The voice, though not loud, was like a thunderclap.
Everyone's faces contorted in shock, and they turned in unison towards the door.
Fan Meng's movements froze instantly. She looked towards Li Zhonglou, her charming eyes filled with surprise and gratitude, her gaze lingering.
She hadn't expected anyone to openly offer help in her most helpless moment.
However, upon seeing that the speaker was a young man in his early twenties, she couldn't help but worry.
As the saying goes, a dragon from afar can't suppress a local snake.
This shop owner was clearly the local snake. Even calling the police might not be effective, which was why she had felt compelled to pay.
If she offended them, she wouldn't find peace here.
“Young man, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want! Who are you to say my jade cong is fake?” the shop owner narrowed his eyes, his gaze filled with venom, and let out a cold snort.
Just as the money was about to be secured, a disruptive force emerged. Who would be happy about that?
However, Li Zhonglou's words were extremely impolite. After doing business for so long, how could he not have some discernment?
Ordinary people would dare to speak to him like that?
He must have some backing.
The market was a mixed bag, with all sorts of people. If Li Zhonglou turned out to be someone wealthy and influential, saying such definitive words upfront wouldn't be good for him.
It was best to probe first, then act accordingly.
The men in the shop also bared their fierce expressions.
“Kid, you're not from the Wumu Market, are you? Do you know who Boss Hu is!”
“Loose lips sink ships. If you dare to say he's selling fakes, be careful your teeth don't all fall out.”
“What business is it of yours? And you even drag Yuchen into this. Mind your own business, or you'll shorten your life, you know?”
The men clearly understood Boss Hu's intentions. They shouted threats but didn't make a move.
Instead, they were trying to get information out of Li Zhonglou.
“I'm just a tourist.” Li Zhonglou's gaze was sharp, and he could tell their intentions just by their voices. He couldn't even be bothered to pretend to have connections with people like them.
He said calmly, “Buying and selling is about willingness. If you're truly selling fakes, that's the business of the Administration for Industry and Commerce. It has nothing to do with me.”
“But you set up a trap to cheat a young girl, and you have the nerve to call yourselves businessmen?”
“You've merely changed your appearance, hiding the identity of bandits behind the guise of merchants!”
As he spoke, Li Zhonglou clasped his hands behind his back and strode into the shop with a powerful gait.
Seeing him not run but walk in instead, the men were momentarily stunned and involuntarily parted to make way.
“I thought who it was, daring to meddle in my affairs. So it’s just a hothead!” The boss surnamed Hu smiled, the venom in his eyes intensifying as he eyed Li Zhonglou with ill intent.
If Li Zhonglou had casually mentioned some background, he might have been a little apprehensive.
After all, someone so brazen might actually have a backer.
But a mere tourist, no matter how strong his backing, could it really extend to this remote Yuchen?
Even when Golden Silk Nanmu was all the rage years ago, businessmen from the capital were everywhere, yet they were still cheated as they pleased.
Let alone some young man who couldn't tell right from wrong.
“Why don’t I pay him? Thank you for your kind intentions, please leave quickly.” Fan Meng saw Boss Hu's sinister smile and, sensing something was amiss, quickly spoke up.
She had already taken out her wallet and held her bank card.
She was grateful for Li Zhonglou's willingness to help, but the situation was beyond her control.
He was just a tourist, and these people were clearly seasoned tricksters. If a conflict arose, Li Zhonglou would inevitably be at a disadvantage.
Money wasn't a big deal to her; thirty thousand yuan was nothing.
She was unwilling to pay earlier simply because she couldn't stomach the injustice, but now, with her personal safety at stake, she had no choice but to pay.
*Slap!*
Before the card could be handed over, Li Zhonglou grabbed her arm and pulled it back.
He didn't exert much force, but Fan Meng felt as if she had lost control, letting Li Zhonglou guide her.
The card and wallet were put back into her bag.
“As long as you don't want it, no one can cheat you.” Li Zhonglou's voice was filled with a magnetic charm.
Powerful and confident.
Her heart skipped a beat, and her body felt momentarily numb.
“You refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit. Ten years ago, your cowardly ass would have had its legs broken.” Boss Hu’s cold smile turned even colder. He signaled his subordinates, saying, “Since you’re so righteous, what else can I say?”
“You'll pay along with her!”
“But thirty thousand won't cut it anymore. It's fifty thousand, not a cent less, and no one leaves today.”
Unbridled!
A sky-high price!
Having ascertained Li Zhonglou's background, how could he let the meat that had already reached his mouth slip away?
The men in the shop heard the command and once again blocked the door.
It was clear that the matter couldn't be resolved peacefully today.
Seeing this, Fan Meng's pretty face tightened, her complexion changing from red to pale. While not terrified, her eyes were filled with worry.
It was originally just about money. She prayed it wouldn't escalate to physical harm.
Looking at Li Zhonglou's slight build, if a fight really broke out, he would surely suffer.
“Fifty yuan, not a cent more, or you won't get anything. Forcefully swallowing a hot potato will choke you to death.” Li Zhonglou's expression remained unchanged. He bent down and picked up a piece of broken jade.
The pitted marks left by acid corrosion were a dead giveaway.
It could only fool novices. Even players who had been in the market for less than a month wouldn't be fooled, yet they dared to demand an exorbitant price.
This was no longer a matter of distinguishing authenticity.
Even Fan Meng recognized it as fake, so what need was there for him to say more?
Further words were useless.
After speaking, he took out a red bill from his pocket: “Give me fifty in change. Today's matter is settled.”
*Hiss!*
The men in the shop all gasped.
Truly, the ignorant had no fear.
This kid actually dared to play Boss Hu without any discernment.
He was the nephew of the once-powerful Boss Hu Han. Although Hu Han had fallen years ago, a starving camel was still bigger than a horse.
Boss Hu still had some standing in the Yuchen area.
Today, to be played by a young man, wouldn't he be laughed to death by the underworld if word got out?
This matter had escalated.
Even Fan Meng's charming eyes widened in disbelief.
With words spoken to this extent, not only did he refuse to back down but he also insulted them. What was this handsome guy helping her thinking?
Was it youthful arrogance or genuine kindness? It was hard to say.
The trouble was only getting bigger.
“You little brat, you're courting death!” Boss Hu was instantly enraged by Li Zhonglou's seemingly dismissive action, his face contorting grotesquely. “You refuse a toast and demand a forfeit. Today, I'll make you understand why flowers need to be red.”
“Beat him for me!”
Li Zhonglou was clearly toying with him.
He didn't know where his confidence came from, or perhaps it was the fearlessness of the ignorant.
“Wait, I'll pay! I'll pay you fifty thousand yuan and let him go.” Fan Meng immediately cried out in alarm.
The money was unimportant to her. Li Zhonglou had stepped forward to help her, and if he suffered because of it, she couldn't bear it.
She couldn't report this to the police either, as she had indeed dropped and broken the jade cong. Gold had a price, but jade was priceless. No matter how much others demanded, the law couldn't interfere.
At worst, she would pay the fifty thousand yuan first, and then ask her father to find a way to deal with this unscrupulous boss.
But for now, she could only compromise.
“Too late!” Boss Hu saw Fan Meng soften and became even more smug. “You have to pay the money, and this kid stays.”
“Based on his arrogance just now, if I don't teach him a lesson today, how can I still hold my head up in Yuchen later?”
“What are you waiting for? Make him kneel!”
With a command, one of the men lunged forward to slap Li Zhonglou's face, the gust of wind startling Fan Meng and making her whole body tremble.