Chapter 49: Blood on Opening Day
Li Er Yong didn’t show up at the Brothers Game Arcade today. His limbs were still stiff from his injuries, making it inconvenient to move around. However, upon receiving a call, he immediately texted Lai Hou.
At the time, Lai Hou was busy preparing for the arcade’s grand opening. Once he saw Li Er Yong’s message, he shot a glance at Wang Zhen Dong.
Wang Zhen Dong understood instantly. As per Chen Xue Wen’s prior instructions, he pulled out several stacks of crisp new bills from his pocket.
These banknotes had been exchanged a day prior by Chen Xue Wen himself. The denominations varied—one yuan, five yuan, ten yuan, and even some fifty-yuan notes. In an era where an average worker’s monthly salary was around seven to eight hundred yuan, fifty yuan could easily cover a week’s worth of meals.
This time, Chen Xue Wen had prepared five thousand yuan in fresh cash.
Wang Zhen Dong stared at the money, hesitating. “Monkey Bro, are we really throwing all of this away?”
“This is five thousand yuan! Enough to buy a motorcycle!”
Lai Hou grimaced but still waved his hand. “Do as Brother Wen instructed.”
“Not a single yuan stays!”
Wang Zhen Dong sighed but ultimately carried the money tray to the entrance of the arcade.
By then, a sizable crowd had gathered outside, lured in by the rumors.
Earlier that morning, Lai Hou and his crew had spread the word all over, announcing the arcade’s grand opening. But mere advertisements weren’t enough to attract a crowd. To make things more exciting, Lai Hou added another incentive—cash giveaways at the event.
This promise drew in a wave of curious spectators eager to see how the money would be handed out.
Wang Zhen Dong placed all the cash onto a tray and stepped forward.
The crowd murmured with anticipation.
“Damn, that’s a lot of money! Are they seriously just giving it away?”
“No way! This has to be a stunt. That’s thousands of yuan right there!”
“Well, let’s wait and see…”
Their eyes gleamed with excitement and greed. After all, who wouldn’t want free money?
Smiling, Lai Hou addressed the onlookers loudly, “Brothers, today marks the grand opening of Brothers Game Arcade!”
“Our boss didn’t open this place to make money, but to give everyone a place to enjoy themselves!”
“And on this joyous day, our boss has set aside five thousand yuan to throw into the crowd!”
“Take as much as you can grab—this is a gift from our boss to all of you. No need to be polite!”
Hearing this, the crowd erupted with cheers.
“Seriously? They’re actually giving out money?!”
“Damn, I came at the right time!”
People pushed forward, eyes locked onto the tray in Wang Zhen Dong’s hands.
While Lai Hou kept speaking, his eyes flickered towards a nearby street corner.
Finally, a group of men appeared, approaching aggressively.
Leading them was Little Black.
Seeing them, Lai Hou’s body tensed instinctively. He took a deep breath and shot Wang Zhen Dong another look before shouting, “Alright, let’s begin! Keep your eyes on the money, everyone!”
“I’ll count down—five, four…”
With that, Lai Hou grabbed a handful of cash from the tray. From his stance, it was clear—he was actually going to throw the money.
The crowd held their breath, eyes wide, waiting for the moment.
Meanwhile, Little Black and his gang were closing in.
The moment they were within thirty meters, Lai Hou flung the first handful of cash into the air.
Screams filled the air as people lunged for the fluttering banknotes. Chaos erupted instantly, with the entire crowd pushing and shoving to grab as much money as possible.
Little Black sneered. “Tch, these bastards sure know how to put on a show.”
“F**k this! I’ll smash their machines and break their damn legs. Let’s see how they run a business then!”
He yanked a steel pipe from a rolled-up newspaper, and his men followed suit, brandishing their own weapons as they charged toward the arcade.
As they reached the crowd, Lai Hou tossed the remaining bills—this time, the higher-value ten and fifty-yuan notes.
The resulting scramble sent people surging in all directions, completely scattering Little Black’s gang.
But it wasn’t over yet.
The moment the money was gone, Lai Hou let out a sharp whistle.
At a distance, Li Tie Zhu, who had been playing with his phone, snapped to attention. He grabbed a lighter and set off an enormous string of firecrackers that Chen Xue Wen had specially arranged along the arcade’s entrance.
The explosions roared across the scene, releasing thick white smoke that swallowed the entire street.
Within the choking haze, Chen Xue Wen pulled his cap down low, obscuring his face.
Then, he reached into his waistband, drew a bone-cutting knife, and slipped into the frantic crowd, heading straight for Little Black.
The latter was mid-curse when Chen Xue Wen suddenly grabbed him from behind.
Before he could react, Chen Xue Wen covered his mouth and stabbed him repeatedly in the stomach.
Little Black’s eyes widened in shock before his body crumpled to the ground.
Before the smoke cleared, Chen Xue Wen swiftly disappeared into a nearby alley.
By the time the last of the haze dissipated and the crowd finished scrambling for cash, a horrified scream cut through the air.
There, in a pool of blood, lay Little Black, gasping for breath.
His men, who had been so eager to wreck the arcade, paled at the sight.
Rushing forward, they lifted their wounded leader, their expressions shifting from fury to fear.
Little Black was Brother Leopard’s younger brother—a trusted lieutenant of Snake himself.
If anything happened to him, there would be hell to pay.
Without hesitation, they abandoned their plans to wreck the arcade, hoisting Little Black and sprinting toward Electronic Dynasty.
From a nearby alley, Chen Xue Wen, now wearing a different outfit, watched them leave.
Once they were out of sight, he casually pulled out his phone and called the police.
Only after finishing the call did Chen Xue Wen stroll back toward the Brothers Game Arcade.
With a relaxed smile, he pushed open the doors.
The grand opening had officially begun.
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation