Chapter 99 Bathing

  At the same time Li Naiyu was preparing to go to Beijing, Qi Lao under General Mountain summoned Wu Chen and instructed him:

  "Last time in Guanghai, a few people bent the law for personal gain and glossed over the matter, which led to the hijacking incident on Nanjing Road. This time you go again to the provincial capital, see how far the case has progressed. If you find that someone still wants to play tricks, directly find Zhou Zhen Shu of the Provincial Department or call me back. I don't believe it, in the eyes of a few people, national law is not taken seriously."

  Qī Lǎo had been harboring a grudge against the incident where Yán Qīngchéng and Cóng Yè were pursued to the capital by Zhāng Chéng. As the saying goes, "don't look at the monk's face, look at the Buddha's face", these people are too lawless, they don't take national laws seriously at all. In Qī Lǎo's heart, he had always thought that Zhāng Chéng's actions were definitely under the orders of Yú Xiǎopéng and Dí Róng.

  Wu Chen responded with a sound, turned around and was about to go out, just as he met Zhang Yuanhang coming in from the opposite direction.

  "Good old Zhang."

  "Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

  "On the orders of Old Qian, go to the provincial capital for a trip."

  Are you going to the provincial city?

  Yes.

  "By the way, help me take some things over to Xiao Hang."

  Zhang Lao's mouth was small, and Wu Chen was not unfamiliar. Although they didn't grow up together, they were old comrades-in-arms for many years, and also his former superior. Now in the provincial military region, Zhang Xiaohang, who is a major general, has become the commander of a certain army under the jurisdiction of a certain group army.

  With a suitcase given by Zhang Lao, Wu Chen hurried on his way.

  Wu Chen arrived in the provincial capital that day and first came to the Provincial Military Region, where he found Zhang Xiaohang and handed over the luggage he had brought. Old comrades meeting naturally couldn't avoid a lively welcoming banquet. From dusk till after 9 o'clock, Zhang Xiaohang said to Wu Chen:

  "Wu Chen, let's go, I'll take you out for a soak."

  "Doesn't the military district have a bathhouse?"

  "The bathhouse in the military district may not be as comfortable as those outside, but I don't know why, every time I drink wine, I want to go and soak in a hot bath, it's so comfortable, it's really hard to describe."

  "Haha, you've even learned how to be eloquent?"

  "Look down on me?"

  "Nowhere, nowhere."

  Two security guards drove and took the two men to the city, on the way Zhang Xiaohang asked the security guard:

  "Has there been a new bath center opened recently, one that's a bit high-end?"

  "Boss, there really is one, although it's been around for a while, but recently changed hands and renovated again, very high-end."

  "Look, what's good for the top must be effective for the bottom too, your guards all like this one."

  "Leader, I didn't go on purpose, it's just that when I entered the city that day, I happened to see it."

  Facing Wu Chen's teasing, the security guard hastily explained.

  The bath center mentioned by the security guard was indeed the leisure club operated by Yu Xiaopeng and Di Rong. Of course, they just came to soak in the hot water and wouldn't care who the boss was. After the two entered, they comfortably soaked and steamed for nearly two hours before each getting a set of bathrobes and heading to the rest hall to drink tea and chat.

  "Wu Chen, bubble bubble steam, and then lie down here and have a cup of tea, that's the real enjoyment."

  "Hehe, I'm not as carefree as you are, nor do I have as much time as you do."

  "I know, I know it's tiring for you to stay in the nursing home and take care of so many elderly leaders. Isn't this a chance for you to relax and enjoy yourself?"

  As he spoke, Zhang Xiaohang accidentally knocked the teacup on the tea table to the floor, and it shattered with a loud crash. Before Zhang Xiaohang could react, a male waiter walked over and said in a cold tone:

  "If you break it, you have to pay for it."

  "No problem, if something is damaged, it's only natural to compensate. I'll deduct the amount from your bath fund later."

  "Fifty."

  As soon as Zhang Xiaohang heard that an ordinary teacup cost fifty yuan, he naturally retorted:

  "An ordinary teacup costs fifty yuan, isn't it expensive?"

  "Too expensive? Alright then, 500?"

  Hearing the waiter's unpleasant tone, Zhang Xiaohang immediately retorted with anger:

  "Are you blackmailing me?"

  "You're extorting 500 yuan at a time, don't you think that's a bit little? Since you said it's extortion, then fine, compensate me with 5,000 yuan."

  "I'm not talking to you, go get your boss."

  "It's no use calling anyone else, you pay the 5,000 yuan first and then we'll talk."

  "Do you know who he is? He's Zhang Junzhang from the Provincial Military Region."

  "If he is the commander-in-chief, then I am his father."

  Wu Chen originally wanted to reveal Zhang Xiaohang's identity, thinking that the other party would have some scruples, but unexpectedly brought about such a sentence, and was suddenly choked.

  As the voices of the three people grew louder, four burly waiters gathered around them.

  It goes without saying that these are all old subordinates brought by Di Rong from Sifang City. Although Di Rong and Yu Xiaopeng are now locked up in the police station, the leisure center has not stopped business, but is temporarily managed by Yu Xiaopeng's aunt, Yu Li. The new person doesn't often come here, because he found that whether he is there or not makes no difference, as there are those who look like social hooligans, and the order of the leisure center has always been good.

  Wu Chen saw this momentum and was about to stand up, but was stopped by Zhang Xiaohang.

  "It's 5,000 yuan, just 5,000 yuan. But I don't have that much money on me. Wait a minute, let me make a call to get someone to bring the money."

  They all came out to take a bath in casual clothes, and their mobile phones were also brought with them. Zhang Xiaohang dialed the duty phone of the military department guard battalion:

  "Cai Jianlin, I'm Zhang Xiaohang. You just listen now and don't speak. Listen, I was bathing at a certain leisure club, the specific address you can ask the driver by phone. I accidentally broke an ordinary teacup, and they want me to compensate 5,000 yuan, and explicitly said it's extortion, so you immediately bring people to deliver the money."

  Zhang Yuanhang finished speaking and hung up the phone.

  "Alright, you guys wait for a moment, the money will be delivered right away."

  It seems like they're worried the two will run away, so the five people are still standing beside them, without moving.

  Zhang Xiaohang and Wu Chen looked at each other, and they both burst out laughing. Yes, they couldn't help but laugh. A general who led thousands of soldiers in the army came out to take a bath and was actually blackmailed, not to mention being surrounded. If this got out, Zhang Xiaohang thought, just his own hot-tempered father wouldn't let him have an easy life.

  "Wu Chen, bro, I need a favor from you."

  After laughing, Zhang Xiaohang carefully said to Wu Chen.

  "Haha, stop pretending, I still don't know if you're afraid of Zhang Lao finding out? Don't worry, I won't say anything."

  "I'm just afraid I won't be able to keep it hidden."

  "It's better to stay at home and take a good bath. Why come out and enjoy this? It's quite good now. I guess I've had enough excitement."

  "Unconcerned and unbothered."

  The two people seemed to have both forgotten the tense atmosphere from just before and started joking with each other.

  Zhang Xiaohang finished the phone call and within half an hour, he heard chaotic footsteps and shouting sounds gradually approaching the rest hall.

  When they saw a team of soldiers with live ammunition, led by a lieutenant colonel, walking directly towards the person who had just claimed to be the commander, the faces of those waiters changed instantly. However, before they could lift their feet, they were already controlled by more than a dozen soldiers.

  "What's wrong with you, why so slow?!"

  "Boss, traffic jam in the city."

  "How many people have come?"

  A chain.

  "Surround him, take him down, don't hurt anyone."

  "Yes."

  The major immediately turned around and left.

  "Xiao Hang, isn't it bad?"

  "What's wrong? If my dad were to find out, it wouldn't just be a beating."

  Wu Chen saw that Zhang Xiao Hang was unmoved by his persuasion, so he simply shut up and stopped talking.

  "Come on, get dressed and go, tonight's bath is free."

  Zhang Xiaohang said indifferently, the two walked to the locker room to change their clothes, and then came to the front desk of the leisure club. Seeing the warning line pulled up by the soldiers outside the door, the two sat down on the sofa with a thud, and neither of them spoke again.

  As the customers inside the club left one by one in a flurry, the sound of smashing things suddenly came from inside.

  When Zhang Xiaohang saw the police car coming over, he didn't move. He just nodded to the lieutenant and indicated for him to go out and explain things.

  The police car drove up close, and upon seeing the warning line set up by the troops, I knew it wasn't something I could intervene in. However, since I was already there, I might as well ask a question or two. Conveniently, a lieutenant colonel walked out just then.

  "Someone just called the police and said this place was smashed up. Is that true?"

  "It's alright, our leader was blackmailed and confined in the club, so I brought people to rescue him. You can leave now."

  The police who arrived did not leave immediately, but just retreated far away.

  Soon after, a man who claimed to be the deputy director of the provincial government came, but he only took a glance from outside the police cordon and instructed the lieutenant colonel with one sentence:

  "Don't make a big deal out of it."

  Turned around and left.