Chapter Seventy-Three: Killing Is Not Just About Cutting Off Heads

  Originally, Yin Jinghua specially invited Chen Fosheng and Zhang Pangzi to dinner today. Having been stuck in the Beijing gangster circle for a long time, he had no choice but to put aside his pride and invite Chen Fosheng, the new rising star in the gangster circle, to guide him and share his experience. Yin Jinghua has been hanging out in the 49 City for some time and also knew that Chen Fosheng was just a nobody a few months ago. In a short period of time, he had turned over a new leaf and become a sensation in the gangster circle, sitting at the head table several times when the gangsters gathered, bringing expensive gifts, and only reluctantly giving Yin Jinghua a seat in the corner. The difference in treatment was stark, and after some consideration, he set his sights on Chen Fosheng. He had thought about seeking help from Xue Xiang, even sending him a TV, but the situation hadn't improved much, mainly because he was somewhat intimidated by Xue Xiang and couldn't get close to him. So he invited Chen Fosheng to share his secrets face-to-face, which led to today's dinner invitation. As for Zhang Pangzi, he was invited as a guest and a mediator, someone who could ask questions on Yin Jinghua's behalf when he didn't dare to ask himself, and besides, Zhang had always been quite friendly with him.

  The meal was supposed to be a friendly and harmonious occasion, but it ended up being marred by a dispute over a dish with Jiang Chao Tian's group at the next table. It turned out that recently, Old Mo's Western restaurant had been frequently hosting foreign guests, so the restaurant management had specially prepared a signature dish "Black Truffle Pan-Seared Sea Bass" to entertain the distinguished guests. Coincidentally, Yin Jing Hua's father had participated in one of the receptions for foreign guests and had returned home raving about this dish. Yin Jing Hua remembered it and when they were eating and chatting, he suddenly thought of this dish and asked Old Ma, the manager of Old Mo's restaurant, to bring it over. Unbeknownst to Yin Jing Hua, truffles are extremely valuable, and Manager Ma was well aware of this - after all, it had taken a lot of effort to procure just a small amount for entertaining foreign guests, so how could he let this young whippersnapper waste it?

  Yin Jinghua had a bit of a tantrum when he saw the old horse being evasive and not giving him any face. The old horse was afraid that Yin would make a scene and disturb the other diners, so he quickly came up with an idea. He said that the dish was available, but it was very expensive, 150 yuan per plate, and they had to pay first before the dish could be served. As he introduced the value and efficacy of the truffles, he demonstrated his honesty and transparency. His plan was to let Yin know that it was difficult to get the dish and retreat, knowing that truffles were as valuable as gold and sold by the gram. He didn't expect that the person he encountered wasn't just a rich kid, but two rich kids plus a wealthy fatty. The three of them were overjoyed when they heard this, thinking that they had stumbled upon a treasure today and could enjoy the treatment of a national guest. Zhang Fatty waved his hand generously and said, "I'll pay for this, hurry up and serve the dish." He paid the money on the spot. The old horse was at a loss, as the money had already been paid, and he couldn't take back what he had said. With a defeated expression, he went to the kitchen to order the dish, lamenting in his heart that this last treasure had been taken advantage of by these country bumpkins.

  Yin Jinghua patted Zhang Pangzi's shoulder with satisfaction and said, "From now on, we're brothers. If you need anything, just find me directly, no second words." The two of them were getting along great at this time. As soon as the "Black Truffle Pan-Seared Sea Bass" was served, it emitted a hot steam, and the aroma wafted through the air. The three of them closed their eyes, opened up their senses, and indulged in the enticing aroma. Just then, the table next door clapped loudly. They heard the people at the neighboring table shouting, "So fragrant! So fragrant!" and yelling at Old Ma to make a serving of this aromatic dish like Yin Jinghua's table had. The three of them found it amusing - was this dish something that could be ordered just by saying so? Wasn't it only available for those with high enough status to eat? Just as the three of them were about to pick up their chopsticks, the plate of fragrant Black Truffle Pan-Seared Sea Bass was snatched away by someone.

  Here is the translation:

  The ones who came to stir up trouble were naturally Jiang Chao Tian's gang. As soon as Jiang Chao Tian smelled the aroma, he felt a sense of familiarity. When he heard Old Ma mention the dish's name, he immediately called out. The surrounding young masters hastily gathered around, asking for an explanation. Jiang Chao Tian boasted about it, describing the truffles as if they were peaches or ginseng fruits, making it seem like eating them would grant eternal youth and ascension to heaven.

  This really stirred up a hornet's nest. These young masters were used to searching for rare and precious things, and upon hearing about this delicious dish, how could they let it go? They immediately asked Old Ma to serve the dish. However, Old Mo's truffles were already in short supply, and he had only managed to gather three or four liang after great difficulty, using up his special reserves. After serving a few tables of foreign guests, there was only about 10 grams left, barely enough to make a dish for Yin Jing Hua.

  As soon as the young masters heard that there wasn't any more, they became angry and wanted to cause trouble for Old Ma, thinking he was cheating them. But Jiang Chao Tian intervened. As someone who had seen the world, he was extremely knowledgeable about luxury goods and knew that truffles were not something you could store in large quantities. He waved his hand and let the crestfallen Old Ma leave.

  Jiang Chao Tian's mind was racing, and he set his sights on Yin Jing Hua and her two companions. With a ambiguous glance at their table, the four or five young masters who were familiar with him immediately understood what he meant and revealed sly smiles.

  Wang Yong was the lowest in Jiang Chao Tian's entourage, because his father's rank was slightly lower than that of other officials. This led to his status being inferior to others. In order to maintain his own dignity and not be looked down upon by others, he always took the initiative to do things that were both laborious and impressive. As soon as he caught Jiang Chao Tian's eye, he rushed to the front line and snatched out the delicacy just before it was destroyed.

  A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush!

  Three men from the capital city were so angry that their faces turned red, even Zhang Baozi, who had the best temper among them, was panting and couldn't catch his breath, he kept loosening his belt to prevent himself from fainting.

  Yin Jinghua was about to explode with rage. As a genuine insider who had come to the capital, he had almost become a small shrimp and didn't dare bully others. Not only that, but he was also repeatedly bullied by others. Being bullied by his elder brother was one thing, but even when eating, someone would snatch food from him. Was there still justice? Was there still law? He suddenly stood up in fury, ready to punch Wang Yong, but saw that Wang Yong was trembling with fear while protecting the dishes. In his rage, he didn't lose his clarity and quickly withdrew his fist, thinking that hitting people was a small matter, but knocking over this delicious food would be a big loss. In his indignation, he grabbed the dinner plate from the table and smashed it with satisfaction. Then, there was a scene of two people cursing at each other, with Chen Fusheng holding back Yin Jinghua.

  ………

  As a member of the Si Jiucheng aristocracy, Chen Fosheng naturally knew Jiang Chaotian, although he had never been in contact with him before, but had also heard of his reputation. Chen Fosheng knew that Jiang Chaotian was not someone to be trifled with, and any official in Si Jiucheng who dared to oppose him would be dealt with severely. Those officials who offended him, especially those from weaker family backgrounds, would be thoroughly investigated, their families implicated, and completely uprooted. Yin Jinghua had made a name for himself in the official circle precisely because of his ruthless tactics, and even officials from more prominent families rarely dared to cross him.

  Chen Fosheng's whisper was naturally heard by Zhang Wazi, and in an instant, his anger dissipated, replaced by a chill that ran down his spine, leaving him frozen with fear. As the head of a small logistics department, although his rank was only mid-level, he had accumulated considerable wealth and benefits. He couldn't bear to give up this position. But having offended such a formidable figure, he feared that his career would be ruined, not to mention his safety.

  Although Yin Jinghua is rough and reckless, he is not reckless. Otherwise, he would not have thought of the trick of "curve to save the country" - taking Chen Fusheng's approach. As soon as Chen Fusheng understood the pros and cons, he immediately understood what was important. Jiang Chao's father is not like Xue Xiang, who only threatened his own status in the 49th city, but a terrifying existence that can threaten his own father's status. His own father may not be able to withstand it, and his happy life is all thanks to the old man. Thinking of this, he no longer had any idea of competing with others. At this time, he sat back down, letting people take away the dishes, and this slap in the face was well-deserved.

  Wang Yong saw Yin Jinghua yield, and guessed that the three of them had seen through Jiang Chao's identity. He snorted, and happily carried the dishes back to his own table: "Tian Shao, everyone, my brother's skills are not bad, right? Not disappointing, victorious return."

  Jiang Chao Tian held a cup of deep red wine, gently swaying it back and forth. The golden rimmed glasses on his eyes reflected the light, making him look refined and elegant. He gazed at Wang Yong with a hint of a smile, then suddenly slammed the high-stemmed glass onto the table: "You're just this capable? That's it? Go, take the dishes back, let that kid personally bring them over to me."

  As soon as Jiang Chao Tian's voice fell, the young masters started making a ruckus and setting up the bamboo pole.

  "Xiao Yong, you're still not there yet, need more practice, your skills are too rough."

  "Yongzi, following Tian Shao for so long, you haven't even learned how to be a decent servant, it's really embarrassing."

  "Xiao Yong, it's not me saying you, but several brothers are teasing you, how can you still be so stubborn?"

  ………

  A sarcastic remark made Wang Yong's smile instantly collapse. He didn't respond, picked up the plate and walked towards Yin Jinghua's table.

  "Kid, this isn't over yet. We'll let you personally take the plate over and kneel down to serve me this dish." Wang Yong felt embarrassed after being put on the spot, so he took matters into his own hands and had Yin Jinghua kneel down to serve the dish at the table. This way, everyone would have to admit that he had thoroughly won this round.

  Zhang Pangzi was persuading Yin Jinghua and Chen Fosheng to leave, just as they were about to agree, Wang Yong arrived. Hearing Wang Yong's shouting, Yin Jinghua was so angry that his three corpses jumped up, the veins on his arm bulged out, and his eyes were cold and calm, as if he was about to cry. Zhang Pangzi quickly pressed down on his raised arm, urging him not to take advantage of the situation. Zhang Pangzi was actually afraid of implicating innocent people, Chen Fosheng was a timid person who had never seen such a high-level struggle in the government, and he was already scared silly.

  Killing is just a nod to the ground, these bastards are too cruel. They robbed us and didn't even speak, yet they humiliated me like this. If I kneel down, I'll probably never be able to show my face again. But if I don't kneel down, according to what Chen Fusheng said, that little bastard is so treacherous, the old man will probably suffer. For a moment, Yin Jinghua was stuck between a rock and a hard place, sitting stupidly on the spot.

  "Hurry up, what are you dawdling for?" Wang Yong couldn't wait any longer.

  Damn it, I'd rather die on my knees. This dog-beaten capital city is not for me, I'm out of here. At worst, I'll return to Minnan. Since Yin Jinghua has already made up his mind, he might as well be bold and take the dish from Wang Yong's hand, walking towards Jiang and Tian. Chen Fosheng and Zhang Pangzi also followed with their heads hung low in shame under Wang Yong's piercing gaze.