AWB Chapter 39: Zhao Tianming visits Lin Chong
Chapter 39: Zhao Tianming visits Lin Chong
Lu Qian made a threatening statement, demanding that Zhao Tianming's restaurant provide proof of selling fresh produce. This infuriated Zhao Tianming; it was clearly a deliberate attempt to embarrass him!
Zhao Tianming was so anxious in the private room of the restaurant that he kept stamping his feet. He quickly summoned Wu Yong, Shi Qian, and Li Kui, the heroes, to discuss countermeasures together.
Shi Qian, the little thief, spoke first. His eyes darted around, and he said in a shrill voice, "Brother Zhao, in my opinion, we should sneak into the government office, steal that certificate, and then make a copy just like that, wouldn't that solve everything!" As he spoke, he proudly raised his chin.
Upon hearing this, Wu Yong shook his head repeatedly, lightly waving his feather fan, and said, "Brother Shiqian, this plan is unwise. Since Lu Qian dared to display the official documents, he must have made a record of them. If we go to steal them, wouldn't we be playing right into his hands, waiting for us to walk into his trap?"
Li Kui, that dark-skinned fellow, couldn't sit still any longer. He jumped up and slammed his fist on the table, shouting, "You guys won't do this, you won't do that! In my opinion, we should just rush over there and beat Lu Qian into submission, then see if he still dares to be so arrogant!"
Zhao Tianming looked at Li Kui with a helpless expression and said, "Brother Li Kui, your constant fighting and killing won't solve the fundamental problem!"
Li Kui's eyes widened, and he shouted, "Why can't we solve this? One swing of my axe, and whoever Lu Qian or whatever he is, he'll be scared out of his wits!"
Wu Yong said with a wry smile, "Brother Li Kui, you can't act recklessly. If we really beat Lu Qian, we'll be in the wrong even if we're in the right. If the authorities investigate, we'll be in deep trouble."
Shi Qian chuckled to himself and teased Li Kui, "Brother Li Kui, all you know is fighting. If fighting could solve everything, what would be the point of having a brain?"
Upon hearing this, Li Kui became displeased and pointed at Shi Qian, saying, "You little thief, all you know is how to steal chickens and dogs, and you dare to laugh at me!"
Shi Qian retorted without backing down, "I call this a clever strategy, which is much better than your brute force!"
The two of them were arguing with each other.
Zhao Tianming quickly advised, "Stop arguing, stop arguing, let's think of a solution together."
At this moment, Wu Yong pondered for a moment and said, "In my opinion, we should first find out what this certificate is all about and see if there are any loopholes. Then we can make a more careful plan."
After hearing this, everyone felt that this was the only way.
Li Kui muttered, "Hmph, this is such a hassle. It would have been much better to just beat him up."
Wu Yong paced back and forth in the room, his mind racing with ideas. Everyone watched him expectantly, hoping that this strategist would come up with a brilliant plan.
Suddenly, Wu Yong's eyes lit up, and he stopped abruptly, a mysterious smile appearing on his face. He looked at Zhao Tianming and said slowly, "Manager Zhao, after much thought, I've come up with someone who might be able to deal with that scoundrel Lu Qian."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Tianming, as if grasping at a lifeline, quickly moved closer and eagerly asked, "Brother Wu Yong, who is this person? Stop keeping me in suspense!"
Wu Yong deliberately cleared his throat, keeping everyone in suspense: "Hehe, Manager Zhao, don't be impatient! Let me tell you slowly."
Zhao Tianming stamped his feet anxiously: "Hey, Brother Wu Yong, what time is it? Why are you taking so long? Hurry up and tell me!"
Wu Yong then calmly said, "This person is Lin Chong!"
Zhao Tianming chimed in, "Scholar Wu, are you talking about Instructor Lin?"
Wu Yong nodded and said, "That's right."
At this moment, Li Kui chimed in, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Sleepmaster? A guy in charge of sleeping, how could he possibly deal with Lu Qian?"
When the crowd heard Li Kui's nonsensical words, they were first taken aback, and then they all burst into laughter.
Wu Yong looked at Li Kui with a wry smile and said, "Brother Li Kui, what nonsense are you talking about! Lin Chong, the Instructor Lin, is not someone who sleeps around. He is the instructor of the 800,000 Imperial Guards, highly skilled in martial arts, and a well-known figure in the capital!"
Li Kui scratched his head, looking unconvinced, and said, "So what? Maybe he's lost his former glory and become a spineless coward!"
Zhao Tianming quickly said, "Brother Li Kui, you can't say that. We've all heard of Instructor Lin's reputation. We just don't know if he's willing to lend a hand now."
Shi Qian chuckled and said, "Why don't we go and sound him out first? If Instructor Lin is willing to help, then we might be saved!"
Li Kui snorted: "You guys go if you want, I don't believe he has any skills."
Wu Yong shook his fan and said, "Brother Li Kui, don't be so arbitrary. Instructor Lin is an upright man and has an old grudge against Lu Qian. If we sincerely ask him for help, perhaps he will help us out of a sense of justice."
Zhao Tianming nodded in agreement: "What Wu Xuejiu said makes sense. Then let's make preparations and go visit Instructor Lin."
The group began discussing what gifts to bring, while Li Kui muttered to himself, "Why bother preparing gifts? Just get him to help us."
Shi Qian rolled his eyes at Li Kui: "You dark-skinned fellow, all you know is how to act recklessly. When we ask someone for a favor, how can we go empty-handed?"
Zhao Tianming decided to bring several jars of fine wine and some precious medicinal herbs, and the group set off for Lin Chong's residence.
Upon arriving at Lin Chong's residence, Li Kui brazenly tried to barge in, but Wu Yong grabbed him, saying, "Brother Li Kui, don't be reckless. We must be polite and respectful."
After knocking and announcing his arrival, Lin Chong came out to meet him. He looked haggard, but his eyes still shone with a heroic spirit.
Wu Yong stepped forward, bowed, and explained his purpose. Upon hearing this, Lin Chong frowned slightly and fell into deep thought.
Li Kui couldn't help but say from the side, "Instructor Lin, just tell me if you'll help or not!"
Lin Chong glanced at Li Kui and said, "This matter needs further consideration."
Upon hearing this, Li Kui became anxious: "What do you mean by 'consider it carefully'? Lu Qian has committed numerous evil deeds. Don't you want revenge?"
Lin Chong sighed: "I am not the same as I was back then, and I have many concerns now."
Zhao Tianming quickly said, "Instructor Lin, as long as you are willing to help, we will definitely do our best to assist you."
Lin Chong remained silent for a moment before finally saying, "Very well, it's time to settle my score with that scoundrel Lu Qian."
Everyone was overjoyed upon hearing this. Li Kui laughed heartily, "I knew it! Instructor Lin is a true hero; he wouldn't stand idly by!"
Lin Chong then waved his hand and said, "Manager Zhao, I heard that you have your eye on a piece of land in the west of the city."
Upon hearing Lin Chong's words, Zhao Tianming did not hide anything but told him frankly: "That's right. My feud with Wang Zhiqiang has become increasingly intense because of this land."
Lin Chong then said to Zhao Tianming, “Manager Zhao, a small part of this land was left by my father-in-law as dowry for my wife. Originally, the government was in a hurry to requisition it, but that scoundrel Lu Qian took advantage of my inattention to forge the seal, and then took advantage of my nighttime raid on the White Tiger Hall and being exiled to seize that land.”
Upon hearing this, Zhao Tianming frowned and said, "Instructor Lin, so there's more to this than meets the eye. This Lu Qian is truly despicable, to have done such a vile thing!"
Wu Yong, fanning himself with a feather fan, said, "So, this Lu Qian not only has a grudge against you, Manager Zhao, but also a deep hatred for Instructor Lin. This gives us a perfectly legitimate reason to deal with him."
Li Kui's eyes widened, and he shouted, "Whatever the reason, it's unacceptable for them to bully our friends!"
Shi Qian chimed in, "That's right, that's right, Lu Qian is such a scoundrel."
Lin Chong clenched his fists, a flash of anger in his eyes, and said, "I, Lin Chong, had no desire to dwell on the past and only wanted to live a peaceful life. But this Lu Qian has gone too far, and now he's making things difficult for Manager Zhao. If I don't avenge this, I, Lin Chong, swear I'm not a man!"
Zhao Tianming said with emotion, "Instructor Lin, I am deeply grateful for your words. However, since Lu Qian now has the support of the government, we need to plan carefully and come up with a foolproof plan."
Wu Yong nodded and said, "Manager Zhao is absolutely right. We must not act rashly, lest we alert the enemy. In my opinion, we should first send people to secretly investigate Lu Qian's whereabouts and his relationship with the government, looking for any evidence against him. At the same time, we must also be prepared to deal with any possible scenarios."
Lin Chong said, "What Wu Xuejiu said makes sense. However, we must be careful with this investigation and not let Lu Qian find out."
Shi Qian volunteered, saying, "Leave this to me. I may not have many other skills, but I'm first-rate at stealing chickens and dogs and gathering information."
Li Kui snorted: "You little thief, all you do is steal. But if you can get things done this time, I won't scold you."
Having reached a consensus, everyone began their respective actions. Shi Qian disguised himself and blended into the crowd to secretly gather information about Lu Qian. Lin Chong, meanwhile, stayed home, sharpening his skills and preparing to strike at any moment. Zhao Tianming busied himself preparing supplies to ensure the success of the operation. Wu Yong, meanwhile, was deep in thought, devising specific strategies.
However, their operation did not go so smoothly. Lu Qian seemed to have sensed something and strengthened his defenses, nearly causing Shi Qian to be discovered several times. Moreover, the government was putting even more pressure on Zhao Tianming's restaurant, leaving him overwhelmed.
Just when everyone was at a loss, Wu Yong suddenly came up with a brilliant plan...
Just when everyone was at a loss, Wu Yong's eyes suddenly lit up and he said, "Don't worry, everyone, I have a plan."
The crowd quickly gathered around, eager to hear Wu Yong's brilliant plan.
Wu Yong gently waved his feather fan and slowly said, "Since it's difficult for us to openly deal with Lu Qian, why not use a feint? We'll spread the word that Manager Zhao has given up on that land and is preparing to leave to find another place to develop. At the same time, we'll arrange for people to pack their bags in a grand manner at the restaurant, making it seem like they're leaving. When Lu Qian hears this, he'll definitely lower his guard."
Then, Shi Qian and his brother continued to secretly monitor Lu Qian's movements. Li Kui, you lead some brothers to ambush outside the city. Lin Chong, the instructor, you and Manager Zhao stabilize the situation inside the city and draw Lu Qian's attention.
Just as Lu Qian thought Manager Zhao had truly left and lowered his guard to leave the city, the Shi brothers gave a signal, and the Li brothers led their men in a sudden attack, cutting off his retreat. Meanwhile, Instructor Lin Chong and Manager Zhao pursued him from within the city, leaving him nowhere to escape.
At the same time, I will gather evidence in advance of Lu Qian's forging of official seals and extortion, and once he is apprehended, I will hand him over to the authorities so that he can receive the punishment he deserves.
Everyone nodded in approval after hearing Wu Yong's plan. Zhao Tianming said, "Master Wu's plan is brilliant, but it requires close cooperation from everyone to avoid any mistakes."
Lin Chong also said, "Don't worry, this time we will make sure that villain Lu Qian has nowhere to escape!"
So, following Wu Yong's plan, everyone split up and began to act, and a meticulously planned scheme was launched, just waiting for Lu Qian to fall into the trap.