The person he most feared had arrived.
Zhao Hongbo, ignoring Chu Fan and the other two, hurried to the door.
"My young friends, that much money, it's too short a time, how can I possibly gather it all? Please grant me a few more days."
To solicit an extension, Zhao Hongbo bent at the waist, his face etched with pleading.
The leader of the thugs, with dyed yellow hair, immediately glared.
"An extension?"
"Haven't we given you enough time?"
"Stop making excuses for me. If you have the money today, we'll let this matter go!"
"If you can't produce it, pack up and get out immediately. This shop belongs to us!"
*Thump!*
Zhao Hongbo suddenly knelt facing the yellow-haired man.
"My young friends, I beg you, please give me some more time!"
"This shop is my only source of income. Without it, how can I possibly live!"
"Damn it!"
The yellow-haired man kicked Zhao Hongbo in the chest.
"You want to live, and we don't?"
"Hurry up and pack your things and get out!"
"Dare to say another word of nonsense, and I'll break your legs!"
Zhao Hongbo wanted to speak but stopped. Looking at the menacing thugs, he wiped his tears and stood up.
He had known this day would come.
Remembering that there were customers inside, he suppressed his fear and said, "My young friends, the customers just started eating. Please give them some time to finish. Once they're done, I'll pack up immediately."
The yellow-haired man's gaze swept into the shop, and he saw Chu Fan and Ji Ningyue.
Ji Ningyue's back was to the door. Seeing her fiery, alluring back, the yellow-haired man's eyes heated up, thinking what a perfect figure she had.
"What's so good about noodles? Get out immediately! The shop is mine now!"
The yellow-haired man spoke, but his feet had already carried him to Chu Fan and Ji Ningyue's table.
Chu Fan was directly ignored. He looked at Ji Ningyue's face.
Her back was so captivating; he was very curious about what her face looked like.
The moment he saw her, the yellow-haired man's throat constricted. He had never expected to see someone so beautiful in such a shabby noodle shop.
"Beautiful lady, what's so good about noodles? Brother will take you to eat something even better, okay?"
The yellow-haired man smirked, his mind already envisioning how attractive it would be to have Ji Ningyue by his side.
Ji Ningyue didn't even bother to look up, replying calmly, "Scram."
In the past, if she had been harassed like this, the weak Ji Ningyue would have been somewhat flustered.
However, after following Chu Fan for a period of time, witnessing him kill and beat people, her courage had increased significantly.
Also, she wasn't as abnormal as Chu Fan.
Otherwise, she would have slapped the yellow-haired man to the ground long ago.
Secondly, Young Master was sitting opposite her. It would be a loss of face to him, not her own, that mattered.
Rejected, the yellow-haired man didn't get angry.
He moved to Chu Fan's side and said arrogantly, "Kid, did you hear that? She told you to get lost!"
Chu Fan looked up.
"What did you just say? I didn't hear you!"
The yellow-haired man's eyes widened in fury, "I said, I told you to..."
*Bang...*
Before the yellow-haired man could finish speaking, he crumpled to the ground like a shrimp, unconscious.
This was because Chu Fan didn't want to damage the shop's facilities; otherwise, he would have already been plastered against the wall.
"Big brother..."
The remaining three thugs were shocked and rushed forward.
"How dare you hit my boss? I'll kill you!"
One thug pulled out a flick knife and lunged at Chu Fan.
*Bang...*
The remaining two thugs had just heard a dull thud when a figure flew past them.
In an instant, the two thugs were knocked unconscious.
Realizing Chu Fan was not ordinary, the remaining two thugs quickly dragged the yellow-haired man away.
"Kid, you dare to hurt our brothers? If you have the guts, just wait!"
As the four thugs fled, Zhao Hongbo slowly recovered from his daze.
"My young friend, you've gotten yourself into big trouble."
"They are the overlords of this area. If you hit their people, their reinforcements will be here soon. While there's still time, you should leave quickly!"
He said, his face filled with anxiety.
Chu Fan put down his chopsticks and asked with a smile, "Old man, if we leave, and those thugs can't find us, what will happen to you?"
Zhao Hongbo sighed, "My half of this body is already in the grave. What do I care about so much?"
"If the shop is gone, I have no will to live!"
"You should still leave quickly."
Chu Fan shook his head, "Old man, everyone takes responsibility for their own actions. You don't need to worry so much!"
"By the way, why do they want to take your shop?"
Mentioning this, Zhao Hongbo's face filled with sadness and anger.
"It's all because of my unfilial son. He gambled and borrowed money from their boss. If he can't repay it, their boss told him to use the shop as collateral!"
"Their boss has many connections, and you can't fight against them. Hurry and leave, or you won't be able to leave when it's too late!"
Zhao Hongbo spoke while anxiously looking outside the door, worrying for Chu Fan and the other two from the bottom of his heart.
"It's fine, no matter how many of them come, we won't be afraid!"
After a pause, Chu Fan finally asked directly, "Old man, is your hometown in Yubu Village?"
"You? Are you also from Yubu Village?"
Zhao Hongbo stared at Chu Fan in surprise.
At this moment, he understood that Chu Fan and the other two suddenly coming to the shop to eat noodles was not a coincidence.
In fact, when the two first arrived, he had harbored doubts.
With Ji Ningyue's demeanor, it was impossible for her to only eat at such a small shop.
But guests were guests, so he didn't ask too many questions.
Now, he was very sure that Chu Fan had come for him.
"I am considered a villager of Yubu Village because my mother and my aunt are from Yubu Village, and they are from the same hometown as you, old man!"
Zhao Hongbo frowned, asking curiously, "May I know your mother and aunt's names..."
"My mother is called Qin Yu, and my aunt is called Qin Xue."
Zhao Hongbo thought carefully and muttered, "There seem to be these two people in Yubu Village. I'm old and my memory isn't good. Are they still doing well?"
"That landslide back then was too tragic..."
Chu Fan nodded, "They are doing well. I came to find you today because I want to learn some things from you."
Zhao Hongbo nodded. Just as he was about to ask about what, he suddenly remembered something more important.
He anxiously urged, "My young friend, we can talk about anything later. Please, I'm begging you, you should leave first. If you don't leave now, it will be too late!"
At that very moment, six or seven cars suddenly rushed in from outside the shop and stopped.
The car doors opened, and thugs carrying steel pipes and long knives rushed out, surrounding the noodle shop.
Seeing this scene, Zhao Hongbo trembled all over.
"It's too late. We can't leave now!"
At some point, Chu Fan had already stood up. He raised his hand and patted Zhao Hongbo on the shoulder.
"Old man, it's okay, don't be afraid!"
"We are also fellow villagers now. With me here today, no one can bully you, and no one can take away your noodle shop!"
Without waiting for Zhao Hongbo to speak, he walked towards the doorway and waited.
"Big brother, it's him! It's him who knocked Huang Mao and Xiao Gui unconscious!"
As the shout fell, a very fat man with a bald head walked up from behind.
The bald man scanned Chu Fan and then looked past him towards the shop, his gaze landing on Ji Ningyue's back.
At this moment, Ji Ningyue stood up and walked out.
Upon seeing Ji Ningyue's face, all the thugs' eyes lit up.
The bald man, whose neck was almost completely obscured by his fat, visibly twitched. He looked at Chu Fan, "Kid, do you know whose territory this is?"
"You dare to hit my people, you truly are tired of living."
Chu Fan answered his question with a question.
"It's you who wants to take away the old man's noodle shop?"
The bald man grinned.
"What do you mean 'take'?"
"Debts must be repaid, it's only right. If you can't pay, is there a problem with using this broken noodle shop as collateral?"
Chu Fan shook his head, "No problem. Since he owes you money, I think it's also very reasonable to use one of your hands as collateral!"
"What do you think?"
The temperature in the surroundings noticeably dropped.
Ji Ningyue, standing beside Chu Fan, instinctively crossed her arms.
She knew that the bald man's hand was likely doomed.