Making Trouble

Everyone enjoyed the welcome feast to the fullest.

Everyone present was genuinely happy that Bai Xiaowen and Li Shuyi had returned safely from the Spirit Realm; it was a joyous occasion.

Looking at the clinking of glasses at the banquet, and at these relatives and friends who genuinely cared about him, Bai Xiaowen felt a surge of satisfaction.

[Those who love me, those I love... I will do everything in my power to protect them all.]

The clock struck nine, and the table was a mess of cups and plates.

Suddenly, Sun Hecheng's phone rang. He answered it, said "Hello," and then turned to Zhang Jing: "Teacher, it's the shop calling."

Zhang Jing nodded. "Turn on speakerphone."

The hands-free call was turned on, and amidst a commotion, a girl's tearful voice came through the other end of the phone. "Teacher Sun, where are you? Quickly find the manager... There's trouble in the store, and they're even hitting people..."

"Is it Xu Ling?" Sun Hecheng's square face instantly darkened. "Don't rush, calm down, speak slowly. Who is she?"

"I don't recognize them. They're a few shady-looking young men who came up and demanded to see the manager..."

"I understand. The manager and I will head back right away."

Seeing that he couldn't get any leads, Sun Hecheng hung up the phone, stood up, and said, "Teacher, I'll go over there."

Zhang Jing frowned and said, "They're looking for me. What good will you do? You're a Alchemist; it won't look good if you get beaten up again. I'll go with you."

Both of them stood up. Zhang Jing nodded to Li Beihai and then said, "You heard it too, something happened at the store. Hecheng and I will go and handle it."

"Who dares to cause trouble in the store?" Li Beihai banged on the table, clearly displeased. "What are the guards doing? They could have just dealt with those petty thugs easily."

Bai Xiaowen thought for a moment, "It might not be just some simple hooligans... Anyway, we've almost eaten, how about we call it a day? I'll go check out the pharmacy too. Old Chen, you four go back to school first, see you tomorrow."

Chen Guowei shook his head and said, "That won't do. I'll come when there's food and drink, but then I'll run away when trouble comes. I can't do something so disloyal. Guys, let's go to the shop and see which clueless thugs are causing trouble."

Xiang Hui shook his head helplessly. Chen Guowei's words had effectively blocked the escape route for several members of the University Team. He didn't know if this guy was really stupid or just pretending.

Bai Xiaowen laughed and said, "Alright, this has nothing to do with you."

"How can it be unrelated? I just toasted with Grandpa Zhang and Uncle Li, and we had a great time. Since something happened at Grandpa Zhang's shop, I definitely have to go check it out," Chen Guowei said, his cheeks slightly flushed as the alcohol took effect. "Old Bai, don't treat us like outsiders. Even if we don't take any action when we get there, we can still make a show of force."

"Alright..." Bai Xiaowen thought for a moment, then said to Han Xu, "Old Han, you don't need to go."

Han Xu was stunned for a moment. "Why?"

Chen Guowei patted Bai Xiaowen on the shoulder. "Hey, Lao Bai, that's not right of you. To tell you the truth, Old Han doesn't talk much, but he's meticulous in his actions. Just today, before you came back, he even offered to come to your house to visit and offer his regards... Don't treat him like an outsider."

Bai Xiaowen chuckled and punched Chen Guowei on the shoulder, "What nonsense are you talking about? I know Old Han's character very well. I'm not letting him go for his own good. I've already said, this matter might not be as simple as just some petty thugs... Han Xu's identity is rather sensitive, it's best if he doesn't get involved."

"You're speaking in such a cryptic way, I don't understand," Chen Guowei said.

The others all said they didn't understand.

"Let's go downstairs first, and talk as we walk..."

The group walked out of the private room in a grand procession.

As Bai Xiaowen walked, he explained to the crowd, "I'm just guessing, so I'll just give a brief explanation. Ordinary thugs wouldn't dare cause trouble in a place like the Super God Potion Shop, since there are security guards. The only person capable of assaulting someone and leaving the guards helpless is an Awakened One."

That makes sense.

"The Awakened community isn't large. In Jinghai City, who among the Awakened doesn't know that the Super God Potion Shop is backed by the Super God Guild? Ordinary Awakened will give them some face," Bai Xiaowen further stated, "Unless... the other party is deliberately causing trouble."

Zhang Jing realized what he meant. "Little Bai, you mean the troublemakers are from the opposing guild?"

"Yeah, the probability is probably about 70%," Bai Xiaowen said. "The guilds that have a grudge against us are mainly two: Titan Guild and Jingwu Guild. These two have always been inseparable..."

"That's quite possible. Didn't the Titan Guild open a branch right across from our shop? It's called Titan Potion House ..." Sun Hecheng said. "They probably think that our Perfect Potion auction two weeks ago boosted our popularity, and then they canceled the auction last week, making people feel like they have an opportunity to take advantage of us."

Chen Guowei finally understood and looked at Han Xu: "I remember now, Old Han is a new recruit signed by the Jingwu Guild... Would you like to leave?"

Bai Xiaowen was both annoyed and amused, and almost couldn't resist kicking him. That was far too blunt; wasn't it putting someone on the spot?

Han Xu nodded and said, "I'm going."

"Huh? Old Han, you're not being clear. Are you going to the pharmacy to stand up for them, or are you going to avoid them?" Chen Guowei was a little confused, indicating that he didn't understand.

"A pharmacy." Han Xu always spoke concisely, but sometimes he was just too concise.

"That's a good deal," Chen Guowei chuckled. "Old Bai, speechless now? Let's get started."

Li Beihai and Bai Xiaowen's driver picked them up in an SUV. Fortunately, each vehicle was spacious enough to fit two or three more people in. Soon, the car started and headed straight for the Super God Potion Shop.

The Super God Potion Shop caused quite a stir, attracting a large crowd of onlookers.

After Bai Xiaowen and the others got out of the car, the first thing they saw was the guards lying on the ground, and the second thing they saw was the group of people causing trouble.

The group consisted of two young men. One of them dressed quite maturely, in a suit and tie, unlike a typical thug. The other young man, however, was less than flattering. His hair was dyed in various colors, covering half his face, making him look like a "punk rocker."

As Bai Xiaowen expected, both young men had faint fluctuations of Psychic Field, indicating they were awakened individuals.

Seeing Bai Xiaowen and the others arrive, the punk youth showed no fear, glancing sideways and saying, "You've finally arrived. Who's the boss?"

Zhang Jing was about to speak when Li Beihai him back, saying, "You're too old for this. There's no need for you to deal with these youngsters. I'll handle it."

Thump, thump Li Beihai took two steps forward, his burly figure towering over the shop, his suit jacket subtly outlining his rugged muscles, exuding an imposing aura. "I'm Li Beihai, the owner of this shop. Which guild are you from?"

Sorry, I just finished a dungeon run, and transitional plots are always difficult to write, especially when it comes to quality. Old Ya, I deleted a large section about Liu Fei. I originally designed a scene where Liu Fei seizes power but gets humiliated, but then I realized that wasn't right. If I were Liu Fei, I couldn't possibly jump in to usurp power when the captain's fate is unknown, right? That would be so disrespectful. If the captain isn't dead, it would be awkward, and if he really is, the new captain's position would fall into his lap without any contest. So, I designed a Liu Fei who's secretly pleased but outwardly hypocritical... Ahem, I digress. Anyway, the lack of updates is my fault, Old Ya sincerely apologize. I will try my best to write better.