Manager Xue got out of the car, muttering curses, his anger evident. He had no idea who the people on the other side were, to make such a harmless-looking, good-natured person curse.
"Old Xue, I heard you were out all night yesterday dancing under the night sky. So, I brought a bunch of brothers to see what's going on. If you need any help, just say the word, and we'll sort it out immediately. As for the money..." He drew out the last word, then continued, "Just increase it by ten percent as agreed. This is already looking out for your business."
Manager Xue's face turned ashen, as if water could be squeezed out of it. He said in a cold voice, "Hmph! I, Xue, wouldn't have secured this land if I were afraid of others playing dirty tricks. Let me tell you, this territory is not your domain, and you are not the King of Hell who can cover the sky with one hand. I've also invited a master, and tonight, I will break your wicked ways."
As they were speaking, the person who had been talking from the car on the other side also got out. It was a plump middle-aged man, around forty years old, with a face full of flesh, no hair or eyebrows, wearing a loose Tang suit, and a cigar as thick as a thumb in his mouth. He patted his bald head as he got out of the car.
"Heh heh... Boss Xue, in Tianhua City, who dares to bless your development without my say-so? With your connections, do you think you can continue?" Gao Lao patted his belly, a look of absolute certainty on his face as he spoke to Manager Xue.
"You..."
Just then, Zhang Dabiao and I also got out of the car and stood behind Manager Xue, asking him who these people were.
Manager Xue did not hide anything and directly explained the conflict between him and them.
The situation was quite simple. Manager Xue was an investor from out of town who came to develop a real estate project through a friend's introduction. However, this led to a dispute with the local bully named Gao.
At first, everything was peaceful. But when the real estate development reached the halfway point, unexpected accidents kept happening, causing Manager Xue's project to be constantly halted for investigations.
Initially, Manager Xue thought his safety measures were insufficient and kept strengthening the security at the construction site. However, the results were not satisfactory. Manager Xue, who had achieved such success in business, was naturally not a fool.
Before the troublemakers could show up, Gao Lao came uninvited and told Boss Xue that if he paid ten percent of the construction site's profit, he could guarantee the safety and smooth progress of the construction, with no incidents whatsoever.
How could Manager Xue agree to this proposal? Although the cake was large, it wasn't for him to eat alone. He had to grease many palms and navigate relationships, and even then, if he could get thirty percent profit in the end, it would be good. If he gave away another ten percent, what would be left for him?
But the result was that when the project reached the halfway point, the construction site would always encounter some strange incidents. Either a worker would suddenly jump off, or a coffin would be unearthed at the site, causing panic among the workers.
This chaos led many investors to seek masters for exorcism and disaster relief, allowing Gao Lao to receive substantial rewards and even a share of the profits.
However, this time, Manager Xue was not buying into his act. Manager Xue was a Taiwanese businessman and had significant backing. But having backing was one thing, and as the saying goes, a strong dragon cannot suppress a local snake; dealing with Gao Lao was still quite difficult.
After listening to Manager Xue's account, my face turned grim. First, they used malevolent spirits to kill people at the construction site, and now they were using restless spirits to disrupt the living at night. This Gao Lao was truly lawless. Was there no one to stop him?
Zhang Dabiao, who was usually indignant and righteous, remained silent after getting out of the car, his brows furrowed deeply. Even when I quietly cursed beside him, he didn't say a word.
This made me ask him, "Brother Zhang, don't you have anything to say to this kind of scumbag?"
Zhang Dabiao shook his head, "Nothing to say. There's only one way to deal with such people: chop off their heads. That solves all problems."
His words startled me. Chopping off someone's head, was he joking? The country prohibited violence. If he really did that, wouldn't he be asking for trouble?
"Brother Zhang, you're joking, right?" I asked, unsure.
Zhang Dabiao grinned and said with a cold smile, "What else?"
I was so choked by his words that I almost passed out. I couldn't help but think to myself, why is he taking out his frustration on me after being angered by his wife?
"Oh? Are these the two masters you found to handle things for you? Who knows where these third-rate goods crawled out from. Don't end up like the others, failing to accomplish anything and losing your lives."
I didn't expect this guy named Gao Lao to shift his target to me so abruptly. To be honest, I wanted the money, but I truly had a thought of retreating when it came to getting involved in human affairs.
My master had told me that when divining or fortune-telling, one should avoid conflicts with people, because as soon as a fight with someone is involved, countless karmic entanglements will arise, causing endless trouble and annoyance.
But now that he had directly insulted me, if I were to shrink back and say nothing, I would become a coward.
"They say a dog's mouth can't produce ivory. I never expected a monk to speak like a human. This is truly a marvel of the world."
"You little brat, how dare you curse our boss? You're looking for death..."
"I'll cut off one of your arms first, so you know what it's like..."
Before Gao Lao could speak, his subordinate, enraged, started shouting threats. Two impulsive ones even grabbed their weapons and charged forward.
Zhang Dabiao let out a cold snort, twirled his Pishandao, and with two "swish" sounds, he struck the necks of the charging men.
Thump—
With two muffled thuds, the two men fell to the ground headfirst, landing face down. Just looking at them made my face hurt.
Zhang Dabiao flicked his Pishandao. Without a word, he scared the subsequent attackers into taking two steps back. Even Gao Lao frowned. He took a couple of puffs of his cigar and asked in a deep voice, "Are you Zhang Dabiao from Xiaoliu Village?"
"Hmph!" Zhang Dabiao snorted, as if confirming Gao Lao's question.
After confirming Zhang Dabiao's identity, Gao Lao's face contorted. His previous arrogance turned into a hint of fear, but then he quickly regained his composure.
"Zhang Dabiao, I advise you not to get involved in this mess, otherwise..."
Clang—
Before Gao Lao could finish speaking, Zhang Dabiao's Pishandao disappeared from his hand and was precisely stuck into Gao Lao's forehead, vibrating with a humming sound.
"What I, Zhang Dabiao, do does not require others to dictate. Let me tell you, those ghostly things behind you, I will visit you one day and slaughter you all."
"You..."
Gao Lao's entire body trembled with rage, but he finally gritted his teeth and said, "Then we'll see!" With that, he threw his cigar away, got into his car with his men, and vanished in an instant.