Rebirth 03: Starting a Business After Giving Up a Secure Job

Chapter 30 I'm determined to handle this matter.

"Fans?" Tiger asked with a playful tone.

"How did the fans find their way here?" He glanced at the bag in Lin Feng's hand, then looked at Lin Feng's young face.

"Kid, you look young, are you new to this world, or do you think I'm easy to fool?"

Tiger's smile vanished quickly. "Tang Lei was someone I personally groomed. He ate my food, drank my drinks, used my facilities. Now that he's gained some fame, people outside are eyeing him?"

As they were talking, Ah Biao snatched the barbecue bag from Lin Feng's hand, threw it on the ground, and stomped on it.

Oil splattered, and meat skewers were scattered all over the ground.

Lin Xiaoqiang was worried that the other party would attack Lin Feng, and was about to step forward to help, but was blocked by two men on either side.

Tiger took a step forward, almost touching Lin Feng's face.

"Tang Lei has been singing here for over two years. A few months ago, someone tried to poach him, but I broke his ribs. What, you want to give it a try too?"

Lin Feng neither retreated nor spoke, but simply stared at him.

Tiger reached out and patted Lin Feng's face. The force wasn't strong, but it was extremely insulting.

"Listen up! I don't care if you're a genuine fan or sent by some shady venue to poach him. Go back to where you came from. If I find out you're contacting Tang Lei privately again, I'll break your legs! Get out!"

The seven or eight men beside him roared in unison, "Get out of here!"

Lin Feng glanced down at the scattered barbecue on the ground, his anger rising. But a wise man knows when to back down; if a fight broke out, he and Lin Xiaoqiang would be outnumbered.

He gave Lin Xiaoqiang a look, "Brother Qiang, let's go."

Lin Feng reluctantly left with the indignant Lin Xiaoqiang, and the feud was now officially sealed.

After the two left, Tiger instructed Ah Biao, "Go up and tell Tang Lei that he doesn't need to sing tonight. Let him think carefully about who he should follow."

Second floor, behind the gap in the curtains.

Tang Lei leaned against the cold wall and slowly slid down to the floor. His whole body was trembling uncontrollably.

He saw everything that happened downstairs just now clearly.

Tiger slapped Lin Feng's face and said everything; Lin Feng heard it all.

He knew Tiger and his gang's methods; they weren't just talking. That college student from Xichuan... must have been terrified.

Lin Feng traveled all the way from Xichuan to invite him to the music festival, which deeply moved Tang Lei.

But now he just wanted Lin Feng to leave as soon as possible, the farther the better. He didn't want Lin Feng to provoke Tiger and his gang.

Despair, like an icy tide, crept up from his feet, engulfing his heart and choking him.

He hugged his knees, buried his face in his arms, and his shoulders trembled silently.

On the other side, Lin Feng walked out of the alley, while Lin Xiaoqiang's face turned ashen.

"Brother Lin, that bastard..."

Lin Feng waved his hand, opened the car door, and got in.

After getting on the bus, he leaned back in his seat, closed his eyes, and didn't say anything.

The van drove out of the alley, and the streetlights outside the window swept by, casting flickering light on Lin Feng's face.

It was already past nine o'clock in the evening when the car arrived in Futian.

Neither of them spoke the rest of the way. Lin Xiaoqiang drove in silence, gripping the steering wheel tightly with his fingers.

Lin Xiaoqiang slammed his fist on the steering wheel only after the van stopped in front of the guesthouse and the engine was turned off.

His chest heaved violently, his eyes were bloodshot, and he had nowhere to vent his anger.

In the passenger seat, Lin Feng looked out the window at the traffic flowing by, a surge of anger gathering deep within his eyes.

The spot on his cheek where someone had slapped him didn't hurt, but it felt like a red-hot branding iron, burning his nerves.

Lin Xiaoqiang turned his head and saw Lin Feng's terrifying eyes, sensing that he would not give up so easily.

"Brother Lin."

"Um."

"I asked a few local friends about the owner of Benshe Bar. His real name is Zhao Xiaohu, and he has been in the Dongyuan Road area for more than ten years."

The True Colors Bar has been open for seven years and is considered the biggest establishment in the area. He has twenty or thirty thugs under his command, and Ah Biao is his most capable assistant. Ah Biao had previously been in jail for intentional assault and then joined Zhao Xiaohu's group after his release.

Lin Xiaoqiang paused for a moment, then said, "I heard from a friend that a few years ago a newly opened bar tried to steal business from us by reporting that Ben Se Bar was involved in prostitution, but nothing came of it. Not long after, the owner of the bar who reported it had his leg broken, and he had to close down the business."

He looked into Lin Feng's eyes: "Brother Lin, I, Lin Xiaoqiang, am a former soldier, not someone who's afraid of trouble. In the army, no matter how strong the enemy is, we have tactics and comrades-in-arms. But society is more complicated than the army... If the two of us really go head-to-head with this kind of local bully, we'll definitely be the ones who suffer."

This was the first time Lin Xiaoqiang had spoken to Lin Feng in such a serious tone since they met.

"Brother Qiang, when you were in the army, did you ever encounter situations where you knew the other person was a scoundrel who bullied you because of his power, but you couldn't do anything to him because of discipline, and you could only suppress your anger?"

Lin Xiaoqiang was taken aback, recalling some unpleasant memories, and mumbled an "Mmm".

"That's me right now." Lin Feng slowly turned his head to look at Lin Xiaoqiang. "What he trampled wasn't just a few skewers of barbecue. What he slapped on my face wasn't just his hand."

His attitude was unusually resolute: "I'm determined to get involved in Tang Lei's affairs. It's not just about making money or the music festival. Now, his affairs are my affairs too."

Lin Xiaoqiang's heart skipped a beat. He looked at Lin Feng and suddenly understood why he had stood up for his sister when she was being bullied on the train.

……

The next morning, Lin Feng was reading the newspaper in the guesthouse when there was a knock on the door.

When I opened the door, Wu Wenjie was standing there, looking rather grim.

"Brother Jie? What brings you here?"

Wu Wenjie didn't say anything, went inside, sat down on a chair, took out a cigarette, and handed one to Lin Feng.

Wu Wenjie took a few puffs of his cigarette before finally speaking.

"Brother Lin, I heard about what happened yesterday."

Lin Feng didn't respond, waiting for him to finish speaking first.

"Do you even know who Zhao Xiaohu is?" Wu Wenjie asked, looking at him. "He's been in Luohu for over a decade; he's notorious for being ruthless and heartless!"

Lin Feng coldly replied, "I know."

"You knew that, yet you still went and provoked him?" Wu Wenjie exclaimed anxiously. "Tang Lei is just a singer at a bar, why would you go and provoke Zhao Xiaohu for his sake?"

Lin Feng exhaled a puff of smoke. "I didn't provoke him; he provoked me."

Wu Wenjie sighed, his tone softening.

"Brother Lin, take my advice. You've finished your business in Shenzhen, it's time to go back. When Xinfa delivers the goods, I'll be in charge of inspecting them and sending them back to Chengdu for you. As for Tang Lei, forget about it. Shenzhen is a very complicated place, and there are some people we can't afford to offend."

After Wu Wenjie finished speaking, Lin Feng slowly said, "Brother Jie, I understand your kindness and appreciate it. Thank you!"

Seeing Lin Feng's refusal, Wu Wenjie continued to persuade him earnestly, "Brother Lin, I'm only saying this because I consider you one of my own! Take my advice, buy a ticket back to Xichuan tomorrow!"

Lin Feng turned to look out the window, gazing into the distance:

"I feel like... it's just the beginning!"