened me."
"I am also threatening you. Do you want to press charges against me as well?" Gao Yuan said coldly.
He San Qing also stood up and joined the argument. "There's me as well. I am also threatening you."
Si Ma Zhi assessed the situation. "Right, count me in too."
The two chicks also interfered. They pointed at the man and said, "In the first place, you were the one in the wrong. And you still dared to call the cops? Are you trying to accuse others? Go to hell."
Bai Lu was a little puzzled, and he asked, "Why are you guys helping me?"
"Because I feel like it." Gao Yuan took two of the thermal lunch boxes and walked in the direction of the door. As he passed by that man, he whispered, "I assure you. If you do not withdraw your charges, I will make sure you are the one going in tomorrow."
He San Qing picked up the other two boxes. "I am the good guy here. So I will give you a piece of advice. You should listen to him." He followed him out the door.
Si Ma Zhi did not say anything. He just escorted the two beautiful ladies out, then they all drove away in their cars.
There were only four people left in the house now. Bai Lu smiled without saying anything. The two officers felt like they got a headache. With a cold voice, they asked the man who made the police report. "What do you want to do now?"
"I… " Under the constant barrage of threats, he no longer dared to misbehave. With a little hesitation, he said, "I will call off the police report."
"Sure, just sign your signature here." The police officers took out a dispatch form. After waiting for the guy to sign on it, he said to Bai Lu, "Try to stay calm the next time you face a problem. Please stop tormenting us. In a couple of hours, we already came here twice. Do you think it's fun."
Bai Lu smiled, and he said, "Never did I expect that there would be so many rascals. Sorry for the trouble."
The two officers dismissed the case, then they took the guy and left.
Bai Lu stood around for a while. He first cleaned up the place, and then he went to the dumpling store to look for Boss Li Huang to borrow a lug wrench.
Li Huang said, "I don't have it here. What was going on just now?"
"Nothing much." He wanted to dismantle the wheels from the minibus, that the gangsters left behind so that it wouldn't be carjacked. He suddenly had a second thought. "Why go through all the trouble? If it's stolen then so be it." He went back to the shop to collect some money, then he locked the door and headed off.
Zhang Lao San said that his family lived in a village to the north of the city. Bai Lu took the map with him. He flagged a taxi and headed due north. They took the expressway and drove for about 2 hours. After they pulled up, he paid the fare, which amounted to more than $200.
"How expensive." Bai Lu asked the taxi driver to point out their current location on the map. The driver cast a quick glance and said, "Do you have a phone? There's an app for the map."
"Nope."
"Then I can't be of any help. The map is too small." Then the driver drove off.
"How I am supposed to go back?" Bai Lu screamed.
"Take the public transport."
...
The village was tiny and quiet. As it was located too far away from the Northern City, it wasn't well constructed. There were approximately a hundred houses in total.
Standing at the entrance of the village and looking in, he saw that the streets were empty. On the contrary, a woman was wearing a hat and working at the arable land outside the village.
Bai Lu walked over. "Excuse me. Where does Zhang Fa Kui reside?"
The lady was surprised for a while. She straightened her back to look at him, and only then did Bai Lu realize that it was a young girl. She looked thin and weak, and her clothes were loose. With big round eyes, she looked at him and asked softly, "Who are you looking for?"
"Zhang Fa Kui, with a nickname Zhang Lao San, do you know him?"
"Why are you looking for him?" The girl continued to ask.
Bai Lu scratched his head. "My name is Bai Lu. I came from the desert. I am not looking for him, but rather his daughter instead." As he spoke, a thought suddenly sprang up within his head. "Could it be that this girl is Zhang Lao San's daughter?"
The girl asked again, "Why are you looking for his daughter?"
"Zhang Lao San has never met his daughter, so he sent me here to take a look on behalf of him."
"You just took a look already. Alright, now you can go." The girl bent over and continued her chores.
"You are Zhang Lao San's daughter?" Bai Lu jumped into the plot of land. "Why are you doing all this work? Where are your parents? Where's your mother?"
"If I don't work, then who's going to do it?" Her voice turned cold.
"You are Zhang Lao San's daughter?" Bai Lu handed over some photographs to her. On it was an aged Zhang Lao San with a forced smile.
The girl took a slight look, and she returned the photographs. "Ok, you can leave now."
"What is up with this girl?" It made Bai Lu a little depressed, and he said, "Is your mother at home?"
However, the girl has now stopped talking.
Just when she felt it was getting difficult, a young guy in school uniform ran over from the road. He was approximately sixteen or seventeen years old. He screamed at Bai Lu. "Come out."
Bai Lu was bewildered. "You are calling me?"
"You don't say. Get your ass over here. You ****ing dare to harass Sha Sha? Are you looking for death? Hurry up and scram!"
"Your name is Sha Sha?" he asked the girl.
"You son of a bitch." Seeing how he refused to leave, the young guy jumped in and started fighting.
Bai Lu dodged, and the girl said, "Don't fight. He is my dad's friend."
"Your father? He is not dead?" The young guy blabbered without any restraint.
The girl did not respond, and she faced towards Bai Lu again. "You should leave."
"You are Zhang Lao San's daughter?" Bai Lu hounded.
The young guy angrily said, "Are you leaving?" From his bag, he fished out a knife.
Depressed to the max, Bai Lu thought, "Students nowadays are impressive. They are even more brutal than the guys in prison; pulling out a knife over such a simple verbal disagreement." He asked him, "Her dad wanted me to pass her something. What if it was handed to the wrong person?"
"What do you mean by the wrong person? It is her alright, leave the items and scram." He protected the girl wholeheartedly.
The girl calmly said, "I reject it. You should leave."