Chapter 46: The Fearsome Presence of Big Silly Pillar
Snake strode arrogantly through the crowd, his arm wrapped around the woman. Wherever he passed, the people around him scrambled back in fear, not a single one daring to stand in his way.
He led the woman into Electronic Dynasty, and only then did the hushed whispers begin among the onlookers.
“That woman… is she really Boss Hu’s wife?”
“Seems like it. I heard Boss Hu married a young wife, around thirty, said to be a real temptress.”
“Hah! Boss Hu has really lost big this time. Such a prime piece of property, and Snake just took it for himself without paying a dime. And now, even his little wife has been claimed. That green hat he’s wearing must be covering his whole backside by now!”
“Did you see how that little tramp walked? Swinging her hips like that… she’s probably been well taken care of by Snake.”
“Damn it, keep your voice down! You trying to get us killed?”
The gossip ended abruptly, but every single person wore a lewd smirk.
Chen Xue Wen frowned as he overheard. “Who is Boss Hu?”
Li Er Yong spoke in a hushed tone, “A businessman here in Peaceful City. Years ago, he made money trading goods down south and invested a lot when he returned. He bought up quite a few properties.”
“This entire Electronic Dynasty building belongs to him.”
Chen Xue Wen narrowed his eyes. “So, Snake is using his property… without paying rent?”
Li Er Yong scratched his head. “Not sure. But I have heard similar rumors before, just never confirmed them.”
“That woman, though—she really is Boss Hu’s young wife. I’ve seen her before when I was out running errands with Zhou Jing Hui.”
“Didn’t expect she’d actually end up tangled with Snake.”
Chen Xue Wen pondered for a moment. “Losing his property and having his wife stolen… Boss Hu isn’t angry?”
Li Er Yong scoffed, “Angry? What good would that do him?”
“That coward’s got money, but nothing else.”
“He keeps about twenty thugs around, but they’re only good for scaring civilians.”
“I even heard one of his bodyguards was fooling around with his wife, and that old mutt didn’t dare say a thing.”
Chen Xue Wen was surprised. “A rich man living like that?”
Li Er Yong shrugged. “Cowards. Afraid to die.”
“That’s how Peaceful City works. Money alone means nothing. Without power, without backing, you’re just a stepping stone for real players.”
“Look at Fifth Master Hou. His wealth doesn’t even rank in the top ten here.”
“Yet every rich man in the city has to show him respect.”
“That’s power!”
Chen Xue Wen nodded thoughtfully, casting a long glance at Electronic Dynasty before leading his group away.
Their next stop was the two arcades Zhou Jing Hui had provided.
With keys in hand, they unlocked the venues and checked the interiors. Just as Zhou Jing Hui had claimed, everything was in place, ready for immediate operation.
Chen Xue Wen was satisfied. “Not bad.”
“It’s no Electronic Dynasty, but it’ll make money.”
Wang Zhen Dong, standing beside him, was nearly trembling with excitement. “Brother Wen… this… this is yours?”
Chen Xue Wen grinned. “That’s right!”
Wang Zhen Dong was ecstatic. He understood exactly what two arcades meant.
This was a jackpot!
Nearby, Li Tie Zhu sat on a bench, glued to his mobile phone. The fool had been playing the Snake Game for two days now, but never managed to get beyond ten points before crashing. Despite his terrible skills, he refused to give up.
Li Er Yong, however, wore a wry smile. He knew all too well how difficult it would be to actually open these arcades.
As the four of them chatted, a sudden loud knocking on the door interrupted them.
Turning their heads, they saw two young thugs stepping inside.
The moment they entered, one of them pointed at them and yelled, “Who the hell are you?”
Chen Xue Wen stood calmly, hands behind his back. “Checking on my store.”
The lead thug instantly flared up. “Your store?”
“Are you a dumbass? You don’t know Brother Snake has shut this place down?”
“No one’s opening up here. Got it?”
“I’ll give you one minute to pack up and get lost, or else… don’t blame me for what happens next!”
Chen Xue Wen remained silent, staring straight into the thug’s eyes without a hint of fear.
Seeing this, the two thugs grew even angrier.
“F*ck! Didn’t you hear me?!”
“I said—”
Just as the lead thug reached to grab Chen Xue Wen by the collar, a sudden crash echoed through the room.
The two thugs turned sharply—
A towering figure had risen to his feet.
A massive man, exuding sheer brute force, was now looming over them, eyes locked onto them like a predator sizing up prey.
It was Li Tie Zhu.
The two thugs barely reached 1.7 meters, while Li Tie Zhu was a towering 1.9 meters, broad-shouldered and thick-limbed. Standing before them, he looked like a giant, making them seem like mere children.
Their bravado instantly crumbled.
Terrified, they stumbled backward. “Damn it… if you know what’s good for you, close up shop now!”
“Or else, when Brother Snake gets here, you’re dead!”
With that, they scrambled out of the arcade as if their lives depended on it.
Inside, everyone turned to look at Li Tie Zhu.
Even Chen Xue Wen was dumbfounded. Wasn’t this big guy supposed to be clueless? And yet, at the critical moment, he had the sense to step forward and intimidate the punks?
Li Er Yong gave him a thumbs-up. “Pillar, that was solid!”
Li Tie Zhu scratched his head. “What was solid?”
Li Er Yong: “…”
What the hell kind of answer was that?
Chen Xue Wen barely suppressed a laugh and patted Li Tie Zhu’s shoulder. “Pillar, scaring those two off was well done!”
Li Tie Zhu blinked in confusion. “Scared off?”
“Who got scared?”
“Which two?”
Chen Xue Wen was speechless. “Those two just now! Didn’t you stand up to intimidate them?”
Only then did Li Tie Zhu seem to remember. “Oh, those guys?”
“Huh… why’d they run?”
The three men were stunned silent.
This big fool had scared them off without even realizing it?
Li Er Yong sighed. “Wait, so you didn’t mean to scare them? Then why did you suddenly stand up?”
Li Tie Zhu extended his hand. “My phone’s out of battery.”
“Lend me one!”
The room fell into complete silence.
Wang Zhen Dong cautiously asked, “Pillar… if you weren’t trying to scare them, then why did you glare at them like that?”
As Li Tie Zhu swapped out his phone battery, he casually replied, “I wasn’t glaring.”
“I didn’t know them, so I just looked.”
The three men were utterly speechless.
This big fool’s reputation was well earned!
Just then, Chen Xue Wen’s phone rang.
He answered, and Lai Hou’s voice came through the line. “Brother Wen, it’s done!”
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation