Chapter 38: Has Everyone Taken the Wrong Medicine?

"Let’s do this," Cheng Shi said. "I’ll go with you and take a look. But I need to sign an agreement with the factory: if I can’t fix it, I won't be held responsible."

Zhang Ziqiang replied, "That’s fine. At this point, just you being willing to give it a try is a huge help."

"It’s too late today," Cheng Shi said. "Let’s do it tomorrow."

After Zhang Ziqiang and his group left, Cheng Shi wheeled his bicycle out to deposit some money at the bank. The staff dormitory he lived in was too dilapidated; it wasn't safe to keep cash there. However, he didn't want to deal with Zhang Guohua’s miserable face today, so he hadn't taken the ride with them.

From a distance, Cheng Shi spotted two men, one fat and one thin, loitering by the roadside. As soon as they saw him, the two exchanged a quick glance. They pretended to look elsewhere, but their eyes kept darting back to confirm his position.

Cheng Shi grew wary. *Heh, they’re waiting for me.*

*I’ll have to change the time I come to deposit money from now on. Coming at the same time every day just makes it easy for people to ambush me.*

*The two of them are standing one behind the other—they’re clearly planning to corner me. And I know all the local thugs around here. How come these two look so unfamiliar?*

He pretended not to notice and kept walking. As soon as he passed the fat man, the two suddenly accelerated and rushed toward him. Cheng Shi stopped his bike and pulled a wrench from his shoulder bag. The two men froze, skidding to a halt.

Cheng Shi smiled. "You didn't think I’d dare to come out alone without carrying something, did you?"

The two hesitated.

"Are you still coming?" Cheng Shi asked. "If not, I’m leaving."

Provoked by the mocking, dismissive tone, the thin man lunged forward with a punch. "You’re way too arrogant, kid!"

Cheng Shi kicked him squarely in the shin. The man spun like a top, his body tracing a semicircle in the air before he slammed into the ground and lay motionless. Cheng Shi stepped back swiftly to give the thin man enough space to "perform."

The fat man behind him turned to run, but Cheng Shi kicked him in the back of the leg, sending him face-planting into the dirt. As the fat man struggled to get up, Cheng Shi kicked him again from behind, pinning him down until he didn't dare move.

"Are the thugs on the streets this pathetic nowadays?" Cheng Shi muttered to himself. "I haven't even started fighting properly yet. That’s not right; I remember there being a few decent fighters back in the day."

He tucked away the wrench and dragged the thin man up by the back of his collar. Whether the man was actually unconscious or just playing dead, he hung limp like a salted fish, letting Cheng Shi do as he pleased.

Cheng Shi dragged the two together. Stepping on the fat man’s chest, he asked, "Speak. Who sent you?"

If it weren't for an acquaintance tipping them off, there was no way these two could have found this "shortcut to wealth" so quickly.

The fat man curled into a ball. His mouth was bruised, a front tooth was knocked out, and he was bleeding profusely. He mumbled incoherently, "N-no one."

Cheng Shi bent down and delivered a sharp, stinging slap to his face. "Still playing tough?!"

The fat man began to sob, whimpering like a mistreated bride. "Liu Jie. He said you carry several thousand yuan to the bank at this time every day. We’ve been waiting for days just to catch you."

*Tch, so it was that animal.* He hadn't found the time to teach him a lesson yet, and here he was, biting back.

Cheng Shi stepped away. "Get out of here. If I see you lurking around me again, I’ll break your arms and legs."

The fat man was stunned. "You're just letting us go?"

Cheng Shi rolled his eyes. "What else?"

They hadn't succeeded in robbing him and had been beaten for nothing. They wouldn't even know what excuse to give if they reported it to the police. Besides, the credit union was about to close, and he had no time to waste on these two idiots.

The fat man scrambled to his feet, bowed to Cheng Shi, and turned to run. After a few steps, he returned, cautiously bending down to hoist the thin man onto his back.

*Tsk, tsk. I’ll be damned, you’ve actually got a shred of loyalty.*

Amused and annoyed, Cheng Shi said, "Hey, haven't you realized that Liu Jie is setting you rookies up to take the fall? Go ask around—who in this area dares to mess with me?"

The fat man blanked for three seconds before grinding his teeth and cursing, "F*ck."

Cheng Shi glanced at his watch and cursed under his breath, "Damn, it's this late already. I hope those ladies don't close up early!"

He pedaled furiously and charged into the credit union. As soon as he entered, the women working there stood up and swarmed him. "Oh, Comrade Cheng Shi, you’re finally here! What business do you need to take care of today?"

Cheng Shi felt no surprise, only dread. He felt like a monk walking into a spider cave, dodging and weaving to avoid their reaching hands. *What is going on? Did these aunties take the wrong medicine?* Usually, when he came in near closing time, they would roll their eyes at him like their lives depended on it.

"What do you think you're doing? Comrade Cheng Shi has always been my client," a resonant voice boomed from behind the group.

Sister Wan pushed through the crowd with her sturdy frame and said, "Comrade Cheng Shi, please, sit. Let me pour you some tea." She then swayed her hips as she went to fetch the tea.

Cheng Shi shivered, glancing at the sign on the wall: *City Credit Cooperative*. *I’m in the right place,* he thought. *This isn't a KTV or a massage parlor.*

Sister Wan returned and placed the tea in front of him, her voice as sweet as honey. "This is pre-Qingming Longjing tea. I prepared it specially for you, Comrade Cheng Shi."

Only now did Cheng Shi notice that Sister Wan was wearing makeup—her lips were painted as red as blood, and her round, plate-like face was caked in powder. He subconsciously eyed the emerald-green tea. *Is this woman so jealous of my sister that she’s gone insane and is trying to poison me?*

Sister Wan leaned in and whispered, "Comrade Cheng Shi, Comrade Cheng Juan must not have told you. From now on, I am your dedicated customer service representative. Whenever you come in, just look for me. Don't mind the others."

Still shaken, Cheng Shi pulled out his money. "Fine, fine. Here’s twenty thousand; help me deposit it."

Sister Wan’s eyes lit up. "Comrade Cheng Shi, you are so capable! You’ve earned another twenty thousand."

Her booming voice made Cheng Shi’s ears ring. He frowned and said, "Keep it down. Keep it low-key." *Wealth shouldn't be flaunted. I was almost robbed just now. Why are you shouting?!*

Sister Wan covered her mouth and giggled, lowering her voice. "Comrade Cheng Shi, it’s only been a few days and your savings are already over thirty thousand. At this rate, you’ll be the richest man in Xiangdong City in no time."

Cheng Shi was so disgusted by her coquettish behavior that he almost gagged. "Just deposit it, please. I have other things to do."

Sister Wan worked with incredible efficiency, casting flirtatious glances at him while cooing, "Comrade Cheng Shi, do you have any loan business to take care of soon? If so, remember to come to me. I’ll help you apply for the most favorable interest rates."

*She’s probably trying to distract me so she can embezzle my money.*

Cheng Shi gave a perfunctory reply, cursing internally, and glanced at his passbook. The numbers were correct.