Although Mad Dog didn’t dare to cause trouble for Liu Yutong, his boss was keeping a close eye on him, so he had no choice but to send a few underlings to monitor her movements. At the very least, he had to put on a show to give his boss an explanation.
In fact, Mad Dog was already secretly planning to grab his money and run. Why had the boss sent his most trusted bodyguard, Ji Yu, to watch over him? It was obvious—the boss no longer trusted him, or worse, was already dissatisfied.
Mad Dog knew all too well that he was privy to too many of the boss’s secrets.
Most critically, he had spilled quite a few of those secrets to that woman, Liu Yutong.
If the boss ever found out, wouldn’t he just dump him in the river without a second thought?
Mad Dog stole a glance at Ji Yu, who sat across from him.
The massive brute was hunched over his eighth bowl of beef noodles—no scallions, as always.
For the past few days, this guy had stuck to him like a shadow, never leaving his side for even a second.
Wherever Mad Dog went, Ji Yu followed, even standing guard outside the bathroom door.
There was no way around it—Ji Yu was a single-minded, stubborn ox. If the boss told him to keep watch, he’d do it to the letter, leaving no room for escape.
Mad Dog lowered his head and slurped a few mouthfuls of noodles, thinking, I need to find a way to shake him off, or I won’t even get a chance to run.
Just then, the door of the noodle shop was flung open, and a group of thugs swaggered in.
The moment they entered, they started shouting.
"Out! Out! Everyone out! Can’t you see Sixth Brother’s here? Still eating?"
"Pay up—hand the money straight to me!"
"Hurry up, don’t drag your feet!"
"......"
The customers, frightened by the commotion, quickly got up and left, abandoning their half-eaten meals.
The owner stood behind the counter, seething but not daring to speak up.
In no time, the shop was empty—except for Mad Dog and Ji Yu, who remained in their corner, leisurely finishing their noodles.
When the thugs noticed two men still sitting there, they stormed over aggressively.
One of the lackeys planted his foot on a nearby chair and jabbed a finger at Mad Dog. "You deaf or what? We told you to scram! Don’t you know Sixth Brother’s here?"
Mad Dog slowly set down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth, and only then turned his head to look back. "Well, well, if it isn’t Old Six? Been a while. You’ve really leveled up—your little underlings dare to bark at me now?"
Zhang Laoliu, who had been standing by the door, froze when he recognized Mad Dog. He hurried over and smacked the lackey upside the head. "You blind or what? This is Mad Dog!"
Turning to Mad Dog, he forced an apologetic smile. "Mad Dog, my bad. This idiot’s got no eyes. Dinner’s on me today—don’t take it to heart."
Mad Dog leaned back in his chair, sizing up Zhang Laoliu. "Old Six, you’re doing well for yourself these days. Rolling with a whole crew now?"
Zhang Laoliu chuckled awkwardly. "Ah, Mad Dog, you flatter me. Just some brothers showing respect. If you ever need anything, just say the word—I’ll make sure it’s handled."
Mad Dog felt a little mollified by Zhang Laoliu’s words, but a pang of bitterness crept in.
Back in the day, in Wushui County, who wouldn’t address him with deference—aside from his boss?
Even the big shots behind Zhang Laoliu had to show him some face.
But now?
Not only had some woman cracked his skull, but he didn’t even dare to retaliate, skulking around like a coward.
And now he was reduced to planning an escape.
How the mighty had fallen.
"Anyway, Old Six, what brings you here?"
Zhang Laoliu pointed at the visibly terrified couple behind the kitchen counter and grinned. "Just collecting dues."
Mad Dog raised an eyebrow. "Old Six, didn’t take you for the type. Business must be booming if you’re squeezing even these flyspeck joints."
Zhang Laoliu caught the sarcasm.
In their line of work, small noodle shops were usually left alone—protection money was typically extracted from places like internet cafés, KTVs, or underground gambling dens.
"Mad Dog, don’t laugh at me. The owners here owe us, so we just come by now and then to collect a little something."
"Not like you, Mad Dog—always handling the big deals."
Just then, Zhang Laoliu noticed Ji Yu sitting across the table.
Ji Yu had been silently devouring his food like a beast, not leaving a single drop of broth in his bowl.
Zhang Laoliu couldn’t help but ask, "And this is...?"
Mad Dog replied casually, "My boss’s personal bodyguard, Ji Yu. He’s with me now."
Zhang Laoliu’s face lit up with exaggerated respect, and he extended a hand. "Brother Ji! Heard so much about you!"
Ji Yu ignored him, simply pointing at his empty bowl.
Zhang Laoliu blinked, then quickly shouted toward the kitchen, "Boss! Another bowl of beef noodles for Brother Ji—no scallions!"
He wasn’t completely clueless—he’d noticed the absence of scallions in Ji Yu’s previous bowls.
The owner nervously brought out a steaming bowl and placed it carefully in front of Ji Yu, who immediately dug in without ceremony.
Zhang Laoliu stole a few more glances at Ji Yu, growing more uneasy the longer he looked.
The man was enormous—even sitting, he was nearly as tall as Zhang Laoliu standing.
And that vicious scar across his forehead, paired with his brutish face, made him look like a beast ready to pounce at any moment.
Zhang Laoliu swallowed hard, hesitating before finally speaking.
Mad Dog shot him a look. "Spit it out. Don’t just sit there squirming."
Zhang Laoliu rubbed his hands together. "Well, Mad Dog, about that southside development project... any chance you could throw me a bone?"
Under normal circumstances, Zhang Laoliu wouldn’t have dared ask Mad Dog for favors.
But seeing Ji Yu with him changed everything—he even lowered his posture further.
If Niu Ben’s personal bodyguard was assigned to Mad Dog, what did that mean?
It meant Mad Dog had Niu Ben’s full trust!
The southside development was a project many in the county coveted, but no one dared challenge Niu Ben for it.
Now that he’d run into Mad Dog, Zhang Laoliu saw an opportunity—maybe he could get a cut.
"Mad Dog, don’t worry—I know the rules. You’ll get your share, no question."
Mad Dog’s interest was piqued.
He was short on cash for his escape. If he could squeeze some money out of this, he’d have no worries starting fresh elsewhere.
"How much are we talking?"
Seeing his opening, Zhang Laoliu held up two fingers.
"This much. What do you think?"
"Two thousand? You trying to insult me?"
"No, no, Mad Dog, you misunderstood."
"Twenty thousand?"
Zhang Laoliu shook his head and lowered his voice. "Two hundred thousand."
Mad Dog was visibly surprised. "Didn’t expect that—you’ve got some deep pockets, huh?"
Zhang Laoliu waved his hand dismissively. "Me? Nah, I’m broke. But my boss isn’t. That huge plot of land in the south of the city needs development, and I doubt Niu Ben can handle all the demolition work alone. Hope you can put in a good word for us with him, Mad Dog. Just give us a shot at the scraps."
Mad Dog didn’t reply immediately, lowering his head in thought.
In the circles of Wushui County, Niu Ben was infamous for his ruthlessness. Any business he set his sights on, no one else dared touch. Only what he didn’t want—or couldn’t handle—was left for others to fight over.
Over the years, plenty of stubborn folks had tried to muscle in on Niu Ben’s turf, and none had walked away unscathed.
Take that one moderately successful businessman, for example. He’d tried opening a nightclub, only for it to get smashed to pieces on opening night. The guy fled Wushui County before dawn and never looked back.
To this day, Niu Ben’s nightclub remained the only one in town.
But the southside development was inevitable—even schools and government offices, like No. 2 High School and the police station, were slated to relocate there.
The demolition alone would cover over a dozen villages.
With a little underhandedness, skimming off the compensation payouts could line pockets deep.
