Chapter 58

"Y-You actually dared to hit me?"

Zhou Bing, who was completely unprepared, was stunned by the heavy slap. It took him several seconds to react, feeling the burning pain on his face, his eyes filled with disbelief.

To be honest, the reputation of "Yushuzhai" in the industry wasn't very good. The reason was that Nie Tianbao was ruthless and unscrupulous, always resorting to any means to achieve his goals.

Back when he was in the fertilizer business, Nie Tianbao bribed the local supply and marketing cooperative while using thugs to intimidate those who bought fertilizer from other places, thus quickly accumulating a vast fortune.

The storefront of "Yushuzhai" originally didn't belong to the Nie family. Nie Tianbao brought in over twenty unfamiliar miners from Xinjiang to raid and smash the place every few days, forcing the original owner to transfer the storefront to him.

Although this matter didn't go to the authorities, everyone who did business on the antique street knew about it. Therefore, people usually gave "Yushuzhai" some leeway, and when there were disputes, they usually kept quiet.

Although Zhou Bing was just a young helper, he had been accustomed to bullying others on the antique street, relying on the "reputation" of "Yushuzhai." How could he have ever been hit like this before?

"Damn, I hit you, and now see if your foul mouth can still spew filth!"

What Zhou Bing didn't expect was that as soon as he finished speaking, his left cheek stung again, as the other party swung his arm and gave him another heavy slap.

"I'll fight you to the death!"

This time, Zhou Bing reacted very quickly. His face turned red with shame and anger, and he let out a roar, rushing forward to fight the other person.

China is never short of people who love to watch a spectacle, especially on the tourist-packed antique street. As soon as the two started fighting, a crowd quickly gathered around, blocking the entrance to "Yushuzhai" completely.

"What the hell, fighting at the store entrance?"

Nie Tianbao, standing on the steps, had a face as dark as water. If Zhou Bing wasn't the nephew of his distant cousin, Nie Tianbao would have fired this lazy and good-for-nothing kid long ago.

Nie Tianbao didn't mind using force; he himself had often used underhanded methods to solve problems. But fighting at the entrance of his own store, how stupid could one be?

"Fight, hit the face! Don't just tear clothes!"

"Cough, kick him in the groin, one kick and he'll be down!"

"Eyes, hit the eyes, make him blind first!"

Regardless of Nie Tianbao's anger, the onlookers were all excited, cheering and even giving advice, hoping the two would fight to the death.

However, neither of the two seemed to know how to fight. They just tore at each other's clothes, unable to free their hands to hit faces. Although the fight was lively, neither was seriously injured.

But the young man who started the fight was wearing a silk shirt, which didn't seem to withstand much pulling. With a "rip," the fabric from his chest to his pocket was torn by Zhou Bing.

A palm-sized, square-folded yellow silk cloth fell from the young man's pocket as the shirt ripped.

Zhou Bing, who was desperately pulling the other person, didn't expect the shirt to be so weak. He couldn't control his strength and stumbled backward, landing on the ground.

"Damn, you dare to tear my shirt?"

Seeing his shirt torn, the young man immediately started cursing and rushed forward to kick Zhou Bing.

However, when he noticed his pocket was also torn, his face suddenly changed. He ignored kicking Zhou Bing and turned to grab the silk cloth that had fallen to the ground.

"Damn, if my stuff is damaged, I'll take your life!"

The young man, with a fierce look in his eyes, kicked Zhou Bing hard in the chest. Just as he was about to follow up, a voice suddenly rang out: "Enough, are you done yet?"

"You think you're someone? I never get enough of hitting people!" As the young man was about to kick again, he felt his left hand go numb, as someone grabbed his wrist and pulled him back a few steps.

"Kid, you were robbed, why are you hitting my helper?"

The one who stopped the young man was Nie Tianbao. He was already half-dead with anger. If he weren't a person of some status, Nie Tianbao would have rolled up his sleeves and fought the young man.

"The helper in your store has a foul mouth, he deserves it!"

The young man, still held back by Nie Tianbao, continued to curse: "I was robbed, and this bastard not only didn't help but also tore my shirt. I'm telling you, if my stuff is damaged, I'll have your store smashed!"

"Wow, you have quite a mouth, don't you?"

Nie Tianbao was amused by the young man, but after carefully observing him, his heart sank. He swallowed the harsh words that were about to come out.

This young man, who called himself "lord," was around twenty years old, with a very handsome face, but his raised eyebrows made him seem a bit frivolous and arrogant.

However, his attire was very refined. The silk shirt alone would cost at least a thousand yuan, and on his wrist, he wore a dark-colored bracelet that looked like a small-leaf rosewood.

Nie Tianbao, who could navigate both the black and white worlds in Shishi, had eyes that were not to be underestimated.

Although the young man was young, his demeanor made Nie Tianbao suspicious. He didn't want to offend someone over such a trivial matter.

"What, don't believe me?" The young man raised an eyebrow and said, "Let's see, if I can't close your store in three days, I'll change my name!"

"Wow, coming to our Hongqi Street to bully us?"

"Mr. Nie, let's see, are you afraid of this kid?"

"Exactly, this guy talks big, Mr. Nie, why is the flower so red?"

Before Nie Tianbao could speak, the onlookers started to protest, each one indignant, but none stepped forward.

"Everyone, it's just a small misunderstanding, no need to make a big deal out of it. Young man, come inside, Old Nie will apologize to you!"

Nie Tianbao's eyes darted around, and he pulled the young man into "Yushuzhai," saying, "Everyone, disperse, do you want Old Nie to treat you to a meal?"

Having built a fortune from the bottom, Nie Tianbao never cared about his reputation. He was the kind of person who could put on a facade and also discard his dignity.

Nie Tianbao understood the intentions of the onlookers. They just saw the young man as arrogant and possibly influential, trying to provoke a conflict between him and Nie Tianbao.

Understanding this, Nie Tianbao was not about to fall for it. Who knew what background the young man had? If he had a powerful connection, Nie Tianbao would have nowhere to cry. He knew Xie Dazhi, and his story was a warning.

Seeing there was no more spectacle, the crowd quickly dispersed. A few antique store owners, who failed to provoke a fight, cursed Nie Tianbao as a sly fox and returned to their stores.

"What, tricked me in here, what do you want?"

Once inside the store, the young man clearly showed some fear, but he still refused to back down, shouting, "If you touch me, I'll have your store smashed tomorrow!"

"No, no, young man, it's just a misunderstanding, no need for violence!"

Seeing the fleeting fear in the young man's eyes, Nie Tianbao felt more relaxed and smiled, "Young man, you're not from Shishi, right? How did you end up here and lose your wallet?"

Nie Tianbao had already noticed that the young man spoke with a fluent Beijing accent, which was one of the main reasons he wanted to avoid conflict. Beijing had too many officials, and the young man might have connections he couldn't afford to offend.

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