Chapter Thirty-Three: A Knife in the Back

Many people were laughing wildly, mocking Shen Guodong’s ignorance. Little did they know, however, that Shen Guodong already held the winning hand. Since all these people were under Bald Brother’s command, the matter was far simpler. He couldn’t believe for a moment that Bald Brother would refuse him even this small measure of face. That would be the greatest joke under the heavens!

The gangsters mocked him without restraint, as not a single one took Shen Guodong seriously. If he wasn’t outright insane, he couldn’t possibly say such things. Injuring his mother-in-law and demanding only two thousand in compensation—was that old woman really worth so much?

They all looked at Shen Guodong with disdain, as if the matter required no further discussion; it was simply laughable in the extreme.

“Kid, do you even know what you’re saying? You’re going to kill us with laughter. Who do you think you are?”

“Hahaha, now I get it. This guy must not be fully awake yet. Otherwise, how could he say something so ridiculous? Truly amusing.”

“I’ve met all kinds of people, but I’ve never seen anyone as stupid as this kid before. Honestly, this is a first!”

“Interesting, truly interesting.”

The crowd erupted in a cacophony of jeers.

Yet Shen Guodong, hearing the ridicule around him, said nothing. Soon enough, these people would realize their mistake.

Behind him, Chen Gantian and the others were dumbfounded to see Shen Guodong facing so many thugs and yet still reasoning with them. They could scarcely imagine the scene unfolding before their eyes.

“Guodong!” Liu Yueru looked on, visibly worried.

A few others who cared for Shen Guodong—Liu Chuanzhi and Liu Jianguo among them—also tried to persuade him. The matter was already resolved, and they had no intention of seeking further trouble. After all, the Wang family was notorious for their domineering ways. Their son ran with the underworld, and their nephew, it was said, was quite well-known in those circles. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be so many thugs here to offer their congratulations.

Yet no one was more pleased than Chen Gantian. This fellow was courting death, which suited him perfectly. He’d wanted an excuse to teach Shen Guodong a lesson, to show him just how insignificant he really was—but was held back by his own standing.

Now, however, Shen Guodong was bringing disaster upon himself, making it possible for Chen Gantian’s aims to be fulfilled without lifting a finger. He could already picture Shen Guodong being pinned to the ground, beaten until he sobbed in pain.

“Kid, let me ask you one more time: are you going to pay for the door or not? A thousand isn’t much. Think about it—this money could buy your future. Otherwise, you might spend the rest of your life in a wheelchair.”

A crew-cut thug stepped forward, looking at Shen Guodong with contempt.

“A thousand seems a bit much. This kid doesn’t look like he’s made of money,” another sneered, twisting the knife.

A thousand yuan was little more than a year’s savings—who couldn’t come up with that these days?

The crowd burst into raucous laughter.

At that moment, Chen Gantian stepped forward and said, “Uncle Wang, this kid’s actually loaded. Don’t be fooled by his tattered clothes; he recently came into a windfall. If you don’t believe me, ask around—today he repaid all his old debts, over a thousand yuan, with interest! An imported door for just a thousand? In my opinion, you should make him pay until he’s bankrupt.”

Chen Gantian’s words left the Liu family dumbfounded. He was Liu Yueru’s own cousin—why would he do such a thing? Did he no longer care about family ties?

But in Chen Gantian’s mind, things had already come to this point, and there was no need to maintain those bonds. He’d always thought that, given Shen Guodong’s character, Liu Yueru would leave him eventually, giving Chen Gantian his chance. Now, however, Shen Guodong had turned things around, amassing a tidy sum in a short time.

How could Liu Yueru possibly leave him now? She had stood by Shen Guodong through his most difficult times; now that things were improving, there was even less reason for her to abandon him.

Thus, Chen Gantian chose to burn his bridges. Since they would no longer have any contact, he might as well deliver a harsh blow to Shen Guodong at this critical moment—enough to make him suffer for a while.

The moment Chen Gantian finished speaking, Shen Guodong’s expression changed completely. Not out of fear or anxiety, but because Chen Gantian’s actions had crossed his bottom line.

“So, he’s actually got money after all,” someone remarked.

“Tsk tsk, he paid back several thousand with interest. Sorry, but this door was imported and custom-made, so you’ll have to pay extra.”

“Three thousand. Pay up, and this will be over. Otherwise, you’ll spend the rest of your life bedridden.”

In those days, criminal gangs were everywhere. Though the authorities were constantly cracking down, many aspects of society remained unregulated. In the eighties and nineties, organized crime was at its most rampant and brazen—a situation that only gradually improved after the year 2000.

Thus, when these people heard that Shen Guodong had money, they immediately raised the price.

“Are you serious?” Shen Guodong narrowed his eyes, glaring at the man before him, his face now utterly calm—there was no need to say more.

“Hahaha, are you threatening us?”

“Hand over the money. You know Wang Dafu from Wangjia Village? He tried to act tough with us, and now he’s bedridden! You think you’re someone special, trying to put on airs in front of us?”

“If you don’t believe it, we can show you exactly what happened to him.”

A pack of thugs approached, looking down on Shen Guodong with utter disdain. Smirks appeared on every face.

Just then, the sudden roar of a motorcycle echoed from the distance. A crew-cut youth made a dramatic entrance.

“What’s everyone doing here?”