บท 46: Noble Assistance (Part II)
Yi Ge'er, what's the matter?" Upon seeing Fang Yi's self-assured demeanor, the chubby man's eyes lit up. He nudged Fang Yi with his elbow and whispered, while San Pao perked up his ears to listen.
Having grown up together, the chubby man and San Pao knew Fang Yi exceedingly well. They understood that despite his prolonged disconnection from society and his more than a decade spent as a minor Taoist priest, Fang Yi always acted with careful consideration, rarely engaging in reckless behavior.
"What matter could there be…?" Fang Yi chuckled softly, revealing his right hand. Three slightly polished copper coins spun gracefully between his fingers, as if his fingertips were magnetic, preventing the coins from escaping their orbit.
"Hmm? Have you cast the divination?"
Upon seeing the coins, both the chubby man and San Pao breathed a sigh of relief. In their village, whenever livestock went missing, the old Taoist priest could divine their whereabouts, even if the animals had perished in a ravine. Although Fang Yi seldom practiced divination, he had inherited the true teachings of the old priest.
"What are you boys up to?" Noticing Fang Yi and the others dismissing his words, Man Jun felt a flicker of irritation. If these fellows were truly expelled from the market by Director Gu, it would be quite the embarrassment for him.
"Man Ge, there's no need for concern..." San Pao pointed at Fang Yi's right hand and said, "He possesses a wealth of knowledge in these matters; if he says it will be fine, then it surely will be..."
"Hey, Fang Yi, are you performing magic tricks?"
Following San Pao's gesture, Man Jun's gaze fell upon Fang Yi's hand movements, and he was momentarily taken aback. The three small copper coins seemed to dance under Fang Yi's command, dazzling Man Jun.
"Man Ge, this isn't mere sleight of hand..." With a flick of his wrist, Fang Yi enclosed the coins in his palm, as if they had never existed.
"Hmm? Could it be divination?" Suddenly recalling Fang Yi's previous incantations at his home, Man Jun felt a stir of hope. He realized that this young man could not be judged by ordinary standards; perhaps he truly had a solution to their predicament.
"Man Ge, you seem quite flustered; perhaps it would be wise to return to the shop and rest..." Fang Yi said with a smile, deliberately sidestepping Man Jun's inquiry.
"No need; I have no business at my stall anyway. Today, I shall accompany you all here..." Man Jun shook his head, still uneasy about Fang Yi and his companions. Moreover, Fang Yi was the one he had introduced to the market; regardless of Director Gu's thoughts, he had already offended him.
However, unlike Fang Yi and his friends, Man Jun was not without connections. Having navigated the antique trade for many years, he was acquainted with several museum directors. If Director Gu dared to take action against him as well, Man Jun would certainly retaliate.
"Ah, the main character has arrived..." Just as Fang Yi was about to speak, he noticed Er Liu, who had initially departed, pushing his way back through the crowd, flanked by his colleagues—the very Director Gu of the management office.
Upon seeing the malicious glint in Director Gu's eyes, Fang Yi instantly grasped his intentions and allowed a faint smile to grace his lips. He often heard his master speak of the treacherous nature of humanity, but he had never truly witnessed it—until now, it seemed, was his chance.
"Ah, Director Gu, I apologize for the trouble caused by the young ones..." Upon the director's arrival at the stall, Man Jun quickly produced a Chinese cigarette and offered it.
"Are you suggesting that the young ones are ignorant? What about you?"
Director Gu outright refused to accept Man Jun's offering, waving his hand dismissively. "Old Man, it's not that I refuse to give you face, but they have violated the management office's regulations and caused a disturbance in the market. This must be dealt with severely..."
Looking at Fang Yi and his companions, Director Gu felt an overwhelming surge of anger. He had just visited the local police station to plead on behalf of the scar-faced gang, hoping to negotiate a reduction in charges from theft to disorderly conduct—an offense that would fall under administrative management and result in mere days of detention.
However, to his astonishment, the police chief, who usually treated him as a brother, showed him no favor this time. He informed Director Gu that the matter had drawn the attention of the municipal bureau, and they were instructed to eradicate this cancer from the antique market, which had already been filed as a case.
Hearing the police chief's words, Director Gu turned pale. He understood the implications of a formal case; once filed, arrests would follow, and the scar-faced gang would face not administrative penalties, but criminal charges—likely resulting in years behind bars.
More importantly, Director Gu had a murky relationship with the scar-faced leader, having known him for over three years. During that time, the leader had regularly offered him bribes ranging from five to ten thousand yuan each month, amassing enough to buy two apartments.
Of course, Director Gu had not acted without reciprocation; whenever a member of the gang was caught by the police, he would intervene, ensuring the market's vigilantes were suppressed, leading vendors to turn a blind eye to the gang's activities.
Now, with the gang dismantled, Director Gu feared that if the leader faced an uncertain future, he might drag him down as well. Given the bribes he had accepted over the years, his sentence could very well exceed that of the gang members.
After much persuasion, Director Gu managed to meet with the scar-faced leader at the police station. He felt reassured when the leader promised to take full responsibility and not implicate Director Gu.
With the leader's assurance, Director Gu felt a slight sense of relief. However, upon leaving the police station, his fury towards Fang Yi and his companions surged uncontrollably. If not for their meddling, this situation would not have arisen.
Setting aside the possibility of being implicated by the scar-faced leader, Fang Yi's actions had directly severed Director Gu's source of income. As the saying goes, blocking someone's path to wealth is akin to killing their parents; with that in mind, Director Gu resolved to expel Fang Yi and his companions from the market.
"You lot, pack up your stall and report to the management office for punishment..."
The thought of losing nearly ten thousand yuan in income made Director Gu's heart bleed; he longed to swallow Fang Yi and the others whole. Yet, in front of the crowd, he had to maintain the facade of impartiality.
"Director Gu, why should we accept punishment?"
While Fang Yi and the chubby man remained silent, San Pao's voice rang out. Though he often appeared listless, he was far sharper in verbal sparring than the chubby man.
"Isn't brawling enough?"
Director Gu was taken aback by the audacity of this frail young man questioning him. With a stern expression, he replied, "The market does not welcome unruly individuals like you. You must pack up your stall immediately and report to the management office for punishment!"
Director Gu's fury had reached its peak, emphasizing "immediately" and "right now" in his speech.
"I should have called Officer Bai to testify..." Upon hearing Director Gu's words, the chubby man recoiled, lacking the confidence to argue with someone of Director Gu's stature, having only worked as a security guard in a big city for a few months.
"Director Gu, does your management office have the authority to enforce the law?"
Unlike Fang Yi and the chubby man, San Pao had lived in the city before enlisting in the army, and he was not easily intimidated. While he might fear police officers, he certainly did not fear a mere bureaucrat like Director Gu.
"The police station has not punished us; on what grounds do you?" Before Director Gu could respond, San Pao continued, "We intervened to stop a thief's theft; that constitutes an act of heroism. I fail to see why we should be punished!"
"Indeed, these young men were apprehending a thief; I can vouch for that..." As soon as San Pao finished speaking, a middle-aged man in the crowd raised his hand.
"My surname is Meng, and I can testify..."
The man, Meng Qizheng, was a history teacher at a nearby school and a well-known collector in Jinling City. He often visited the antique market to browse and purchase small items.
Last year, during the New Year, Meng had been robbed of fifteen hundred yuan at the market, and after reporting it, nothing had come of it. Thus, he harbored a deep resentment towards the thieves in the market. Upon hearing San Pao, he was the first to step forward.
"I can also testify; I saw them catching a thief just now..."
"That's right; we all saw it. Young man, I will testify for you..."
People are often swayed by the crowd; had no one taken the lead, the bystanders might not have spoken up. However, once Meng Qizheng made his voice heard, many others quickly followed suit, offering to testify for Fang Yi and his companions.
"Whether they were apprehending a thief is for the police to determine; all I know is that they were fighting in the market..."
Seeing so many tourists willing to testify, Director Gu's expression darkened. However, he was not intimidated; as long as the vendors in the antique market remained silent, these tourists would disperse and be lost to him.
"Is apprehending a thief considered fighting?"
"Exactly; this man is being unreasonable. Is he perhaps in cahoots with the thieves?"
Upon hearing Director Gu's words, the crowd erupted in protest. Many began to chastise him, and even the nearby vendors pointed fingers at Director Gu, with some of the younger ones standing up defiantly.
"Everyone, please calm down; we are merely enforcing market regulations..."
Realizing he had stirred the ire of the crowd, Director Gu felt a pang of panic and quickly interjected, "We are sending them to the management office to clarify the situation. If they truly acted heroically, the market will still reward them..."
As he spoke, Director Gu exchanged glances with Er Liu and the others, signaling them to swiftly approach Fang Yi's stall. Once they reached the management office, it would be easy for Director Gu to manipulate the situation as he pleased.
"No need to go to the management office; I witnessed everything. Shall I recount it for you?" Just as Er Liu and the others prepared to seize Fang Yi's tricycle, an elderly voice rose from the crowd.
"Does our management office need your interference?"
Director Gu did not even turn his head, dismissing the elder's words. He was already feeling overwhelmed and irritated; for years, he had held significant authority in the antique market and had never encountered such a situation.
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