Chapter Fifty-Six: Trouble Has Arisen

"Sister Yan, you’re joking. No matter how things go, men never lose out in this regard."
"But I already have a family, and I've had my fill in this respect. All I want now is to make more money."
Chen Huajiang smiled at her as he spoke, making his intentions clear.
He had no desire to flirt or banter with them—not only was he not in the mood, but it meant nothing to him.
"Bah, saying something like that—do you really think you’re some upright gentleman?"
Chen Yan hadn’t expected him to be so blunt; she spat out her words and rolled her eyes.
Then she looked at Chen Huajiang with surprise and said, "Nowadays, everyone wants to make money. But with this shabby little shop, and you just working for someone else, how much can you really make?"
Her expression turned dismissive as she spoke, and she turned to eat her bun.
Chen Huajiang smiled and ignored her, knowing that Yan and Cuihong were both rather materialistic by nature.
It didn’t matter much; talking about making money in this environment might seem mercenary now, but in a decade, it would be those who don’t care about money who are considered unconventional.
Lin Guoshan interrupted from the side, recounting how Lai’s underlings had come looking for trouble earlier, boasting proudly that they had chased them off.
"Oh no, that’s real trouble. Lai is not someone you want to mess with. My relatives live in the North District; I know Lai has a lot of influence there, he’s practically a local tyrant."
Cuihong put down her chopsticks, her expression changing as she spoke.
The North District was simply North Gate; Nanming City was divided into the city center and four surrounding districts: east, south, west, and north.
The North District was the least developed area in Nanming, with only a single paper mill, poor economy, bad environment, and naturally chaotic public order.
Even now, there was a growing trend of despising poverty and favoring wealth; otherwise, Cuihong wouldn’t have hesitated to mention her family’s location, awkwardly referring to it as her relatives’.
Then Cuihong explained more about Lai’s reputation in the North District, causing Lin Guoshan’s expression to grow tense.
"It’s nothing serious, don’t worry. No matter how tough he is, I’m not afraid."
"I, Lin Guoshan, am a man of stature—how could I fear a few thugs?"
Naturally, in front of the woman he was courting, Lin Guoshan couldn’t show any fear. He puffed out his chest and spoke with proud confidence.
His display earned him an admiring glance from Fangfang, making him raise his head even higher.
Seeing that he didn’t take it seriously, Cuihong simply pursed her lips and didn’t bother saying more.
Men care about their pride; until they suffer losses, they’ll never treat such things seriously.

But Chen Huajiang, standing at the doorway, took it to heart. He knew nothing about Lai and had assumed he was just another petty thug.
With Cuihong’s description, it was clear Lai was a thug with real influence.
But Chen Huajiang racked his brain and couldn’t recall anyone like Lai from his previous life in Nanming.
Black Tiger and Wolfdog were the two most notorious gangsters in the old Nanming.
Wolfdog was infamous for his arrogance and ruthlessness, with several deaths attributed to his gang. He was eventually eliminated during the crackdown on organized crime.
Black Tiger was well-known too, but unlike Wolfdog, he wasn’t so ruthless. He was in it for money, and before Chen Huajiang was reborn, Black Tiger was still running the earth and sand business.
That was why he was willing to cooperate with Black Tiger—if it were Wolfdog, Chen Huajiang would rather move his business than have any dealings with him.
Wait, North District? Wolfdog was a gangster from the North District, and now Lai was there too. Was there some connection?
"Cuihong, I heard the North District is Wolfdog’s territory. No matter how tough Lai is, could he really be more powerful than Wolfdog?"
Chen Huajiang feigned curiosity and asked Cuihong.
"I didn’t expect you to know a bit about the underworld. But if you know Wolfdog, you should know Lai—they’re cousins."
Cuihong put down her bowl and looked at Chen Huajiang strangely.
But she quickly shook her head and took another bite of her bun, realizing Chen Huajiang only had a superficial understanding, probably just having heard of Wolfdog’s reputation.
At once, Chen Huajiang felt a tightness in his chest—things were getting complicated.
"Brother-in-law, I’m stepping out for a moment."
Chen Huajiang spoke calmly and walked outside.
He contacted Baldy directly, told him to bring Ermao along, and to gather more men.
With Lai’s reputation for being arrogant and overbearing, Chen Huajiang couldn’t afford to be unprepared.
For dealing with thugs, you had to hurt them and make them wary, let them know you were not to be trifled with.
Otherwise, trouble would follow, and if his shop was harassed every day, there’d be no way to do business.
He then stopped by the Salt Industry shop and bought a carton of Asma cigarettes for Ermao’s men—he couldn’t have them leaving empty-handed.
Incidentally, cigarettes weren’t a tobacco monopoly at that time. At least in Nanming, the Salt Bureau sold not only salt, but cigarettes were a major part of their business.
Within fifteen minutes, Ermao arrived with a group of men.

"Brother Chen, what’s going on? Baldy didn’t make it clear—is someone causing trouble here?"
There were more than twenty people; Ermao’s expression was serious, thinking it was something big.
Chen Huajiang hadn’t expected him to bring so many, thinking just a few would come.
He originally planned to give each one a pack, but now there weren’t enough, so he handed out four packs each and explained the situation with Lai.
"Wolfdog, huh, he’s got some real clout. But it’s fine—he and Tiger have a bad relationship; they’ve fought several times before."
"If Wolfdog brings people to make trouble, just let Tiger know. With Tiger backing you, even Wolfdog won’t dare push his luck. Besides, this isn’t the North District—coming here is crossing into someone else’s turf, and that’s not acceptable in the underworld."
Ermao frowned slightly as he listened, but soon relaxed and waved his hand dismissively.
Territory mattered greatly in their world—crossing boundaries without reason was a breach of etiquette, and if Wolfdog really brought his men here, Black Tiger wouldn’t stand idly by, since that would be an insult to him.
Chen Huajiang nodded; if it came to that, he’d have to trouble Black Tiger, though it would cost him.
But he was prepared for that—it was inevitable. Even if he didn’t offend Wolfdog, opening a shop in the North District one day would surely lead to conflict.
Don’t be fooled by the North District’s poor development now; in two years, the railway station would open, ushering in a boom, making it the most prosperous area outside the city center.
"Ermao, could you and your brothers hide out in the alley?"
"I’ll see if we can settle things with words first—we don’t cause trouble, but we’re not afraid of it either. Diplomacy before force."
"I’ll give you a signal when it’s time, or you can act as you see fit."
Since he had decided to give Lai a harsh lesson and make him wary, Chen Huajiang had to plan carefully.
"Alright, I understand."
Ermao wasn’t stupid; he realized Chen Huajiang probably intended to ambush Lai and his men, and nodded before leading his group into the alley.
The local buildings all followed the factories, and the factory family compounds were marked and built as they saw fit, with most alleys connecting to smaller paths.
Ermao and his men slipped into the alley; unless someone went to the entrance to look, they were difficult to spot.