The two arrived at the entrance of the internet cafe and saw more than a dozen people holding sticks and shouting loudly outside the door, driving out everyone who was playing on the computers inside.
Although Bai Mei was a little scared when she saw this scene, she mustered up her courage and stepped forward for Chang Jing's sake.
As Chang Jing approached, the group immediately fell silent, their eyes filled with wariness and resentment.
A tall, burly man with a face full of scars stepped forward. He looked at Chang Jing and said in a condescending tone:
"We've come in person to give you face, yet you didn't even come out to greet us. How rude of you!"
Chang Jing smiled slightly and said, "You wanted to see me, so here I am. What's the matter?"
"Do I need to say more? We're asking you to pay protection money, right now. And you have to keep paying next year, otherwise..."
The man grinned maliciously as he looked around, pointing the stick in his hand ahead, the meaning of which was self-evident.
Chang Jing was furious inside, but said calmly:
"I made it very clear that the 400,000 yuan was a one-time protection fee, promising not to bother our internet cafe again. Now you've come back, what do you mean? Are you trying to back out?"
The man seemed to have heard something outrageous; he chuckled loudly and then looked at Chang Jing with a contemptuous expression.
“We’re gangsters, we don’t need to abide by any agreements! That little bit of money you paid before could only buy us a quarter of peace and quiet. If we want to do business long-term, annual protection money is essential. If you don’t cooperate, then we’ll have to resort to other methods…”
After he finished speaking, the man's men all took out their weapons and pointed them menacingly at Chang Jing and his group, as if they were ready to fight at the slightest provocation.
The onlookers turned pale with fright at the sight and quickly moved away, whispering among themselves that the boss had offended someone and might face retaliation if he came here again.
Chang Jing's eyes turned cold. This matter couldn't be compromised like this; it had to be resolved forcefully. He said in a cold voice:
"I advise you not to act impulsively, otherwise the 400,000 yuan might not even be enough to cover your medical expenses!"
The middle-aged man was enraged by Chang Jing's words and shouted, "You brat, you're pretty arrogant! Brothers, get him!"
More than a dozen people immediately raised their sticks and surrounded them.
Upon seeing this, Bai Mei immediately shouted, "Stop it, all of you! Do you want to go to the police station? If you dare to hurt my friend, you'll be going to jail!"
The middle-aged man was taken aback. After recognizing Bai Mei, his expression changed slightly, and he asked in a low voice, "Who are you? What's it to you?"
Bai Mei puffed out her chest and said, "I am the daughter of Chief Bai of the Liqu Police Station. If you dare to lay a finger on my friend, I will have your whole family arrested and thrown in jail!"
Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man turned pale and hurriedly shouted, "Stop right there! Well done, young boss, you're something else, managing to live off a woman like that. Humph, let's go!"
After saying that, he turned and left with a few of his men, and the remaining thugs followed suit.
Scarface could hardly believe his eyes when he saw this scene. Bai Mei was actually the daughter of the police station chief!
Bai Mei walked up to Chang Jing and said proudly, "How about that? I'm still the best, right? But don't take what that person said to heart. You're definitely not the kind of person who lives off a woman."
Chang Jing was mature and steady; how could he be bothered by a mere mention of a gigolo? He laughed heartily and said:
"Yes, yes, our Miss Bai is the best. Without you, we would be in big trouble."
Bai Mei curled her lip and said, "With me here, they wouldn't dare!"
Chang Jing said to Bai Mei, "Thank you, but it's best not to get involved in these kinds of things in the future, so you don't get into danger too."
Bai Mei took Chang Jing's hand and said with a smile, "I want to experience everything with you, even danger!"
Chang Jing was both amused and exasperated, and could only say, "You crazy girl!"
Then he turned to Scarface and said, "Those guys probably won't dare to cause trouble again anytime soon. You can continue with your work."
Scarface nodded, still shaken.
Watching Scarface lead his men into the internet cafe to tidy up, Chang Jingcai took Bai Mei back to her private car.
Chang Jing leaned back in his car seat, lost in thought.
Although the group was temporarily intimidated by Bai Mei's father's reputation as the director, it was still uncertain whether they could continue to run their business with peace of mind.
If you're a thief for a thousand days, how can you guard against thieves for a thousand days?
Chang Jing has decided that he still needs to find an opportunity to get rid of these scumbags so that he can establish himself in this city for the long term!
...
Time flies, and two months have passed in the blink of an eye. During this time, there have been no more incidents of people coming to collect protection money at the internet cafe.
The clothing store remained open as usual, and the mother's fruit stand gained a better reputation and business flourished. Everything was progressing in the direction she hoped for.
One evening, Chang Jing's family was having dinner at the table.
Halfway through the meal, Song Huizhen, Chang Jing's mother, suddenly said to him, "By the way, son, your birthday is in a few days. What kind of gift do you want? I'll buy it for you."
Chang Jing was taken aback upon hearing this, and then suddenly realized something.
Yes, it's been almost a year since I was reborn, and I'm about to turn 17.
"There's still one year left. I'll be an adult in one year, and then I can do many things without worry."
Chang Jing tightened his grip on the chopsticks, thinking to himself.
"Son? Why aren't you saying anything?" Song Huizhen asked again, looking at her son who was in a daze.
"Oh, it's nothing." Chang Jing smiled slightly and said, "Mom, I don't really care about birthdays. It's just that I'm a year older."
“Brother, that’s not how it works,” Chang Ling interjected. “We had no choice before, but now that life is better, we can’t mistreat ourselves, can we?”
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