Chapter 3022

Ma Laosi laughed 'Hehe', puffed on his pipe, and said unhurriedly: "This brother is also a straightforward person, to my Ma Laosi's taste. Since that's the case, then I, Ma Laosi, won't make things difficult for you, brother. My brother was beaten by you today, you tell me, is this a fact?"

"Yes, yes, it was my little brother who didn't recognize Mount Tai and offended Brother Triangular Eye. It was my fault… it was my fault…" Shanzhu nodded repeatedly and apologized, and pretended to slap his own face with two big slaps again.

Ma Laosi asked Shanzhu unhurriedly: "Then since you beat my little brother, you tell me, do you need to pay medical expenses?"

Being asked this by Ma Laosi, Shanzhu instinctively glanced secretly at the man with triangular eyes who was watching him fiercely. He saw that the man with triangular eyes' nose was a bit swollen and had a little skin scraped off. Shanzhu thought that even if he paid medical expenses, it would only be a little skin trauma, not much. Thus, Shanzhu nodded, smiled fawningly, and said: "Yes, yes, it was my fault, compensation is necessary, then… then big brother, you say a number?"

Seeing that Shanzhu had no opinion on paying medical expenses, Ma Laosi laughed 'Hehe' and said: "Good, brother is worthy of being a straightforward person. I, Ma Laosi, like such people. One price, ten thousand, give the money, and I, Ma Laosi, guarantee that my little brothers won't come to disturb you in doing business in the future, how about that?"

Damn it! Ten thousand? This is clearly blackmailing me! Hearing this number from Ma Laosi's mouth, Shanzhu was immediately shocked. He muttered to himself in his heart, knitted his brows slightly, his expression became awkward, and he said hesitantly: "Big brother, ten thousand is too… too much, right? I… I think Brother Triangular Eye also… didn't suffer any injuries…" As he spoke, Shanzhu gathered his courage and moved his gaze to the face of the man with triangular eyes, looked carefully for a few seconds, and saw that there was no injury on his face, just a little skin trauma on the tip of his nose. Whether it was caused by him just now was unclear.

"Didn't suffer injuries? I was beaten with internal injuries by you, are you a perspective eye!" The man with triangular eyes glared, roared at Shanzhu with a fierce look, and while roaring, he rubbed his hands and feet, appearing extremely eager to move.

Shanzhu was roared by the man with triangular eyes, immediately lowered his head, trembling slightly all over, and didn't dare to look at the fierce face of the man with triangular eyes.

Seeing Shanzhu lower his head and remain silent, Ma Laosi took the pipe out of his mouth, knocked it on the table, lifted his eyelids, stared at Shanzhu with those sharp eyes, and asked unhurriedly: "Then does that mean you don't want to admit that my little brother was beaten and injured by you?"

Shanzhu hurriedly lifted his head, smiled fawningly, and said: "Big brother, I don't mean I don't admit it. I admit that I didn't have eyes today and made a move on Brother Triangular Eye. I also agree to pay medical expenses, but… but I really didn't move Brother Triangular Eye much. Ten thousand is too… too much, big brother, look…"

"If you don't agree to Fourth brother's proposal, that's fine too. Then the brothers will let you taste the bitterness today, how about that?" Before Ma Laosi could answer, Triangular eye couldn't hold back anymore. His right hand was holding the shiny steel pipe and tapping it on his left palm one by one, already appearing extremely eager to move.

Ma Laosi gave a wink to the little brother beside him. The little brother understood and walked up to close the door of the mahjong parlor from the inside. Seeing this situation, Shanzhu immediately realized that if he dared to make conditions to this Ma Laosi again, he would definitely suffer. His two legs went soft, and his body trembled slightly again.

"Brother, I, Ma Laosi, am also a person with a face in the New District. I have always been very measured in doing things. Let me tell you honestly, this ten thousand yuan, part of it is the medical expenses for my brother Triangular Eye, and part of it is the protection fee for your mahjong parlor. This is the rule of the underworld. You go and ask around in this area. Anyone who opens a mahjong parlor pays protection money to me, Ma Laosi. Even if you don't pay me, Ma Laosi, others will come to find trouble. Once I, Ma Laosi, take your protection money, I guarantee that no one will dare to come to your place to make trouble again, understand? This is called harmony brings wealth. You'd better be sensible today, otherwise, I think you should understand what the consequences will be!" Ma Laosi said unhurriedly. If it weren't for the man with triangular eyes being beaten by Shanzhu on impulse today, this small matter of collecting protection money would have always been handled by the little brothers below, and Ma Laosi wouldn't have bothered to make a big fuss to come to a small mahjong parlor to collect protection money. It was mainly to establish his ruling position in the underground world of the New District, especially after several capable generals went to the Linbei District to watch the field for Tong Lan, Ma Laosi's appetite was getting bigger and bigger, gradually extending his feet to the Linbei District step by step, so he couldn't tolerate anyone not taking him seriously in the New District. However, these bosses always had a characteristic that was different from the little brothers—anything that could be solved by sitting down, they would never move their hands and feet. So, no matter what negotiation it was, Ma Laosi was unwilling to fight to the death with the other party unless it was a last resort.

Listening to Ma Laosi's words, although Shanzhu's brain reacted a bit slowly, he could still understand the subtext. It seemed that if he didn't pay this ten thousand yuan, he would have a hard time escaping today. But for Shanzhu, ten thousand yuan was an astronomical figure. Giving it to a group of local hooligans for nothing made his heart ache. Besides, this mahjong parlor wasn't opened by him. Heiwa had already run far away, and the major shareholder Zheng Jie was unwilling to come forward. Now he was the only one surrounded by this group of local hooligans, and he didn't dare to make the decision to take ten thousand yuan to feed this group of wild dogs. The top priority, Shanzhu felt, was to delay time as much as possible, to give himself space to seek help. Thus, he used a delaying tactic again, scratched the back of his head, and said to Ma Laosi timidly: "Fourth brother, actually it's not that I don't want to pay this ten thousand yuan, it's just that… I'm not the boss, a friend of mine is the boss…"

"You're not the boss? Then where is your friend?" Ma Laosi frowned slightly, looking at Shanzhu with surprise and questioning.

"He… he was just here, as soon as he saw you big brothers coming, he ran away…" Shanzhu said.

"Coward!" The man with triangular eyes followed with a curse, and then used a very arrogant look to glare at Shanzhu, saying: "Yo, so that means you're a tough bone? Regardless of whether you're the boss or not, you're the one who hit me today, this money must be taken out! Otherwise, I'll let you taste whether my steel pipe is hard or your bones are hard!"

Seeing that the man with triangular eyes was about to make a move again, Shanzhu hurriedly hugged his head and said: "Big brother, calm down, I… I'm just discussing with you big brothers… big brother, let's talk things over…"

Ma Laosi waved his hand at the man with triangular eyes. The guy put down his hand holding the steel pipe and asked Ma Laosi with extreme reluctance: "Fourth brother, then you say, what should we do?"

Ma Laosi said to Shanzhu: "Brother, I, Ma Laosi, am also a person with a face in the New District. I have always been very measured in doing things. Let me tell you honestly, this ten thousand yuan, part of it is the medical expenses for my brother Triangular Eye, and part of it is the protection fee for your mahjong parlor. This is the rule of the underworld. You go and ask around in this area. Anyone who opens a mahjong parlor pays protection money to me, Ma Laosi. Once I, Ma Laosi, take your protection money, I guarantee that no one will dare to come to your place to make trouble again, understand? This is called harmony brings wealth. You'd better be sensible today, otherwise, I think you should understand what the consequences will be!" Ma Laosi said unhurriedly.

Shanzhu, surrounded by this group of little hooligans, knew that if he were headstrong today and refused to agree to Ma Laosi's request, he would definitely suffer. Under a flurry of sticks, he would be head-broken and bleeding at best, and broken-legged and broken-handed at worst. Why bother! Shanzhu still understood the truth that a good man doesn't suffer immediate losses. Thus, in desperation, he nodded repeatedly and said: "Big brother, I understand, I also understand harmony brings wealth, but big brother, I really don't want to pay this money, I… I don't have that much money now… how about… how about I wait until I gather the money and send it to you personally, big brother, what do you think?" Shanzhu could only try his best to find a way to send this group of people away first, to give himself time and space to seek help from others.

"Not enough money?" Ma Laosi saw Shanzhu's timid look of nodding, and saw that this guy didn't dare to say no to his request, it was just that he couldn't take out that much money now. Ma Laosi looked at this guy with earthy air up and down, and judged from Shanzhu's dress that this guy didn't look like a rich man either. He waved his hand at the man with triangular eyes and said unhurriedly: "Since this brother said he would send it to us after gathering the money, then let him go for now, and talk after the money is gathered."

"Thank you, big brother, thank you, big brother." Seeing that this big brother wearing a gray cloth gown temporarily agreed to his request, Shanzhu thanked him repeatedly, "I will definitely send it to you personally as soon as I gather the money, thank you, big brother, thank you…"

For Ma Laosi's idea, although the man with triangular eyes was extremely reluctant in his heart, as a little brother, he could only obey obediently. But he still vented his anger at Shanzhu, pointed at his nose fiercely, and said: "You kid, be careful, don't play tricks, I'll give you two days, if the money isn't sent, you kid just wait and see!"

Shanzhu finally breathed a sigh of relief, nodded repeatedly and agreed: "Big brother, don't worry, I will go find money in a while, and as soon as the money is gathered, I will send it to you personally."

"That's fine, brother, seeing that you are still a man, I, Ma Laosi, will temporarily agree to you. Just like what Triangular eye said, I'll give you a two-day deadline. The money must be sent. 'Riyuehu' Tea House on Daqing Road. If you dare to play tricks, don't blame me for being impolite!" Ma Laosi said to Shanzhu unhurriedly while getting up.

Shanzhu nodded and said: "Big brother, don't worry, how would I dare to play tricks? I will send it as soon as I gather the money, you big brothers go slowly." As he spoke, Shanzhu followed and sent this group of people with strange looks out of the shop door.

"You kid, remember to be fast!" The man with triangular eyes who walked to the side of the road with half his body cat-like and getting into the car didn't forget to turn back and show off to Shanzhu.