Chapter 34: The Two Big Brothers

"Is Liu Fugui trying to set me up?" Chen Dabao’s face darkened, his expression turning cold.

"Yes, they intend to frame you and have you thrown in jail. Take me to the hospital, and I’ll tell you exactly what they are planning," Li Youcai said, glancing nervously toward the outside before lowering his voice.

"Li Youcai, if you dare to lie to me, I won't let you off!" Chen Dabao stared at him, his gaze sharp and piercing.

"Look at the state I'm in—why would I lie to you?" Li Youcai replied with a bitter smile. At a time like this, he wouldn't dare deceive Chen Dabao.

"Fine, I’ll trust you once." Chen Dabao channeled the Heavenly Mystery Divine Art, focusing its energy into his eyes to activate the Heavenly Mystery Divine Sight. Instantly, the fabric of Li Youcai’s trousers and the flesh of his leg began to turn translucent, revealing the bones underneath.

The Heavenly Mystery Divine Sight possessed infinite wonders, serving as one of the signature techniques of the ancient Heavenly Mystery Daoist. Chen Dabao could currently only harness a fraction of its true potential.

"You don't need to go to the hospital for this injury; I’ll treat it myself." After a careful examination, Chen Dabao saw that the injury wasn't severe; with a simple setting and some rest, it would heal fine.

"You... you actually know medicine?" Li Youcai nearly let slip a derogatory remark but caught himself just in time.

"There’s a lot I know." Chen Dabao gave him a flat look, found two wooden boards, shaved them down with an axe, splinted Li Youcai’s broken leg between them, and secured it with hemp rope.

"If you find it uncomfortable, go to the hospital tomorrow and get a plaster cast. Now speak—how does Liu Fugui plan to deal with me?" Chen Dabao asked after finishing his work.

"Tonight, Liu Fugui invited me and Liu Dafu to drink. They discussed using Liu Dafu’s daughter-in-law, Xia Xiaoxue, to seduce you and frame you for rape. Once they catch you in the act, you’ll definitely end up in jail!" Li Youcai held nothing back, revealing the entire plan.

Liu Fugui believed his authority in Peach Blossom Village was absolute and that Li Youcai wouldn't dare betray him. After being reprimanded earlier that day, Liu Fugui assumed Li Youcai would be even more obedient. He failed to realize that Li Youcai was born with a rebellious streak—he was bold enough to cuckold the man, let alone betray him. Li Youcai secretly hoped that Chen Dabao and Liu Fugui would destroy each other; if both were ruined, no one would be left to expose his secret affair with Deng Hongyan.

"You're lying! Why would Sister Xiaoxue cooperate with them?" Chen Dabao’s face sank; he simply didn't believe it.

"I don't know about that. They didn't tell me the specifics. That’s all I know—believe it or not, that's up to you!" Li Youcai said with a defiant shrug.

Chen Dabao stared at him intently, sensing that he wasn't lying. "You had better not be deceiving me!" After a moment of thought, he decided it was best to stay on guard. Not bothering with Li Youcai any longer, he turned and walked away.

"Liu Fugui, Chen Dabao—I hope you both end up destroyed!" Li Youcai watched Chen Dabao’s retreating figure. Once he was far enough away, he limped over to close the courtyard gate, muttering to himself with a cold expression.

After returning home, Chen Dabao pondered the situation and decided to wait and see how things unfolded. He sat cross-legged on his bed to meditate until dawn, when suddenly, a violent pounding at the door shattered the silence.

"Is anyone home? Is this Chen Dabao’s house?" Someone shouted from outside the gate, hammering on it forcefully.

Hearing the commotion, Chen Dabao got up and went to open the door.

"Who are you people?" Chen Dabao asked as he opened the gate to find two burly men standing there.

"You’re Chen Dabao, right? Our Third Brother wants to see you. Come with us, now!" One of the brutes grabbed Chen Dabao’s arm, attempting to drag him away.

"I don't know any Third Brother or Fourth Brother. Keep your hands off me!" Chen Dabao frowned, impatiently brushing the man’s hand away.

"Oh? You’ve got some nerve, kid, trying to fight back?" The man stumbled back two steps, seemingly surprised that Chen Dabao would resist. He sneered, cracked his knuckles, and glared at Chen Dabao with a menacing expression.

"A-Qiang, we’re here to invite him, not cause trouble!" The other man, appearing more composed, stopped A-Qiang and spoke politely to Chen Dabao. "Mr. Chen, we heard that you performed a miracle in town, saving a dying patient. We’d like to ask for your help with a medical case as well."

"Here is three thousand in service fees. Whether the treatment succeeds or not, the money is yours." The man produced an envelope from his jacket, filled with thick stacks of hundred-yuan bills.

"Who is asking for me?" Chen Dabao asked, not immediately refusing since they seemed to have some sincerity by offering payment upfront.

"Ever heard of Brother Zhang San from Green Mountain Town? We’re his men. Don't waste time, kid—take the money and come with us!" A-Qiang said, looking arrogant.

Brother Zhang San?

There were two prominent figures in Green Mountain Town. One was Zhang Wenqing, Chen Ya’s ex-husband, and the other was Zhang Wei, known as Brother Zhang San. Zhang Wenqing dealt in river sand, while Zhang Wei ran factories.

Zhang Wei owned two factories in Green Mountain Town. One was a distillery, whose "Guanghua Tequ" had a history of over thirty years. It had originally been state-run, but after falling into poor management, it was taken over by Zhang Wei’s father and later passed to Zhang Wei. He also owned a textile mill that was doing quite well. He was a well-known wealthy man and a powerful figure in the town.

He hadn't expected these men to be in Zhang Wei’s employ.

"Is this your way of inviting someone?" Chen Dabao didn't even touch the money. "If Zhang Wei wants to see me, he can come himself!" With that, he closed the gate.

"Damn it, what is this kid acting so high and mighty for?" A-Qiang growled, raising his foot to kick the gate open.

"A-Qiang, stop!" his companion intervened. "We’re here to ask for a favor. Don't ruin Brother San’s plans. I’ll call him." A-Qiang looked annoyed but backed off.

The man made a call to Zhang Wei. Less than an hour later, a Mercedes-Benz drove into Peach Blossom Village. Just as Chen Dabao finished his breakfast, there was another knock at the gate—this time, much softer.

With a cold expression, Chen Dabao opened the gate.

Standing outside were four or five men. The middle-aged man leading them carried himself with an air of authority; it was none other than Zhang Wei, one of the two big bosses of Green Mountain Town.

"Mr. Chen, I apologize for the behavior of my subordinates earlier. They were ignorant and disturbed you. Please accept my apologies," Zhang Wei said, bowing politely. Unlike the Zhang Biao gang, Zhang Wei was remarkably courteous. It was no wonder he had a good reputation in town; despite being a powerful boss, he never bullied the locals.

"My son has fallen ill with a strange condition. I would like to invite you to take a look. This is the consultation fee." Zhang Wei gestured, and a subordinate produced two large paper parcels. Opening them revealed thick stacks of cash.