Chapter Sixty-Two: A Clever Choice

Shen Guodong paid no heed to these petty thugs, treating them as nothing more than trivial nuisances. If they dared to cause him trouble, they would inevitably pay the price. With Bald Brother’s backing, Shen Guodong had nothing to fear from these ruffians.

While everyone was wantonly mocking Shen Guodong, suddenly someone approached him. The man scrutinized Shen Guodong carefully, and the smile on his face subtly changed. In that instant, his expression underwent a dramatic shift; he had once worked under Flat-Top Wang. He had been present during the conflict between Wang’s uncle and Shen Guodong, and when Scar and the others were summoned by Bald Brother, he was there as well. Therefore, he was not unfamiliar with Shen Guodong’s identity.

Even Brother Wang had to treat him with respect, and now Shen Guodong was a favored confidant of Bald Brother. The man didn’t know what qualities Shen possessed to earn Bald Brother’s favor, but it was clear to him that Shen Guodong was no ordinary person—at least not from his perspective. This was someone not to be trifled with, for Bald Brother would never let them off lightly if they did. The consequences would be dire, beyond the need for elaboration.

In that moment, he sensed the gravity of the situation, unable to imagine the repercussions, and his face changed accordingly. Yet the other unfortunate fools remained oblivious to the seriousness of the matter, continuing their brazen ridicule, laughing wildly.

“Kid, do you even know who’s standing before you? Brother Tiger, and you don’t even recognize him!”

“You’ve just beaten Brother Tiger’s mother, and you think you’ll get off scot-free? You act all arrogant, as if we wouldn’t dare lay a finger on you. Haha, you don’t even know the meaning of death!”

“Tsk, tsk, I’ve seen many courting death, but honestly, someone like you walking right into it—we’ve never seen that before!”

“Brother Tiger is the overseer of this district. Don’t you know this area belongs to Bald Brother? Offending Brother Tiger is as good as offending Bald Brother!”

“Looks like you’re tired of living. On Brother Tiger’s turf, you dared to hit his mother?”

The thugs closed in step by step. Zhou Meiniang’s face paled, knowing these men were unreasonable, domineering, and bullied the locals. Ordinary folk wouldn’t dare stand up to them. Even some local officials gave them a wide berth; the 1980s were the heyday of criminal gangs, and it would take time for such conditions to improve.

Offending such men was far more troublesome than crossing officials; you could expect no peace thereafter. These thugs controlled the district, which was why Cai Juhua dared to be so brazen.

At this moment, even Cai Juhua was acting outrageously, glaring at Shen Guodong and Zhou Meiniang. “Boy, aren’t you tough? Aren’t you arrogant? Let’s see if you can keep it up now. I warned you before—if you mess with me, you’ll pay the price! And that shameless fox, you think having a man backing you is enough? You should take a good look at whether your man can really protect you. Too bad! He doesn’t have what it takes. Later, you’ll serve my son well!”

As the saying goes, if the upper beam is crooked, the lower beam will be askew. With a mother like Cai Juhua, it’s no wonder her son turned out this way.

Li Hu and his gang swaggered about, but at that moment, a sudden slap landed hard on Cai Juhua’s face. The sound was crisp and sharp. Everyone was stunned by the noise, then turned, staring at the man who had struck her.

“Er Hu, what are you doing?”

“You dare lay hands on Brother Tiger’s mother?”

“Damn, are you courting death, you lunatic?”

Everyone was bewildered, looking at Er Hu. Despite the name, Er Hu was far from simple; he was meticulous, remembering every detail others overlooked—no doubt about it.

In that instant, Shen Guodong smiled, watching Er Hu with narrowed eyes. It seemed the little thug had realized something. Though it looked like an act of violence, in truth, it was a covert rescue of the woman. If Er Hu hadn’t intervened, and Shen Guodong had acted instead, the consequences would have been far more complicated—difficult to resolve cleanly.

In fact, he had saved Cai Juhua.

Li Hu was furious; his mother had been struck by an outsider, not realizing the man’s intentions. Now his trusted friend had hit his mother, leaving him baffled. Rage rose in him, and his expression changed.

“Er Hu, we’re brothers. I think you owe me an explanation,” Li Hu said coldly.

Er Hu snorted, “Li Hu, I’m saving your family. Don’t think that just because you oversee this district you can do as you please. Everything you have comes from Bald Brother. What makes you think you can act so arrogant? Without Bald Brother, you wouldn’t even make ends meet, understand?”

As these words were spoken, Li Hu’s expression changed. He wasn’t stupid; he’d known Er Hu for years. For Er Hu to bring up Bald Brother so suddenly, it was a clear hint—Shen Guodong surely had some connection to Bald Brother, and that was plain as day.

Li Hu’s face altered instantly.

“Er Hu, let’s deal first with you hitting my mother, and then we’ll take care of this kid.”

With curses exchanged, both sides left the scene.