Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 62 Temporary Shutdown and Maintenance

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Chen Hui said, "What's wrong with your management office? Doesn't the management office know the facts? Does the management office help bully outsiders? Is the management office so powerful? You just start cursing and even got me arrested. How dare you be so arrogant?"

Director Qin squinted at Chen Hui and asked, "Are you going to pay me?"

Chen Hui got angry and cursed, "You motherfucker, you old bastard, are you trying to act like a big shot because of your age? Do you even understand what's going on?"

Director Qin turned to the two young men following behind and said, "Go back and get some people to take them back. I don't believe I can't handle you!"

Chen Hui laughed and said, "Is Taiyuan Street something for someone like you to manage? It'll go bankrupt sooner or later. Damn it, swindling and cheating are rampant every day. You ask for hundreds for something that costs ten yuan, and outsiders have to buy it if they touch it. If they don't, you beat them up. Is this the market you're in charge of? Don't you have any shame?"

Chief Qin raised an eyebrow and shouted, "Taiyuan Street Market is a national top-rated market and a nationally recognized reputable commercial street. It's not something a few hooligans like you can smear. You've brought this rioting and looting here. Someone can deal with you. Everyone, help surround it and don't let them escape. If I don't get you all in here today, I'm not going to keep my job as chief anymore, you little brats."

Jin Jie tugged at Li Na and whispered, "What are we going to do? A bunch of people from out of town, won't we get taken advantage of if we send them?"

Li Na said, "What can we do? I can't find anyone until tomorrow, where am I supposed to look for them in the middle of the night?"

Sister Jin said, "Wouldn't that mean we'd both be taken along?"

Li Na glanced at him and said, "He wouldn't dare. Who can prove we're with them? Besides, so what if we are? We didn't hit or yell at them. Instead, he comes here without even checking the situation and starts yelling and demanding money. Why should we?"

The stall owners who had scattered over gathered around one by one, but to say that they would help Director Qin block people was nonsense. Nobody's stupid these days. What would you give them if they blocked people for you today? What if these people came to cause trouble every day tomorrow? At most, causing trouble in the market would just mean a fine and three days in jail, not imprisonment.

Chen Huichong said to Huang Laoliu, "You're determined to mess with me, aren't you? Five broken lighters aren't enough for a hundred? Do you really think this management can do anything to me? I'm giving you face right now, you understand?"

Old Huang sat leisurely in his stall, not bothering to clean up the mess. He glanced at Chen Hui and said, "Take the money. I don't want your 1220 yuan. Just give me 1000 and you're good to go. Otherwise, you can wait to go to jail. You'll still have to take the money once you're in. Remember, this isn't a place for you to show off, understand?"

Director Qin stood there sullenly and said to Huang Laoliu, "Operate legally and honestly, and no one can do anything to you. Don't be afraid of a few hooligans; our market management office will back you up."

The market management office wasn't far from the Zhongxing Building; it was in the alley over there. Soon, five or six people came running over. They were all young people. In modern terms, these were all temporary workers—unemployed young people who used connections to run errands and get paid a little money.

Chen Hui said he didn't care, but he was actually paying attention. In the underworld, if you don't have a sharp mind and keen eyesight, you won't even know how you died.

Seeing that five or six people had actually run over, he knew that fighting them head-on was not an option. Apart from Xiaowei and Xia Maosheng, everyone else would probably have to run away if a fight broke out. There were also three women, Xiaohong, Jinjie, and Li Na. Even if he found someone to settle things tomorrow, he was already in for a loss today. He glanced at Xiaowei, frowned, and looked around. Suddenly, he patted Xiaowei on the shoulder and said, "Come here."

He dragged Xiaowei and ran towards the foot of the Zhongxing Building. The stall owner, Huang Laoliu, pointed at them and shouted, "Chief Qin, these two are trying to escape! These two are the main culprits!"

Director Qin was stunned for a moment, then flew into a rage and reached out to grab Chen Hui by the collar. Several people were standing in front of Huang Laoliu's stall, surrounded by a circle of people, who were actually quite close to each other.

Chen Hui tilted his head to avoid Director Qin's hand, then punched Director Qin in the face. Director Qin cried out and squatted down, his nose bleeding, blood and tears streaming down his face. He was getting old, in his fifties; even if he was vigorous in his youth, his body and reflexes weren't what they used to be.

As soon as they started making a move, not only did no one come to help, but they scattered in a flash. Chen Hui pulled Xiao Wei and ran all the way to the entrance of a small alley next to the Zhongxing Building. He said to Xiao Wei, "Right here, crouch down, and lift me up, quick."

Xiao Wei didn't ask any questions. Without saying a word, he ran to the corner and squatted down. Chen Hui stepped on Xiao Wei's shoulder without taking off his shoes. Xiao Wei exerted his strength and stood up against Chen Hui. Chen Hui shouted from above, "Hold on, don't sway!" He stretched his hands upwards and was busy doing something on the wall.

Xiao Hong, Yang Tiebin, Li Guangzhao, Sister Jin, and Li Na followed behind. Yang Tiebin asked, "What are you two doing? Need any help?" Chen Hui shouted from above, "There are flashlights at those stalls over there. Go get one. Remember who you got it from? Just borrow it. Xiao Hong, you three, step back. People are coming over there. Don't let them pull you along."

Without a word, Yang Tiebin rushed towards the stall, not caring whose it was, grabbed a lit lamp and ran back. But it wasn't a flashlight; it was an emergency light—a battery-operated device with a large bulb on top, much brighter than a flashlight. The stall owner, startled by the theft, immediately chased after him, yelling, "Put it down! You motherfucker, you bastard, you stole it!"

Five or six people rushed over and helped Director Qin up. One of them helped him walk this way, while the others rushed over cursing.

Chen Hui fiddled with the wall for a while, then took a bunch of keys off his waist with a clattering sound. As he worked, he said, "I forgot to hand in my keys today, but it was a lucky accident. Hang in there, Xiao Wei, it'll be done soon." He stood on Xiao Wei's shoulder, leaning against the wall, and searched through the bunch of keys.

Yang Tiebin ran back with the emergency light, shouting, "I brought the light." The stall owner chased after him, yelling, "Bring it back, you motherfucker, are you looking for death?" Chief Qin's men also arrived, but didn't make a move immediately, waiting for Chief Qin to come over.

Chen Hui shouted from above, "Hey buddy, shine the light on my hand. Hey buddy, no need to chase after him, I'll give it back to you right away. I just need it for a bit."

Yang Tiebin held up the emergency light and aimed it at Chen Hui's hands on the wall. The stall owner who had caught up was stunned when he saw this, and stood next to Yang Tiebin without cursing anymore.

"Right away, right away, right away, right away, don't rush, right away." Chen Hui muttered like a mantra while fiddling with things. However, with the light shining on him, his hands moved much faster. After fiddling with it for a few moments, he opened a small door, found a key, put it in and turned it, saying, "Okay, okay, okay, alright Xiao Wei, put me down, slowly."

As soon as he finished, all the lights in the night market, including the streetlights, went out at once, plunging the entire Taiyuan Street night market into darkness. The crowd immediately erupted in chaos, with shouts of "Daughter!" echoing everywhere. Vendors turned on their flashlights or emergency lights to prevent their goods from being stolen. In an instant, the entire night market area was in an uproar, and the noise could be heard for several kilometers. Keep in mind that at this time, thousands or even tens of thousands of people had gathered in this area.

Director Qin had just arrived and was stunned by the sudden turn of events before he reacted, yelling at Chen Hui, "What have you done? Do you know you're committing a crime?"

Chen Hui took the emergency light from Yang Tiebin, dusted himself off, and said to Director Qin, "I'm from the power bureau. There's a fault in this area, so we're conducting an inspection. Tell everyone in the market to disperse and pack up their stalls. We don't want anything to happen with so many people here."

Director Qin was dumbfounded and said, "What did you say?"