Madam, Please Behave

Chapter 104: Debt Collectors

After leaving his apartment, Liu Changqing drove off in his van.

Earlier, he had spoken to Feng Qian over the phone to discuss some matters and was now on his way to deliver a set of sketches for further discussion.

Recently, Liu Changqing had been mulling over a peculiar idea. While his novel provided a stable income, he no longer had much time to write.

An intriguing solution popped into his mind: why not hire a ghostwriter? He could hand them the outline and let them do the writing!

The more he thought about it, the more viable the idea seemed. Offering a decent salary would suffice, and he wasn’t worried about the writer running off with the outline—laws were there to protect his interests if that happened.

As he entertained the thought, Liu Changqing instinctively stepped on the brakes, slowing the van.

To leave the area, he had to drive past Lan Yixian’s breakfast shop. However, something was amiss today.

Up ahead, a commotion blocked the street, with a crowd gathering, preventing vehicles from passing.

“Beep! Beep!”

Reluctantly, Liu Changqing unbuckled his seatbelt, turned off the engine, and got out of the van. He approached the crowd.

“This is awful. These debt collectors are ruthless!”

“Exactly! Look at the mess they’ve made…”

“Someone’s head is bleeding!”

The murmurs of the onlookers reached Liu Changqing’s ears. Pushing his way through the crowd, he finally saw the scene in front of him.

Lan Yixian, disheveled and bloodied, was holding onto her daughter, Zhou Shiyan, with all her strength.

The mother and daughter were surrounded by three thuggish men hurling curses at them.

“If you don’t pay up, I’ll send both of you to meet that old hag!” one man shouted, grabbing a fistful of Lan Yixian’s hair and yanking it violently.

Lan Yixian winced in pain as blood dripped from a wound near her brow. Despite this, she held Zhou Shiyan tightly, refusing to let go, mumbling, “I’ll pay… I’ll pay…”

“Pay my a**! You’ve got money to run a breakfast shop but not to settle your debts?”

The man raised his hand and slapped her hard across the face, leaving a red mark.

“Mom!” Zhou Shiyan cried, grabbing the man’s arm and sinking her teeth into it.

“Argh!” he screamed in pain.

Seeing this, the other two thugs rushed forward, grabbing Zhou Shiyan by the hair and forcibly pulling her from Lan Yixian’s grasp.

“No!” Lan Yixian’s anguished cry filled the air as she scrambled to hold onto her daughter, her legs kicking wildly on the ground.

Zhou Shiyan, now dragged several meters away, struggled to free herself, her face contorted in pain.

That was when Liu Changqing sprang into action.

He leaped forward, delivering a powerful kick to the man dragging Zhou Shiyan, sending him flying backward.

Without hesitation, Liu Changqing followed up, grabbing the man by the neck and pulling him to his feet. Holding him in place, Liu Changqing pressed the sharp end of his car key against the man’s eye.

With a dark expression, he glared at the remaining two thugs.

“Let go of them now, or I’ll gouge his eye out.”

The sudden turn of events stunned everyone. The two remaining thugs froze mid-action, clearly unnerved.

Taking the opportunity, Lan Yixian scrambled to her feet and ran to Zhou Shiyan, pulling her into a protective embrace.

“Everything’s okay now,” she whispered shakily.

“Stand behind me,” Liu Changqing ordered, interrupting their moment of relief.

Lan Yixian hesitated, still in shock, but Zhou Shiyan quickly understood and helped her mother move behind Liu Changqing.

Turning his attention back to the thugs, Liu Changqing narrowed his eyes at the man in his grip.

“You’re debt collectors?”

“Y-yes!” the man stammered, his eyes wide with fear as he tried to back away from the key threatening his vision.

“She… she owes money and hasn’t paid for a long time…”

“You’re lying! We already paid it all back!” Zhou Shiyan shouted angrily.

Liu Changqing caught her words and pressed further.

“Interest, right?”

“Y-yes…”

“...”

Without another word, Liu Changqing drove his elbow into the man’s head, earning a pained cry before resuming his threatening stance with the key.

“Still playing this outdated game in this day and age?”

“I-it’s not my decision…”

“But you’re part of it!”

Another blow landed on the man’s head, leaving the remaining two thugs too stunned to act.

They were novices at this, with little experience, and their so-called leader was already subdued.

Before they could react further, the sound of police sirens filled the air.

Someone in the crowd had called the authorities, and the two thugs panicked, attempting to flee. However, the crowd blocked their escape, and all three were eventually apprehended.

After giving their statements at the police station, Liu Changqing pieced together the story.

Lan Yixian’s ex-husband, Zhou Quan, was a chronic gambler who had racked up significant debts at underground casinos.

Although the debts were his, the collectors had turned to Lan Yixian and her daughter when they couldn’t locate Zhou Quan.

Driving the van, Liu Changqing glanced at the road ahead. In the back seat, Lan Yixian, her head bandaged, sat silently with Zhou Shiyan.

The atmosphere was tense and quiet.

Breaking the silence, Liu Changqing said, “You should sell the breakfast shop. Those three are in custody now, but others might come after you.”

Lan Yixian didn’t respond immediately, seemingly still shaken. It was Zhou Shiyan who spoke up.

“That shop is the last thing my grandmother left us…”