Chapter 151 - 150: Seeing Red
The crowd surged forward, rushing toward Wang Dana’s house. They pinned the men from Wang Family’s Hut into a small area by the doorway. With no room to retreat, Wang Dana could only roar at the top of his lungs.
"Fuck, Zhao Wendong! You think you’re hot shit just ’cause you have more people? Don’t think we’re scared of you! Men, grab your weapons and fight ’em! They’re attacking us on our own damn doorstep here at Wang Family’s Hut!"
"If we let them push us around right here at our own home, how the fuck are any of us from Wang Family’s Hut supposed to show our faces in public again?"
Wang Dana’s words instantly boosted the morale of the men from Wang Family’s Hut. ’He’s right, we can’t back down!’ If Zhao Wendong’s crew crushed them on their own turf today, they’d have to bow their heads and walk the other way whenever they saw someone from Dragon King Pond. They’d be the laughingstock of the town. The men from Wang Family’s Hut started pushing back with all their might. The two groups were now face-to-face, mouth-to-mouth, spewing curses at each other.
"Let me through!"
A roar came from Zhao Wendong’s side. Zhao Wenwu’s massive frame charged out like a tank, smashing right into the crowd from Wang Family’s Hut and tearing a hole in their line. Despite one of his shoulders being injured, it didn’t stop him from grabbing a man with his other hand and throwing him several meters.
"Get ’em!"
"Fuck ’em up!"
Seeing Zhao Wenwu initiate the fight, Liangzi, Zhao Wenjun, Zhang Dadan, and the others all followed suit. The entire group surged toward Wang Dana’s house. The two mobs crashed together in a chaotic brawl. Both sides showed some restraint, mostly using their fists. No one was the first to pull a weapon and go for the kill. They were used to fighting, and besides, they were just here to help, not the main parties involved. They knew how to hold back.
The brawl slowly spread. Zhao Wendong’s side had the upper hand from the very beginning. First, their morale was high. Second, they’d all eaten their fill and were full of energy. They also had the advantage in numbers. On top of that, this gang of thugs had much more experience in street fighting. While many of the farmhands only knew how to grapple and wrestle, Wendong’s men were pulling hair, gouging at eyes, and using every dirty trick in the book with practiced skill.
Men from Wang Family’s Hut were constantly being beaten and sent running, only to be chased down and surrounded by Zhao Wendong’s crew for another thrashing. Many of the onlookers from Wang Family’s Hut had initially wanted to jump in and help, but seeing the completely one-sided battle, they knew they’d just be asking for a beating. They all backed away a little further. Wang Dana’s house was naturally the main focus of the attack. The number of his men gathered at his door dwindled until only Wang Dana and his closest kinsmen remained.
BOOM—!
With a muffled crash, a huge cloud of dust rose as the earthen wall of Wang Dana’s house was pushed over and collapsed. Now the attack wasn’t limited to the doorway. Several men clambered over the fallen wall to join the siege on Wang Dana’s group. After taking a few punches himself and seeing his men scurrying away with their heads in their hands, an unwilling Wang Dana’s eyes turned red with fury. He raised the hunting rifle in his hands and fired a shot into the sky.
BANG!
The gunshot startled everyone. Both sides stopped fighting and looked over. A fistfight was one thing, but pulling a gun was something else entirely.
"Motherfuckers! I’ll blow away anyone who takes another goddamn step forward!"
Wang Dana roared, his eyes bloodshot as he held the gun. The crowd slowly backed away. The men from Wang’s Hut retreated behind him, most of them with bruised and swollen faces, covered in minor cuts. It wasn’t that they weren’t brave; the other side’s advantages were just too overwhelming. In contrast, almost no one on Zhao Wendong’s side was hurt.
Seeing Wang Dana pull a gun, Zhao Wendong’s men also slowly regrouped. Zhao Wenwu’s eyes widened and he was about to charge forward, but Zhao Wendong grabbed him. Then, Wendong took the lead and walked toward Wang Dana. The others saw this and fell in behind him. Wang Dana took two steps back, raising his gun with bloodshot eyes, and yelled at Zhao Wendong.
"Zhao Wendong, you take one more fucking step and I’ll kill you!"
The hunting rifle in Wang Dana’s hand was a break-action double-barrel, one that Zhao Wendong’s grandfather had traded from the Russians years ago. He’d even played with it as a kid, so he knew perfectly well it could be fired again. Although he was ninety percent sure Wang Dana didn’t have the guts to kill someone, there was always that ’what if’. So, he stopped, smiled, and pulled his own Type 56 carbine off his back. With a CLICK, he chambered a round and fired a continuous volley into the sky.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
The continuous gunfire echoed in everyone’s ears. Wang Dana’s bravado immediately deflated. The men from Wang Family’s Hut all lowered their heads, not daring to meet Zhao Wendong’s gaze, terrified he would take it as a provocation and put a bullet in them.
After firing seven or eight rounds, Zhao Wendong finally lowered the Type 56 carbine and gestured dismissively at Wang Dana with his chin.
"Wang Dana, you think you’re the only one with a gun? What do you think of this thing of mine? The one you’re holding used to be my grandpa’s. What gives you the right to act so tough?"
"Zhao Wendong, you... you’re going too far! We’ve always minded our own business. What’s the meaning of this, bringing so many people to attack my home today?"
As he said this, Wang Dana had the aggrieved expression of a wronged housewife.
"Heh, fuck... Wang Dana, are you trying to play the victim with me? You don’t know what this is about? You beat up my uncle and aunt, and you’re fucking asking me what this is about?"
"Zhao Wendong, so you do know it was me who hit your uncle and aunt? Is it really worth mobilizing an army over such a small family matter? Huh? You brought a big truck and all these people... How much effort and money did that take? Was it really worth all this?"
This just made Zhao Wendong laugh again.
"Heh, who the fuck asked you to do the math for me? Let me tell you, Wang Dana, you fucked up the moment you crossed me, Zhao Wendong. Got it?"
Seeing Zhao Wendong’s unyielding attitude and his refusal to accept any conciliation, Wang Dana’s stubborn streak flared up. If he just gave in now, he wouldn’t just lose his gun and half a sack of sorghum; most importantly, he’d lose face. If he let Zhao Wendong put him in his place today, he’d never be able to hold his head high in the village again. His dream of becoming a cadre would be shattered. That was something he couldn’t tolerate. There was a reason his name was Wang Dana—ever since he was a kid, he’d always loved to take charge and be the one on top.
Wang Dana’s eyes bulged, and blood vessels began to reappear in his eyeballs.
"Fuck! So what if you have more men and more guns, Zhao Wendong? You think you have the balls to kill me? I, Wang Dana, refuse to back down today! Whoever dares to come at me first, I’ll fucking shoot to kill! I, Wang Dana, am not afraid to die! Today, I’ll trade my life for yours, Zhao Wendong!"
A commotion went through the crowd at Wang Dana’s words. ’He’s lost it, taking a fight this badly.’ Several people pushed to the front—Liangzi, Zhang Dadan, Zhao Wenjun, Zhao Wenwu, as well as Er Gouzi, Baozhu, and others. They formed a protective wall in front of Zhao Wendong and all pulled out their own guns. A wave of CLACK-CLACK-CLACKs echoed as they all racked their bolts.
Seeing that the brawl was about to escalate into a gunfight, many people’s legs began to feel unsteady. Everyone stared nervously at Zhao Wendong in the center of the standoff. At that moment, even the sound of the wind seemed to die, and the air itself felt frozen.
Zhao Wendong narrowed his eyes, staring deadly at Wang Dana. Just as he leaned forward, about to push his brothers aside and confront Wang Dana himself, a figure suddenly shot out from beside him, blocking his path. The figure grabbed the gun in Wang Dana’s hand and pressed the barrel of the hunting rifle to his own forehead.
"Go on, shoot. Kill me."
Seeing Wang Dana frozen in shock, the person pushed the barrel even harder against his own head.
"Dumbass. I told you to shoot. Are you deaf?"
The voice was faint, yet it carried an indescribable madness. The crowd looked closer and saw that it was none other than Little Bastard.