Chapter 25

Lin Jiahua pushed up his glasses, which had been broken on one side, with an awkward expression, "I'm sorry for causing you so much worry during this time."

Zhang Jiande looked at the wounds on Lin Jiahua's body and kept puffing on his cigarette irritably.

Chu Yueqing quickly helped Lin Jiahua park the stall, stared at the wound on Lin Jiahua's exposed arm, and hesitated to speak.

Ashanpo, who usually loves to make a fuss, also calmed down, looked at Lin Jiahua's wounds, returned to the fruit stall to get the medicine box, and pulled Lin Jiahua to sit on the stool on the stall to wipe the wounds.

Lin Jiahua was surrounded by good neighbors and smiled, "Don't worry, it's been two days, the wound has almost healed, but it looks scary."

"Two days?" Chu Yuexiang blinked and reacted, "It happened two days ago, and you're telling us now?"

"Ah Hua, how did you get into this?" A Shanpo sighed repeatedly, "You should have told us earlier."

Zhang Jiande took off the mouthpiece, looked at Lin Jiahua's wound and looked away, "Your parents are so cruel."

Chu Yuexiang helped Lin Jiahua take out the milk stick and put it on the table, turned around and looked, "Are they really your parents?"

"You misunderstood." Lin Jiahua shook his head, "It's not them."

"If it's not them, who else could it be?" Zhang Jiande was full of anger, "You have a peaceful temper, you don't cause trouble, "What happened to make you be beaten like this?"

Lin Jiahua looked tired, "It was the mafia."

Mafia?

Everyone's heart sank. Although the Independent Commission Against Corruption was established in Hong Kong in 1974, the influence of mafia in Hong Kong was not that great, but now there are still corrupt police who accept bribes, and the power is complicated.

Once ordinary people get involved with mafia, they can't expect to have a good life in the second half of their lives.

"What's going on?"

As Zhang Jiande asked, Lin Jiahua slowly told the story.

It turned out that Lin Jiahua's parents fell in love with stock speculation. After winning a lot of money, they tasted the sweetness. In order to get a higher return, they received the so-called insider information. In order to make a fortune, they borrowed high-interest loans from the mafia.

As a result, the stocks they bought collapsed, and Lin Jiahua's parents lost all their money.

The loan sharks were chasing the debts, and Lin's parents had no money to pay back. The underworld threatened to chop off Lin's parents' hands and feet, so Lin's parents said that she had a son selling milk cakes on Temple Street.

Lin Jiahua was tricked back home by his two sisters, and the underworld beat him up in order to make him pay the money. All the private money that Lin Jiahua had saved with great effort was taken away.

Chu Yueqing looked at Lin Jiahua forcing himself to smile, and naturally understood what kind of wish he had for saving the private money. He only wanted to maintain a good family and support his two sisters. As a result, his parents dragged their feet every time. Not only did they borrow high-interest loans, but they also cheated their son in the end?

She couldn't help but get angry.

He had already made a big X on his impression of the Lin family's parents, whom he had never met before.

"They will take away all the future sales until the debt is paid off." Lin Jiahua stared at the hemostatic patch wrapped on his bony fingertips. The oven temperature was high, and when he pulled his hands out, the thin skin on his fingertips would be burned. He didn't know how many times he had to go through such injuries in a year.

After speaking, Lin Jiahua looked away and sighed softly, "You don't have to worry about me. Fortunately, I'm fine."

This person, of course, refers to himself.

After so many things happened, Lin Jiahua had already thought it through thoroughly. No one is as good as himself. Even if he wants to make the family better, he can't resist the four burdens that hold him back.

"As for the turnover, I've also thought about it. I definitely can't pay it all. I'll keep some of it secretly." Lin Jiahua looked at Chu Yueqing and smiled, "I'll have to ask you to save it for me when the time comes."

"No problem." Chu Yueqing agreed, but she still couldn't figure it out, "Is there no other way? Usury should be an illegal activity, right? The higher-ups don't care?"

After asking, Chu Yueqing fell silent again.

It's easy to imagine that in today's world, gangs can eat at the same table with the police, and even if it's reported to the higher-ups, there's no solution.

"How much money did your parents borrow?" Zhang Jiande grabbed the cigarette holder and asked the key question.

"200,000." Lin Jiahua smiled bitterly.

"200,000!" Ah Shan Po was shocked. "Your parents are really brave to borrow. 200,000 can pay the down payment for a floor in Hong Kong."

"Loan sharks take out 90,000 and return 130,000. 200,000 is compounded interest. They won't let it go easily without seeing the money." Loan

sharks are another name for high-interest loans.

As for 90,000, it is a way of borrowing money. 90,000 goes out and 130,000 comes back. The interest is high and the interest is compounded every day. I'm afraid that Lin Jiahua's daily turnover can only be used as interest. It will take a long time to pay off the principal.

Zhang Jiande took a puff of cigarette and looked at Lin Jiahua, "Do you know who the money was borrowed from? I'll call someone out and have a good talk with the other party to see if there is any way to stop them."

"The Fourteenth Gang."

Chu Yueqing was stunned when the name came out, and immediately looked at the Japanese acupressure shop. Just over ten minutes ago, the Fourteenth Gang was here teaching the underpants man.

The man with a short haircut and tattoos seemed to be the second in command of the Fourteenth Gang?

Zhang Jiande's face was not very good when he heard the name, but he still took a puff of cigarette, "The 14th Gang has always been ruthless, but I also know people in it. Although I don't have much say in the 14th Gang, it's better to have someone than no one. In any case, let's meet up tomorrow to talk to them."

"Brother De, is the second-in-command of the 14th Gang powerful?" Chu Yueqing raised her hand and asked.

"Second-in-command? To be the second-in-command of the 14th Gang must be very impressive!" Zhang Jiande immediately gave a general introduction to the history of the 14th Gang's rise in Hong Kong.

"It will only take a few minutes to wipe out this account." Zhang Jiande felt something was wrong, and he let go of the cigarette holder and looked at her, "Does Qingqing know him?"

"Not really." Chu Yueqing thought for a moment, raised her chin, and looked over. She only saw the Japanese acupressure shop in the middle of Temple Street, which had pink lights on even during the day. "

But I just saw him go up to the second floor of the acupressure shop. The person he was protecting, Congling, was my customer, and she just died."

Lin Jiahua was her good friend, and there was no reason for her to stand by and watch her friend suffer. Since Congling had a good relationship with the second-in-command, she was willing to build a bridge for Lin Jiahua to see if they could talk.

"Why don't I go ask Cong Ling if I can invite the second-in-command out for breakfast?"

Hong Kong people can solve problems, and there is nothing that cannot be solved with breakfast.

Things are starting to look promising.

Everyone put down a big stone for the time being. Zhang Jiande patted Lin Jiahua on the shoulder and joked, "It's my birthday today. Do you still sell milk tarts?"

Lin Jiahua also temporarily put aside his worries and prepared to take out the oven. He laughed when he heard the joke, "It's my birthday again?" How about it? It’s hard to make money, but life is more important than birthdays.”

"I have a holiday for my birthday! I have to play!" Zhang Jiande held a cigarette holder in his mouth, rolled up his sleeves, took the oven and moved it to the tea restaurant, "How many do you plan to make today? Let Tiantonghui help you sell it. If you can't sell out, Brother De personally Collect the bill and take it all."

Ashanpo also helped to pick up the things, one on the left and one on the right. Soon the thin old woman was pressed by the things and half of her sight was lost.

As they were moving, Grandma Ashan said, "You only have one birthday a year, so you have to celebrate it well."

Chu Yue looked around and found that all the goods had been moved. She pushed the front of the stall and looked back. Lin Jiahua was still standing there in a daze. "Hurry up

."

"Oh! Here they are."

Lin Jiahua looked at this group of friends regardless of age difference. His cold heart because of his parents' affairs was dispelled by the warm sun because of friendship.

, several people discussed where to go to relax, but unfortunately, A Shanpo was old and her waist couldn't keep up, so she refused to go out with them. However, she still bought an eight-inch cake for Lin Jiahua alone.

Originally, they wanted to go to karaoke.

But Lin Jiahua Hua Mianhong said that she has been under a lot of pressure recently. Can she play tennis to relieve the pressure?

Zhang Jiande blew on the cigarette holder, "Is the injury okay?"

Lin Jiahua pressed his right arm on the shoulder with his left hand and turned it in a circle, "No problem."

"It's no problem." Zhang Jiande agreed: "As long as you like it, you can do whatever you want. Don't worry, I'll pay for tonight's consumption."

Chu Yuening raised her hand repeatedly: "I'll buy it myself, my sister has a holiday on Friday. , I called her to come together."

Chu Yi got off school early on Friday and had to wear loose sportswear to play tennis. She planned to call Chu Yi when she went back to change clothes.

In order to prevent Chu Yi from reading books all day long, he should have a proper balance between work and rest.

"Don't be stupid." Zhang Jiande waved his hand indifferently, "It's only forty yuan, brother De."

"No, forty yuan an hour." Chu Yuening joked.

Indoor sports fields in Hong Kong have lights and a good environment. Although there are also outdoor sports fields, the environment is not as good and it is very hot.

In addition, most Hong Kong people get off work after it is dark. In order to keep exercising, indoor sports fields are in use.

Zhang Jiande asked Chu Yueqing to go home and pick him up. "One hour is one hour. I don't know how much private money Brother De has in his wallet."

"Ding ding." Lin Jiahua said: "Ding and I are I'll wait for you at the Ma Tau Kok Indoor Sports Ground. Hurry up, I haven't met your sister yet."

"Okay."

Chu Yueqing decided not to bother about it and rushed home to pick her up. After packing up the dessert stall, she rode The car was parked back to the village.

Chu Yi happened to be returning home from school. She saw Chu Yueqing changed into a loose T-shirt and shorts. She bent down to take off her shoes and looked up. "Sister, what are you going to do dressed like this?"

"Play tennis." Chu Yueqing tugged at her T-shirt and searched for a long time before she found a set of loose clothes suitable for sports. She looked at the two sisters' wardrobes, which were pitifully sparsely stocked with clothes. In addition to the cotton quilt, she had three sets of clothes, while Chuyi only had one set of clothes besides her school uniform. Casual clothes.

"Let's go, let's go together."

Chu Yi felt like she was facing a formidable enemy when she heard this, and her facial features wrinkled into a bunch, "I want to go too?"

"But my motor cells are not good, and my limbs are not coordinated. Otherwise, forget it. "

"Go ahead." Chu Yueqing patted Chu Yi's head, thought for a moment and said, "After playing tennis, I'll take you shopping for clothes."

"Really?" Chu Yi's originally pitiful eyes suddenly turned pale. The 13-year-old girl was so beautiful that she jumped up and changed her clothes.

"Sister, wait for me!"

An hour later, Chu Yueqing took Chu Yi on a double-decker bus and saw the scenery of Kowloon. , and rushed to the Ma Tau Kok Indoor Sports Ground.

Two front desk staff in sportswear were sitting side by side gossiping.

They were all beaming with joy.

"I heard that Master Zhou and Master Qiao are also in there, is that true?"

"Really, I just took a peek while delivering frozen drinks, they are both so handsome."

"Oh, what a pity, the Zhou family Why doesn't the young master inherit the family business? I heard that he works in the serious crime squad. Being an employee may not be as comfortable as being a boss? "

"It's a pity for you. The Zhou family has only one young master. Whether the family business is inherited or not, it will belong to Young Master Zhou in the future. "

That makes sense. Let me go deliver the drinks later and see if the two young masters are really the same as the rumors say."

"It's a pity that there are only two young masters here today. It would be better if Young Master Qi was here too."

Amin was puzzled: "Why isn't Master Qi here?"

Ah Hong whispered: "I heard that Master Qi is sick and is still in a coma. He may become a vegetable in the future."

"Such a disaster?" Amin's eyes widened.

"Ahem." Chu Yueqing knocked on the marble countertop and frowned. "Excuse me, I need to pay."

The two stopped. The desire to exchange gossip.

Amin, who was closest to the front desk, quickly stood up. She pulled at her wrinkled sports shorts and smiled, "Wait a moment."

"What are your names, ladies?"

Chu Yue reported. After reading the name,

Amin took out the notebook to check, and after confirming it, he smiled and replied, "Ms. Chu, the two of you have already paid in advance."

As he spoke, Amin leaned forward and pointed the way, "This is the entrance, your My friend is waiting at the entrance."

"Thank you."

After Chu Yueqing left, Amin quickly sat back in his chair and continued to urge his companion to gossip.

The stadium is very large.

The middle area is for exercise, and at the edge are a few small round glass tables for people to rest while waiting for exercise.

After Chu Yueqing entered, she looked around and soon saw Lin Jiahua and his friends waiting in front.

"Ah Hua." Chu

Yuexi went over to say hello, then stood aside and introduced Chu Yi to everyone.

Cao Daguang, the owner of the tea stall, touched his bald head and joked, "Do you mind if I come and play with you guys?"

"Of course I don't mind. It will be more lively with more people." Chu Yue smiled with bright eyes. Suddenly, after she looked at Cao Daguang twice more, she heard Cao Daguang take the initiative to speak before she opened her mouth.

"In addition to playing tennis, I would also like to ask Xingxing to help me with my fortune-telling. I am hesitating about a business deal recently. A tea set factory in Guangdong Province went bankrupt, squeezing out a lot of goods. I want to take over the tea set factory as well. Is that okay?"

Zhang Jiande put his arm around Cao Daguang's shoulders. "Fa Daguang, you are here to get caught. You are just looking for connections. Xingxing only tells two fortunes a day. I have finished today. If you want to tell, you might as well line up tomorrow."

"No problem." Chu Yuexing looked at Cao Daguang's face carefully. "If you just want to tell this, you don't need to look at the horoscope, because..."

Cao Daguang was excited: "Because you will definitely be rich? I know it! It's worth the name!"

"You are going to lose money." Chu Yuexing blinked.

The two spoke at the same time.

Cao Daguang: ...

"Can't you get rich overnight?" Cao Daguang looked depressed and distressed. "I bought the tea set factory at a very cheap price. I have many friends in the same industry. I can ask them to help me get the goods. I believe the crowded goods can be sold out in a short time."

Chu Yue shook her head: "Judging from your face, this batch of goods has quality problems. The original factory actually went bankrupt because of this problem. After you take over, your life will go downhill because of this. Your peers will become enemies. After the tea sets have quality problems, you will lose a lot of money to your peers."

Cao Daguang heard that the consequences were so serious that he dared not have a lucky mentality anymore. Fortunately, the two hundred sides have not signed the contract yet, and there is still a chance to overturn it.

The other side is resting on the platform.

Zhou Fengxu, wearing a white and black striped sportswear, lowered his eyebrows and listened to Qiao Xing complaining about family matters.

"Everything is in chaos at home. Dad has no time to deal with the company's business, and Mom cries every day. If my brother still can't wake up, I don't know what to do in the future."

Zhou Fengxu and Qiao Ziyuan grew up together and have a close relationship like brothers.

Naturally, he doesn't want to see his brother lying in bed for the rest of his life.

"This is not a solution. I know a doctor in the United States who is very good at brain surgery. If necessary, I can arrange for someone to come."

"The most advanced CT scan can't capture what's in my brother's brain. It's useless even if we invite someone."

Qiao Xing couldn't help but feel frustrated. He originally wanted to ask Sister Chu to come and take a look at the situation, but his parents reacted strongly and were only obsessed with medicine. They also said that in this day and age, they couldn't imagine that Qiao Xing would be superstitious.

They were afraid that because of superstition in metaphysics, it would delay the treatment of their eldest son.

"Brother Xu, do you believe in metaphysics?"

Zhou Fengxu was stunned for a moment, and suddenly thought of the girl who told Shi Boren's fortune. Even if she really calculated that Shi Boren would go to the hospital, he didn't quite believe it.

Or rather, he didn't want to believe it.

After all, metaphysics without any basis is too incredible.

"Unless it happens to me and I can see the evidence, I will never believe it."

Qiao Xing didn't seem to expect that even the young Zhou Fengxu had the same idea. She was speechless and then fell on the table in frustration.

"It's not bad to believe in metaphysics. I know a goddess sister who is very good at fortune-telling. She is beautiful and good. I want to ask her to see my brother."

Goddess sister?

Zhou Fengxu glanced at him, "You should focus on studying now, so don't think too much about other things."

"What are you thinking about?" Qiao Xing felt wronged, "I just admired it and didn't do anything else."

"Wait until you do something else, is there any way to save it?" Zhou Fengxu maintained his usual style and acted decisively when he found any clues. Seeing that Qiao Xing still had a bitter face, he picked up the tennis racket placed against the wall and said, "Let's go and play three more rounds."

Shi Boren came back from the toilet and squeezed next to Zhou Fengxu. He looked like he had seen a ghost and asked strangely, "Do you know who I just saw?"

Shi Boren got closer to Zhou Fengxu while speaking, and the water from washing his hands splashed all over Zhou Fengxu's white sports shirt. He frowned and glanced at him.

Shi Boren was stared at by Zhou Fengxu, and he felt wronged, "After all, we have been classmates for several years. It's just water. At most, I can change my shirt."

After he finished speaking, the water splashed onto Zhou Fengxu's shirt again.

Zhou Fengxu's face sank: "Shi...Bo...Ren."

Shi Boren was startled and stopped talking about it. "Fortune teller, I saw a fortune teller."

Shi Boren had just finished speaking when Qiao Xing, who was standing next to him, smiled as if she saw someone and went over to greet them.

"Sister Chu!"

Chu Yueqing was holding the tennis racket she was assigned to. When she heard the shout, she turned around and saw Qiao Xing and the other two approaching. She first looked at the indifferent Zhou Fengxu, then at Shi Boren.

Her eyes inevitably moved down a few points and she smiled.

"It has been so long, Mr. Shi's wound must have healed, right?"

Shi Boren held his buttocks, blushing again at the thought of the iron nails being pierced into his buttocks, "I don't know, it would have healed long ago."

Only then did Qiao Xing realize that they all knew each other, "It turns out they are all acquaintances."

After saying that, Qiao Xing told Chu Yuening that she wanted to privately invite Chu Yuening to see her unconscious brother, and got Chu Yuening's consent.

Qiao Xing breathed a sigh of relief and then counted the number of people.

"There are exactly eight of us, why don't we form a team to play together? This way we don't have to find a stranger to partner with."

Chu Yuening thought about it and agreed to the plan.

A group of four people.

Chu Yuening and Chu Yi were assigned to the Qiao Xing group.

Two men and two women.

On the court.

Zhou Fengxu didn't speak, but occasionally looked at Chu Yuening, his eyes thoughtful.

Qiao Xing held the tennis racket and looked at the two girls' frail bodies. They were at a disadvantage in terms of strength when two girls played against two boys.

"Sister Chu, why don't I team up with your sister?"

Chu Yi held the tennis racket and looked at Qiao Xing's frail body, snorting, "Can you do it? You came all the way here, I don't want to lose!"

"Can you do it? We'll know after we play!" Qiao Xing was not convinced.

Chu Yuexi went to look at Zhou Fengxu, and Zhou Fengxu happened to be looking over here. The personnel had been assigned, and he stood on the court without saying anything. "Come on."

Everyone was already shouting, and Chu Yuexi's face became more serious as he held the tennis racket.

The tennis ball came towards him, and Chu Yuexi missed it. Zhou Fengxu behind him took over.

Chu Yuexi was unbelievable.

Chu Yi caught the flying ball and stuck out her tongue, "Sister, you seem to be even more uncoordinated than me in sports."

"It just started!" Chu Yuexi was not convinced. She half-knelt down holding the tennis racket, her eyes fixed on the trajectory of the flying tennis ball. At the moment when the ball was about to fly over, she jumped up.

Then she was stunned.

She... missed it again?

Zhou Fengxu stood at the back and dragged his hands again. He looked at Chu Yueqing and smiled, "It turns out that masters also have shortcomings."

Chu Yueqing: @&()@#%^

After playing a few rounds, everyone was sweating profusely. After finishing work and preparing to go home, Chu Yueqing put the racket back into the bag and looked to the left where Zhou Fengxu was also putting away the racket.

He half-squatted and put the tennis racket into the bag with his slender hands. He had the fashionable 3:7 short side hair. Sweat crossed the sharp corners of his eyes and flowed down his chin. He was alert to the prying of a third party. He frowned and looked over. He saw Chu Yueqing looking at him, and his watery lychee eyes seemed to be full of confusion.

Shi Boren had also finished and came over with a tennis racket on his back.

Chu Yueqing put away her things and handed them to Chu Yi, asking her to meet up with Zhang Jiande and others first.

She stayed to wait for Zhou Fengxu.

Chu Yi looked at Chu Yueqing, and then looked at Zhou Fengxu curiously. Suddenly, she seemed to understand something, and a smile instantly appeared on her fair face.

"I understand, don't worry, sister, I can go home by myself later, you can go shopping with Zhou Sir."

Chu Yueqing looked at her little sister jumping away, her face full of confusion.

What?

Shopping?

Shi Boren also saw Chu Yueling waiting at the exit in front, and his curiosity was aroused. "Brother Xu, is she waiting for you? Of course, you can get a beautiful girl in just one tennis game. You'll make a fortune."

Qiao Xing said sourly, "Sister Chu may be waiting for me, are you guessing?"

"Waiting for you?" Although Shi Boren didn't want to laugh, he still chose to laugh, "Waiting for a child who hasn't fully developed yet?"

"We know each other better!" Qiao Xing was unconvinced.

When the three of them walked to Chu Yueling's side, Shi Boren whispered to Qiao Xing again, "Let's make a bet and see if your goddess sister is ready to confess to Brother Xu."

Chu Yueling looked at Zhou Fengxu, who was full of black energy and had a red forehead, and said, "Sir Zhou."

Zhou Fengxu stopped and looked puzzled, "What's the matter?"

Shi Boren, who was watching the show behind him, pushed Qiao Xing's chest with his shoulder.

Chu Yueqing's eyes instantly changed from puzzlement to sympathy.

"Don't worry, after you die, I will definitely burn incense for you."