Xiao Xun looked directly at the blond man in front of him, asking back calmly, his upright figure not wavering in the slightest.
The blond man finished his last puff of cigarette and stubbed the butt into the ashtray. "If you want to make peace, it's simple. Two ways. According to the rules of the streets, if the grudge isn't deep, pay some money and it's settled. If you don't want to pay, then have a match. Regardless of the outcome, no one can pursue it afterward."
Under normal circumstances, most people would choose to pay to resolve the issue. After all, it wasn't a huge amount of money, and it was better to avoid trouble. They weren't lacking in funds.
However, what the blond man didn't expect was that the gentle and seemingly weak Xiao Xun would play by his own rules. "Since that's the case, I'll choose the second option."
The blond man raised his thumb and nodded. "Boss Xiao, you've got guts. After this, I absolutely won't pursue anything."
He then began to stretch his limbs. "It's been a long time since I've had a good fight. My bones are all getting rusty. Back in the day, I was a master who could take on ten guys alone."
Xiao Xun had never been in a fight since childhood. This time, he was going all out. "A good man doesn't boast about his past glories. Let's go!"
The blond man clenched his fists and glared directly at Xiao Xun. Xiao Xun, on the other hand, threw off his jacket, rolled up his sleeves, and stood as firm as a mountain.
To him, Xiao Xun looked like a weak scholar, the kind of student his teachers would praise and at home, a mama's boy.
Such people in society wouldn't dare to say a word even if you bumped into them. If you said something, they would apologize to you.
Having been in the society for over a decade, he had a good eye for people.
With these thoughts, Brother Blond didn't take Xiao Xun seriously and made the first move.
With a straight punch, Xiao Xun dodged it by slightly shifting his body.
With another left hook, Xiao Xun raised his right arm to block it, then grabbed the blond man's throat with his left hand.
The blond man felt like he couldn't breathe and began to retreat. However, his opponent pressed on relentlessly, making it impossible for him to break free.
When his lower back hit the billiard table, the blond man suddenly raised his knee, intending to deliver a low blow. But the opponent actually grabbed a black eight ball and smashed it hard against his knee.
"Ah!"
The blond man cried out in pain. The knee is one of the hardest bones in the human body.
Xiao Xun slammed the black eight ball onto the billiard table with his left hand. The blond man shivered as if the impact had landed on his forehead.
He grabbed the blond man's hair with his left hand and released his throat with his right. "Are you convinced?"
The blond man roared, "No!"
Then he waved his hand at his subordinates, "What are you waiting for? Get him!"
Xiao Xun snorted. "No wonder they say the foundation is rotten if the upper beams are crooked. When the boss is like this, his subordinates will surely follow suit."
As he spoke, he picked up the black eight ball again and pointed it at the men behind him holding billiard cues. "You guys following a boss like this is truly embarrassing. You'll only ever be small-time thugs."
Then he pointed to his jacket. "Give me my jacket."
Facing Xiao Xun's hellish tone, someone actually brought him the jacket.
Xiao Xun released his grip on the blond man and wiped the ball on the billiard table. "You should wash your hair! It's so greasy."
Taking the jacket, he took out a stack of money from it, estimating it to be a hundred thousand.
Xiao Xun threw the money onto the blond man, who had fallen to the ground. "I'm just a businessman, and I want to do business peacefully. I'm buying peace with this money. You've seen my brother's skills. If you don't know, go ask that bald guy. Don't come looking for me every other day. If I can't make money because of you, you figure it out yourselves."
He then crouched down, looking at the blond man's terrified eyes. "Don't you dare tell me this isn't over. I hope today is the last time. If you or your subordinates, or anyone related to you, bothers me again."
Xiao Xun spread out the black eight ball in his hand. "I'll make sure you swallow this."
With that, he casually tossed the black eight ball onto the billiard table and left with his jacket.
As soon as Xiao Xun left, his subordinates felt like they had been granted amnesty and immediately gathered around the blond man. "Boss, are you okay?"
The blond man endured the intense pain. "Quick, call me an ambulance."
"Yes, yes, it's already been called."
The blond man pointed at everyone. "No one is allowed to talk about what happened today."
"Yes, we won't say anything, won't say anything."
The blond man seemed to remember something and then sternly reprimanded, "Also, tell our people that no matter who it is, they are not allowed to provoke that guy named Xiao, understand?"
At this moment, one of the subordinates said, "Boss, are we just going to let this go? If this gets out, you'll lose face!"
"Slap~"
The blond man slapped him. "You kid, stop stirring up trouble here. Didn't I do this to stand up for you guys?"
The subordinate covered his face, mumbled a couple of times, and said no more.
The blond man looked at the cash on the ground. "This Boss Xiao is a reasonable person. We should try to get to know him better if there's a chance."
Another subordinate said very shrewdly, "Don't worry, boss! From now on, if anyone messes with Boss Xiao, we'll be the first to take them down, and we'll say you sent us."
Xiao Xun came out of the billiard hall, found a stall in a public restroom, went in, closed the door, and clutched his rapidly beating heart.
"I was so scared, so scared... It's a good thing it worked."
After the incident with the blond man, Xiao Xun's shop didn't encounter any more trouble. Instead, professional thieves who frequented shopping malls and pedestrian streets were warned in advance by Brother Blond's subordinates to stay away from Xiao Xun's shop.
This resulted in zero theft incidents at his shop, and it even increased customer traffic.
The success of the shop also made Mu Jiahe see Xiao Xun's courage and methods, and she agreed to his plan to open a mobile game company, renting him one floor of the St. Roman Building.
This also made it convenient for both of them to commute to and from work together.
Returning to the company, Mu Jiahe directly led Xiao Xun to the fifth floor of the building. "Here, this is all yours from now on."
Xiao Xun looked at the empty fifth floor. "That's not right! I remember the fifth floor was originally the technical department's office area and a few small meeting rooms."
Mu Jiahe nodded and said to Xiao Xun, "That's right, but I want to correct one thing. This fifth floor was just a temporary office space used by the technical department. It's been redecorated, so they all moved back the day before yesterday."
Then she spread her arms. "This is where you'll show your prowess."
Xiao Xun looked around with a look of disdain. "Opening a company here? A studio would be more like it."
Mu Jiahe rolled her eyes. "Wow! You're still not satisfied with this place? Do you know that many listed companies don't even have as much space as you do?"
"I want a complete company, with a design department, a customer service department, a marketing department, a finance department, a technical department, and a dedicated server room."
Mu Jiahe waved her hand. "Your finance department will be handled by the head office. You alone are enough for the technical department. As for the rest, you'll have to figure it out yourself!"
Xiao Xun looked at the empty floor, troubled. "To put it bluntly, I'm a one-man show right now!"
Mu Jiahe patted Xiao Xun on the shoulder. "This is also to let you experience the hardships of starting a business. Our HR department has a fixed booth in the talent market, and Secretary Gao has the contact information for several headhunting firms. If you need them, contact them. I have a meeting to attend, so you can ponder over here yourself!"
Looking at Mu Jiahe's retreating back, Xiao Xun suddenly reached out and called out, "Wait."
Mu Jiahe stopped and turned to look at him. "Is there anything else?"
Xiao Xun originally had something to say, but upon being asked by Mu Jiahe, he suddenly forgot.
Mu Jiahe smiled. "Then wait until you remember and tell me. See you after work." With that, the elevator doors slowly closed and ascended.
Xiao Xun squatted on the ground. "What should I prepare first for a game company? Hmm! I'll eat first, and then I'll think about it in the afternoon..."