Chapter 132: Well Done! They Deserved It!

"Brother Chen, those guys Zhang Hao and Ma Ou are back at the Food Street—well, the snack alley—setting up their stalls again."

"Those two bastards have absolutely no shame; they don't know the first thing about decency or integrity. Even after we stopped giving them the time of day, they still refuse to leave."

Zhang Bao approached Chen Huajiang, his face twisted in frustration and his eyes burning with anger.

With the beer supply issue resolved, the Food Street had become lively once more, attracting even larger crowds than before. A key reason for this was that Laoshan Beer was undeniably crispier and more refreshing than Gushan Beer—customers’ palates never lied. Currently, Laoshan Beer was only available on this specific food street, which drew in beer enthusiasts from all over, making business increasingly booming.

"Leave them be. Their business isn't doing well; they'll leave sooner or later," Chen Huajiang said, frowning as he waved his hand dismissively.

Zhang Hao and Ma Ou were indeed shameless. When they were part of the initial group rejected by Chen Huajiang, most had gone off to set up stalls elsewhere. But these two, seeing how well the Food Street was doing, had stubbornly insisted on staying, brazenly setting up shop there. However, without the special seasonings provided by Chen Huajiang, their food tasted mediocre, far inferior to what Zhang Bao and the others were serving. Customers weren't fools; if the food didn't taste good, they wouldn't spend their money there. Besides, Zhang Hao and Ma Ou were from the neighborhood near Anrong Alley, and Chen Huajiang didn't want to make things too hostile, lest word get out that he was bullying the locals.

"I know, it’s just annoying to see them," Zhang Bao said, taking a deep breath and nodding.

As for the traitors like Zhang Hao who had left, not only Zhang Bao but all the other brothers shared the same sentiment. After Zhang Bao left, Chen Huajiang planned to head home early to try and make it up to his wife. He had only been coming home once every two or three days lately, and Lin Jiayin was clearly displeased, harboring resentment in her heart.

"Brother Chen!"

Before Chen Huajiang could leave, Er Mao pedaled up on his bicycle, his expression grave.

"What's wrong?" Chen Huajiang asked with a smile.

"Feng Weizhi and 'Wolf Dog' have crossed the line. They've secured a spot right at the entrance of the Cotton Mill staff quarters and are planning to open in two days."

"Brother Hu sent me to ask what you think and when we should go over to drive them out."

Er Mao didn't dally; he threw his bike to the ground and spoke urgently. Feng Weizhi and Wolf Dog were Chen Huajiang's rivals, and he had been keeping a close eye on their movements. Furthermore, when he mentioned "Brother Hu," the respect in Er Mao's expression had faded. He was now working for Chen Huajiang; while he was technically still one of Black Tiger's underlings, both men knew the reality of the situation, even if it wasn't explicitly stated. Working for Chen Huajiang had earned him the status of a "boss," whereas with Black Tiger, he barely earned a pack of cigarettes or the occasional meal.

"They’re expanding fast, aren't they? That makes eighteen branches already?" Chen Huajiang said, rubbing his chin with a smile, his eyes narrowing.

"Yes, eighteen. This will be the nineteenth," Er Mao replied, nodding, his heart filled with confusion as to why Chen Huajiang could still smile.

"Hmm, it's time to have a word with them."

"Tell you what: arrange for one of our guys—someone big and intimidating-looking—to go over and relay a message to Feng Weizhi and his lot. Tell them the East District is our home turf, not theirs. Tell them we're too busy managing the Food Street to deal with them right now, but they should be careful and watch their step, because the moment we have time, we'll crush them."

Chen Huajiang gave his instructions, leaving Er Mao wide-eyed and stunned.

"Brother Chen, have you lost your mind? Isn't that just telling Feng Weizhi that we don't have time to deal with them?" Er Mao asked after a long pause, his voice filled with anxiety.

"Nonsense. Just do as I say. Why so many questions?" Chen Huajiang said sternly. "And make sure you don't cut any corners. Tell the guy to pass on every single word I said."

Seeing his resolve, Er Mao nodded reluctantly, grabbed his bike, and pedaled off quickly. Chen Huajiang smiled, his eyes narrowing like a cunning fox. It wasn't that he was unaware of the expansion of Feng Weizhi's "Delicious & Fresh" chain; they were even using his original trick of issuing membership cards and charging fees. If those shops were opening elsewhere, Chen Huajiang wouldn't let them grow so smoothly; he would definitely stir up trouble and fight them to the end. Since the market was finite, every bit of share Feng Weizhi took was something he would lose later.

But opening at the entrance of the staff quarters? *Heh.* The faster they grew, the faster they would die. By next year, most of the city's factories would be hitting a "hard winter." When the workers and their families stopped receiving their paychecks, how many would still have money to spend on dining out? With no customers and a massive amount of capital tied up in membership funds meant for expansion, how would Feng Weizhi sustain it? It would inevitably explode. And when that happened, Chen Huajiang wouldn't mind stepping on them to teach them a lesson about how the world worked.

"Oh no, oh no! A fight broke out! They're fighting!"

Chen Huajiang was about to head home on his bike when Gao Yun chased after him, shouting at the top of her lungs. "You need to go over there and see—the Food Street—huff—is in a brawl!" She was clutching a skewer of grilled gluten, panting heavily.

Chen Huajiang immediately turned his bike around and sped toward the Food Street.

"Wait for me! Dammit, I—" Gao Yun pointed at his retreating back, so angry she nearly threw the gluten at him. She hadn't expected him to just leave without a word of thanks, let alone offer her a ride!

"Stop fighting, Brother Zhang! Stop!"

"Someone stop them!"

"Damn you! You're ruining our reputation!"

The scene was pure chaos. Even with several people trying to pull him back, Zhang Bao was still struggling to chase down Zhang Hao. Zhang Hao was no match for him; his right eye was bruised, and he glared at Zhang Bao with murderous intent.

"You dare hit me? You think I have no one behind me? You're done for! I won't let this slide!" Zhang Hao hissed through gritted teeth, his face twisted with malice.

"Boss Chen is here!"

"Make way, Brother Chen is here!"

Seeing Chen Huajiang speeding toward them on his bike, the crowd parted, letting out sighs of relief.

"What is going on here!?" Chen Huajiang dropped his bike and scanned the scene, his expression stern.

"Chen Huajiang, your man beat me like this!" Zhang Hao pointed to his eye, shouting through clenched teeth. "If you don't give me an explanation today, I'm not done with you!"

Chen Huajiang ignored him and looked toward Zhang Bao and the others.

"I hit this bastard because he deserved it! The damn fool is ruining our reputation and our brand! Brother Chen, look at his snack cart—he wasn't allowed to use the Kunlun Catering name, but he paid someone to paint it on there anyway!"

"A customer came to my stall earlier asking why our Kunlun Catering food tasted different and if we were cutting corners," Zhang Bao said angrily, pointing at the food cart lying on its side. Sure enough, it had been freshly painted with the words "Kunlun Catering."

"Boss Chen, it's just a small matter; let's talk it out," someone in the crowd tried to mediate. "Right, right, why make such a scene? Zhang Hao was wrong, but Zhang Bao, you shouldn't have hit him."

"So that's it. Zhang Bao, you did the right thing!" Chen Huajiang said, having grasped the situation and immediately siding with Zhang Bao.

The crowd gasped in shock, clearly not expecting Chen Huajiang to pour fuel on the fire instead of de-escalating the situation.

"Chen Huajiang, you're going too far!" Zhang Hao roared, his face contorted with rage and deep-seated hatred.

He had been beaten by Zhang Bao, and now Chen Huajiang, as the man's "boss," not only refused to apologize but claimed the beating was justified. His anger erupted like a volcano.