Chapter 1427 - 1421: Brought It on Himself
"Holy crap, that's brutal! You really went too hard on him, kid. If you hit him again, his brains might spill out. Could you have killed him?" Zhao Zhonghai finally sighed in relief as he approached Lin Chuan, but upon seeing Shi Rongguang looking like a pile of mud, he gasped again.
"No worries, I aimed at the right spot before hitting. Didn't touch any critical areas. Give him a few days, and he should be fine. I did it mainly to scare these clueless villagers," Lin Chuan grinned mischievously, whispering.
"You really are something, kid. But when his father comes for trouble, don't drag me into it. I've already been hit several times, even have a lump on my head. Had I known there'd be a fight today, I would've come prepared with some gear. Now I've just taken a beating for nothing," Zhao Zhonghai complained bitterly.
Lin Chuan smiled, patting Zhao Zhonghai on the shoulder to comfort him, "Don't worry, there won't be any more fights. If his father comes questioning, I'll make sure to only reveal your mighty act after you've left Stone Village, accidentally turning his son into a dice."
Zhao Zhonghai's face turned noticeably darker, and he smacked Lin Chuan hard without saying a word further.
The group of thugs gathered around Shi Rongguang. Two leaders instructed the rest to carry Shi Rongguang home and then deal with those whom Lin Chuan had knocked out.
Going back and forth, they ended up forgetting about Lin Chuan and Zhao Zhonghai altogether, not caring whether they stayed or left.
"Let's go, I'm in a good mood today, so I'll treat you to a feast!" Lin Chuan said with a laugh, patting Zhao Zhonghai as he noticed the group was about done with their work.
Prompted by Lin Chuan, Zhao Zhonghai did feel a bit hungry, tossed away the wooden stick in his hand, and asked, "Brother Chuan, I've helped you a lot today. You must reward me well. Skip the luxury hotels, but we should at least go to a decent restaurant. Not asking for much, just want three soups, four dishes, and unlimited beer."
If they went back to the Huang family's house to change clothes, they'd surely be discovered by Huang Mengqi's family, and explaining would be awkward. So never mind that; as long as they had money, they didn't believe any restaurant would kick guests out.
Since Stone Village was small, there weren't any dining places within the village. Lin Chuan led Zhao Zhonghai to the town and eventually stopped in front of a bun shop.
"Here we are, let's go in!" Lin Chuan glanced at the not-so-large bun shop and spoke to Zhao Zhonghai.
Zhao Zhonghai looked up at the bun shop ahead, then scanned the surroundings, finding that this was the only food-selling bun shop around.
"Weren't we talking about having three soups and four dishes? In a place like this? It's probably difficult to even have one soup and one dish," Zhao Zhonghai was full of frustration and doubt.
Lin Chuan nodded affirmatively, "Exactly here. If not for seeing you almost turned into minced meat, I wouldn't have brought you to such a luxurious place!"
Zhao Zhonghai didn't argue further because his stomach was already suggesting otherwise. He gritted his teeth and reluctantly walked into the bun shop first, followed closely by Lin Chuan.
"Here you go, thirty buns as requested." The young staff from the bun shop came over with several baskets of buns, placed the steaming baskets on Lin Chuan and Zhao Zhonghai's table, and turned to attend other customers.
The buns were ordinary, enough for most people to feel full after eating a dozen or twenty. Lin Chuan ordered thirty first, adding more later so that the buns wouldn't get cold.
Zhao Zhonghai was fuming, his face turning purple with anger. The more he looked at the buns, the more upset he got. They had planned to have a proper meal, and Lin Chuan ended up tricking him into a shabby place to eat buns.
Can eating buns replace fine wine? Can eating buns substitute gourmet dishes?
Lin Chuan, however, paid no mind to that. Seeing the buns served, he first requested three bowls from the young staff, then busied himself pouring three bowls of plain water. Afterward, he poured two dishes of vinegar, with a few drops of sesame oil on each.
"Three soups and four dishes, not bad at all." Lin Chuan looked at the food on the table, nodding as he muttered.
"Brother Chuan, has getting beaten made you stupid? Where's the 'three soups and four dishes'? I can't see it," Zhao Zhonghai couldn't stand it anymore, asked with a pout.
Pointing at the three bowls of plain water on the table, Lin Chuan laughed and explained, "What is soup made of? Water, right? So these three bowls of plain water are the three soups. As for the four dishes, let me ask you, what do you need to use when cooking a dish? Yes, vinegar, so these two dishes of vinegar are two of the dishes."
Zhao Zhonghai was utterly impressed by Lin Chuan's logic, devoured several buns, and then asked, "Even if we go by your explanation that three bowls of plain water are three soups, and two cheap vinegars are two dishes, where are the other two dishes?"
Looking at the table, aside from the buns that Lin Chuan hadn't meddled with, everything else was accounted for. He couldn't just consider the buns as the remaining two dishes, could he?
"Didn't you see I specially added a few drops of sesame oil to the vinegar just now?" Lin Chuan said, quite annoyed. "I'm a man of my word. When I said I'd take you for three soups and four dishes, I won't deceive you." He paused, then added, "Besides, I ordered so many buns, which I'm providing as a free staple."
"...!" Zhao Zhonghai almost spat out the bun he had just bitten into, hurriedly took a sip of soup (plain water) to swallow it down.
By the time they returned to Stone Village, it was already afternoon. Zhao Zhonghai had planned to leave, but after lunch, Lin Chuan forcibly dragged him back.
"Lunch was just a warm-up. The real action is in the afternoon; today's success or failure hinges entirely on this afternoon." Lin Chuan said with a sly grin, which made Zhao Zhonghai's hair stand on end, unsure of what he was up to.
Shi Rongguang was beaten by Lin Chuan and another young man, and it was bad enough that he was unconscious, seemingly on the verge of death.
This news quickly spread like wildfire in the small Stone Village. Most people were secretly thrilled upon hearing it; after dominating the village for so long, it was about time someone taught him a lesson.
Besides those who watched the spectacle with glee, some were secretly worried for Lin Chuan. After all, he had beaten the village chief's son. Even if Shi Rongguang wasn't dead, Lin Chuan's life might as well be over. Naturally, the ones most worried were the Huang Mengqi's family.
The first to inform Huang Mengqi of the news was Huang Guiguo. Upon hearing it, Huang Mengqi's mother couldn't stop crying, worried about Lin Chuan's future and the Huang family's fate in Stone Village.
After Huang Guiguo conveyed the news, he stayed at Huang Mengqi's home, intending to ask Lin Chuan about the details when he returned. After Huang Mengqi heard the news, she wanted to go find Lin Chuan, but she halted her steps before leaving the house.
Lin Chuan didn't return home for lunch, most likely because he left Stone Village due to this matter. Deep down, Huang Mengqi hoped Lin Chuan could disappear far away, never to see her again. This way, maybe he wouldn't get caught and face imprisonment. After all, this whole mess started because of her.
Lin Chuan and Zhao Zhonghai didn't go to Huang Mengqi's house but headed directly to the village chief Shi Houcai's home. On the way, Lin Chuan worried that the village chief might cause trouble at Huang Mengqi's house for his son's revenge, so he secretly sent Zi Tong there first. If there was really a commotion, Lin Chuan felt reassured with Zi Tong present.
"Bang!"
A loud thud abruptly echoed in the empty room. Shi Houcai's hand slammed onto the marble coffee table, his body slightly hunched, his face livid, and his lips quivering with anger.
When his second son, Shi Rongguang, was carried into the house, he was unrecognizable. Shi Houcai's wife nearly fainted from fright, promptly calling for an ambulance.
After watching his wife and second son get into the ambulance, Shi Houcai didn't go with them. He sat alone in the house, brooding over the incident with increasing frustration.
He pulled out his phone and dialed Director Pang at the township police station, embellishing his account before hanging up, plotting how to get rid of Lin Chuan for good.
Just then, the gate to the empty courtyard was pushed open, and two young men walked in. Shi Houcai immediately recognized one of them.
"You brat, you actually have the guts to walk in here on your own. You've brought this upon yourself," Shi Houcai quickly took out his phone and redialed the previous number.
"Hello, Director Pang, it's Shi Houcai. The suspect I just reported is now at my house. Hurry and send someone over; I'm worried he's here to cause trouble. This brat might be drunk and he's brought an accomplice. I can't handle them alone. Okay, thank you!"
After hanging up, a sinister look flashed in Shi Houcai's eyes.
On the way here, Lin Chuan had already shared his plan with Zhao Zhonghai, advising him on what to note at Shi Houcai's home. They discussed as they walked, finally arriving at Shi Houcai's place.
Shi Houcai's home was a standalone small villa, decently decorated on the outside, standing out when compared to the surrounding houses. As soon as they entered, Lin Chuan spotted Shi Houcai sitting in the first-floor living room.
When enemies meet, their eyes blaze with anger. Now seeing Lin Chuan, Shi Houcai wished more than anything to tear him apart. But thinking that soon people from the township police station would arrive, after imprisoning them, he would pull strings to ensure they get a taste of suffering inside.
"Are you the village chief of Stone Village?" Lin Chuan asked with a smile as he approached the doorway, seeing that Shi Houcai didn't come out on his own.