Chapter 293: Don't cause trouble here

"Are you okay? Can't stand the smell of smoke?" Shi Jingming asked with concern in a low voice.

Shen Xing shook his head: "It was just a bit too choking all of a sudden!"

Shi Jingming explained with a smile: "Many billiard halls now open in those non-smoking malls, and the prices are expensive. This place is much cheaper, has group discounts, and you can smoke, so a lot of people come here."

While they were talking, the two had already walked in. Shen Xing looked closely and couldn't help but be a bit surprised. The storefront outside looked very inconspicuous; he didn't expect it to be so big inside.

There were probably more than a dozen billiard tables, and they were basically all occupied.

The noise inside was very loud, with the voices of customers and the sound of billiard balls colliding, plus the smoke lingering under the incandescent lights and the hip-hop music playing on the store's speakers, making this billiard hall look exceptionally mundane.

Although Longcheng Second Middle School wasn't in the most prosperous part of the city, the surroundings were mostly modern urban industries. Shen Xing was curious for a moment and looked at Shi Jingming, asking: "Where do you find these places?"

Including the repair shop last time, too.

"Who told you I'm a local!" Shi Jingming smiled a bit proudly: "I grew up around here since I was a child. Many of the shops from when I was little are long gone, and only these few remain."

And Shen Xing, following Shi Jingming inside, was also observing curiously. The customers in this billiard hall were mostly young people in their twenties. There were girls too, but they were all sitting on chairs to the side scrolling through their phones, probably accompanying their boyfriends to play.

"Jingming is here!"

At this moment, two boys playing billiards at Table 7 saw Shi Jingming and took the initiative to greet him. One of them directly picked up a billiard cue and tossed it to him: "Don't waste money opening a table. Let's play together."

Shi Jingming took the cue and looked at Shen Xing, explaining: "My friend. Why don't you watch me play a shot first?"

Shen Xing nodded, naturally took Shi Jingming's schoolbag, and walked to a chair to the side to sit down.

"Your classmate?"

"Yeah, from Shengang. Brought him out to have some fun."

"Then let's play together?"

"Let him watch a shot first. He doesn't know how to play."

Shi Jingming chatted casually with his friends, then walked to the table, bent over, stuck his butt out, and assumed a very professional posture. His hand, eyes, and cue formed a straight line, and then he struck cleanly. The "white ball" shot out, hitting the neatly arranged ball formation on the table, causing it to scatter in all directions.

Shen Xing knew nothing about billiards, but he was smart, and after watching silently for a while, he roughly figured out the rules and gameplay of billiards.

But it had to be said, Shi Jingming's technique was really bad!

After a game ended, Shi Jingming walked to Shen Xing's side and gestured with his chin: "Want to try?"

"I'll watch today. I'll try next time."

Using someone else's table to practice as a complete novice made him feel a bit bad.

"Anyway, I'm here to accompany you today. You should have your fill of fun," Shen Xing added.

Shi Jingming didn't force him either, just nodded: "Fine, then I'll play two more shots and then we'll leave?"

"Okay."

After watching for a while longer, Shen Xing understood that Shi Jingming belonged to the type who was bad at it but loved to play, which made his blood pressure rise a bit.

He got up and walked to the counter inside: "Hello, I want four cans of 'Arctic Ocean' soda."

He bought a few drinks and brought them back to share with Shi Jingming and his friends.

"Thanks!"

The two boys reached out happily to take them and thanked Shen Xing, while Shi Jingming whispered: "Drinks are expensive here. Don't buy them next time."

Shen Xing was about to say it was fine, but his peripheral vision suddenly caught something, and his entire expression froze noticeably.

"What's wrong?"

Shi Jingming was also stunned when he saw this, and turned his head to look in the direction of Shen Xing's gaze, but didn't find anything strange.

"What's up? What did you see?" Shi Jingming pressed.

Shen Xing didn't speak, but quickly took out his phone, pulled up the surveillance footage from the parking shed earlier, looked down at the surveillance screen, and then looked up at someone not far away.

Shi Jingming had been completely confused, but seeing Shen Xing's actions, he also understood: "Did you recognize him?"

Shen Xing frowned and said: "Not entirely sure."

The surveillance didn't capture a clear face, but one of the people's jackets was very conspicuous—a black and white color scheme with a large "skull" on the back. The person he was noticing right now was wearing the exact same style.

"Look at the clothes!" Shen Xing pointed it out to Shi Jingming.

Shi Jingming also saw at a glance that it was the same style: "It's possible. This place is also close to Second Middle School. Maybe it really is him."

"Jingming, what's up?"

At this moment, the two boys on the side saw that the two of them seemed to have something going on, and couldn't help but lean in to ask.

Shi Jingming didn't mention the specific matter, just asked one of them: "Huazi, do you know the guy in the 'skull' jacket at Table 4?"

Upon hearing this, Huazi looked up, and just one glance made him hurriedly withdraw his gaze. His expression was nervous as he said: "You mean Jin Dao?"

"Jin Dao?"

"Yeah, the one in the black and white jacket with a skull on the back. His name is Jin Dao. Do you have business with him?"

Shi Jingming looked over there again, but Huazi reached out and turned his face back: "Don't look. If he comes over in a while, let's not offend them."

"What's wrong? Is he a tough character?" Shi Jingming was puzzled.

He only came to this billiard hall to play occasionally when his hands were itchy, and basically left after playing a few shots, having no interaction with anyone else inside.

But Huazi and the others were different. They basically came every day and knew much more about the people and things here than he did.

Huazi lowered his voice and explained: "He's actually okay, but he hangs out with Brother Kai. You'd better not provoke him."

Brother Kai?

Isn't the owner of this billiard hall called Brother Kai?

Shi Jingming knew this much.

Although he hadn't met Brother Kai, everyone who played billiards in this hall had heard the name. It was said that this billiard hall had been open for so many years without closing because Brother Kai had tough connections and ways, and no one dared to cause him trouble.

Although Shen Xing didn't know who Brother Kai was, he could hear that the other party wasn't simple.

"Xing, why don't you sneak out and call the police?" Shi Jingming suddenly said.

Shen Xing was stunned and shook his head hurriedly. Mainly, based on just a jacket of the same style, he couldn't confirm it was this person called Jin Dao. And now, not only was Shi Jingming here, but there were also two boys who had nothing to do with this matter. If he reported it to the police rashly at this time, he would definitely implicate others.

"It's not easy to report to the police, and this kind of person shouldn't be provoked easily. If the police come and find out it was a mistake, wouldn't that offend them?"

The boy on the side also nodded upon hearing this: "Your classmate is right. Really, don't cause trouble here, and definitely don't provoke Brother Kai's people!"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 294 =====