Chapter 146 - Old Scores and Power
Lu Sheng brought Xia Lei to a luxurious private room. The room was about 50 square metres large and beautifully decorated. Xia Lei felt like he had stepped into a dream-like palace. A large painting of ‘The Last Supper’ hung on the wall.
Four men and a group of women were in the room.
Two of the men were people he hadn’t seen before and the other two were Zhang Sen and Xu Lang. Xia Lei felt anger wash over him at the sight of Xu Lang. He’d already had a satisfying ending for the incident in Jing-Du where he’d been arrested but the memory of Xu Lang actually getting someone to hit Xia Xue for the purpose of getting him in trouble was unforgivable.
“Don’t do anything that’ll hurt Si-Yao or I’ll tell Master.” Lu Sheng said one sentence in Xia Lei’s ear and walked out of the room.
When Xia Lei turned to look at Lu Sheng, he’d already closed the room door. Xia Lei smiled wordlessly and walked towards Zhang Sen’s group.
Zhang Sen stood up and greeted Xia Lei warmly. “Xia Bro, come here, come here. I’ll introduce you; this is Lin Wen-De, the chairman of Goods Mountain Co. After a short pause, he added, “Goods Mountain Co. is a big company in the retail industry and has franchisees across the country. You should have a good chat with Chairman Lin, Xia Bro.”
This hint couldn’t be more obvious.
Xia Lei stretched out his hand and put a smile on his face. “Hello, Chairman Lin,” he said politely.
The middle-aged man called Lin Wen-De stood up and shook hands with Xia Lei. “Hello, hello.”
He spoke politely but his eyes showed not a trace of politeness. Xia Lei could tell that this Lin Wen-De would probably not want to get to know him at all if it were not for Zhang Sen.
Zhang Sen pointed to another slightly younger person, about 35 or 36 years old, and said, “This is Ding Yun, the chairman of Far East Mining Corp.” He smiled. “Bro, I’ve got to tell you - Chairman Ding’s mines? You’d climb them for a month and won’t even reach the end.”
Xia Lei reached out his hand again and smiled. “Hello, Chairman Ding.”
Ding Yun stood up, shook hands with Xia Lei and said politely, “Hello.”
It was a forced greeting. HIs attitude was like Lin Wen-De’s - chairmen of their caliber didn’t think too highly of a small fry company chairman like Xia Lei. Them sitting there and shaking hands with Xia Lei was all because of their relationship to Zhang Sen.
Xia Lei pretended not to notice their attitude. He didn’t care.
Zhang Sen pointed at Xu Lang and said, “This is…”
Xu Lang interrupted Zhang Sen, “Big Brother Sen, you don’t have to introduce us. We know each other.”
“You know each other?” asked Zhang Sen in surprise.
His expression was not fake; he really didn’t know that the two of them knew each other.
“And you said you had a ‘mysterious friend’, Big Brother Sen. We’re already so familiar, heh heh.” Xu Lang stretched a hand out to Xia Lei as he spoke. “Hello, Boss Xia of Beauty of Beauteous Supermarket.”
Addressing Xia Lei like that in front of Zhang Sen, Ding Yun and Lin Wen-De was deliberate act.
Zhang Sen’s expression darkened. He could tell from Xu Lang’s words that Xu Lang not only knew Xia Lei, but he’d had some deep conflict with him in the past. If they hadn’t had such a conflict, Xu Lang with his status and smarts wouldn’t have dared to be so mocking to Xia Lei in front of him now.
Zhang Sen looked at Xia Lei to see his reaction, a question in his head - What happened between Xia Lei and Xu Lang?
Ding Yun and Lin Wen-De also looked at Xia Lei with tiny smiles of mockery on their lips. What were you going to do about being mocked, Xia Lei? You’re just a small-time owner of a little company - what can you do against an inspector?
Xia Lei, however, reacted very mildly. He stretched out his hand as well and shook with Xu Lang, smiling as he said, “Public servants are barred from patronising entertainment establishments like karaoke bars. You’re flouting the law here. Aren’t you afraid that I’ll report you?”
“Humph!” Xu Lang snorted. He’d mocked Xia Lei for being just a supermarket boss and now Xia Lei was mocking him for being a humble public servant. He did not have the control that Xia Lei had and his facial expression changed.
Xia Lei, on the other hand, shook hands with Xu Lang with a smile on his face.
Xu Lang hesitated and seemed to have caught something in Xia Lei’s eyes. He tried to pull his hand back but discovered that Xia Lei’s hand was like a vice and he could not pull away no matter how he tried.
Xia Lei used his internal energy and Xu Lang’s hand suddenly deformed in his. He had not practised Wing Chun long and could not compare to great Masters like Liang Zheng-Chun but even his little bit of internal energy was something normal people like Xu Lang could not withstand. His internal energy was small but he knew the structure of the human body like the back of his own hand and could control the energy completely, making his small bit of internal energy as effective as those with a Master-level like Liang Zheng-Chun!
Xu Lang’s face turned white as soon as Xia Lei used his internal energy. His bones were subjected to a great force and there was an audible crack. It seemed like his hand would be broken any moment. He was only still standing due to his pride as a man.
Ding Yun couldn’t watch any longer and was about to tell Xia Lei to let go but Zhang Sen shot him a look and he shut up.
Xia Lei did not let go - it looked like he wanted to shatter Xu Lang’s hand!
Xu Lang thought Xia Lei would release his hand quickly as he was sure Xia Lei wouldn’t dare do anything to him but his hand hurt more and more. When Xia Lei showed no signs of relaxing his grip even when he couldn’t take it anymore, Xu Lang panicked and got scared. “Xia Lei, you… What are you doing?”
Xia Lei smiled and said, “I haven’t seen you in a while so I want to shake your hand for a while longer.”
“Let go of my hand!” Xu Lang was mad.
Xia Lei pulled Xu Lang by the hand to the washroom attached to the room instead.
“What are you doing?” Xu Lang tried to escape Xia Lei’s grip in vain.
Xia Lei pulled him along, saying, “Inspector Xu, I have some personal matters to discuss with you. It’s not good if others overhear.”
“You bastard! I’m an inspector!” Xu Lang tried to use his status to pressure Xia Lei.
Xia Lei gave a cold laugh. “I know. Are inspectors such a big deal?” He pushed open the door of the washroom and threw Xu Lang inside.
The washroom door slammed shut.
In the private room, Zhang Sen, Ding Yun and Lin Wen-De exchanged looks of surprise and disbelief.
“What situation is this, Zhang Bro?” Lin Wen-De’s expression was odd and his tone strange. “That Xu Lang is still an inspector. We wouldn’t dare to get on his bad side but your friend… Did he eat leopard guts?”
Zhang Sen smiled intriguingly as he recalled himself being thrown into the pool. “Eat leopard guts? No, I think he is a leopard. Haha.”
Ding Yun paused and smiled wryly. “Zhang Bro, you should be cautious. I can tell that these two don’t see eye to eye and have some conflict. If your friend really hurts that inspector it can make the matter blow up and it won’t be easy to clear it up.”
Zhang Sen sneered instead. “The person doing the beating isn’t afraid so why should we, the audience, be scared? If Xia Lei really beats Xu Lang up then I’ll take my hat off to him.”
Ding Yun and Lin Wen-De exchanged glances. They kept their thoughts unspoken.
That’s right, the person doing the beating wasn’t afraid so why should the onlookers be scared?
In the washroom, Xia Lei stood in the doorway, leaving no way out for Xu Lang. The small washroom seemed like it was filled with gas and a small spark would set it all alight.
“You, the one surnamed Xia! You’d better know your place and apologise to me immediately! No, apologise to me in front of those people outside, or I’ll pursue this matter with you!” Xu Lang shouted.
“Xu Lang, I dragged you in here to settle scores. You, get this in your head. Pursue the matter? Others may be afraid of your inspector rank but you are scum to me!” said Xia Lei coldly.
“Get out of my way!” Xu Lang reached to push Xia Lei.
Xia Lei suddenly kicked Xu Lang in the abdomen and there was a muffled thud as he slammed into the wall and fell heavily to the floor.
“You dare attack a policeman!” Xu Lang gritted his teeth and glared hatefully at Xia Lei.
Xia Lei kicked him in the abdomen again. “This kick is for the time when you and Ren Wen-Qiang tried to drug me at Far East Heavy Industries.”
“Ah-!” Xu Lang screamed.
“This kick is for when you got someone to hit my sister.” Xia Lei kicked him for the third time.
Xu Lang was in so much pain that his face was devoid of colour and cold sweat beaded his forehead. He looked fearfully at Xia Lei, still in disbelief. How could he drag him into the washroom to beat him up? He was a police inspector!
Xia Lei lifted Xu Lang from the floor till they were face to face, his eyes as wild as a beast’s. “Let me warn you, Xu Lang, that you can mess with me but not my sister. You dare harm one hair on her head again and I’ll destroy you!”
This was Xia Lei’s first time saying such fierce words because of his sister, Xia Xue.
“Pah!” Xu Lang opened his mouth and spat bloody saliva at Xia Lei.
Xia Lei moved his head and avoided the spit.
Xu Lang kneed Xia Lei in the abdomen.
Xia Lei did not dodge this time; he just stared coldly at Xu Lang.
“You, the one surnamed Xia, tonight’s matter won’t be settled so easily. You’re dead meat, I tell you! I’ll call someone to arrest you once I walk out of this washroom. How dare you attack a police inspector!” said Xu Lang with look of malevolence.
“Heh heh…” Xia Lei laughed all of a sudden. It was strange.
Xu Lang had goosebumps. “What are you laughing at? I’ll let you off, maybe, if you kneel down and beg me!”
As soon as he was done speaking, Xia Lei grabbed him by the throat and shoved his head roughly into the toilet bowl.
“Gleurgh… Xia… Blub… Blureugh…” Toilet bowl water flooded Xu Lang’s mouth over and over. Unable to breathe, he had no choice but to swallow the water. The previous user of the washroom had not flushed and the yellow-stained water in the toilet bowl was all cleared up by Xu Lang.
Xia Lei released Xu Lang.
Xu Lang sprawled over the toilet bowl and begun to gag. “Uuergh… uuergh…”
Xia Lei watched the vomiting Xu Lang expressionlessly and said disinterestedly, “Xu Lang, go ahead if you want to arrest me but I’m warning you that I won’t be coming out once I go in. I will only go out and fight you if you kneel before me. Think it over carefully. I beat you today so our score from last time is settled. If you get on my bad side again, there will be a new score to settle and I will look for you, just like today.”
Xia Lei turned and walked out the washroom after he was done speaking.
Xu Lang continued hugging the toilet bowl. “Bleurgh…”