Everyone who frequently set up stalls at the market knew exactly how cruel and black-hearted this man named Tan was. There wasn’t a single vendor who hadn’t been extorted by Tan Xingwang. If you had anything good, you had to send it to him first; only by paying your “respects” could you conduct your business in this market smoothly.
Tan Xingwang’s foul reputation was well-known throughout the Shigang Commune. Seeing his aggressive stance now, the crowd knew that he was about to cause trouble again! Many locals who loved a good spectacle followed closely behind them, eager to see which unlucky soul Tan was going to torment today.
Although Jun Ning was busy selling her goods, her mental power was constantly monitoring the movements of the entire market. After all, she knew that what she was doing was risky. If someone truly tried to use the law against her, she wouldn’t dare to openly defy them. However, in the shadows, she had no qualms about playing dirty with such scum!
With the original owner’s memories, Jun Ning naturally knew that this Director Tan was the very same scum who would later get entangled with the original female protagonist, Lin Qingqing. Of course, in the original book, this piece of trash didn’t meet a good end; by the end of next year, all his ugly and evil deeds would be exposed, and he would be sent straight to the firing squad.
But for now, Tan Xingwang was still a commune cadre with real power in his hands. He was infamous locally for his cruelty and arrogance, and everyone feared him.
Among the people in line, many recognized Tan Xingwang. The moment they saw him approaching so aggressively with such a large group, they were terrified and fled immediately, fearing that if they stayed a moment longer, they would be hauled off for “re-education.”
Some kind-hearted people even remembered to warn Jun Ning before they ran: “Lass, ‘Tan the Yama’ is coming! You should run while you can. If he catches you, even if you don’t die, you’ll lose a layer of skin!”
Jun Ning smiled at those who warned her. “Thank you, I understand.”
As she watched Tan Xingwang’s group draw closer and saw her customers being scared away, Jun Ning felt a surge of anger. She immediately unleashed her mental control upon them.
The two leaders, Tan Xingwang and Tan Guowei, suddenly felt a sharp pain in their brains. In the next instant, they felt as though their limbs no longer obeyed their commands. Not only did they stop in their tracks, but they also began to dance and laugh. With crazed expressions, they started stripping off their clothes right there in public.
The bystanders who had gathered to watch the drama never expected things to take such a bizarre turn. Everyone stared with wide eyes, watching in disbelief as Tan Xingwang and Tan Guowei took off their clothes piece by piece.
The men watched with great interest, snickering to themselves. The women, seeing them about to take off their pants, either covered their eyes in fright or began to scream at the top of their lungs, “Hooligans! Someone is acting like a hooligan! Help! Somebody help!”
Hearing the women’s screams, the members of the Joint Defense Team who were not under mental control finally snapped back to their senses. They rushed forward, grabbing Tan Xingwang and Tan Guowei by the arms. They quickly snatched up the discarded clothes, draped them over the two men, and hurriedly dragged them back toward the commune office.
The guards thought that dragging them back would be the end of it. Little did they know that the moment they let go, the two men went wild again and sprinted back outside. The guards chased after them immediately.
However, the crazed Tan Xingwang and Tan Guowei seemed to have tapped into some hidden potential; they had suddenly become incredibly strong. Several guards couldn’t even hold them down and ended up with scratched faces. Stung by the pain and unable to stop them, the guards eventually gave up trying to restrain them.
Since you want to humiliate yourselves, go ahead!
Without the restraint of the guards, Tan Xingwang and Tan Guowei ran through the streets, roaring at the top of their lungs, “I’m a bastard! I’m shameless! I deserve to die! I deserve to die! Hahahaha!”
“I’m a bastard! I’m shameless! I deserve to die! I deserve to die! Hahahaha!”
Everyone was stunned by their maddened behavior, and doubts filled their minds. Are these two crazy? Are they exposing their own ugliness and slapping their own faces? What kind of trick is this? Is there even a game like this? Are they trying to destroy themselves?
But regardless of their confusion, the common people who had been oppressed by the Tan cousins were cheering in their hearts. They watched the spectacle with absolute relish.
The Joint Defense Team members looked at each other in bewilderment as they watched the pair act like madmen. They were at a loss, asking one another, “What do we do? What do we do?”
Someone suggested, “We should call the superiors and report this immediately! Otherwise, when the leaders find out later, they’ll definitely blame us!”
Although they were all members of the Joint Defense Team, they all had their own agendas. Those who were close to the Tan cousins naturally didn’t want to report it; they hoped the two would be fine so they could continue to enjoy the perks of their association. However, many others had only submitted to the Tans out of fear and had long harbored deep resentment. Seeing the Tans making such a scene, they knew there would be no good outcome once word spread. It was better to strike while they were down.
Someone quickly made the call to the superiors. Upon hearing that Tan Xingwang and Tan Guowei had both suddenly gone mad and were causing a public disturbance, the higher-ups were furious. They immediately ordered the Joint Defense Team to arrest the two Tans, lock them up, and wait for further instructions.
The guards who wanted to see the Tans get their comeuppance immediately followed the order. They charged at the two men, and after an exhausting struggle, they finally managed to tie Tan Xingwang and Tan Guowei up and lock them in the commune’s small holding cell.
The news of the Tans going mad and being arrested spread like wildfire across the market and beyond. Jun Ning watched the entire development through her mental power. When a customer mentioned it to her, she only offered a faint smile and said nothing. She considered it a case of ridding the people of a local pest.
After selling out the entire truckload of goods and seeing that it was getting late—and considering the chaos caused by the Tans—Jun Ning prepared to close up and head home. Although many people were still asking for goods, Jun Ning didn’t want to pull more items from her space. She just smiled apologetically and said, “We’re all sold out, sorry.”
Someone asked her, “When will you be back?”
Jun Ning replied with a smile, “It’s hard to say. We can only come back to sell once we can get our hands on more stock.”
The crowd was disappointed to hear her answer, but there was nothing they could do. In the current environment, it was simply how things were; it was luck if you found something, and fate if you didn’t.