Landlord in the Arctic

"Brother Feng, give me ten minutes. I guarantee I’ll find out who it is. Anyone who dares to mess with Brother Hu Zi is messing with me, Eldest Young Master Xu."

"Okay!" Feng Shan’s response was brief.

When the call ended, Hu Zi had a timid, withdrawn look on his face. Seeing this, Feng Shan couldn’t help but feel a surge of irritation.

He slapped Hu Zi firmly on the shoulder, his voice a mix of frustration and disappointment. "You brat, what’s with that look? We don’t start fights, but we damn well aren’t afraid of them either!"

"Brother, it’s not that. I was just afraid of causing you trouble, and Hua’Er is pregnant. If I weren’t worried about upsetting her, me and Black Hide would’ve taken care of that Manager Hou years ago!" Hu Zi mumbled with frustration, his head hanging low, his face a mask of resentment.

Seeing Hu Zi like this, Feng Shan’s tone softened. "No matter how big the problem is, I’m here to handle it. You just worry about taking good care of Hua’Er."

===

Recalling Hu Zi’s earlier talk about fighting, Feng Shan didn’t hesitate. WHAP! He smacked him on the back of the head.

It wasn’t a hard slap, but it was enough to make Hu Zi’s head jerk forward.

"’Take care of him?’ What ’take care of him’? You want to be like me? Have your kid born while their dad’s in prison? What century are we living in? Why use your fists when you can use your words?" Feng Shan’s expression was stern, his eyes filled with that same look of profound disappointment.

"I was just talking! It’s not like I was actually going to hit him!" Hu Zi winced, clutching the back of his head with both hands, his face a picture of misery.

"Don’t even talk about it! From now on, no matter what happens, you come to me first. I’ll handle it for you. Things are different now. We don’t have to go around groveling to people. Got it?" Feng Shan slung an arm around Hu Zi’s shoulders.

A warmth spread through Hu Zi’s chest. He nodded. "Got it, Brother."

Arms slung over each other’s shoulders, the two of them swaggered along, looking just like the street punks they once were. Before long, they were back at the supermarket.

The supermarket was still bustling with customers. In the aisles, a few employees were busy restocking the shelves.

Just as Feng Shan and Hu Zi walked in, they saw Xiaohua. She was standing behind the register, her pregnant belly prominent, a gentle smile on her face as she chatted with a regular customer.

When she saw them return, a flicker of confusion crossed Xiaohua’s eyes. She set down her work and came over to greet them. "Where have you two been? What took you so long?"

Hu Zi glanced at Feng Shan, scratched his head, and stammered, "Oh, nowhere. Brother Shan and I just went out for a stroll."

Just then, Eldest Young Master Xu called.

Feng Shan glanced at the caller ID, gave a nod to Hu Zi and Xiaohua, and then stepped outside the supermarket.

The setting sun was a bit blinding. Feng Shan raised a hand to shield his eyes and answered the call.

The call connected, and before Feng Shan could even speak, Eldest Young Master Xu’s excited voice came through the line.

"Brother Feng, I’ve gotten to the bottom of it. The boss behind that Meijia Supermarket Chain is indeed from Singapore. I’ve already contacted him. He’s planning to establish a supermarket chain in Hai City and might have used some underhanded tactics against Brother Hu Zi while expanding his business."

Eldest Young Master Xu paused, then continued, "But don’t you worry. I’ve already spoken with their boss, and he promised to never bother Brother Hu Zi again. In fact, the owner himself will be coming over to apologize in person. So, let’s just let this go."

Feng Shan listened, nodded slightly, and replied coolly, "Thanks. When I’m back in Crown Territory, I’ll buy you a drink."

On the other end of the line, Eldest Young Master Xu was so happy to hear this that he almost laughed out loud.

"Oh, Brother Feng, you’re too kind. I’m just glad I could help. Okay then, when you’re back in Crown Territory, we’ll drink until we drop!"

Feng Shan hung up and turned back toward the supermarket.

As he walked back inside, Hu Zi’s nervous gaze immediately fell on him. He hurried over and asked in a hushed voice.

"Brother, what’s the deal?"

"It’s handled. The owner of the Meijia Supermarket Chain promised he won’t bother us again. He’s even coming to apologize to you in person." Feng Shan smiled, pocketing his phone.

Hu Zi’s eyes widened in disbelief. "For real? Brother Shan, they backed down after just one phone call?"

Feng Shan patted Hu Zi’s shoulder. "You don’t trust what your big brother can do?"

Meanwhile, the moment Eldest Young Master Xu put down his phone, the broad smile on his face vanished. His brow furrowed, and a furious glint appeared in his eyes.

His friend Su Ziweng, who was sitting nearby, noticed the dark expression on his face. He was just about to crack a joke to lighten the mood when Eldest Young Master Xu snatched his phone up again and quickly dialed a number.

The call connected almost instantly. Before the person on the other end could even speak, Eldest Young Master Xu unleashed a torrent of abuse, his words like rapid-fire gunshots.

"You goddamn idiot! Who told you to use those dirty tricks? And to piss off my big brother, of all people?"

"Are you out of your goddamn mind? Did all that ass-kissing from the suppliers make you forget who you are?"

A stammering voice on the other end tried to explain, but Eldest Young Master Xu cut him off impatiently.

"You’re saying Hong Xin told you to do it?"

"Oh, really? Then why don’t you go tell Xu Hongxin? Tell her you pissed off Feng Shan of Crown Territory. You think she won’t have you spending the rest of your life tapping rubber on some plantation?"

"Didn’t she tell you to keep a low profile in Hai City?"

The person on the other end finally seemed to grasp the gravity of the situation. His voice laced with fear, he hurriedly apologized.

Eldest Young Master Xu, his anger still simmering, shot back, "So you get it now? Good. You’re going to that supermarket right now to apologize. And you’re going to fire whoever put you up to this. If I ever catch you pulling these kinds of stunts again, don’t blame me for what happens next! Do you have any idea you almost cost me a deal worth hundreds of millions of US dollars a year?!"

Having vented his fury, Eldest Young Master Xu hung up. Fine beads of sweat had broken out on his forehead, and he wiped them away with the back of his hand.

’He was still seething over that phone call.’

But when he saw the smirk on Su Ziweng’s face, his heart sank. ’Oh, this is bad,’ he thought.

’Shit!’

Eldest Young Master Xu cursed inwardly.

’How the hell did this bastard overhear me?’

’The guy’s useless in business, but when it comes to spreading rumors, he’s got a mouth as big as a megaphone.’

’I’d just barely managed to pull the wool over Feng Shan’s eyes.’

’If Su Ziweng’s big mouth screws this up, it’ll all have been for nothing.’

Instantly, Eldest Young Master Xu rearranged his features, forcing a sycophantic smile onto his face.

"My brother!"

Su Ziweng immediately held up his hands, a look of mock terror on his face. He raised his voice dramatically and said,

"Whoa, there! I wouldn’t dare call you ’brother.’ You’ve got the balls to lie to Brother Feng! If he finds out the supermarket chain that was bullying his man is actually owned by your family, he might just greet you with a heavy machine gun next time you’re in Crown Territory!"

Eldest Young Master Xu gritted his teeth, infuriated by Su Ziweng’s over-the-top exaggeration.

"Alright, alright, stop trying to scare me. Name your price. What’ll it take for you to keep this under wraps?" he ground out. "A week of ’slipper sessions’ at the Vienna Clubhouse. Would that be enough to make you forget?"

"Just one week? I’ve got a great memory, you know. My teachers always said I had a sharp mind," Su Ziweng said with a sly chuckle, leaning back into the sofa and crossing one leg over the other.

’Sharp mind my ass.’

’Eldest Young Master Xu knew he wouldn’t be able to shut Su Ziweng’s damn mouth without paying a hefty price.’

’If Brother Feng really found out I was connected to the Mei Jia Chain... well, he probably wouldn’t actually riddle me with a machine gun, but all he’d have to do is tell the limping captain of the River Beach to find a new buyer. I’d suffer catastrophic losses, not to mention the grief I’d get from my family.’

Steeling himself, Eldest Young Master Xu’s heart hardened. He held out his hand and said through clenched teeth, "Half a month of slipper sessions, plus the ’celestial flight’ package. Not a day more! That’s my final offer, so don’t push it. If word of this gets out, I’m taking you down with me. We’ll both be screwed."

"Deal." Su Ziweng broke into a huge grin, leaping up from the sofa and grabbing Eldest Young Master Xu’s hand. His face was a mask of triumph. "What were we talking about? I’ve had intermittent amnesia since I was a kid. My teachers always said I was a hopeless case. Leave it to me. I guarantee I won’t breathe a single word."

’Didn’t your teacher just praise you for having a sharp mind, you bastard?’

Eldest Young Master Xu rolled his eyes, still feeling deeply unsettled.

’The guy was born unreliable. He was just afraid that one day, after a few too many drinks, his loose lips would spill the whole story.’

...