Chapter Sixteen: Making a Move

Now that the snack bar had Black Tiger on its side, Baldy and his crew would certainly not dare make trouble again. So, recruiting a few of Baldy’s acquaintances to come help out seemed like a safe bet—they would be obedient enough.

“Alright, I’ll go find a couple of people for you. Leave it to me.” Baldy patted his chest, promising with confidence.

Another day’s work came to a close, and the takings these past days had been quite good. The daily revenue consistently exceeded a hundred yuan, and if not for the overwhelming number of customers, Chen Huajiang would have already expanded his barbecue menu.

Time flew by. After a month, Chen Huajiang calculated his earnings—they had topped a thousand yuan, but he was still far from reaching his goal. Even so, there were those at the factory who looked on with jealous eyes, such as Gou Weidong.

Gou Weidong had clashed with Chen Huajiang before, and lately, seeing Chen’s business thrive only made him more resentful. That night, unable to fall asleep, Gou Weidong went to his father Gou Zhiguo’s room.

“Dad, Chen Huajiang is running a business right at the factory gate. Aren’t you going to do something about it?” Gou Weidong was racking his brain for a way to shut down Chen Huajiang’s snack bar.

“I’ve already considered this. We need to find a proper way to handle it—what if he refuses to close when we confront him? Besides, the head of security rented out the place, and Chen Huajiang has an agreement in hand.” Gou Zhiguo had already thought this through. After asking around, he realized the matter wasn’t as simple as he had imagined.

“So, we’re just going to stand by and watch him rake in the cash? I can’t stomach it. Besides, if word gets out, people will blame you, not me,” Gou Weidong grumbled.

After a moment's thought, Gou Zhiguo came up with an idea. “Go find Wu De. He’s always had an eye for Lin Jiayin. If he steps in, this matter will be as good as settled.”

“I’m just the head of logistics—I don’t want to offend Liang Yuanchao over this, but Wu De is different. He’s the deputy factory director’s son. He’s got more clout than we do!” Gou Zhiguo’s mind was still as devious as ever, even at his age.

Gou Weidong realized his father made sense and decided to approach Wu De the next day.

Wu De had long coveted Lin Jiayin’s beauty. When Gou Weidong sought him out and revealed that the man selling lamb skewers at the gate was Lin Jiayin’s husband, Wu De was surprised. He’d eaten there a few times and found the food delicious, but it had never occurred to him that the owner was Lin Jiayin’s husband.

As luck would have it, Lin Jiayin hadn’t been at the snack bar much during that period.

“You’re telling me the owner of that snack bar is Lin Jiayin’s husband?” Wu De asked again, seeking confirmation.

“Yes, and he’s making quite a bit of money. Why else would Lin Jiayin be so loyal to him?” Gou Weidong’s words seemed to suddenly enlighten Wu De.

He had dropped hints to Lin Jiayin many times before, but she never responded. All he’d ever heard was that her husband was a drunk and her family was poor. He had thought he’d have no trouble winning her over. Yet, whenever he tried speaking to her in a suggestive way, Lin Jiayin would simply turn away, never giving him the chance. This only made Wu De more frustrated. Plenty of women threw themselves at him, but he had no interest in them—only Lin Jiayin captivated his heart.

“She’s loyal to him because he’s making money. How can you hope to win her over unless you shut his snack bar down? Once that’s done, wouldn’t she be yours for the taking?” Gou Weidong grinned at Wu De.

Wu De mulled it over and realized the logic held. “Let me think about it. There needs to be a proper excuse or reason, right? One can’t rush these things. Haste makes waste.” Wu De had already made up his mind—he would first sound out Lin Jiayin’s attitude.

If she responded well, he would leave things be; if not, he would see to it that Chen Huajiang’s snack bar was closed.

That afternoon, he sent word for Lin Jiayin to come to his office. Lin Jiayin, unaware of his intentions and thinking it was work-related, went to Wu De’s office after lunch. When she arrived, she noticed the way Wu De looked at her, his gaze filled with desire.

“Jiayin, I hear your husband opened a snack bar at our gate, is that right?” Wu De suddenly asked.

Lin Jiayin didn’t know how to respond, so she could only nod.

Wu De stood up, walked over to her, and brazenly put his arm around her shoulders.

Startled, Lin Jiayin quickly shoved his hand away and stepped back.

“Let me tell you, if you give yourself to me, your husband’s snack bar can continue business. But if you don’t cooperate, I can shut it down at any moment.” Wu De’s threat was clear.

Lin Jiayin said nothing and fled from Wu De’s office.

Seeing her so ungrateful, Wu De decided he would find some excuse in the coming days to close Chen Huajiang’s snack bar.

That evening, as always, Chen Huajiang’s snack bar was packed with customers. He had hired several new staff, giving himself a chance to rest at last. Barbecue was easy to learn—once you mastered the heat, anyone could do it. The real secret lay in the marinade recipe for the lamb, and Chen Huajiang had no intention of sharing it with anyone.

Gou Weidong arrived at the snack bar with two or three others, swaggering in and fixing Chen Huajiang with a provocative stare.

“I’m telling you, your snack bar won’t last much longer. Don’t get too pleased with yourself,” Gou Weidong sneered, clearly there to stir up trouble. But Chen Huajiang paid him no mind. The man might have some sway in the factory, but outside of Red Flag Factory, he was nothing.

“Was the beating you got last time not enough? Should I call my friends to teach you another lesson?” Chen Huajiang replied, unafraid.

“You think you can touch me? Go ahead, try it!” Gou Weidong strode up to him, stopping right in front of Chen Huajiang.

Chen Huajiang smiled and said, “If a dog bites me, I’m not about to bite the dog back.”

Gou Weidong was furious. He wanted to start a fight, but with so many people around, he didn’t dare. After their last scuffle, though his father had smoothed things over, he’d been warned to be more careful and not get into any more conflicts.

“Chen Huajiang, just you wait. Sooner or later, I’ll make you pay,” Gou Weidong spat before leaving with his crew.

After they left, Chen Huajiang sat down beside Er Mao. Lately, Er Mao would come over whenever there was nothing to do at the dance hall; if he wasn’t busy there, he was sure to be found at Chen Huajiang’s place.

“Who was that guy? Why is he so arrogant?” Er Mao had seen the whole thing and asked in puzzlement.

“Er Mao, I need your help with something.”