Chapter 71: A Man’s Name, a Tree’s Shadow
In recent days, if there was one name that resonated across Peaceful City, it was undoubtedly Chen Xue Wen.
After his clash with Snake at Chen’s Grand Hotel, his reputation had spread far and wide. Now, anyone in Peaceful City who ran in the underground knew of a lunatic who feared nothing, someone who even made Snake suffer under his hands.
Because of that, people both feared and respected Chen Xue Wen.
The ones in the room, though large in number, were nothing but bullies who relied on their numbers. They were good at picking on the weak, but when facing a true menace, they cowered like frightened children.
Hearing Chen Xue Wen’s name sent shivers down their spines. Some of the more timid ones even trembled visibly.
After all, a man’s name carried weight, just as a tree cast a shadow.
With Chen Xue Wen’s notoriety spreading across Peaceful City, who wouldn’t be afraid of him?
Even Li Yue Dong, who had been cursing moments ago, instantly turned pale, his voice shaking as he stammered, “Y-You… you’re Brother Wen!?”
Chen Xue Wen ignored him and instead played with his Bone Cutting Knife, turning his gaze toward a young man nearby. This youth held a wine bottle in his hand.
Walking up to him, Chen Xue Wen studied him for a moment before glancing at the wine bottle in his grip. “What? You planning to smash me with that?”
He sneered, then continued, “Alright, I’ll give you a chance.”
“Come on, I’m standing right here.”
“Try hitting me!”
With that, Chen Xue Wen leaned his head forward, right in front of the youth, daring him to strike.
The young man hesitated. In the end, he didn’t dare move. Who in their right mind would provoke someone as fearsome as Chen Xue Wen?
Seeing this, Chen Xue Wen spat on the ground and cursed, “Damn it, I’m standing right here, and you don’t even dare to move?”
“With guts like yours, what the hell are you even doing in this line of work!?”
“You won’t hit me, but I sure as hell will hit you!”
Without warning, Chen Xue Wen snatched a wine bottle from the side and smashed it over the young man’s head.
A shrill scream erupted as blood dripped from his scalp.
Without even glancing at him, Chen Xue Wen turned to the rest of the room and bellowed, “If this ain’t your business, get the hell out of my way and sit down!”
No one dared to defy him. They all sat obediently, silent as mice.
Spitting in disdain, Chen Xue Wen turned his attention back to Li Yue Dong. “So this is the kind of ‘brotherhood’ you got?”
“Weren’t you just talking big about wanting to kill me?”
“Well, here I am. Do something about it.”
Li Yue Dong was shaking like a leaf, his face twisted in terror. He practically begged, “Brother Wen, I—I really didn’t know it was you!”
“I swear, I’m sorry! Please, have mercy!”
Chen Xue Wen ignored him and instead turned to Wu Li Hong. “Li Hong, what happened?”
Tears welled in Wu Li Hong’s eyes as she choked out, “I… I just walked in, and he started harassing me, touching me all over…”
“I tried to fight back, and… and he hit me…”
Hearing this, Lai Hou and the others were livid, pointing at Li Yue Dong and cursing him out.
Chen Xue Wen, gripping his Bone Cutting Knife, stepped closer, his voice ice-cold. “So you think you can harass my friend?”
Li Yue Dong, on the verge of tears, whimpered, “Brother Wen, I—I didn’t know she was your friend!”
“I was just greeting her, nothing else…”
Chen Xue Wen scoffed. “Greeting her? With your hands!?”
Li Yue Dong stammered, “N-No! That’s not what I meant! It’s just that… she used to work at my club…”
Before he could finish, Chen Xue Wen grabbed another wine bottle and smashed it over his head. “Who the hell are you calling a club girl!?”
Chen Xue Wen’s voice roared with fury.
Blood dripped down Li Yue Dong’s face as he trembled in pain and terror. “Brother Wen, I—I said the wrong thing! I’m sorry!”
Chen Xue Wen tightened his grip on the Bone Cutting Knife, his voice cold and firm. “You harassed my friend and called her that?”
“Tell me, Li Yue Dong, do you think I should let this slide?”
By now, Li Yue Dong was sobbing. “Brother Wen, please, I—I know I was wrong!”
“Please, I’m begging you, let me go this once!”
Chen Xue Wen suddenly stomped on his head, pressing him down. “Want to live?”
“Fine, I’ll give you a chance!”
“Pay Li Hong 500,000 yuan, and I’ll consider this settled. How about that?”
Li Yue Dong’s face twitched violently, his voice shaking. “F-Five hundred thousand!?”
“Brother Wen, that’s… that’s too much! I don’t have that kind of money!”
Chen Xue Wen smirked. “No money?”
“No problem, I’ll help you cut down some expenses.”
Without warning, he grabbed Li Yue Dong’s right hand and swung his Bone Cutting Knife down.
A bloodcurdling scream filled the room as one of Li Yue Dong’s fingers was severed. Blood spurted out onto the floor.
The onlookers were petrified. This was their first time witnessing Chen Xue Wen’s madness firsthand.
Chen Xue Wen sneered. “That finger is worth 100,000 yuan.”
“Now, you only need to pay 400,000.”
“Of course, if you still can’t pay, I’ll just cut off another one. Each finger is worth 100,000.”
“If you refuse to pay anything, I’ll slice off all five. You wanna test me?”
Terrified, Li Yue Dong frantically nodded. “I-I’ll pay! I’ll pay the money!”
“Brother Wen, please, no more cutting!”
Satisfied, Chen Xue Wen nodded. “400,000. Bring it to my shop tomorrow.”
“If I don’t see the money by 5 PM, I’ll come find you myself.”
“And when that happens, it won’t just be about money anymore.”
With that, Chen Xue Wen tossed the severed finger onto the table and glanced at the crowd. “Alright, you guys enjoy your meal.”
He then swaggered out with Wu Li Hong, Lai Hou, and the others.
The room was left in utter chaos. Everyone exchanged uneasy glances, none daring to speak.
After a long silence, two men cautiously helped Li Yue Dong up.
One of them whispered, “Brother Dong, what do we do?”
“Should we… call the police?”
Li Yue Dong glared at him. “Are you insane!?”
“Do you know who Chen Xue Wen is? He’s the guy who even dared to mess with Snake!”
“Call the cops?”
“This would just be an assault charge—what’s the worst? A few months in jail? A year at most?”
“But when he gets out, do you think we’ll still be alive?”
The group went pale at the thought.
He was right. The crime tonight wasn’t severe. But if Chen Xue Wen sought revenge, they would all be dead men.
Gritting his teeth, Li Yue Dong sighed. “Forget it. Withdraw 400,000 from the company tomorrow and send it over.”
One of his men hesitated. “From the company funds? What if Boss Hu checks the books…?”
Li Yue Dong spat on the ground. “Tch, that old turtle? You think I’m scared of him?”
“His wife and mistresses are already being played with by others, and he doesn’t dare say a word.”
“If he asks, I’ll tell him the money went to Chen Xue Wen.”
“I’d like to see if he dares to make a fuss.”
The room burst into nervous laughter.
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation