The pushover offended a top-tier boss

Chapter 38 Local Bully

Ye Zhenzhen was staying home feeling bored.

Meng Chen called her several times, but she didn't answer. He sent her several WeChat messages, but she didn't reply either.

She didn't know what to say, and hadn't yet decided whether to stay or leave this relationship.

The restaurants are also empty; they're not allowed to operate. The county says they need to prepare for an inspection from higher authorities, so all shops along the street are prohibited from setting up stalls outside, not even barbecue grills.

Mr. and Mrs. Ye were bored out of their minds and in a bad mood.

Around 3 p.m., Ye Zhenzhen was lying in her room, lost in thought, when she suddenly heard a commotion downstairs.

With a loud bang, the shop door was kicked open.

Ye Zhenzhen was startled. She sat up in bed and walked to the top of the stairs to look down.

Several men stood in the shop, each covered in colorful tattoos, wearing thick gold chains around their necks, and smoking cigarettes. One of the men, with a buzz cut, was accompanied by a young girl who looked to be in her early twenties; she kept her head down and trembled.

"Hello, we're closed today," Mr. Ye said with a forced smile as he came out of the kitchen.

"Why the hell is the whole street closed?" The man in the lead, a burly bald man with a blue dragon tattooed on his neck, glanced into the shop. "I can't even find a place to eat."

"We're having an inspection by higher-ups soon, so all these small shops have been closed. What do you think—"

"The leaders are nothing!" The bald man slammed his fist on the table. "In the entire Nanjiang County, who doesn't know Brother Long? I heard your food is pretty good, so get it ready for me! Stop talking nonsense!"

Ye Zhenzhen stood on the stairs, looking at the men, feeling a little uneasy.

She went downstairs to her parents and whispered, "Dad, who are these people?"

Mr. Ye lowered his voice, his face grim: "They're probably one of Brother Long's men. We can't afford to offend them. Let's quickly make something and send them away."

"Who is Brother Long?"

"This gang leader is someone no one in the entire Nanjiang County dares to mess with. All these henchmen are his followers. The merchants on this street have to pay him a monthly tribute of two thousand each."

"Why should I?" Ye Zhenzhen asked, her eyes wide.

"If you don't give it to us, we'll smash up your shop and make sure you can't do business." Mr. Ye sighed, lowering his voice even further. "There was a young couple who challenged us before. They smashed up our shop, broke one of their legs, and ended up closing down the shop."

"Is there no law anymore? Don't the police care?"

"Oh dear, they're all in cahoots. Why do you think they're so arrogant?"

Ye Zhenzhen was furious; this small place was full of local bullies.

The Ye couple busied themselves in the kitchen for a while, cooking a few dishes and grilling some skewers before bringing them up. The men sat in the shop, drinking, eating, laughing loudly, and swearing.

The girl was forced into a chair, while a man with a scar on his face kept pouring her drinks.

"Brother, I really can't drink anymore, please..." The girl's voice was trembling with tears as she held the wine glass in both hands.

The scarred man grabbed her chin and forced a glass of strong liquor down her throat: "Can't drink it? If this mouth can't handle it, how about another one?"

"Waiter, another bottle of wine, please."

Several people laughed lewdly, their laughter grating and disgusting.

Ye Zhenzhen, who was helping to serve the dishes, felt a pang of pity upon seeing this scene.

The girl looked up and gave her a pleading look.

She gritted her teeth, quietly went into the kitchen, and replaced the bottle of liquor with water.

The men continued drinking.

However, just a few minutes later, the scarred man took a sip, his expression changed, and he slammed the glass on the table: "Why the hell is this liquor water?!"

Ye Zhenzhen came out of the kitchen, her voice trembling slightly: "She can't drink anymore. You can't do this."

The scarred man looked up and squinted at her.

"You feel so sorry for her, why don't you drink it for her?" He stood up, staggered over to Ye Zhenzhen, and lifted her chin with his finger. "This little wench is quite pretty."

Ye Zhenzhen slapped his hand away: "Let go of me!"

"Damn, that's pretty spicy." The scarred man laughed and reached out to grab her arm.

When Ye's parents saw their daughter being bullied, they could no longer bear it.

Father Ye grabbed a stool and swung it at him:

"You bunch of bastards!"

"You old bastard, you're asking for it!" Another man kicked Ye's father in the leg, and Ye's father groaned and fell to the ground.

Ye Zhenzhen screamed and rushed over to help her father, but her hair was grabbed from behind, and she felt a sharp pain in her scalp.

Ye Zhenzhen struggled and, in her panic, grabbed an empty wine bottle from the table and smashed it over his head.

With a "bang," the bottle shattered.

The scarred man clutched his head, blood seeping from between his fingers. He froze for a moment, his expression shifting from shock to rage.

"Damn it! How dare you hit me!" He slapped Ye Zhenzhen across the face.

Ye Zhenzhen felt a burning pain on her face, her ears were ringing, and she staggered several steps.

"This little chick's got some fire," the scarred man said, wiping the blood from his face and grinning maliciously. "If I don't teach her a lesson today, I'll change my surname to yours."

"Let me go! Let me go!" Ye Zhenzhen struggled desperately, but the two men grabbed her arms on either side and dragged her away.

She was shoved into a black minivan.

The moment the car door closed, she heard her mother's heart-wrenching cries.

She was trembling all over; she was terrified.

The car stopped at the most famous nightclub in the county, the Platinum Palace. It was brightly lit, the music was deafening, and the air was filled with the smells of smoke, alcohol, and perfume.

Ye Zhenzhen was dragged inside and pushed into a private room.

The lighting was dim, and several men were sitting on the sofa. The one in the middle, wearing a black Tang suit and holding a cigar, was the so-called "Brother Long".

"Hey, where did you find her? She's got a real hottie." Brother Long exhaled a puff of smoke and squinted at her.

"Brother Long, this is fresh, it's really spicy, even Brother Meng dares to blow his head off."

"Let me go!" Ye Zhenzhen struggled, her voice already hoarse.

In the corner of the private room, the girl was also there. Her clothes were torn, revealing half of her shoulder, and she was curled up on the sofa, trembling all over. Several men surrounded her, pinching her chin and forcing her to drink.

"You little bitch, you think you can get away with it by running away?" The scarred man walked over and slapped the girl. "Debts must be repaid."

The girl cried and begged for mercy: "Brother Meng, Brother Long, please spare my life, I promise I'll never do it again."

"Alright," the man smiled, a smile that sent chills down your spine, "show this lady a lesson on how to serve people."

"Brother, please, please let me go..." the girl pleaded in fear.

Another slap landed: "You little bitch, you don't know what's good for you. Let's all go at her and teach her a lesson."

Three men surrounded her and began groping her. The girl let out a heart-wrenching scream.

Ye Zhenzhen's hair was being pulled, forcing her to watch this scene.

"Watch closely, it'll be your turn soon," the scarred man whispered in her ear.

Ye Zhenzhen felt ice-cold all over.

She truly regretted it now, regretting why she had felt compassion.

Instead of saving others, he ended up getting himself involved.

"My parents have already called the police, please let me go..." Her voice trembled.

"Call the police? Hahaha." Laughter erupted from the private room.

"Got a cell phone? Call them." The man laughed arrogantly. "Call anyone you want. In the entire Nanjing County, who dares to come to Platinum Palace's place?"

"Do you have a boyfriend? Call him. Tell him to come and rescue you."

"While we're at it, let's see how we're messing with your girlfriend, hahaha."

The laughter grew louder and more lewd.

Ye Zhenzhen's hands were shaking so badly she could barely hold her phone.

Call Meng Chen?

What can he do? Even if he comes, what can he do? Reason with these desperados?

Right now, perhaps only one person can save him.

That was her only hope.

She dialed a number with trembling hands.

The phone kept ringing.

Each sound felt like an eternity had passed.

One sound, two sounds...