Chapter 77: Striking Back with a Surprise Attack

Zhang Shen rested one hand lightly on the green-haired man's shoulder and said coolly, "So, do you still want to fight me now?" Even a fool could have sensed the pain his underling just endured, and now, with Zhang Shen standing behind him, Green Hair was shivering inwardly. "You lot, don't come any closer." "At least you have some sense." "Big brother, I was wrong. I promise I’ll never come here again." Facing someone so much stronger than himself, Green Hair was naturally terrified. All he wanted now was to escape this place as quickly as possible. Admitting defeat and yielding for the moment seemed trivial to him—he thought that once he could call in a gang of his underlings later, the situation could be reversed.

At this moment, Zhang Shen understood exactly what was in the green-haired man's mind. He intended to play along, to let the trouble come to him. "Good that you’re sensible. If I ever catch you pretending to be the boss and extorting fees again, I’ll beat you every time I see you." "Yes, yes, big brother, I was wrong." "Get lost!" Zhang Shen's words were crisp and clear as a silver bell. At that, Green Hair scrambled away, half-kneeling and half-crawling, dragging his lackeys with him.

"How could you just let him go? He—" Ye Qiong wanted to protest further, but Zhang Shen turned to look at Wang Ying’s father and said, "Saving Uncle is more important right now. The rest doesn’t matter." In Zhang Shen’s eyes, these thugs posed no real threat; their strength was beneath his notice. What he didn't know was that, at this very moment, Lu Ming was already dialing a number to call his own father.

"Come, don’t crowd together. Give Uncle some space to breathe." At Zhang Shen’s instruction, the onlookers immediately moved aside. Zhang Shen pulled out a silver needle from his pocket and pierced the acupuncture point between Wang’s father’s nose and upper lip. A few seconds later, he withdrew the needle, and Wang’s father slowly opened his eyes.

"Dad, you’re awake!" "Dear, you’re awake!" Wang Ying and her mother smiled with relief as he came to. Her mother quickly said, "Old man, it’s all thanks to Zhang Shen this time. If not for him, we would’ve lost not only the shop, but our daughter too…" At this point, Mrs. Wang could hold back her tears no longer. "Mom…" Wang Ying wanted to comfort her, but her father interrupted.

"Ah, old age really is useless. Back when I was in the army, I could fight three men at once. Now, after so many years, my body just isn’t what it used to be." As Wang’s father was lamenting the hardships of life, a casually dressed, medium-built man entered the dumpling shop, followed by two men in sunglasses. Without greeting anyone, they went straight to Lu Ming.

"Dad!" With Lu Ming’s greeting, everyone realized that this middle-aged man was his father. At that, Hao Lei became visibly flustered. Zhang Shen noticed her unease and asked, "What’s wrong, Teacher Hao? Is this your first time meeting—" Hao Lei, knowing what Zhang Shen was about to say, quickly interrupted, "Uncle, let’s help you up first!"

With Zhang Shen and the three women supporting him, Wang’s father was helped onto a bench. Suddenly, with a loud crash, the glass display window of the dumpling shop was shattered. Everyone turned to see that Green Hair had returned with a vengeance.

"You old fool! We told you to pay the management fee, but you refused. Now you’ll find out what happens when you cross us!" Green Hair’s arrogance was blatant. Seeing a middle-aged man standing next to Lu Ming, he sneered, "Well, look at that—another old man and two idiots have joined the party." The old man just smiled faintly, saying nothing.

"Fine, old man, I’ll deal with you too today." This time, Green Hair hadn’t just brought a few men—four or five dozen thugs with brightly dyed hair and baseball bats now stood behind him.

"Young man, I advise you not to resort to violence. It’s not good for social harmony." Green Hair, hearing admonishment from this new elder, flew into a rage. "Boys, get them!" Having suffered a humiliating defeat before, this time Green Hair was determined to regain face.

The old man kept smiling. As the thugs surged forward, the two men in sunglasses at the old man’s side sprang into action. Their fists and feet forced the attackers back with surgical precision, every move targeting vital points. In moments, dozens of thugs were sprawled on the ground, wailing like slaughtered pigs.

Green Hair could never have imagined that collecting protection money from this shop would prove so troublesome. If he’d known, he would have steered clear.

The old man beckoned to Green Hair with a smile. Realizing he had no way out, Green Hair shuffled obediently over. "Big brother, I was wrong! My greed got the better of me. I’ll never do this again." The old man didn’t bother to glance at him, instead leaning in to whisper a few words to Lu Ming.

After listening, Lu Ming walked over to Zhang Shen and the others. "My father would like to speak with you all." Having just witnessed the skills of the two bodyguards, the group walked over, a little apprehensive.

"Gentlemen, my son has caused you trouble. Allow me to apologize." With that, the old man took out a check and handed it to Lu Ming, who then passed it to Wang’s father.

"Ten million!" Wang’s father was astonished, as were Zhang Shen and the others. "This…" Wang’s father knew that even if they worked their whole lives, they could never earn that kind of money from their little dumpling shop.

"I’m worried those thugs will be back, so I’m paying you in advance. I’ve heard your dumplings are delicious—rest assured, I’ll be a regular customer." Kneeling on the ground, Green Hair caught the warning in the old man’s words and kept bowing and swearing, "No, no, I’ll never come back again!"

Seeing the old man’s generosity, Wang’s father dared not accept the money and handed the check back to Lu Ming. "Thank you for your kindness. If you like our food, you’re always welcome, but I can't possibly accept this money."

"Ah, in that case, why don’t you make me a bowl to try first, and then we’ll discuss further?" Though the group didn’t quite understand the old man’s intentions, as business owners, they were happy to oblige any request. Wang’s father headed into the kitchen to prepare a "special" bowl of dumplings for the old man.