Most people would be scared to death in such a situation.
But Lu Ming felt like laughing.
He had met countless people in his life, of all kinds, but he had never encountered anyone as "fierce" as Master Hu.
What kind of scene was this? Didn't they see all those soldiers?
How dare he come to collect protection fees?
Just for this kind of "courage," he deserved a thumbs-up.
Lu Ming smiled and asked, "Then, how much does Master Hu want?"
Master Hu was stunned.
He had only thought of collecting money, but hadn't decided how much. He froze on the spot, feeling a bit awkward.
"Wait a moment."
Master Hu took two steps back and asked his subordinates, "How much should we charge?"
One subordinate said, "Such a grand scene, this place must be very rich. We should extort them severely. I think at least fifty thousand!"
Another subordinate shook his head, "That's not enough. We still owe money for several meals of barbecue. We should add at least two thousand more."
Master Hu counted on his fingers, "Fifty thousand, plus two thousand, how much is that?"
The subordinate said, "Stop calculating. Let's just charge a hundred thousand! Make it a round number."
Master Hu frowned, "A hundred thousand? Isn't that too much? Business is about sustainability. If we take all their money at once and they go bankrupt, who will we eat and drink from in the future?"
The subordinate nodded, "Master Hu, you think more comprehensively. Let's charge 80,000 then. It's a lucky number too."
Finally, they agreed on a sum: 80,000.
Master Hu turned around and said loudly, "I'll state a number. Don't think it's too much. 80,000!"
What...
Only 80,000?
According to the usual pattern, shouldn't they be asking for 800,000 or even 8 million?
Lu Ming was barely holding back his laughter.
What a bunch of adorable hooligans.
Seeing Lu Ming remain silent, Master Hu thought he had asked for too much and was afraid he couldn't afford it. He quickly said, "Ahem, if you can't pay it all at once, you can pay in installments."
*Pfft...*
Lu Ming could no longer control himself and burst into laughter.
To be honest, very few people could make him laugh out loud. This Master Hu was one of them.
Installments, did he think this was buying a house?
Before Lu Ming could speak, the Mayor, Xu Zhijian, who was inside the house, couldn't stand it any longer. Others could see this as a joke, but he couldn't.
Jinling was under his jurisdiction.
Protection fees being collected here, right under his nose? How could this be tolerated?
Even if they were a bunch of foolish bandits, it was still unacceptable!
Xu Zhijian walked out and shouted, "You lawless scoundrels! How dare you collect protection fees in broad daylight? Do you think I'm a vegetarian?"
Master Hu glanced at Xu Zhijian, not recognizing him.
He said, "Old man, what are you babbling about? What business is it of yours? Go cool off somewhere else."
*Hiss...*
In Jinling, very few dared to speak to the mayor like this.
Xu Zhijian almost exploded with anger.
He waved his hand, "Immediately mobilize the police force and arrest them all!"
Xu Jun, who was already prepared, immediately notified the police.
An order from the mayor was not to be taken lightly. In less than 30 seconds, more than a dozen police cars arrived, further blocking the already congested road.
Dozens of armed police officers rushed in and surrounded Master Hu and his group.
Master Hu immediately wet himself out of fear.
He was indeed fierce, but he also knew what fear was.
Looking at the muzzles of the guns, Master Hu was so scared he didn't know what to say. He never expected that an ordinary-looking old man could mobilize hundreds of police officers with a single word.
His subordinates had long since caved and were kneeling, begging for mercy.
Xu Zhijian continued, "Now, find out who the boss is."
Master Hu, adaptable, shouted, "You are my father, and I am your son. Oh, good father, please spare me!"
The surrounding crowd laughed.
Such a flexible "man" was truly rare.
Lu Ming was also laughing so hard his stomach hurt.
He said to Xu Zhijian, "Mayor, I think these people are quite likable. There's no need to be so strict with them, especially since they haven't caused any substantial harm."
Xu Zhijian asked, "What? Are you, Divine Doctor Lu, going to plead for them?"
Lu Ming said, "Our new company is opening. We don't want things to get too ugly. Also, our new company hasn't had time to hire security guards yet. I want to take them in and form a security team for Xunrong."
Jiang Lan, standing nearby, shook her head.
These "tigers," could they be security guards?
Xu Zhijian pondered for a moment and smiled, "Since Divine Doctor Lu has spoken, I cannot refuse your request. Everything will be according to your arrangements."
"Thank you, Mr. Mayor, for your consideration."
Lu Ming turned to Master Hu and said, "What is your real name?"
"I, I am Meng Zhaohui."
"Well, Meng Zhaohui, you have two options before you. Option one: you and your subordinates are sent to jail, fined, and imprisoned. Option two: you change your ways and become a security guard at Xunrong from now on. Choose which path you want to take."
Meng Zhaohui was stunned. His first question was, "As a security guard, will there be a salary?"
Lu Ming was amused.
This Meng Zhaohui was truly "fierce." Wouldn't a normal person prioritize their safety at this moment?
He was still thinking about money.
Lu Ming said, "There will be a salary, five thousand yuan a month. As the security captain, you will get six thousand."
Meng Zhaohui jumped for joy.
People like him, without education, qualifications, or skills, were not wanted anywhere and couldn't find a job.
He never expected someone to offer him a job with a salary of six thousand yuan a month.
Meng Zhaohui was so excited he was almost crying.
He kowtowed repeatedly to Lu Ming, expressing his gratitude and saying, "From now on, you are my father. Father, I will do anything for you, be your ox or horse, without hesitation."
Jiang Lan, standing nearby, frowned.
She put her hand on her forehead, utterly speechless.
Did they really want to hire people without any backbone as security guards? With such character, wouldn't they steal from the company in the future?
Little did she know, people like these who were carefree and simple were the most genuine.
With proper guidance, Meng Zhaohui and the others could definitely become very reliable companions. Lu Ming never made mistakes when it came to judging people.
In fact, one day in the future, when Meng Zhaohui saved Jiang Lan's life, she truly understood Lu Ming's foresight.
And so, Meng Zhaohui and his group formed a security team and successfully joined Xunrong.
When this news reached Jiang Mengxin's ears, she was almost driven mad.
"I asked Meng Zhaohui to cause trouble, but instead, he defected!"
"I'm so angry, this spineless wretch."
"Never have I seen such a shameless person!"
The person Jiang Mengxin personally sent to stir up trouble was recruited by Lu Ming and became his subordinate. Jiang Mengxin had once again lost to Lu Ming. Just thinking about it made her feel utterly disgraced.
Anger, so much anger!