Chapter 22 Jiang Tianqi secretly plots against him

As night deepened, Fang Che tossed and turned, unable to sleep, the images of Xi Rong and her mother-in-law lingering in his mind.

He sat up abruptly, slipped out of the hideout, and crept back to the vicinity of the shack.

He didn't dare get close, but quickly placed the pocket money that Li Hanzhou had given him today to "teach him a lesson," along with a few warm char siu buns that Cheng Tieniu had stuffed into his hands, on a broken wooden box outside the shed, and then fled like a thief.

Unbeknownst to him, after he left, the curtain of the shed was quietly lifted a crack.

Xi Rong looked at the money and food on the wooden box, then gazed in the direction where Fang Che had disappeared, her bright eyes filled with disbelief.

She recognized this pretty "older sister"—she'd stolen his money before, and he'd chased after her for days. But now… not only had hen't arrested her, he'd even brought her these things.

She clutched the banknotes tightly, gazing at the receding figure in the night, her small body trembling slightly in the wind, as she silently made up her mind.

Fang Che jogged back to the base, his heart pounding. As he ran, he cursed himself: "Wang Tiezhu, you're such a coward! All talk and no action!"

But after I finished yelling, I felt much more at ease.

He looked up at the gray night sky over Portland Street and sighed.

"Damn it, Hong Kong Island... it's really tough."

Fang Che, still feeling the warmth and satisfaction of having just done a "good deed," limped back to the back door of the stronghold.

He looked around suspiciously before gently pushing the door open, trying to sneak in quietly.

They froze at the doorway.

Only a kerosene lamp lit the outpost, casting a dim, yellowish light that stretched the tall shadow of the man against the wall even longer.

Li Hanzhou stood with his arms crossed, the sleeves of his black shirt rolled up to his elbows, his expression blank.

Her phoenix eyes, in the dim light, quietly fell upon him.

The air froze.

When Fang Che faced Li Hanzhou, he immediately felt so guilty that his toes curled up and his legs went weak.

"Brother Li? You're still awake? I... went out for some fresh air, just for a walk."

His voice grew softer and softer as he spoke.

Li Hanzhou didn't reply, nor did he look away; he simply stared at him quietly. His gaze wasn't oppressive, yet it was more unsettling than any interrogation.

Fang Che swallowed hard. With no way out, he gritted his teeth and confessed without any backbone.

“Um… Brother Li…” He hung his head, muttering resignedly, “I’ll tell the truth. I didn’t get the money and the contract back, but I found that girl… I felt sorry for her, so I didn’t lay a hand on her. Do with her as you see fit… But!”

He suddenly looked up, "As long as you don't kick me out! I promise I'll make the money back next time! Double! No, ten times!"

Li Hanzhou's gaze finally changed slightly.

She paused on him for a few seconds, then turned away indifferently, saying only, "Come here."

Fang Che breathed a sigh of relief and scurried over as if he had escaped a disaster.

"Do you still want your feet?"

"Huh?" Fang Che was taken aback, not quite understanding, and subconsciously replied, "It's nothing! Just a minor injury! We Northeastern men... Ouch—!"

Before he could finish speaking, Li Hanzhou stepped forward, bent down, grabbed his arm, and pulled him in front of him in a swift and forceful manner.

Fang Che winced in pain, and before he could recover, Li Hanzhou squatted down and took off his shoes and socks.

The familiar pungent aroma of medicinal wine instantly filled the air.

Fang Che looked at the man's bowed back, his heart beating even faster than when he ran back.

Li Hanzhou gently rubbed his swollen foot with medicinal wine, his knuckles pressing hard...

Fang Che froze, stealing glances at Li Hanzhou's lowered profile.

The light cast a shadow under his straight nose, his eyelashes were long, and the way he was earnestly rubbing his feet created a stark contrast to his image as a gangster boss.

This...who can withstand it!

His anxiety and grievances were completely released, turning into an indescribable soreness.

He felt that Brother Li was a man of few words and a cold face, but he was a really good person! It was worth it to follow him!

Overwhelmed with emotion, my mouth uncontrollably sought to assert its presence:

"Brother Li..." he whispered tentatively, "I haven't forgotten about Portland Street! Although there was a bit of an accident... I've come up with a few new ideas! As soon as my foot heals, I'll put them into action! I guarantee those Dong Sheng Society guys will starve!"

Li Hanzhou continued massaging, mumbling through his nose, "Mmm."

To Fang Che, that "hmm" was like heavenly music! It was encouragement!

He suddenly perked up and continued muttering, "And there's that Xi Rong... that girl who stole the money. I saw her; she's clever, bold, and filial! If we take her in and train her, maybe she'll be good at intelligence work? It's better than her stealing outside, right?"

Li Hanzhou didn't even give an "um" this time.

But Fang Che was not discouraged; on the contrary, he felt that the big shot was seriously considering it.

He happily imagined the future, and the pain in his foot seemed to lessen.

Just as he was pondering whether to open a "training school for homeless children" or an "intelligence crash course," Li Hanzhou finished rubbing his hands, wiped them with a clean cloth, and gently moved his feet away.

“Behave yourself these next few days.” Li Hanzhou stood up, looking down at him with a cold and indifferent tone. “Agui will handle the Portland Street matter.”

"Huh? Oh..." Fang Che was a little disappointed, but didn't dare to refute. "I understand, Brother Li."

Li Hanzhou didn't say anything more and turned to go into the inner room.

Fang Che watched his retreating figure and touched his nose.

He looked down at his treated ankle, then glanced at the gray night sky over Portland Street outside the window, and grinned silently.

Although the start was not smooth, and although it is really not easy to make a living in Hong Kong, ... following such a big shot, the future doesn't seem so bleak!

He snuggled comfortably into the worn-out sofa, yawned, and drifted off to sleep...

Li Hanzhou's injuries healed quickly, thanks to his exceptional physique and the special medicine that A Gui found.

Once he was able to get out of bed, the first thing he did was to re-examine Fang Che's "Portland Street Old Building Project".

Although the process was tortuous and the initial funding was lost, Li Hanzhou did not completely deny the direction, but only emphasized that the method needed to be adjusted.

“Ah Che,” Li Hanzhou said calmly, “go and make contact with those buildings on Portland Street again. Be discreet this time, find out the details of the residents, and see if there are any other ways to get in touch.”

This is tantamount to tacitly allowing him to continue!

Fang Che's eyes lit up, and he immediately perked up: "No problem, Brother Li! I've got it covered! This time I'll definitely keep my eyes peeled and won't let any petty thieves steal from me again!"

He selectively ignored Ah Gui's eye-roll next to him, which was a sarcastic remark.

The next day, Fang Che set off again with Cheng Tieniu.

My ankle is mostly healed, and I have a small sum of activity funds that Li Hanzhou just gave me in my pocket...

Fewer than last time, it's clear the big boss has learned his lesson.

He plans to take a people-friendly approach: not to show off contracts or flaunt wealth, but to chat with neighbors and offer small favors, in order to first establish a positive image for Wo Yee Tong.

Ideals are lofty, but reality is harsh.

Fang Che arrived at the door of Granny Liu's house on the second floor, where she lived alone. He was carrying a small bag of oranges. He knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" a voice came from inside.

“Hello, Grandma! I’m from Wo Yee Tong, I’ve come to see you…” Fang Che tried his best to speak Cantonese fluently.

As soon as he finished speaking, there was a "whoosh" sound from inside, and even the peephole cover was closed.

Fang Che: "???"

He persisted, his voice becoming even sweeter: "Grandma, I mean no harm! I just wanted to chat with you and see if there's anything I can help with at home. Our Heyitang is currently doing community service, and it's free!"

It was completely silent inside.

Cheng Tieniu scratched his head and shouted, "Grandma! We're good people! Please open the door!"

The response was silence, and the clicking sound of the door lock being tightened again.

Fang Che's smile froze.

The campaign got off to a bad start.

It's okay, next one.

He found a young widow with a child.

Fang Che adjusted his strategy, attempting to approach the issue from the perspective of "caring for children's growth".

As soon as he revealed his identity as "Heyitang," the woman's face turned deathly pale. She picked up the child playing in the mud and slammed the door shut with a "bang," so fast that Fang Che only had time to catch a glimpse of her afterimage.

The third, the fourth... the situation was similar.

Those residents who were originally sunbathing and chatting at their doorsteps either instantly changed their expressions, slammed their doors shut and locked them, or avoided eye contact, making excuses like "I need to cook" or "I need to pick up my child," and disappeared faster than rabbits.

Throughout the day, Fang Che hadn't even managed to utter a complete sentence.

The bag of oranges ended up in his and Cheng Tieniu's stomachs; they were so sour that he kept grimacing.

"This is weird," Fang Che said, squatting by the roadside, puzzled. "Everything was fine just a few days ago. Even Granny Liu wasn't this scared when she saw gangsters collecting protection money. Do I look like a bad guy?"

He touched his "stunningly beautiful Hong Kong style" face in frustration.

Cheng Tieniu said in a muffled voice, "Che, I feel something's wrong. They seem particularly afraid of us."

Are they afraid of us? Fang Che's heart sank.

At that moment, a black Mercedes stopped at the street corner.

The car window rolled down, revealing Jiang Tianqi's face with a playful smile.

"Little Fang, it seems things aren't going too well?"

Fang Che instantly exploded: "Jiang Tianqi! Did you do this?"

Jiang Tianqi chuckled, "I was just kindly reminding the residents that things have been a bit unstable at Heyi Hall lately, and Boss Li is injured. I was worried that some 'uninformed' newcomers might cause unnecessary trouble."

Looking at Fang Che's sullen face, his interest deepened: "How about considering coming with me? At least you won't be turned away."

"Don't talk nonsense!" Fang Che blurted out in his Northeastern accent, "Brother Li and I are brothers, stop trying to sow discord! Portland Street, we're taking it!"

Jiang Tianqi chuckled: "You've got guts. I'll wait and see."

He gave Fang Che a deep look, then rolled up the car window and drove away.

Fang Che clenched his fist at the taillights, but his heart felt heavy.

It turns out that Jiang Tianqi was using the power and reputation of the Dongsheng Society to exert pressure in secret!

This guy didn't actually want to kill him right away; he was just playing with him like a cat toying with a mouse, watching him run into obstacles and see how helpless he was!

Over the next few days, there was no progress in finding a place to rent.

Feeling nauseous from being turned away, Jiang Tianqi occasionally "passed by" and admired his predicament.

What bothered Fang Che even more was that he always felt someone was secretly following him.

The feeling wasn't malicious; it was more like a cautious observation.

Every time he turned around sharply, he only caught a glimpse of the corner of a garment flashing by in the crowd or at the corner of a wall.

"Tiezi, is no one following you?" Fang Che turned around again.

Cheng Tieniu stared at Che for a long time: "Che, I don't see anything suspicious."

Unbeknownst to them, not far away behind a pile of debris, Xi Rong was nervously covering her mouth.

She saw Fang Che secretly deliver money and food that night.

This beautiful "older sister" had her money stolen, but instead of retaliating, she repaid evil with kindness... After the mother-in-law took her medicine, her condition stabilized, and they also had a full meal.

Fang Che's somewhat disheveled figure as he left was imprinted in her heart.

She knew he was a good man, and that by following him, perhaps she and her mother-in-law would have a chance to survive.

But she had also stolen his money and documents. Feeling guilty and afraid, she could only secretly follow him, watching him struggle and encounter setbacks every day. She felt sorry for him but dared not approach him.

Once again, he returned empty-handed, the setting sun casting a long shadow over Fang Che.

Frustration and the humiliation of being played by Jiang Tianqi made him irritable.

That feeling of being followed came back.

He stopped abruptly and used the reflection in the shop window to observe what was behind him—a small, thin figure quickly retreated into the alleyway.

This time he saw it clearly: it was that little girl who stole his money, Xi Rong!

Fang Che's anger flared. So, stealing money wasn't enough, he was also stalking her?