Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 251 The Troublemaker (Wow, that's something!)

The only downside was the excessive smoke inside. Opening the door released hot air, but keeping it closed was incredibly irritating to the eyes. It was amazing that everyone in the room could stand it. Xiao Wei asked Huang Laowu, "Don't you guys feel the smoke in your eyes?"

Huang Laowu blinked and asked, "Is it choking? I didn't feel anything?"

Chen Hui said, "They've been indoors all along, so they've gotten used to it. This room needs two exhaust fans; it's really not working like this. If you suddenly come in, you can't even open your eyes."

Huang Laowu glanced at the back window. If they were to install an exhaust fan, it could only be installed at this end. He asked, "Won't the room get cold if we install that? It would allow air to circulate between the inside and outside."

Xiao Wei said, "I'll go check on the stove this afternoon to add coal; the restaurant is closed for the day."

Huang Laowu said, "Why so early?"

Xiao Wei said, "When we're cleaning the house, the carpenter can't open the table to work. Installing an exhaust fan won't cool things down either. I saw that the one in the yard has a louvered back that can be closed when not in use, so the air can't blow in. After you install it, you don't have to keep it running all the time. Just turn it on every one or two hours, because the smoke is really too much."

Huang Laowu glanced at the back window, nodded, and said, "Okay, I'll get one and screw it on tomorrow."

Chen Hui looked at the people playing ball and asked, "How's business? What time do you close?"

Huang Laowu said, "It's alright. People usually start arriving around nine in the morning and leave around nine or ten at night. There are no overnight stays yet."

Xiao Wei asked, "Does this include overnight stays?"

Huang Laowu laughed and said, "Yes, of course we do. There will be more all-nighters in the future. Those who gamble on football usually do it all-nighters."

Xiao Wei asked, "So you guys have to stay with them?"

Huang Laowu said, "It depends on the situation. If we're close enough, we don't have to accompany them. They're people we know well, and they can't do anything about it. But if we're only half-acquainted with them or they're not capable, we have to accompany them. What if they take a few poles or damage the case? Then we won't be able to find them."

As they were talking, someone came over to pay, and the sixth game started. Huang Laowu collected the money, went over to set up the balls, walked back, drew a timer on a small blackboard hanging on the wall, then took out a small notebook from his pocket and wrote it down again. Chen Hui leaned over to watch him write and asked, "Why are you making this so complicated? How many questions do you have to memorize?"

Huang Laowu put away the notebook and said, "This is for bookkeeping, and that is for keeping track of time. We'll have to erase it and rewrite it in a bit."

Suddenly, a commotion broke out over there, and the people gathered around scattered in an instant, even those playing ball at the adjacent tables moved aside.

Huang Laowu cursed and walked over, with Xiao Wei and the other two following behind him.

On the third table, two people were playing a game of cockfighting, staring at each other with wide, bulging eyes, cursing under their breath, but not actually fighting. One of them held a cue stick, while the other was empty-handed.

Huang Laowu walked over and asked, "What's all the commotion about? What's wrong?"

The guy with the cue pointed at the guy standing there and said, "I'm playing here, and this jerk is just standing there nagging on and on. One minute I'm not hitting the ball properly, the next minute I'm having bad luck, and then he says I'm clumsy. What are you pretending for while watching the game? If you're so capable, come down and play!"

The one standing there said, "What? What's wrong with me saying that? You're a terrible player, so I can't even say it?"

Huang Laowu tilted his head and looked at him, saying, "What are you doing? Do you play ball?"

The man said, "Can't I take a look?"

Huang Laowu frowned and said, "If you're not going to play, then watch, but can't you shut your mouth? What are you babbling about?"

The man glared at him and said, "What's wrong? What's wrong with that? If you don't want people to talk, then don't fight. What's the point of playing if you can't handle it?"

Huang Laowu asked, "If he stops hitting me, will you give me the money? Come on, six tables, even if it's eight hours a day, it's 720. Come and get the money, and then I'll clear them all out."

The man scoffed, "Why should I ask you for money? Do I owe you anything?"

Huang Laowu narrowed his eyes and said, "You're the one who stops people from playing ball, and then you don't even pay them. Are you just deliberately trying to ruin my business? If you're not going to play ball, why are you causing trouble here?"

Huang Laowu went up and grabbed him by the collar, turning to Hei Zi standing to the side and saying, "Watch out." He pulled the kid outside, saying, "Come on, let's go outside and talk. I just don't understand, coming here to freeload on my heating and causing trouble, and you even think you're right?"

The man forcefully pulled at Huang Laowu's hand, shouting, "Let go of me, or I'll make sure your business fails, you believe me? Let go, you hear me?" Huang Laowu dragged him towards the door. Huang Laowu was tall and thin, but he was surprisingly strong, and he always had a smile on his face. It was quite frightening when he suddenly lost his temper.

The onlookers made way for him, and Huang Laowu pulled the others out. Hei Zi said, "Come on, come on, let's play ball. Those of you watching, shut up! If you're not playing, then stop being a busybody. Come on, let's play ball. I'll give you ten minutes at each of these tables." As he spoke, he went over and grabbed some chalk to add ten minutes to each table.

One of the players laughed and said, "Hey, that's something! Come on, whoever does another one, a few more hits and we don't have to pay." Everyone laughed, the players continued playing, and the spectators sat back down by the fireplace, and the room returned to its noisy and bustling state.

Xiao Wei, Xia Maosheng, and Chen Hui followed Huang Laowu out the door and onto the open ground. Several people who wanted to watch the excitement also came out and stood at the entrance of the billiard hall with their necks hunched and hands tucked in.

"Let me go." Once outside, the space was bigger, and the man got more energetic, shaking Huang Laowu's arm vigorously. The sleeves of his cotton-padded jacket were torn and rolled up quite a bit, exposing Huang Laowu's forearm, which was covered with red marks from the man's scratches.

Huang Laowu grabbed the boy by the collar, shoved him backward, then pulled him back, and swung him around violently, throwing the boy to the ground in the snow. He then kicked the boy in the face. The boy cried out, clutching his face as he lay on the ground, cursing, "Fuck you, you hit me! I'll ruin your business, fuck you!" Huang Laowu went to kick him again, but Xiao Wei stopped him, saying, "Alright, alright, stop hitting him. Aren't you tired? Xiao Hui, go get the car and take him to the police station. Next time, if Laowu causes trouble, don't use your hands; just take him to the police station."

Chen Hui ran over and drove the car over. Xia Maosheng opened the car door, and Xiao Wei went over, grabbed the kid's clothes, lifted him up, and threw him into the car. He said to Huang Laowu, "You watch the shop, I'll take it over." He and Xia Maosheng got into the car, closed the door, and drove around to the police station.

Huang Laowu rubbed his scratched left arm with one hand as he entered the house. Those who had come to watch the commotion followed him in, asking, "Laowu, who are these guys? They're pretty tough."

"That skinny kid is surprisingly strong, damn, he picked him up and threw him into the car."

"Fifth Brother, who are these three? I see the license plate is from Fengtian."

Huang Laowu resumed his grinning demeanor and said, "People? How could they not be awesome? This whole area, including this shop, belongs to them. When the restaurant opened, the city's top boss and the police chief both came. Don't you think they're awesome?"

"Isn't this your business? It's not your business!"

(End of this chapter)