Chapter 27 Breaking the Stalemate with Square Dancing

Fang Che patted the speaker, coughing twice from the dust, but his face was full of confidence: "Tiezi, music knows no borders, and dance can cure all sorrows! Jiang Tianqi has blocked our way, so we'll 'encircle the city from the countryside' and dismantle him from within!"

Tie Niu didn't understand everything, but seeing that Fang Che had regained his spirits, he immediately nodded: "Okay! Whatever you say goes!"

Xi Rong was also confused by this move, but when she heard that it could help and also anger the Dong Sheng Society, she got excited.

In the evening, residents strolled around the small square near Portland Street, enjoying the cool evening air.

Fang Che took a deep breath and pressed play.

"Old Zhang was driving to Northeast China when he crashed—"

The intro bursts out with static, instantly attracting everyone's attention.

Fang Che stood at the front, his clothes ill-fitting, but his expression was like that of a general going into battle.

Behind them were the fearless Tie Niu and the nervous yet excited Xi Rong.

As the music started to play, Fang Che moved!

He swung his arm and stomped his foot, his movements a mix of Northeast Yangko dance and his own improvised ideas. They weren't standard, and he even walked with slightly different steps, but he put in a lot of effort and his expression was intense. Combined with his handsome face, there was a strange contrast.

"The driver who caused the accident acted like a scoundrel and fled—"

He also strained his voice in Cantonese with a thick accent.

Onlookers: "!!!"

Tie Niu gritted his teeth and twisted along, his burly body resembling a black bear dancing in a disco.

Xi Rong is more nimble, so she follows the rhythm and gestures.

At first, everyone was just pointing and whispering:

"What's this for?"

"That handsome guy Fang Che from Heyitang? Has he gone crazy from some kind of shock?"

"Your movements are quite impressive, and seem rather simple?"

Gradually, a few of the bolder old women, watching the simple, repetitive, yet festive movements, found themselves unconsciously moving their feet to follow along.

This melody, this rhythm, it's kind of magical.

After "Northeasterners Are All Living Lei Fengs" finished playing, Fang Che immediately switched to "The Big Sedan Chair".

"When the sun rises, I climb the hillside—"

An even more cheerful melody begins!

This time, more than one elderly woman joined in.

They swayed their hips, smiles on their faces, and followed behind, gesturing. The movements were simple, but the atmosphere was perfect.

Next up is "The Boatman's Love"... Fang Che is practically a walking encyclopedia of 1990s mainland Chinese hits.

More and more people came, from grandmothers to middle-aged women, and then to young people who thought it was fun.

The line grew like a snowball, turning the small square into a bustling sea of ​​people.

"Little sister, you sit at the bow of the boat, and brother walks on the shore—" Fang Che led the singing, followed by a group of people speaking broken Cantonese, creating a very catchy scene.

Tie Niu, sweating profusely from jumping, grinned as he looked at the growing number of neighbors around him and gave Fang Che a thumbs-up: "Che! That was a really good move!"

Xi Rong smiled too. Making the neighbors happy and leaving Dong Sheng She speechless was a victory.

Fang Che was panting from jumping, but his eyes were shining.

This is exactly what he wanted!

Break down barriers and reconnect with neighbors in the most direct way.

Let them know that Fang Che of Heyitang is not a jinx, but someone who can bring happiness.

He twisted and turned while scanning the crowd.

He saw several familiar faces; they were the residents who had previously turned him away. Now, they were smiling and even casting friendly glances at him.

I also saw several henchmen from the Dong Sheng Society on the periphery, their faces ashen. They wanted to stop them but dared not rush into the crowd, and could only stare helplessly.

Fang Che sneered inwardly: Jiang Tianqi, you think brute force can shut everything down? I'll use art, which the masses love, to tear down your defenses! He noticed a middle-aged man in the crowd, wearing glasses and dressed smartly, not dancing, but just watching him thoughtfully, then glancing at the engrossed residents, his eyes shrewd. Fang Che memorized that face.

As he was dancing with great enthusiasm, Fang Che felt a gaze fall upon him.

He turned his head and looked at the street corner across the square.

A familiar black sedan was parked in the shadows.

With the car window half-rolled down, Li Hanzhou's cold profile was faintly visible under the neon lights.

He watched quietly as Fang Che danced wildly in front of the crowd, observing the noisy yet vibrant scene.

Fang Che's heart skipped a beat, and his movements slowed down.

Why is Brother Li here? Will he feel ashamed?

He tried hard to see Li Hanzhou's expression—was it disgust?

Is it displeasure? But the distance is too far and the light too dim, so it's hard to see clearly.

I could only sense that the gaze didn't seem cold.

Li Hanzhou was indeed watching.

He watched the boy laughing like a fool in the crowd, his exaggerated movements full of energy, as he watched him break down Jiang Tianqi's barrier of fear in such an unexpected way.

This piece of wood from Northeast China always manages to stir up a stagnant pool.

Finally, his gaze fell on Fang Che's flushed cheeks, bright eyes, and infectious, unpretentious smile. His fingers, resting on his knees, twitched slightly.

Ah Gui's lips twitched in the driver's seat: "They've gone mad! They've all gone mad! Brother Li, you have to do something about him!"

But Li Hanzhou made no comment.

Only when Fang Che appeared flustered and his movements became distorted under his gaze did he slowly roll up the car window.

"Let's go."

The car glided into the night and left the street corner.

Fang Che stared in the direction the car had left, his heart pounding with anxiety.

But soon, the surrounding noise and music overwhelmed him again.

"Never mind!" He tossed his head and continued his "square dancing," yelling even louder: "Love and affection, the rope swings gently—"

Meanwhile, in a secluded villa in Kowloon Tong.

Jiang Tianqi, wearing a silk bathrobe, leaned back on the leather sofa, swirling a wine glass in his hand.

The huge floor-to-ceiling windows in front of me offer a view of Hong Kong Island at night, but compared to the tranquility inside, the bustling scene outside seems to be just a silent backdrop.

A soft knock sounded on the door.

"Go in." Jiang Tianqi said without turning his head.

The door was pushed open, and a bespectacled man entered, his face grave.

"Young Master Jiang." Assistant Zhao Ming bowed slightly.

"How's it going on Portland Street? Are our Boss Li and his funny little friend already overwhelmed and ready to pack their bags and leave?"

Jiang Tianqi spoke casually, raising his hand to take a sip of wine, as if he had already tasted the sweetness of victory.

Zhao Ming pushed up his glasses, his expression somewhat strange: "Young Master Jiang, the situation... has changed."

"Oh?" Jiang Tianqi turned around. "What change?"

"It was Fang Che. He organized a... 'song and dance performance' in the small square on Portland Street."

"A song and dance performance?" Jiang Tianqi was stunned, his wine glass hovering at his lips, thinking he had misheard. "What song and dance performance? Has Heyitang switched to organizing cultural performances?"

“You could say that.” Zhao Ming’s expression became even more complicated. “He got a broken stereo, played some… songs with a strong mainland flavor, and then, along with his fellow Northeasterner Cheng Tieniu and the little girl he took in, Xi Rong, they started dancing in public. Their movements… were very peculiar, and their voices were very loud. The key point is that it attracted a lot of neighbors to watch, and even… quite a few people joined in the dancing.”

The ease on Jiang Tianqi's face vanished.

He put down his wine glass, his gaze sharpening: "Those neighbors, they're jumping too?"

"Yes. The atmosphere was very lively. Our people reported that the residents who had been avoiding us before now looked at Fang Che much more gently. His outburst seems to have... broken through our isolation and seclusion of him."