"Sorry to keep you waiting!" Chen Yang put away his phone and walked back to the pool table.
After receiving Guan Weiping's call, Chen Yang changed his original plan. He had initially intended to probe Yue Lei's abilities and then ask Zhou Weiqiang to intervene. Now, however, he had a better solution.
"Let's begin!" Chen Yang excitedly rubbed his hands, feigning eagerness.
Yue Lei broke off this round. Although he still retained some skill, it wasn't as pronounced as in the previous rounds. He potted a ball on his break, then another near-pocket, before missing his third shot, changing possession.
Chen Yang, on the other hand, seemed divinely inspired this round. He first potted a near-pocket, and then, as if by magic, the cue ball bounced off the cushion and knocked another ball into the middle pocket. His second shot, a highly off-target attempt to the bottom pocket, bounced three cushions before miraculously sinking into the other bottom pocket. This resulted in Chen Yang sinking three balls, one more than Yue Lei.
However, it seemed Chen Yang was simply incredibly lucky; the god of fortune was just favoring him.
"Damn, this is weird!" Yue Lei muttered to himself after witnessing Chen Yang's consecutive lucky shots.
Yue Lei was now fully focused. With Chen Yang's luck so good, he dared not hold back any longer. But he was, after all, a streetball player, not a professional. His accuracy was only slightly better; he couldn't be a perfect shot.
Chen Yang, on the other hand, hit every shot with great force. This seemingly rough style, combined with his incredible luck, was extremely effective. Several balls went in inexplicable ways, after only a few bumps.
Under the dumbfounded gazes of Yue Lei and the other thugs, Chen Yang won the game again.
"Hmph! Again!" Yue Lei's face darkened. The fake smile he had worn earlier vanished, replaced by a menacing expression. Chen Yang, seemingly oblivious, was brimming with energy after winning two consecutive games. He pulled out a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes, lit one, and laughed loudly:
"Haha! Set the ball! Set the ball!"
It was Chen Yang's turn to break this game, and to Yue Lei's surprise, he didn't even get a chance to play.
Chen Yang potted his first shot, and then, completely transformed from his previous novice state, he potted every shot with incredible precision. His high shots, low shots, and spin were all perfectly executed, almost every pot was a clean swish, without even touching the cushions.
Within two minutes, Chen Yang had cleanly and efficiently potted all his balls, including the black eight.
When Chen Yang took his third shot, Yue Lei had already put down his cue, crossed his arms in front of his chest, his face as calm as still water, but his eyes seemed to be spitting fire.
Having played billiards almost every day, he could naturally see that Chen Yang's previous novice act was all an act. Chen Yang straightened up after finishing his black eight, ignoring Yue Lei's murderous glare, and said with a smile:
"I won again! Pay up! Three thousand yuan in total!"
Judging by the time Guan Weiping would be arriving soon, Chen Yang really didn't want to play with Yue Lei anymore.
"What? Brother, you're not playing anymore?" Yue Lei stared at Chen Yang's face and said in a deep voice, "But I haven't had enough! What should I do?"
As he spoke, the crew-cut man and the other thugs surrounded him, a dozen or so men standing behind Yue Lei, all glaring menacingly at Chen Yang.
Those who knew Yue Lei knew that when he spoke in such a seemingly calm but incredibly deep tone, it meant that his anger was on the verge of exploding. Yue Lei had initially intended to play a cat-and-mouse game, hoping to fleece his prey. However, he was shocked to discover that the creature before him wasn't a mouse at all, but a Tibetan Mastiff. The Mastiff casually flicked its paw, injuring the cat. This made Yue Lei feel utterly humiliated in front of his underlings, and he instantly flew into a rage.
"Don't you have so many brothers? Aren't you afraid no one will play with you?" Chen Yang said with a harmless smile. "Hurry up and pay! I have to go!"
"Go? Hahaha…" Yue Lei suddenly burst into hysterical laughter. "You tricked me and you think you can just leave? And you even dare to ask your grandfather for money? Have you lost your mind?"
"You're not trying to renege on your debt, are you?" Chen Yang asked calmly. "It's a thousand yuan a handy, but we both agreed."
"Bastard! You're trying to extort Brother Lei!" The crew-cut man pulled out a steel pipe, slapping it against his hand… A cruel smile crept across his face as he said, "Don't you even know who in this alley dares to mess with Brother Lei?"
Yue Lei crossed his arms, looking down at Chen Yang, and said with a sneer,
"Kid, don't blame me for not warning you. Kneel down right now, apologize, call me 'Grandpa,' and leave your wallet, and maybe I'll spare you. Otherwise… there might be another unidentified male corpse in the Minjiang River tonight!"
As soon as Yue Lei finished speaking, the thugs swarmed around Chen Yang near the pool table, each pulling out steel pipes and machetes, ready to fight.
The pool table owner, A Biao, had already hidden far behind the counter. Yue Lei and his gang played there every day, and fights were commonplace. A Biao was used to it; as long as they didn't smash up the shop, he let them cause trouble.
Surprisingly, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Chen Yang calmly pulled out his phone and dialed 110. After the call connected, Chen Yang said:
"110? I need to report a crime..."
The crew-cut man's eyes widened, and he was about to rush forward, but Yue Lei pulled him back, calmly saying:
"Let him call. The 110 command center will just send the Hongguang Police Station anyway, won't they?"
The crew-cut man immediately laughed, echoing:
"Brother Lei is so wise! Haha, let's teach him a lesson, then put him in jail for a few days, that way he'll remember!"
Yue Lei patted the crew-cut man's shoulder with a smile. Seeing that Chen Yang had finished making the call, Yue Lei pushed through his gang and walked step by step towards Chen Yang. Chen Yang showed a hint of fear, trying to back away but being blocked by the pool table. He said in a trembling voice,
"Don't do anything rash! I've already called the police!"
"Looks like you're ignoring me!" Yue Lei walked up to Chen Yang, saying as he reached out to slap Chen Yang's face.
In a flash, Yue Lei only saw a blur before his hand was grabbed. Yue Lei felt as if his wrist was being clamped by an iron vise, and he couldn't break free no matter how hard he tried.
Then, Yue Lei was pulled by a strong force, his entire body involuntarily falling towards the pool table, his grabbed hand pinned behind his back, his body pressed firmly against the table.
The timid look on Chen Yang's face just moments before was now completely gone. He leisurely tossed a billiard ball in his hand, then turned to the terrified and eager thugs, saying calmly:
"If you dare take one step closer, your boss's head will be split open with a beautiful red flower..."
The crew-cut man quickly restrained his henchmen, then shouted to Chen Yang:
"Brother, don't be impulsive! Let go of our Brother Lei, we can talk this over!"
Chen Yang seemed not to hear the crew-cut man's words, and lifted Yue Lei's arm slightly. Yue Lei immediately cried out in pain. Chen Yang smiled and asked:
"Brother Lei! Can I pay now?"
"Damn it! You dare kill me!" Yue Lei shouted defiantly, "If you don't dare, shut the hell up!"
Chen Yang snorted coldly, grabbed Yue Lei, and slammed his hand hard onto the pool table. Then, picking up a pool ball with his right hand, he said calmly:
"I really don't dare kill you, but... crippling you is still possible!"
Before he finished speaking, Chen Yang swung the pool ball and smashed it heavily into Yue Lei's fingers without warning. A dull thud followed, accompanied by the sound of bones cracking.
"Ah..."
Yue Lei immediately let out a heart-wrenching scream, struggling frantically, but Chen Yang held him down firmly. Yue Lei's hand, pressed against the pool table, trembled uncontrollably; three of his five fingers were twisted and deformed, a horrifying sight.
Chen Yang, still smiling, spoke in the same tone as before:
"Brother Lei, can I pay now?"
His fingers were in excruciating pain, Yue Lei trembled all over, his teeth clenched so tightly he couldn't answer Chen Yang's question. Chen Yang simply put down the blood-stained pool ball, reached into Yue Lei's pocket and took out his wallet, but he only counted out five hundred yuan—the money he had lost to Yue Lei earlier.
Chen Yang, holding the wallet, gently patted Yue Lei's face and suddenly asked:
"Where is Yan Huiming treating us to dinner tonight?"
Yue Lei jolted, suddenly realizing what was happening. He seemed to forget his pain, staring intently at Chen Yang's face, and said:
"You...you're the Chen Yang that Young Master Yan mentioned?"
Now he understood that today's trouble was no coincidence; Chen Yang had deliberately come to make things difficult for him.
Before Chen Yang could answer, a police siren wailed as it approached, and Yue Lei's face lit up with joy.
A sharp screech of brakes was followed by the sound of hurried footsteps. Leading the group was a second-level police superintendent, followed by four or five auxiliary police officers in uniform but without rank insignia.
The superintendent, ignoring the thugs carrying controlled knives, barked at Chen Yang:
"Release him immediately!"
Yue Lei, seeing the newcomers, perked up and shouted:
"Chief Yan! Help me!"
Chief Yan immediately drew his service pistol and pointed it at Chen Yang, yelling:
"I'll say it again, release him immediately, or I'll shoot!"
Chen Yang smiled slightly and released him. Yue Lei stumbled forward, and the crew-cut man and the others quickly caught him. Yue Lei, his face pale with pain from his broken finger, still remembered to say to Commander Yan:
"Brother Yan, arrest him! He's the one who broke my hand!"
Commander Yan glanced at Yue Lei's twisted finger and felt a chill run down his spine.
That was too ruthless!
"Cuff him!" Commander Yan waved to the auxiliary police behind him, and they immediately pulled out handcuffs and moved them towards Chen Yang.