Chapter Fifty-Eight: The Brother-in-Law Who Always Ruins Things

“Let go of Brother Scab!”
“Kid, are you looking for trouble?”
“If you so much as touch our boss, we’ll kill you.”
The gangsters shouted threats, but none dared to approach, afraid Chen Huajiang would actually kill Scab, a responsibility none of them wanted to bear.

“Huajiang, this—this…”
Lin Guoshan’s face was filled with shock and fear; clearly, he hadn’t expected things to escalate this way.

Fangfang and her companions were equally unsettled, the turn of events far beyond their expectations. None imagined Chen Huajiang could be so volatile, provoking such chaos at the slightest disagreement.

“Come at me! If you’ve got the guts, kill me!”
“You don’t dare, do you? Go on, hit—ah—”
Scab, regaining his composure, especially after losing face before Fangfang, began to act tough. But Chen Huajiang’s toughness outmatched his; before Scab could finish his words, Chen Huajiang had already gripped his throat and squeezed hard.

The throat is a vital spot, and Scab immediately let out a miserable cry, tears and snot streaming down.

“Don’t do anything rash!”
“We won’t move, just calm down.”
The gangsters were terrified, fearing Chen Huajiang might actually kill Brother Scab, even stepping back.

At the alley entrance, Ermao and his brothers peeked in, alarmed by Scab’s cries. For a moment, his men looked to Ermao, unsure whether to charge in.

Ermao hesitated but shook his head; he recalled Chen Huajiang had told him to wait for a signal. At this moment, Chen Huajiang still held the advantage, and no signal had been given.

“Kill me, I dare you!”
“If you don’t, I’ll kill you myself!”
Scab endured the pain, still gritting his teeth.

“You think I won’t?”
Chen Huajiang looked at him with sudden indifference.

Scab tried to keep up his bravado, but as he met Chen Huajiang’s gaze, he swallowed his words. It was a cold look, as if staring at a corpse.

A chill crept over Scab—was Chen Huajiang truly contemplating murder? Of course, Chen Huajiang didn’t have to do it himself; he had countless ways to make Scab disappear, quietly and without a trace.

“I bet you won’t dare. I have plenty of brothers. If you kill me, you’ll pay for it with your life.”
“You idiots, what are you standing so far away for? Get over here!”
Scab shouted louder, doubling down on his threats.

He was truly reckless—his nickname wasn’t just for the mark on his forehead, but for his unruly, shameless character. In the dialect of Nanming City, “Scab” also implied someone tough and unafraid to play dirty.

“Brother-in-law, don’t do anything rash. It’s not worth it!”
Lin Guoshan finally couldn’t stand it, hurried to Chen Huajiang’s side and grabbed his arm, speaking loudly.

He was genuinely frightened that Chen Huajiang would kill Scab—that would be murder.

His words immediately reassured Scab, who shouted, “Brothers, attack!”

The situation spiraled out of control; Scab’s men surged forward.

Chen Huajiang could have slapped Lin Guoshan away—he was more trouble than help. Huajiang had been playing a game of nerves with Scab, trying to break his spirit and instill fear, so that Scab would think twice before causing trouble again.

Everything was proceeding smoothly, until Lin Guoshan suddenly stepped in, showing weakness and giving Scab confidence that they wouldn’t dare harm him.

“Brothers, attack!”
Chen Huajiang kicked Scab out of the way and shouted loudly.

He shook off Lin Guoshan’s hand and charged directly into the crowd of gangsters.

“Go!”
“Charge!”
Ermao finally received the signal, leading his brothers in.

A wild melee ensued. Scab’s men were focused on Chen Huajiang, so when Ermao and his crew stormed in, they were caught off guard—their morale shattered.

In no time, Scab’s group was beaten to the ground, their weapons discarded, heads bowed, cowering.

“Huajiang, your head is bleeding.”
Ermao pointed at Chen Huajiang’s forehead, where he’d taken a blow during the fight—blood trickled from his brow.

Chen Huajiang wiped it casually, his hand stained red. He glared angrily at Lin Guoshan, whose neck shrank under his gaze, fear flooding his heart.

Then Chen Huajiang strode toward Scab. Seeing Huajiang’s bloodied face and the cold, steely look in his eyes, Scab was seized by terror.

Yet he remained stubborn, convinced that Chen Huajiang wouldn’t dare do anything more than beat him.

“Kid, I’m not afraid of you. My cousin is Wolfdog—this isn’t over!”
Scab tried to maintain his bravado, but invoked his cousin’s name, hoping Wolfdog’s reputation would intimidate Chen Huajiang.

“Which hand did you use to smash up my shop?”
Chen Huajiang crouched beside him, eyeing both hands.

Scab, no fool, kept silent.

“If you don’t answer, it’s the right hand. Ermao, get me a hammer.”
Chen Huajiang spoke coolly. Scab’s temple twitched.

“If you touch me, my cousin won’t let you off.”
Scab gritted his teeth, but fear had crept into his eyes. He tried to meet Chen Huajiang’s gaze, but flinched away from its icy intensity.

Soon, Ermao’s men fetched a hammer from a nearby shop.

Chen Huajiang took it and, without hesitation, smashed Scab’s right hand repeatedly.

“Ah—”
“Help! I was wrong, spare me!”
Scab howled miserably, struggling so violently he nearly broke free from Ermao’s grip.

Only when he begged for mercy did Chen Huajiang stop, tossing the hammer aside and standing tall.

“I’ll tell you this: if you want to play, I’ll play to the end. This isn’t over—tell your cousin, tomorrow we meet at Longshou Mountain.”

Chen Huajiang glared coldly at Scab, waving to Ermao and his men to release him.

Scab’s own crew helped him up, and as he left, he shot Chen Huajiang a venomous glare, as if etching his image into memory.

Yet when Chen Huajiang looked back, Scab quickly avoided his gaze—fear now rooted deep within him.

Once they departed, Fangfang and the other women quickly followed.

“Brother-in-law, why did you let things get so—”
Lin Guoshan complained.

“Shut up!”
Chen Huajiang barked, cutting him off, his eyes full of disappointment.

Lin Guoshan’s face darkened, lips pressed together in defiance. But intimidated by Chen Huajiang’s ferocity, he dared not argue; his brother-in-law always unsettled him.

“I haven’t settled things with you yet. We’ll talk later.”

With so many people around, Chen Huajiang could only give Lin Guoshan a little face.

“Ermao, thank you all for your help. Tonight, take the brothers to the Grain Bureau Restaurant for a good meal, and then to a bathhouse—treat yourselves.”

Chen Huajiang smiled at Ermao, nodding to his crew in gratitude.

The Grain Bureau Restaurant was the finest in Nanming City, second only to the municipal guesthouse.

“No need for thanks, Ermao’s friends are my brothers.”

“That’s right, Boss Chen, you’re too polite—it was nothing.”

Ermao’s crew laughed, pleased with Chen Huajiang’s generosity.

“The Grain Bureau Restaurant isn’t cheap. With so many, you’ll need at least two tables—that’s three or four hundred.”

After Ermao and his men left, Lin Guoshan remarked, thinking Chen Huajiang was wasting money.

He felt there was no need to treat those gangsters to such a fancy place—a simple street stall would have sufficed.

“Come inside with me.”
Chen Huajiang said coldly, heading toward the store.