First, two motorcycles drove in, carrying six men armed with long knives and machetes. With a roar, they stormed into the courtyard and advanced inside.
The moment they dismounted, they grasped their blades and cast imposing glares sweeping the yard. Their eyes fell on Yan Fei, who was enjoying his meal under the canopy outside the cafeteria.
Before they could react, a thunderous noise echoed as a tractor charged in the courtyard, belching black smoke. There were about twenty people on the tractor, old and young alike. Even the mudguards on either side of the driver’s seat were occupied. Every one of them held clubs or rods.
The engine was still running when they started to jump down. Some started checking on the injured, scattered on the ground.
While people were still disembarking, two more large tractors followed by another two smaller ones drove in.
The vehicles were full of people, quite a crowd indeed.
Yan Fei was sitting around a huge pot. He briefly looked up as the tractors entered and then increased the speed he was eating. Paying no heed to the bones, he ate whatever he could grab and slurped the soup with the ladle.
These people seemed organized. No one approached him after they got off the vehicles. They all just stood at a distance, their eyes aflame and fixed on Yan Fei. While some guarded, others were carefully loading the injured onto the tractors.
Someone appeared to be in charge and directing people. They seemed experienced in organizing a group fight.
There was a youngster, presumably the relative of the girl that Yan Fei had just beaten. On seeing the girl lying on the ground, soiled and bloodied, he couldn’t hold himself back.
As the girl was lifted onto a tractor, listening to her screams and cries, the youngster charged towards Yan Fei with a machete in his hand, not bothering about the people trying to hold him back.
While sprinting towards Yan Fei, he shouted, "I will kill you..."
No one knew who he intended to kill because before he could finish, Yan Fei tossed the huge pot towards him.
There were no fancy, insulated pots back then, just a large iron pot. It held a sieve on the top for steamed buns and such, while underneath, there was added water to keep the food warm over a coal stove.
The pot flew fast and covered over ten meters in a flash. The youngster, barely able to muster a defensive move with his knife, was knocked down.
Most factories back then were conscientious, and products were made to last, often for decades. This iron pot was sturdy, unlike the thin ones sold later.
So, the steamed buns and flatbread in the pot wouldn’t cause much harm, and the water at the bottom wasn’t boiling. However, the weight of the iron pot, combined with the force of the throw, was not something to be taken lightly.
After throwing the pot, Yan Fei was ready to spring into action if the crowd decided to attack.
But, a man came forward and motioned for two others to rush out and help the youngster. They then dragged him away.
The youngster was still cursing, but Yan Fei didn’t care. Cursing was pointless; it would be better to save energy for the fight to come!
While the injured were being loaded onto the tractors, Yan Fei, seeing no one approach, simply returned to his meal. The boiled tea eggs sold here were pretty good. This way of cooking eggs hadn’t become popular in Tanghe County yet, and people didn’t bother cooking eggs this way at home, so it was a novelty for him.
They were small eggs from farm-raised chickens. While peeling required a little effort, they could be eaten whole in one mouthful.
After devouring seven or eight eggs, the injured were finally loaded onto the tractors. People were methodically arranged to take them away. That’s when a group of men finally approached Yan Fei.
"What turf do you claim, brother?" asked a middle-aged man, leading the group, standing at a safe distance, looking at Yan Fei with furious eyes, but still making the effort to inquire with a veneer of politeness.
Stuffing the last egg into his mouth, Yan Fei stood up and took a couple of steps. He didn’t come out from under the canopy but looked at the group and asked, "Are we going to fight or what?"
The middle-aged man was taken aback, and a young man by his side blurted out, "Don’t be arrogant, boy..."
He wasn’t able to complete his sentence as the middle-aged man silenced him. Then he turned to Yan Fei, saying, "Brother, you’ve already beaten our people, at least leave us your name. Let us know who we are dealing with?"
"I have no name to leave, and I’m no deity. I just dislike how an eatery as big as this swindles a mere nine yuan from ailing folks and even beats them. And you people want to discuss names. Get to the point, will we fight or not?" asked Yan Fei distractedly.
After the tractor had left carrying a heap of injured men, they were sure to raise alarm at the hospital. If the police were alerted, Yan Fei would have to run.
No matter right or wrong, this was their turf, and he was a stranger here. If he fought and did not know where to escape, he would be screwed.
The middle-aged man, who had managed his anger so far, was getting agitated by Yan Fei’s attitude. He glared at Yan Fei’s nonchalant face and blurted out, "Are you planning to fight us to the death? Do you see how many men we have here?"
By now, people had crowded around them, an intimidating large mob, each holding a rod or a knife, their faces stern. The courtyard was so packed that there was barely any room to move.
"Are you finished yapping? If we’re going to fight, let’s get started. Did you lot come here to fight or just to spectate?" Yan Fei was genuinely annoyed. This was why he didn’t enjoy watching TV dramas. All the useless banter, whether it was the good guys or the bad ones, they all had a lot to say before their fights. It was nerve-racking.
What use was all that chatter? In the end, they still had to fight. And heaven forbid if there is an advertisement for hemorrhoids just when the chatter finally wraps up. Could anything be more annoying?
"You are begging for death, do you know that?"
"Don’t act like a big shot just because you got some skills. If you are really something, try taking down all of us..."
"Exactly, stop showing off! Brother, let’s teach him a lesson..."
"Just finish him off, why waste all this time with him..."
The middle-aged man was, by now, thoroughly enraged and allowed his men to vent their anger. Yan Fei’s indifferent attitude while his people shouted and cursed clearly irked him.
Fed up with listening, Yan Fei made an impulsive move and reached out to a wooden pole supporting the canopy.
The makeshift canopy was held up by wooden poles, quite simple and rustic. Yan Fei had already spotted the pole earlier. It was perfect as a weapon considering everyone else was armed. He didn’t want to be at a disadvantage by fighting unarmed.