PCJ – Chapter 471 The Fatty Wants to Change His Mind

Zhang Jiaohua walked into the house and immediately knew the fatty wasn’t lying. The house reeked of a stale smell, a clear sign it hadn’t been lived in for a long time. Houses need people to live in them to maintain a sense of life; without it, even the finest house will fall into decay over time.

“Fatty, go get me that broom. How can anyone live here without cleaning the place first?” Zhang Jiaohua casually ordered the fatty around.

“Alright, alright.” Wu Yuan inwardly wanted to slap him and grab that infuriating face, shouting, “Call me Master Wu!”

Of course, Wu Yuan didn’t dare to actually say it. The circumstances were unfavorable for him. Even though his weight alone could crush Zhang Jiaohua, in terms of combat power, even ten of him combined wouldn’t stand a chance. Forget it, he thought. I’ll wait until I find Brother Zeng to deal with this brat.

Wu Yuan, with his body jiggling like jelly, circled his courtyard but found nothing. In the end, he borrowed a broom from a neighbor and even brought back their dustpan. Just that small errand left Wu Yuan gasping for air.

“I brought you the broom,” Wu Yuan said meekly.

“Huh? Is your brain full of mush? You brought the broom—why aren’t you cleaning?” Zhang Jiaohua glared at him. With free labor available, why would he do it himself?

“Master!” Wu Yuan exploded on the spot.

“Who are you calling Master?” Zhang Jiaohua obviously caught the insult.

“I mean, just wait a moment, I’ll clean it up right away,” Wu Yuan quickly covered up, silently praising himself: so clever!

It turned out Wu Yuan had some excellent laborer potential. Under Zhang Jiaohua’s metaphorical “stick,” he managed to clean the entire house thoroughly in less than two hours. He even scrubbed the bedroom and living room Zhang Jiaohua planned to use until they sparkled.

“You’re so good at cleaning. Not becoming a janitor is such a waste of your talent,” Zhang Jiaohua muttered, nearly sending Wu Yuan into a frenzy.

“Screw you! If anyone’s wasting talent as a janitor, it’s you!” Of course, Wu Yuan kept this thought to himself.

Wu Yuan’s house didn’t even have a single usable quilt, let alone other daily necessities.

“Where’s the nearest market? We need to buy everything,” Zhang Jiaohua said.

“This is Beijing! Not your countryside. Of course, there are markets—there’s even a city market. Let me tell you,” Wu Yuan couldn’t help but retort.

“We have city markets in the countryside too,” Zhang Jiaohua replied indifferently, not sensing the condescension in Wu Yuan’s tone, even though it was clearly there.

“Fine, we’ll go to the city market. Just out of this alley and a mile down the road, there’s a place with everything you need, and the prices aren’t bad.” Wu Yuan couldn’t tell if Zhang Jiaohua was rich or poor. Judging by his demeanor, he might be broke. To be safe, Wu Yuan decided to take him somewhere cheap to avoid having to bail him out later. Just thinking about his bleak future made Wu Yuan want to cry. Even the combined grief of his parents’ passing didn’t make him as upset as he was today.

“Alright, lead the way,” Zhang Jiaohua said, naturally making use of the only person he could boss around in Beijing.

Wu Yuan pulled a long face, looking like a bitter melon as he led Zhang Jiaohua out of the courtyard and into the alley.

Wu Yuan’s usual gang of troublemaking friends had long vanished. These so-called “brothers” who shared drinks but not burdens showed no sympathy for Wu Yuan’s miserable situation. To them, letting Wu Yuan deal with this unknown scourge alone was the best outcome. They had thought about seeking revenge on Zhang Jiaohua but reconsidered after recalling his terrifying combat prowess. After all, they were just a bunch of broke and powerless punks.

Wu Yuan looked around anxiously, hoping one of his friends might step up to help.

“Fatty, are you trying to lead me into an ambush with your little gang?” Zhang Jiaohua teased. How could Wu Yuan’s petty schemes escape his sharp eyes?

“No, no, no. Those scumbags wouldn’t dare mess with you. It’d be suicide!” Wu Yuan replied with a mournful expression.

“If you’re going to find people, you’d better find someone who can fight. I’d hate to warm up only to knock out all your recruits right away,” Zhang Jiaohua said nonchalantly, ignoring Wu Yuan’s furtive glances.

Wu Yuan’s luck was down that day; he didn’t encounter a single savior. Though he recognized many people on the streets, no one had any goodwill toward him. Most of the locals would rather see Wu Yuan and his gang become targets of a crackdown than lift a finger to help.

“Look, that fatty and his gang finally met their match. His face is all swollen,” a neighbor gleefully remarked as Zhang Jiaohua marched Wu Yuan through the alley. Clearly, Wu Yuan’s reputation in the area wasn’t great.

“Shut up! This isn’t swelling—it’s my prosperous look! And he’s not my nemesis—he’s my tenant! My house is rented out!” Wu Yuan shouted back.

“Fatty, your house is rented out? How much rent do you get a year?” another curious neighbor asked.

“What does my rent have to do with you? I’m busy today—I’m taking my tenant to buy supplies at the city market!” Wu Yuan replied, walking off with his head held high.

“Seems like you’re quite popular,” Zhang Jiaohua mocked.

Surprisingly, Wu Yuan didn’t feel ashamed but rather proud. “Of course! In this alley, who doesn’t look up to me, Fatty Wu?”

“Who looks up to you?” Zhang Jiaohua frowned.

Wu Yuan wanted to curse but forced a smile, lightly slapping his cheek. “I misspoke, my bad.”

At the market, Zhang Jiaohua’s shopping habits made Wu Yuan break out in a cold sweat. He didn’t check prices and threw everything, needed or not, into the cart. Wu Yuan worried Zhang Jiaohua wouldn’t have enough money to pay, and he’d end up being held accountable.

But when it came time to pay, Zhang Jiaohua pulled out a stack of bills with four portraits of Chairman Mao, making Wu Yuan’s eyes light up. This guy was loaded!

Wu Yuan quickly adjusted his plans. Maybe he should tell Brother Zeng to go easy on Zhang Jiaohua. If this guy handed over all his cash, Fatty Wu might just let him off the hook.

Just as Wu Yuan was lost in his daydream, Zhang Jiaohua kicked him in the rear. “Move it! Hurry up and carry the stuff. Where are your eyes wandering off to?”