Chapter 23: Take It Easy
If Cao Weida hadn’t read the original work, he might have been deceived by Zong Xiangfang.
Zong Xiangfang in public: timid and afraid of trouble, weak-willed, hides when encountering problems, lacks ambition, gets by, and is servile to everyone.
But the real Zong Xiangfang: sharp-minded, with strong deductive abilities, shrewd in his actions, a ruthless Military Statistics Bureau special agent!
Which of the special agents isn’t skilled in all sorts of things?
Even the second shopkeeper of the Military Statistics Bureau’s joke shop has his specialties.
If his superior hadn’t ordered him to lie low and forbidden him from climbing the ranks, how could he still be a mere patrolman after graduating from the police academy?
Having come from the Military Statistics Bureau, he should have been arrogant. To be humiliated by such a punk, anyone with a bit of pride would surely be enraged.
A flicker of killing intent flashed and then disappeared, replaced by a fawning smile: “Yes, yes, yes, how could I have any face? But Biao Ye, you are a big shot, why bother with small fry like us.”
Biao Ye clearly wasn’t buying it. He shoved him away and roared with menacing aura, “Get lost! I’ll bother whoever I want, and if you dare say one more word, I’ll crack your head open today, believe it or not?!”
“.” Zong Xiangfang tugged Cao Weida’s sleeve and whispered, “Brother, endure it, it’ll pass if you endure it. Quickly apologize to Biao Ye.”
“Thanks, brother. You go to the side, don’t get yourself involved.” Cao Weida smiled. In the past, he had been obsequious, all for the sake of showing off now.
Apologize?
If I apologize to a mere punk, then wouldn’t my efforts to curry favor with Ono Shiota be in vain!
Having already acquired this ‘tiger’s skin’, not to exploit it would be a disservice to myself!
Moreover, he couldn’t apologize at this moment. If Ono Shiota and the others found out about this, what would they think of him?
“Oh, we’re brothers, and you turn around and bow to a punk?”
“Fine, you can go wherever it’s cool, I’m not playing with you anymore!”
Therefore, by all reasons and principles, he could not back down.
Before transmigration, he quite enjoyed reading novels. Novels usually have protagonists, and he himself was a transmigrator with a system, so he should generally be considered the protagonist, right?
So, is this Biao Ye the first villain he’s encountered?
Then again, this villain is a bit too small.
Humph, everyone step back, it’s time for Master Cao to show off!
Turning, he looked at Biao Ye with a playful expression: “Biao Ye, is it? I’m standing right here, what do you want?”
“This is hilarious. You, a rat from a sewer, not only don’t hide far away from me, a cat, but you even dare to bare your teeth at me. Who gave you the courage? Liang Jingru?”
Who is Liang Jingru?
Biao Ye was somewhat taken aback, but he figured it wasn’t someone respectable.
“Well, you’ve certainly grown a lot today, you’ve got some serious guts!” Biao Ye was amused and, at the same time, provoked.
In his mind, Cao Weida should have been terrified and begging for mercy, but the situation was not developing as he expected, and he was even being provoked.
If I don’t teach him a lesson today, where will Biao Ye’s face be, and how will I be able to command respect in the future!
Feeling his face had been lost, Biao Ye flew into a rage and glared fiercely at Cao Weida, “Fine, fine, fine, it seems you’ve truly grown a pair!”
“Brothers, give him a good welcome…”
Before he could finish, Cao Weida preempted him, grabbed a nearby stool, and swung it at Biao Ye’s head.
CRASH~~
One must admit, the materials used in those days were sturdy. The all-wood stool made a loud sound when it hit his forehead!
“Ah!!”
Biao Ye screamed, and fresh blood gushed from his forehead like it was free, startling the onlookers.
Good heavens, this patrolman doesn’t look strong, but he’s got quite a bit of courage!
“Biao Ye!” A group of his subordinates were also startled, clearly not expecting Cao Weida to make the first move.
Biao Ye clutched his bleeding head and cursed, “Biao your grandma! Are you all dead?! Beat him! I’ll take responsibility if he’s killed!”
“Damn it, you dare hit your Grandpa Biao Ye! If I don’t kill you today, I’ll write my name backward!”
The subordinates finally reacted and immediately grabbed their weapons, preparing to attack.
But after only two steps forward, they all stopped abruptly. Their once arrogant and wild faces instantly froze, turning to terror. They hastily tried to retreat, tripping over each other in chaos.
“Attack, why aren’t you attacking?”
Cao Weida watched them with a smile.
The subordinates cursed inwardly, “Damn it, just put down the gun! You’ve pulled out a gun, who dares to attack!”
That’s right, Cao Weida was currently holding a Browning, its muzzle pointed directly at them.
“Damn it, you only have one gun, and I have over ten brothers here. Can you kill us all?!” Seeing Cao Weida draw his gun, Biao Ye’s expression also changed.
But he refused to lose face despite being outmatched. If he cowered now, how could he hold his head up in front of his subordinates?
Despite his fear, he forced himself to be brave, exuding a subtle air of forced composure.
Zong Xiangfang, standing nearby, was also stunned. He quickly glanced around and then rushed over, whispering, “Brother, have you gone mad! Where did you get a gun? We patrolmen aren’t issued firearms. The Imperial Army is nearby, are you suicidal?! Put it away quickly!”
“Don’t worry, this gun is on record.” Cao Weida gave him a reassuring look. This gun was certainly not privately acquired; it had been specifically approved for him by Ono Shiota.
After all, Beiping was currently chaotic, and someone as sensible as Cao Weida, who could help them make money, naturally deserved some special consideration.
A pistol was no big deal.
After offering an explanation, he looked back at Biao Ye and his group, a forced smile on his face.
“You’re right, my Browning only has seven rounds. There are over ten of you, so I can’t kill you all.”
Before Biao Ye could feel smug, Cao Weida continued with a smirk, “But I only need to kill seven people. Whoever dares to come forward, I’ll kill them.”
“My one life for your seven lives, it’s quite a good deal.”
“So, who wants to sacrifice themselves for others and come with me?”
The subordinates looked terrified and all stepped back several paces.
Sacrificing oneself for others, my ass!
Who is the ‘others’ and who is the fool!
Seriously, whose life isn’t precious? In this line of work, how many days do you have? Who’s going to risk their life!
Seeing this, Cao Weida couldn’t help but laugh. He knew it; if they had such a high spirit of sacrifice, why would they be thugs?
Biao Ye naturally saw this too. His face was stiff, but he refused to lose face, so he forced himself to grit out, “You’ve got guts this time, but I’m not convinced! If you’re a man, have the guts to face me one-on-one!”
“.” Cao Weida rolled his eyes and sneered, “Whether I’m a man doesn’t require your acknowledgment. What a clumsy attempt at provocation.”
“On the other hand, you, who keep calling yourself a man, brought over a dozen subordinates to bully a young girl. Is this what you call being a man? Do you even deserve to be called a man?!”
“Pah! You’re an insult to the word ‘man’! Even a woman has more integrity than you!”
Biao Ye’s face turned red, and his breathing grew rapid.
Although there were no curse words, these words were more unbearable to him than any foul language.
“What, still not convinced?” The cold muzzle of the Browning tapped against Biao Ye’s flushed cheek. “I, Cao Weida, like people who cling to their pride at the cost of their own suffering the most.”
“How about this, I’ll give you a chance, and you give me a chance. You resist, and then I’ll shoot you?”
*Pfft*~
In what was supposed to be a serious scene, such a remark suddenly popped out, making everyone present burst into laughter.
Mo He, who had just been bullied, also couldn’t help but laugh, then quickly covered her mouth. When she looked at Cao Weida, their eyes met.
Their gazes met, and Mo He shyly lowered her head.
The “hero saves the beauty” trope has existed since ancient times. It’s cliché, but it’s very effective.
Cao Weida’s sudden appearance like a hero to save her instantly lit up his halo.
At this moment, Mo He’s heart was pounding like a drum, as if wanting to jump out of her chest.
As for Biao Ye, he found nothing amusing about this.
He was closest to Cao Weida and could clearly feel that while others might hear it as a joke, he didn’t see it that way!
Cao Weida’s words were not a joke; he genuinely intended to shoot him dead!
Killing intent is mysterious and unfathomable, yet it is real. Perhaps even Cao Weida himself didn’t know that after killing a Japanese soldier and two puppet army soldiers, whenever his emotions shifted, a faint killing intent would emanate from him.
Biao Ye, enveloped by this killing intent, wasn’t about to wet himself, but he was too scared to move.
“Tsk, it seems you’re not going to give me this opportunity.” Cao Weida looked regretful, making Biao Ye’s heart pound. He then turned to the subordinates:
“What about you all? There’s a saying, ‘the bird that sticks its head out gets shot.’ Who wants to be that bird? You can step forward now. I’m a kind-hearted person and will absolutely fulfill your wish.”
The subordinates retreated another two steps, fearing they would be at the front.
They had some courage when it came to fighting with knives.
But when they knew it was a suicide mission, who would be foolish enough to step forward?
“You’re all useless too.” Cao Weida shook his head regretfully and extended his hand to Zong Xiangfang, “Brother, may I borrow your police baton?”
“.” Zong Xiangfang had no problem with such a simple request. He handed over the baton and whispered, “Be careful. Biao Ye works for Xi Batian Fude Cheng. Although he’s just a minor leader, if you go too far, it’s hard to say how it’ll affect face.”
Clearly, he knew what Cao Weida wanted the police baton for.
“Oh~~ So it’s that scoundrel Fude Cheng. No wonder these people are all trash.”
Xi Batian Fude Cheng entered Beijing at the age of 25 and made a living running a teahouse at Tianqiao. Later, when the Japanese army invaded Beiping, Fude Cheng colluded with puppet army forces, organized thugs and hooligans to sell people, rape women, set up casinos, and run illegal brothels. He was responsible for countless crimes and had done all sorts of evil deeds.
He did not do a single thing that a decent human would do. Calling him scum would be an insult to scum itself.
