Chapter 37: Melee

"To be honest, I've liked these things since I was a kid. They feel magical. I enjoy reading books on the subject, but if you ask me if I truly believe, I wouldn't say I believe it all. Yet, if you say I don't, I feel that the wisdom left by our ancestors can't be entirely wrong. But what does this have to do with He Wanyue?" I asked.

At that moment, the phrase "gathering of the three elements at the crown" flickered through my mind, though it was merely a passing thought.

"Our boss believes in this. Not just him—everyone doing business around here is a firm believer. What makes the most money here? Feng Shui masters. The front entrance of our restaurant has been renovated three times, and even the layout inside was done under the guidance of one. Our boss got involved with Xiaoyue because of that very master. One day, the boss invited him to dinner, and the moment the master saw He Wanyue, he let out a startle, asked for her birth date and time, and then told the boss that her horoscope was perfectly compatible with his, a perfect union of yin and yang. Most importantly, he said she had a strong 'child's fate,' meaning she was likely to bear offspring. Our boss had two daughters but no son, and the locals here value continuing the family line deeply. The master's words were like offering a pillow to someone already sleepy." Wu Dahai explained.

"So, after they got together, she had a son?" I asked.

Wu Dahai nodded. "Right. Bearing a son was like holding a royal mandate. The boss bought her an apartment and gave her money. If she had the sense to learn her lesson, she could have lived comfortably for the rest of her life. But she never learns. She made a scene in front of the boss's wife and nearly caused a catastrophe. If it hadn't been for the boss's parents, who doted on the child and stepped in to protect her, she would have been sent back to her hometown long ago. To keep her quiet, the boss put her in charge of managing this restaurant, but she’s turned it into such a chaotic mess that business almost collapsed. Sigh, in the end, it’s just a case of having no brains. They say big breasts mean no brain—look at her, are they big? They're huge."

Big?

They were indeed substantial.

Judging purely by appearance, He Wanyue was quite seductive; it was hard to imagine how such a slender frame could support such fullness.

But "no brains"?

I wasn't so sure.

Feng Shui masters are part of the "gold-dot" trade. I believe there are true masters in this world, but they are certainly few and far between.

Why would he help a stranger, a waitress? Why would a single sentence change He Wanyue’s life?

I felt there had to be a hidden story.

Just as I was pondering this, the spectacle began. After berating the waiter, He Wanyue turned her fire toward Brother Bao.

"Pack your things! Get lost!" He Wanyue cursed at him.

"Who the hell do you think you are? You're nothing but a whore!" Brother Bao retorted without hesitation.

Brother Bao couldn't stand her, so he didn't hold back, and his words sent her into a fury.

Just then, Brother Cai came down from upstairs, pointing at Brother Bao. "F*** your mother! Say that one more time if you dare!"

"What if I do? One of you is a whore, and the other makes a living off his sister selling herself. Your whole family is in the trade!" Brother Bao shouted.

Then, the fight broke out.

Most of the waiters were part of Brother Cai’s faction.

The kitchen staff belonged to Brother Bao’s side.

Even my cousin, Chen Jianjun, joined the fray on Brother Cai’s side.

Young and hot-blooded, their tempers flared.

"Shouldn't we go break it up?" I asked.

"Break it up? Why bother? When dogs bite dogs, you just get a mouthful of fur. Once they're done fighting, someone will come along to clean up the mess," Wu Dahai chuckled.

I nodded and watched silently. It was easy to guess that this brawl was the result of the gambling session earlier that afternoon.

I closed my eyes and whispered to myself: *Watch the fire from across the river, then snatch the chestnuts from the embers.*

Twenty minutes later, a car pulled up in a hurry. Seeing the license plate, Lao Hai hurriedly grabbed me and rushed in, shouting, "Stop fighting! Everyone, stop! Look, we're all family here, why are you fighting?"

The battle had reached a fever pitch. The first floor was a wreck. No one was using lethal force, but everyone was nursing bruises. Brother Cai and Brother Bao were blinded by rage; Brother Bao was grabbing Brother Cai's hair, while Brother Cai was digging his fingers into Brother Bao's nostrils. Neither would let go, both grimacing in pain.

"All of you, stop!" A loud, booming voice rang out.

A man with a slicked-back hairstyle walked in, roaring with anger.

He was slightly plump and short, probably around five-foot-three.

A thick gold chain around his neck was particularly blinding.

He was followed by a man in a suit, tall and thin, with a scar on the corner of his eye—someone who clearly wasn't to be trifled with.

The man’s roar and his furious expression brought the fight to an immediate halt. Only Brother Cai and Brother Bao remained locked together on the floor. The man walked over, kicked them both, and barked, "Let go, damn it!"

"Honey! He called me a whore!" He Wanyue ran over and clung to the man's arm.

It seemed this man was A-Wang, the owner of the restaurant.

A-Wang looked at He Wanyue with undisguised disgust, though he didn't blow up at her. He just looked at Brother Bao. "A-Bao, why did you call her that?"

Brother Bao didn't back down. "She came over and started telling me to pack my things and get lost, for no reason at all."

A-Wang heard this and looked at He Wanyue, who then glared at Brother Cai. Brother Cai said, "Brother-in-law, he was playing cards with us and he cheated!"

A-Wang’s brow furrowed even deeper. He pointed at Brother Cai. "Shut your mouth! How many times have I told you not to gamble? From now on, anyone caught playing cards in this shop is out! And don't think I don't know you’ve been touching the accounts. Front desk! Without my approval, if anyone takes a single cent from the books, you’re fired!"

After that, he proceeded to scold the kitchen and waitstaff, ordering them to clean up the mess, before calling Brother Bao, Brother Cai, and He Wanyue upstairs.

Once the door closed, it became a private family matter.

Half an hour later, they came back down. The boss was expressionless, while He Wanyue followed behind with a look of grievance. Brother Cai and Brother Bao still looked ready to kill each other; it seemed that even the boss's intervention couldn't fully resolve this chaotic family drama.

The boss left shortly after.

The staff began cleaning up the battlefield.

How big is the gap between ordinary people and the wealthy?

I don't know.

I only know that the boss glanced at me without any emotion. He didn't care at all about a new security guard, nor did he notice that this guard was watching him with burning intensity.

By the time the cleaning was finished, it was 10:30 PM. As the leaders of their respective factions, Brother Bao took the kitchen staff out for a late-night snack, and Brother Cai took the waiters. Wu Dahai and I were largely ignored as bystanders. Even Brother Cai looked disappointed in me, clearly thinking I wasn't the "manly" type.

We didn't just sit around either; we found a small street stall, ordered two cold dishes, and started drinking beer. Even though Wu Dahai was just a security guard, he was a veteran at A-Wang’s restaurant, having worked there for six and a half years. I casually asked him about the boss's wife. Wu Dahai, who sneered at He Wanyue, spoke of the wife with nothing but praise. Her name was Fang Yi, and it sounded graceful. According to Wu Dahai, Fang Yi was a true lady of quality. When she first set her eyes on A-Wang, he was nothing but a penniless nobody. Her family opposed the marriage, but girls of that era often had the courage to throw themselves into love.

After they married, they worked hard, starting as street vendors before slowly building their business into a chain of restaurants.

"I’m just a rough guy, I don't know how to put it nicely, but I know the madam is kind-hearted. She always speaks to us in a soft, gentle voice. If any of us workers had trouble, she’d help if she could. She’s also tough when dealing with outsiders. Once, a group of thugs came in trying to eat for free, and she grabbed a kitchen knife and charged right at them. I can say this: if it weren't for the madam, the boss wouldn't be where he is today. Just because of a Feng Shui master's words, and for the sake of a son, the boss hurt his wife. Now she stays at home, eating vegetarian meals and chanting prayers every day. The boss is a real piece of work," Wu Dahai said.

"That Feng Shui master," I asked, "do you know where he lives?"