128: Chapter 128 Alcohol emboldens the timid
During this time, Chen Hao asked Zhang Menglu to eat something, but Zhang Menglu was so stunned by Chen Hao's dominance that she didn't dare to touch her chopsticks the entire time.
It really couldn't be blamed on Zhang Menglu for having poor psychological fortitude.
She only knew that Chen Hao was knowledgeable, a top-tier salesman whose sales skills were evident to all, and that he knew many people, from high officials and nobles to common laborers; Chen Hao seemed to have connections everywhere.
But the situation today—Chen Hao displaying immense power, achieving the feat of one against ten—was truly too shocking.
No wonder Chen Hao was so confident; with such ability, he was comparable to a reincarnation of Sun Wukong, daring to charge not just the Hongmen Banquet, but even Hell itself.
Because this was the first time she had met such a Chen Hao, Zhang Menglu became hesitant to act presumptuously, not even daring to move her chopsticks while sitting next to him.
Just like that, Chen Hao ate and drank to his heart's content. About 30 minutes later, someone knocked on the door, and then more than ten people flooded into the private room.
Lawyer Cobra, leading three injured men, with Boss Jiang and a group of his subordinates following behind, were all stunned when they entered and saw the scene.
Cobra's mind didn't process things immediately, and he committed a blunder right when he opened his mouth.
"Boss Jiang, how did it turn out like this? Do you need me to call the police?"
This infuriated Jiang Tao. Call the police? It was like a scholar arguing with a soldier—reasoning was useless. Moreover, this person held his leverage over him. If the police were called, never mind what responsibility Chen Hao might bear, he himself was looking at a minimum of ten years.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, and he cursed at Cobra.
"Call the police my ass! All of you get in here and stay put, waiting for Boss Chen's orders!"
Jiang Dazhi finally snapped out of his shock and glared fiercely at Chen Hao.
"You're asking to die!"
He rushed forward, ready to fight. Who knew that his usually effective imposing aura failed completely in front of Chen Hao today? Not only was it useless, but he was also kicked flying by Chen Hao in a single move.
When his back hit the wall, he felt several ribs break and found it hard to even crawl up.
Seeing this, Jiang Tao quickly tried to smooth things over. He had witnessed firsthand how Chen Hao fought one against ten; he was truly a demon-slayer, using only one move to strike down anyone who dared to resist.
"Everyone stand up straight! If anyone moves again, don't blame me for not warning you!"
The other shareholders also chimed in, urging their subordinates to behave.
Then, the atmosphere inside the private room became extremely strange.
People were sprawled on the floor in disarray, their fate uncertain.
The bosses, squatting against the wall, dared not utter a sound.
The remaining young thugs, who had just been called over, stood there awkwardly, looking utterly bewildered.
Chen Hao, who had been eating and drinking earlier, was now completely drunk. He beckoned, asking the three injured men to come over.
"You three, come here."
The three looked at each other, and finally, under the inexplicable atmosphere, they cautiously walked up to Chen Hao.
"It was you three who tried to take liberties with my woman while collecting the debt?"
The three tilted their heads slightly, looking at Zhang Menglu, who stood silently behind Chen Hao, clearly terrified.
"What about it? If you can't kill me today, I'll kill you!"
"Pfft!"
As soon as the words fell, Chen Hao impaled the hand of the man who spoke with a chopstick. Due to inertia, the chopstick plunged further into the table. The man's mouth gaped in pain, but he couldn't make a sound.
This scene terrified everyone else.
No one saw how Chen Hao moved. In the blink of an eye, after a sound, the man's hand was pinned to the table by a chopstick.
Was this speed even achievable by a human being!
Chen Hao staggered to his feet and patted the thug, whose face was pale and who was nearly fainting from the pain.
"Collecting a debt is one thing, but daring to be so brazenly lustful!"
With a 'crack,' the man knelt down clutching his arm. His hand was still pinned to the table, but his entire arm was bent at a bizarre angle.
"Oh my god!"
The bosses, the later arriving subordinates, including Lawyer Cobra—everyone was terrified to the core, breaking out in cold sweat, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.
Chen Hao then looked at the other two injured thugs.
"My brother-in-law is..."
He still wanted to mention his relative to Chen Hao, never imagining that his brother-in-law was currently kneeling in terror.
Unsurprisingly, Chen Hao kicked him, sending him flying backward. He slammed into the wall with a 'bang.' When he landed, the wall showed spiderweb-like cracks.
The wall itself was shattered, indicating the terrifying force of that kick.
Chen Hao then looked at the third thug. Without a word, the man immediately knelt down, repeatedly kowtowing and begging for mercy.
"I'm sorry, it was all my fault. Please be magnanimous and forgive me. I will never dare to do it again!"
Chen Hao still retained a shred of reason; as long as they admitted their mistake, he wouldn't wipe them out completely.
Just fueled by the numbing effect of alcohol, he arrogantly patted the thug's face.
"Why are you kowtowing to me? Go kowtow to my girlfriend!"
"Yes, yes, yes."
The thug was terrified. He crawled forward on his knees to Zhang Menglu, repeatedly kowtowing, admitting fault, and begging for mercy.
"Grandma, it was my fault. I was possessed. Please be magnanimous and spare me!"
Faced with this situation, Zhang Menglu no longer knew what to do and could only look to Chen Hao.
At this moment, Chen Hao's eyes were hazy, clearly a bit drunk. He gestured around the room loudly.
"You group of bastards! You still have the nerve to call yourselves underworld bosses? Nonsense! You are all parasites on society, scoundrels who are beyond saving!"
"And you engage in loan sharking, doing business that harms heaven and reason. Aren't you afraid of not having sons when you have children!"
Chen Hao spoke wildly, cursing everyone present.
His language was foul, his national essence (profanity) running wild; the insults were unbearably harsh.
Not a single person dared to retort.
Jiang Tao finally understood today: this Brother Chen was truly a ruthless man whom he absolutely could not defeat.
So, in order to stay alive, he could only choose self-preservation by resorting to this tactic.
While Chen Hao was ranting, he pleaded for mercy.
"Boss Chen, I plan to retire from this life of crime. I beg you to show mercy and leave me a way to live."
Chen Hao swayed as he sat next to Jiang Tao, spewing drunken nonsense and giving Jiang Tao a thorough lesson.
"You think you can wipe the slate clean just by retiring? I have recorded all your crimes, one by one."
"If you want to live the rest of your life in peace, starting tomorrow, you must perform one good deed daily. Otherwise, even if I don't report you, the law won't spare you..."
Chen Hao, under the guise of being drunk, laid out all his righteous arguments.
The bosses had never seen anyone like Chen Hao—skilled in both letters and martial arts, unparalleled in fighting, and especially terrifying when he threw a drunken fit.
They repeatedly agreed to Chen Hao's terms, promising to turn over a new leaf and be good people from now on.
Around 4 PM, after Chen Hao had painstakingly 'reformed' the bosses with 'love,' he left the private room with Zhang Menglu supporting him. Because Chen Hao was drunk, they booked a room in a nearby five-star hotel.
After sending Chen Hao into the room, he immediately passed out.
It wasn't until dawn the next day that the piercing alarm clock woke Chen Hao up, and he groggily opened his eyes.
Zhang Menglu hadn't slept all night, taking care of Chen Hao.
Chen Hao had some memory gaps; he only remembered what happened before the three thugs arrived yesterday. He remembered nothing of what happened afterward.
Zhang Menglu recounted the events for him, saying that Jiang Tao's group had all promised Chen Hao they would turn over a new leaf and never do anything harmful again.
Chen Hao asked while washing his face.
"Why were they so obedient?"
Zhang Menglu was speechless.
"What did you say yesterday? Do you still have any recollection?"