dmims Chapter 119 Both the legitimate and illegitimate worlds have to give them some face.
Chapter 119 Both the legitimate and illegitimate worlds have to give them some face.
A loud shout rang out like a thunderclap from a clear sky.
Li Weimin felt his shoulder being pulled back, and he staggered back several steps.
Immediately afterward, a red shadow flashed past his eyes.
"Bang!"
The thug at the front hadn't even swung his stick properly when he was kicked in the stomach. He flew straight out like a kite with a broken string and crashed into a pile of baskets next to him, where he didn't get up for a long time.
Li Xiaotao stood steadily in the middle of the stall, holding the gleaming kitchen knife in one hand.
She kicked cleanly and decisively, then pulled her leg back, grinding her toes on the ground with a cold glint in her eyes.
"Trying to smash up my stall?"
Li Xiaotao flicked her wrist, the cleaver twirling in the air with a soft "hum," and said, "We'll see if your necks are as tough as this melon rind!"
This stunned the group of thugs.
We're all just trying to make a living. It's okay to bully honest people when we have a lot of people, but when we encounter someone who's willing to risk their life, nobody wants to be the first to stick their neck out.
Seeing this, Master Ma roared in exasperation, "What the hell are you all standing there for? She only has one knife, how could she kill us all? Attack her together! If anything happens, Captain Wu will take the blame!"
Wu Bing, standing nearby, fanned the flames: "That's right! Assaulting a police officer and resisting the law is a heinous crime! Get them! I'll take responsibility if they cripple them!"
With this reassurance, the group of thugs exchanged glances, their eyes flashing with menace again, and slowly surrounded them in a fan shape.
Li Xiaotao took a deep breath, and all the muscles in her body tensed up.
Although she was good at fighting, she couldn't fight against so many opponents, and she also had to protect Li Weimin behind her. If they really started fighting, even if she won, she would still get hurt.
She silently calculated the time in her mind.
That kid runs fast; it's only a ten-minute walk from here to Xu Yuecheng. If Xu Da Nao is really efficient, he should be here by now.
"Weimin, stay under the car and don't come out!" Li Xiaotao shouted without turning her head.
"No! I'll fight with you!"
Li Weimin was also feeling a surge of anger. He grabbed the steelyard and, yelling, tried to charge it upwards.
At this critical moment.
"Beep beep—!"
A sudden, piercing car horn blared.
Then came a screeching sound of brakes, which could be heard from several meters away.
Everyone instinctively turned around to look.
When have I ever seen such a scene at the market?
This is a car! It's something only high-ranking government officials or people with money can ride in!
Everyone's attention, including the group of thugs who were about to make a move, was drawn to the sudden appearance of the jeep.
The car door was pushed open with a bang, and a young man wearing a white polyester shirt and dark blue work pants jumped out of the driver's seat.
He wore a pair of shiny black leather shoes, a Shanghai brand watch on his wrist, and his hair was neatly combed.
As soon as the man got out of the car, his eyes swept around the crowd and finally landed on Li Xiaotao, who was surrounded in the middle.
"The Yuecheng brothers?"
Wu Bing's facial muscles twitched, and the cigarette in his mouth almost fell out.
He quickly stubbed out his cigarette, forced a smile that looked more like a grimace, and hurried to greet him. "Oh my, what brings you here? Inspecting the market, huh?"
Wu Bing knew this man named Xu Yuecheng.
His brother, Xu Yuejin, works at the county supply and marketing cooperative, and his father is a minor official in a county department; they have a very strong network of connections.
Xu Yuecheng himself is no ordinary man either; he travels long distances with several business owners from the south.
I heard he made a lot of money and is known throughout the county for his generosity; both the legitimate and criminal worlds give him face.
He, a mere security captain, couldn't afford to offend someone like that.
Xu Yuecheng didn't even look at him, and walked straight through the crowd to the stall.
Behind him were two young men, also dressed in overalls, who were clearly his associates. They had sharp eyes and their presence was completely different from the rabble behind Master Ma.
"Xiao Tao".
Xu Yuecheng's gaze slid over the kitchen knife in Li Xiaotao's hand, then looked at Li Weimin behind her, whose face had turned pale with fright. He frowned slightly and asked, "What happened?"
When Li Xiaotao saw him, the weight that had been hanging over her heart finally lifted.
She lowered the knife in her hand, gestured with her chin towards Xu Yuecheng, and said in a relaxed tone, "Second Brother Xu, you came pretty quickly. Look, it's these people. They said they were going to confiscate my melons and throw my husband and me in jail."
Xu Yuecheng turned his head and stared intently at Li Weimin.
Li Weimin felt a chill run down his spine from that gaze.
"This is..." Xu Yuecheng asked.
"My man, Li Weimin."
Li Xiaotao introduced him generously, "Weimin, greet him. This is my brother-in-law's younger brother, you should call him Second Brother Xu."
Li Weimin's throat was dry, and he forced himself to call out, "Xu...Second Brother Xu."
Xu Yuecheng did not respond.
A very soft, cold snort escaped from his nostrils.
This fiery girl actually found such a spineless man.
At this point, Wu Bing, who had been left out, felt he was losing face and coughed twice: "Ahem, um... Brother Xu, are these two your relatives?"
Xu Yuecheng then slowly turned around.
He pulled out a pack of "Daqianmen" cigarettes from his pocket, lit one for himself, and just glanced at Wu Bing sideways.
"What? Captain Wu, you're even arresting my relative, Xu Yuecheng? Are you trying to make me lose face in Lijia Village?"
These words carried immense weight.
In this territory, to harm someone's relatives is to slap them in the face.
Wu Bing's heart skipped a beat, and a layer of cold sweat broke out on his back.
He hadn't expected that the woman selling melons had such a powerful background; she was actually Xu Yuejin's sister-in-law, a relative of Xu Yuecheng's sister-in-law.
In the countryside, this complicated relationship means they're all one family.
"Oh dear! It's a misunderstanding! This is like the flood washing away the Dragon King Temple; it's like family members not recognizing each other!"
Wu Bing reacted quickly, slapping his thigh and putting on a dramatic performance, "If I had known it was a young lady setting up a stall here, I wouldn't have dared to cause trouble even if you gave me the guts! What a mess this has become..."
As he spoke, he turned around and kicked the old man in the butt, venting all his anger on the unfortunate fellow.
"Ma Kui! You blind bastard! You dare to mess with Captain Xu's relative? And you accuse them of operating illegally? I think you're the one looking for trouble! Hurry up and apologize to the young lady!"
Master Ma was also completely bewildered and aggrieved at this moment.
His wrist was still broken and in excruciating pain. He had been hoping Wu Bing would stand up for him, but instead, he became the scapegoat.
But looking at Xu Yuecheng's towering frame and Wu Bing's cowardly demeanor, even a fool would know that he had really messed up today.
"I...I..."
Master Ma clutched his wrist, his face turning a deep purplish-red, and finally had to lower his head. "Miss, I'm so sorry! I was blind to your greatness. Please forgive me... just let it go!"