PCJ – Chapter 473 No Match

Zhang Jiaohua stepped out of the house and saw Wu Yuan standing together with a man about 25 or 26 years old. This man exuded a firmness uncommon in ordinary people, and from his stance, it was clear he was trained in martial arts.

“Fatty, you brought in some help to deal with me?” Zhang Jiaohua asked nonchalantly.

Wu Yuan quickly retreated a few steps, hiding behind Zeng Lei. “Zhang Jiaohua, you better get out of my house today, or you’re in for trouble!”

“Are you the one he brought in?” Zhang Jiaohua ignored Wu Yuan entirely, his eyes fixed on Zeng Lei.

“This young man,” Zeng Lei replied, sizing Zhang Jiaohua up cautiously, “if Fatty here has offended you, I’ll apologize on his behalf. But this house is the only inheritance his parents left him. Taking over someone else’s property like this isn’t right, is it?”

“When did I ever take over his house?” Zhang Jiaohua chuckled. “I asked him to show me a place to rent, and he said I could stay here. I asked him how much per month, and he outright refused to take any money. Since when did that become me taking over his house?”

“Fatty, what’s going on here?” Zeng Lei naturally realized Wu Yuan had been trying to use him as a pawn, but he hadn’t expected that Fatty’s version of events was entirely fabricated.

“I couldn’t beat him! If I didn’t say that, wouldn’t he have beaten me to death by now?” Wu Yuan hastily tried to excuse himself.

“How about this,” Zeng Lei said, “you should find another place to stay. Fatty here doesn’t keep good company and often associates with shady characters. I’m worried they might cause you trouble.”

Wu Yuan was dumbfounded. “Hey, Brother Zeng, whose side are you on?”

“I’m on the side of reason, of course. Fatty, how many times have you used me as a pawn since I came back? If I side with you again this time, I’ll only be harming you,” Zeng Lei replied firmly.

“You two can stop pretending. I’ve already moved in. If you want me to leave, that’s impossible. Name the rent, and I’ll pay every cent,” Zhang Jiaohua said, unsure if the two were acting in concert.

“Then I’ll have to handle this officially. Where are you from? Do you have a temporary residence permit? What are you doing in the capital?” Zeng Lei asked, stepping forward and flashing his ID.

“Ah, so you brought in a cop. This Fatty scams and tricks people in the alleys all the time, but instead of dealing with that, you’re targeting a law-abiding citizen like me. I haven’t had time to get a residence permit yet. As for why I’m in the capital, that’s none of your business,” Zhang Jiaohua said with a smile.

“Well then, I’m afraid you’ll have to come with me. No residence permit means I’ll need to take you to the station. However, I suggest you take my advice: find another place to live and get your residence permit sorted,” Zeng Lei replied.

“Are you really determined to go against me?” Zhang Jiaohua said with a cold smile.

Zeng Lei’s expression turned serious as he felt a dangerous aura emanating from Zhang Jiaohua. It was a feeling he had only encountered before in the military, from his instructors in the special forces—men who had seen combat and taken lives. How could such a terrifying presence come from this young man?

“Brother Zeng, look how arrogant this guy is! Just take him to the station already. He even seems like a fugitive to me!” Wu Yuan exclaimed, oblivious to the shift in atmosphere.

“Shut up!” Zeng Lei barked, turning to glare at Wu Yuan.

Wu Yuan, startled, quickly shut his mouth, surprised by Zeng Lei’s sudden change in demeanor.

Zhang Jiaohua began pacing slowly in the courtyard, but to Zeng Lei, each step felt like a hammer striking his chest, growing heavier with each passing moment. Zeng Lei couldn’t withstand it—each step Zhang Jiaohua took forced him to retreat several paces.

Wu Yuan fared even worse. At Zhang Jiaohua’s first step, he collapsed to the ground, rolling over several times. Confused, he thought someone had struck him.

“Brother Zeng, why did you hit me?” Wu Yuan asked in a tearful voice. But halfway through his complaint, he noticed Zeng Lei stumbling backward and was left dumbfounded.

Zeng Lei retreated to the doorway, tripping over the threshold and falling out in a thoroughly embarrassing manner.

Zeng Lei was horrified. Zhang Jiaohua hadn’t even laid a finger on him, yet the oppressive force he felt was overwhelming. This disparity was even more despair-inducing than when he had faced his special forces instructors as a rookie. At least back then, the instructors’ strength was comprehensible, but this young man’s depth was unfathomable.

“Wu Yuan, I believe I’ve already given you a chance,” Zhang Jiaohua said as he approached.

“Please, sir, spare me! I’ll never dare again!” Wu Yuan pleaded, his earlier arrogance gone. He had thought his hired help could teach Zhang Jiaohua a lesson, but to his dismay, his so-called reinforcements were utterly outmatched.

“Wait!” Zeng Lei called out. Despite knowing he was no match for Zhang Jiaohua, he couldn’t simply abandon Wu Yuan.

“What? Are you still planning to take me to the station?” Zhang Jiaohua asked, a faint smile playing on his lips.

“No, no. You haven’t done anything wrong. Why would I take you to the station? Fatty isn’t a bad person at heart. He’s just been led astray since his parents passed away and fell in with the wrong crowd. He’s not irredeemable,” Zeng Lei explained.

“Whether he’s good or bad has nothing to do with me. I’m not the police. The problem is he keeps provoking me. If I don’t teach him a lesson, he’ll think I’m easy to bully,” Zhang Jiaohua replied coldly.

“By the heavens, when did I ever bully you? I’ve already been beaten up by you multiple times. Is that what bullying looks like?” Wu Yuan wailed.

“Anyway, I’m staying here. Don’t bother me anymore. Just name the rent,” Zhang Jiaohua said.

“I don’t want rent anymore,” Wu Yuan muttered, too scared to bring it up again.

“Forget the rent,” Zeng Lei added. “Just keep Fatty in line.”

Zeng Lei could see that Zhang Jiaohua wasn’t an ordinary person and had no interest in Wu Yuan’s small inheritance. With skills like his, money was hardly an issue. Zeng Lei had heard stories in the military about people like Zhang Jiaohua, which reassured him that Wu Yuan would be safe under Zhang’s watch.

Unbeknownst to Zeng Lei, Zhang Jiaohua was starting to worry about money. When Liu Qiaoye had stuffed two stacks of cash into his bag before he left, he thought it was plenty. But after a single trip to the supermarket, he had spent several thousand yuan. At this rate, he realized his funds wouldn’t last long. If he wanted to stay in the city, he needed to find a way to make money.