Chapter 91 The Timid Him (Part 3) I'm Proud to Have My Motherland by My Side…
The family finished their meal quietly. Song Mingyuan slowly stood up, supporting himself on the table with both hands. Perhaps the movement aggravated his injury, for he subconsciously took a soft breath.
Song Ce noticed Song Mingyuan's unusual expression out of the corner of his eye. He put down his chopsticks and asked with a hint of concern in his voice, "Dad, what's wrong? Are you hurt somewhere?"
Song Mingyuan was slightly taken aback, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. Then, he nodded somewhat awkwardly and explained, "This is an old problem. My back pain flares up whenever I drive for a long time."
Song Ce pursed his lips, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down, before slowly saying, "Dad, let me give you a massage!"
"What?" Song Mingyuan was taken aback and couldn't help but ask.
Hearing this, Chen Mei, who was standing next to him, also widened her eyes, looking surprised, and her gaze went back and forth between the father and son.
Seeing this, Song Ce repeated earnestly, "Dad, let me massage you, that will make you feel better." Upon hearing this, a hint of emotion flashed in Song Mingyuan's eyes. After hesitating for a moment, he nodded gently.
Song Mingyuan walked to the sofa and lay down on it. Song Ce, having been a professional doctor, had a fairly skillful massage technique. Song Mingyuan felt the comfortable sensation in his lower back, and his furrowed brows gradually relaxed. Feeling his son's rhythmic pressure, Song Mingyuan paused for a moment before carefully asking, "Xiao Ce, your homeroom teacher came for a home visit today and said you had some conflict with the teacher in class. Is that true?"
Song Ce paused in his work, then nodded decisively, "It's true."
Song Mingyuan was surprised that Song Ce admitted it so readily. He frowned and said earnestly, "At school, you should respect your teachers. How can you talk back to them?"
As soon as he said those words, Song Mingyuan regretted it. His relationship with his son wasn't very close to begin with, and now that his son was giving him a massage, it was really inappropriate for him to start lecturing him.
Song Mingyuan paused for a few seconds, then quickly turned to look at Song Ce, his tone softening considerably: "Dad didn't mean to blame you, he just thinks you should focus on your studies at school. The teacher was only saying that for your own good..."
Listening to his father's explanation, Song Ce pursed his lips and said softly, "Dad, it's not what you think. That teacher forced us to have extra lessons and even charged us for them. I didn't want to, so I talked back to him."
At this point, a hint of embarrassment flashed in the boy's eyes. He turned his face away awkwardly and lowered his voice: "Dad, you work overtime every day to earn money. I... I don't want to spend money on tutoring."
Hearing this, Song Mingyuan felt a surge of warmth in his heart. Was his son showing concern for him? Did this mean that he, as his father, held such a heavy place in his heart?
“Dad is still young and healthy. You are still young, so don’t worry about things at home. Go to your tutoring classes if you need to, understand?” Song Mingyuan patted Song Ce’s shoulder tentatively. Seeing that he did not dodge, he became more certain that his son cared about him.
"I'm not talking to you anymore, Dad. I'm going back to my room. I'll give you a massage tomorrow." After saying that, Song Ce looked a little awkward, quickly stood up, strode into the bedroom, and then closed the door.
Seeing his son like this, Song Mingyuan's lips unconsciously curled up, and a smile welled up in his heart. His gaze fell on the dartboard on his son's bedroom door, and he was filled with emotion.
He had previously felt disheartened, believing his son resented him. But now it seemed that he, as a father, still held a significant place in his son's heart. Reflecting on his past treatment of Xiao Ce, Song Mingyuan felt increasingly guilty.
The next morning, when Song Ce woke up, the house was quiet; no one was home. On the dining table was a cup of soy milk and two fried dough sticks, clearly breakfast left for him.
Song Ce touched the cup to check the temperature; the soy milk was already a bit cold, probably having been sitting for a while. After finishing his breakfast, he skillfully tidied up the dishes and chopsticks, then slung his backpack over his shoulder and headed out the door.
He went to Blue Night Internet Cafe, which was not far from his home. There weren't many people in the cafe at the time; only about a third of the seats were occupied.
A stylish woman with long, wavy hair sat at the front desk of the internet cafe. She frowned as she looked at the computer, her slender fingers lightly sliding across the mouse. After a moment, she said to the young man at the counter, her face stiff, "Five hours and fifteen minutes. I'll charge you for five hours, ten yuan."
The young man quickly pulled something out of his pocket, grabbed a bottle of mineral water, paid the bill, and walked out.
Chen Chen had just put the money back in the counter when she noticed a handsome young man standing next to her. He looked quite young, exuding a youthful energy. She couldn't help but wonder, could this young man be underage?
"Hello, do you still have any empty machines?" Song Ce asked.
"Hmm, yes, but are you an adult?" Chen Chen raised an eyebrow and asked with some doubt.
“I’m an adult now.” Song Ce said without changing his expression.
Chen Chen shrugged, a slight smile playing on his lips, and said, "You can't just talk the talk; show me your ID."
Before Song Ce could speak, the internet cafe door was kicked open with a loud bang, drawing the attention of everyone inside.
Just then, three sleazy-looking youths swaggered in, the leader being a tall, thin, red-haired man. He was wearing a T-shirt covered in designer logos and had a cross necklace around his neck.
As soon as Hongmao saw Chen Chen at the front desk, he grinned and approached Chen Chen, saying, "Boss Chen, business is good this month! Brother, you seem to have made quite a bit of money, right? So, it's time to pay the protection fee this month, isn't it?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Chen frowned and dodged the red-haired man's ill-intentioned advances, saying with disgust, "Didn't we just pay for it half a month ago?"
Upon hearing this, Red Hair leaned forward again, grinning, and said, "Boss Chen, you said it yourself, that was half a month ago. We're a bit short on cash lately, and our expenses are high, so we're collecting next month's payment in advance. We promise we won't bother you next month." Red Hair laughed.
Chen Chen looked at him coldly: "I won't pay in advance! I'll pay every penny due next month!"
Seeing that Chen Chen was showing him no respect, Hongmao's face instantly turned cold. He snorted, "Boss Chen, I'm not talking to you! If you don't pay up today, don't blame us for being impolite!" With that, he reached out and swept the neatly arranged drinks on the counter onto the floor. With a "crash," the glass bottles shattered on the floor, and the drinks spilled everywhere.
Those browsing in the internet cafe, seeing this commotion, either the timid ones quickly dropped their money on the counter and hurriedly left, or a few bolder ones who glanced over, pursed their lips, and continued staring at their computer screens, completely oblivious to what had just happened.
Chen Chen was furious, her face flushed red. Her anger surged, and these thugs were utterly shameless! If she paid the protection money, they would only become more and more demanding, coming to the internet cafe every few days to take advantage of her, refusing to leave without getting something in return. But if she refused and called the police, they weren't afraid at all; at most, she'd be locked up for a few days, and then they'd come back to the internet cafe even more brazenly afterward. She was truly at her wit's end.
"Boss Chen, you damn well better give me a straight answer. How exactly are you planning to get rid of us brothers?" Red Hair stepped forward and reached out to touch Chen Chen's face.
Seeing this, Song Ce frowned slightly. He took a step forward and said in a calm tone, "Gentlemen, please refrain from using foul language." He then pointed to the price list on the wall and added, "Also, pay for the spilled drinks."
Red Hair burst out laughing the moment he saw Song Ce's face. He said to his brothers, "Hey guys, did you hear that? This little guy's making us pay up! Hahaha! He's barely grown up, and he's already trying to be a hero saving a damsel in distress?" The other two blond guys joined in the laughter, their mocking tone thick with sarcasm.
Chen Chen hadn't expected this seemingly well-behaved customer to be so bold and reckless. Her heart tightened, and she quickly pulled Song Ce behind her, saying, "Fine, I'll pay!"
Upon hearing this, Red Hair became displeased. "Hey, Boss Chen, don't be so hasty! Didn't this young man talk tough to us? Let him come out and have a go!" Seeing Song Ce's calm demeanor, Red Hair felt a surge of anger for no reason. He thought to himself, "This kid looks like a student, what's he trying to prove?" With that thought, Red Hair gave Yellow Hair a wink.
Huang Mao understood immediately, snorted coldly, and with a ferocious look on his face, he reached out to grab Song Ce behind Chen Chen. But before his hand could even reach him, Song Ce reacted quickly, grabbing a long wooden box from the front desk and slamming it down on Huang Mao's back.
Song Ce casually slapped the blond-haired man a few times, and the blond-haired man immediately clutched his stomach, howled in pain, and fell to the ground.
"My pen!" Chen Chen shouted instinctively.
Seeing this, Hongmao was completely enraged. He roared and charged towards Song Ce, as if he wanted to teach him a lesson.
Song Ce remained calm, slightly crouching down, and with a sweeping leg kick, tripped the red-haired man to the ground. Immediately afterward, Song Ce pulled out a long silver needle from somewhere and casually pricked the red-haired man's body.
The other blond-haired man stood frozen in fear, staring dumbfounded at the red-haired man lying motionless on the ground. His legs trembled uncontrollably, and his face was filled with terror.
Song Ce smiled slightly, pulled the stunned Chen Chen behind him, and then snapped his fingers.
The red-haired man, lying on the ground, began to writhe and howl in agony, his voice filled with pitiful pain. The blond man, who hadn't yet made a move, was filled with terror. He immediately knelt on the ground with a thud, begging for mercy: "Big brother, we were blind to your greatness! Please forgive us! We three brothers were just using someone else's name to make a living. I promise we'll never bother this family again!"
Upon hearing this, Song Ce looked at Chen Chen, who was standing beside him in shock, and asked, "Mr. Chen, what do you think?"
"I..." Chen Chen felt like her brain was about to stop working, and she stammered, "I... I think either is fine."
The blond guy who had been beaten up first scrambled to his feet and moved behind the kneeling blond guy. Song Ce looked at the silver needle in his hand and said very good-naturedly, "Since the boss has said so, you can clean up the floor, pay for the drinks, and then you can leave."
"Then my brother here..." the blond-haired man asked cautiously.
Song Ce casually stuck two more needles into Red Hair's body. Miraculously, as soon as the needles were pulled out, Red Hair stopped howling. Red Hair sat up and touched his stomach and chest in disbelief. It seemed... the pain really was gone.
This move not only stunned the three thugs, but also left everyone in the internet cafe, including Chen Chen, dumbfounded.
Seeing this, the kneeling blond-haired man quickly and obsequiously picked up a broom and dustpan and began sweeping the floor with practiced ease. Noticing the remaining drink stains, he hurriedly took off his jacket, wet it, and diligently scrubbed the floor clean. Then, he carefully counted out the money according to the price tag and handed it to Song Ce.
The other two thugs stood to the side, not daring to breathe, looking fearfully at the seemingly underage boy before them. After the blond-haired guy had finished cleaning up and paid the fines, he asked with a fawning expression, "So...is this alright?"
Upon hearing this, Song Ce silently looked at Chen Chen.
Chen Chen snapped out of his daze and quickly nodded, "Okay...okay."
Seeing this, the blond-haired man lowered his head again. Song Ce smiled and said very amiably, "Since the boss says it's fine, you can go now! Welcome to come again next time!"
Upon hearing this, the three thugs felt a lump in their throat. "Come again next time? Come again my ass!" But they dared not utter a word, only repeatedly agreeing as they ran out of the internet cafe in a few quick strides, without even looking back.
Chen Chen looked at Song Ce, opened his mouth, and stammered, "Little classmate...you..."
Song Ce smiled and asked, "Boss, are there any empty machines left?"
Chen Chen looked at the young man with admiration and hurriedly said, "Yes, definitely!" As she spoke, she quickly went to turn on the computer for Song Ce. She was secretly amazed; this young man looked so refined, but she never expected him to be so skilled, just like a martial arts master from a movie.
Thinking of this, Chen Chen turned to look at Song Ce and said gratefully, "Little classmate, feel free to play. From now on, whenever you come to our Blue Night, I won't charge you anything, it's all free!"
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Author's Note: The wind is so strong! It's killing me QAQ
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