Celestial Night Emperor

Chapter 60: Chapter 60: A Hero Humiliated

Chaos erupted on the main road in the northern suburbs of Su City, the one leading to Wuzhou District.

A few men in uniforms, distinguished by their red armbands, were aggressively blocking a large truck.

The truck was driven by a young couple. The man, who had a limp, was explaining with a face red with frustration.

”We’re just trying to deliver vegetables to the battlefront. We’re not overweight, and we haven’t broken any rules.”

The checkpoint had been set up temporarily. A sign behind it read: ”Han Clan & Changshan Group Joint Transportation Management Office.”

This wasn’t an official checkpoint established by Su City authorities. It was a private one set up by the Han Group and Li Xiaohai’s company.

The leader of the group was a skinny man with his hat askew. He spat. ”Who the hell told you to deliver vegetables to the Northern Domain? Don’t you get it? Young Master Li and the Han Family have the logistics contract for this! We deliver all the supplies! Nobody else is allowed to snatch this business!”

The young couple explained again, ”We’re doing this voluntarily.”

”Voluntarily? For free? Who the hell would believe that!” The checkpoint manager spat on their truck. ”What kind of fucking idiot turns down money from the Battle Department?”

The young wife, holding a child in her arms, was on the verge of tears. ”My husband is a veteran. He retired from the front lines after his leg was injured. Now that he’s home, he just wanted to do something for his old comrades. Sir, please, just let us pass. I’m begging you.”

The man didn’t even blink. ”Enough of your bullshit. I’m impounding this truck. You two can go to the management office, pay a ten-thousand-yuan fine, and then get the hell out!”

The road was now blocked, and a crowd of onlookers had gathered. They frowned as they watched. ”The Han Clan and the Li Family are being completely unreasonable. A wounded hero is trying to bring food to his comrades, and they’re worried it’ll hurt their business? It’s shameless!”

A few hot-headed men in the crowd were about to step in and help the couple, but their companions held them back firmly.

”Are you trying to get yourself killed? That’s the Han Family, and they have the backing of the Li Family’s young master!”

At that moment, the only ones who stepped forward were Han Qian Jun and Jiang Wan Jun.

Han Qian Jun tried to use his status as a member of the Han Clan, but he was immediately met with merciless ridicule.

”Oh, we know who you are. The poor bastard who got kicked out of the Han Family. Listen here, Lord Han, I suggest you do this the easy way. I’ll give you some face and not beat your son-of-a-bitch ass, so take the hint.”

The words were so vile that Han Qian Jun trembled with rage.

Jiang Wan Jun pulled him back. ”The Han Family’s business has nothing to do with us!”

But she couldn’t help but feel sorry for the young couple. ”They’re delivering the vegetables for free, and he’s a good man, a veteran from the battlefield. Can’t you just stop giving them a hard time?”

More and more men from the Han and Li families’ ”management office” were arriving.

Another, even more menacing man, arrived and raised his fists at Han Qian Jun and Jiang Wan Jun.

Han Qian Jun was on the phone with Qin Tianxuan, and he erupted in fury. ”What do you think you’re doing? I’ll say it again: that truck is delivering goods for the Battle Department! These are desperately needed supplies for the Northern Domain! Why are you stopping them?”

”Hey, old man, what’s all the shouting about? I’m in charge of this road, and I say this truck isn’t going anywhere! It wouldn’t matter even if a Celestial King himself showed up!”

Han Qian Jun grew frantic. ”The Han Family is courting disaster! You’re asking to be destroyed!”

SMACK! His phone was knocked out of his hand, sent flying through the air.

The young couple rushed over in a panic to steady the staggering Han Qian Jun. ”Uncle, thank you so much. We’ll pay the fine. Please don’t get hurt because of us. We were the ones who didn’t understand... we didn’t pay them.”

Even this simple, honest couple had figured it out.

To put it bluntly, the men running this checkpoint just wanted a bribe.

And they had already named their price: ten thousand yuan!

The young wife, her eyes red, lulled her child to sleep before retrieving a small cloth pouch from the truck. She opened it to reveal a thick stack of cash.

Not many people carried cash these days.

Han Qian Jun and Jiang Wan Jun’s eyes fell upon a red paper band wrapped around the cash. On it were three words: ”War Injury Compensation.”

”My child! This money...?”

Wiping away her tears, the young wife explained, ”It’s his compensation from the Northern Domain Battle Department, which serves under the Night Emperor. My husband was just a common soldier under Lord Night Emperor, but they gave us so much. We bought this truck and built a new house, and this is all we have left.”

A roar filled Han Qian Jun’s ears as blood rushed to his head.

’What a simple and kind-hearted woman,’ he thought.

’And the injured husband... he clearly has the skills of a soldier from the Desert Battlefield Division, yet he hasn’t fought back at all. He knows his duty and doesn’t want to tarnish the reputation of the Northern Domain Battle Department!’

At this, Jiang Wan Jun’s nose stung, and tears began to fall.

The surrounding crowd could no longer bear to watch. ”You’re a hero! We’ll pay the money for you!”

Several businessmen, who were just in town as tourists, came forward, moved, wiping away tears as they pulled out their wallets.

”The Han Family! Hmph, I’ll never do business with them again!”

”Exactly! This is despicable!”

Everyone started chipping in, and in no time, they had collected over a hundred thousand yuan!

The veteran’s face flushed a deep red. ”Everyone, I can’t take your money. I really can’t. Thank you all for your kindness, but I was once a soldier of the Battle Department. I will always be a man of the Battle Department, and I cannot break its code!”

At the sight of the money, the men at the checkpoint looked on with greedy eyes.

The skinny man with the crooked hat shouted, ”Holy shit, look at all that cash! The fine is now ten times higher! Pay a hundred thousand, or you’re not going anywhere!”

The entire crowd roared in anger. Many people rolled up their sleeves, ready to fight.

The skinny man just sneered, put two fingers in his mouth, and let out a sharp whistle.

Instantly, a gang of thugs armed with iron pipes and wooden clubs appeared, their numbers swelling. They were the scum hired to act as muscle.