Chapter 98: The Righteous Tian Ge
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Xiao Yuxin, seeing that nothing unexpected had happened, quickly returned to tend to her business. Jiang Fan and Wang Wenyu went to the dumpling restaurant to rest.
Zhang Xiaoye, who had never met Wang Wenyu before, relied on Huang Guihua’s description and, seeing Wang Wenyu’s posture, concluded that she must be Jiang Fan’s girlfriend. She greeted her warmly, “Hello, sister-in-law.”
Wang Wenyu smiled and replied, “You must be Zhang Xiaoye. Your brother just mentioned you this afternoon. Are you comfortable here? I was planning to visit you later but didn’t expect something urgent to come up.”
Seeing Wang Wenyu’s gentle expression, Zhang Xiaoye spontaneously took her hand and happily said, “It’s great here. Uncle and aunt even teach us how to cook Northeastern dishes.”
Uncle Qiu interjected with concern, “Xiao Jiang, Xiao Wang, what exactly happened?”
Wang Wenyu then recounted the afternoon’s dispute with Lu Zi.
Uncle Qiu worriedly said, “Brother Lu is notorious around here as a local thug. You smashed up his stuff—are you sure this won’t cause trouble?”
Jiang Fan sat down, took a sip of tea to calm himself, and replied, “Uncle, don’t worry. And from now on, don’t call him Brother Lu. Just call him Dog Lu.
Smashing his shop was just the beginning. I’m going to investigate these next few days to find out what other shady businesses this bastard is running. I’ll wipe him out.”
He then turned to Zhang Chungen, “That day you were humble and said you only knew some amateur moves. When business gets busy in the next few days, you stay at the shop. If anyone dares to bother the dumpling restaurant, go straight to Da Feng and find me. When I’m free, I’ll come check on things.”
Seeing Jiang Fan’s concern for the dumpling restaurant’s safety, Zhang Chungen confidently patted his chest, “Brother, don’t worry. With me here, no ordinary troublemaker can cause serious problems. I was just weak and hungry the other day and had no weapon; otherwise, those punks wouldn’t have stood a chance.”
Zhang Chungen no longer had to wander around and felt settled, his confidence restored.
From Jiang Fan’s forceful door-smashing earlier, he was sure Zhang Chungen had good skills. He reminded him, “Uncle and aunt are honest businesspeople. No causing trouble in the dumpling shop—just protect it. If anything happens, tell me first.”
The young couple left just as nearby factories were about to finish work and before the dumpling shop got busy again.
Downstairs, Xiao Yuxin saw that Jiang Fan was relaxed enough to joke with Wang Wenyu, his expression steady. She teased, “Feeling better now?”
Jiang Fan pulled Wang Wenyu close, “Yeah, as long as my wife’s in a good mood, I’m fine.”
“You sure know how to flatter her. She’s been won over by your smooth talk,” Xiao Yuxin teased, then gestured for the two to come inside and talk.
The three gathered by the cash register. Xiao Yuxin continued, “About ten minutes ago, all the salon girls left except for A Xue, who stayed behind. Lu Zi must have guessed you’d keep causing trouble.”
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Before, Xiao Yuxin always called Lu Zi Brother Lu in front of outsiders. After a few days with Jiang Fan, she had gradually switched to calling him Lu Zi.
Wang Wenyu added, “He’s too easy to provoke. You all sit tight. I’m going to change clothes and head out for a bit.”
Usually very image-conscious, Wang Wenyu had been wearing pajamas and accompanying Jiang Fan since the incident happened suddenly.
After Wang Wenyu left, Jiang Fan said, “Sister Xin, if Brother Lu takes it out on you or you lose anything, I’ll take full responsibility. For now, don’t let my wife know about this—I don’t want her worrying.”
Xiao Yuxin rolled her eyes at him, “You’re only just worried now? She thought of this a long time ago. She wouldn’t have left home this afternoon to hang out here if she didn’t want to build some support for me—and that’s how she ran into Lu Zi. I’ll remember this kindness.
If you see me as a friend, don’t keep such strict accounts. Otherwise, better not be friends at all.”
Jiang Fan hurried to apologize, “That’s not what I meant. I just don’t want to drag you into trouble.”
Xiao Yuxin added, “If you’re going to be so formal, better not say anything at all.”
Wang Wenyu came downstairs after changing, reminding Jiang Fan to rest if he was tired. She would be back in about an hour.
After Wang Wenyu left, Xiao Yuxin said, “You should go home and get some rest. Tonight, some behind-the-scenes players might not be able to hold back anymore. There’ll be some excitement to watch.”
After smashing the gambling den, Jiang Fan felt much better. He had only rested for a little over an hour in two days and was genuinely tired now, so he went home to sleep peacefully.
Wang Wenyu arrived in Humen, not going directly to the station but to the Classic Café. She ordered a cup of Blue Mountain coffee and used the café’s phone to call Tian Ge, who was about to finish work.
About ten minutes later, Tian Ge, dressed in plain clothes with a resolute expression, sat on the sofa opposite Wang Wenyu and got straight to the point, “Xiao Yu, how did you end up clashing with Lu Zi?”
Wang Wenyu had only said she wanted to meet him, not specifying the matter, so she asked, puzzled, “It just happened recently. How do you know so quickly?”
After sitting down, Tian Ge’s face lost its usual sternness and looked much friendlier. He smiled, “You think it’s slow? Some people are already nervous and racking their brains trying to figure out how to smooth things over!”
When Tian Ge mentioned certain people, his smile carried obvious disdain. Wang Wenyu said, “Don’t you want to ask what happened?”
Tian Ge shook his head. “Though we haven’t known each other long, I can tell you’re not a spoiled brat who causes troubles for no reason. Everyone at the station knows what kind of person Lu Zi is—it’s just that some people back him, so nobody dares to talk.”
Wang Wenyu asked bluntly, “Are those ‘some people’ the Lu boss?”
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Tian Ge sneered, “You’ve thought of that too? Think deeper.”
Wang Wenyu pondered a moment, “They all have the surname Lu, could it be…”
Before she could finish, Tian Ge nodded and interrupted, “There’s no need to say more. Just know in your heart they have a complicated network. Best to be cautious.”
Though Wang Wenyu held a good opinion of Tian Ge—he was the person she preferred to contact at the station—her specialty was interrogation, so she requested to intern in the preliminary hearing department. They didn't meet often.
Seeing that Tian Ge, who had long lost influence at the station, still cared about her made Wang Wenyu smile sarcastically, “I haven’t even mentioned it since coming to Guangzhou, but my uncle suddenly started worrying about this guy. Apparently, he might be moved from his position. Where to, my uncle didn’t say.
But judging from the look of disdain when my uncle mentioned him, it seems the outcome won’t be good.”
Uncle Liang had caused quite a stir by escorting her here. Wang Wenyu had learned her lesson and never mentioned him in front of outsiders. Today, she brought him up with Tian Ge because she trusted him.
Wang Wenyu, fresh out of school, knew little about the public side of things, but Tian Ge had over twenty years of experience.
Hearing the insider news, Tian Ge’s face brightened, “Walking the night streets without meeting ghosts would be strange. Judging by his age, if he’s really being moved, it’s probably not a promotion.
He’s done so many bad things, so leaving that important post means someone’s coming after him. We just wait and see.”
Wang Wenyu, with a purpose, asked, “Besides that person, who else backs Lu Zi?”
Tian Ge glanced at the waitstaff serving a nearby table and held his tongue for a moment. He ordered a latte, and after the waiter left, he said, “What, you want to wipe them all out now?”
Wang Wenyu suddenly realized she hadn’t ordered anything for Tian Ge and apologized, “Sorry, I was so focused on the matter, I forgot to get you a drink.”
Tian Ge, with a hint of complaint, said, “You really treat me like an outsider and are so polite. You still haven’t answered my question.”