Free Web NovelChapter 2094: Chapter 2295: Long San!!!
Seeing that the third leader of the Axe Gang came with such a large group, looking quite aggressive, Hao Jian smiled, as it seemed their intention was clear. Next, it would depend on Baldy’s performance; regardless, he’d already instructed Baldy on what to say. If Baldy couldn’t handle it, then he’d have to step in.
Yet, he really didn’t want to step in to resolve this matter; he came only to boost Baldy’s confidence. He just wanted to quietly get through this period. If he got involved, it’d probably cause a lot of trouble, or he wouldn’t have told Baldy earlier to consider him as nonexistent as the boss. That’s exactly why.
"Bang!" The room’s door was directly flung open. Then, the black-clothed man who had scolded the waitress opened the door, followed by Long San, with a cigar in his mouth, striding in aggressively. After he entered, his followers came in, equally aggressive.
The place was originally quite large, enough for dozens of people, but Baldy and his men seemed to occupy a small part. Just then, when Long San arrived with his twenty or thirty followers, they instantly filled the huge Heaven-Character No.1 room to the brim.
As Long San came in, he sat directly opposite Baldy, then threw a foot up on the table, crossed his leg, displaying an overbearing attitude. He completely ignored Baldy, acting like he was the boss who could do anything he wanted.
His group of twenty or thirty stood behind him, immediately forming a human wall. Compared to Baldy’s dozen or so men, it was completely overwhelming in both numbers and presence.
Long San kept his foot on the table, and beside him stood two black-clad juniors, looking like trusted aides, with the rest of his twenty or thirty followers further behind.
With his legs on the table, he faced Baldy. Baldy sat upright, their attitudes starkly contrasting. Seeing this, Baldy’s face naturally changed. But recalling Hao Jian’s advice about civility before confrontation, with the winner laughing last, he forced a smile and stood up.
"Brother Long San!" Baldy said.
Baldy’s dozen sidekicks looked unhappy, even a bit angry. They couldn’t hide their emotions like Baldy, so their faces showed some anger.
Baldy had already stood up and reached out to Long San, yet Long San kept his leg on the table, clearly wanting to embarrass Baldy and showing disdain for him.
Baldy, being experienced in the Jianghu, had seen such scenes often and knew ways to defuse them. He didn’t show awkwardness, smiling instead, saying, "I suppose Brother Long San is here from afar and might be tired, so let me come over."
Saying this, Baldy extended his hand and walked over to Long San. Long San initially glanced sideways, but as Baldy approached, he gave him a contemptuous look.
Baldy held out his hand, yet Long San showed no intention of standing, keeping his leg crossed, leaving Baldy standing there awkwardly with his hand out. At this point, Baldy’s juniors, seeing this, were somewhat angry, many wanting to speak up. However, at a glare from Hao Jian, they dared not act rashly.
Baldy just stood there, hand raised, with a smile on his face. He was resolved to wait, to see how long Long San would make him wait; he wasn’t giving in, believing that eventually, Long San would reach out.
Considering Long San’s presence, surely there was something to discuss. Although staking his ground was a show of authority, being overly ostentatious could make him seem petty, given so many watching.
That said, Long San was dismissing Baldy’s handshake to assert a higher status and disdain. But everything had its limits. Even if he looked down on him, upon coming here and given the respect shown, eventually he’d have to reach out for the handshake.
If it had been before, Baldy might not have been so bold, merely awkwardly smiling and deftly resolving the situation. But now, knowing Hao Jian’s true identity and having him as a backing, he wasn’t afraid at all.
With Hao Jian’s support behind him, Baldy gained confidence. Though his face was being disregarded, he bewailed it lightly, not putting the contempt in his eyes. Since Hao Jian arranged the meeting, he trusted that Hao Jian had a plan, and whoever laughed last would depend on what followed.
Perhaps due to Baldy’s hand being out so long, Long San suddenly glanced at him, possibly realizing that keeping Baldy’s hand hanging for too long appeared petty; showing face a bit would suffice, but too much was overkill.
A smile suddenly appeared on his face, and he swiftly withdrew his foot from the table. Standing up, he smiled at Baldy, unexpectedly extending his hand, raised high, saying, "No need to be so courteous!"
Though he said so, his hand was raised high, forcing Baldy to reach up if he wanted to shake hands, casting Baldy another challenge.
Seeing this, Baldy smiled and raised his hand to grasp it. Their hands clasped together, but just as Long San was about to squeeze tightly to embarrass Baldy, Baldy preemptively tightened his grip on Long San’s hand.
Long San was somewhat surprised; Baldy’s demeanor had seemed humble, yet suddenly he lashed out, prompting an angry glare at Baldy. Baldy seemingly didn’t care, continuing to press, squeezing Long San’s hand until it reddened. Long San could initially maintain his composure, but with his hand being pinched red and inevitable pain accompanying it, his face showed discomfort.
As Long San’s many sidekicks saw this, they were ready to rush up, but Long San waved them off, smiling at Baldy, saying, "Strong grip indeed!"
Baldy chuckled in reply, "Oh, not at all!"
Upon finishing, he suddenly released his grip, prompting Long San to retract his hand immediately, already reddened by the pressure. He quickly placed his hand behind him, not wanting others to see his flushed hand.
Upon releasing, Baldy returned to his spot and sat down. He had given face earlier, appearing humble and proactively engaging with Long San. But since Long San did not reciprocate, Baldy saw no reason to accommodate him, returning the gesture with equal coldness.
Seeing this, Long San’s dozens of followers moved, seemingly ready to act against Baldy, and Baldy’s followers mirrored them, showing a fearless stance.
At this point, Long San unexpectedly smiled, indicating his men to halt and sit down, throwing his leg back onto the table, wearing a smile with an inexplicable but clearly mischievous aura.
"Screech!" The door opened with a sound, and several servers walked in. Even for a moment, they were startled by the room’s many occupants, seemingly on the verge of confrontation, shocking them. However, duty compelled them to regain composure, carrying the dishes in and placing them on the table.
Once the dishes were laid out, they politely said "Please enjoy," then departed. Yet after leaving the room, their hearts couldn’t help but race nervously. Seeing Baldy and Long San’s standoff filled them with fear, especially facing Long San’s many men.
The servers departed quickly, relieved they’d delivered all the dishes at once; further trips would be too daunting on their nerves.
Once the door closed, neither side spoke, creating an atmosphere of heightened tension.
Baldy suddenly signaled Lin Dongyang with a look, who then got up and uncorked a bottle of red wine, pouring a glass for Baldy, then proceeded towards Long San.
Honestly, walking towards Long San, Lin Dongyang felt a bit tense, considering it was his first time meeting someone like Long San. Being just a student, it was understandable.
But glancing back at Hao Jian, seeing his encouraging gesture of ’you can do it,’ made him less anxious and fearful.
He carried the red wine towards Long San.
