C19 The Stone Broke His Wrist

Shen Yong tuned out everything except for the word 'fool.'

He had grown numb to most things, but being called a 'fool' was his Achilles' heel.

Just as a dragon has its vulnerable spot, Shen Yong's was the word 'fool'—call him that, and he'd be quick to deliver a slap!

After placing the basket of Juicy Sweet Peaches on the ground, Shen Yong looked up to assess the newcomer.

The leader was a bald man with a broad, meaty face, wearing a wide white tee and oversized shorts. Standing at roughly 6 feet, his fan-shaped physique and bulging muscles painted the picture of a formidable opponent.

Pinned to his short sleeve was a red armband emblazoned with four bold, yellow characters: "Order Management!"

"Snap—!"

Shen Yong didn't care about the man's appearance or status. The moment he was called an idiot, Shen Yong's hand flew out in a reflexive slap!

The bald man was left reeling from the impact, frozen in place, struggling to comprehend what had just happened.

"Where are you from, daring to strike our Brother Peng? His face is sacred, untouchable as a tiger's rear! And yet you dared to slap it! Have you lost your mind?!"

A green-haired thug stepped forward from behind the muscle-bound bald man, brandishing a rubber club and taking a swing at Shen Yong.

In a swift move, the bald man grabbed the green-haired guy's arm, yanking him back and sending him tumbling to the ground.

"Greenie! How many times must I tell you? Civilized management! Collect money with courtesy! Don't resort to violence so quickly! If a dog bites you, do you bite back? He's just a simple country fellow; if you injure him, who's going to cover for you?" the bald man chastised.

Turning to another henchman with red hair, he commanded, "Red, give Greenie a couple of slaps for his loose tongue! He had the nerve to compare my face to a tiger's behind!"

"Right away, Brother Peng!"

Red Hair saluted, spat into his palms, and rubbed them together with a smug look. "Greenie, orders from Brother Peng himself! Don't hold it against me if I don't pull my punches!"

"Stop! Don't you dare touch me!"

Green Hair was sprawled on the ground, sporting a sly grin. "Brother Peng! I'll handle it myself! I sure don't want Red Hair touching my face after he's been handling whatever he does with those dirty women at night!"

With that, Green Hair theatrically fanned his face with his hand, not making a sound.

Pure theatrics!

Here were three grown men, staging a melodrama that was downright nauseating to watch!

Shen Yong was baffled. What on earth were these guys up to?

"Hey! You're new to the city, aren't you?! Don't recognize me? The name's Gao Peng! But folks call me Gao Qianwa! I'm the enforcer of order around this farmers' market!"

Gao Peng stroked his gleaming bald head, feigning a civilized demeanor. "There's a rule in this market! Pay before you set up shop! Your spot here is 200 yuan! Plus, your cart's hogging space, and your cow's made a mess, dirtying the stall and fouling the air. That's an extra 300! In total, you owe me 500 yuan in management fees! You paying cash or scanning a code?"

He then pulled out a payment code from the pocket of his oversized shorts.

"I don't have any money right now!"

Shen Yong didn't want any trouble. He was well aware that these three were the local thugs, extorting money at will, yet he responded with courtesy, "Once I've sold these Juicy Sweet Peaches, I'll make sure to pay you."

"No way!"

Gao Peng's face soured at the mention of no money, and he bellowed, "What's this?! You think you can set up here without paying? Anyone who tries to flout the rules will get no mercy from me!"

"I honestly don't have any money!"

Shen Yong calmly spread his hands, "I'm not looking to cause trouble or break any rules. I simply don't have the money."

"If you're broke, then scram! Don't leave your mess here!"

Gao Peng roared, "And before you go, clean up that pile your cow left behind! Don't disrupt the business of those setting up after you!"

Shen Yong's stall was, after all, situated in a part of the farmers' market designed to accommodate villagers who brought their livestock carts into the city for convenience.

Now, these local thugs had taken over the place to extort money!

Shen Yong had long been irked by the sight.

"What if I refuse to leave!?"

Shen Yong's voice was icy, his simmering rage barely contained.

"Ha! Today we've actually got a tough nut to crack! If you won't leave on your own, then we'll make sure you do!"

Gao Peng bellowed, "Green Hair! Take that defecating cow away! Tonight, we brothers are going to feast on beef hotpot! And let's invite the other brothers from the Justice Association to liven things up!"

"Sure thing, Brother Peng! Nothing beats fresh beef in a hotpot!"

Green Hair sprang to his feet and headed toward the big yellow cow.

"Hold it! Don't you dare touch my cow, or you'll regret it!" Shen Yong warned in a stern voice.

Green Hair sneered with his beady eyes and retorted confidently, "I'll do it! What are you going to do about it?"

With that, Green Hair reached out to unfasten the cow's reins.

But just as his hand neared the reins, a small stone whizzed through the air and struck his wrist.

"Ow!"

Green Hair yelped in pain, his hand now dangling limply.

"My hand! It's broken! A stone broke it – how did this happen? It's so painful!"

Green Hair's cries filled the air.

Unbeknownst to him, Shen Yong had flicked the stone with precision.

Shen Yong had been lenient; had he used his full strength, he could have broken the cow's leg, not just a wrist.

In the pocket of Shen Yong's military coat were a few small stones he'd idly collected earlier, never imagining they'd prove useful now.

Yet, Shen Yong's stone-throwing had been discreet, unnoticed by the onlookers.

Gao Peng witnessed the bizarre incident, rubbing his shiny bald head, his eyes wide with bewilderment.

"That's what happens when you do too much evil – it comes back to bite you!"

Shen Yong, feigning nonchalance, said, "Didn't I warn you? Don't touch my cow! You wouldn't listen! Well, this is what happens when you ignore my advice – trouble finds you right away!"

Attracted by the commotion, a crowd had gathered, predominantly composed of elderly folks.

"Karma! The wicked have finally met their comeuppance!"

"The Justice Association has a nice ring to it, but they're anything but just!"

"That guy in the military coat who's tangled with them is in for a rough time, I bet!"

"I wouldn't be so sure! That young man is under divine protection! Anyone who lays a hand on him will face heavenly wrath!"

...

The onlookers, mostly seniors, began murmuring among themselves, their conversation peppered with superstitious remarks.

"Enough with the noise! A bunch of old geezers! Go do your shopping and stop causing a ruckus here!" bellowed the man with red hair.

The crowd fell silent, their eyes simmering with a resentful helplessness.

It was clear they harbored a fearful respect for these thugs.

"This mess has to be the doing of that fool in the military coat!"

Gao Peng glared in their direction, jabbing a finger at Shen Yong as he bellowed, "You big fool! You had the nerve to slap me earlier! I haven't had my payback yet! You must think I'm some kind of saint! I swear, if I don't beat the crap out of you today, I'll eat that cow pie myself!"

With that, Gao Peng balled his fists and charged at Shen Yong.