C16 I Was Scared

"Big Brother, do you have any other orders?" Baldy stammered, his hefty frame quivering.

"Not much, but you lot made quite a mess earlier, breaking all those dishes and furniture. Are you planning to make it right?" Qin Fen asked, a mischievous grin playing on his lips.

Baldy caught on immediately and hastily pulled out a thick wad of cash from his pocket, presenting it to Qin Fen with an ingratiating smile, "Big Brother, will this amount do?"

Qin Fen produced a large black plastic bag from thin air, accepted the money, and tossed it inside. He nodded and affirmed, "That'll do."

The ruffians breathed easier at his words. Any issue that could be resolved with money wasn't really an issue at all.

Qin Fen then turned his attention to the other thugs, "Your leader has paid up. Now it's your turn."

The other thugs shuddered at his words, quickly acquiescing, "Of course, Big Brother."

Though it pained them, they recognized that Qin Fen was not someone they could provoke. They would stay as far away from him as possible.

It was only because they weren't at home; otherwise, they would have emptied their houses to appease Qin Fen.

Feeling the heft of the black plastic bag, Qin Fen nodded in approval and commanded, "Get out of here."

At his words, they felt as though they'd been pardoned, collapsing in relief.

However, noticing they still hadn't left, Qin Fen's face darkened as he barked, "I told you to get lost. Why are you still here? Are you asking for trouble?"

With that, he charged at them again, stripping the pants off the hapless thugs.

"Big Brother, can't we at least keep our pants? We'll take off our shirts, okay?" Baldy pleaded, hands covering himself.

Qin Fen didn't relent and continued to lay into them.

A minute later, Baldy was begging, "Big Brother, I'm sorry. We won't haggle. We're leaving, right now."

A disheveled bunch in white shirts – their black pants gone, revealing hairy legs – hurriedly rolled away from the neighborhood corner.

"Hahahaha." The patrons at the kebab stand couldn't contain their laughter at the spectacle.

"Laugh at your own mother," a hooligan snapped, unable to restrain himself.

The laughter from the customers ceased abruptly, a wave of silence washing over them. They were, after all, somewhat intimidated by the hooligans, unlike Qin Fen who stood his ground fearlessly.

But then, Baldy rolled over to the hooligan, delivered a stinging slap to his face, and barked, "What nonsense are you spouting? Apologize to them, now!"

Reluctantly, the hooligan offered an apology, prompting another round of hearty laughter from the customers.

"You guys had it coming. That's what bullies like you get," the young man who had stood up for the victims remarked indignantly.

Qin Fen then approached the kebab stall and extended a black plastic bag to Yu Yemei, grinning as he said, "Auntie, this is their compensation to you."

Yu Yemei hastily wiped her hands with a towel before accepting the bag, which immediately weighed her hand down.

"Oh my, why is there so much money? No, Qin, I can't accept this. You keep it," Yu Yemei exclaimed, taken aback by the sight of the predominantly red bills, which amounted to tens of thousands.

Despite the prevalence of electronic payments, the hooligans had a penchant for flaunting wads of cash, a habit that had backfired on them this time.

"Rest assured, Auntie, you take the money. They won't dare to complain. I've got your back from now on. If they give you any trouble, just let me know, and I'll make sure they regret it," Qin Fen assured her, patting his chest confidently.

Su Rou, overhearing the conversation, couldn't help but blush.

Yu Yemei hesitated, but the thought of the substantial sum made her insist, "No, Qin, you should keep the money. It's simply too much."

He shook his head vehemently, not about to be fooled. If he ended up with all the money, it would just be converted into skill points by the system.

It made more sense to leave the money with Yu Yemei. If he ever found himself short on cash, he could always borrow from her.

While the skill point was incredibly appealing to Qin Fen, he couldn't exactly use it to pay for his meals.

"Here's an idea, Auntie Yu, if you're uncomfortable accepting this money, how about I just swing by more often for your kebabs? And if it's still too much, you could put it towards next month's rent for me." Qin Fen offered, his smile betraying no concern for the sum of money in question.

"Okay, Qin, I'll put it towards your rent," Yu Yemei agreed, visibly relieved.

"Kid, those guys you took down have some serious connections. What if they come back for revenge? You've got to stay sharp," warned the young man who had stepped in earlier.

"There's no need to worry. We all saw how Qin handled himself; he's clearly capable. Plus, they literally rolled out of here. I doubt they'll be eager for a rematch after weighing their odds," another middle-aged man chimed in with a level-headed analysis.

"The gentleman's right. Everyone, relax. I'm not concerned about those thugs. If they dare to come at me, I'll show them just how tough I am," Qin Fen declared, rolling up his sleeves in a mock bodybuilder pose that sent Su Rou into a fit of laughter, easing the tension.

With the mood lightened, the patrons returned to their meals. Yu Yemei tugged at Su Rou's arm, reminding her, "Don't forget to thank Qin. Without him, you would've been in a tight spot."

Wiping away a tear, Su Rou approached Qin Fen shyly and expressed her gratitude, "Brother Qin, I can't thank you enough for today."

Qin Fen simply shook his head, smiling. "Why the formality with me?"

Yu Yemei suggested, "Rou, why don't you head home with Qin for now?" Given the day's events, it was clear Su Rou wasn't in the right headspace to continue working. Any further mishaps would be hard to justify to the customers.

Su Rou agreed with a nod and set off for home with Qin Fen.

Recalling Qin Fen's impressive capabilities, Su Rou couldn't contain her excitement.

"Qin Fen, you're actually this amazing? That's such a surprise to me. I had no idea you were capable of so much." As she spoke, her gaze inevitably drifted to Qin Fen's striking features. Memories of their last encounter made her cheeks flush a deep red.

Qin Fen felt a wave of embarrassment wash over him. "Oh gosh, what happened last time isn't what you're imagining."

It seemed impossible to clear up the misunderstanding!