Chapter 560 — Trouble at the Kang Xiaofeng Household
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 2
Ever since a month ago, when another teahouse and leisure club had opened directly across from the Kang family's teahouse, there had not been a moment's peace in the place.
The Kang teahouse had been open for many years and was something of an old name in these parts, so it drew no small crowd; the new teahouse, naturally, had far fewer customers. Its owner, Zhang Baji, thus got a few crooked ideas into his head and hired local thugs to harass the Kang teahouse day in and day out, until the place could scarcely do business at all.
Old name or not, the Kang teahouse could not withstand a pack of red-haired, green-haired, yellow-haired louts hollering back and forth inside every single day. A teahouse is meant to be a refined and quiet place, and most of its patrons were couples and businessmen — with these thugs playing cards and gambling inside, who could stand it?
But here was the rub: for all their jeering, the thugs did nothing else. Even if Kang's father wanted to call the police, there was nothing to report! They were customers, after all, who had come in for tea — they simply made a single pot last the whole day!
As for the card games, the teahouse had always offered free chess and card services; these men merely played a little too fiercely and made a little too much noise! Put plainly, they were paying customers, and how they chose to spend their money was none of your business.
So Kang's father knew perfectly well that he had offended someone, yet could do absolutely nothing about it. Watching the teahouse's takings dwindle day by day, he was at his wit's end — the money these petty thugs spent on tea did not even cover the daily expenses.
He held out for a month, but in the end Kang's father truly could not keep it up any longer and wanted to change the situation — only for the other side to come knocking at his door instead. And Zhang Baji had not come alone: with him was a man of real standing in Songshan City!
Kang's father had also heard of this great man's reputation. Seeing him arrive together with Zhang Bajie, he understood at once what had really been behind the trouble at his teahouse.
"President Kang, you and I are in the same line of work. We've never met, but your name has long preceded you!" The moment Zhang Bajie stepped inside, he greeted Kang's father with great warmth. "Come, let me introduce a friend. This is President Zou of Tiandi Entertainment, and this is his eldest son, Zou Ruoguang, who is the big man on the North District's underworld scene. If you ever run into trouble, President Kang, you can look him up! We're all ironclad connections here!"
As he spoke, Zhang Bajie raised a thumb, which made Kang's father frown in spite of himself. Was this not plainly a threat? Yet faced with men like these, Kang's father was utterly without recourse. He was no child; he knew the rules of society. When the other side held the power, they could bully him outright, and what could he possibly do about it?
"President Zou, President Zhang, might I ask what brings the two of you here? Have you come for tea, or to compare notes on the art of business?" Though Kang's father was furious, he knew these were men he could not afford to offend, so he spoke with neither haughtiness nor servility.
"Damn you to hell, what do you mean 'the two of you'? I'm standing right here, don't you see me? Or are you calling me not a man?" Before Zou Tiandi or Zhang Bajie could say a word, Zou Ruoguang at their side exploded. Slamming his palm on the table, he jabbed a finger at Kang's father and began cursing, the impact sending a whole Jingdezhen porcelain tea set crashing to the floor, where it shattered to bits.