Chapter Seventy-Nine: Burning Incense

  "Hummmmmmmmm"

  Manager Dong felt that after being slapped, the sky and earth were spinning, and stars were flashing before his eyes. The buzzing sound in his ears was like a lingering echo that refused to disperse for a long time...

  The crowd gathered around and saw someone being beaten, and they watched with even more enthusiasm. Suddenly, there were all sorts of discussions, just like watching a play, pointing and commenting on the side.

  The Big Brother looked at the crowd with discontent, and angrily puffed out his chest towards the onlookers. A few of his younger brothers immediately understood and rushed over, shouting loudly: "What are you looking at? What's so good to look at? If you don't roll away soon, don't blame us for being impolite!"

  This shout, the crowd of onlookers suddenly scattered in all directions. The people surrounding the area instantly thinned out by a large margin. As a result, after the crowd dispersed, Cui Xiaoyan stood dazedly in front of her own barbecue stall, and could see even more clearly everything that was happening. At the same time, Cui Xiaoyan became even more tense, paying close attention to the further development of the situation.

  Manager Dong stroked his cheek, a scorching sensation shooting straight to his brain nerves. It seemed that the place where he was covering with his hand was swelling up quickly. Looking at Ba Ye's lips moving up and down, it seemed like he was saying something.

  Manager Dong shook his head and struggled to ask: "Ba Ye, what did you say?"

  The overlord coldly and loudly repeated: "I said you fart!"

  Manager Dong heard the sentence clearly, but his heart became even more tense. He moved his lips weakly, wanting to say something. But he didn't know how to open his mouth, so he just lowered his head and pretended to be stupid, not saying a word.

  "Boss Dong, you little rascal! You call Li Xiaoteng a small merchant? What do you call your own East Prosperity Restaurant then? Tell me, among the night markets in Xingda, which restaurant or stall is more popular than Li Xiaoteng's spicy hot pot? Which one makes more money?"

  Manager Dong covered his cheeks and hastily shook his head, saying: "Really not, now Li Xiaoteng's business is the most popular......" Ba Ye nodded and said: "Then why don't you mention me, Ba Ye, to Li Xiaoteng? Why don't you say let him offer incense to me?"

  Ba Ye spoke to Manager Dong while his eyes were fixed on Li Xiaoteng. The implication of "attacking the mountain from a distance" was evident, leaving no room for misinterpretation.

  Li Xiaoteng watched from the side and clearly understood the implied meaning of Ba Ye's words.

  Li Xiaoteng opened his mouth, really wanting to say something. But he felt his legs trembling nonstop, and his throat was like it had a big egg stuck in it. He opened his mouth, but felt that he couldn't utter a single sound.

  Li Xiaoteng quietly pressed his thigh with one hand, looking at Ba Ye with a calm expression. Although he seemed calm and composed on the surface, his inner world had long been turned upside down and was unable to calm itself.

  At this time, Kong Zhen, who was standing aside, although also being intimidated by Ba Ye's aura and turned pale, still made a gesture to Li Xiaoteng. With a trembling voice, he said: "Teng Ge, since Ba Ye has come to our place to pay respects, we should naturally follow the rules of the road. What do you say?"

  Li Xiaoteng glanced at Kong Zhen, nodded and secretly pinched his thigh under the table to suppress his inner impulse. He calmly faced Ba Ye and said: "Ba Ye! I understand what you mean today, brother. Since you are the master of this place, we are willing to follow the rules of the gang and offer incense to you!"

  After finishing speaking, Li Xiaoteng turned his head and looked at Manager Dong, saying: "Manager Dong! How much incense do you give to the tyrant every month?" Manager Dong looked at Li Xiaoteng, his voice extremely low, and said: "Two thousand a month..."

  Manager Dong had just finished speaking when he saw the tyrant scan him with extreme displeasure, scaring Manager Dong into hastily lowering his head again and no longer daring to speak.

  "Boss Li, this store's business is not good. I gave him a discount! Your stall's business is so good, it's one of the top earners in the night market. How can you ask for 2,000?"

  Li Xiaoteng secretly sighed. Then he asked, "I wonder how much incense Master Ba wants me to burn?" Master Ba stretched out his hand with five fingers spread apart and said, "Five thousand! Not one less!"

  Zhao Pangzi suddenly felt a bit dizzy on the side. Family members know their own business. The profit of one night recently, altogether only about 10,000 to 20,000 yuan. This doesn't even subtract the cost of venue rental, materials, labor and so on. What's left in hand is not much money either. Boss wants 5,000 yuan with just one word. This basically means two or three days of work for nothing.

  Zhao Pàngzi was about to say something, but Li Xiaoteng suddenly spoke up. He picked up his cup and said to Bà Yé: "No problem, Bà Yé! Since everyone is making an offering, I'll just go along with it. I'll toast you a cup, Bà Yé. Later, I'll have my brothers sit down and have something to eat and drink. This meal will be on me today!" After finishing speaking, he raised his wine cup, nodded at Bà Yé, and drank it all in one gulp!

  Zhao Dazui rolled his eyes and felt a sharp pain, which extended to his chest, as if he had been struck by a large hammer.

  Ba Ye picked up his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp. He said casually, "Boss Li is indeed straightforward." Then Ba Ye slammed the cup on the dinner table and pointed at the golden tangerine tree he brought with him, saying: "Boss Li, take a look at this money-making tree. What do you think?"

  Li Xiaoteng glanced at the golden orange tree with a slanted gaze, and in his heart, he actually understood what Ba Ye meant by asking this question. He sighed inwardly, but still nodded and said: "The fortune tree brought by Ba Ye is naturally very good. The small yuanbao are plump, and the branches and leaves are green." After finishing speaking, Li Xiaoteng secretly gritted his teeth and continued to say: "Thank you, Ba Ye, for giving me this fortune tree!"

  The boss laughed and said, "Li boss likes it, that's good!" A little brother next to the boss said with a sharp tongue, "Then Li boss should also give the boss a red envelope!"

  Li Xiaoteng had long expected that Ba Ye would definitely be waiting for him here, and he shouted to Zhao Baozi: "Go to the counter and take out 1,000 yuan. Give it to Ba Ye as a gift!" Zhao Baozi pouted, unwillingly turned around and went to get the money.

  Then Ba Ye slapped his hand on the table and said displeased: "Li Boss, are you trying to fool me?"

  Li Xiaoteng looked at Ba Ye in surprise and asked, "Ba Ye, if you're not satisfied, just say so. Don't be angry!" Then he nervously asked, "If you think it's too little, just say so. How much money do you think is suitable for the red envelope?"

  The overlord looked at Li Xiaoteng, with a sharp gaze that seemed to have a playful tone. He raised his hand and slapped him again.

  Li Xiaoteng asked in surprise: "Ba Ye! Do you want five thousand?"

  "Five thousand? Li boss is really joking. Five million!" said Ba Ye with a chuckle, shaking his head.

  As soon as he heard this, Li Xiaoteng's face immediately turned pale. Before Li Xiaoteng could speak, Zhao Baozi angrily said: "Five million? Why don't you go rob a bank? Where do we have that much money?"

  The overlord stared at Zhao Tunzi, who was furious, and suddenly felt a bit stunned. It had been a long time since anyone spoke to him like that. With anger bursting out, he said: "Tunzi! What are you? Do you have the qualifications to shout in front of me?"

  As soon as the boss's voice fell, several young men quietly surrounded Zhao Baozi. It seemed that with just one word from the boss, Zhao Baozi would be in big trouble!

  Kong Zhen also stood by, discontentedly asking: "Brother Ba today you've come, is it to pay respects to the ancestors, or to take away our livelihood and destroy our business? Can't you leave us a way out, so that we brothers can have something to eat?"

  The boss secretly took a deep breath, looking at the group of ignorant young people in front of him, and naturally couldn't say: "I want to charge you 500,000 yuan. You can pay it back after landing! Why are you in such a hurry!" But just as he was about to continue speaking, the boss really didn't know how to put it to them that this was negotiable.

  The boss looked up and glanced at Manager Dong, who was pretending to be a wax figure on the side. He coldly swept his eyes over Manager Dong. Manager Dong acted as if he hadn't seen the boss's gaze, continuing to lower his head and pretend to be a wax figure...

  Li Xiaoteng let his brothers speak. The fire was a bit overwhelming, but Li Xiaoteng was still relatively rational. He suppressed his anger and said: "Boss, we're also small-time operators. You're asking for so much money just by opening your mouth. I really can't afford it! What do you think...?"

  Ba Ye took a look at Li Xiao Teng, who was still quite confident. He nodded his head in satisfaction and thought of taking advantage of the situation to get what he wanted. But before Ba Ye could say anything, Zhao Bao Zi continued to shout from the side: "Teng Ge, we can't give them anything! You only have a few hundred million, how can you lower your head to them? In my opinion, we shouldn't give them a single cent!"

  Li Xiaoteng frowned secretly, looking at Zhao Huanzi, thinking in his heart: "Brother, are you here to help or cause trouble?"

  Doing business has always been about harmony and mutual benefit, those big hooligans actually don't have any insurmountable difficulties! Nobody wants to fight. It's only when there's no other way that they'll resort to violence. But today Zhao Baozi's heartless and inhumane words are truly a slap in the face of the tyrant!

  The boss actually thought it through when he came, and also hoped to get the money smoothly, that's all!

  Li Xiaoteng had agreed to give the money just now. It was indeed unexpected to encounter a situation like Zhao Baozi's. Ba Ye didn't say anything, but Ba Ye's younger brothers weren't having it! In an instant, several people surrounded Zhao Baozi. It was still the big man who had just scolded Manager Dong. He didn't say a word and came up to punch Zhao Baozi with a fierce blow. One punch landed right on Zhao Baozi's chest!

  Li Xiaoteng saw Zhao Duanzi being punched and immediately stood up, roaring: "Stop!" The several big men actually listened and stared at Li Xiaoteng in a daze. Li Xiaoteng furiously charged at the tyrant, saying: "If my man has any problems, I'll take care of it! What are you?"

  The boss looked at Li Xiaoteng and was stunned. He immediately gave Li Xiaoteng a few loud claps on the back, laughing and saying: "Great! Brother, you're so domineering! I applaud you." Then his face changed. He continued: "However, I think you should quit your business too!"

  Li Xiaoteng's face changed, just about to say something, when suddenly the tyrant lifted the table. Clattering... In an instant, the spicy hot pot, cold dishes, and beer on the table scattered all over the floor. The tyrant yelled with a fierce aura: "Brothers, smash it for me!"

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