Returning to the county opera troupe in 77

"You know which one it is, right?"

At the alleyway diagonally opposite the cotton mill, Chen Xiangdong squatted down and patted the shoulder of a five- or six-year-old child.

The kid's face was covered in smears, and his snot was dripping from his nose like two earthworms. His eyes were shining as he clutched a White Rabbit milk candy in his hand and nodded at Chen Xiangdong: "I know him, I know him, it's Xia De, he's the tallest guy in the cotton mill."

He even stood on tiptoe, raising his hand high to demonstrate: "It's this long!"

Chen Xiangdong's lips twitched. What do you mean by "the longest"? Shouldn't you call it "the tallest"?

However, none of that matters. What matters is that the kid can deliver the item to Shad.

He stuffed the note into the child's hand: "As long as you recognize it, that's fine. When you get to the factory, hand this note to him and come back. I'll give you another White Rabbit candy then."

"Yes, I know!"

The little boy tore open the candy wrapper, eagerly stuffed the candy into his mouth, his cheeks immediately puffing out in a round bun. He patted his chest and mumbled, "Don't worry!"

After saying that, he took off running towards the cotton mill gate and disappeared into the large iron gate in the blink of an eye.

Chen Xiangdong turned around, found two broken bricks on the ground, stacked them together, put a milk candy on top, clapped his hands, and turned to leave.

The Education Bureau's jeep was parked in front of the state-run restaurant in the East District, its windows reflecting a blinding light in the sunlight.

Chen Xiangdong put one hand in his pocket, lifted the curtain with the other, and slipped to sit down at the table in the corner.

This spot is inconspicuous, half of it hidden by a thick load-bearing pillar, but it is completely visible when looking forward.

At the front row table closest to the cashier, Lin Zhaotang, Chu Shengli, and Jia Dafang were chatting and laughing.

Pan Lanxiang sat to Lin Zhaotang's right, wearing a corduroy jacket and a brand-new pink hair clip in her hair. She would occasionally pick up a bite of food with her chopsticks and chew it in small bites. Each time she put down her chopsticks, she would turn her head slightly and look at Lin Zhaotang with her curved eyebrows and eyes. Her eyelashes were half-drooping like two small fans, just like a pure and innocent young girl in later generations meeting her idol.

Lin Zhaotang was no ordinary person; his words were like honey, and with just a few sentences, he had Chu Shengli and his companions overjoyed. The two tables were quite far apart, and Chen Xiangdong could only vaguely catch fragments of Lin Zhaotang's voice.

Lin Zhaotang turned slightly to the side, moving closer to Pan Lanxiang: "Miss Pan, it's such a waste that you don't have a voice like that in Hong Kong... I guarantee you'll become an overnight sensation, a star throughout Hong Kong!"

Pan Lanxiang's face was rosy, like a ripe peach, and even her neck had a faint pink tinge.

"Really?"

She stared at Lin Zhaotang with wide eyes, her face revealing an undisguised surprise and joy.

Lin Zhaotang's smile softened even more, and he reached out to pat the back of her hand resting on the table: "Of course it's true, would I lie to a beautiful girl like you?"

Pan Lanxiang flinched slightly, as if she'd been electrocuted, but didn't pull her hand back. She lowered her head, her lips curling into a wide smile. Lin Zhaotang glanced slyly at the white, sticky patch below her collar and couldn't help but swallow hard.

Seeing this, Chu Shengli smiled and gave Lin Zhaotang a knowing look. Jia Dafang also smiled, then glanced at Pan Lanxiang, opened his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately swallowed his words.

He raised his glass and leaned close to Lin Zhaotang: "Come, come, Mr. Lin, let me toast you! If Lanxiang really goes to Gangcheng, she'll be a golden phoenix soaring out from our Dongping County Theater Troupe!"

Pan Lanxiang's ears turned even redder upon hearing this, but she didn't refute it. She just smiled and picked up her soda cup as well.

Just as Lin Zhaotang raised his glass, about to say something, the restaurant curtain was suddenly flung open, and a tall man with a buzz cut rushed into the restaurant.

The man was at least 1.9 meters tall, as strong as an ox, and wore a faded blue work uniform with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms, revealing two thick, dark forearms.

Upon seeing this person enter, Chen Xiangdong couldn't help but curl up the corners of his mouth.

The newcomer was none other than Xia De; the weapons and guns had finally arrived!

Xia De stared intently, his large, round eyes scanning the surroundings like two searchlights, moving from the doorway all the way to the front row. When his gaze landed on Pan Lanxiang, his already dark face instantly darkened even further.

Pan Lanxiang was holding her soda cup to her lips, the smile lines still clinging to the corners of her eyes, completely unaware that someone was striding toward her table.

Lin Zhaotang hadn't even put down his wine glass when he felt the light in front of him suddenly dim. He subconsciously looked up and saw a burly young man who looked like a black bear spirit glaring at him menacingly.

Pan Lanxiang turned her head and her smile instantly froze. She subconsciously shrank back, "Xia... Xia De? What brings you here..."

Xia De didn't respond to her, but just stared at Lin Zhaotang, breathing heavily through his nose.

Blue suit, gold-rimmed glasses, a few tufts of hair on his head—no doubt about it, this is the coward!

The contents of that note kept replaying in his mind: the fraudster who impersonated a foreign businessman to swindle money and sex—it was him!

Chu Shengli and Jia Dafang exchanged bewildered glances, while Lin Zhaotang, equally confused, placed his wine glass back on the table and forced a smile: "This gentleman first..."

However, he hadn't finished speaking.

Xia De across from him suddenly cursed, "I'll curse your ancestors!"

Immediately afterwards, he became like an enraged bull, his shoulders slumped, one hand braced on the edge of the table, causing the tabletop to tilt instantly, and plates and chopsticks to fall to the ground with a clatter.

His clenched fist slammed solidly into Lin Zhaotang's face with a loud "bang".

"Ouch!"

Lin Zhaotang only had time to let out a short scream before he and the chair tumbled backward with a "thud," his glasses flying more than half a meter away.

Chu Shengli and Jia Dafang were both stunned. Mr. Lin... got beaten up?

It wasn't until Pan Lanxiang covered her mouth and screamed "Ah!" that the two of them snapped back to their senses.

Chu Shengli hurriedly stepped forward, squatted down, and shouted, "Mr. Lin!"

Lin Zhaotang lay on his back on the ground, groaning in pain. He covered his nose with one hand, and blood was flowing out from between his fingers, dripping down his chin onto the front of his shirt.

"What are you doing!"

Jia Dafang stood up in a panic and turned to shove Xia De, but as soon as his palm touched that thick chest, it was like pushing against a wall. The other man did not move at all, but Jia Dafang was pulled back by a force and staggered. His lower back hit the corner of the table and he hissed in pain.

Xia De didn't even glance at Jia Dafang, pointing at Lin Zhaotang and gritting his teeth: "You damn liar, how dare you try to cheat my Lanxiang! I'll beat you to death today!"

The entire restaurant was in chaos. Diners at neighboring tables retreated to a safe distance, some carrying their bowls and chopsticks out of the restaurant, while others shouted, "Call the police!"

Chen Xiangdong was still huddled in the corner, watching the farce unfolding in the front row with schadenfreude, muttering under his breath, "Serves him right! Why didn't you beat this bastard to death!"

Just as he was feeling incredibly satisfied, the kitchen curtain at the back door of the restaurant was suddenly flung open, and four burly men in greasy, twisted work clothes rushed out, brandishing cleavers.

Especially the fat man at the very front, who was over forty years old, tall and strong, and even bigger than Xia De, had a kitchen knife that was smaller than his palm.

Chen Xiangdong was stunned for a moment. These guys looked even more vicious than the underworld in later generations.

No wonder they wrote a sign on the blackboard saying "No beating guests without cause"...

He glanced around and saw that the slimmest one standing at the very back of the group was Yu Baoliang.

"Damn it! Who dares to cause trouble here?!"

The burly man at the head of the group had a booming voice. He charged towards the crowd, brandishing a cleaver, but when he saw the assailant's face, his hand froze in mid-air, and his curses instantly died in his throat: "Donkey's balls? What, it's you, you coward?!"

Xia De's stiff neck stiffened for a moment. He first turned his head somewhat awkwardly to look at Pan Lanxiang, who was covering her mouth and had a pale face. His Adam's apple bobbed, and then he turned back, forcing a smile: "Uh, Uncle... it's me..."