Chapter 43

This is not a reminder, it's a threat.

Liu Hande answered bluntly, "I'm at the entrance of the Transportation Vocational College. You want to break my legs, right? Come quickly, I'm waiting for you."

The other party didn't hesitate either, "Alright, wait for me, I'll be there soon."

After hanging up, a few students asked, "Brother Dong, who's coming?"

Liu Hande replied, "I don't know, they said they want to break one of my legs. I told them to come. Do you have any weapons to lend me?"

The student said, "We don't have anything else, but we have plenty of weapons. Brother Dong, wait a moment, I'll go get them." He ran off and returned five minutes later with a hollow aluminum baseball bat, which Liu Hande took and swung a few times, finding it quite handy.

The black car drivers across the street saw him with a weapon and immediately became tense. The one with a ruddy complexion took out his phone and started making calls.

Liu Hande analyzed the situation: not many people knew his new phone number, only his family and Ma Ling, and the administrative department of Qingshi High-Tech had his number. It was likely that Xia Baishi had sent people to take revenge on him.

Half an hour later, over ten green and blue Jetta taxis came from the north, all empty, and stopped in front of the school. The drivers, wearing white shirts and black ties, got out with weapons in hand. The leader was a man in his twenties with a ponytail, carrying a galvanized steel pipe, looking quite arrogant.

Liu Hande was puzzled. This didn't make sense. Was Qingshi High-Tech so desperate that they hired a bunch of taxi drivers to beat him up?

He didn't move, but the ruddy-faced black car driver and his group came down first, also carrying chains, wooden sticks, and bricks. Both sides were tense and started cursing each other.

Liu Hande suddenly realized that this was a fight between the taxi drivers and the black car drivers, and it had nothing to do with him. To avoid getting involved, he was about to start his car and leave when his phone rang. The ponytailed taxi driver was on the phone.

Damn, they're still after me.

Liu Hande answered the phone, "Hello."

"You bastard, you found some black car drivers to help you. Come out!" the other party shouted.

Looking at the ponytailed driver, he was also shouting into the phone. It was him.

Liu Hande hung up, got out of the car with the baseball bat, and before his left foot even touched the ground, the fight had already started.

The two groups of drivers were fighting, bricks and sticks flying, making quite a scene. Liu Hande, holding the baseball bat, was a bit depressed. He didn't know which side to take.

The ponytailed taxi driver and the ruddy-faced black car driver were fighting. The taxi driver was very aggressive, swinging the steel pipe like the wind, forcing the ruddy-faced driver to retreat. He stumbled and fell, and the taxi driver raised the pipe to strike. Liu Hande shouted, "Idiot, I'm over here."

The taxi driver abandoned the ruddy-faced driver and pointed the steel pipe at him, "Are you Liu Hande?"

"I'm the one, come on," Liu Hande said, scratching his back with the baseball bat, looking unconcerned, as if the fight was just a child's play.

The taxi driver dragged the steel pipe over, sparks flying on the concrete, looking quite intimidating.

Liu Hande threw away his cigarette, raised the baseball bat, and started running to meet him.

The two clashed, and in an instant, the steel pipe and the aluminum baseball bat met over a dozen times, making a loud noise like a storm. Neither retreated, both surprised by the other's strength.

The taxi driver felt his right hand's tiger's mouth split and switched hands.

Liu Hande held the bat with both hands, shaking his numb right hand.

The fight continued, with the taxi drivers outnumbering the black car drivers, who were all beaten down. The taxi drivers, not satisfied with just beating them, started smashing the BYDs and Cherys with iron rods, causing car alarms to blare all over the street.

Suddenly, a roar of engines was heard, and everyone turned to see Hu Lei leading a group of students from the Transportation Vocational College, all armed with sticks. The situation changed dramatically, and the taxi drivers were at a disadvantage. The ponytailed taxi driver whistled sharply, and the taxi drivers quickly got into their cars and fled.

Hu Lei rode up on a motorcycle, "Brother Dong, are you okay?" Behind him were a group of tough guys in leather jackets and sunglasses, riding road racers and Harleys, looking fierce.

"Not a hair on me is hurt," Liu Hande said, throwing the baseball bat to a student and walking over to the ruddy-faced driver.

The ruddy-faced driver was also confused. They, being out-of-town black car drivers, often fought with the local taxi drivers over business. But today's fight was strange. He thought the taxi drivers were called by the guy in the Fukan, but it turned out they were also enemies, and they started fighting as soon as they met. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, so the guy in the Fukan should be on his side.

"Friend, what's your name? If it weren't for you, my head would have been split open," the ruddy-faced driver said, offering a cigarette.

"I'm Liu Hande, new in town, please take care of me," Liu Hande said, taking the cigarette.

"I'm Kan Wanlin, these are my fellow townspeople," the ruddy-faced driver said, lighting Liu Hande's cigarette and nodding at Hu Lei, "Your friend?"

"Yep, friend," Liu Hande said, taking a puff and waving at Hu Lei, "Thanks, I'm fine."

"Brother Dong, call if you need anything," Hu Lei said, revving his engine and leading his gang away.

The black car drivers were bruised and battered, their cars heavily damaged, with broken windows and dented bodies, likely out of commission for a few days.

"Who was that guy?" Liu Hande asked.

Kan Wanlin squinted, "That's Ma Wei from Huaijiang Taxi. You haven't heard of him? That's odd, he was after you."

Liu Hande suddenly understood. Last time he applied for a job at Huaijiang Taxi, he registered his phone number. Later, he beat Bian Xiangqiang at the bus company, and it was likely that Bian Xiangqiang's brother, Bian Xianggang, had used the company's thugs to take revenge on him.

Another roar of engines was heard, and this time it was Jialing, Qianjiang, and Lifan motorcycles, driven by local motorcycle taxi drivers, who were called by Kan Wanlin for backup.

"Old Kan, how are you? Did we come too late?" the motorcycle taxi driver asked, holding a cigarette.

"The fight's been over for half an hour," Kan Wanlin said, annoyed.

Liu Hande said, "You guys are from Jiangbei?"

"South Tai, where are you from?"

"I'm from the city."

"Brother, let's go have a drink," Kan Wanlin said, being quite generous.

"I'll treat," Liu Hande said, not hesitating.

Everyone got into their cars and followed Liu Hande to the Tujiji Dog Meat Restaurant on Iron Slag Street. It was already 2 PM, and the restaurant was empty. Xiao Yue was cleaning, and Shan Pao was unloading flour and beer from a tricycle. Sun's two henchmen were skinning a dog, and a dog's head was visible in the pot. The ground in front of the restaurant was a mess.

Liu Hande got out of the car and shouted, "Shan Pao, bring two cases of beer, I'm treating today."

Shan Pao came over and, seeing Kan Wanlin, said, "Wanlin, it's you."

Kan Wanlin was delighted, "Shan Pao, it's been a while. I last saw you in Pudong."

Shan Pao said, "We'll talk later, come in, all brothers, don't be shy."

The black car drivers got out of their cars and found seats in the restaurant. Xiao Yue brought a case of beer, and Liu Hande quickly took it, "Sister, rest, we can handle it."

Kan Wanlin said, "Right, sister, rest. We'll have white liquor, not beer. Someone, go buy four bottles of white liquor from the store across the street."

Shan Pao brought a basket of dog meat and said, "Why buy? I have everything. Xiao Yue, bring white liquor, not the one on the shelf, the real stuff from the back."

Liu Hande laughed, "You have fake liquor on the shelf?"

Shan Pao whispered, "These days, everything can be fake. Even beer can be fake. But what I'm giving you is real."

They drank until the sky was dark, leaving over a dozen empty white liquor bottles and four empty cases of beer. The black car drivers were drunk, some stumbling out to urinate on the street, some vomiting against the wall, some mumbling, and some snoring under the tables.

Kan Wanlin, drunk, his face even redder, was holding Liu Hande's hand, calling him brother. Shan Pao was busy, only drinking a few cups, and came over to persuade, "Brother, are you okay? Want to rest here?"

Liu Hande, also red-faced, had drunk a pound and a half of white liquor and six bottles of beer, but was still somewhat sober. He took out his wallet, "Shan Pao, let's settle the bill."

Kan Wanlin slapped Liu Hande's wallet to the ground, glaring, "Brother, don't look down on me! I said I'll pay!"

Liu Hande said, "We agreed I would pay."

Shan Pao said, "You two rest, I'll treat today."

Kan Wanlin said, "No! No one argues with me, or I'll use a knife." He took out a stack of money, counting it carefully, but soon fell asleep, snoring loudly.

Shan Pao put the money back in Kan Wanlin's pocket and smiled at Liu Hande, "He has a bad temper but is very loyal."

Liu Hande said, "This is my fault, I'll pay."

Shan Pao said, "Forget it, we're all brothers, no need to be formal. Wanlin and his friends will come to my place often, so consider it a customer."

Liu Hande agreed and helped Shan Pao clean up.

After a while, Shan Pao said, "A drink in the afternoon is perfect for a nap. Let's go to Sister Mei's for a head massage and a back rub to sober up."

Kan Wanlin, who was snoring, suddenly woke up, wiping his mouth, "Where for a head massage and back rub? I'm in!"