Era: Rise from the Wilderness

"Glug! Glug!"

Li Hongfeng grunted, grabbed the enamel mug on the table, and gulped down a mouthful of water, swallowing even the tea leaves at the bottom of the mug.

"Then what do you suggest we do?"

Li Hongfeng knew that the other party must have something to rely on to embezzle the money, "We can't just let him pocket the deposit, can we?"

"I'll go with you tomorrow."

Li Yunjing said in a deep voice.

"As for Ma Youcai, let's talk to him properly first. If he doesn't know what's good for him, then we'll think of another way."

Li Yunjing reminded him, "But you have to promise me that when you get there, you won't act impulsively and you'll listen to me in everything."

Li Hongfeng stared at his son for a long time, and suddenly realized that his son seemed different from before.

Li Yunjing just turned eighteen this year, and by all accounts he's still a young boy, but the tone of his voice and the composure in his eyes just now made him seem like a grown-up who had experienced life's ups and downs.

"Okay, whatever you say."

"I'll go to the office to borrow a car first thing tomorrow morning, and then find two reliable colleagues."

"Go to bed early, you have to get up at five o'clock tomorrow."

Li Hongfeng finally nodded and placed the enamel mug on the table.

Li Yunjing breathed a sigh of relief and turned to go back to his small room.

He pulled an old wooden box from under the bed, and inside lay a slingshot.

The blade is ten centimeters long and sharp enough to easily slice through wooden boards.

He put the knife in his pocket and then felt for the few dozen yuan in change in his pocket.

He knew the character of those thugs all too well.

They bully the weak and fear the strong; the more timid you are, the more they will take advantage of you. If you are tougher than them, they will back down.

He knows how to use force appropriately, and he's much more reliable than his father.

If they really can't reach an agreement, then let's teach Ma Youcai a lesson.

We absolutely cannot let Dad do it!

At 4:30 a.m. the next day, before dawn, the sound of my father's footsteps could be heard in the yard.

Li Yunjing jumped up, washed his face hastily, grabbed a steamed bun from the table, and ran outside.

A beige Dafa bread truck was parked in the yard, with the words "Transportation Team of a Certain Group" printed on it. Two tall men stood next to the truck.

They were both my father's colleagues. One was named Wang Jianjun, who used to be an armed policeman and carried a baton. The other was named Liu Weiguo, who was also from the security department and had a dog-shaped leather holster on his waist. He looked like someone you didn't want to mess with.

"Yun Jing, you're here?"

Wang Jianjun patted Li Yunjing on the shoulder with a smile, "Don't worry, with the two of us here, that kid won't dare to try anything funny."

"Let's try diplomacy first, then force. If he obediently refunds the money and delivers the goods, there won't be any problems!"

Liu Weiguo nodded: "If he dares to act arrogantly, we'll teach him a lesson."

"Thank you, Uncle Wang, Uncle Liu, I'm so sorry to have troubled you!"

Li Yunjing quickly thanked him, feeling much more at ease.

"What are you saying!"

Liu Weiguo gently patted Li Yunjing on the head.

"We're all on the same side, so there's no need to ask for help."

Wang Jianjun smiled too.

What kind of situations haven't they experienced?

They can't even handle a local thug, yet they can protect the factory area and maintain order in a state-owned enterprise with tens of thousands of employees?

The two brothers were working the night shift when Li Hongfeng suddenly came to the factory to borrow a car. Upon hearing this, they didn't hesitate and immediately told their team leader to come and help.

We're all buddies, and we often drink with Li Hongfeng. We have a great relationship. If Li Hongfeng is in trouble, how could we not help him?

Is that even human?

In this simple and honest era, brotherhood is no exaggeration. When trouble comes, you'll see if your buddy will step up.

"You drive."

Li Hongfeng, who was standing nearby, listened without saying anything, but handed the car keys to Wang Jianjun and said, "Go early and come back early."

Several people got into the van, started up, and sputtered out of town, heading towards Jiangwa.

The fog on the road hadn't dissipated yet, and a thin layer of frost had formed on the car windows.

Li Hongfeng leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes to rest, but his brows remained furrowed. Wang Jianjun and Liu Weiguo chatted about the security department, occasionally asking Li Yunjing about his studies. Li Yunjing, meanwhile, kept staring out the window, clutching the switchblade in his pocket tightly, mentally rehearsing his confrontation with Ma Youcai later.

More than two hours later, the van finally drove into the Jiangwa secondhand market.

It was only eight o'clock in the morning, and the market had only been open for a short time.

The roadside was filled with secondhand goods, including old furniture, old appliances, old bicycles, and even some scrap metal collected from who-knows-where.

The air was filled with the smell of mildew and rust, and shouts and haggling filled the air. Several shirtless men sat on the roadside smoking, their eyes carrying a hint of roguishness.

"It's the shop over there."

Li Hongfeng pointed to a shop not far away with a sign that read "Ma San Secondhand Goods Store," and his voice suddenly turned cold.

The bread cart stopped in front of the shop, and several people got out.

The shop was a simple tin shack with several old refrigerators piled up at the entrance. Ma Youcai was sitting on a small stool at the entrance, eating wontons from an enamel bowl. When he saw Li Hongfeng and the others, the smile on his face froze, and he even forgot to chew the wontons in his mouth.

Before Ma Youcai could react, Li Hongfeng rushed forward, grabbed him by the collar, and slapped him twice across the face.

The enamel bowl in Ma Youcai's hand fell to the ground with a "clatter," scattering wontons all over the floor. He was so dizzy from the beating that blood was flowing from the corner of his mouth.

"Hey kid, do you still recognize me?"

Li Hongfeng's voice was as cold as ice, and the anger in his eyes was almost bursting out.

"Holy crap! Dad, you were too fast!"

Seeing this, not to mention others, even Li Yunjing was stunned.

Did I waste my breath last night?

Why is Dad still so impulsive?

Who comes up and beats someone up without asking any questions?

And you say you shouldn't hit someone in the face? That's...

Li Yunjing was speechless. He could only quickly walk to Li Hongfeng's side to guard against Ma Youcai's counterattack and potential harm to his father.

Hearing the commotion, people gathered around, forming several layers, all eager to watch the spectacle.

It took Ma Youcai a while to see who was in front of him.

Isn't that the "country bumpkin" who came to buy a freezer last week?

He had no intention of shipping the goods after receiving the deposit, thinking that since the other party was from the town, even if they found out they had been scammed, they might not dare to come to his door. He never expected that this family would actually come and even dare to hit him.

"You fucking dare hit me!"

Once Ma Youcai recovered, he also became angry and struggled to push Li Hongfeng away, saying, "Do you know whose territory this is?"

"You haven't heard of Master Ma Youcai?"

"Believe it or not, I'll make sure you never leave Jiangwa!"

"Ma Youcai, you're pretty cocky, aren't you!"

Upon hearing the commotion, the two security officers moved swiftly, like well-trained cheetahs, grabbing Ma Youcai from the left and right.