Chapter Twenty-Eight: He Must Be Beaten to Death

With the help of his lawyer, Wang Chengyun was successfully released from prison on bail.

Of course, there was a fundamental reason for this: his henchman, Tang Zhiqing, and the others had taken full responsibility, leaving Wang to bear only a minor charge of "failure to intervene."

When Wang Chengyun reached the entrance of the "Wang Family Rickshaw Firm," which also served as his residence, he saw a crowd of rickshaw pullers still gathering outside and immediately wore a sinister expression.

"Those wretches! Don't even think about earning a meal from me ever again!"

This time, Wang Chengyun had suffered significant losses. That was not even counting the twenty-four rickshaws lost previously. For this "accidental killing," the money he had to shell out amounted to at least 4,200 silver dollars.

He had to prepare 2,000 silver dollars for the police station and other officials, 1,000 for his lawyer, 1,000 as "settlement fees" for Tang Zhiqing and the other thugs, and the remaining 200 were intended for the families of the deceased—and that was not counting other potential bribes.

Having nearly one-tenth of his hard-earned wealth wiped out by this pack of wretches—anyone would be heartbroken. Consequently, Wang Chengyun planned to fire at least half of the pullers and recruit a new batch.

"Murderer Wang Chengyun!"
"Murderer Wang Chengyun!"

The pullers were quickly and organizedly staging a protest.

"I am no murderer; the killer has already been caught. If you keep causing trouble, I will call the police to arrest you!" Wang Chengyun shouted.

Had he not noticed the journalists present, he would have ignored them entirely.

Sure enough, a reporter quickly challenged him: "The killer is your subordinate. Without your orders, how could such a tragedy resulting in two deaths have occurred?"

Just as Wang Chengyun was about to retort, his lawyer stopped him and spoke on his behalf: "My client never ordered any violence. The incident was primarily a brawl among the firm's employees caused by unruly pullers, and it has nothing to do with my client."

The sheer audacity—the lawyer had neatly categorized the incident as a mere staff brawl. It was utterly unscrupulous, though admittedly, it showed a certain level of skill.

Following this, Wang Chengyun and his lawyer quickly retreated into the house and slammed the gate shut.

The rickshaw pullers were left looking at one another. With no prospect of work and Wang Chengyun unscathed, they were at a loss as to what to do next.

Ma Xiaoping, a reporter for the *Shen Pao*, stepped forward to comfort them: "Please rest assured, everyone. We at the *Shen Pao* will certainly expose this matter; we will never let justice be buried."

He was a friend of Zhang Qihua, but this was no longer just about helping a friend; he genuinely sympathized with the pullers and despised unscrupulous businessmen like Wang Chengyun.

A puller immediately said, "Reporter Ma, you must stand up for us. Wang Chengyun arranged for his own men to take the fall while he remains completely unharmed."

Another puller chimed in, "Exactly! Does having money mean you can do whatever you want?"

Ma Xiaoping nodded. "Don't worry. I will make this public. As the owner of this firm, this man surnamed Wang cannot possibly wash his hands of this."

He wasn't entirely sure of himself, but surrounded by the crowd, he could only offer them reassurance.

However, some of the pullers were still skeptical of his sincerity. Soon, they thought of someone else who might be able to offer them advice.

...

At the Yangtze Rickshaw Firm base, Chen Guangliang had just finished discussing a partnership with the Transportation Department and was in high spirits when Zhou Xinggao hurried in.

"Boss, the pullers from the Wang Family Rickshaw Firm are clamoring to see you!"

Chen Guangliang nodded and headed toward the door. He had a clear conscience and feared no ghost knocking at his door.

"Boss Chen, you must stand up for us!"
"Boss Chen, A-Xing and A-Jun died such miserable deaths!"

Chen Guangliang's heart sank. He had actually met one of the deceased and had even spoken to him. Looking at the twenty-plus rickshaw pullers, he suddenly felt moved to do something. But he quickly calmed himself; he could not get too involved. After all, he was still just a small sapling himself.

"Everyone, tell me your grievances. If I can offer any advice, I certainly won't hold back."

He was careful not to overpromise.

The crowd explained the sequence of events. It boiled down to the fact that Wang Chengyun was safe and sound, while over a hundred pullers were now jobless and starving.

Chen Guangliang replied, "Regarding work, please wait a little while; I may need some people later... As for Wang Chengyun being released, that is not something I can interfere with. I hope you understand."

The crowd was immediately disappointed.

"Boss Chen, how many people do you need? There are over a hundred of us out of work." Some were more concerned with finding work, perhaps realizing that the other matter was hopeless.

A puller said indignantly, "Master Li, you..."

It was clear some felt it was heartless to worry about one's own job before the issue was resolved.

"Everyone, wait a moment... Old Zhou, come with me for a second!"
"Yes, Boss."

Chen Guangliang called Zhou Xinggao into his office and said, "I don't intend to get involved in this. I want you to infiltrate their ranks. Then, you only need to do this... Remember, if they are willing to do it, fine; if not, don't push too hard. Especially tell that puller who was the most eager to lead the charge. Once it's done, contact that reporter..."

Zhou Xinggao nodded solemnly. "I guarantee the mission will be accomplished."

The two walked back out to find the twenty-plus pullers still waiting.

Chen Guangliang said, "Please return home. I will find a way to help with jobs as soon as I can, but as for the rest, I am truly powerless. In the end, Wang Chengyun was released through legal channels. No matter how capable I am, how can I fight the law?"

The crowd was deeply disappointed. They had hoped Chen Guangliang would take up their cause, only to find he was helpless. However, Chen did reveal that the Yangtze Rickshaw Firm would soon have openings, so they offered their thanks and departed.

Zhou Xinggao took the opportunity to catch up with them.

...

"What is your surname, Master?"
"No need for formalities, it's Liu... You're one of Boss Chen's men; what are you following us for?"

Master Liu was still angry. Everyone had said Chen Guangliang was a good man, which was why he had pinned his hopes on him. Now, with Chen refusing to help, wouldn't their people have died in vain?

Zhou Xinggao didn't mind the tone. "I don't like Boss Chen's cold-heartedness either, so I came to understand the situation to see if I could help!"

Master Liu's tone softened, but he said dejectedly, "If Boss Chen has no way, what can you do? Still, you have a kind heart. Thank you."

Zhou Xinggao replied, "That's not necessarily true. Boss Chen is only a small boss. Besides, some things can be achieved if you are bold enough. Wang Chengyun was able to stay out of it only because he found someone to take the blame—like that Tang Zhiqing, who surely took the fall for everything. But doesn't Tang have a family? A child? If you could get hold of his child and send a message to Tang, telling him to confess that Wang Chengyun ordered it... I think you could get your revenge."

Master Liu was stunned. He hadn't thought of such a method. He muttered, "Tang Zhiqing has a family; he has a four-year-old son."

Zhou Xinggao nodded. "That makes it simple. Master Liu just needs to arrange for people to snatch the boy and take him to the countryside. Then, Tang Zhiqing will have no choice but to be honest. Of course, we also need to get help from that reporter to blow this matter wide open..."

"Good, good! I will arrange it!"

Are all rickshaw pullers honest men? Clearly not; there were plenty of tough ones among them. And the reason Master Liu was stepping up wasn't just because the deceased was a relative—he was simply a man with a backbone.