Dragon Head Supreme Chapter 189
Chapter 189: Trouble Arrives
By the time Chen Xue Wen rolled out of bed, the clock had already struck eleven. He strolled out of the room, arm in arm with Wu Li Hong, only to spot Lai Hou and his crew loitering at the far end of the hallway, puffing on cigarettes. As soon as they saw Wu Li Hong, they burst into laughter.
“I was wondering why Brother Wen, who’s always up by seven, is sleeping in today. Turns out Sister Hong’s back!” Lai Hou teased, exhaling a cloud of smoke.
“Haha, must’ve been a long night!” another one chimed in, grinning.
Chen Xue Wen just smiled without a word, taking the ribbing in stride. Wu Li Hong, on the other hand, strutted over and knocked each of them on the head. “You little punks got a lot of nerve teasing me, huh?” she smirked. “Keep it up, and I’ll make sure those pretty girls stop keeping you company at night!”
That wiped the smirks right off their faces. They quickly raised their hands in surrender, pleading for mercy, which made Wu Li Hong laugh.
Later, the group headed to Old Square and grabbed lunch at a nearby restaurant before returning to Electronic Dynasty. Business was booming—more than ever, thanks to yesterday’s Annual Championship. Even though it was just a gaming tournament, the promotion had been top-notch, and now, the name Electronic Dynasty was ringing louder than ever.
Word had spread. People looking for a good slot machine spot, especially those who didn’t have a usual joint, were flocking to Electronic Dynasty. Some even ditched their regular haunts just to check out the hype. The place was packed, cash flowing like water.
Wu Li Hong walked with Chen Xue Wen through the various shops, watching as customers shouted out his name, showing their respect. Her face beamed with pride—she was genuinely happy for him, for what he had built.
That afternoon, they took a trip to the hospital to visit Wu Li Hong’s younger brother. On their way out, Chen Xue Wen asked, “How’d the surgery go? What did the doctor say?”
Wu Li Hong hesitated. A slight tremor ran through her body before she forced a smile. “The surgery… it was a success.”
Chen Xue Wen gave a firm nod. “Good. That’s what matters.”
But her hand shook as she pulled out a cigarette and placed it between her lips. The wind kept killing her lighter’s flame, no matter how many times she tried. Seeing this, Chen Xue Wen lifted his coat collar to shield her from the wind. Finally, she managed to light it and took a deep drag, exhaling slowly toward the sun.
“It’s good to be alive…” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.
Chen Xue Wen glanced at her, his tone steady. “Don’t worry. Your brother’s safe now. He’s got a whole life ahead of him.”
She said nothing, just looked down, her eyes rimmed red. Then, without a word, she reached out and took his hand, walking alongside him in silence.
…
Later that afternoon, as soon as Chen Xue Wen stepped back into the arcade, Lai Hou came rushing over, his face tight with urgency.
“Hou, what’s up?” Chen Xue Wen asked, sensing something off.
Lai Hou lowered his voice. “Brother Wen, we got trouble.”
Chen Xue Wen’s brow furrowed. Trouble wasn’t unusual in a joint like this. But his name carried weight. People didn’t just mess with his business. Even if there were occasional disputes, Lai Hou and the boys could usually handle it. If he was coming to him now, it meant this wasn’t just some petty scuffle.
Who in Peaceful City had the balls to stir up trouble in his territory?
Chen Xue Wen’s eyes darkened. “Tell me everything.”
Lai Hou took a deep breath before speaking. “A group rolled in around noon. Each of them took a slot machine, put in just ten bucks, and then… they didn’t play. Just sat there, smoking, drinking, barking at the staff, looking mean as hell. They’ve been scaring off our customers.”
Chen Xue Wen’s expression turned cold. There was no doubt about it—these guys weren’t here to gamble. They were here to mess with his business.
Chen Xue Wen’s voice was calm, but his eyes were sharp. “How many of them?”
Lai Hou scowled. “Half the damn slot machines, Brother Wen! They took over half of ‘Electronic Dynasty’!”
Chen Xue Wen inhaled deeply. His arcade had over sixty slot machines. If these punks occupied half, that meant thirty-plus heads sitting there, clogging up the joint.
With that many machines out of commission for the regulars, business would take a serious hit. And this was peak season—every single slot machine raked in twenty grand a day. These guys hogging half? That meant a fifty percent nosedive in daily revenue.
And worse? They weren’t just sitting pretty; they were loud, scaring off real customers with their barks and threats. If this went on, ‘Electronic Dynasty’ wouldn’t just be bleeding money—it’d be a ghost town.
After a moment of thought, Chen Xue Wen asked, “Did you try talking to them?”
Lai Hou grimaced. “Tried. They don’t give a damn. Told ’em to respect the place, maybe switch up machines after a few plays, but they just laughed it off. They keep betting pennies just to hold seats. Meanwhile, our regulars got nowhere to sit—they’re already grumbling.”
He let out a sigh. “I had to hustle and move some of them to other joints, keep ’em happy for now. But if this keeps up… tomorrow, when they come back and still find no machines…”
Chen Xue Wen knew the score. If his regulars left, they wouldn’t be coming back.
He leaned back, fingers drumming against the desk. A long silence filled the air.
Lai Hou lowered his voice. “Brother Wen… you want me to call the boys? We can drag these punks out, rough ’em up real good. Make sure they never step foot in here again.”
Chen Xue Wen waved him off. “They paid, didn’t they? Didn’t break anything, didn’t throw punches. That still makes them customers.”
“You toss ‘em out and beat ‘em down? That’s bad for business. These guys want us to snap. They’re baiting us. If we take the bait, we lose. A fight breaks out, cops roll in, next thing you know, ‘Electronic Dynasty’ is shut down.”
Lai Hou’s face paled. He hadn’t thought that far. “Then… then what do we do?”
“We can’t kick ‘em. Can’t beat ‘em. Can’t argue with ‘em. And if we do nothing, we’re screwed.”
Lai Hou rubbed his temples. “Damn, this is a real headache, Brother Wen. We’re making thirty grand a day, and now this? I can’t sit on my hands and watch us bleed.”
Chen Xue Wen tapped the desk once. “Call in Third Brother.”
Lai Hou wasted no time. A few minutes later, Ding Three walked in, face grim.
“Brother Wen, I was just about to come find you,” he said. “I dug into it—those guys outside? They’re under Sun Guo Bin.”
Chen Xue Wen’s expression darkened. “Sun Shang Wu’s son?”
Ding Three nodded. “Yeah. And you know what that means—Lu Jin Po’s got his hands in this too.”
A cold chuckle left Chen Xue Wen’s lips. “So, Lu Jin Po’s still pulling strings from the shadows, huh?”
“Figures,” Ding Three said. “He’s stuck somewhere, can’t move personally, so he sent Sun Guo Bin to make trouble. It’s a cheap move, but it’s working.”
Chen Xue Wen studied Ding Three. “You got a way to deal with this?”
Ding Three sighed. “Not yet. But we gotta handle it right. If this drags on, Sun Guo Bin might take it further. That kid’s got a short fuse.”
Chen Xue Wen smirked. “Hot-headed, is he?”
Ding Three shrugged. “That’s an understatement.”
“Good.” Chen Xue Wen’s smirk turned into something colder. “Let him be rash. A little trickery, a little patience—that’s all we need.”
Ding Three raised a brow. “You got a plan?”
Chen Xue Wen leaned in, speaking in a low voice. As he laid out his strategy, Ding Three’s expression shifted from curiosity to delight, then outright laughter.
“Damn, Brother Wen, that’s brilliant!” Ding Three clapped his hands. “Sun Guo Bin’s gonna lose his damn mind over this.”
Chen Xue Wen’s grin was razor-sharp. “Go. Set it up.”
Ding Three saluted with a smirk. “On it.”
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation