Chapter 135: Money Gang

The lead gang member looked at the fatty Ding Lao as if he were easy prey. His smile showed nothing but the superiority and malicious intent of a bully.

“Hey, fatty, you got my juice today?” the leader asked as he led his gang members, armed to the teeth, into the courtyard. One of them spat on the ground without any respect or restraint, as if they owned the place.

“Err…” Fatty Ding Lao was clearly shaken by the sight of the gang members. He retreated a few steps before the gang leader came over and wrapped an arm around Ding Lao’s neck as if they were friends.

“Seriously, fatty, if you have not prepared the money, or if you just do not want to pay, you already have a magic word. Just say that you will sell us this rotten house of yours, and we are even.” The gang leader said this while patting Ding Lao’s shoulder as if he were his best friend.

“So, what is it going to be? Have you prepared my juice for today? Or are you going to say the magic word? Either way is fine, and we will all be happy today. No, I will even pay for your fun trip to the Joyous Drunken Hall. Hahahaha!” the gang leader said as he repeatedly patted Ding Lao’s shoulder.

Ding Lao remained silent. He was clearly shaken and trembling. Today, he should have had enough money to pay the interest and send them away, but he never thought he would be so unlucky and fail to earn even a single coin.

This Money Gang had been the first group to contact him when he was expelled and returned home.

At that time, the leader of the Money Gang had come personally. They arrived and asked for his investment. Ding Lao, who was only at the Foundation Establishment realm, was afraid of the Money Gang leader, who was at the half step Nascent Soul realm.

He gave them some of his wealth as an investment. After a few months, they returned and told him that the investment project funded by his money had caused the Money Gang to suffer massive losses, and they demanded compensation from him.

Fatty Ding did not pay that time. As a result, they trashed his ancestral home. That was the reason his ancestral estate was so dilapidated and damaged everywhere. They also killed some of his servants. Fatty Ding had no choice but to pay them in order to protect the remaining servants.

The Money Gang took the money, but Ding Lao’s benevolence was repaid with betrayal. His remaining servants ran away with part of his wealth, leaving him completely alone.

After that, it became a constant struggle as he tried to escape this situation, only to sink further and further until today.

“Can… can you give me a day? I promise, tomorrow I will…”

Slap!

A sharp slap struck Fatty Ding Lao’s face. The gang leader who hit him had the same cultivation level as Ding Lao, but his cultivation focused on pill concoction and fire control. His combat prowess was far lower than that of others in the same realm.

Ding Lao’s head snapped to the side from the force. Blood flowed from his nose and mouth. The slap stung and humiliated him.

“What the f*ck did you say? Huh? You pig!?” the gang leader snarled as he grabbed Ding Lao by the collar.

“Why do you not have the money? Do you think we run a charity?” the gang leader shouted directly into Ding Lao’s face.

At that moment, a carefree voice drew the attention of the gang members.

“Damn… what kind of toothpaste are you using, man? It smells like sh*t.”

It was Wei Chen. He stood nearby, casually waving a hand in front of his nose as if trying to disperse the smell.

“Courting death!” The gang members brandished their weapons and aggressively rushed at Wei Chen.

“Damn… my boss sure is quite popular.” Wei Chen casually quipped before sending out a series of relaxed slaps.

Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap!

The rapid slaps knocked the charging gang members to the ground. Each of them had bloodied mouths, and some even had their teeth knocked out.

“You! Do you know who we are!?” The gang leader released Ding Lao’s collar and tried to threaten Wei Chen.

“Why? Did your brain suddenly become stupid?” Wei Chen asked with a smirk.

“You… you!” The gang leader did not know how to respond, as Wei Chen clearly had a higher level of cultivation than them.

Wei Chen did not wait for the gang leader to think of a reply. He turned to Ding Lao, who was still stunned, then looked back at the gang leader and asked calmly.

“I listened to you earlier. How much does this guy owe you?”

“Huh?” The gang leader was confused.

“Look…” Wei Chen began to explain. “This guy owes you money, right? But I want him to work for me, so I decided to buy his debt. Tell me, how much does he owe you?”

“You… you want to buy this fatty’s debt?” The gang leader was stunned.

Hearing this, Ding Lao’s eyes filled with hope. He did not know what this man wanted him to work on, but it had to be better than living like this. On top of that, the man seemed casual and sincere, so Ding Lao decided to gamble his life on it.

However, to the gang leader, the situation was extremely awkward and very risky.

Usually, if there was an idiot willing to buy a debtor’s debt, the money gang would gladly sell it at a premium. They were a business, after all, and they preferred a lump sum of cash rather than continuing to squeeze an old target. With more money in hand, they could simply move on to the next victim.

But Ding Lao’s case was far more complicated.

The higher ups wanted Ding Lao’s ancestral home intact and obtained through legal means. Most importantly, Ding Lao had to hand over his ancestral home willingly and through proper procedures.

This had been emphasized clearly by the higher ups. Money was not the problem. What they truly wanted was not money at all.

Still, as a small fry with only Core Formation cultivation, could he resist and openly say that they wanted Ding Lao’s ancestral home?

Even if they were stupid, they were not brain dead. They still knew how to preserve their lives.

“Err…” The gang leader hesitated. He could not disobey the higher ups, but he also could not offend this expert. In the end, he blurted out a randomly high number.

“One million!” The gang leader spoke the figure. It was wildly exaggerated. At most, Ding Lao owed them no more than one hundred thousand.

“You!” Ding Lao suddenly became furious. “I only borrowed no more than one thousand from you! I even gave all my wealth to you as collateral! How did it suddenly become one million spirit stones?”

“Shut up, pig! The interest rate spiked this morning, and this is the number the higher ups gave me! If you do not believe it, go ask the higher ups in my gang!” the gang leader said shamelessly.

Wei Chen scratched his head. He knew the number was complete nonsense.

But still….

Since the man had spoken that number, Wei Chen could use it to his advantage. He would make sure this man and his gang spit out everything back, with interest….

“Are you sure it is one million spirit stones?” Wei Chen asked again. This was the last chance he would give the man to retract his lie. If not, then they would suffer the consequences.

“Yes! I am sure! What? Are you scared? If so…” Before the gang leader could finish his sentence, Wei Chen took out a money exchange note and wrote down the amount before handing it over.

“Here it is. Do not forget to bring all of this man’s promissory notes to the exchange shop. Give them to the manager there, and he will handle it for me,” Wei Chen said with a smile.

“Wh… what?” The gang leader was stunned. He stared at the money exchange note in his hand, his eyes widening when he saw the name printed on it.

Thousand Treasure Pavilion.

It was the money exchange shop of the Thousand Treasure Pavilion, the overlord of this city. Who was this man? Why did he have a money exchange note from the Thousand Treasure Pavilion?

Even though the gang leader was not very smart, he knew that every customer of the Thousand Treasure Pavilion’s exchange was a respected figure.

The gang leader had no choice but to take the note.

“Now, all of you can f*ck off,” Wei Chen said as he waved his hand, shooing the money gang away.

The gang members quickly scrambled to their feet, helping each other up before fleeing with the money exchange note.

Unknown to anyone except Wei Chen, the entire conversation had been recorded by his broadcasting orb, just in case.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep