Chapter 6745
It's tough being broke.
They stole a glance at Xiao Chen, only to see him with his arms crossed, his eyes as cold as ice picks, piercing straight into them, making them shiver involuntarily.
They quickly scooped up Leopard and stumbled as they fled toward the alley entrance.
His disheveled appearance was just like a pack of wild dogs being chased by hunting dogs, wishing he had two more legs.
"This is fucking weird! Where did this evil spirit come from?!"
The blond thug muttered as he ran, his voice filled with fear. The sound was broken and intermittent in the night wind, like a curse from hell.
Once the alley returned to silence, only Xiao Chen and the proprietress and her son remained.
Xiao Chen suppressed the chilling aura emanating from him, and his entire demeanor instantly softened.
He turned and grinned at the proprietress and her son, a smile as warm and gentle as the spring sunshine.
He casually grabbed a tissue from the table and began carefully wiping away the mottled bloodstains, his movements gentle and practiced, as if the ruthless killer from before had nothing to do with him.
"Madam, I'm so sorry, I've made a mess of your table. I'll buy you a new one."
Xiao Chen's voice was sincere and earnest, with a hint of apology.
"You...you are Xiao...Xiao...No way, it's impossible! Xiao Zhan Shen isn't that young!?"
Suddenly, the proprietress seemed to be struck by lightning, her voice trembling uncontrollably, filled with disbelief.
Her eyes were wide open, staring intently at Xiao Chen, as if trying to find some flaw in his face.
Seeing the proprietress's surprised and puzzled expression, Xiao Chen's lips curled into a faint smile.
"Whether it is or not doesn't matter. I just want to know, how come you've been living such a miserable life all these years? Back in the day, business on this street was booming, and your stall was always packed with customers."
"And besides, your son is the age to be thriving on a university campus, why did he drop out and stay at home?"
His tone carried a hint of concern, and his eyes were full of inquiry.
Zhang Peng's son, listening from the side, was completely bewildered. His eyes widened like saucers, his face full of curiosity: "Xiao Zhanshen? Is that the guy who gave our family a million? Mom, you mentioned him to me before, saying he's our family's benefactor!"
The proprietress quickly waved her hand, looking somewhat flustered: "No, Mom made a mistake. Peng'er, go prepare more barbecue for this young man, pick the kind you're good at grilling."
"Ok!"
Although Zhang Peng's son was full of doubts, he obediently turned around and left, his steps hesitant.
The proprietress watched her son's departing figure, then sighed deeply, her sigh filled with helplessness and weariness: "That million back then really ruined our family..."
Her eyes became somewhat vacant, as if she were lost in painful memories.
Xiao Chen was taken aback for a moment, then frowned slightly: "Tell me what exactly happened?"
The proprietress took a deep breath and slowly said:
"Actually, it's not that complicated. Back then, when your dad, oh no, when our old Zhang got that million, it was like a piece of fat meat falling into a wolf's den, and he was being targeted."
Those people were envious of the money, so they forged an agreement and swindled the million. Later, the shop was mortgaged and became someone else's property. For years, my daughter and I have barely made ends meet with this small barbecue stall; life has been incredibly difficult.
Xiao Chen's eyes instantly turned cold, like two icy blades, revealing a chilling killing intent.
However, he quickly regained his composure, after all, he couldn't scare the landlady.
He narrowed his eyes slightly and asked, "Is it that Brother Leopard?"
The proprietress nodded, her face filled with fear and resentment: "Brother Leopard has powerful backers, and we can't afford to offend them. Over the years, we've had to swallow our anger and let them bully us."
The two sat in front of the messy stall and chatted for hours on end.
The proprietress even grilled a few of her specialties; the golden-brown, fragrant skewers were laid out on the table, making one's mouth water.
She took a few more bottles of beer from the refrigerator, opened the caps, and the "pop" sound was particularly crisp in the quiet night.
The clinking of glasses and the sounds of laughter, mingled with the sizzling aroma of oil from the grill, filled the night air, seemingly adding a touch of warmth to this somewhat desolate night.
As he was leaving, the proprietress, as if afraid Xiao Chen would suddenly disappear, rushed forward and grabbed his arm tightly. Her hands turned slightly white from the force, and her face was filled with a warm and sincere smile as she said loudly:
"Our new store is opening tomorrow! It's a big day, you absolutely have to come! No matter how many people you bring, everyone will get a 50% discount, and drinks are all you can eat! Consider it my way of thanking you for helping us out today, and I'm also hoping you can bring some joy to our new store!"
Xiao Chen slowly stood up, a faint smile appearing on his lips, a smile that exuded a reassuring power.
He gently patted the proprietress on the shoulder and said, "It's fine here, no need to move. I'll take care of Brother Leopard's matter for you. You can just focus on your business, no one will bother you anymore."
His voice was deep and firm, as if it possessed an invisible magic that made people believe in him without even realizing it.
Xiao Chen did not explain exactly what he would do, but a ruthless glint flashed in his eyes.
Those people dared to act so recklessly towards their benefactor; they were simply courting death.
He secretly vowed to cripple the other party and show them that some people are not to be trifled with.
Watching Xiao Chen's figure gradually disappear into the night, the proprietress let out a long sigh, her sigh filled with worry and helplessness.
Although Xiao Chen is exceptionally skilled and incredibly powerful in fights, the forces behind Brother Leopard are complex and intertwined, and those people have quite a few experts under their command.
No matter how good Xiao Chen is at fighting, how many can he defeat?
In this world, two fists can't beat four hands. She really didn't dare to have too much hope for Xiao Chen, for fear that the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment.
She slowly turned her head, her gaze falling on her son's bewildered face.
The son stood to the side, his eyes revealing confusion about the future and helplessness about the present situation.
The proprietress felt a pang of pain in her heart, and forced back her bitterness, she said, "Let's pack up and go home. There won't be many customers today. Let's go to the hospital to see your father. I wonder how he is doing today... Sigh, we still haven't figured out how to pay for his treatment. I really don't know how we're going to get by."
The thought of her husband lying in a hospital bed, waiting for money to save his life, while she was powerless to help, brought tears to the landlady's eyes. (End of Chapter)