Three evenings after the late-night meal, Scar Brother called to ask me to meet him outside to discuss matters. Yun Yao was tidying up my room and seeing me prepare to leave, she said, "Brother Zhao, come back early. Sister Xiao Ning was also looking for you; it seemed to be about her boyfriend."

I still held the title of Love Consultant for Ning Shixuan; I wondered if the fellow was coming to see her this time as a result of the advice I gave her previously.

"Okay, I'll try to be back soon. Don't wait up for me; just go to sleep if it gets too late. We can discuss it tomorrow."

Scar Brother and the other six men were already waiting for me at the wonton stall. They ordered beers and spoke in low voices. Scar Brother said, "Brother Qian, we found the former owner of the Daihe Arcade very smoothly yesterday. It turns out his wife had a sudden severe illness, leaving him no time to worry about the business here in Liangshan. He was completely unaware of the arcade being robbed. I've settled things with him; he signed a transfer contract, and we're taking over the Daihe Arcade for eighteen thousand yuan, though the payment will be in installments."

I patted Scar Brother on the shoulder, "I didn't expect you to be so quick on the uptake, kid. We managed to get an arcade without laying out any cash upfront."

Scar Brother laughed, "I'm not that cunning; I only know how to fight and kill. It was all Lai P's idea. He was the one who strongly persuaded the original owner to sell; otherwise, that owner might not have even recouped the eighteen thousand yuan."

Lai P, Chen Mingzhuo, smiled sheepishly, "My fighting skills are terrible, but I'm decent at playing a little clever. I secretly estimated the stuff inside the arcade; it's worth at least thirty thousand, plus we profit from over half a year of prepaid rent."

I said, "Everyone has their specialty; no one with any real skill will starve. By the way, have you spoken to Wang Gui yet? Tell him to vacate the arcade for us early, or don't blame us for being impolite."

Scar Brother replied, "We went to see him last night and showed Wang Gui the transfer contract. But Wang Gui nearly tore the contract up on the spot and threatened to chop us up if we dared to set foot in his arcade again. What we do now is up to Brother Qian's orders."

I put down my beer, "What else can we do? Of course, we take back what belongs to us. Now that we have the contract, we'll be completely justified even if the police show up. Let's grab our gear and take back the arcade before we keep drinking."

The seven men seemed prepared. They quietly dragged out a large bag from under the small square table; the zipper opened to reveal it was full of knives. I peeked in and saw even a cleaver!

Bull Head smiled awkwardly, "We didn't have enough money for weapons, so in the end, they gave us a cleaver out of consideration for an old friendship. If it’s uncomfortable for you to use, I can take it."

I casually picked up the cleaver, "Forget it. I never had a habit of using weapons anyway. A cleaver is fine; I've been using one often in the kitchen these last couple of days. Let's go, our business starts tonight!"

When I reached the entrance of the Daihe Arcade, I veered toward the shop next door and tore off a piece of advertising cloth to cover my face. After all, my current identity was a government civil servant; if someone who knew me saw me brandishing a cleaver while taking over a shop, it would likely create a bad impression.

"Eighth Brother, you lead the way. If words fail, we fight, but try not to kill anyone."

Scar Brother nodded, "Understood, Brother Qian. As long as no one dies, the police usually won't get involved. Let's go."

The eight of us entered the Daihe Arcade. There were over ten people inside playing mahjong. Scar Brother slammed his machete onto the coin exchange counter with a whoosh.

"Call Wang Gui out! We're here to take over the shop. Tell him to get out quickly!"

The person at the counter was a girl, looking no older than twenty, average in appearance but quite generously endowed in the chest. I wasn't sure if she was Wang Gui's woman, but her tone was aggressive, "So it's Scarface. You still dare to come here causing trouble? Are you tired of living?"

Scar Brother waved his hand dismissively, "I don't discuss business with women. Call Wang Gui out, or don't blame me for being impolite."

Everyone else revealed the weapons they were holding, and the dozen or so people playing the games bolted out with a clamor. The arcade was quite spacious, with several partitioned rooms inside—probably originally used for gambling machines, now likely serving as dormitories. After the door was knocked upon, a fierce-looking man in his mid-thirties emerged.

"Eighth Brother, you still dare pester me at my own doorstep? Believe it or not, I'll make sure you don't walk out of this arcade." The newcomer was presumably Wang Gui. The moment his words fell, over ten young men burst out from the partitioned rooms behind him, all carrying blades and sticks. It seemed the other side was also well-prepared.

The situation looked unfavorable for us, but Scar Brother didn't seem afraid. He laughed heartily, "Wang Gui, you've been operating in Liangshan's underworld for over a decade; I think it's time for you to retire. We have a transfer contract with the original owner for this arcade. If you're smart, take your men and leave immediately, or things will get ugly, which is bad for everyone."

Wang Gui's face changed, and he cursed furiously, "Damn you, Scarface! You dare threaten me? I warned you last night—step into my arcade again, and you'll die here. This time you came looking for it yourself; don't blame me for being ruthless!"

As Wang Gui finished speaking, he waved his hand, and the dozen subordinates behind him rushed forward with their weapons. Scarface wasn't like Bull Head, Specter, Gangzi, or Yellow Hair; this guy was clearly someone who often killed people, evident from his sheer viciousness. He snatched the machete from the counter and swung it down towards the leading attacker. The opponent blocked with his own machete, the two blades meeting with a harsh screeching sound. Before the other man could react, Scarface recoiled and sliced across his shoulder. Pffft! A spray of blood erupted, and the man cried out, dropping his machete and collapsing to the ground.

The melee had begun. Wang Gui, who was bare-chested, snatched a thick club from one of his subordinates. Gripping it with both hands, his muscles bulged as he charged into the fray. He struck Gangzi twice with the club. The first blow was blocked by Gangzi's machete, sending a shock up his hand until the blade flew out of his grip. The second blow slammed into Gangzi's thigh, causing him to fall heavily to the ground with a thud.

Wang Gui laughed maniacally, "You little brats think you can take me on? Go home and finish your milk before coming back!" Saying this, Wang Gui swung the club toward Gangzi's head. This guy was truly malicious; if that blow landed squarely, he would either die or become a vegetable.

I had been walking at the rear, so I was slightly late to act when the fight broke out. Even so, five subordinates fell under my cleaver in an instant. I had been consciously holding back, trying not to end their lives, but seeing Wang Gui aiming to end someone's life with one swing, I took two steps forward and sliced his club in half with my cleaver.

Wang Gui suddenly felt the weight in his hands lessen, and the heavy club swung empty air. He looked sharply to see that the thick club he was gripping was now only the remaining stump in his palm.

"Who are you?" Wang Gui stared at my masked face with a hint of fear.

It’s a fight; why waste time with so many unnecessary words? I didn't answer Wang Gui. I swung the cleaver, which sliced across Wang Gui's left arm with a whoosh, then curved back around to his right arm. Wang Gui shrieked in pain, unable to hold onto the remaining piece of wooden club, which clattered to the floor. Both his arms dangled uselessly for a moment.

By then, Scarface had felled three of the remaining five or six subordinates, while the rest were cornered by Gouzi, Bull Head, and Specter, too intimidated to resist. The arcade machines were spattered with blood everywhere the fallen writhed on the floor, making the ground slick and bloody. Since they weren't wearing much clothing in the summer, the deep wounds exposed the stark white of the bone in places. The big-breasted girl behind the counter was so terrified she couldn't utter a sound; even her breasts were visibly trembling, utterly devoid of the arrogance she displayed when we first entered.

"You... you crippled my arms!" Wang Gui's voice trembled.

I said in a low voice, "Considering your age, I'll spare your dog life this time. If you can recover your arms, come back and seek revenge; I'll be waiting for you here!"

Wang Gui was indeed a vicious man; as long as he wasn't dead, it would take time to truly subdue him.

"Fine! If Wang Gui can still lift a knife, he will return for revenge. If you have the guts, take off that mask and show me your real face."

I let out a cold snort, "You are not worthy. If you cannot disappear from this arcade within one minute, I think the only path left for you will be death!"

The situation on the ground was now clear. The opposition started with over a dozen men, but I took down five with my cleaver right at the start. Scarface was also fast and ruthless; he took down four in total. The remaining few couldn't withstand the rough handling of Yellow Hair and the other five; they had already meekly dropped their blades and huddled against the wall.

Wang Gui's arms were bleeding profusely, and his face was pale. He walked to the arcade entrance, "Fine, I admit defeat this time. We'll settle this later."

Gangzi said, "Are we just letting him go? Why not kill him?"

Scarface kicked him, "Don't push things too far; leave yourself a way out. Killing him will bring the police down on us."

The dozen subordinates and the cashier girl followed Wang Gui out. I said to Scar Brother, "You guys clean up here. Change the name of the arcade; I don't like that name. Also, be wary of Wang Gui coming back for revenge. Secretly build a back exit in the rear room. If danger arises, don't fight recklessly; preserve your strength to better strike the enemy. Call me if anything happens."

As soon as I stepped out, the few subordinates who were only lightly injured sneaked back into the arcade—probably to side with Scar Brother. These thugs are like that; they follow whoever is stronger. Once we control this prosperous street in Liangshan, more people will likely join us.

When I returned to my dormitory, I found Yun Yao sitting on my bed reading. Seeing me return, she immediately rushed over, "Brother Zhao, you're back."

"What are you reading? Heh heh, so you're studying." The book cover clearly showed high school mathematics.

Yun Yao said, "Yes. My high school coursework is almost zero. If I don't work hard, I'm afraid I'll never catch up with everyone else."

I said, "I'm very familiar with high school courses. I studied them for three years already, and I reviewed thoroughly before the college entrance exams. Let me teach you."

Yun Yao happily exclaimed, "Great! I was just worrying about many things I can't understand on my own. Oh my, is this blood! Brother Zhao, what happened? Are you hurt?"

If my wives didn't forbid me from using my supernatural abilities, how could the blood of over a dozen men have splattered onto me? I said, "Don't make a fuss. I'm not hurt; someone else got injured, and some blood splashed on me. It'll be fine once I wash my clothes later."

Yun Yao then relaxed, "Then hurry up and take them off so I can wash them for you, or the stains will set permanently."

Yun Yao helped me take off my shirt and then went to the bathroom to fill a basin with water. She first wiped my body clean, then squatted down to scrub the clothes. Standing beside her, I could see her chest over the thin neckline of her top. The sheer fabric barely concealed the fullness of Yun Yao's breasts. Unable to resist the temptation, I moved behind Yun Yao and wrapped my arms around her chest.

"Yun Yao, I love you."

Yun Yao blushed, her voice low, "I'm washing clothes right now; don't cause trouble. Wait for me on the bed."

Ah, wait for her on the bed? Does that mean wait for her in bed?

I lay down on the bed, my mind restless, flipping through the math book. Suddenly, the dormitory door was violently pushed open with a bang. Even without looking, I knew it was Ning Shixuan. I kept flipping the book and said, "Xiao Ning, you have a great name, both Ning and Shi (Poetry). But why are you so impatient in your actions? It's late, and disturbing others' rest is not good."

Ning Shixuan rushed to the bedside and yanked my ear, "Director Zhao, have you gotten carried away after being an official for two days? You even have someone washing clothes for you. Is the next step having Yun Yao sleep with you in bed?"

That was precisely what I was thinking. Although I couldn't have relations with Yun Yao yet because she didn't fully understand my situation—I feared she might regret it after sleeping with me—just holding her while sleeping would be nice.

"Secretary Ning, please don't slander Yun Yao's reputation, or when your boyfriend gets here, I'll make sure you pay for it."

"I came to find you precisely about that matter. I've thought it over and over, and I can't find a single reason to keep my boyfriend here in Liangshan. You are my Love Consultant, and the advice you gave last time had some effect. Help me one more time."