Chapter 128: Without Rules, There Can Be No Order

After Gao Yun finished adjusting the guest’s bones, she nodded in agreement and went with them to find Chen Huajiang.

She felt partly responsible, having encouraged Zhang Hao and the others last time when she spoke on their behalf. She believed that if she hadn’t stirred things up, Zhang Hao and his group might have kept a portion, and by now they would have already made some money.

Soon, the group arrived at Chen Huajiang’s courtyard.

Inside, the place buzzed with noise as many people discussed matters. Zhang Hao and the others could only stand in the courtyard, waiting for Chen Huajiang to handle business first.

“Uncle Zhao, Aunt Liu, please don’t be so polite,” Chen Huajiang said with a smile as he accepted the fruits the elderly neighbors had brought.

“We’re neighbors after all, and you’ve earned your money by helping everyone with your own skills—what is there to thank you for?” they responded.

With the growth of Green Shade Alley, every afternoon and evening many guests came to eat skewers and drink. Naturally, the ground became dirtier and messier.

Although Zhang Bao and the others helped clean up, it wasn’t really their responsibility. After a long day of hard work, they had little energy or inclination to tidy up.

So Chen Huajiang found some elderly people, including lonely and disadvantaged seniors from Anrong Alley, and entrusted them with cleaning the area for a monthly wage of fifteen yuan.

For these elderly folks, this was a wonderful opportunity, so they bought fruits to thank Chen Huajiang.

After seeing them off, Zhang Hao and the others wanted to talk to Chen Huajiang.

But before they could speak, Zhang Bao interrupted him first.

“Brother Chen, Gushan Brewery is really bullying us. Aren’t they treating us like fools? They sell beer to the convenience store for fifteen cents a bottle, but charge us twenty cents! How does that make any sense?”

“Exactly! When we confronted the manager, he acted all high and mighty, telling us to behave and not cause trouble. Who’s causing trouble here?”

“Boss Chen, this is outright bullying. I think that bastard just wants to squeeze money from us—all the extra profit probably goes straight into his pocket.”

Zhang Bao and the others grew increasingly angry. As the snack stalls’ business flourished, beer consumption naturally rose as well.

Before, they got beer from the convenience store at the alley entrance—fifteen cents a bottle, or twelve bottles per case with a three-cent discount. But recently, the store couldn’t get beer anymore. A new brewery manager named Wu Qiang came by and said beer sold here must be priced at twenty cents.

To Zhang Bao and the others, this was blatant bullying. How could buying more cost more? Isn’t it usually cheaper in bulk?

“All right, I’ll handle this,” Chen Huajiang said, clearly displeased but not showing it to his subordinates, waving his hand indifferently.

Hearing this, Zhang Bao and the others calmed down slightly and nodded to each other.

Everything had developed just as Chen Huajiang had said—they had all made money, and their trust in him deepened.

Since Chen Huajiang said he would take care of it, everyone instinctively believed he could.

“By the way, Zhang Bao, bring everyone’s discharge certificates and Old Yang’s disability card. Come with me to the municipal office this afternoon,” Chen Huajiang instructed.

“Okay,” Zhang Bao nodded in agreement.

With the snack street growing in scale, Chen Huajiang naturally began shifting from just assembling the team to managing it.

Currently, the snack street was a no-man’s land. Without his involvement, this place would not have naturally formed until the 1990s, eventually becoming the domain of the Black Tiger gang. Initially, Black Tiger managed it roughly through protection fees. Later, after connecting with the municipal government, they contracted the food street area after 2000, making a fortune.

Now that Chen Huajiang had acted first, Black Tiger had no stake in this.

But as brothers, they wouldn’t neglect him—he would still be entrusted to oversee security here.

“Master Chen,” Zhang Hao finally seized the chance and called to Chen Huajiang.

At his words, everyone turned to look.

Zhang Bao and the others looked disdainful. They roughly guessed why Zhang Hao and his crew had come. They had no respect for Zhang Hao, who fled like a rabbit when there was no benefit but swarmed like flies when there was.

“Is that you? What do you want?” Chen Huajiang responded neutrally. He had seen people like them too often to care.

Zhang Hao quickly explained their situation, then looked at Chen Huajiang expectantly.

“I see. You can do business anytime, but I can’t help you,” Chen Huajiang said after some thought, speaking honestly.

The two rounds of training, especially the second with many new students, had resulted in three to five vendors for nearly every type of snack.

That’s why Chen Huajiang shut down the training center—too many would cause internal competition, harming rather than helping the food street.

“Master Chen, you accepted Da Long and his group when they returned—why not us?” Zhang Hao pressed.

“Yeah, we did mess up, but shouldn’t we be given a chance to reform?”

“We’re willing to buy carts and ingredients from you, just like Da Long’s group.”

Voices rose in discontent, each chiming in. Zhang Hao's face darkened.

Da Long was one of those originally abandoned, a leader among that group.

Later, they approached Chen Huajiang, who, while no longer giving away carts and ingredients for free, still accepted them.

So Zhang Hao and his group saw Chen Huajiang’s acceptance of Da Long’s group but rejection of them as discrimination.

Chen Huajiang shook his head, unwilling to say more, signaling Zhang Bao and the others to escort the visitors out.

This was a case of gratitude lost over a grain of rice—Chen Huajiang would not indulge such people.

“Chen Huajiang, we’re neighbors. Why won’t you help Zhang Hao and the others?”

“Is it because of me? Are you taking out your grudges on Zhang Hao because of me?” Gao Yun stepped forward, looking at Chen Huajiang with displeasure.

Her words reflected her true feelings.

Chen Huajiang frowned and said coldly, “There are rules to everything. Didn’t you call me a capitalist? What made you think capitalists are easy to deal with?”

Gao Yun pressed her lips, clearly annoyed.

Zhang Hao and the others looked at her as if she were their last hope.

“You want to apprentice under my grandfather to learn the craft, right? I can put in a good word for you, but only if you let Zhang Hao and the others stay and set up stalls there too,” Gao Yun said soberly after some thought.

She believed this would sway Chen Huajiang, helping her rectify her ‘mistake’ and allowing Zhang Hao’s group to do business at Green Shade Alley.

Zhang Hao and the others smiled briefly but the expression vanished quickly.

Chen Huajiang simply turned and walked away, ignoring Gao Yun.

One is one, two is two. As a businessman, Chen Huajiang understood this simple principle.

With Zhang Bao and the others present, breaking the rules would ruin trust and scatter the team, causing collapse.