Chapter 7: Enemies Meet on a Narrow Road

  Bathing in the bright sunlight, Zhang Yi's heart was as if wrapped in icy skies and snowy lands, a flavor called heartache emerged.

  His stiff body slowly relaxed, and his expression also became calm. He looked deeply at his father with a furrowed brow, then turned around and walked towards his own room. The only thing left in the courtyard was that voice that seemed to ask but not ask: "Is there any need to listen?"

  Zhang Pinchao was stunned, he had never dreamed that his son would react this way when hearing the news about his mother!

  *sigh*...

  With a deep sigh, Zhang Pinchao walked to the door and sat down on the small square stool, pulled out half a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, lit one up and took a deep drag.

  A wisp of smoke curled around, covering Zhang Pinchao's face with a complex mix of emotions.

  Dependent on each other for over 20 years, Zhang Pinchao understood that he owed his son, even if he wanted to give all the good things to his son, but in the end, he did not give his son a complete family and let him feel the warmth of his mother's embrace.

  Is it necessary?

  Zhang Pinchao had a cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth, and in his mind, he was recalling the scene he saw on the huge billboard in the county city building. That elegant and noble face, that figure dressed in gold and silver, like a rich lady...

  For a moment, he was stunned.

  Zhang Yi returned to his room, two lines of clear tears streaming down his cheeks.

  Trembling, he opened his wallet and pulled out a faded black-and-white photo. His blurry vision slowly fell on the radiant smiling face in the photo...

  Mother!

  How familiar yet strange these words are.

  Countless days and nights, he yearned to get a little warmth from these two eyes, yearning to be like other children, holding his mother's hand, revealing that heartfelt smile.

  Finally!

  All he got was that heavy torture and coldness.

  If heaven gave him a wish that could be fulfilled, he wouldn't want wealth and glory, nor would he ask for longevity. He just wants to lean into his mother's arms, even if it's only for a brief moment, a brief moment is enough.

  What he wants and craves is nothing more than a taste of motherly love.

  He carefully clutched the faded black and white photo to his chest, his thin body slowly crouching down in the corner of the wall, his tear-stained face deeply buried between his legs.

  He thought!

  He wants to know about his mother's situation. Even if he can't get his mother's care and love, he just wants to know where his mother is. As long as he can see her from afar, that's enough.

  But!

  He can't!

  Just now, he saw the confusion in his father's eyes, saw the fear, and saw that struggle filled with pain.

  He understands his father!

  Because he knew, Father feared getting Mother's news and would lose himself!

  The next afternoon.

  Zhang Yi took a hundred thousand cash and boarded the bus to the county town. He needed to deposit the hundred thousand yuan and then hand it over to his father for safekeeping.

  A man should not bow down for a peck of rice.

  He has now grown up to be a young man, so he firmly believes that with his own skills, he can earn more money and let his father live a better life.

  County City Construction Bank.

  As Zhang Yi stepped into the gate with his money, a young man with yellow hair smoking a cigarette not far away flashed a fierce light on his face, heavily smashing the cigarette butt to the ground, and then vigorously trampling it out before rushing towards a high-end hotel 100 meters away.

  If Zhang Yi saw this young man, he would definitely be able to recognize him. This young man was one of the hoodlums who had followed Qin Da Biao and beaten him up two days ago.

  In the bank lobby, Zhang Yi's gaze slowly swept over and found that there were not many people. After taking the business handling sequence number, he sat down on a chair beside him.

  "Bad luck, really bad luck, how did I run into that shrew here."

  "Older brother, let's hurry and leave. If she sees us, we'll definitely be punished severely this afternoon."

  "Let's go... Let's go..."

  Two young men sitting not far from Zhang Yi's left side were originally chatting with some seductive women, but suddenly their eyes swept over the bank entrance and they were startled. They quickly lowered their heads, whispered a few words to each other, then bowed their heads and walked hastily towards another door on the opposite side.

  Zhang Yi's gaze followed the direction of the two young men's glance, and his face suddenly stiffened.

  A stunning beauty, with a perfect and slender figure, wearing a fiery red sportswear, fiery red Nike sports shoes, exuding an aura of cool arrogance.

  Wildness!

  Zhang Yi felt a strong sense of untamed wildness from this girl.

  Jiang Hongyan has been in a very bad mood recently, and it can even be said that she has reached the lowest point.

  She is a coach at the county's Hongqiang Martial Arts Hall and also the owner of a high-end clothing store. At just 23 years old, she has achieved all this through her own efforts. Recently, her mother, who had raised her with great difficulty, fell ill with a strange disease that couldn't be diagnosed even in the county town.

  So, under the suggestion of her uncle who was the director of Dongcheng District Police Station, she had already sold out the clothing store and was also preparing to quit her job as a martial arts coach in Wu Guan, taking her mother to Beijing South City for medical treatment.

  She didn't expect that when she came to the bank, preparing to deposit the tens of millions in cash from selling her clothing store, she would find two students from the martial arts school, who should have been training, playing truant here.

  She chased after them for over ten meters before her footsteps suddenly came to a halt. Thinking that she would soon be quitting her coaching job, she gazed at the two fleeing figures and let out a cold snort before turning around to face the service counter.

  At this moment, her mood was even worse.

  Her eyebrows slightly furrowed, she hastily went to the martial arts hall to resign, her gaze shifted to Zhang Yi.

  "Hey buddy... what's your number?"

  Zhang Yi's body stiffened as he looked at Jiang Hongyan, who was nearly 1.8 meters tall and had a majestic aura about her. His lips moved slightly.

  Buddy?

  A girl actually calls herself like this?

  "Let me ask you something!"

  Jiang Hongyan raised an eyebrow and took a step forward towards Zhang Yi.

  Zhang Yi smiled wryly in his heart, but his face remained calm as he said, "0315."

  Jiang Hongyan took a look at the indicator light displaying the number being served and found that the next number to be served was 0315.

  "I have an urgent matter, can I have your number? Let me handle it first?"

  Zhang Yi was somewhat dissatisfied with Jiang Hongyan's tone, but since she had an urgent matter, with a kind heart, she still handed over the number to her opponent. She walked quickly to the ticket machine and took another number.

  "Customer 0315, please proceed to counter 2 for service."

  The loudspeaker in the hall broadcast the bank's calling voice.

  Jiang Hongyan glanced at Zhang Yi and walked towards window No. 2.

  "Customer 0316, please proceed to counter 4 for service."

  "Customer 0316, please proceed to counter 4 for service."

  "No. 0317..."

  “0318……”

  After several broadcasts, it was found that none of the three numbers had anyone handling the business. The broadcast called out again:

  "Customer 0319, please proceed to counter 4 for service."

  Zhang Yi took a look at his number and found it was indeed 0319. He couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time, and involuntarily glanced at Jiang Hongyan who had just started handling business. Zhang Yi quickly arrived at window 4.

  A deposit of 100,000 yuan was gone in just two or three minutes.

  Zhang Yi put his bank card and ID into his wallet and turned around to walk towards the outside of the bank.

  "Ah, we really are destined to be enemies! I didn't expect to run into you, that little scoundrel who owes me money, here of all places!" Outside the bank, Big Fatty Qin Da Biao rubbed his chin with his right hand and held a cigarette in his left, looking at Zhang Yi with a mixture of sarcasm and hostility.

  Around him, four young men also had sinister faces, as if Zhang Yi was a lamb waiting to be slaughtered.

  Zhang Yi furrowed his brow and stopped in his tracks, looking at Qin Dabiao with a low voice and asking: "What do you want to do?"

  Qin Dabiao took a drag on his cigarette, and as the smoke puffed out, he sneered: "What's up? Of course I'm thinking of taking care of you! You little brat, two days ago you made me lose face in front of so many people. Now that we've run into each other here today, how about it? I'll get some satisfaction too!"

  The blond-haired young man beside him pointed at Zhang Yi and said loudly, "Kid, you have two choices. First: kneel down and kowtow to Brother Biao eight times as an apology, then get out of here; Second: squat down with your head in your arms and let us beat you up for a while. Two choices, which one do you choose?"

  Zhang Yi felt a surge of anger rising from the bottom of his heart. It was him who got beaten up two days ago, and it was Li Xiaozhi who made them lose face. This Qin Dabiao and his lackeys didn't dare to take revenge on Li Xiaozhi, but instead they wanted to vent their anger on himself.

  A cold voice came out of Zhang Yi's mouth: "What if I don't choose any?"

  Qin Dabiao raised an eyebrow, threw the cigarette butt to the ground, and snapped his fingers with a "crack" sound. He sneered, saying: "Don't want to choose? Then you'll probably have to spend ten days or half a month in the hospital."

  Zhang Yi looked around and found that one side had a lot of bicycles, while the other side had a sedan parked. It was clear that escaping from either side was not possible.

  What's wrong?

  Do I really have to surrender obediently? Let them beat me up at will?

  No!

  Absolutely not!

  The day before yesterday, I was severely beaten by them. It was because I didn't notice the situation and they rushed up to me all at once. After being knocked down by them, I never got back up again.

  But now I have my guard up.

  So!

  Narrow road meet brave win!

  Even if we can't beat them, we must fight.

  Zhang Wei clenched his fists and secretly encouraged himself: knocking down one is enough to make a profit, knocking down two is extra income.

  Qin Dabiao's small eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze sweeping over Zhang Yi's clenched fist, and he sneered coldly: "What? Want to resist?"

  The blond-haired young man next to him rolled his eyes, turned his head to look at Qin Dabiao, and said with a hint of sarcasm, "Brother Biao, this coward, where does he dare to resist? The day before yesterday, we beat him into that state, if he didn't go crazy, he would definitely come crying and kowtowing to apologize."

  As his words fell, Jiang Hongyan, with a cold expression on her face, walked out of the bank with her hands in her pockets.