Madman!

Chapter 31: Ambush in the Alley

As Chen Wujun left Jindi Finance, his gaze swept across the faces of everyone present.

'Ji Xiang really isn't as warm and friendly as he appears on the surface.'

'I haven't shown my face these past few days, and his people don't know what to think of me — that's why they looked at me like that.'

'Ji Xiang wants them to think exactly that way.'

'His intentions are vile!'

'When the opportunity comes, I'll definitely make trouble for him — and for all those lackeys of his.'

Chen Wujun descended the stairs with a cold glint in his eyes and plunged into the river of pedestrians on Lung Tsun Road. The stench of sewage and the aroma of street food mingled together in the air.

Spotting the same curry fish ball stall from last time, Chen Wujun stopped in his tracks, fished out two dollars, and tossed them on the counter.

"Boss, two skewers of fish balls!"

Moments later, Chen Wujun took the skewers and walked over to a stool outside a nearby convenience store. He sat down and casually glanced back the way he'd come — sure enough, a few dozen meters away, someone was watching him.He'd noticed them earlier, on his way to Jindi Finance.

But he'd shown himself on purpose, so he couldn't care less.

After finishing the fish balls, Chen Wujun headed for the dance hall. It was still early for customers — under the red lights, only two tables were occupied, along with a handful of solo patrons scattered about.

"Brother Jun, you're here!"

"Soda!" Chen Wujun took the bottle and asked, "Where's Karen?"

"Karen hasn't arrived yet — might be a bit late!" the runner answered immediately.

"Carry on!" Chen Wujun nodded, grabbed his soda bottle, pushed through the side door, and headed upstairs.

He was still at the bottom of the stairwell when he heard a voice from above: "Ah Yue, go sweep the floor! Can't you see what needs doing without being told?"

"With looks like yours, it's a waste not to go dance downstairs! If you went out there on that stage, you'd be a real money tree!"

Chen Wujun ascended the stairs with an expressionless face. He saw the makeup artist doing up one of the dancers, running her mouth without even turning around.

Ah Yue was holding a broom, heading off to sweep.

Chen Wujun walked up behind the makeup artist, grabbed a fistful of her hair, and yanked backward — hard.

"Ahh!" The makeup artist shrieked and crashed to the floor.

Chen Wujun drove his foot into her stomach, sending her sliding over two meters across the floor, knocking over two chairs before slamming into the wall.

The other dancers flinched in shock and scrambled to their feet, pressing themselves against the sides of the room.

Chen Wujun strode over and hauled the makeup artist up by her hair. He stared into her eyes. "Who exactly were you telling to go dance downstairs?"

Only then did she realize Chen Wujun had arrived. Pain and panic swam in her eyes, and tears spilled down her cheeks instantly.

"Jun... Brother Jun, you've got it wrong — I was just saying Ah Yue is so pretty..."

Chen Wujun released her hair, then backhanded her across the face.

Crack!

One side of the makeup artist's face swelled up immediately.

Another slap sent her crashing into a nearby chair.

"Brother Jun, please stop! I ran my mouth, I was wrong!" the makeup artist begged.

"Brother Jun, why so angry?" A woman rushed over to intervene — the one who usually managed the backstage area.

Chen Wujun turned his head and glanced at the backstage manager. Her name was Lily, if he recalled correctly.

Lily forced a smile and tried to smooth things over. "Brother Jun, please calm down. She just ran her mouth, that's all. She's learned her lesson now — she won't say anything like that again!"

Chen Wujun fixed his gaze on her, staring long enough that Lily began to squirm. Only then did he turn back to the makeup artist, his face blank. "I thought you didn't know what you did wrong, but clearly you do. So it was deliberate."

He let out a cold laugh and kicked her square in the face.

Then he turned around, beckoned to Ah Yue, and headed back downstairs.

They settled into a booth with a sofa. Ah Yue looked uneasy. "I've been hearing that a lot of people are looking for you lately. Are you okay?"

"I'm sitting right here, aren't I?" Chen Wujun replied.

"They... they just say mean things, they haven't actually done anything... Won't what you did... cause trouble?" Ah Yue asked nervously.

"They know about your relationship with me. You being here represents my face. And they still dare say things like that? That's slapping me in the face!" Chen Wujun's expression turned dark.

"This is Karen's place, so I held back."

Chen Wujun tilted his head back and drained half the soda bottle, his mind churning.

'Just like senior sister said — for people like us, reputation is everything.'

'Lose face, and everyone thinks they can trample you. Not just outsiders — your own people will step on you too!'

'These past few days, Lidong's been hunting for me. I've been lying low, training and preparing, staying out of sight. Everyone thinks I got scared.'

'I'm not dead yet, and already Ji Xiang's people look at me with contempt. Even a makeup artist in Karen's shop dares to step on me!'

Chen Wujun knew Karen's situation was different from Ji Xiang's.

Ji Xiang's runners were all his personal loyalists.

Karen rarely went backstage — Lily was the one managing things back there.

But Lily was Karen's trusted subordinate. To say Karen hadn't heard a thing would be impossible.

So Chen Wujun's heart grew a few degrees colder toward Karen as well.

'Nobody gives you goodwill without a reason!'

'I need my own territory, my own power, and my own business — fast! Only when you have real strength will people fear and respect you!'

Chen Wujun began calculating. If Shark Jiu couldn't seize Lidong's territory this time, he'd take out one of the four — Ji Xiang, Ah Hao, Flower Boy Rong, or Cun Bao — and take their seat.

He had his eye on the finance company. The margins were fat, and he had some understanding of how debt collection worked.

After that, he'd ask Karen to hand over Lily. If Karen refused, he'd simply hire his own people.

He didn't believe for a second that the makeup artist had been bold enough to act on her own.

It was past eight when Karen finally arrived at the club.

The moment she walked in, she heard about the backstage incident. After getting the full picture, she sent someone to fetch Lily, then brought a bottle of baijiu and two glasses over to Chen Wujun's booth and sat down across from him. She poured two glasses.

"Jun, I just heard about what happened backstage. I don't usually keep a close eye on things back there."

"Karen, I know you're busy — who's got time to worry about backstage drama?" Chen Wujun said with a smile.

"Don't blame me, really — I genuinely didn't know about this. And Ah Yue too, why didn't she come to me when something like this happened?" Karen chuckled with a helpless air, though she could hear the distance in Chen Wujun's tone.

Moments later, Lily hurried over to the table.

"Karen!"

"Lily's here. So tell me — how should we handle this?" Karen leaned back into the sofa and directed the question at Chen Wujun.

"Karen's being so gracious about this — if I kept pushing, I'd be the one in the wrong!" Chen Wujun said with a squinting grin.

"It's not a big deal, anyway. A drink and an apology, and we'll call it even."

Lily watched the two of them talk, her heart practically leaping into her throat. She hastily poured herself a glass.

"Karen, Brother Jun — it was my fault. I didn't keep my people in line!" She threw her head back and downed the glass in one go.

That single glass held a good hundred milliliters of liquor.

Chen Wujun watched her with that same squinting smile, saying nothing.

Lily gritted her teeth and poured another. Chen Wujun still didn't speak.

Lily downed three glasses in a row, pressing her hand over her mouth to keep from vomiting, her face flushed crimson.

Only then did Chen Wujun speak. "One glass would've been enough, but look how many you drank."

"Karen, let's leave it at that."

"Fine. Since Jun's given his word, this is settled. But if there's a next time, don't bother coming back to work." Karen had been watching from her reclined position on the sofa the entire time. Only when Chen Wujun spoke did she address Lily.

"Thank you, Karen! Thank you, Brother Jun!"

"Get back to work."

Lily stumbled away, unsteady on her feet.

Chen Wujun turned to Karen. "After what happened, it wouldn't feel right for Ah Yue to keep working here. I'll be taking her with me tonight."

"Sure!" Karen smiled, though she knew full well that Chen Wujun's grudge hadn't faded.

She'd given him all the face she could.

She simply didn't want a conflict with Chen Wujun — it wasn't that she feared him.

He might be Shark Jiu's junior, but Karen had served Shark Jiu for many years herself. Chen Wujun hadn't climbed high enough to lord over her yet.

And by the time he truly rose to power, a small matter like this wouldn't amount to anything.

"A few tables have been eyeing you since you walked in, Karen. You should go tend to your guests."

"Then you two chat!" Karen rose with an easy smile and glided away.

...

"I'm not coming back anymore?" Ah Yue asked softly after Karen left.

"Find a place to rent tomorrow and settle in," Chen Wujun told her.

His own hideout hadn't been exposed yet, but there was no telling when Lidong might sniff it out.

He planned to have Ah Yue rent a place in her name, somewhere close to where he was staying.

That way, he could go back to his own place openly every day while actually spending his nights at Ah Yue's.

Around nine, Chen Wujun checked his watch and said to Ah Yue, "Wait here for me. I'll be back soon."

He finished the last of his soda, patted the folding knife in his pocket, and walked out the door.

Longjin Street was still bustling at this hour. Workers getting off the late shift, people heading out for midnight snacks, pleasure-seekers and gambling addicts — even children running and playing in the street.

Shops and stalls remained open all along the road.

Chen Wujun extended his hand toward a runner, who immediately produced a cigarette. "Brother Jun!"

Chen Wujun wasn't much of a smoker, but he suddenly felt like having one.

He lit up and stood there taking a few drags. He could see figures in the distance watching this spot, but he pretended not to notice.

After a few puffs, he flicked the butt into the reeking gutter ahead and started walking to one side.

Less than a hundred meters later, he spotted several muscular young men standing at the roadside up ahead, their hostile gazes locked on him.

He glanced over his shoulder. The ones who'd been tailing him had followed.

Chen Wujun ducked straight into an alley beside him.

"The kid's trying to run! Let's see where he goes this time." The young men blocking his path broke into predatory grins.

They hadn't only posted people on the street — they had men stationed in the alleys too.

"Move!"

...

The moment Chen Wujun plunged into the alley, he sharpened every sense to its peak. The noise and bustle of the street fell away behind him in an instant.

As he neared a corner, he caught the faintest hint of breathing. He immediately slowed his pace and drew the folding knife from his pocket, snapping it open.

Just as he was about to round the bend, several figures burst from the shadows, swinging wooden clubs and steel pipes at his head in a vicious rain of blows.

"You've been hiding all this time, and you still dare show your face? Let's see where you run now!" One of them — a tall, muscular youth in a tight tank top — sauntered forward with a club in hand, a savage grin splitting his face.