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Chapter 2575 The Big Yellow Cat

Su Ji Restaurant is becoming increasingly popular, with a constant stream of customers from morning till night.

There are long queues at the entrance during mealtimes, and there are always people even when it's not mealtime.

Overwhelmed with work, Suning and Yang Maixiang hired two more pretty waitresses and a kitchen helper.

Suning's culinary expertise combined with the high efficiency of pre-made meals results in a table turnover rate that is significantly higher than other restaurants.

The daily turnover was a good one or two thousand yuan, which made the surrounding small restaurants extremely envious. After all, this was the 1980s when the reform and opening up had just begun.

But as much as people envy, most just grumble behind their backs. After all, everyone in business relies on their own abilities, so who can you blame if your food is bad?

Some unconvinced industry peers went to Su Ji Xiao Guan to try it themselves and were indeed deeply impressed by Suning's culinary skills.

But there are a few people who don't think that way.

Big Yellow Cat has been in this area for several years, employing seven or eight thugs and making a living by collecting protection money.

He was a big, burly man with a face full of flesh and a scar on his left cheek that stretched from the corner of his eye to the corner of his mouth, making him look frightening.

His younger brother, Little Yellow Cat, was thinner than him, but more sinister. When he smiled, his eyes narrowed into slits, like a venomous snake.

These two brothers have been running rampant in the south of the city for years. No shopkeeper or street vendor is afraid of them.

You have to pay protection money every month. If you pay, you'll be safe. If you don't, they'll smash your shop. You won't dare call the police after they've done it. Even if you do, it won't do any good. They have connections inside. They'll only be locked up for a few days and then come out to retaliate tenfold.

It's no surprise that the big yellow cat has been eyeing Su's Restaurant for quite some time now, since Su's Restaurant is making a fortune these days.

The two big yellow cat brothers, who were wandering around the neighborhood, watched as this little restaurant became more and more popular, and they felt itchy inside, like a cat was scratching at them.

……

That afternoon, there were fewer customers in the restaurant, with only three or four tables occupied.

Big Yellow Cat, accompanied by Little Yellow Cat and five or six thugs, swaggered in through the door.

Yang Maixiang was doing accounts behind the counter when she looked up and saw this group of people, and her heart skipped a beat.

She grew up on this street, how could she not recognize the big yellow cat?

He quickly put down his pen, stood up, and said with a smile that was now a little stiff, "How many of you are having dinner? Please sit here."

The big yellow cat ignored her, plopped down on the table by the door, put its feet up on the chair next to it, took out a cigarette from its pocket, lit it, took a drag, and exhaled a smoke ring.

The little yellow cat stood beside him, twirling a switchblade in its hand, the blade flashing.

The thugs dispersed, some leaning against the counter, some blocking the doorway, and some sitting at other tables, scaring the customers into quickly paying their bills and leaving.

Hearing the commotion, Su Ning came out of the kitchen and looked at the group with an unfriendly expression.

He glanced at the group of people, then at Yang Maixiang. Yang Maixiang gave him a wink, signaling him not to act rashly.

Ignoring the look, Su Ning walked up to the big yellow cat and asked, "What can I do for you? If you're eating, please order; if not, please leave. Don't delay our business."

The big yellow cat raised its head, looked Suning up and down, and then smiled.

But his smile was unsightly; the scars on his face were twisted together, like a centipede crawling. "You're the owner of this shop? I heard your business is doing well! You must make a lot of money each month?"

He stubbed out his cigarette on the table, leaving a black mark. "Brother, this area is under my protection. You've been open for so long and haven't paid your protection money. Have you forgotten? Or do you not understand the rules of the underworld?"

“…” Su Ning looked at him coldly, but did not say anything.

The big yellow cat thought Su Ning was scared, so it patted him on the shoulder and continued, "I won't ask for much, just two hundred yuan a month. Your business is so good, two hundred yuan is nothing to you. If you pay, I'll guarantee you'll be safe and sound. If you don't pay, I can't guarantee whether your shop will be able to stay open."

Su Ning gently removed the big yellow cat's hand from his shoulder, but the big yellow cat felt as if his wrist was being clamped by an iron clamp, causing him to wince in pain.

"Protection money? Who gave you permission to collect it? The neighborhood committee? Or the police station?" Su Ning's voice suddenly turned cold and sharp. "I operate legally and pay taxes according to regulations. I don't need your protection. Go do what you're supposed to do and don't get in my way."

The big yellow cat's face immediately darkened.

The switchblade in the little yellow cat's hand snapped open, its tip gleaming coldly under the light.

The thugs surrounded Su Ning, some carrying sticks, others empty-handed but with their sleeves rolled up.

"You're asking for it, aren't you?" Big Yellow Cat stood up. He was half a head shorter than Su Ning, but he wasn't intimidated at all because he outnumbered Su Ning. "I'm telling you right now, either pay up or close down. You choose."

Suning laughed, never expecting to encounter such an idiot.

The big yellow cat thought he had given in and was about to speak when Su Ning made his move.

No one saw clearly how Suning moved.

Su Ning flashed to the big yellow cat, grabbed the cat's collar with his left hand and pulled it forward, then slammed his right fist into the cat's stomach.

The big yellow cat felt like its internal organs had shifted, and the acid in its stomach was churning up. It opened its mouth and vomited all over the ground.

Su Ning gave him no chance to catch his breath, kneeing him directly in the face. His nose broke with a crack, and blood spurted out, splattering on the table and the floor, a glaring red.

The little yellow cat stabbed from the side with a switchblade, fast and ruthless, aiming straight for Suning's weak spot.

Without even turning his head, Su Ning grabbed the little yellow cat's wrist with his right hand, twisted it, and the little yellow cat screamed as the switchblade fell to the ground and the wrist was dislocated at an odd angle.

Suning gave it a push, and the little yellow cat crashed into the wall, its head hitting a brick. Its vision went black, and it slid down limply.

The remaining thugs were terrified, holding their sticks and not daring to move. They looked at each other, none of them daring to make the first move.

Su Ning didn't give them any time to hesitate. He took a step forward and used his fists and feet to strike. With a few loud bangs, five or six thugs were lying on the ground.

Some were clutching their stomachs, some were hugging their legs, and some were covering their faces, crying and screaming. They knocked over several chairs in the shop, tilted the tables, and smashed dishes all over the floor.

Yang Maixiang stood behind the counter, already holding the phone.

Seeing that Su Ning had the upper hand, she didn't dial the number immediately. Only after Su Ning nodded to her did she dial the police station's number.

The big yellow cat lay on the ground, its face covered in blood. Its nose was broken, its lips were torn, and one of its front teeth was missing, which it vomited up mixed with the blood.

The big yellow cat struggled to get up, tried to stand up but couldn't, and lay down again.

He raised his head fiercely, staring at Su Ning with his eyes swollen shut, muttering something incoherently.

Su Ning walked up to him, squatted down, and looked at his face.

Suddenly, I remembered the things that the big yellow cat did in the original drama, how He Wenyuan was abused by him, how He Wentao went to prison for killing him, and how He Wenhui was accidentally injured and died in the hospital while trying to stop him.

Those things haven't happened yet, and they won't happen in the future, because He Wenhui went to study in Beijing, He Wenyuan is still young, and He Wentao isn't old enough to be impulsive.

But looking at the big yellow cat's face, Su Ning still couldn't suppress the anger in her heart.

This kind of person will never know fear unless he is given a severe lesson.

Suning stood up, raised his right foot, stepped on the big yellow cat's left calf, and twisted it hard.

With a snap, the bone broke, the sound particularly crisp in the quiet shop, like a dry twig breaking.

"Ah..." The big yellow cat let out a scream like a pig being slaughtered.

He bounced up and then fell back down, writhing in pain, his clothes soaked with cold sweat, and his face as white as paper.

"This leg is a lesson for you." Su Ning's voice wasn't loud, but every word was as cold as ice. "If I ever see you on this street again, you'll lose your other leg too. Get lost."

The little yellow cat stood up, leaning against the wall, its wrist still twisted, and it hissed in pain. The little yellow cat quickly called to the thugs to lift the big yellow cat up, and they limped away.

The big yellow cat was in so much pain that it couldn't speak, only making whimpering noises, like a pig that had been half-slaughtered.

Where they walked, a trail of blood was left on the ground, red and shocking.

Yang Maixiang hung up the phone, walked over, and frowned as she looked at the blood and broken dishes on the ground.

She didn't say anything, but went to the back to get a mop and started mopping the floor.

Suning took the mop and told her to go and greet the onlookers outside.

A crowd had already gathered at the entrance, including nearby shopkeepers, passersby, and residents from upstairs, all peeking out.

Yang Maixiang walked out, stood at the door, and said to the onlookers, "It's alright, everyone can go now. We'll be open as usual tomorrow, so everyone can eat and drink as usual."

People started clapping, not just one or two, but several.

An old man selling fruit at a stall gave Su Ning a thumbs up, "Boss Su, well done! These bastards have been taking my protection money for two years, and nobody dared to do anything about it. Today you've stood up for us, good job!"

Several people nearby chimed in, each contributing their own words, listing all the bad things the big yellow cat had done over the years.

Suning didn't say anything and turned back into the store.

……

The police arrived a while later; there were two officers, one older and one younger.

They looked around the store, asked Suning a few questions, asked Yang Maixiang a few questions, and also asked several nearby merchants.

Everyone said the same thing: Big Yellow Cat brought people to collect protection money, started the fight, and the boss defended himself and chased them away.

The older police officer glanced at Su Ning, his eyes holding something different—not suspicion, but admiration.

After all, he had been a police officer in this area for over a decade, and he knew better than anyone what kind of person Big Yellow Cat was.

I've always wanted to take down Big Yellow Cat's gang, but I lack the evidence and witnesses are afraid to testify, so I can't do anything about it.

Today is good; finally, someone has taught the big yellow cat a lesson.

"Mr. Su, if you encounter something like this again, call the police first. Don't take matters into your own hands. It's hard to say what might happen if something goes wrong." The police officer said this politely, closed his notebook, and left.

Su Ning knew that the police officer was just going through the motions and wouldn't take it seriously.

In this day and age, there aren't so many trivial matters about excessive self-defense. If bad guys come knocking on your door, it's only right and proper for you to kick them out.

If you don't fight back and get injured or maimed, that's your own fault, and no one will stand up for you.

This is the 1980s, not the world I lived in before.

Some obvious truths haven't been distorted beyond recognition by those people.

However, a kind person is often bullied, and a good horse is often ridden.

The more you give in, the more people will think you're easy to bully.

You have to hurt the other person so badly before they'll know fear.

……

Soon, Yang Maixiang mopped the floor clean, straightened the tables and chairs, and swept away the broken dishes.

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he looked at Su Ning and asked, "Are you alright?"

Su Ning shook his head. "It's nothing. A few thugs aren't even enough to warm me up."

Yang Maixiang didn't ask any more questions. She went to the kitchen, poured him a glass of water, and handed it to him.

Suning took it, took a sip, and found the water to be lukewarm, neither too hot nor too cold.

Looking at Yang Maixiang, there was no fear on her face, just a bit tired, and there was sweat on her forehead.

This woman was more assertive than he had imagined.

Anyone else would have screamed in terror at the sight of this, but Yang Maixiang didn't. She immediately called the police, and after making the call, she came over to help without saying a single unnecessary word.

“Maixiang, aren’t you afraid?” Su Ning asked.

Yang Maixiang glanced at him and said, "What's the use of being afraid? You're fighting seven or eight people by yourself. The only thing I can do to help you is call the police. There's nothing else I can do."

She paused, then added, "Besides, I know you can beat them. You never do anything you're not sure you can handle."

Su Ning smiled, put the cup on the table, and took her hand. "No one will come to collect protection money anymore. Big Yellow Cat broke his leg and won't be able to get out of bed for six months. By the time he recovers, this area will be completely different."

Yang Maixiang nodded without saying anything.

I know Suning is right, this area is about to change.

It wasn't because the big yellow cat was crippled, it was because Suning was there.

Wherever this person goes, the place becomes different.

……

At this time, Liu Hongchang also returned to Nanjing from Beijing for winter vacation.

Upon hearing from his brother Liu Yunchang that the big yellow cat had caused trouble at Suning and Yang Maixiang's shops, he immediately rushed to Su Ji Xiao Guan to help Suning.

When they arrived at Su's Restaurant, they learned that Big Yellow Cat and the others had been chased away. "Su Ning, are you and Mai Xiang alright?"

"It's nothing! Just a few petty thugs."

"sharp."

"Since we can't be open for business today, let's sit down and have a drink."

"Okay! I was just thinking of having a seat with you."

Soon, Su Ning went into the kitchen and cooked a few of her signature dishes. Then she took out a bottle of Yanghe beer and poured it for Liu Hongchang. "Hongchang, how was your cooking at the Peking University cafeteria?"

With a complicated expression, Liu Hongchang picked up his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp. "It's pretty good! All the canteens in the world are pretty much the same, and the students at Peking University are easy to serve."

"What about He Wenhui? Is there any progress in your relationship with her?"

"Huh? Don't talk nonsense! She has a boyfriend, it's that Li Jianbin."

"Then why are you still acting like a simp?"

"I……"

“Hongchang, listen to my advice, you and He Wenhui are not on the same path at all, there is absolutely no way you two can be together.”

"I know! I'm just a little unwilling to accept it."

"Alright! Let's drink."

...(End of this chapter)