“Oh!” While the whole nation was in an uproar, our legendary hero was sitting alone, drinking his sorrows away.
“Chief, my idol, can I get your autograph? Hehe…” Shao Bing’s round, plump figure rolled into the tavern. His eyes sparkled with excitement, as if he were the one who had entered the haunted forest!
“Chief, why are you still drinking in a place like this? You made us look all over for you!” You Tiao, tall and thin, followed closely behind. Qiao San’s two trusted henchmen always brought humor and fun wherever they went!
“Idol? Hah! I’m still having nightmares!” Qiao San’s bold, three-braid hairstyle was askew, strands of hair disheveled, revealing his weary face and bloodshot eyes.
“Ah… I can’t sleep well, I can’t eat properly. As soon as I close my eyes, I have strange, bizarre nightmares! Damn it, looks like this old chief is about to kick the bucket!”
“Chief, you mustn’t give up! We brothers still rely on you to enjoy the good life!” Shao Bing and You Tiao, for once not bickering with each other, stared dreamily into the future, imagining their heavenly days ahead. Hehe…
“So, what kind of nightmare could scare even our fearless leader?” The plump and the thin looked curiously at their hero.
“Ah… I can’t remember clearly! Just some weird images!” Qiao San’s words were half-truth, half-lie. He couldn’t recall the exact identities of the ghosts and monsters haunting his dreams, but one particular dream kept recurring—a dream that deeply wounded his masculine pride!
—Damn it, he, the mighty Qiao San, had been raped in his dream by a courtesan named You Niang!
Shao Bing and You Tiao exchanged knowing smirks, leaning closer to their leader. “Brother San, when are you gonna take the boss’s seat?”
“Damn it, do you think becoming a boss is that easy?!” Qiao San rudely cursed, his mood worsening.
Ah… It seemed this embarrassing dream wouldn’t fade anytime soon!
“But didn’t the rules say otherwise during the election?!”
Unlike his two naive subordinates, Qiao San wasn’t easily excited. Beneath his rowdy exterior, he maintained a surprisingly clear mind.
“Do you really think those big bosses would willingly give up their power? I’m just a small-time punk without influence or authority. If you were in their shoes, would you be willing to be stepped on by someone like me?”
After a brief pause, Qiao San waved his big hand, as if brushing away his frustration, then laughed strangely and said loudly, “Got it? Let’s get to work, boys!”
When ruffians go to work, it’s never good news.
Qiao San, leading four underlings, swaggered arrogantly into the busiest place—the vegetable market.
They were merely small-time hooligans, naturally only capable of intimidating honest vendors and stall owners. The juicier targets like restaurants and brothels were beyond their reach.
“Boss, business is booming today!”
As Shao Bing spoke, he stretched out his hand. The middle-aged vegetable seller hesitated briefly, but was immediately surrounded by several menacing glares. Trembling with fear, he quickly handed over ten copper coins.
“Gua, gua… You Tiao, it’s your turn!” Shao Bing proudly handed the protection money to the boss, then grinned and turned to his companion.
Upon hearing this, You Tiao immediately headed to the next stall, his arrogant presence intimidating the nearby crowd. Truly worthy of being Qiao San’s “Heng Ha” duo.
“Hmm, these pears are really big!” Qiao San loudly praised the fruits on display, then casually picked one up and took a bite. As he ate, he nodded continuously, then leisurely moved on to the next grocery stall without ever taking out a single coin. The small vendor didn’t even think to ask for payment.
“Boss, why don’t you do business elsewhere? I never expected the hooligans here to be so rampant!” A voice filled with indignation and curiosity came from within a teahouse.
A well-dressed middle-aged scholar sat calmly, while the question came from a white-robed youth beside him. The boy had rosy lips and white teeth, his face as smooth as jade, but unfortunately, a thick horizontal brow ruined his delicate appearance. Otherwise, he would truly be a refined and elegant young gentleman.
“Ah… Guest, you don’t know the whole story. In this Liu Mang Town, it’s the same everywhere!”
While pouring tea for the guests, the teahouse owner, seeing the generous tip, began to reveal secrets: “The Great Crime Hero specifically robs the rich to help the poor in this area, punishing evildoers. When we poor folks face serious difficulties, a bag of silver always mysteriously appears at home. That’s why no one wants to leave, and more people actually come here to do business!”
“Hmph! Isn’t that just a robber? What robbery for the poor? That’s nonsense! It’s completely lawless!”
The young man with a golden headband and jade belt around his waist, his bright eyes wide open, his thick brow slightly raised, slammed his palm on the table. A strong sense of justice filled his delicate, thin face, strangely contrasting with his thick brow.
“You…” The teahouse owner’s courteous smile instantly vanished. How could he not be angry when his idol and benefactor was insulted like this?
“Hey boss, good luck with business!” Just then, Qiao San himself happened to come to collect protection money. The laughing rogue slouched forward, glancing indifferently at the two strangers.
“Brother San, here you go!” The teahouse owner hurriedly put on a smile and handed Qiao San twenty copper coins.
“No giving allowed! In broad daylight, you dare to openly extort money!”
Just as Qiao San had taken the coins, the boy, barely reaching his earlobe, darted forward. His golden headband gleamed, his graceful figure stood tall. Though not strong, he exuded an impressive aura. The young man with the thick brow solemnly declared, “Daring commoner, I shall bring you to justice!”
“Ahh!” Qiao San, the teahouse owner, and the middle-aged man all changed expressions simultaneously, though each for different reasons.
“Hey, young brother, let go! I’ll sue you for assault!” Qiao San glanced sideways at the bold youth, then looked at the calm middle-aged scholar sitting nearby. When he noticed the shoes beneath the boy’s long robe, the clever rogue couldn’t help but feel a jolt of surprise.
Commoner, official shoes—what more needed to be said?
Surprisingly, the rogue leader didn’t get angry. Instead, he smiled cheerfully and said in a very cheeky manner to the thin-faced youth, “Hehe… Young brother, the boss is paying me back what he owed. Debts must be repaid—that’s only fair. Is that against the law?”
“That’s right, right! I owed Brother San twenty coins!” Without waiting for Qiao San to signal, the teahouse owner quickly declared, making the righteous young man’s face turn extremely ugly—alternating between green and white.
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