Chapter 112: Money Is a Good Thing

In the security office, Li Dong met the so-called tough guys.

From their appearance, they didn't look much different from regular security guards.

However, they were quite robust, all with crew cuts, standing straight. From their demeanor and appearance, they all seemed to have served in the military.

As expected, Sun Tao leaned in and whispered to Li Dong, "They've all been soldiers; the shortest service was six years. They've come here because they can't make a living elsewhere and need to earn a living."

Li Dong didn't say anything. In today's world, many people struggle to make a living.

These ex-soldiers, lacking any special skills, could only find security jobs once they left the military.

While supporting oneself might not be difficult, supporting a family is much harder.

Judging by their appearance, the youngest of them must be around thirty years old, right at the age when they need to support their families. A salary of a thousand or so a month wouldn't be sufficient.

Li Dong got straight to the point: "You should know why I've hired you."

One of the men with a scar on his forehead nodded and gruffly said, "Understood. As long as it's not killing or arson, we'll do whatever."

"I wouldn't dare to commit murder or arson. Don't worry about that," Li Dong said with a smile and waved his hand. "What you need to do is handle fights and conflicts. As long as no one dies, I'll handle any issues with money."

The men listened in silence, not commenting.

It was clear they were straightforward people, but they were forced into this line of work by their circumstances. Otherwise, they wouldn't be involved in such activities.

Seeing this, Li Dong didn't elaborate further and changed the subject. "Regarding your wages, the base salary is three thousand, with additional bonuses."

When the topic of money came up, the men's eyes lit up.

The scar-faced man immediately asked, "And the bonuses?"

Li Dong nodded and explained, "Of course, there are bonuses. I'll have you do something soon, and each of you will get a thousand in bonus after the job!"

The men's breathing became rapid, and their eager eyes made Li Dong feel somewhat uncomfortable.

These guys were probably being driven crazy by money. Otherwise, they wouldn't all look so eager.

Li Dong liked it. Being short on money was good; it provided motivation.

No need to persuade them further. Judging by their current state, they probably couldn't wait to start working.

After a moment's thought, Li Dong added, "Let me make it clear: if you're not up for the job or if you can't handle it, leave immediately. I don't keep idle people."

The men quickly nodded. They still had some professional ethics.

Besides, finding such a good job was rare. Even without the bonuses, the base salary of three thousand was enough to make them work hard.

Li Dong then chatted briefly with the men, getting to know a bit about their backgrounds.

The scar-faced man, Zhou Haidong, was thirty-six years old, had served for eight years, and had a four-year-old daughter.

The other men were Zheng Long, Tan Yong, and Cao Hongbing, with Cao Hongbing being thirty years old. All of them had families to support.

The children were still young, especially Tan Yong, who had three children with the oldest being just five years old. It was a critical time for needing money.

These men were driven to desperation by financial need, relying on them to support their families, which led them to Yuanfang.

Having understood their situation, Li Dong stood up and said, "Let's go. Today, we'll handle a job. After finishing, I'll give out the bonuses right away!"

Zhou Haidong and the others quickly followed. Sun Tao, who was behind, rolled his eyes in frustration.

It didn't seem like Li Dong was acting like a millionaire; his words sounded more like those of a gangster.

Seeing Li Dong lead the men out, Sun Tao hurriedly followed, concerned about potential trouble.

---

Zhu Hongtao had gone to great lengths to annoy Li Dong.

Six burly men were blocking the entrance of Yuanfang Supermarket, really giving the impression of gatekeepers.

Seeing Li Dong and his group come out, the men shouted aggressively, "Go through the back door! Can't you see there are people blocking the main entrance?"

Li Dong frowned. These guys were getting more outrageous.

They had previously just been hanging around the entrance, but now they were blocking the door directly.

Li Dong turned to Sun Tao and asked, "Have the police been notified?"

Sun Tao nodded and added with a wry smile, "Yes, the police said they'd arrive soon, but every time, no one shows up within an hour."

With their disturbance, how many customers were they losing in that hour?

And with frequent occurrences, customers would naturally form a negative impression of Yuanfang, leading to a drop in business over time.

"What about Longhua?" Li Dong asked.

This was Longhua Plaza, and Longhua had its own security. Li Dong didn't believe they were unaware of the situation.

Sun Tao shook his head again and said helplessly, "Longhua says they can't do anything. These guys aren't causing trouble or creating disturbances. They've been advised several times, but they can't use force."

Li Dong cursed under his breath. Blocking the door wasn't considered creating trouble?

The security at Longhua was useless. What good were they if they couldn't handle a bunch of thugs?

Not wanting to waste more words, Li Dong turned to Zhou Haidong and asked, "There are six of them. Any problem?"

Zhou Haidong squinted, nodded, and remained silent.

Li Dong didn't care if he was boasting. He continued, "Find a way to get them into the alley downstairs. Break one of their legs, and I'll add an extra two thousand to the bonus for each person!"

Li Dong had initially planned to just teach them a lesson, but since these idiots had started blocking the door directly, he was now furious.

Hearing this, Zhou Haidong and the others' eyes lit up again. An extra two thousand meant three thousand in total per person!

Added to the base salary, that made six thousand!

As for breaking the legs of these men, they had no moral qualms. They didn't look like good people.

Zhou Haidong licked his dry lips and said, "No problem. Should we come back after we're done, or just leave directly?"

"If no one sees you, come back. If someone sees you, go home and lay low for a couple of days. I'll contact you then."

Although Li Dong didn't care if it was known that he was behind this, or if Zhu Hongtao guessed it was his doing, it was better if they weren't caught.

In today's world, as long as you weren't caught with evidence, you could usually handle things with money.

As for Zhu Hongtao's connections with the police, Li Dong wasn't afraid. Pingchuan wasn't a place where one district's police chief could control everything.

Seeing Li Dong's decision, Zhou Haidong asked no more questions.

Exchanging glances with Zheng Long, the two men charged at the burly men.

Immediately, the scene outside the supermarket turned chaotic, and Li Dong heard Zhou Haidong shouting, "You bastard, if you've got guts, come down and fight one-on-one! Dare to mess with me!"

"You damn fools, looking for death?"

These burly men were used to bullying others and had never been bullied themselves.

Hearing Zhou Haidong's taunts, they quickly pursued him.

Cao Hongbing and Tan Yong, who were with Li Dong, also quietly followed.

After the men left, Sun Tao voiced his concern, "Do you think it's too harsh?"

Li Dong shrugged off the concern, "Harsh? Dealing with people like this requires toughness. If you show weakness, they'll think we're afraid of them."

These guys were just bullies; otherwise, they wouldn't have escalated their tactics to blocking doors.

It wasn't because Yuanfang's responses had been slow lately that they had become so bold.

Sun Tao still felt uneasy and suggested, "Should I call Director Chen?"

Director Chen was the head of the Industry and Commerce Bureau and was the most involved in handling Yuanfang's affairs.

Li Dong thought for a moment and then shook his head, "Forget it. If this can be handled privately, it's better to do so. If necessary, we can address it later."

The main reason Li Dong was reluctant to involve Director Chen was that he felt Chen might not be able to control the police effectively.

After all, they were from different departments, and Chen's rank might not be higher than theirs. Why would they listen to him?

Seeing Li Dong's stance, Sun Tao said no more but showed a trace of worry.

Why cause such a commotion over a business that should be handled better?