The next evening, it was time to set up the barbecue stall again, but his uncle, Zhao Yongchang, lingered at home, unwilling to go out.
"Uncle, let's go, it's time to set up the stall," Zhang Fan urged upon seeing this.
"Today... let's not set it up. Let's take a day off," Uncle Zhao Yongchang said, glancing at Zhao Qingqing and his aunt Zhang Xin, hesitating.
"Let's go. You can't hide from this forever. Are we really not going to open the barbecue stall anymore? What will Qingqing and Aunt eat then?" Zhang Fan directly pulled his uncle outside. Seeing this, Zhao Qingqing quickly followed. Zhang Xin hesitated for a moment, then closed the door and followed.
"Why is this kid so strong?" Zhao Yongchang, being pulled by Zhang Fan, was secretly astonished. He had struggled to break free when Zhang Fan grabbed his arm earlier, only to find Zhang Fan's grip like iron tongs. His struggles were in vain.
He often did heavy labor and was much stronger than ordinary young men, but in Zhang Fan's hands, he was as helpless as a child. How strong was Zhang Fan?
Arriving at the barbecue stall, Zhao Yongchang resigned himself to fate. He thought to himself that even if he had to pay protection fees again, he wouldn't let Zhang Fan get into a conflict with those thugs.
Although Zhang Fan might be a capable fighter, he knew that these protection fee collectors were organized. Even if Zhang Fan could beat one or two, could he beat dozens? Hundreds?
All the barbecue equipment was stored inside the shop. With four people working, they quickly set up the stall, and customers began to arrive one after another.
There were many universities in this area, so business was quite good. However, due to shop rent, protection fees, and other expenses, the profit that remained was quite low.
Zhang Fan volunteered to sit at the barbecue stall and grill for customers. Seeing his enthusiasm, Zhao Yongchang couldn't refuse and could only stand by to instruct him. However, after watching for a long time, he found that Zhang Fan's technique was flawless. He stopped instructing and went to attend to the customers.
"Boss, why does the barbecue taste so much more fragrant today than yesterday? Did you develop a more aromatic seasoning?" a fair-skinned college student asked, holding a skewer of pork skin and eating with gusto.
She found that the pork skin grilled by the stall today was better than any she had ever tasted before. Not only was the flavor excellent, but the chewiness and elasticity of the pork skin were also something she had never experienced.
She was so engrossed that she could barely stop.
"Is it that good?" the beautiful woman next to her, dressed provocatively and showing off her long legs, asked. Seeing her classmate's exaggerated eating habits, she took a skewer of pork skin to try. After the first bite, before swallowing, she looked up and unhesitatingly shouted to Zhang Fan, "Little handsome guy, please grill fifty more skewers of pork skin for our table."
"Okay," Zhang Fan replied with a smile, inwardly marveling, "Fifty skewers of pork skin, they really can eat."
Zhao Yongchang listened with surprise. Did Zhang Fan's grilling produce a better flavor than his, a veteran of decades? Was this kid destined for this barbecue stall?
Frankly speaking, Zhang Fan was not handsome. He was just young and looked rather refined.
Now that he had reached the peak of Qi cultivation, he was considered half a Dao body. His senses were extremely keen, allowing him to precisely control various seasonings and heat. Naturally, the barbecue he grilled tasted excellent. If it weren't for the limitations of the seasonings, Zhang Fan could have made the aroma of the barbecue fill the entire street.
Thinking this, Zhang Fan couldn't help but ponder if he should go back and create a secret recipe specifically for his uncle's barbecue.
It seemed that it was indeed Zhang Fan's presence. There were more customers today than ever before. Soon, all the tables were occupied, and some college students were waiting nearby, planning to pack their food to take back to their dormitories. This had never happened before when Zhao Yongchang was grilling.
"Yo, business is good today, boss. I assume you've prepared the protection fee for me?" a slightly teasing voice sounded just as Zhang Fan was grilling enthusiastically.
A flat-headed young man in a black tank top, accompanied by seven or eight thuggish-looking subordinates, swaggered into the barbecue stall with an air of extreme arrogance.
The group of ruffians, of varying heights, builds, and dispositions, all wore tight-fitting tank tops. Whether in their mouths or in their hands, they made gestures that invited eye-rolling, yet they themselves seemed incredibly proud of.
"They're here," Zhao Yongchang, who was attending to customers, glanced at Zhang Fan, who was grilling, and quickly walked over.
"Old man, tell me, what's your choice?" The leading flat-headed young man leaned on a chair, looking at the crowded barbecue stall, and said with a smile, "Are you going to pay the money, or should I continue smashing things?"
"With so many customers today, if I smash it twice more, I don't think many people will dare to come here for barbecue."
Indeed, no matter how good the taste of a barbecue stall was, if such dangerous incidents of smashing and vandalism occurred frequently, few customers would be willing to come. After all, most people valued their safety more than their meal.
"Can you guarantee that you won't collect protection fees next month?" Zhao Yongchang asked, his face filled with resentment, and he gritted his teeth.
"Haha, don't worry, my Brother Xiao Qiang keeps his word," the flat-headed young man laughed heartily, but a hint of mockery flickered in his smiling eyes.
"Alright, I'll pay." Zhao Yongchang said, then took out a stack of red bills from his bag and handed them over.
Seeing this, the flat-headed young man's smile widened. Just as he was about to reach out and take it, he felt a heavy blow to his stomach. His body involuntarily flew back several meters, almost spitting out his lunch, and he watched as the red bills drifted further and further away from him.
"Brother Xiao Qiang," the subordinates behind the flat-headed young man were stunned for a moment, then quickly rushed over to help Brother Xiao Qiang up.
He used to be called Brother Qiang too, but after finding out that his boss's boss was called Brother Qiang, he changed his name to Brother Xiao Qiang.
"What kind of trash dares to collect protection fees? There's no order in this world at all." Zhang Fan had long since put down his oil brush and walked over. He had intended to say a few words, but seeing that his uncle was about to pay the protection fee, Zhang Fan took action directly.
"Damn it, you dare to sneak attack me? Beat him!" Brother Xiao Qiang clutched his stomach, feeling as if his period had arrived. That kick was too damn strong, it hurt Brother Xiao Qiang immensely.
If Brother Xiao Qiang knew that Zhang Fan hadn't even used a tenth of his strength in that kick, he would probably have knelt down to Zhang Fan on the spot.
His nearby subordinates immediately grabbed benches and overturned some of the barbecue customers, then charged at Zhang Fan with fierce expressions.
Street fights rely first on momentum. If the momentum falters, it's over. So, as soon as Brother Xiao Qiang gave the order, many of his subordinates did not hesitate to attack.