Chapter 61: I’m Here, Don’t Worry
Chapter 61: Chapter 61: I’m Here, Don’t Worry
Li Feifei pressed her temples, her face full of dilemma and exhaustion as she forced a smile. "Oh, Chen, please don’t make things difficult for me, okay? I’ve been hit with inspiration recently and I’m writing a new song. It’s all about someone as generous and loyal as you..."
"Shoo, shoo, shoo!" Chen interrupted impatiently, the fat on his face trembling. "Cut the crap! My ears are getting calluses from hearing your sweet talk! At my age, I’m not going to play these fake romance games with you.
"You want me to stop bothering you? Want me to keep throwing money at you to support your career like before? Fine! Then we do things by my rules!" He stared at Li Dehui, his tone carrying a naked threat and a demand for exchange.
He took a step closer. "How can there be sparks of love without the friction of bodies? Don’t worry, as long as you leave with me today and serve me well, I’ll only tip you more in the future! I guarantee you won’t lack money. How about it?"
Li Dehui’s expression turned even uglier. "Oh, Chen, the thing is, I’ve really been feeling unwell these past few days. I’m afraid I’ll spoil your mood..."
"Bitch! You’re trying to fool me again!" Completely out of patience, Chen lunged forward, reaching out to grab her by force.
Terrified, Li Dehui shrank back. Two security guards immediately stepped forward to block him.
Seeing this, Chen knew he couldn’t take advantage by using brute force here. "Fine! You don’t have to agree! But over this past month, I’ve tipped you at least a hundred thousand! I’ll round it down and call it exactly a hundred thousand!
"Right now, return that hundred thousand to me in full! Once I have the money, I’ll leave immediately and never bother you again! Otherwise..." He glared fiercely at Li Dehui and Manager Zhang. "I don’t believe you can hide in this nightclub for the rest of your life!"
Manager Zhang looked troubled as he turned to Li Dehui.
Li Dehui’s face instantly turned pale. She knew very well that Chen was a man of his word. Yesterday, she had managed to stall by drinking with him until he passed out, but today, he wasn’t falling for that trick at all.
"C-Chen," Li Dehui said, her voice trembling. "The money you tipped went through the company’s accounts. After all the cuts, what actually reached my hands... was only a bit over thirty thousand, and I’ve already spent it all. C-Could you give me some time? I-I’ll find a way to gather the money and pay you back, okay?"
"Thirty thousand? Are you fucking dismissing a beggar?!" Chen slammed his hand on the nearby table, causing the wine glasses to rattle. "I don’t care about your bullshit cuts! I gave the money for you, Li Feifei, so you are the only one I hold responsible! Now, you have two choices.
"Either obediently come with me! Or immediately return my hundred thousand! I won’t accept a penny less!"
Li Dehui looked desperately at Manager Zhang, lowering her voice to ask anxiously, "Manager Zhang, do you think... the company could advance the money for me first?"
Manager Zhang shook his head decisively, his voice equally hushed. "Feifei, this money has already gone into the boss’s pocket. How could he spit it back out? It’s impossible."
Li Dehui’s heart turned completely cold as she sighed inwardly, "Alas... it looks like I’m doomed today. If worse comes to worst, I’ll just have to..."
Just then, a voice she was incredibly familiar with rang out clearly, though it carried an icy chill at this moment. "Here is thirty thousand. I’ve added a bit of interest, five thousand. That’s thirty-five thousand in total. Take the money and leave."
Li Dehui’s head snapped up. She looked toward the source of the voice, a mix of shock and joy on her face. "Chen’Er?!"
At some point, Fang Chen had silently slipped through the crowd and approached them. Holding three stacks of cash, he counted out another five thousand and held it out to Chen. However, Chen simply stared at him coldly, showing no intention of taking it.
Chen looked the young, student-like man up and down, his tone extremely aggressive. "Where the fuck did you pop out from?" He swung his arm violently, slapping Fang Chen’s outstretched hand with a loud SMACK!
The bills went flying, scattering across the floor. Some even fluttered to the feet of the onlooking patrons, but given the tense atmosphere, no one dared to bend down and pick them up.
Looking at the scattered cash, Fang Chen’s eyes instantly turned cold. "Pick it up," he said frostily.
Chen acted as if he had just heard the funniest joke in the world, dramatically digging a finger into his ear. "What? What did you just say, kid?"
Fang Chen enunciated every word, his voice not loud but piercing, "I. Told. You. To. Pick. It. Up!"
"Ha!" Laughing out of sheer anger, Chen turned to Manager Zhang. "Manager Zhang, is this fucker also from your nightclub? With this kind of attitude?"
Manager Zhang quickly waved his hands. "No, no, Chen. We don’t know this guy."
Li Dehui hurried forward and grabbed Fang Chen’s arm, explaining to Chen, "Chen, he... he’s my brother. He’s young and ignorant, so please don’t lower yourself to his level." She then lowered her voice, asking Fang Chen with anxiety and worry, "Why are you here?"
Fang Chen lifted the thermal lunchbox he had been carrying in his other hand, his tone softening a bit. "Mom saw you hadn’t eaten, so she asked me to bring you some food. I just happened to run into this mess." He gently patted the back of Li Dehui’s hand to reassure her. His tone carried a steadiness that didn’t match his age. "It’s okay, Dehui. I’m here."
Chen was completely enraged by Fang Chen’s words. He gave a sinister smile, revealing his smoke-stained yellow teeth. "Heh, kid, are you deaf? Fine, you want to play the hero? If you can instantly put a hundred thousand on the table right now, I’ll let this matter drop!
"Otherwise, don’t blame me for being ruthless! Your sister might have people protecting her in this nightclub, but I don’t believe anyone is watching your back!"
He looked provocatively at Manager Zhang. The manager avoided his gaze, clearly having no intention of protecting the boy. Receiving this silent signal of acquiescence, Chen grew even more arrogant and shot a look to the space behind him.
Facing the threat, Fang Chen’s expression didn’t waver in the slightest as he retorted, "My sister made it very clear. Out of your hundred thousand tip, after the company took its cut, only thirty thousand reached her hands.
"Even if it must be refunded, everyone should only return the actual amount they received.
"Could it be that you think the boss of Pattaya is too tough to mess with, so you’re too scared to ask them for it, and are instead forcing the entire debt onto a weak woman like my sister?"
His tone was unapologetic as he continued, "Besides, I’ve never heard of anyone forcibly demanding tipped money back.
"What, do you think this is Douyin? That you can just get a refund? Moreover, you don’t look like a minor to me."
"What the fuck are you blabbering about Yin and Yang! Old Tian! Throw this sharp-tongued brat out of here!" Chen flew into a humiliated rage, too lazy to waste any more breath.
As his voice fell, the lean, tough-looking man who had been standing silently behind him stepped forward. He wore sunglasses and an old denim jacket, looking to be around fifty years old. His steady footsteps instantly attracted Fang Chen’s attention.
Fang Chen’s Perception sharply picked up on the Aura emanating from the man—fluctuations of True Qi! Although it was very faint, it was undeniably the unique energy response of a True Martial Realm Martial Artist. However, this Aura was superficial and ungrounded. Clearly, the man had just stepped into the True Martial Realm recently, and his foundation was not yet stable. Fang Chen quickly assessed the situation in his mind, "His strength is probably... about zero point eight times the level of Li Shanqiang."