Which way to go is the road?

Xiang Fei and Lao You handed the microphones back to the two hosts. The two of them stood back to back facing a group of thugs. It would be a lie to say they weren't flustered, but at this point, all the tension and panic were useless. All that was left was the courage to go all out. In a popular Northeastern saying, it was "Whatever!"

Suddenly, a gap appeared in the encirclement, and Li Qi walked in. The scar on his head was still as obvious as ever, but this time he didn't have his usual evil smile. Instead, he looked furious, like a wild beast, as if he wanted to tear someone apart and stuff them into his belly.

"It's you again, you've got some nerve, haven't you? You've got a death wish, haven't you? Since you're here today, you're not leaving. Take them to the internet cafe restroom, let's have some fun!"

The thugs easily subdued Xiang Fei and Lao You, but they found themselves unable to get off the stage. The spectators who had come to watch the spectacle had already surrounded the area, pointing and whispering among themselves.

Few people believed Xiang Fei and Lao You's charade in their earlier speech, thinking it was just rivalry and mutual slander. But the appearance of the repulsive scarred man and their group's attempt to take Xiang Fei away gradually confirmed the content of their speech!

"See that? That boss really does have a scar on his head. It looks creepy. Could he really be some kind of gangster?"

"If they're not gangsters, I'm not eating anymore. Look at that hair, dyed all sorts of colors! And see, that guy even has tattoos! I'm never going to come online again. What if I say something that offends them? My life could be in danger!"

"These gangsters are really going too far these days! Are they trying to kidnap people in broad daylight? What kind of skill is it to have a group of people bullying two people?!"

"I've never heard of any organized crime around here before! Does this mean our peaceful and tranquil life is over?! Those damned gangsters!"

……

The more people talked, the angrier they became, and the angrier they became, the more they needed others to agree with them. As the words spread among the crowd, their emotions spread with the words, and the voices of discussion grew louder and louder, rising like a raging fire. The dissatisfaction gradually turned into a burning anger in their hearts, waiting for just an inconspicuous match to ignite it.

"Eden, the underworld! Bullying people, heinous crimes!"

Someone shouted this phrase, and it immediately became a slogan for everyone. People shouted it loudly and repeatedly. Passing vehicles and pedestrians saw that there was something to see and stopped to watch. More and more people gathered!

When people gather together, they are most easily swayed by the emotions of the group. An individual may be weak and powerless, and dare not do certain things when placed in a group. They may even do outrageous things that they would never normally think of.

As we mentioned earlier, Li Qi is an experienced hoodlum who has likely experienced many life-or-death situations, even facing several or dozens of people alone. However, he must not have been well-educated, unaware of the May Fourth Movement, or the terrifying power of a group. Therefore, he did not take the scene seriously and instead became even more enraged.

Li Qi was about to reprimand and intimidate these arrogant people when a phone call interrupted him. He immediately switched to a respectful posture, covering his ears as he spoke to the person on the other end of the line.

"Brother Huang, yes, I really didn't expect this to happen. What? I never said we were a gangster, they're the ones who said it! Okay, I'll take care of it right away! Okay, absolutely no swearing, no hitting, we won't talk back or fight back!"

Li Qi hung up the phone, slapped himself, and shook his head repeatedly to clear his mind. Once he had completely calmed down, his face immediately switched to a beaming smile, but it was a bit stiff, making him look more like a smiling demon!

He walked over, first ordering his men to release Xiang Fei and Lao You, then took the microphone from the host: "It's a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding! Please let me explain! Although we and 'Shuiyunjian' across the street are in the same industry and have a competitive relationship, we are not at the point of irreconcilable conflict or harming each other! The fireworks we used for our opening just now broke their glass, but we will compensate them at the price, no, double the price!"

"If you say that now, you'll definitely cause trouble again later!"

Li Qi looked in the direction of the voice but couldn't see who spoke. The crowd, regardless of who it was, chimed in, "Exactly! Normal competition is fine, but why do you keep going there to cause trouble? What else is this but organized crime?"

"That was a misunderstanding. We accidentally broke the feng shui ornament, and we compensated for it at its original price. Furthermore, I guarantee we will never cause any trouble for 'Shuiyunjian' again; everyone can testify to that. Not only that, but we will guarantee the personal safety of every customer who uses the internet at 'Eden Garden' from now on. We will absolutely not threaten or deceive customers; we conduct business with integrity and fair transactions! Everyone can witness this!"

After he finished speaking, a round of applause broke out. Come to think of it, Xiang Fei and his team only had Du Xinpeng under them, so of course they could arrange for more people.

Seeing that some people were clapping, and finding Li Qi's words reasonable, the onlookers gradually calmed down and joined in the clapping. The situation began to favor the "Eden" side.

Xiang Fei tugged at Lao You's clothes, and the two of them quietly slipped out of the crowd while everyone's attention was elsewhere. As they walked out, Xiang Fei saw a familiar face, which looked like Fang Dazhi. He looked back, but couldn't see him. He wondered if he was too stressed and his eyes were blurry, so he shook his head and walked toward the intersection.

Xiang Fei and Lao You kept walking forward in silence, without saying a word to each other. When they felt they were far enough away, they turned around to look at the crowd in the distance, exchanged glances, and simultaneously let out a long sigh of relief.

"The most thrilling thing that has ever happened to me in my life so far!" Old You said, swallowing hard.

Xiang Fei nodded: "It's not like I'm not one of them!"

"Xiang Fei, weren't you scared just now? That guy was an old thug, his hands are stained with countless blood!"

"How could I not be afraid? If Du Xinpeng hadn't yelled that, I definitely wouldn't have gone into 'Eden' with them. I probably would have fought them at the entrance. Just kidding, there are plenty of witnesses outside, but once inside, I wouldn't even know how I died!"

"How do you know Du Xinpeng can stir up these people's emotions? What if no one takes care of us? Wouldn't that be the result you're talking about?"

"I don't know! Although I've always hoped for this outcome, the specific trajectory is hard to predict. We can only do our best and leave the rest to fate, and if necessary, take a gamble. Luckily, we won!"

"You reckless gambler!"

"You reckless gambler!"

The two laughed again, playfully punching each other as they crossed the intersection and headed towards "Shuiyunjian".