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by 陈年奶泡But if it truly affected his career and the prosperity of the gym, he was willing to reluctantly let go.
Before Chu Yuening could speak,
a neighbor from the crowd indignantly spoke up.
"Not a chance for forgiveness, that's what the King of Hell is for!"
"Exactly! Coach Chen, remember to mock them when you've made it big!"
"I'm fifty this year, at the prime age for physical fitness. Don't worry, we neighbors will support your business!"
"My granddaughter loves working out. Before, when there was no gym in Temple Street, she took a taxi to Mong Kok. I'll bring her back!"
Seeing the support from his neighbors, Chen Haoming's cold heart warmed up. The gloom he had been feeling lately lifted significantly.
Chu Yuening wrote an address in her notebook, tore the page off, and handed it to him.
"Go take a look. Perhaps it'll help you find closure."
She blinked her eyes. "Mocking is also an option."
With the note in hand, Chen Haoming hesitated but eventually hailed a taxi to head for an industrial area in Sai Kung.
Following the address, he finally stopped at a cement factory.
Bags of cement were being loaded and unloaded onto trucks by laborers, their backs bent under the weight.
Amidst the swirling dust, Chen Haoming could barely make out anyone's features. Suddenly, a harsh voice from years past caught his attention.
"Xiao Liu, how long is Big Brother B serving his sentence?" Two men, their faces covered in cement dust, sat in a corner, eating rice balls.
Chen Haoming recognized their voices as those of two former henchmen of Big Brother B from years ago.
"Sentence for robbery, twenty years in total," Xiao Liu grumbled. "If not for Big Brother B's family collapse and business failure, would he have resorted to robbing? Would we be here in Sai Kung carrying cement?"
"Ai, how did we end up in such miserable circumstances?" Rubber, staring at his rice ball devoid of any vegetables, sighed. "Can't afford decent food, clothes, or even a proper bed. We sleep on the factory floor after work."
"Compared to Big Brother B, we're doing alright," Xiao Liu griped. "He tried to escape from prison and got an additional three years. The last time I visited him, his face was bruised from a fight inside."
"Indeed."
Rubberneck lifted his head and saw a well-dressed elite man not far away. He didn't recognize the man but felt a sense of familiarity. Taking a bite of his rice ball, he leaned closer to his companion. "Do you remember Chen Haoming?"
"Sure do. Big Brother B humiliated him by peeing on him, and then Chen Haoming bulked up and chased us around trying to beat us up." The henchman shuddered. "He almost cracked my skull. I still avoid him to this day; I'll never forget him."
Rubberneck took another bite. "Chen Haoming's life turned out pretty good. I heard from classmates that he invested millions in a gym. Oh, what a big shot. We can't compare."
As they talked, the gangster turned to Xiao Liu.
"Do you think we still have a chance to turn our lives around in this world?"
"Turn our lives around? Are you still sleeping in your dreams?" Xiao Liu finished his rice ball and stuffed the plastic bag into his dirty pocket, urging, "This is as good as it gets for us in this lifetime."
A gust of wind blew past.
Chen Haoming let go, allowing the note to be carried away by the breeze. He chuckled softly, feeling an instant weight lifted off his heart.
So, the Master only wanted him to witness how miserable these gangsters had become.
"Uncle speaks the truth; it's Yama's job to forgive them."
He turned to leave, planning to distribute free membership cards to his former clients as per the master's instruction. As he lifted his foot, a figure emerged from the cement factory's office.
It was none other than the factory owner, who had once been Chen Haoming's client.
"Mr. Chen Haoming?" The owner's face was filled with surprise. "What a coincidence! Why are you here?"
The sound of the owner's voice caught the attention of the two men preparing to carry cement.
They looked over, their faces dirty and grimy.
Chen Haoming, clean-cut and radiating success, engaged in conversation with the owner. He even entered the owner's office, a place they had never been allowed into.
Throughout the encounter, Chen Haoming didn't spare them so much as a glance.
To him, they seemed like insignificant grains of sand.
"Chen Haoming?"
Rubber and Little Six were stunned. In an instant, a overwhelming sense of disparity, inferiority, and frustration washed over them. It was as if they had been slapped hard across the face with the very fists they had once thrown at Chen Haoming, now multiplied by dozens of times.
Punch after punch.
Knocking them down into the dust.
For the next few decades, this scene would haunt them like an indelible shadow, turning into nightmares that revisited them during the still of midnight.
Chapter 80
After finishing her divination, Chu Yuening got up to pack her things.
"Master Chu."
A melodious voice rang out.
Looking up, Chu Yuening saw a figure in fiery red approaching her.
Clad in a red leather jacket and chewing gum, Cong Ling grabbed her wine-red wavy hair with one hand, scanning the stall. "Closing up for the day?"
Upon seeing Cong Ling, Chu Yuening glanced behind her.
Qiu Hao was nowhere to be seen.
Her eyes curved into a smile. "Yes, I've finished all my readings for today."
"I'll lend you a hand."
In an instant, Cong Ling suppressed her flirtatious demeanor, spitting out the gum onto a tissue before tucking it into her pocket. She helped fold up the table and stow it away under the cart.
"Master, are you planning to open a shop?" Chu Yuening asked, surprised. How did she know about her intention to open a store when it wasn't public knowledge yet?
Reading Chu Yuening's astonishment, Cong Ling smiled apologetically. "There are no truly impenetrable walls in this world, let alone in Temple Street where secrets don't exist."
Temple Street is replete with places of revelry and gangs engaging in brawls.
The slightest stir can spread like wildfire throughout the world.
Seeing that Chu Yuening was still perplexed, Ling let out a chuckle. "Alright, I won't tease Master anymore. I know the landlord of the floor you rented; I just happened to mention it in passing."
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