Eternal madness

Chapter 51 We'll Set Off Tonight
When Zhang Laifu returned to the old lamp shop, Yang Laoliang felt a chill run down his spine upon seeing Zhang Laifu for the first time, and sat down at the door, unable to get up.

"Shopkeeper, why are you sitting here?" Zhang Laifu stepped forward and helped Yang Laoliang up. Yang Laoliang wanted to talk to Zhang Laifu, but his mouth was open and no sound came out.

Zhang Laifu asked, "Shopkeeper, I left in a hurry and didn't have time to buy you anything. What did you want me to buy? I'll go to the market and buy it for you now."

"I, I, I dare not..." Old Yang kept shaking his head.

"If you don't need anything, I'll go back to my room and rest."

Zhang Laifu went back to his room and had only been lying down for a short while when Yang Laoliang came looking for him.

"Laifu, I need to discuss something with you. My shop is too small. You won't make much money here. You should find another job."

"Shopkeeper, I'm not here to make money, I'm here to learn a trade!"

“I’ve taught you everything I can. I’m not a craftsman either; I’ve just gained some experience from doing business over the years. Now I’m giving you all my best skills, so you won’t learn anything from me.”

“If you can’t learn from you, there’s Master Wang! You can learn a lot of good things from him.”

"Master Wang already gave you all the benefits..."

"What's up with him?"

“He’s quite good…” Old Yang hesitated, then continued, “Laifu, name your price, and I’ll pay to send you away, okay?”

Zhang Laifu shook his head: "I'm not leaving. You were the one who said that once I've mastered the skill, we'll go into business together. If I try anything funny, you'll leave me starving in Heishakou."

"If you let me go now, but then retaliate against me, who am I supposed to complain to? I can't just give up my job."

"I was just kidding. How could I possibly take your job? Listen to me, you should just leave."

No matter how much Yang Laoliang tried to persuade him, Zhang Laifu just wouldn't agree.

Yang Laoliang returned to his room, stopped applying perfume and burning incense, and lay on the bed sighing deeply.

"Silly boy, I'm telling you to leave for your own good, why won't you listen to advice?"

At 11 p.m., just as the shop was closing, someone knocked on the door.

Xiao Chu opened the door and saw a man walking in, chewing on sugarcane.

"You, you're going to..." Xiao Chu was so frightened that her face turned pale.

"Could you please lead the way? I'm looking for your manager." Shao Tiangan spat the sugarcane residue onto the ground.

Xiao Chu brought Shao Tiangan to Yang Laoliang's room. Yang Laoliang had anticipated Shao Tiangan's arrival. Although he was scared, he still managed to speak calmly: "You're here to see Lao Wang, right?"

"If I could find Old Wang, why would I be looking for you? Tell me the truth, has something happened to Old Wang?"

Yang Laoliang shook his head: "I haven't seen Lao Wang all day. I don't know what happened to him."

"You don't know? Does that guy named Zhang Laifu know?"

Yang Laoliang shook his head slightly: "Zhang Laifu is no longer my apprentice, and I don't know where he went."

Shao Tiangan walked over and patted Yang Laoliang's head: "Old Wang cherishes your shop, and there are some things he doesn't want to do in your shop."

But now that Old Wang is in trouble, I don't have so many scruples. If I want to take action, I don't care where I am."

Sweat streamed down Yang Laoliang's bald head. After hesitating for a long time, he didn't speak, but stretched out his right hand and pointed towards Zhang Laifu's residence.

Shao Tiangan understood Yang Laoliang's meaning and walked towards Zhang Laifu's house.

Old Liang muttered under his breath, "Laifu, don't blame me. I told you to leave, but you wouldn't."

Shao Tiangan pushed open Zhang Laifu's door and suddenly shouted angrily, "You don't know what's good for you, do you?"

Lao Liang thought this was directed at Zhang Laifu, but Shao Tiangan walked up and grabbed him, saying, "There's nothing in that house. What do you want me to do there?"

"No way, Zhang Laifu has been in the room the whole time!" Lao Liang looked around the room for a while but didn't see Zhang Laifu. Shao Tiangan's eyes flashed coldly: "When did Zhang Laifu leave?"

Yang Laoliang shook his head: "I really don't know."

Shao Tiangan held the sugarcane stalk and kept staring at Lao Liang.

Old Liang was covered in sweat, but he didn't bow his head: "Old Shao, I really don't know what I don't know, and it's no use making things difficult for me."

There's something I'd like to ask you. Do you know why Old Wang didn't kill someone in my shop?
Do you know how much donation I give to the guild every month? If you try to cause trouble in my shop, do you think we paper lantern vendors will let you get away with it?

"Trying to scare me?" Shao Tiangan took a bite of sugarcane. "Since you brought up the gang, I'll tell them about this in a bit. Old Wang, the head master, is gone just like that. Let's see if they'll let you off the hook!"

After Shao Tiangan left, Lao Liang breathed a sigh of relief: "Where did that silly boy Zhang Laifu go? He didn't even say goodbye before leaving!"

The waiter, Xiao Chu, said from the side, "Boss, if he informs you, you'll know when he left. Once you know, Shao Tiangan will know too."

If Shao Tiangan finds out, he'll definitely chase after him. Nobody knows when he left, so it'll be difficult to catch him.

Yang Laoliang turned to look at Xiao Chu: "What do you mean by that?"

"What I mean is, Zhang Laifu isn't stupid."

Yang Laoliang sighed: "I just hope he can go far away and no one can find him anymore, then this matter will be over."

……

Lin Shao Cong, in his wheelchair, searched the old Lin family house several times, but could not find Zhang Laifu.

He had wanted to come to the old house for a long time, but these days the family was keeping a close watch on him, and he hadn't found an opportunity.

Zhang Laifu was someone who had gone through thick and thin with him, and he really hoped that Zhang Laifu would suddenly appear in some corner of the mansion.

The guard, He Shengjun, tried to persuade him for a long time: "Young master, stop looking. The kid is gone. You should come home with me right away. Song Yongchang is looking for you everywhere. He's been killing like crazy these past two days!"

This is not meant to scare Lin Shao Cong. Yesterday, Song Yongchang broke into the Lin family mansion and killed two guards.

In Heishakou, the Lin family and Hunlongzhai are the two largest forces. There have been some frictions between the two sides, but they have never broken off relations. Lin Shao Cong really can't understand what Lao Song wants to do.

He Shengjun sighed, "Old Song is like a madman. Now he's even admitting to the kidnapping. I really don't know what grudge he has against you?"

Lin Shao Cong looked at the dilapidated bricks and tiles of the old house: "When I came here last time, the gate of the ancestral hall was still in good condition, but now it has collapsed?"

"Let it collapse, it's collapsed. How many years has this house been neglected? In another two days, the walls will probably collapse too! Young master, let's go home quickly. This place is haunted, and I'm getting a little creeped out!"

"Go home?" Lin Shao Cong's expression was numb. "Do I still have a home? I disappeared, came back alive, and now this Song Yongchang thing has happened. Do you think my brother will let me go?"

He Shengjun also felt the situation was somewhat serious: "The eldest master is doing business in Lingluo City, and the fourth master owns land in Liuzhi Lane. While they are both away from home, why don't we go out and hide for a while?"

Lin Shao Cong thought for a moment: "Do you think we should take the waterway or the road?"

"Let's take the waterway. I'll have someone prepare a boat, and we'll set off tomorrow."

“If we go by water, we’ll definitely have to cross Baiwei Beach. Do you think the people from Hunlong Village will let me go? Didn’t you think it wouldn’t work when Laifu wanted to go by water?”

He Shengjun was confident: "He is him, and you are you. I can protect you personally, but can I be the same as him?"

Baiwei Beach is under Yuan Kuifeng's jurisdiction. We had a fight at the dock last time, and Yuan Kuifeng still gave me some face.

If I were to take the road and Song Yongchang intercepted me, I wouldn't be able to save face, and I'd have to fight him tooth and nail. It could even end in a fatal fight.

Lin Shao Cong was still worried: "What if we travel by water and my older brother intercepts us?"

He Shengjun was very confident: "Young master, don't worry, I will definitely take your matter to heart. We won't run into the old man. I have several boats under my command, and the old man has never seen them before. If you can trust me, we will set off tonight."

(End of this chapter)